Smiths Falls’ Director of Economic Development Jennifer Miller presented town council with a draft of the Municipal Cultural Plan during Monday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
The Municipal Cultural Plan was created in discussion with the Arts and Culture board, council, community members, and staff. It is “a roadmap of guiding principles for decision-making in the fields of arts and culture,” explained Miller.
The plan includes five key aspects:
- Cultivate Connection & Build Community Pride
- Ignite Inclusivity
- Support our Local Creative Sector
- Honour our Heritage & Learn from our Past
- Optimize Existing Landscape & Spaces.
Councillor Lorraine Allen praised the premise of the plan, “I love that its main guiding principle is that we’re a friendly place to live.”
Councillor Chris McGuire pointed out that the plan is drawn in broad strokes, but was wondering about including specific, quantifiable objectives. Councillor Wendy Alford agreed, and noted that the cultural plan is about community building; “we could acknowledge that we live on the unceded territory of our Indigenous peoples.”
Student Councillor Sarah LaGarde asked if there would be a virtual aspect to the Cultural Plan, given the massive cultural shift to online connections during Covid-19. Councillor Niki Dwyer praised LaGarde for pointing this out, noting that by some projections many things won’t go back to “normal” until 2024.
Town council meetings continue to be held virtually. They may be accessed online via Facebook, Twitch and YouTube.