Culture Plan 2030 be approved. That costs associated with the implementation of Culture Plan 2030 be referred to the 2024-2027 multi-year budget process.

2:32:56And there is another presentation by Tammy Atkins, our manager of GoF museums.

2:33:03And then we have some delegations as well.

2:33:06And this matter.

2:33:09Thank you.

2:33:10Far away.

2:33:11Thank you Chair Downer.

2:33:13As excited as I am about public art policy, I'm really, really excited to share with you

2:33:18culture plan 2030, a whilst long anticipated first culture plan.

2:33:24This plan has been in the making since 2019, starting with conversations and community

2:33:30engagement with the creative community.

2:33:34And the work was interrupted by the COVID pandemic, which exacerbated the challenges

2:33:40artists and culture workers faced as the culture economy was the first to shut down

2:33:46and the last to reopen.

2:33:48The pandemic also underscored how essential the arts and culture are to our community.

2:33:54We all remember online concerts and painted rock gardens and fashionable and functional

2:34:00masks.

2:34:03And through the darkest days of the pandemic, arts and heritage continue to bring community

2:34:07together as we sought connection, inspiration, innovation and comfort through culture.

2:34:13As I share the highlights of the culture plan with you this afternoon, the words you will

2:34:18see on the screen are the brilliant voices of community members who contributed to this

2:34:22plan by sharing their experiences, suggestions and wisdom through surveys and conversations.

2:34:34So what we heard from Guelph culture contributors is that there are serious challenges threatening

2:34:39the continuing existence of the local culture scene, which has been such a prominent feature

2:34:45of Guelph's identity.

2:34:47We've heard about a lack of affordable studio rehearsal exhibition and performance space.

2:34:53We've heard about limited representation and opportunities for equity deserving community

2:34:57members both artists and audiences.

2:35:01We've heard about difficulties attracting community support and audiences.

2:35:07And we've heard a lot about shortage of affordable housing and inflated cost of living that's

2:35:11driving artists from our community.

2:35:14But in spite of these conditions, there remains amongst the culture community a real passion

2:35:19for this place and an optimism that with the city and community working together, we can

2:35:25collectively stabilize the sector, enabling culture contributors to survive and thrive

2:35:31while contributing to community vitality and economic prosperity.

2:35:39And so when we talk about culture, we're talking about the experiences, engagements and expressions

2:35:46that foster a sense of belonging that contribute to a collective identity and that spark inspiration,

2:35:52connection, innovation, comfort and joy.

2:35:57We envision a Guelph where all citizens feel welcomed and represented and where they feel

2:36:02culture wherever they live, work and play morning, noon and night, weekdays and weekends,

2:36:10year round.

2:36:11This isn't our current reality, but it is what the community aspires to.

2:36:16And this plan strives to create conditions for culture that is everywhere, every day

2:36:21for everyone.

2:36:25While this plan identifies tasks, priorities and commitments from the city, it's not just

2:36:31a municipal culture plan.

2:36:33This plan is rooted in community relying on collaborative action to advance our collective

2:36:38vision.

2:36:40The city's role in this plan is to provide foundational support.

2:36:44Described during community engagement by some as a city serving as a plate on which the

2:36:50culture community can combine ingredients and present creations which nourish the community's

2:36:56soul.

2:36:57And by others as a city serving as a terrain on which artists plant seeds of creativity

2:37:03that grow and build community.

2:37:06All analogies speak to the city as a cultivator.

2:37:12And so cultivating culture includes funding in the form of operating budgets for anchor

2:37:17sites and service organizations, community benefit agreements and community grants for

2:37:22artists and cultural organizations and capital investments.

2:37:27It also includes providing and encouraging development of space to create, rehearse,

2:37:32perform and exhibit at municipally owned and operated sites or through private public partnerships.

2:37:39It also includes holding space and removing barriers for indigenous peoples and equity

2:37:44deserving community members so that they can reclaim, practice and share their cultures

2:37:50in this place.

2:37:52It includes modeling and supporting environmentally sustainable practices and adopting culture

2:37:57friendly bylaws policies and practices.

2:38:01And it also involves creating conditions of livability, addressing affordability and

2:38:06attainable housing for the creative class which because of the inherent precarity of

2:38:12arts and culture work tends to be disproportionately impacted by the current economic circumstances.

2:38:22In addition to cultivating culture, the city has an opportunity and a role to play in fostering

2:38:29connections and communication between the city and the culture sector, amongst the culture

2:38:34sector and between the culture sector and the community.

2:38:38This looks like the development and maintenance of a digital wealth culture hub that includes

2:38:43a collective culture calendar supported by a marketing and promotion strategy.

