Carnival & Fair Buzz

Toronto, ON - Now that March Break is behind us and all eyes look forward to spring and summer, the Canadian National Exhibition is busy working to welcome guests back to its iconic event, which this year takes place August 19 to September 5! Having been closed in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CNE has faced a number of challenges, financial liquidity being chief among them. During the closures, the Canadian National Exhibition Association took advantage of numerous government initiatives including those for employee subsidies and business loans.

Now, as it plans its “comeback”, the CNE would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Ontario for a $250,000 Community Building Fund grant that was provided to the CNEA to assist in supporting the CNE’s long-term sustainability. This Community Building Fund Operating grant, which is delivered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, is being used to help with staffing and operating costs, enabling the 144-year-old institution to sustain itself during the global pandemic.

“The CNE is a much-loved Toronto institution that holds special significance for many Ontarians young and old. For generations, people have come from across the province to enjoy this venerated end-of-summer tradition. I am very pleased to hear about this funding that will provide some financial support to this cherished event that makes a significant contribution to the economy and is an important source of employment, providing jobs for close to 5,000 people each year.” – MPP Chris Glover
“We are very appreciative of Ontario Trillium Foundation’s investment in our organization,” stated Darrell Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian National Exhibition Association (CNEA). “Although we undertook major cost-saving initiatives including mass layoffs at the end of May of last year, the OTF investment helped us to offset our monthly operating expenses and maintain a skeleton staff. We are pleased to announce that all the employees we had to lay off have been re-instated, failing those who found other jobs in the interim.”

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.