City Council will help to organize the massive event after a snag nearly ended 18 months of cultural projects for Moose Jaw.

 

14 projects over the next 18 months were saved from the trash bin this week as the City of Moose Jaw has stepped in to help organize the Year of the Creative Person.

The project was in a desperate situation after program managers were unable to be found so organizers asked the city to get involved and they agreed. The project budget is 800 thousand dollars with half a million coming from the federal government through the Culture Capital of Canada program.

The rest comes from fundraising, which Gary Hyland is helping out with. "In fact it’s well underway. They've approached sponsors and some of them are already in place for instance there's a concert series with the Regina Symphony Orchestra and there's one sponsor in place and we need to get a second. But it’s half done."

Some councillors voiced concern over the fact the city might have to absorb the 300 thousand dollars needed above the federal grant if the fundraising committee failed to meet their goal. Hyland simply said that won’t happen.

The main event of the Year of the Creative Person is the Western Canadian Music Awards coming up this fall.