Ontario launches celebrations of its 150th anniversary

Communities across province set to host events

Thestar.com
Jan. 24, 2017
By Kristin Rushowy

Ontario is giving a $7-million anniversary present to be shared among 367 community groups so they can celebrate the province’s 150th anniversary.

With the money in place, critics say the province now needs to spend a little more time on its 150th logo.

Tourism Minister Eleanor McMahon made the funding announcement Tuesday in downtown Toronto, at Yonge-Dundas Square.

“This is a chance to reconnect with and explore our province, to celebrate the unique character of, and flavour of, our communities and perhaps more importantly, have fun and celebrate,” McMahon said. “These investments will ensure the festive environment of our 150th year will reach every corner of the province.”

But marketing experts and Twitter users raised issues with the province’s 150th logo, of which one expert said it’s “not clear, it’s not clean.”

“The whole idea of something like this is to showcase a message and this doesn’t showcase anything, in my mind,” said Richard Powers, national academic director at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

“It’s not exactly clear what they are talking about.”

He said the province would have been better off if it somehow tied its logo to Canada’s 150th.

“There’s a great opportunity here and they missed it.”

Funding for the 367 local projects McMahon announced include art shows, multicultural festivals and sports, among other events. McMahon said the province was inundated with applications, with four received for every one approved.

“We really spread this funding across the province . . . . It’s a legacy and it’s a chance for people to celebrate . . . and think about what it means to be Ontarians,” she told reporters afterward. “. . . In reality, it is all about fun, but it’s much much more than that . . . because it’s the legacy of these events that we think is going to be really important.”

In total, the government is spending $100 million on the 150th celebrations and projects.