Back To Batoche Organizers Report High Turnout

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 13:13

 

 

The chairman of this year’s Back to Batoche festival says close to 11,000 people turned out this past weekend to watch festivities at the event.

 

Albert Delaire says he doesn’t have actual figures to verify that claim yet, but believes attendance was better this year than last.

 

Delaire also says they had to work with a much tighter budget this year than others as the provincial government withheld funding.

 

However, he notes Ottawa did come through with $25,000 for the Metis National Council, which forwarded the cash to the organizing committee.

 

Delaire feels the province had no right to withhold funding, since Back to Batoche is considered a “non-political” event.

 

Those provincial funds would have normally been directed to the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan, but the province has suspended all ties with the MNS over the fallout from last year’s disputed Metis election.