Vaughan awarded provincial grant for Winterfest
Throughout the
ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Vaughan pivoted its programming
and services online to ensure Service Excellence continued. One of those
services was the City’s award-winning Vaughan Celebrates Winterfest, which took place
virtually for the first time on Sunday, Feb. 7.
As a result of the overwhelming success of this year’s event, the City was awarded a grant of $91,750 from the provincial government through the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries’ Reconnect Festival and Event Program. The grant supports events that strive to reconnect people to their communities through innovative online experiences.
This year’s Winterfest was headlined by Tyler Shaw, with performances by Doo Doo the Clown, Roberta Battaglia, Team T&J and others. Thousands of viewers tuned in to watch the online event from eight different countries and more than 60 cities across the globe.
Founded in 1990, Vaughan Celebrates Winterfest has grown to become an important and highly-anticipated City of Vaughan tradition. Moving the event online was part of a series of measures taken by the City to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The 2021 Winterfest event is available to watch on the City’s YouTube channel.
In 2020 and 2021, a number of other events were also held online, including Canada Day, Remembrance Day, Hon. Jean Augustine Key to the City presentation, Volunteer Recognition Awards Ceremony, Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting Ceremonies, Black History Month and International Women’s Day.
To stay up to date on the latest updates as they happen, sign up for the City Update eNewsletter at vaughan.ca/CityUpdate and follow the City’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels.
Those who feel unwell and believe they have symptoms related to COVID-19 should contact York Region Public Health at 1-800-361-5653 or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. For additional information and resources on COVID-19, visit York Region's website at york.ca/COVID19.
-30-