2:38:49It also includes nurturing networking and collaboration within the sector, building on

2:38:54the really rich conversations that we've experienced over the last few months as we prepared for

2:39:00this plan.

2:39:02It involves engaging growing and diverse audiences and shifting our programming approach from

2:39:08presenting diverse programming for our traditional audiences to presenting programs designed specifically

2:39:15for equity deserving audiences.

2:39:18And it also involves fostering collaboration between the culture sector and adjacent sectors,

2:39:23economic development and tourism, planning, parks and recreation.

2:39:30In addition to cultivating and connecting culture, the city has an important role to

2:39:35play in ensuring the culture sector is championed and celebrated and recognized for their contributions

2:39:42to community identity, prosperity and well-being.

2:39:46Development of a comprehensive recognition strategy that ensures local culture sector

2:39:51contributors are seen and appreciated would go a long way in showing our artists and culture

2:39:56workers the love.

2:39:59And in support of opportunities to seek designations for key cultural industries could help to build

2:40:05profile and attract investment.

2:40:08Working with economic development and tourism and community partners, we would hope to identify

2:40:13and support attraction of culture-focused conferences, meetings and events.

2:40:18And finally embracing wealth by sepanel in 2027 would be an opportunity to commemorate

2:40:25heritage and inspire collective community aspirations about where we move forward as

2:40:30a community in the future.

2:40:33And so as we look forward to 2030, if we are to retain, evolve and sustain our local culture

2:40:41scene, we need to be intentional in supporting and collaborating with the creative sector.

2:40:48The conversations we've had to date, the 51 recommendations in this plan and the work

2:40:53plan which is soon to follow represent a framework for a new strategic approach to protecting,

2:40:59nurturing and advancing wealth culture so that we can continue to benefit as a vibrant,

2:41:06healthy and safe community with an innovative workforce supporting progressive industry and

2:41:12as a welcoming, engaging destination that drives the visitor economy.

2:41:19Thank you.

2:41:22Thank you.

2:41:23So before we go to questions of staff, we're going to go to delegations.

2:41:32And just a reminder to our delegations that we have, you have five minutes and 30 seconds

2:41:39beforehand there'll be, is it a buzzer or a bell?

2:41:43A chime.

2:41:44There's a chime that will warn you that you've got 30 seconds left and then the hook comes

2:41:50out.

2:41:53Seconds another chime will come on when you're done.

2:41:55So first off, we have Jay Wilson.

2:41:59It's a pleasure to be here.

2:42:15This is a theater in the round where most of the audience is behind me.

2:42:18How strange that is.

2:42:20Is this a Matthew Bell or a William Bell or a City Bell that will strike when I'm done?

2:42:25Anyway, we were presented with three wonderful documents and the first one was something

2:42:30called community engagement.

2:42:32And I'd like to quote that document.

2:42:34It says, players in the cultural sector would like to get to know each other better through

2:42:38mixers, meetings, conferences, and my particular favorite, familiarization tours.

2:42:46Really like to see that happen so we get to know each other.

2:42:49I can't stress enough the excitement and inspiration that came out of the live engagement sessions.

2:42:56Not only was it a chance to speak and be heard, but it was also a chance to listen.

2:43:02Both participants and facilitators commented on how much they learned during these sessions.

2:43:10More of this, please.

2:43:12I also asked that attention be paid to the weaknesses and threats listed in the community

2:43:17engagement document.

2:43:19The second document, the staff report.

2:43:23Culture both points to our differences, customs, tastes, and to our similarities.

2:43:32In the end, we all want the same thing.

2:43:34Mental and physical well-being, healthy homes, healthy environment, a place where life in

2:43:40all its forms can thrive.

2:43:43Culture is the glue that bonds community citizens together, and it is only together that we

2:43:48can overcome challenges that threaten a community.

2:43:54A word about value.

2:43:56I know this will sound cliche.

2:43:58However, often we measure cultural value with the same yardstick we use to measure other

2:44:04sectors.

2:44:05Financial value, monetary return on investment.

2:44:09Even cultural institutions have been duped into playing this monetary value game, bringing

2:44:14forth documents showing how many bums in beds, meal purchases, local gas purchases occurred

2:44:19during a cultural event.

2:44:21But culture's value goes well beyond its dollar value or its tourism expenditure figures.

2:44:29Culture is what gives its citizens a sense of belonging.

2:44:33Culture is what defines one's self-worth.

2:44:39The culture plan itself.

2:44:41I love this.

2:44:43Everywhere.

2:44:45Every day.

2:44:47Everyone.

