Downtown Sudbury has responded to a letter to the editor from Ward 9 candidate Paul Stopciati, who complains that Downtown Sudbury Ribfest does little for local businesses.
“We must support local vendors who are barred from Ribfest,” Stopciati wrote. “Ribfest is not about making some guy from outside Sudbury wealthy!” He was “appalled” the BIA doesn't support his position, Stopciati wrote.
“Ward 9 demands that we support local vendors who are denied access to this. That is what representation is all about.”
In response, Maureen Luoma, executive director of the BIA, responded in a letter that Stopciati is plain wrong – local vendors are not barred from Ribfest.
“Local vendors are always welcomed at this event and any event that Downtown Sudbury BIA hosts, and there were a number of local vendors participating in this year’s Ribfest (including from Coniston, Levack, Hanmer, Whitefish, New Sudbury, Falconbridge, Capreol) – as there always has been,” she writes.
While the rib teams are from out of town, they are part of a travelling group that goes to similar festivals across the country.
“These visiting teams come in to town at least two days prior to the event, stay in hotels, eat at restaurants,” Luoma writes. “This is a benefit to our community.”
Each vendor pays a fee to participate and the cleanup of the festival is done entirely by the organization's volunteers.
“While Downtown Sudbury BIA is host of this annual event, it is thanks to well over 100 volunteers who give countless hours of their time to ensure the event runs smooth, is kept clean and welcoming throughout the weekend,” Luoma said.
And in the decade the festival has operated, she said more than $88,000 has been raised for local charities, “most specifically the Red Cross, for their Sudbury programs.
“This year, proceeds from the event will be donated to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. Yes -- this festival supports and benefits this community.”
Ribfest is free to attend, she writes, and is one of the few local community events that does not charge admission and included performances from 26 local bands with more than 350 musicians.
It also acts as a tourism draw, Luoma said, with close to 50,000 attending the three-day event, including “many visitors from out-of-town (Northern Ontario) and out-of-province (Newfoundland is just one example).
“We at Downtown Sudbury BIA have been very pleased and proud to be able to host our annual Ribfest that gives so much to our community -- through proceeds to local charities, to featuring or local musicians, to supporting tourism and welcoming visitors. We hope this has helped to clarify some misinformation.”
