Culture, Economy, Community: A Cultural Plan for Chatham-Kent Jointly funded by Municipality of Chatham-Kent Community Futures Development Corporation of Chatham-Kent Federal Department of Cultural Arts and Heritage To view the complete document visit chatham-kent.ca

Municipality of Chatham-Kent Amalgamated in 1998 23 incorporated towns, villages and townships into one 256 elected officials to 18 Second largest municipal land mass – 2,494 sq. kilometres, 105 kms x 72 kms, 12 th largest in Canada One hour from Windsor, Sarnia and London 56 internal business units, not including PUC and C-K Energy Inventory of 825 bridges, 15,000 plus culverts

Amalgamated in 1998

23 incorporated towns, villages and townships into one

256 elected officials to 18

Second largest municipal land mass – 2,494 sq. kilometres, 105 kms x 72 kms, 12 th largest in Canada

One hour from Windsor, Sarnia and London

56 internal business units, not including PUC and C-K Energy

Inventory of 825 bridges, 15,000 plus culverts

Boring or Beautiful Its Authentic

Our mission: We work in partnership with business, all levels of government and the community at the large, to actively promote, encourage and facilitate community economic development in Chatham-Kent Federally funded by Industry Canada, Fed Nor Serving rural communities of less than 40,000 population 61 CFDC’s in Ontario (5 are Native)

Our mission: We work in partnership with business, all levels of government and the community at the large, to actively promote, encourage and facilitate community economic development in Chatham-Kent

Federally funded by Industry Canada, Fed Nor

Serving rural communities of less than 40,000 population

61 CFDC’s in Ontario (5 are Native)

Decision to Embark Strategic Planning – CFDC’s mandated by Industry Canada to do strategic planning. Initial consultation with Board identified Culture/Tourism and Agriculture as a projected focus of community economic development activities The Discovery - Municipal Cultural Forums The Promotion – Cultural planning makes economic sense for a community in transition – focus on quality of life and development will follow as a logical outcome Grant opportunity – ‘go for it!’ – NOTE: Council would not have pursued the Cultural Mapping process without partnership funding

Strategic Planning –

CFDC’s mandated by Industry Canada to do strategic planning. Initial consultation with Board identified Culture/Tourism and Agriculture as a projected focus of community economic development activities

The Discovery - Municipal Cultural Forums

The Promotion – Cultural planning makes economic sense for a community in transition – focus on quality of life and development will follow as a logical outcome

Grant opportunity – ‘go for it!’ – NOTE: Council would not have pursued the Cultural Mapping process without partnership funding

Why Now in C-K After 10 years with great progress in meeting infrastructure needs i.e. roads, water, sewer, energy, bridges – limited dollars spent on quality of life issues Loss of local community identity and pride 2 logos, no branding, no common identity Post amalgamation - need to come together for a common goal Culture is a unifier Economic Development issues (Smokestacks! Perceived Union mentality)

After 10 years with great progress in meeting infrastructure needs i.e. roads, water, sewer, energy, bridges – limited dollars spent on quality of life issues

Loss of local community identity and pride

2 logos, no branding, no common identity

Post amalgamation - need to come together for a common goal

Culture is a unifier

Economic Development issues (Smokestacks! Perceived Union mentality)

Initial Challenges Grant approval came before Council’s strategic planning sessions Buy in from the bottom up, management not convinced Budget concerns override strategic priorities Many ‘don’t get it!’ – not only cultural planning but strategic planning Breaking down the silos difficult, internal and community wide

Grant approval came before Council’s strategic planning sessions

Buy in from the bottom up, management not convinced

Budget concerns override strategic priorities

Many ‘don’t get it!’ – not only cultural planning but strategic planning

Breaking down the silos difficult, internal and community wide

The Difference of our Cultural Mapping Project Had to be concrete, focus on ‘economy’ Second consultant, Steven Thorne, assessed C-K for cultural tourism opportunities “ Culture-nomics” – Culture Led Economic Development Completed Mapping and a comprehensive Cultural Masterplan

Had to be concrete, focus on ‘economy’

Second consultant, Steven Thorne, assessed C-K for cultural tourism opportunities

“ Culture-nomics” – Culture Led Economic Development

Completed Mapping and a comprehensive Cultural Masterplan

Challenges of the Process More staff time required than anticipated IT/GIS department not included in the onset Volunteer vs. staff, who is going to be responsible in the long term to implement Buy in from senior management and Ec Dev Leadership Concept not truly understood by majority