2:44:49This plan clearly outlines the proof that culture's value is not merely monetary.

2:44:55In closing, I quote Gwelf's founder, John Galt, oh, I'm very well aware the caution

2:45:01must be paid when quoting Mr. Galt, caution that we don't reinforce a colonization story.

2:45:08We're learning, however, that Galt may have been an anomaly in the Canada Company story.

2:45:14While the Canada Company wanted to carry out perhaps a destructive colonization plan,

2:45:19it now appears that Galt, the poet, novelist, playwright, was of a different mind and viewed

2:45:30fellow Indigenous people as allies, partners, equals, not subjects to be exploited.

2:45:38So in closing, I quote John Galt's Canadian recollections.

2:45:44At Pensive Eve, what time the sun peeped through the trees his journey done, I loved to walk

2:45:51the greenwood still, where gloom seems silence visible.

2:45:58And note the fading hues of light my heart partaking to of night.

2:46:04When flowers that anew beamed shone with colors like my hopes were gone, oft in the twilight

2:46:13of the wood, I owned that odd prophetic mood, which sees the future as a dream and life a

2:46:20shadowed woodland stream.

2:46:23Till through the boughs I chanced to see the heavenly orbs bright revelry, and felt assured

2:46:29however late the time would be my advocate, and make my dreams, despite my fear, as stars

2:46:38from darkness come appear.

2:46:44Thank you for this cultural plan.

2:46:46Thank you.

2:46:47Thank you.

2:46:48Thank you for the walk.

2:46:51I do.

2:46:53That was a lovely walk for us.

2:46:57Are there any questions of Mr. Wilson?

2:47:02I have a cure game.

2:47:07I know.

2:47:08That was so good.

2:47:10That's why his walks are so popular.

2:47:13Okay, Mr. Mike Salisbury, you got a tough act to follow.

2:47:19And welcome back to the chamber.

2:47:20It's good to be back.

2:47:25It looks different from up here.

2:47:27You all look smaller.

2:47:29Good afternoon, everyone.

2:47:34It is good to be back.

2:47:35Over the last few months, I've been working with an organization on a proposal for a community

2:47:40art space in the drill hall.

2:47:41That's not what I'm here to talk about.

2:47:43That's a whole different issue.

2:47:45What I want to share with you today is some of the things we learned during that process

2:47:49that relate directly to the cultural plan in front of you today.

2:47:54We had a team of four people working over the summer reaching out to over 100 individual

2:47:58artists, groups, and organizations to inform our proposal.

2:48:03We can absolutely reinforce the findings in the cultural plan that there's a lack of affordable

2:48:08space to create, rehearse, perform, and exhibit.

2:48:13What we found early on is that the Guelph arts community is incredibly siloed.

2:48:18Each sector seems to believe that the other sector has what they don't have.

2:48:21So the artists think the musicians have all the resources, and the musicians think the

2:48:26theater people have all the support.

2:48:28So the community plan recommendation to partner with the Guelph Arts Council to establish a

2:48:34quarterly gathering for community culture is an excellent first step in breaking down

2:48:39those silos and making better use of the spaces that we already have.

2:48:44However, we were consistently told that it was facilities for rehearsal, building, and

2:48:50practice that were the biggest need.

2:48:53These are the places that maybe aren't as sexy as a big art gallery or a performance

2:48:57hall, but it's the behind the scenes facilities, the places where people work and learn, that

2:49:04we think are the key to culture in our city.

2:49:08Now, the cultural plan refers to this issue of artists leaving Guelph as culture drain.

2:49:15It identifies affordable housing as one of the important aspects, and there is no question

2:49:19about that.

2:49:20Affordable housing affects everyone, and artists are included with that.

2:49:24However, what I would like to do is read to you a number of quotes from letters of endorsement

2:49:29that we received that specifically address the issue of cultural drain.

2:49:33Ron Schuberk, Professor Emeritus and former President of OCAD University, this discouraging

2:49:38studio situation is now approaching a crisis proportion and may, in fact, cause the most

2:49:45adventurous, often the most financially vulnerable artists to relocate to more encouraging and

2:49:51supportive environments.

2:49:55Professor John Kisick, who's with the University of Guelph, wrote, I've heard endless accounts

2:50:00of young artists who have been forced to leave our city due to the dearth of adequate

2:50:04studio spaces.

2:50:06This seems particularly tragic considering the University's national reputation as one

2:50:11of our country's top art schools, and the fact that a significant percentage of our graduates

2:50:16would clearly choose to stay in the community if access to safe and cost effective working

2:50:21spaces were available.

