Cultural mapping is taking shape in the township after the economic development department hosted two public meetings to come up with ideas that could be destined for an overall mapping plan.
The department moved ahead with the mapping plan after receiving a $46,000 Creative Communities Prosperity Fund grant from the province to pay consulting firm Millier Dickinson Blais to put it together. The public meetings were held at separate times on May 29 at the libraries in Arthur and Mount Forest and attracted about 15 people.
Consultant Greg Baeker moderated the sessions with the intent of garnering information from the public on a plan.
“It (the cultural plan) is identifying lists of cultural assets, organizations and businesses,” Baeker told those attending the information meetings.
According to the consultant, whose company has completed about 25 municipal cultural plans including one for the Town of Minto in 2011, the object of the process is to identify community organizations such as service clubs and church groups, historical societies and significant historical landmarks, stories about the community’s past, recreational assets such as trails and festivals.
Baeker said the idea is to link assets with planning and economic development issues when they arise.
“You engage the community in developing the plan to put together some strategies … as information to support planning and economic development,” he said.
The plan adopted in Minto, according to the consultant has led to creation of a cultural roundtable made up of council representatives, staff and outside community groups and organizations.
“It’ going to be our footprint,” Mayor Ray Tout said of the objectives of the local cultural plan. “It’s going to be a good move to get the community working together. You want to keep your traditions, but you want to grow.”
Pat Salter, a local community supporter, said the plan should reflect assets in the entire township and not be divided between the two urban centres.
“Let it be Wellington North not Mount Forest and Arthur,” she suggested.
As a rural community, the plan will have to include aspects of agriculture that can be established in the form of farmers’ markets to attract visitors, resident Karen Armstrong suggested.
Arthur’s designation as the “Most Patriotic Village in Canada” was another theme that should be explored, Armstrong said, noting it could be tied to an event or festival to attract visitors.
A similar event could be created in connection with Mount Forest “High, Healthy and Happy” theme.
Local history, it was pointed out, should also factor into the cultural map. The challenge will be finding aspects of history that could be of interest to local residents and visitors. At the Arthur meeting, the history surrounding the latest mural created by artist Cliff Smith depicting early surveying of the area, was noted as a part of the village’s history that had been captured.
Resident and township employee Cathy More said more history has to be documented like the fact Kenilworth once at three hotels and a cheese factory.
“That’s a great part of this plan, getting those stories,” business economic manager Dale Small said.
Making histories available was also discussed when it was suggested that in larger cities buildings with a historical past are tagged allowing visitors to use their cellphones to tap into the building’s history.
“Maybe there’s more of an oral history here that could be captured,” Baeker said of new technology.
It was also suggested that promoting the area and selling farmgate produce should include working with the Mennonite population.
Armstrong suggested businesses can also assist in community promotion by pointing out local attractions to customers., known as cross-pollination promotion.
Small said when the overall plan is developed it should be directed and overseen by a broad-based group of community activists.
“Some of these stories speak to the important points of history for Mount Forest and Arthur (and are) some of the glue to bring the communities together,” Baeker added.
Agreement was reached on a plan encompassing all of Wellington North and not just its individual communities.
“Amalgamation caused an identity crisis,” Small said. “We are Wellington North not just Arthur and Mount Forest.”
“We have a lot of small groups that are targeting the same thing, but not working together. We don’t have a way to connect things together,” Tout said of the lack of a community cultural plan.
Tourism, marketing and promotion manager April Marshall said talks will continue with a December deadline set to complete the plan. Residents can register for an online survey at www.simplyexplore.ca/culturalplan
