By Jessie Weisner (Twitter: @Jessie__Weisner)

Clearwater County council makes $5000 donation to 2018 Rocky Air Show

Jun 26, 2018 | 6:48 PM

Clearwater County council has decided to sponsor the Rocky Air Show, but for only half the amount requested.

Council voted to contribute $5,000 to sponsor the show, remarking that they should have been asked sooner, and that they didn’t have all the information they wanted.

“If they’d come last fall for seed money, that would have been more appropriate,” says Councillor Michelle Swanson.

Swanson added that the Air Show Association had three years to prepare, the last show being in 2015.

However, according to County administration, the association did request funding last September, and suggested the funds be considered during 2018 budget deliberations.

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Councillor Jim Duncan says the topic was never discussed thoroughly and was only eventually brought up much closer to the event’s July 25 date.

“We really didn’t deal with this in much detail in the fall,” Duncan says.

Ultimately, Duncan made the motion to make the $5,000 donation, pointing out the event creates a major economic and tourism impact on the community.

Six of seven council members voted in favour of the contribution.

The 2013 and 2015 editions of the Rocky Air Show attracted roughly 7,500 paid attendees from inside and outside the community.

The $5,000 will go towards sponsoring the F-18 aircraft, which has an overall cost of $16,780.

Meanwhile, The Town of Rocky Mountain House has pledged $10,300 towards sponsoring the Snowbirds.