2:50:23And this is not a new problem in Guelph.

2:50:25The Guelph Creative Arts Association described their struggles to find workspaces way back

2:50:30in 1948.

2:50:32They started off in the basement of the old Carnegie Public Library, then they got moved

2:50:36to the basement of the Norfolk Street United Church, and then finally the basement of Old

2:50:40City Hall, which they referred to as the Dungeons.

2:50:44Quote, a rough spot to work, but warm.

2:50:49So creatives have been trying to find cultural workspaces in Guelph for 75 years.

2:50:56I was asked in this process what my unreasonable goal would be for community art space in Guelph,

2:51:02and I believe what I said was a movement.

2:51:06I'd love to see a movement come out of Guelph, and I have no idea what that would look like,

2:51:10but I can tell you this, one of the key ingredients for that would be fellowship, community,

2:51:16collaboration.

2:51:18It involves proximity.

2:51:19It involves bringing us together.

2:51:22And just as Guelph saw a resurgence of interest in the arts just after World War II, 1948,

2:51:27so too we're starting to see a similar explosion in cultural interest and activity as we come

2:51:33out of a global pandemic.

2:51:35I believe that when the earth shakes, we all look for something that's important to us,

2:51:41and of course that's going to be health and family and friends, but it's also joy and wonder

2:51:48and hope.

2:51:49And that's what we get from arts and culture.

2:51:52And so the timing of Guelph's cultural plan is very significant.

2:51:56It's easy for us to fall into considering things like arts as a nicety when we've got things

2:52:01like a housing crisis, an opioid crisis, an infrastructure crisis.

2:52:05The list of community needs goes on and on, but consider the possibility that culture

2:52:10as a defining characteristic in building community will play a huge role in finding creative solutions

2:52:18to the challenges we face, particularly social challenges.

2:52:21So in closing, we would strongly encourage Councillor LeBow support and fund the cultural plan,

2:52:27and of course I would be remiss if I did not express support for staff's recommendation

2:52:31for support of cultural uses in the drill hall, but as I said, that's a different story.

2:52:39Thank you.

2:52:39Are there any questions of Mr. Salisbury?

2:52:45Okay, seeing none.

2:52:46Thank you.

2:52:47That was good.

2:52:49Okay, we have one more.

2:52:50Damian Weston from the Guelph Arts Council.

2:52:53Is he here live?

2:52:54Yep.

2:53:03Okay.

2:53:03Hey, Mr. Weston.

2:53:04Thank you.

2:53:05I don't know how I'm supposed to follow Jay or Mike.

2:53:08To be quite honest, and I think I just made the decision I'm not going to.

2:53:11I have prepared remarks and a speech here, but I would just be echoing what they said.

2:53:16So let me just say I completely echo all of their sentiments,

2:53:18in particular the question of value of the arts and culture.

2:53:22And I'm throwing away my speech, and I'd like to tell you about something.

2:53:26To talk about what we're really talking about when we talk about art and culture.

2:53:30And if you don't mind, if you'll indulge me for a moment, I'm going to make it just a touch personal.

2:53:34I've worked for about 20 years in the arts and the social services.

2:53:39The way I came to that is when I was about eight years old,

2:53:43I was invited to join a theater company for children that had experienced traumatic upbringings.

2:53:50I joined that theater company.

2:53:51Through that, I learned piano.

2:53:53Through that, I became for a while a professional pianist,

2:53:56a composer for film and television.

2:53:59In addition to my other career as a social worker.

2:54:02From there, I helped develop a theater company for children in youth and foster care.

2:54:12When the lockdown happened, we saw the sheer economic destruction that happened to that sector.

2:54:17The arts and the culture sector was by far one of the hardest hits.

2:54:21There are many other that were hard hit as well.

2:54:24And we heard a lot about how people turned to Netflix, they binge watched shows.

2:54:29I certainly did.

2:54:30They baked a lot.

2:54:31They turned to creative outlets.

2:54:33And the thought was that it was an escape, an escape from our present reality.

2:54:36But I dispute that.

2:54:38What it was was hope.

2:54:39What people were looking for was hope.

2:54:41Every act of creation, every act of artistic creation, every act of culture is an act of hope.

2:54:47It is someone asking to be heard.

2:54:49And it is an audience who is there to hear.

2:54:51It is someone asking to be seen.

2:54:53And it is someone who is there to see them.

2:54:56It is not just the artist.

2:54:58It is the community who responds.

2:55:01Going back to what I was saying about the theater company, I know for myself.

2:55:05And I know for every child that went through that theater community.

2:55:10It didn't change lives.

2:55:11It saved lives.

