City Council Rejects Request to Explore Ongoing Funding or Relief from Rising Fees for Summerfolk Festival
Owen Sound Council voted down a motion to explore a formal municipal partnership with the Georgian Bay Folk Society, rejecting a request for staff to explore long-term support for Summerfolk.
A year after the Georgian Bay Folk Society first asked the City of Owen Sound for a formal, multi-year partnership to support the Summerfolk Music & Crafts Festival, City Council has declined to take further action on the request.
At its regular meeting on February 9, 2026, Council voted 7–1 to defeat a motion that would have directed staff to prepare a report exploring possible ongoing support options—specifically a $10,000 municipal grant and waiver of park rental fees. Councillor Jon Farmer was the only member to vote in favour.
The original ask came in January 2025, when Jaret Koop, Operations Manager for the Folk Society, appeared before Council to propose a formalized agreement that would provide the longstanding festival with more predictable and stable municipal support.
Koop emphasized that while the City and the Society have worked together informally for decades, the lack of an official partnership had become a liability as the festival faced rising operational costs.
“We’ve always worked together because people cared enough to make it happen,” Koop told Council at the time. “But that won’t serve us well going into the future.”
Council referred the request to the Community Services Committee, where Koop delivered a second deputation on January 21, 2026, outlining the impact of rising costs and the ongoing need for stable municipal backing.
The committee passed a motion recommending that Council request a staff report evaluating potential partnership models, funding options, and feasibility.
At the February 9 meeting, multiple councillors said they could not support a grant or fee waiver—and did not wish to allocate staff time to exploring it.
Deputy Mayor Scott Greig opposed the motion outright. “I don’t think we have the fiscal capacity to be adding grants like this,” he said, noting the City had just completed its 2026 budget. “Even requesting a report, knowing I wouldn’t support it, doesn’t make sense.”
Councillors Travis Dodd and Marion Koepke also pointed out that the Folk Society had already received $10,000 for the 2026 festival through the City’s Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) Tourism Development Fund.
They argued that MAT funding is the appropriate mechanism for tourism-related support and questioned the need for additional municipal contributions.
City staff confirmed that Summerfolk received $10,000 through the MAT fund’s fall 2025 intake, administered by the Owen Sound & District Chamber of Commerce. However, MAT funding is awarded annually through a competitive application process and is not guaranteed year over year.
Folk Society Sought Long-Term Stability
In both deputations, Koop stressed that one-time grants and uncertain funding sources like MAT are not sufficient to ensure Summerfolk’s long-term sustainability.
He cited a 40% rise in operating costs between 2019 and 2023, including major increases in policing, washrooms, and rental fees, which rose 400% following changes to the City’s fees by-law.
Summerfolk paid nearly $2,400 in park rental fees for its 2024 event and absorbed the cost of generator rentals after City infrastructure previously installed by the festival was removed without notice.
Koop told the committee in January that a formal partnership would improve communication and help secure matching grants from other levels of government. He emphasized the festival’s contribution to the local economy, estimating more than $300,000 in visitor spending during the event weekend.
Limited Support for Staff Report
Councillor Jon Farmer, the only vote in favour, said he supported receiving a staff report to understand the range of options—whether partial rental waivers, formal in-kind support, or a broader partnership model.
He also pointed out inconsistencies in how the City sponsors third-party events. “We’re listed as a sponsor of the Salmon Spectacular,” he said. “I’d like to better understand what that looks like and how it compares.”
Councillor Carol Merton said a report could help identify whether the requested support might be feasible within existing budgets. “It’s not necessarily about adding new money,” she said, “but looking at what might be reallocated or aligned.”
However, City staff noted that the motion’s requirement for a report to be ready for the February committee meeting was not feasible due to existing workflow timelines.
Council’s vote means staff will not prepare a report on formalizing a City-Summerfolk partnership, and no changes will be made to rental fees or existing funding streams. Summerfolk remains eligible to apply for MAT funds but will not receive the predictable, multi-year municipal support its organizers sought.
Mayor Ian Boddy and several councillors opposed the motion on the grounds that it would either duplicate existing MAT funding or set an unsustainable precedent.
“We’ve never budgeted for this kind of grant support,” said Boddy. “Summerfolk got help for the 50th anniversary, but I can’t support a $10,000 donation going forward.”
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