The town’s Cultural Plan is nearing its halfway point.
An overall vision and set of strategic directions have been developed and now community input is needed.
Residents are invited to take part and help shape this important plan at a community forum to be held on Wednesday Feb. 9, at 7pm at the Harriston Seniors’ Building (the former train station) at 83 Arthur Street.
Minto Treasurer Gord Duff said that at the meeting, consultant Greg Baeker will present his preliminary findings taken from the results of the previous community meetings.
Duff said one of the challenges to the cultural mapping is that some community organizations such as arts or theatre groups are not tied into a specific location – unlike libraries or specific buildings.
He said the Baeker’s work also includes cataloguing the stories and histories of Minto.
Some of those stories surround people, such as local artist Wesley Bates; while others look to groups or locations, such as the founding of the Norgan Theatre and its revitalization in recent years.
Other stories surround the Minto Heritage Gallery and the Town Hall Theatre.
Duff added this is not limited to the arts, pointing out local stories also include C&M Seeds of Palmerston known for its grain research and innovation and Wightman Telecom which grew from a small family business to a major player in fibre optic communications.
The number of creative cultural businesses in Minto account for 2% of the total share of businesses in 2010.
The Minto Cultural Plan and Cultural Mapping Project has assembled a team of nationally respected consulting firms and individuals.
AuthentiCity is leading the Minto Cultural Plan and Cultural Mapping Project and is a nationally recognized leader in cultural mapping and municipal cultural planning.
Baeker, senior consultant and founder of AuthentiCity is project lead. Greg is author of Rediscovering the Wealth of Places: A Municipal Cultural Planning Handbook for Canadian Communities published in 2010 by Municipal World.
Input from the three launch meetings last November provided the following information to two main questions.
1. What is the most important idea that you heard
• Knowledge workers are looking for cultural assets that we can provide. By enhancing our quality of place and creating a vibrant lifestyle we can entice them to live and work here.
• There is a need to develop a cultural plan to direct the future and increase the town’s grant opportunities.
• The collection of asset information will assist in the development of partnerships and the coordination of events/activities as well as create interest from tourists and potential residents.
• Importance of engaging local people and increasing awareness and support for what is available in our community.
• Establishing local and regional networks to spread the word.
• Importance of product development and improvement to entice tourists, residents and businesses to choose Minto.
• Promoting and growing Minto’s agricultural identity – seeing new opportunities.
• The Mennonite community is an important cultural asset in Minto, how can they be engaged more in this process?
• Need to promote and utilize the community’s natural heritage (i.e. trails).
• Experiences are available locally that residents don’t have to travel for.
• Minto’s traffic flows and trade area population sizes create potential to stop traffic in the communities.
2. What is the biggest opportunity for Minto?
• Promoting the area and its assets outside of the community.
• Increasing local interest and engagement within the community.
• Becoming a destination
• Increasing knowledge and awareness of local assets
• Cross promotion of events / activities / businesses
Broadening a definition of culture.
• Increasing the town’s population to drive its economy.
• Expanding and leading the cultural planning process to include its regional partners.
• Agricultural assets – organic, local food, farms, markets, Savour the Flavours, commodity boards (working regionally with Taste Real Guelph Wellington).
• Partnering with Pike Lake Golf & Country Club
• Fibre optics provides us the ability to attract home based businesses/telecommutes.
• Tournament town (utilizing numerous Sports facilities) and using other cultural assets to get people to stay and spend money.
Duff encouraged residents to both attend the meeting and to learn more about the project through its website www.mintoculturalplan.ca