2:55:12And that's what we are talking about.

2:55:14That's what this culture plan, which the Gwalfarts Council wholeheartedly endorses and supports.

2:55:19And hopes will support and fund as well.

2:55:22We are supporting hope.

2:55:24I, as a child, those children were not KPIs.

2:55:29We were not data points.

2:55:31We were children.

2:55:33As you go through the four-year budgetary process, you'll look at roads.

2:55:36You'll look at infrastructure, the question of housing, et cetera.

2:55:38That is the where.

2:55:39That is the what.

2:55:40But culture is the why.

2:55:42And that's why this culture plan is essential.

2:55:46The Gwalfarts Council is having our 50th anniversary next year.

2:55:49And the one thing we have never had is a plan.

2:55:51And now there is a plan.

2:55:52Culture is not a luxury.

2:55:54Culture is hope.

2:56:00Hang on a second.

2:56:02Mr. Weston, are there any questions of Mr. Weston?

2:56:04Councillor Orr work.

2:56:06Thank you, Chair Downer.

2:56:07Through you to Mr. Weston.

2:56:09You have an interesting vantage point as the D for the Gwalfarts Council.

2:56:14As you can see, the private sector piece and also the municipal piece.

2:56:17We're talking about the municipal piece here.

2:56:20But what does the whole piece look like?

2:56:23So, you know, do we have an idea of how big the private galleries or private

2:56:29rehearsal spaces are?

2:56:30And I understand that there's a big question of affordability and that we

2:56:33need to look for that.

2:56:35But can you give us a bit of a picture of the health of other facilities that exist?

2:56:42Well, it's going to be different for every artistic sector.

2:56:44I mean, there's a lot of differences between disciplines.

2:56:50However, one of the commonalities is there's just not enough.

2:56:53Recently, and again, not to compare, but to look at, say, the city of London,

2:56:58which achieved UNESCO City of Music status.

2:57:04We have nothing compared to what they have.

2:57:06We have about two, and I'm a musician as well.

2:57:10We have about two rehearsal studios, two rehearsal facilities.

2:57:14In fact, our new office, which is the former E-bar, is currently and

2:57:17constantly being rented out, or sometimes very low cost as a rehearsal space,

2:57:22because there just aren't any.

2:57:24Similar to theater spaces, the Downtown Theater Project, which has a sold out

2:57:27run of company there in October, had no place to rehearse.

2:57:33Nothing affordable.

2:57:34I would imagine it's dance studios, it's the same thing.

2:57:38There are private galleries in Guelph, and visual arts takes a different

2:57:42tact because studio space is a little different than exhibition space,

2:57:48and finding the commonality between the two, it's a bit of a different beast.

2:57:51But there's just not enough.

2:57:54There's not quite enough of anything.

2:57:57And through you, Chair Dannard and Mr. Weston.

2:58:01We're talking a lot about co-locating, we talk about that for parking and

2:58:05other things.

2:58:06When you're talking about the collaboration and the plan, and

2:58:09I'm assuming you've had lots of input into the plan.

2:58:12Are there opportunities to bring other stakeholders into this mix so

2:58:16that spaces that aren't used during the day and are used primarily in the

2:58:18evening can be used for rehearsal or a range of things during the day?

2:58:26And inversely, facilities that are used during the day could be used in the

2:58:29evening.

2:58:30Are we looking at really maximizing potential use of all spaces?

2:58:34Absolutely.

2:58:35And any new space I think should be designed or designated with multi-use

2:58:41intentions behind it.

2:58:44In fact, our own office, that's precisely what it is.

2:58:47It's a co-working space on Wednesday.

2:58:49It's a performance venue at night.

2:58:51It's our office during the day, and it works for all those things.

2:58:54And it's a good model.

2:58:55It's not a perfect model for everything.

2:58:57You do need designated theaters because there are requirements in terms of

2:59:01lighting that are expensive, and once they're set up, they're hard to move.

2:59:04But they're definitely, in fact, our entire mandate right now is to make

2:59:09space, specifically in partnering with Harkor United Church and other spaces to

2:59:14help them efficiently maximize that space and that reuse and that, so that

2:59:19they're consistently full.

2:59:23Are there any other questions?

2:59:24Deler?

2:59:25Okay, thank you very much.

2:59:27Would somebody be prepared to put the motion on the floor before we go to

2:59:32questions?

2:59:33Councillor Claesden and Councillor Richardson.

2:59:37Okay, so we'll go to questions of staff first.

2:59:39Councillor Bousatiel.

2:59:44Thank you very much to the staff.

2:59:46This is really an ambitious kind of all encapsulating document, so thank you.

