| Niagara This Week October 13, 2011 By Melinda Cheevers Could Niagara be a 2012 Cultural Capital of Canada? The Region of Niagara’s culture committee hopes it will be, word is they’ll find out tomorrow. Federal Justice Minister and Niagara Falls riding MP Rob Nicholson is scheduled to be in Niagara-on-the-Lake tomorrow morning for an event, and some are saying he’ll be making an announcement at the event pertaining to Niagara’s bid. Meanwhile, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore is scheduled to make an “important cultural announcement” in Calgary tomorrow afternoon, the other city vying for the title. In February, regional council approved spending up to $670,000 on cultural events and activities across its 12 municipalities with the goal of having Niagara earn the coveted title for 2012. In the past, municipalities such as Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Surrey, B.C., and Edmonton, Alberta., have been named a Cultural Capital of Canada which brings, along with the bragging rights, upwards of $2 million in federal funding for arts and culture-related activities. With the many Bicentennial of the War of 1812 events planned across Niagara over the next year, the Region is hoping the added exposure will help catapult Niagara to the top of the list. Competing for that top spot, however, is Calgary, which is also marking a special milestone in 2012: the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede. Terri Donia, project manager with the Region’s integrated planning department, said the application outlined 26 different cultural activities that will take place in Niagara’s 12 municipalities, including a presentation at RiverBrink Art Museum in Niagara-on-the-Lake featuring images of 1812, a youth art photo exhibition with Niagara College, and a Night of Art that will see art on display in each community in Niagara. |
“There will definitely be some projects with an 1812 focus, but not all of them,” Donia said. “The theme of our application was ‘Crossing boundaries: Niagara’s creative spirit,’ and we wanted to look at a wide array of activities that put the put the focus on Niagara’s varied communities and artists.” The one criteria they tried to stick to while completing the application, Donia noted, was ensuring everything was regional in nature. A traveling children’s play, she said, will visit schools across Niagara and there will be a choral project with Chorus Niagara, a regional choir. “We really tried to make sure we were covering the whole gamut in terms of activities and areas,” she said. Speaking to This Week, Regional Chair Gary Burroughs said the competition, at its heart, is a friendly one. “I have my daughter in Calgary, and I’m here so we’ll both be paying attention to the announcements,” he said with a laugh. “I’m not worried about it all. Hopefully we’ll both come out winners.” Niagara earning the title, he said, would be a great way for the area to help get its name out there and bring attention to the many activities municipalities in the region have planned over the next year. “This is a real regional application. It will help us with our celebrations and it will help us get our name out there,” Burroughs said. “It will help promote the idea that Niagara is a great place to visit and enjoy.” The Region’s monetary commitment, he noted, is an investment in the future. While regional councillors are working to revamp the model for economic development in Niagara, Burroughs said the Cultural Capital title could be used as great leverage. If tomorrow’s expected announcement does not bring good news and Niagara is not named a Cultural Capital, Burroughs said the money won’t be spent and instead will go back into the Region’s general reserve. View the article source |
Niagara 'Cultural Capital?'
