ATHABASCA – Athabasca County approved an extra $5,000 for the Magnificent River Rats Festival on top of the yearly labour the municipality provides, despite concerns from councillors about putting too many eggs in one point.
During the May 29 meeting, councillors debated whether to add a $5,000 or $3,000 cash donation on top of the regular in-kind labour donation. Each year the county provides the fencing, as well as help with its set up and take down, a service that will cost $5,900 for the 2025 festival.
Overall, council voted 6-1 — Coun. Gary Cromwell was opposed, and councillors Natasha Kapitaniuk and Camille Wallach were at a conference — to donate $5,000 to the festival, plus the in-kind labour, and an additional $3,000 for fireworks to the Chamber of Commerce.
“I look around our county and I think, where else can we put $3,000? Where else can that additional money go?” asked Coun. Gary Cromwell, who was the only councillor opposed to the donation.
Cromwell said the additional $3,000 request from the Chamber for the Canada Day fireworks felt like the county was donating twice to the same event, but his peers disagreed with that assessment.
“We have to be careful, it’s not legitimate to start weaving different organizations in. This is an isolated request, the Magnificent River Rats has asked us for some help with the fence, which the county has done for 20-plus years or more,” said Hall.
“We are a large and robust organization, we can certainly afford a $3,000 cash outlay to one of the large, well-attended events that occurs in the region. It brings people in from all over the place.”
Coun. Ashtin Anderson echoed the sentiment, pointing out that large-scale events like the festival often more than one community group to make them possible.
“It takes a lot of energy and effort and different groups coming together to host something at the scale of the River Rats festival,” she said.
“Sometimes multiple groups need help to do their part. It’s two groups coming together to make something really amazing for our community.”
