Requesting Funding Support from Federal and Provincial Governments for Enhanced Festival Safety and Security - by Councillor Mike Colle, seconded by Councillor James Pasternak

While it is critical for festivals to implement improved security measures, such enhancements will lead to increased costs that require additional funding. Local festivals have already been facing growing financial risks in general due to decreasing sponsorship and other increased costs that ultimately put the ongoing viability of these events at risk and add undue financial burden on local municipalities. The City of Toronto has stepped up by allocating enhanced funding for a total of $3.85 million in 2025 including renewing the Special Events Stabilization Initiative which supported 81 local festivals in 2024, and the addition of the new Cultural Festivals Funding Program. In addition, the City of Toronto and the Toronto Police Service will be co-hosting a Festival Safety Summit on May 26, 2025. While these are significant steps forward, bolstering festival safety and security necessitates intergovernmental cooperation and additional funding support. The City of Toronto and Toronto Police Services can also review policies and protocols for operational issues such as "hostile vehicle mitigation" measures. Strengthening security measures at festivals will not only help safeguard festivalgoers and staff, but also help sustain the festivals' ongoing viability encouraging greater attendance, increased destination tourism generating significant sales tax revenue for the Federal and Provincial governments and most importantly, much needed support for local businesses.