The Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster program leverages relatively small grants into huge economic impacts, particularly in the tourism sector, and there is room to expand this effectively.

Niagara welcomes 13 million tourists per year, and 7.7 million come here for pleasure. Niagara’s 109 performing arts establishments are a major part of that tourism industry, and grant programs such as Celebrate Ontario help them thrive.

Known pre-pandemic as Celebrate Ontario, the Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster program supports one-time or infrequent events in Ontario with operating budgets over $1M. The program supports events that draw in significant tourist traffic and media exposure. Data from the Ontario Arts Council and Destination Canada shows that arts and culture tourist trips make up 13% of all tourism, but 30% of all tourism spending, and before the pandemic, every $1 invested in this program resulted in $21 in visitor spending. In 2021-2022, the Government of Ontario invested $6M into this program and $43M into the adjacent Reconnect Festival & Event Program, resulting in over $1 billion in economic impact.

The Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster program should be extended beyond one-off and occasional events to annual or biannual ones with a proven $10M in direct impact or $50M in indirect impact per year.

2024-ongoing