More staff time required than anticipated

IT/GIS department not included in the onset

Volunteer vs. staff, who is going to be responsible in the long term to implement

Buy in from senior management and Ec Dev

Leadership

Concept not truly understood by majority

Desired Outcomes Solve Identity, branding, signage Tourism strategy, Steven Thorne, implement ideas for market development of tourist opportunities Develop a culture of thinking strategically and implement accordingly, proactive vs. reactive Establish a non-political mechanism for Communities to work together while maintaining their individuality Create solid partnerships between business, the not-for-profit sector and funding partners to build a community movement to implement Cultural Plan Recognition from Economic Development Department that Cultural development is economic development

Solve Identity, branding, signage

Tourism strategy, Steven Thorne, implement ideas for market development of tourist opportunities

Develop a culture of thinking strategically and implement accordingly, proactive vs. reactive

Establish a non-political mechanism for Communities to work together while maintaining their individuality

Create solid partnerships between business, the not-for-profit sector and funding partners to build a community movement to implement Cultural Plan

Recognition from Economic Development Department that Cultural development is economic development

Create C-K 3 Part Program Create C-K Consortium 5 Cultural Action Teams – CATs Create C-K Strategic Summit Design your organization to fit your individual needs

3 Part Program

Create C-K Consortium

5 Cultural Action Teams – CATs

Create C-K Strategic Summit

Design your organization to fit your individual needs

Ongoing Challenges Leadership - keeping momentum Beaurocracy – governments move too slowly for the volunteer sector Politics – keeping focussed on the big picture Resources – continued financial support for staff (based on a political budget process) Perception of Culture – ‘elitism’ vs. ‘culture-nomics’

Leadership - keeping momentum

Beaurocracy – governments move too slowly for the volunteer sector

Politics – keeping focussed on the big picture

Resources – continued financial support for staff (based on a political budget process)

Perception of Culture – ‘elitism’ vs. ‘culture-nomics’

“ Low Hanging Fruit’ ‘ ArtSpace’ - new artist co-op in downtown Chatham, joint partnership of Thames Art Gallery, CFDC, a local entrepreneur and artist’s ‘ Tecumseh Parkway’ – a 1812 legacy project ‘ Promised Land’ – a 5 year, 5 million dollar research project on Black History Heritage Tax relief bylaw; Church inventory Ridgetown Rejuvenation Committee Capital Theatre funding secure Signage strategy – consultant hired CATS – organized and active

‘ ArtSpace’ - new artist co-op in downtown Chatham, joint partnership of Thames Art Gallery, CFDC, a local entrepreneur and artist’s

‘ Tecumseh Parkway’ – a 1812 legacy project

‘ Promised Land’ – a 5 year, 5 million dollar research project on Black History

Heritage Tax relief bylaw; Church inventory

Ridgetown Rejuvenation Committee

Capital Theatre funding secure

Signage strategy – consultant hired

CATS – organized and active

If I had to do it all over again…. Formed a strong cross departmental team i.e. Oakville Worked harder on educating Council Appointed members to interim committee prior to the end of the project i.e.. Oxford Found corporate partners in the beginning Had a communication person (volunteer or staff) educating and promoting the concept Had Ec-Dev firmly on side before going forward

Formed a strong cross departmental team i.e. Oakville

Worked harder on educating Council

Appointed members to interim committee prior to the end of the project i.e.. Oxford

Found corporate partners in the beginning

Had a communication person (volunteer or staff) educating and promoting the concept

Had Ec-Dev firmly on side before going forward

Recession = Opportunity Acting strategically, using a Cultural Masterplan, municipalities have an opportunity to ‘re-tool’ their economic base “ Quality of life is good economics, focus on the real fundamentals that make your community attractive to corporations.” Dr. Mark Partridge, Swank Professor in Rural-Urban Policy, Ohio State University

Acting strategically, using a Cultural Masterplan, municipalities have an opportunity to ‘re-tool’ their economic base

“ Quality of life is good economics, focus on the real fundamentals that make your community attractive to corporations.” Dr. Mark Partridge, Swank Professor in Rural-Urban Policy, Ohio State University

Thank you Anne Gilbert [email_address] Chair, Community Futures Development Corporation of Chatham-Kent Councillor, Ward 6, Chatham Municipality of Chatham-Kent 519-676-4333