2:59:52And it's exciting because of the earlier presentation on public art, and for me,

2:59:56it's about community art as the organic spaces where new ideas come from and

3:00:01creating those spaces for that to happen.

3:00:04I do want to give a shout out to Mike Salisbury because he said everything I

3:00:08wanted to say and have no questions.

3:00:10And in his history lesson, I don't have to go as far back as he did, but

3:00:15in 1990, the Youth Music Center, the music group that I volunteered and

3:00:20advocated in the city played a role in.

3:00:23So I think it just reiterates that the need for space, rehearsal space and

3:00:28art space and continues in the community.

3:00:32So I have a couple of questions and I just want to draw attention to,

3:00:35I appreciate the diagram in the parks report that's going to follow this.

3:00:39That is two halves of the walnut, right?

3:00:42Culture and parks.

3:00:44So some of my questions, Madam Chair, are better suited for parks.

3:00:47Please just, I will park it and get back to it.

3:00:51So I'll park it, that's right, yes.

3:00:54So under the plan, I'm going to go by the page numbers and

3:00:59the consolidated report because the other report, it's hard for me to figure stuff.

3:01:04It's on page 58 and this is the bullets there, it's the first bullet.

3:01:11So this is around parks and park spaces.

3:01:14I was curious why your first bullet of identify and

3:01:18build capacity for cultural activities at municipal properties,

3:01:21including upgrading of amenities, didn't specify parks.

3:01:27And as a community person, we had to advocate over many years to get

3:01:31electrical outlets for arts activities in a park.

3:01:35So I'm curious why there wasn't that marrying of calling out that space for

3:01:42parks, if you can speak to that one, then I have a couple more questions.

3:01:48Through the chair, to the counselor.

3:01:50We wanted to keep that opportunity broad.

3:01:55Parks is definitely a part of that equation.

3:01:59But our community centers are as well, our museum sites are as well,

3:02:04City Hall potentially could serve that role.

3:02:08And so we did want to keep it broad, but parks was definitely in our mind with

3:02:12that recommendation.

3:02:14And if you can speak to just keeping that, that was a community request that took

3:02:19many, many years to operationalize and had to get the mayor involved in that.

3:02:25Almost ten years as a community request that was trying to create culture and so

3:02:29on.

3:02:30Is there a process in your bullet number one for the community to say look,

3:02:34we've been working, we're getting nowhere, we have a stack of letters here and

3:02:38emails and so on.

3:02:39Is there a process, earlier we talked about community engagement for

3:02:43that conversation and those needs to be operationalized?

3:02:49Through the chair, to the counselor.

3:02:53We did hear about those frustrations, attempts and

3:02:59frustrations through the community engagement process for that informed this plan.

3:03:05And we have indicated within the plan that through museums and culture,

3:03:12we will act as advocates to work with our colleagues within various city

3:03:18departments to advocate for the creative center and

3:03:24advance working together to resolve some of those issues.

3:03:29Thank you.

3:03:30On the same page, it's the fourth bullet that specifically calls out the west and

3:03:35south neighborhoods.

3:03:36And as a west neighborhood, trust me, I'm not going to look to eliminate any.

3:03:40But I was curious what data informed or evidence informed put the west and

3:03:46the south on your radar versus the east, if you can speak to that place.

3:03:52Yes, through the chair to the counselor.

3:03:55Those neighborhoods were identified repeatedly in our community engagement.

3:04:00That informed the plan and so that's why they were called out.

3:04:04Part of this plan, in terms of activating this plan,

3:04:09we do need to do a gap assessment of cultural activations and

3:04:16sites across the city.

3:04:18And so while those two areas of the city were identified through community

3:04:22engagement, it is our intent as we continue to work on implementing this plan to do

3:04:28a complete gap assessment.

3:04:31Thank you.

3:04:31And again, marrying with the parks report, their gap assessment didn't address

3:04:37electrical outlets and some of the cultural things that I will be speaking to.

3:04:42It was falling between the cracks there around those things.

3:04:46The next one is the same page, actually next page 59.

3:04:51And it's the heading around adopt culture friendly bylaws policies and

3:04:56practices, work with planning, identify and recommend levers that support

3:05:02infusion of culture in city building.

3:05:04And I took that two ways.

3:05:06I said literally city building as you are with the planning department.

3:05:11But I also took it as the opposite side of building.

3:05:16And if you can just bear with me, it's a couple of layers here in sections in

3:05:20your document.

3:05:21It's around the demolition.

3:05:22And as Ward 4, I'm going to speak about the Mitchell farmhouse.

