Cuts to provincial arts grants have delivered a fatal blow to the Parade of the Lost Souls for this year.
Public Dreams Society, producer of the Day of the Dead-style festival on Commercial Drive, must enter a "revisioning process" for the future, which could include corporate sponsorship for the community event, as means to make up for receiving nothing from direct access grants issued by B.C. Liberals.
"Without the funding solidly in place we have to stop and there's nothing wrong with doing that," said Society managing director Pamela McKeown.
McKeown estimated at least $100,000 is needed to finance stipends for participating artists, operational costs and ensuring a safe and secure closure of the Drive for the event, which attracted upwards of 35,000 people last year.
The Society, a not-for-profit enterprise, will move forward on plans to hold the parade in 2010 should affected community groups feel the event "still fits" with the neighbourhood.
