Kitchener council approves $70K grant to support KW Symphony’s rebuilding efforts

The K-W Symphony is getting some help as it continues rebuilding after declaring bankruptcy years ago. CTV’s Spencer Turcotte explains.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony is receiving a financial boost as it continues rebuilding after emerging from bankruptcy.

Kitchener council approved a one-time $70,000 operating grant for the symphony, aimed at helping the organization strengthen its operations as it works to re-establish itself.

“It’s a huge public confidence boost,” said executive director Jason Doell in an interview with CTV News. “It shows that we’ve been able to prove we’re on the right path.”

The funding, in part, will help the symphony with new jobs.

“We’re in the middle of hiring two new part-time positions to help us on the operations side as well,” Doell said.

The City of Kitchener previously provided the symphony with annual funding. However, after the organization declared insolvency in 2023, it no longer qualified for the city’s regular arts funding stream.

Before approving the most recent grant, several councillors questioned whether the symphony’s new business model would be sustainable over the long term.

“This symphony was not sustainable in the past. What’s the difference now?” Councillor Scott Davey asked during a recent council meeting.

Councillor Jason Deneault also questioned whether the symphony could survive without ongoing financial support from the city.

In response, symphony officials pointed to a new board of directors, a significantly smaller staff and a renewed focus on balanced budgets. They acknowledged donations, including support from municipal governments, will continue to play an important role in the organization’s future.

Council also agreed to consider another round of funding next year, with the amount tied to how much revenue the symphony generates during the 2026-27 season.

Councillor Stephanie Stretch said any future funding would come with accountability measures.

“The reporting requirements are similar to what THEMUSEUM is needing to report back to the city,” Stretch said. “The City of Kitchener used to support the symphony with upwards of $400,000 a year. So we’re really wanting to make sure as they’re rebuilding an organization that we are helping them build in a sustainable way.”

Board chair Bill Poole sought to reassure council that the financial mistakes that led to the symphony’s bankruptcy would not be repeated.

“We have absolutely resolved that we will not go down the deficit route. We will not be incurring deficits,” Poole told council. “We will not go down that road again. Absolutely not.”

It’s a promise that they are ready for the music, and not the money, to take centre stage.