3:05:27I sent many people to your consultation process who during the election and

3:05:32even prior, eight years prior, asked about this.

3:05:36And this is a demolition of a farmhouse 2005, 2006 that seems to have disappeared.

3:05:43But it's around, I think on page 61 that speaks to,

3:05:48sorry, page 60 that speaks to place making.

3:05:51On page 61 that speaks explicitly about working with UNESCO outside for

3:05:57some of these bigger.

3:05:57And what I find missing is the capturing of our local history,

3:06:03culture for communities.

3:06:05And again, the West End, we don't have much of a culture.

3:06:08So I said I brought family from overseas and there's nothing in there.

3:06:12And so can you speak to this item around what happens to things like this?

3:06:19And in my comments later, I'll talk about bringing emotion forward at the end of

3:06:22the month to counsel on this item.

3:06:25Because it seems to have disappeared with the funding from the developer for

3:06:29the creation of something in the community.

3:06:33And so what I hear from the community is it was there.

3:06:35We got money and it was 2005, six.

3:06:38Where has it gone?

3:06:39And I don't see anything in your plan that speaks to capturing those things or

3:06:44plans and I didn't see it in the art policy either.

3:06:50Through the chair to the counselor, I will pass it off to Ms.

3:06:53Akhen in a moment, but certainly specifically to the farmhouse.

3:06:56It's not something that we have a lot of information on.

3:06:59Certainly with cultural heritage and our friends in planning,

3:07:04we can certainly get you some further information on that.

3:07:07I think what I'm hearing though is that there's an opportunity for

3:07:11Ms. Akhen to certainly respond about the crossover sort of from heritage to culture.

3:07:15I'll pass it off to you.

3:07:20Thank you.

3:07:23Certainly we would be happy and I'm not well versed enough on the issue of

3:07:28the farmhouse to speak to the application of this plan or

3:07:33the recommendations that we have.

3:07:35But certainly something that we can take away and consider and

3:07:40strengthen our recommendations with the plan so that we can address that.

3:07:44Thank you, I appreciate that.

3:07:45I've raised this a couple of times with planning and it seems like a bit of a hot

3:07:48potato here or there.

3:07:50I'm not sure where I'm going with that.

3:07:52But again, as a European heritage history is part of that place making.

3:07:58It is very much part of the culture, whether it's you're in an old tower and

3:08:03you're eating pizza.

3:08:05We're capturing the history rather than taking it apart, shelving it and

3:08:09forgetting it.

3:08:10So thank you very much and I'll bring, I'll work with staff to bring a motion at

3:08:14the end of the month.

3:08:16I do have a comment about a page 59,

3:08:21eliminate barriers to participation and culture.

3:08:25I did kind of find, it talks about the city developing culture programming in

3:08:30neighborhoods where there is a deficiency in culture spaces and experiences.

3:08:36And I have to tell you, I kind of took a breath in and I'm in ward four,

3:08:41where I would not say there is a deficiency.

3:08:43I would say the deficiency is in the acknowledgement by the city funding.

3:08:48And I found the comment offensive, I'll be very honest.

3:08:52I found it a bit patronistic.

3:08:55So can you speak to that?

3:08:57Where did the data come for this to inform such a comment?

3:09:02Through the chair to the Councillor.

3:09:04That is language that was used by participants in community engagement,

3:09:10identifying gaps in neighborhoods and

3:09:14gaps in the programming that the city was presenting through culture.

3:09:18There was recognition that it was important to continue to support a strong

3:09:24cultural presence downtown.

3:09:26But people were looking for activations and

3:09:30cultural experiences in their neighborhoods.

3:09:32And so a really concrete example, our Cinema in the City initiative,

3:09:38was a movie, Market Square program that over the last year has evolved into

3:09:46films shown on inflatable screens in neighborhood parks.

3:09:50Where there hasn't been cultural programming presented by the city.

3:09:55It was, that experience was very informative and

3:10:01inspiring in terms of community reaction to those opportunities.

3:10:07And so the strong language of deficiency was really inspired by the messaging we

3:10:13were hearing from the community.

3:10:16And thank you for bringing up the example of the films in the parks,

3:10:19because that was the initiative in the Margaret Green Park for

3:10:22the outlets in 2014 where they approached the city.

3:10:27And it was a long process to try to get it.

3:10:29So it's great to see that it's now happening, but it's many, many years.

3:10:35So I think that's it for me and then I will, sorry,

3:10:39I just wanted to say bullet number one on page 59.

3:10:43I don't think you want rush tickets, although I think the mayor would probably,

3:10:46I think it's supposed to be bus tickets.

