By
January 24, 2022
-Western Standard
Taxpayers will be billed 83K to fly rappers, hip-hop dancers and African drummers to Nunavut as part of Black History Month in February, says Blacklock’s Reporter.
Canadian Heritage documents show part of the tab is for talent fees for one senator to visit Nunavut.
“This is not something I wish to discuss with you,” said Stephanie Bernard of Iqaluit, president of the Nunavut Black History Society that successfully applied for subsidies.
Bernard declined to comment on Access To Information records detailing grants to the club that totaled a quarter-million since 2019.
The society counts only about 100 black people in Nunavut comprising .3% of the population.
Heritage department records detailed an $82,765 grant application for next month’s observance. Most spending is for flights, accommodation and talent fees for black performers and VIPs traveling to Iqaluit from Toronto and Ottawa.
The budget included $32,600 to host Toronto rapper Kardinal Offishall, another $12,500 for Toronto drummer Derek Thorne and ensemble, $9,400 to have a troupe called Moov Ottawa fly in to hold hip hop classes, and $4,100 in flights, accommodation and talent fees for Sen. Wanda Thomas Bernard (N.S.).
The subsidized party was more than “a professional stage show,” said the Nunavut Black History Society grant application.