Hamilton recommends limiting funding to city’s Santa Claus parade organizations

New process will emphasize equity, diversity and inclusion

Santa Claus may not be coming to town.

Hamilton’s Santa Claus Parade organizations are facing either reduced or even no money from the city’s enrichment fund as part of a new process that is emphasizing equity, diversity and inclusion on how the city allocates its grants this year.

“All (parades) have been struggling (since the pandemic),” said a frustrated Mountain councillor Tom Jackson during the May 16 grants subcommittee meeting. “They need funding beyond 30 per cent. They are on tenterhooks if they don’t receive funding.”

Stoney Creek councillor Jeff Beattie agreed, noting volunteers are very stressed out for the Stoney Creek Santa Claus Parade organization.

Councillors at their May 24 meeting agreed in a close 8-6 vote to Beattie’s motion to allow any organization, regardless of how it is rated, to appeal funding decisions made by staff or council. Another grants meeting will be scheduled for June 13 to hear the appeals.

The city received 337 applications seeking a portion of the estimated $6.5 million in funding, with 313 submissions receiving a passing score.

The Stoney Creek parade received $3,000 in 2019 and 2022 with a budget of $32,100, and, in 2023, requested $3,500, but is recommended to receive $2,135.

The Flamborough Santa Claus Parade received $15,000 in 2019 and 2022 and, in 2023, requested $15,000 again with a budget of $60,000.

The Hamilton Santa Claus Parade received $46,231 in 2019 and 2022 with a budget of $90,280. For 2023, it’s budget has doubled to $180,000 and requested $50,000, but staff recommended no funding under the new criteria.

Under the city’s criteria which rate organizations that submit applications, all four parades scored poorly, with only the Stoney Creek parade receiving a “B” rating. The others received “C” ratings, the lowest the city provides and denies them any grant funding.

Connie Behie of the Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce and the Stoney Creek Santa Claus Parade committee said volunteers for the Santa Claus Parade “work very hard to organize and raise funds for the event year after year.” She said the $2,135 is not enough and “will place the parade in jeopardy” this year.

Stephanie Wilsack of the Flamborough Santa Claus Parade said the organization still owes the city money from last year and that is the reason staff had not recommended any funding for this year. But she expected once the money is paid back to the city, the parade will receive its share of the funding.

Doug Hobson, the Hamilton Santa Claus Parade chair, was unaware that staff had recommended no funding for the group this year.

“We have not been advised by the city that there are any issues with funding for the Santa parades,” he stated.

Jackson has a motion on the proposed grants agenda that will provide funding for all the Santa Claus parades in 2023.

His motion includes $50,000 for the Hamilton Santa Claus Parade, $15,000 for Flamborough, $1,365 for the Stoney Creek Santa Claus Parade to top it up at $3,500 and $1,250 for the Binbrook Santa Claus Parade.

He questioned the reasoning behind cutting the funding to the parade organizations after regularly receiving city grants over the years.

“Why are we sitting around the table? Staff can bring the recommendations forward (and) the organizations don’t exist anymore,” said Jackson. “Sorry for getting emotional. (But) we have a new set policy (and) there will be organizations that will fail.”

Staff said the fund is providing grants to 100 organizations which are new to the city enrichment fund process. Meanwhile, 85 organizations received more funding than in previous years and 12 groups received the same amount.

But several councillors raised concerns about singling out particular organizations that had failed to receive their necessary funding.

“The city (enrichment fund) had underperformed in supporting communities and organizations,” said Coun. Nrinder Nann, who is chair of the grants subcommittee. “And organizations that were addressing the needs of equity-deserving residents were adversely impacted.”

Nann, who first raised the issue of expanding the scope of the enrichment fund in 2019, said the idea is to create an equitable application process “that is clear and transparent.

Staff said the fund is providing grants to 100 organizations that are new to the city enrichment fund process