Calgary taxpayers are almost off the hook for a planned $300,000 western gala for G-8 summit delegates and journalists.
Mayor Dave Bronconnier said Thursday that private donors have now ponied up more than $200,000 for the event, leaving taxpayers to pay for only $100,000.
"This is a great day," Bronconnier said. "I think it's a great day when you see a variety of Calgary companies . . . come forward. (The gala) is certainly not going to cost taxpayers as much as $300,000."
The city is hosting the G-8 hootenanny in an attempt to showcase Calgary to the world during the June 26 and 27 summit meeting in Kananaskis.
As many as 3,000 delegates and journalists will be invited to the gala.
While there, party-goers will be treated to a mini-rodeo, fireworks and good ol' western-style cuisine.
Such an event used to be part of the official G-8 summit agenda, with world leaders and delegates partaking in a series of cultural festivals celebrating the host city's heritage.
This year, however, the event was dropped from the agenda as part of an overall paring of the summit.
Last month, city council approved $300,000 for the G-8 gala.
Since then, several companies have stepped forward with donations, including Big Rock Breweries, Enmax, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, Alberta Pork producers, Tourism Calgary, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and Bell West.
John Webb, chairman of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, said very likely the remaining $100,000 will be raised, freeing taxpayers from any cost burden for the event.
"I think the odds are pretty good," Webb said. "We got $200,000 of $300,000 with a few weeks remaining."
Bronconnier also used Thursday's announcement to dispel the idea that activists would be allowed to use a city park to hold a "solidarity village" during the summit.
Activists have been searching for a home for their protest festival for months.
They would like to set up at Shaw Millennium Park, in the city's downtown, but Bronconnier said he would never allow city parks to be used for "political rallies."
"It's something I would never support, nor do I think Calgarians want to see their parks decimated by thousands of people to be used by some overnight weekend party," he said.
"Calgary city parks are off limits for political protest. They are (also) off limits for tent cities and tent villages."
Bronconnier said activists should instead try to rent space at one of the city's three major private campgrounds.
"There are at least three campgrounds in the city they can go and rent," he said.
Both Bronconnier and Webb agreed the G-8 summit could be a windfall for the city in terms of retail sales and in overall tourism publicity.
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