Funding cuts for the Canadian Tulip Festival means doing more with less

The sun is shining in Ottawa and rows of red, yellow, orange, pink, and dark purple tulips line the flower beds of Commissioners Park near Dow’s Lake. An aroma of spring is in the air as cherry blossom trees open their petals. People are smiling, marveling at their beauty. 

It’s the 73rd annual Canadian Tulip Festival and this year is a celebration of eight decades since the liberation of the Netherlands and the role Canada played in making it happen. 

“It is really important for us to commemorate the 7,600 young boys who lost their lives in that fight, and also to celebrate the win,” said Tulip Festival executive director Jo Riding. “We have some pretty exciting things going on regarding that with our vintage victory party coming up Sunday, May 18. We're going to have a big band orchestra. We're looking for all the swing dancers in the city to come on out and party with us, and then at 9:20 p.m. we have Canada's first hybrid fireworks and drone show. And that actually tells the story of liberation.”

• Monday, May 19 is the firework rain date.

New at the Tulip Festival this year is a ‘liberation’ walking tour, set in 1946 when the tulips first bloomed. Led by a live storyteller for $20 a person, those participating will meet soldiers from WWII, becoming part of the journey.

Another new component this year is the “Big Bug Boardwalk” which runs along the canal and features lit-up trees, bees, ladybugs, and of course, more tulips. 

“This is growing from our Black Light Boardwalk concept, where we talk about the importance of pollinators. And the reason we use black light is because that UV spectrum is how bees and butterflies see the flowers,” said Riding. “What we noticed is the pollen flows, so you can see little trails they leave for each other. So it's a way of seeing the tulips in a whole new light.”

About one million tulips are planted in 120 beds across the Capital and bloom each May, with the majority at Commissioners Park. Over 100 colourful varieties are part of this year's event, with about 20,000 gifted from the Netherlands. 

Other key locations to visit include the Rideau Canal corridor, Major Hills Park, the downtown corridor near Parliament Hill, and Beechwood Cemetery where over 35,000 tulips were planted. 

• A full list of Canadian Tulip Festival events can be found here. 

The desperate need for more funding 

Last year, the Canadian Tulip Festival had to lay off all its staff after its budget was slashed by 50 per cent due to reduced funding from agencies.

The City of Ottawa decided to only provide  $50,000 — half of its original contribution — though one-time funding totalling $130,000 from the federal government, through FedDevOntario, kept the festival afloat. Still, it was working with a total budget this year of $550,000, despite its typical $800,000. 

Riding says they’ve had a similar struggle this year. 

“We are still a tiny team of three doing an absolutely massive job hosting almost half a million people. We do want to get that message to everybody that our festival brings in about $50 million in tourism revenue from hotels, restaurants, gasoline, and in exchange, we are receiving a lot less than what we need to keep going,” she said. 

When asked where the problem lies, Riding said there is a “push and pull” between being a commercialized event, ticketed and gated, and how the festival sees itself, which is a free attraction. 

“You wouldn't gate and ticket Remembrance Day. You're not going to gate and ticket the tulips. And it makes it a barrier-free festival for so many young families, new Canadians, and low-income folks,” said Riding. “If you start paying for tickets and food, it can be a very expensive day, whereas here, you can pack a picnic, enjoy the flowers, have a free movie, walk along the Big Bug Boardwalk, and technically, you don't have to spend a dime.”