Recent funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation was a huge topic of the Stars and Thunder discussion at Timmins City Council.
Some councillors stated they don’t believe the $369,570 grant should have been added into the Mayor’s final presentation because it makes the financial loss look better than it was. Mayor Steve Black says the city received this grant to help with electrical work, grandstand modernization and soil remediation at Hollinger Park because of the festivals success.
Black says there is no economic development for the city with the baseball games and skating that is housed at Hollinger Park, so having Stars and Thunder on the application was a big reason why the city got the funding.
City Treasurer Jim Howie says the final numbers aren’t all in yet, but should be ready by early September.