View - The Municipality of Lambton Shores

THE MUNICIPALITY OF LAMBTON SHORES
D.C.S. Report No. 29-2013 Wednesday, February 20, 2013
TO:
FROM:
RE:
Mayor Weber and Members of Council
Brent Kittmer, Director of Community Services
2013 Aquafest Request
RECOMMENDATION:
That the recommendation in D.C.S. Report No. 29-2013 be
approved, and that the Aquafest Committee be considered a
Committee of Council.
REPORT
For the past four years, Aquafest has been an important part of the summer festivities
that take place in Lambton Shores. The three-day event, which typically falls on the
second weekend in August, educates the public about the importance of protecting
essential water resources through a variety of different activities for children, guest
speakers and art displays. These activities have taken place at the Main Beach and
River Road in Grand Bend, the Pinery Provincial Park and West Ipperwash Beach over
the years. One day, the Committee would like to see the event expand along the entire
coastline of Lake Huron.
The Aquafest Committee has been searching for a new partner since their previous
one, the Grand Bend Community Foundation (GBCF), asked the group to work
independently from them. The reason for that request was so the GBCF could
contribute financially to the event, something their mandate would not allow them to do
while the partnership was formed. The partnership with the GBCF gave Aquafest the
legal and financial structure that allowed them to apply for certain grants and disburse
tax receipts to financial donors. It also provided the event with liability insurance and a
place for money to flow through.
The Committee has received numerous letters of support from various groups, including
the Grand Rotary Club, Lambton Shores Communities in Bloom, the Grand Bend &
Area Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Bend Art Centre to name a few. Although
all of these groups do support the event, Aquafest was not able to solidify a partnership
with any of them. As a result, the Aquafest Committee is seeking an avenue to ensure
that this event continues.
It was suggested that the event could very well operate similar to many other events
that take place in Lambton Shores, where the Aquafest would oversee its own finances,
with assistance from the Municipality for insurance coverage and issuing donation
receipts. Assistance with grant applications may also be required. The Municipality
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