With mass gatherings halted, the E.A. Rawlinson Centre has been quiet since March. The venue is preparing to welcome guests back in a safe manner this fall. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Trevor Redden

Much-needed Funding

Funding to provide a boost as P.A.’s tourism industry rebuilds

Aug 13, 2020 | 2:15 PM

Some help is on the way for Saskatchewan’s hardest-hit sector, and Prince Albert’s tourism-related businesses are appreciative of the support.

With travel and mass gatherings all but eliminated since March, tourism has taken a massive hit. While businesses have done what they can to stay afloat, the provincial government stepped up this week by committing $35 million in non-repayable emergency funding to hospitality and event/attraction operators who have taken a hit this year.

Mona Selander, general manager of the Coronet Hotel, says it’s a positive sign the government is supporting the industry.

“It’s great for the government to recognize that tourism is a huge contributor to the Saskatchewan economy,” Selander said. “When you’ve got 1.2 million people, having folks attend events and come spend their money is important.”

2020 was shaping up to be a big year for tourism in Prince Albert. In April, the sporting world was going to be busy with the Esso Cup national midget female hockey championships, the Tony Cote Winter Games, and presumably Raider playoff hockey all happening concurrently.

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On top of that, another iteration of Chester Fest was going to bring a crowd to the region, and the always popular Prince Albert Exhibition Summer Fair bringing thousands of people to the community in August.

As the manager of a hotel that fills up for all of these events, Selander wonders what the near future holds.

“In the event sector, when are those events going to be able to happen again? We’re sitting here in 2020, almost fall, wondering if we’re going to be able to engineer any events in 2021? We don’t know that. The money will help companies stay afloat, but what about the exhibition, will we have a fair in 2021?” she said.

Moving 22 blocks north up Second Avenue West from the Coronet Hotel, the E.A. Rawlinson Centre is another facility significantly impacted by COVID-19.

General Manager Roxane Dicke isn’t sure if this provincial funding will be applicable to the venue or not, but she echoed Selander in praising the support for the industry at large.

“Our business, the entertainment industry, relies on those businesses that attract tourists, so it’s great news no matter what,” Dicke said.

Having said that, she was clear there is a lot of work ahead for those in the industry, and those who support it, to see it through.

“I think we have to look at what the landscape will be either after COVID or living with COVID. If we don’t take care of the landscape of tourism and arts industries, we will lose them,” she said. “It will take so long to rebuild, that we will have lost an important part of our culture. Anything that can come to support businesses and arts industries and culture is crucial to survival.”

Five months into the pandemic, Dicke said there is a growing number of artists, agents, producers, promoters, and others who work in the entertainment industry that have been forced to find other work due to the lack of opportunity.

“There’s an entire ecology there that is very fragile right now, and it’s actually been the hardest hit, because of course it’s about gatherings.”

Along with this type of support from government, Dicke said the industry has been very creative in finding ways to get back to work.

The E.A. Rawlinson Centre is undergoing a significant change right now, with Dicke pointing to a new software program that automatically implements distancing protocols while tickets are sold, allowing for family groups to sit together but keeping appropriate space. They are also working on removing seats in the venue and implementing cleaning procedures to safely welcome guests back in the fall.

Currently, the Rawlinson Centre is hosting the Broadway North Youth Company Summer Intensive for another week, and will be unveiling some pop-up curbside shows around the city featuring local artists starting next week. On Aug. 27, it will be another step taken as Prince Albert’s One Bridge Town will perform at a drive-in outdoor concert in the parking lot.

Finally, Dicke confirmed an in-venue performance is set for late September, marking the return of live shows.

“We will be focusing on regional artists from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, that sort of thing. We want those artists to survive, we want our public to have access to the arts when they’re comfortable, so we’re working extremely hard to make sure that our safety measures are in place when people can come out,” Dicke said.

Individual businesses could be eligible to up to $50,000 in funding. Applications open on Aug. 24.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden