MP Marcus Powlowski announces funding to support a restored historic attraction in Thunder Bay

 News Release

For immediate release

 February 2, 2022-Thunder Bay, ON

 Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Rainy River announced almost half a million dollars in funding from two Government of Canada programs to support the Chippewa Park Restoration Project. An investment of $450,000 from the Canadian Heritage Ministry’s “Building Communities Through Arts & Heritage” program will allow construction of an addition to Chippewa Park’s pavilion to house the restored C.W. Parker Carousel.

Employment and Social Development Canada has invested $23,948 under its Enabling Accessibility Fund for accessibility improvements at the park including modifications to entrance doors to make them more accessible.

Both applications were submitted by The Friends of Chippewa Park.

 The Heritage Canada contribution builds on the earlier commitment by the City of Thunder Bay to contribute $300,000 towards the $1.6 million project cost. A further funding application to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation has been submitted and a response is expected shortly.

 Created in 1915 and located at Chippewa Park since 1935, the C.W. Parker carousel is one of only three such attractions in the world still operating today. The restoration work continues and is expected be significantly completed in time for the 2022 summer season. The pavilion, which will be expanded to accommodate the carousel along with an interpretive area, crafter’s workshop and gift shop, was itself constructed in 1925 and is believed to be one of the few of its type remaining in Canada.

It is anticipated that construction will commence in September with the facility completed by year end.

 Quotes

 “Our government’s continued support on the restoration of this important and well-loved historical attraction will greatly benefit our community. I look forward to seeing local residents and tourists enjoy Chippewa Park for many years to come. Thank you, Friends of Chippewa Park, for your continued dedication to this project.”

-Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Rainy River

 “I want to thank the Federal Government for its support on an addition to Chippewa Park’s pavilion to house the restored C.W. Parker Carousel.  I’d also like to thank the Friends of Chippewa Park for their efforts not only towards the restoration of the Carousel but for all their work towards revitalizing Chippewa Park.  The City of Thunder Bay is a proud partner in the Carousel Project which preserves an important part of our City’s history and at the same time serves as a key attraction for both visitors to our City and City residents.”

-Bill Mauro, Mayor, City of Thunder Bay

“This contribution by Heritage Canada is a significant step in achieving the goal of protecting and preserving Chippewa Park’s newly restored 107-year-old C.W. Parker Carousel for the future. The 100th Anniversary of the Park plus the heritage significance of the Pavilion qualified us to apply for this funding.  Through the grant we will connect the 97-year-old pavilion to the historic Carousel creating an interpretive area as well as an artisan’s workshop and gift shop.”

-Donna Gilhooly, Co-Chair, Save Our Carousel Committee

Save Our Carousel Committee Co-Chair, Donna Gilhooly reports on the amount of time the Thunder Bay Carvers took to carve the 96 Carousel elements while TFOCP President Loraine Lortie holds the mirror frame.

 Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund

Supports Chippewa Park Family Festival

Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries announced today that The Friends of Chippewa Park will be provided with $50,000 towards the marketing of their five day, free to all, Family Festival now scheduled for July 28 to Aug 1, 2022.

The funding is being provided through the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund and is part of a $4 million dollar announcement made by Minister McLeod on Friday.

John D. McKellar, President and Board Chair, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund joined the Minister and noted that “"Since the pandemic has affected the cultural sector dramatically and drastically, the OCAF board has felt strongly it is an important role for the fund to help with resilience and recovery. We are so pleased to be able to support events across Ontario, large and small, urban and rural, that will help Ontarians begin to celebrate arts and culture again, and that provide much needed jobs to artists, makers, producers and those engaged in the sector."

Lorraine Lortie, President of The Friends of Chippewa Park welcomed today’s announcement. “When we began planning for the festival, we knew we would use it as an opportunity to reconnect people from across the region, into Manitoba and around Lake Superior to Chippewa Park. The Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund was a logical place for us to apply for marketing assistance and we are so pleased that they have agreed to support us. We also appreciate that they have agreed to allow us to use this funding for our postponed festival now being held next year.”

A key segment of the fund will be used to produce a multi-page tabloid that will feature the festival, the park and the community and will be distributed to over 80,000 households within a one-day drive of Thunder Bay.

Other fund raising continues to occur with the Catch the Chippewa Ace now entering its 7th week and the grand prize growing.  It can be found at www.chippewapark.ca/catchtheace.

