Alcan Inc., the Canadian aluminum maker in the midst of a takeover fight, has donated $6 million to the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

The gift, which will make Alcan co-sponsor of the festival over the next four years, couldn't come at a better time for the Montreal-based jazz fest, scheduled for June 28 to July 8.

The festival has to go ahead without funding from Ottawa, after it learned that money announced in the federal budget this spring would not be available.

Heritage Minister Bev Oda said this week that the criteria are not yet in place for the program and money would not be available this summer.

The program would have helped hundreds of summer festivals that lost federal funding after a tightening of grants criteria because of the sponsorship scandal.

The Montreal International Jazz Festival has hundreds of free events and it was too late to change plans, said president and founder Alain Simard.

Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr. and Bob Dylan are among the marquee names appearing during the festival.

Marsalis is playing with The Spaghetti Western Orchestra in his special project called Congo Square, featuring the music of film composer Ennio Morricone.

More than 2,500 musicians from 30 countries will participate.

A diverse range of music will be represented, from Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem and Norwegian jazz pianist Tord Gustavsen to Italian jazz star Stefano Bollani and Nik Bärtsch's groundbreaking Zurich-based band, Ronin.

Friends and musical compatriots Louisianan Zachary Richard and French artist Francis Cabrel will share a stage in one concert.

Simard says the festival has a reserve from its jazz events throughout the year and festival staff plan further meetings with Ottawa on federal funding.

The jazz festival's other main sponsor is General Motors.