The City of Delta will kick in up to $150,000 cash for the 2025 Boundary Bay Airshow after city council approved a new funding model for the popular summer event.
The airshow, which is hosted by Alpha Aviation at Boundary Bay Airport, is set for July 19, 2025. As in past years, it's planned to include aerobatic acts and family-friendly airshow activities, including a Family Fun Zone, car show, aircraft exhibits, aircraft static displays, autograph tent, food vendors and a sponsorship tent, according to a city staff report. For 2025, the airshow will also be permitted to include a wine/beer garden.
The report presented to Delta city council on Monday, Dec. 2 notes the airshow has been a popular community event for more than a decade. It draws 15,000 or more people every year, making it "the largest spectator special event" that the city participates in during the year.
With that large crowd comes a large price tag.
The City of Delta and Alpha Aviation share the costs of putting on the event, with both sides making "significant financial contributions" in order to keep it a free and accessible family event, the city report says.
Delta city council, on a motion from Coun. Dylan Kruger, had asked staff in the summer to come back with a report reviewing the costs of the airshow and recommendations for any potential improvements to how it's funded.
For 2024, the city kicked in a cash contribution of $100,000 and coordinated sponsorship contributions worth about $99,000.
For the 2025 airshow, city staff recommended a new funding model that includes a cash contribution of 50 per cent of net, actual out-of-pocket 2025 airshow costs, to a maximum of $150,000, a 50 per cent increase over last year. Plus, the city will offer a premier aerial performance grant of up to $50,000, to be provided to Alpha Aviation if it secures a premier aerial performance (such as, for example, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds) for the 2025 airshow.
"Under this new funding model, while the city's financial contribution would increase, Alpha Aviation would take over responsibility for obtaining sponsorship support," explains the staff report from Mike Brotherston, the city's director of corporate services.
The city will also provide in-kind support in the form of traffic and off-site parking management, worth an estimated $65,000; emergency services support, worth an estimated $40,000; and in-kind city staff support to prepare the fields for parking, set up equipment, manage solid waste, coordinate washrooms, and operate the Kid Zone, worth an estimated $70,000.
The only sticking point for councillors revolved around plans to allow a wine/beer garden at the 2025 event, subject to required permits.
Coun. Dylan Kruger called for the city's approval to be contingent on no taxpayer funds going towards the VIP area or towards beer, wine or liquor.
鈥淚 really think that if we鈥檙e putting city funds into this event, they should be going into areas of the event that all members of our community are able to enjoy," he said. 鈥淭his is an event for families to come and experience the miracle of flight and aviation. I don鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 appropriate to be spending tax dollars on exclusive VIP tents with free food beer and wine and liquor for a small number of people.鈥�
Kruger noted that Alpha Aviation would have control over what it wants to do with its half of the costs but said no city money should go towards "exclusive" events.
Council agreed with the amendment and adopted the new funding model at the Dec. 2 meeting.