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For further information: Lorraine Lortie  473-6048

 Chippewa Park’s 100th Anniversary Festival Postponed Until Next Year 

The Friends of Chippewa Park announced today that the 100th Anniversary Five Day Family Festival they were planning for the Civic Holiday weekend this summer has been postponed until 2022. 

In making the announcement President Lorraine Lortie indicated that the organization felt “it would be irresponsible to hold an outdoor festival that could attract as many as 10,000 people when so many may still be susceptible to catching COVID-19. As a major focus of the park and the Festival are families and it is doubtful that children will be fully vaccinated in time, we had no choice but to postpone for a year. We don’t want to exclude anyone from enjoying the park and the festival and we certainly do not want to be the cause of further spread” she said. 

Cathy Sawicki, Co-Chair of the 100th Anniversary Committee noted that the park itself will not be fully operational this summer and “it doesn’t make sense to hold a festival when the full features of Chippewa are not on display and available for celebrants”. She noted that the amusement rides will not operate again this year because of COVID-19 restrictions, that all but two of the field bookings have been cancelled and there are no activities in the pavilion this summer including Melodrama, showers and weddings. TFOCP also made the decision to not host the Sunday in the Park Concert Season and the Tuesday Night Jam sessions this year. 

“The continued closure of the Canada-USA Border along with travel restrictions within Canada with no indication of when those restrictions will be lifted will severely limit our ability to attract visitors to the park and festival” said Co-Chair Linda Lafontaine. “We wanted to be in a position to re-introduce the City, the park and its features to a broad tourist audience who lives within one days drive, and currently we are unable to barely go beyond the Thunder Bay District.” 

The park and its facilities have been booked for July 28 to Aug 1, 2022. Fundraising, including the current Catch the Chippewa Ace Lottery will continue over the next 15 months with all proceeds going towards financing the Family Festival. 

Discussions are underway with all confirmed funders regarding permission to transfer the funds to next year. Work also will continue on the restoration of the Carousel said Lortie, we anticipate it being completed next spring and if all goes well by the summer, we will have a building to protect and secure it. 

“We were all looking forward to sharing Chippewa Park’s Centennial” said Lortie “We will just have to wait until next summer to celebrate 100+1 and hopefully a return to a COVID free environment” she concluded. “The extra time will enable us to make the festival even better!” 

The Friends of Chippewa Park are still planning on some form of commemorative event for July 15, the actual anniversary of the park being declared open in 1921. Details are still to be worked out. 

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For further information: 

Lorraine Lortie, President, TFOCP 473-6048 

Cathy Sawicki, Vice President, TFOCP and Co-Chair 100th Anniversary Committee 626-7064 

Linda Lafontaine, Director, TFOCP and Co-Chair 100th Anniversary Committee 577-6628 

 Media Release

Entertainers Sought for Chippewa Park’s 100th Anniversary Family Festival

Thunder Bay: The Friends of Chippewa Park announced today that they are seeking entertainers to perform at Chippewa Parks Centennial this summer as part of a five day, free, Family Festival. They are also recruiting musical acts to perform at the Sundays in the Park Concert Series throughout the summer.

The Family Festival will run from July 29 through to August 2 over the Civic Holiday weekend, while the Sundays in the Park Concerts will start on June 27 and run until the Labour Day weekend.

Entertainment Coordinator and President of The Friends of Chippewa Park, Lorraine Lortie stated that “We want to showcase a broad range of entertainment throughout the five days of the festival - Music, Dance, Comedy will be interspersed throughout the 45 hours of stage presentations. We also want to ensure that we highlight what Thunder Bay has to offer including a significant presence of Indigenous & ethnic entertainment along with children’s entertainers.”

The Friends of Chippewa Park are also encouraging buskers and street performers to apply. They also indicated in their media release that they are not expecting the entertainers to donate their services and that is one of the reasons they continue to raise money to finance the festival.

Entertainers interested in being considered for the festival or Concert Series are invited to register at www.chippewapark.ca/entertainers. “The deadline for applying is March 31” announced Lortie.

“The Friends of Chippewa Park are optimistic that the COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in time for the Festival to proceed” said Lortie, however, we will make the decision in April as to the format of the concert attendance or if we have to postpone until the summer of 2022.”

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For Further Information: Lorraine Lortie 473-6048