ManitobaA rural Manitoba festival was abruptly cancelled last week, and police were called, after organizers say an investigation led to the discovery of misappropriated funds.Committee members alert police of allegations, decline to say how much money they believe was misappropriatedDave Baxter · CBC News · Posted: Aug 25, 2025 7:24 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoA sign set up promoting last year’s Carberry Homecoming Festival is seen in this photo. This year’s festival was abruptly cancelled last week, and police were called, after organizers say an investigation led to the discovery of misappropriated funds. (Town of Carberry)A rural Manitoba festival was abruptly cancelled last week and police were called after organizers say an investigation led to the discovery of misappropriated funds.Organizers of what was supposed to be the fourth annual Carberry Homecoming Festival, scheduled for Aug. 23, said they would postpone this year’s event and that one person has been removed from the organizing committee.”During the course of an internal investigation initiated last week, we identified evidence of misappropriation of funds,” organizers said in an Aug. 19 statement.”These findings have been promptly referred to the appropriate authorities, and we are fully committed to cooperating with them throughout their investigation. Moving forward, our priority is to maintain transparency and implement measures to ensure such incidents do not occur again.”Manitoba RCMP confirmed last week that Blue Hills RCMP received a report about the matter on Aug. 14. They said the investigation is “still very much in its early stages,” and that no charges have been laid. No members of the committee were willing to be interviewed, but committee members Amanda Dane and Alyssa Hall sent a detailed email to CBC News explaining what led up to the investigation, and the discovery of the alleged improprieties. According to the email on Aug. 12, the Homecoming Committee attended a Carberry town council meeting. The majority of committee members showed up believing that financial details for the festival had already been made available to council members, and that insurance had been secured, at least in part, for the event, the email suggests.They learned at that council meeting that neither of those things had happened, and that led to the committee initiating an internal investigation. “[A] member brought up a question that people of the community had been asking,” the email reads. “What happens to donated money; is it going into someone’s pockets? “It was ultimately that question that sparked off the initial digging into getting financial information. We wanted to provide it to the town for the event to proceed, but we also wanted to say, ‘No, here is where every cent is going.'”They say approximately 24 hours after the council meeting the committee’s bank account was frozen to “protect committee members, sponsors and vendors,” and RCMP were contacted. More financial information was obtained and a “thorough internal review” led to the discovery of “misappropriated funds,” according to the email from committee members.”That information was forwarded to the authorities as well,” the email reads. “We do plan on working with them, providing them with anything and everything that we can.”Committee members said they could not divulge how much money they believe was misappropriated. Once the alleged discovery was made, the committee said they had no choice but to postpone this year’s event. “We were already exhausted and knew we would be facing backlash as people of the town and surrounding areas would be upset and have questions, as many people look forward to this event. “It was understood, however, that the community wouldn’t be angry at us personally, but at the situation. Tireless work was put into contacting sponsors and vendors, all of whom have been very amazing to speak with, and patient and understanding.”The email says the committee hopes to continue hosting an annual festival, but also have renamed and re-branded the event, which will now be known as the Prairie Harvest Festival.The committee called the re-branding a move they believe is “necessary to move forward with integrity and a renewed sense of purpose.”They also still hope to hold an event this year under the new moniker, but so far no dates for a rescheduled event have been set. CBC News reached out to Carberry Mayor Ray Muirhead for comment, but did not receive a response before publication. More from CBC Manitoba:ABOUT THE AUTHORDave Baxter is an award-winning reporter and editor currently working for CBC Manitoba. Born and raised in Winnipeg, he has also previously reported for the Winnipeg Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press, as well as several rural Manitoba publications.
Carberry postpones festival after discovery of ‘misappropriated funds,’ organizers say
