Check This Out

 Council received the following this week.

Newmarket wants input for a Culture Map

You can take survey online

Complete the survey online at surveymonkey.com/s/newmarket_culturalmapping

Newmarket wants your opinion for its first cultural mapping project.
The town wants to know what you consider Newmarket’s most important cultural resources.
Cultural mapping is an important step in moving culture forward and following the cultural master plan, Mayor Tony Van Bynen said.
Identifying cultural assets will support economic and community development initiatives that will result in an extensive database of cultural assets and shape future economic development within the community, he added.
The survey will help the town identify and document its cultural assets, such as arts and heritage organizations, cultural occupations, industries, stories and traditions.
After the information is collected, a cultural database will be created and mapped out using an interactive mapping tool. Residents and visitors will have access to the tool.
Arts and culture are integral parts of creating a vibrant and prosperous community, Ward 7 Councillor Chris Emanuel said. “Community feedback is an essential component to help us identify our rich and lively cultural resources as a starting point for creating cultural capital.”
In May 2011, recreation director Ian McDougall explained the mapping project, also known as A Sense of Culture, will be built using a satellite map of the community and have layers built on top of the images. He predicted users will be able to see the past, present and future of culture in the town.
The project is intended to be integrated with social media for timely, interactive updates, become a one-stop-shop for local cultural resources, be the basis of a cultural report card and play a role in providing data to support decisions on how to best attract, encourage and support cultural activity, pushing further development of the town’s cultural master plan.
The entire project comes with a price tag of $120,000, with $43,935 being covered by a provincial creative communities prosperity fund grant. The remainder of the cost is allocated to the minor hardware upgrade and municipal staff hours that will be logged creating the map.
You can take an online survey to provide feedback.
The town plans to hold a public forum to gather more input Feb. 2 at town hall, 395 Mulock Dr.
The map is expected to hit the town’s website this summer.

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I mentioned last week how Cathan Schonicker and Mabel Pearson started the Aurora Art Show. They went to Ernie Batson, recreation director and manager of the Aurora Community Centre.

He found space and gave them advice. 

The  Art Show was held in the auditorium at the community centre. Many months of work and organisation were needed before  the Art  Show became a reality. It was a labour of love.

We  had a Recreation Commission at that time; non- elected citizens  with a single representative from council. Who was moi for a term.

We also had an Arena Board of non-elected members. The Library Board was appointed by boards of education .The Mayor was the only. town representative on the  Board. The Planning Board 

was also appointed with a single councillor.  Moi again ..

When  the Region was created,  boards and commissions were wiped out. Elected representatives  were to  be responsible for decisions. The library board stayed but eventually members were appointed by council and  three members are councillors.

The Board used to be able to demand what they needed. If the town balked, the board could appeal to the Province. 

The Arena  Board could have continued to operate . The town didn't chose that.

We only had one park and no parks keeper. That changed and  kept on changing. Leisure Services Department came  being. More facilities were available. The town hall  was built with a number of meeting rooms.  A writers workshop. A camera club. An Art Gallery,

One  night a band was playing . We couldn't hear ourselves  in the council chamber.
 

A little cinder block building was turned over for a theatre.A musical society was formed but quickly amalgamated with Aurora Theatre. 

Whatever group formed was fostered and encouraged. We didn't need  a Culture Map . for  culture  to evolve.

Newmaarket was  ahead of us with their museum. Our thespians and Newmarket's can hardly be told apart. King Township residents were vigorous participants intheatre productions. I think the Arts group also attracts people from beyond  boundaries.

The culture community thrives. With support, not interference, from the town.. Plays. musicals,  art shows, pottery sales and exhibitions are offered . Audiences come.

I'm not even talking about  contributions of the Church community.

The private sector provides tuition in art, music, dance  and whatever else the market demands.  Leisure Services  can organise that as well. at no cost to the  treasury. A teacher or instructor  comes forward with an idea.  Space is  provided ,sometimes a little, very little,  seed money. If  demand is there, the idea flies and energy grows
.

So how does it suddenly  become  the meat  of  a study.  A political bonanza.

I suspect something like the Smart Commute arrangement.  For fifty years people have been organising  their own car-pools. Nothing original about it. Just plain economic necessity. 

A couple of years ago it became "energy conservation" and  brilliant innovation  and a job opportunity
for its proponents.

If only a couple of  municipalities, the region and maybe the Province. could be persuaded to  cough up $10,000 each  to contribute to the payroll for such a worthy cause, everybody earns kudos.ad some pocket the mula.

At public expense.  

What politician can afford  to be against energy conservation and  other noble stuff like Bullfrog Power.

If it costs money, it has to be worth more  ...right?

Think how great it will look on a campaign leaflet.

Yeah!  right.

After all, what's $10,000. here and there, for conservation, when you're doling out close to a million for "culture" without an accounting?