I'll explain what is behind this proposal.
Over the years, various iterations of programs have benefited festivals and events. In 2009–2010, among other things, the marquee tourism events program was put in place by the Conservative government. That government invested—because it is indeed an investment—$100 million in the event sector to increase the tourism attractiveness of festivals and events. Subsequently, there were other versions of this program, as well as tourism-related programs that were accessible for festivals and events.
This time, the new version of the program would seek to generally upgrade festivals and events in Canada. We want our festivals and events that are already well established both in Canada and abroad to attract more international tourists and bring more foreign currencies here. We also want the major festivals that are popular in the country to attract more people to the communities and more tourists from other regions. Therefore, we are proposing a kind of general upgrade for all festivals and events.
You talked about grants for operations. That is the form of funding we recommend. Under the programs proposed by the federal government, too often funding is provided on a project-by-project basis, which requires the festival or event organizer to spend a certain number of dollars to get more money. At the end of the day, that doesn't help much. In the current situation, what we really need is to keep the festival running, given all the crises and headlines I alluded to earlier.