Centre Wellington continues to move forward on cultural plan

“Support of culture is one of the core ingredients for a community that is to remain vibrant, livable, and prosperous,” is the message Elizabeth Bender, cultural planning coordinator, gave to Centre Wellington council during her presentation of Centre Wellington’s first ever Cultural Action Plan in May 2013.

Since council received the Cultural Action Plan one year ago, the township has been working on the implementation of various recommendations in the plan and has recently brought Bender back on board in the role of part-time cultural planning coordinator to assist with that effort.

The Centre Wellington cultural planning process was made possible through funding from the Government of Ontario.

Culture in Centre Wellington is very diverse, said Bender.

“It’s everything from the arts to agriculture, from festivals and events to quaint downtowns, it’s our vast natural and cultural heritage and sport and recreation,” she said.

Almost two years of consultation and research, engaging 1,000-plus community members, demonstrated that in Centre Wellington, culture matters, officials state.

The resulting Cultural Action Plan outlines three themes; seven goals and 33 recommendations in developing the vision of local culture. A copy of the Centre Wellington Cultural Action Plan can be found on the township website.

The continued work on the plan will be focused in three key areas: refining and enhancing the cultural map; investigating a cultural/event resource centre; and organizing local Culture Days celebrations happening Sept. 26 to 28, 2014.

Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj supports this initiative stating, “We welcome Elizabeth back to continue with our work to integrate the Cultural Action Plan into our growth strategy. This plan is an important component of our corporate strategic goal to build a healthy community for all ages.”

 

Comments