Question Period Note: Harbourfront Centre Funding Program

The 2019-20 Supplementary Estimates (A) provides the Harbourfront Centre Funding Program an additional $7.5 million for the Harbourfront Centre to realize significant improvements to its infrastructure and to its operations, including roof replacements, electrical upgrades, increased public accessibility, theatre equipment upgrades to industry performance standards, upgraded IT and software for enhanced security, communications, marketing and financial management.

• The Harbourfront Centre is a key cultural centre. It contributes to the vitality of Toronto’s waterfront and is a destination for visitors from across Canada and around the world.
• This supplemental investment will help address much-needed improvements to the Harbourfront Centre’s infrastructure and operations.
• Investing in the Harbourfront Centre supports access to arts, culture and recreation and showcases the diversity and richness of life in Canada.

• The Harbourfront Centre Funding Program (HCFP) is a single-recipient program that provides operating funding to the Harbourfront Centre (HC). The HC creates cultural and artistic events and activities to enliven, educate and entertain the public on Toronto's waterfront. An estimated 17 million people visit the HC site annually.
• The HCFP provides operating funding to the Harbourfront Centre to enable the Centre to provide the public with access to cultural, educational and recreational programs and activities on the Toronto waterfront, to support its fixed operating costs, and to facilitate the Harbourfront Centre's ability to leverage funding from other sources and pursue other revenue-generating strategies.
• The HCFP was established in 2006 under the responsibility of the President of the Treasury Board. Responsibility for the HCFP was transferred to the Department of Finance Canada in 2008, and most recently to PCH in June 2016.
• The current level of HCFP funding for 2019-2021 is $5 million per year. Budget 2019 renewed the HCFP funding level at $6.5 million for five years beginning in 2021-22, conditional on the submission of a 5-year strategic plan which will outline a strategy for responding to audit recommendations no later than February 1, 2020.
• The increased resources in Budget 2019 were welcomed, but do not fully address the Harbourfront Centre's immediate and urgent needs for capital investment. The Harbourfront Centre had indicated it would immediately and significantly scale back operations if it cannot address its infrastructure deficit.
• The supplement of $7.5 million is to realize significant improvements to HC's infrastructure and to its operations including roof replacements, electrical upgrades, increased public accessibility, equipment upgrades to bring the theatres to industry performance standards, upgraded IT and software for enhanced security, communications, marketing and financial management.
• This contribution will allow the Harbourfront Centre to strengthen its capacity to fulfill its mandate, delivering exceptional artistic, cultural and community events to Toronto.

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