Mayor reportedly wants to slash funding to major arts organizations

The mayor’s office has reportedly ordered a proposal to slash millions of dollars in funding to some of the city’s iconic cultural institutions, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (formerly Caribana), the National Ballet and the Canadian Opera Company, among others.

A report in the Toronto Star Friday states City Manager Joe Pennachetti will put forward a proposal to slash more than $6 million in annual funding to several major arts organizations. The issue will reportedly be up for debate at the Sept. 19 meeting of the city’s executive committee.

The committee’s agenda for that day isn’t available yet on the city of Toronto’s website. An online petition has started in an effort to stave off potential arts funding cuts.

On Friday, the mayor’s office referred the matter to budget chief Mike Del Grande. He said he couldn’t comment until the city manager’s report is released.

“The city manager’s report has not been released yet and once it’s released on Monday, I guess there’ll be all kinds of things to talk about,” Del Grande told CityNews.ca.

“Even if I knew and had it, I couldn’t confirm or deny at this point because the document’s not publicly-released yet.”

The Toronto Arts Council, which hands out millions in grants, said it held a meeting Friday to discuss the matter with members of the organizations that could potentially be affected by the reported proposal. The Star says $6 million in funding for major arts groups, such as TIFF, Pride Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, among others, comes directly from City Hall.

Another meeting is reportedly scheduled to happen next Thursday at Roy Thomson Hall.

City councillors reacted to the news of the potential cuts on Twitter later Friday morning.

“Toronto’s investment into the arts generates economic activity and brings life to our city,” Coun. Mike Layton posted.

Coun. Joe Mihevc claims the mayor will have betrayed the organizers of the Caribbean Carnival if the cuts are approved.

“I remember Ford giving an unambiguous promise to t(sic) Caribbean community that he would not cut funding to Caribana; cuts are a clear betrayal,” he tweeted Friday.

“It is no longer about Ford and his antics any more…it is up to the reasonable Councillors on all sides to stop these assaults on Toronto.”

And Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam said she’d volunteer to become the mayor’s next arts advisor. The man who previously held the post, former National Ballet School executive director Jeff Melanson, left the position in the spring to take a position at the Banff Centre.

“I’ll volunteer to be the Mayor’s next arts advisor after Jeff. Hard to find replacement if cuts happen,” the councillor said on Twitter.

KPMG, the consultant hired by the city to conduct a core services review in an effort to plug a $774 million shortfall, suggested reducing or eliminating any or all of the cultural services under Toronto’s Economic Development & Culture division (EDC). In another one of its reports, KPMG also suggested eliminating the city’s public art program.