Municipal officials here are reporting the town’s efforts in the area of cultural planning are getting noticed outside the region.
At the Nov. 20 council meeting, treasurer Gordon Duff reported Minto was one of only six communities in Ontario invited to speak to a Russian delegation at a Toronto workshop hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport in October. Other municipalities making presentations were Lambton County, Toronto, Peterborough, Waterloo, and Hamilton.
The delegation from the Perm region in Russia was interested in leaning how Ontario municipalities integrate cultural planning with community and economic development.
“Ontario is recognized as a leader in municipal cultural planning,” noted Duff.
“We were referred to in a Newspaper as one of the heavyweights in cultural planning,” added Minto business and economic manager Belinda Wick-Graham.
Duff said the Minto presentation focused on the town’s efforts in the area of cultural mapping and inventory.
Duff also pointed out the Palmerston Big Film Fest at the Norgan Theatre has been chosen as one of five venues in Canada to be selected for a screening of a series of innovative short films inspired by Icelandic atmospheric rock band Sigur Ros on Dec. 10.
The short films will be streamed over the Internet instead of being distributed in hard copy form like a typical feature, and will be screened around the world between Dec. 7 and 10.
“It’s Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and Minto,” said Duff.
