Request for Open Air Weekends costs defeated by town council

Amherstburg Municipal Building.

A request to get costs for the 2025 version of Open Air Weekends won’t be coming back before town council. 

A motion by Councillor Diane Pouget was defeated on a 3-3 tie vote. Voting in favour were Pouget, Councillor Peter Courtney and Councillor Molly Allaire with Councillor Don McArthur, Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb and Mayor Michael Prue voting against.

Councillor Linden Crain was not present at the Sept. 22 meeting.

Courtney said that town council usually does get a report on successes and failures of Open Air, and wanted to know if that report was still coming.

“We know what we budget,” said Courtney. “Are we under? Are we over? I think it’s a fair point because it is taxpayers’ dollars that pay for the entertainment, to pay for staff to fill the water barrels, to monitor the incoming and outgoing. If we are going to get a report from staff already, the motion’s a moot point. If not, I think it’s worth it again.”

Courtney said the event is changed from year-to-year and council should know all of the numbers. 

Deputy CAO/director of development services Melissa Osborne said the 2024 year-end balances, it shows festivals and events carried a surplus.

“We were funded by several grants. The cost of Open Air was largely funded,” she said. 

Special weekends like Farm Fest and Latin Fest were covered by grants, with additional funding secured for Open Air Weekends, she added.

No additional base funding was being requested at budget due to a motion from Crain last November  that called for Open Air to continue for the remainder of the term. Osborne said that is no different than other town events, such as the River Lights Winter Festival.

Pouget said the Nov. 2024 motion didn’t prohibit council or the public from knowing how much was spent on Open Air Weekends in 2025. 

Councillor Don McArthur said Open Air is a program or service budgeted for, and costs would show up in variance reporting. He said sometimes there are overages for all services and those are always reported to council. Osborne reiterated the 2024 year-end showed a surplus in the tourism department for festivals and events, with $20,000 in reserves approved that wasn’t touched.

Osborne said Open Air recently ended with Amherstburg Uncommon just finishing this past weekend, with the latter taking up a lot of staff time. River Lights is expected to do the same, she told council. 

“Gathering the specific level of detail in an effort to compile this is certainly not without a lot of time to be spent. However, it is is council’s desire and, as the mayor mentioned, it is expected for 2027 deliberations,” she said.

“All I need to hear is we came in with a surplus under that budget item. That should be a good news story,” said Gibb. “We’ll be able to look at the numbers and address them when we look at the 2025 final financials. I’m prepared to wait for that.” Gibb said he didn’t want to “put more work on staff’s back” when fall and winter festivals are coming.

“We’ll get the financials for 2025 when they come in, we’re going to be dealing with the budget in 2026. I’m happy with where we’re at and happy to hear there’s a surplus,” said Gibb.

Courtney said Open Air is not a festival.

“It’s closing of the streets down for months,” he said. “Uncommon Festival is a festival.” 

Courtney asked to “let’s get real here” and didn’t want all festivals brought under one umbrella. He said he’s been on the fence with Open Air and is not opposed to it, but Uncommon and Canada Day are actual festivals as compared with Open Air.

“The key word is festival. Open Air is a strategy and a business model. It is not a festival,” he said. “I don’t think the motion Councillor Pouget is asking for is that out of the norm.”Courtney added he wanted to see what it costs to run with festivals and Open Air. If each festival was earmarked with set dollars, and if streets were only closed specific festival weekends, people could see what the costs are.

Request for Open Air Weekends costs defeated by town council

By Ron Giofu