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It pays to have fun, and that is why, according to Tourism Minister Peter Fonseca, the province has given the Canadian National Exhibition more than $300,000.

"Over the years the organizers have incorporated a great deal of fun into the Canadian National Exhibition," Fonseca said. "By offering fun that has given tourists another great reason to travel and to visit our wonderful province of Ontario."

The CNE, the fifth largest annual fair in North America, draws about 1.2 million people over the course of two weeks and plays an important role in the economy, he said.

Part of the money will help support a new attraction called Jump Jet, a circus theatre-type performance featuring pyrotechnics and aerial stunts that plays nightly through to Sept. 1.

"And part of this investment will support the CNE marketing efforts," Fonseca said. "Finding creative ways to attract visitors here is vital to our tourism marketplace."

The CNE, not unlike any other organization, has financial pressures, according to David Bednar, general manager of the Canadian National Exhibition Association. He said the CNE is pleased Ontario recognizes the economic benefits that the fair brings to the province.

"Every once in awhile you need a bit of a hand up and I really want to acknowledge the province of Ontario," Bednar said. "Through their Celebrate Ontario program, they have stepped up to the plate and really helped to put us over the edge."