FLEETWOOD-PORT Kells MP Nina Grewal announced on Tuesday that the Government of Canada is providing $98,000 in funding support to the Surrey International Children’s Festival (SICF).

“The Government of Canada is pleased to provide the City of Surrey with a stable source of funding to deliver its highly successful Children’s Festival for the next two years,” said Grewal. “The festival contributes greatly to Surrey’s quality of life by bringing artists and children and their families together for high-calibre performing arts and cultural programming. I am delighted that our government can play a role in allowing this festival to continue to offer a high-quality learning opportunity for our children.”

The Surrey International Children’s Festival will receive two years of funding totalling $98,000 provided through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund.

The funding will support the 2015 and 2016 editions of the festival, which will include a variety of main-stage performances. It will also allow the festival to undertake a series of public outreach and audience-development activities in the community.

“Our government is committed to giving Canadians access to a variety of professional artistic experiences in their communities. By providing young people opportunities to learn, grow and take part in gatherings like the Surrey International Children’s Festival, we nurture a sense of wonder and help foster a lifelong appreciation for arts and culture,” said Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

“The Surrey International Children’s Festival has a solid track record of providing thoughtful and educated programming to children in the Lower Mainland and beyond. It gives our kids the ability to experience culture from an early age and plants the seeds for a continued love of the arts, as they get older. We are proud to partner with the City of Surrey in developing this festival into a lasting legacy,” said Grewal.