The township’s first municipal cultural plan will promote Mapleton as “a creative and vibrant community with rich and diverse cultural resources that contribute to growing the local economy and enhancing quality of life.”
In a Nov. 19 press release, Mapleton’s business development and marketing coordinator Crystal Ellis states, “Cultural planning is a wonderful opportunity for Mapleton to make connections, identify our cultural assets and establish a strategy to build upon and enhance the cultural economic base that currently operates and that has the opportunity to grow in Mapleton.”
The goal of the plan is to establish a cultural vision for the township as well as identify concrete strategies and actions to support cultural and broader economic development goals.
The first step is completing a cultural mapping exercise that develops an inventory of cultural resources within the community. The next step will be a community engagement process to seek ideas and input to help shape the vision, directions and priorities of the plan.
Input and insight will be sought from culture and heritage groups, the business community and interested residents.
The project is being supported by a steering committee made up of municipal staff and key community stakeholders who will offer insights into cultural needs and opportunities in the municipality.
To assist with the development of the plan the municipality has engaged Millier Dickinson Blais Inc. to lead the planning process. The consulting firm has completed more than 35 cultural plans for communities of all sizes and circumstances across Canada.
Mapleton’s municipal cultural plan is being undertaken with funding support from the County of Wellington’s Business Retention and Expansion Municipal Implementation Fund.
