Staff at the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) are having to flex their creative muscles to find solutions to avoid closure now that the City of Toronto has denied them an annual subsidy of $160,000 following their annual budget meeting.
For more than 30 years, the garden has received $25,000 per year for maintenance. Seeking an extra $135,000 per year toward maintenance, the garden was instead given a one-time funding of $75,000.
“We are going to be talking about the future to bring things a little bit more in line with our own current economic reality,” said TBG executive director Aldona Satterthwaite. She stated that the funding initially requested covered less than one-tenth of TBG’s operating budget, which comes close to $1.7 million. With 23 staff members and no entry fees to the garden, Satterthwaite was hoping to see the funding grow as the garden itself grew.
Though staff at the garden informed the city that they were in danger of closing without the increased funding, Satterthwaite is trying to remain optimistic.
“We were happy to get anything,” she said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.”
However, according to TBG president and co-chair Allan Kling, the coming years are even less predictable. “We can carry on this year,” said Kling. “Looking further down the road, it’s always difficult.”
“It’s our only botanical garden in Toronto,” said Ward 25 councillor Jaye Robinson. “It’s really a hidden gem. It’s just getting the word out.”
The garden is now going to have to rely more on outside donations, which have slowed in recent years. “[The city] is using us as a pilot project for these things that look like parking metres, but they’re actually donation machines,” explained Satterthwaite. “You put the money in and it spits you out a charitable tax receipt.”
The year 2013 will prove to be a year of many tests for the garden, but Satterthwaite is determined to keep it alive.