3:10:50Is that correct?

3:10:51I'm page.

3:10:52I like buses too.

3:10:53Buses too.

3:10:55I think that's what you meant.

3:10:56That can take that away.

3:11:02Yeah, absolutely, we'll take that away.

3:11:03Thank you.

3:11:04We're just working off of slightly different pages, page numbers than you.

3:11:07So we will take that away.

3:11:09Certainly rush tickets has come up in this plan as an opportunity across

3:11:13performing arts environment.

3:11:16Specifically has the program of rush tickets in some communities where at

3:11:20the last minute you can get tickets that are slightly less than the original

3:11:26posted environment.

3:11:27So there could be an opportunity where it is tickets of some environment,

3:11:31but we'll have a look.

3:11:32Thank you.

3:11:32So thank you for that.

3:11:34Thank you.

3:11:35English isn't my first language.

3:11:36So thank you very much.

3:11:39Are there any other questions?

3:11:42Councillor Orwork and then Councillor Cunn.

3:11:46Thank you, Councillor Downer.

3:11:47There's a lot I like about this plan, the digital culture hub,

3:11:50the convening and collaboration.

3:11:52Like it sounds like we're really going to maximize everyone's skills and resources.

3:11:55So that's great.

3:11:56I love the geographic distribution.

3:11:59I've been asking before every single budget cycle whether we can do rush tickets.

3:12:03Why would there be empty seats in the river run if we could subsidize for

3:12:08somebody to fill that seat and have a cultural experience?

3:12:10So I'm thrilled to see it there.

3:12:12Really happy to see the examination of our bylaw approach.

3:12:16Because very recently I was at a significant fundraising event,

3:12:20big culture thing, music there, food, all kinds of people.

3:12:24And the organizer said to me, bylaw came by and

3:12:27told us that there's been a noise complaint.

3:12:30So when an arts organization is putting on something that convenes the city and

3:12:36they get the exemption, then we need to make sure that we've aligned those things

3:12:40in a reasonable way.

3:12:42So I was really happy to see that.

3:12:44As well as the accessible performances in particular, the more relaxed ones.

3:12:47So people with sensory issues and ASL and other.

3:12:51But many other communities have these types of things.

3:12:54And so I was really pleased to see those.

3:12:57Where I had a couple of questions was with respect to our comparator municipalities.

3:13:02I was surprised to see provincial capitals that have obviously a different mandate

3:13:08as a provincial capital, a lot more funding.

3:13:11So I'm wondering what were our facilities identified in terms of how we compare there?

3:13:18And is this plan stating we want to be second in this list competing with provincial capitals, right?

3:13:28So can you just help me understand where the comparators come from?

3:13:31Because I'm not sure I'm comfortable with them.

3:13:35Through the chair to the councillor.

3:13:38When we were looking at finding good, reliable data on municipal culture spends,

3:13:44we reached out to our traditional comparator municipalities, but we found that there was a lot of diversity

3:13:51in what municipalities considered culture, where their spends were.

3:13:55And so we weren't confident in that data, but we did find the municipal benchmarking network

3:14:01of Canada Culture Performance Measurement Report to be good, consistent, reliable data.

3:14:08And so that's where the municipalities identified as comparators come through that data,

3:14:16which is updated annually.

3:14:21And there's a history of data that we can track changes over time.

3:14:28What I will say, while there's varying sizes of municipalities and some are provincial capitals

3:14:36and others aren't, we are looking at the per capita spend by municipalities on culture.

3:14:42And I know, for instance, well, if we look at Sudbury and Science North,

3:14:51Science North is a provincial agency, the bulk of their budget comes from the province.

3:14:58The municipality makes a modest contribution annually to their large budget.

3:15:03And so even in provincial capitals or in Ottawa, the nation's capital,

3:15:11local museums and culture tend to have a municipal investment that is aligned with

3:15:23a municipal level spend, even though the larger organizations get large influxes of funding

3:15:30from either the province or in Winnipeg, the federal government, for the Human Rights Museum there.

3:15:40So through you, Chair Downer, so we've had some correspondence this week and you indicated that

3:15:44in our assets and cultural spend, we include the river run, the museum, the Archeology of

3:15:51Guelph Contributions, festivals, and art specific granting. But why wouldn't we also include

3:15:58library space that hosts culture days or even the Sleiman Center, which can host concerts and

3:16:04things like, and I'm just chafing at where we are on that list, okay? And I'm not challenging the

3:16:11perception or the need for more. But why wouldn't we include those other or informal spaces like

3:16:17outside of City Hall where the Jazz Festival just had an awesome couple of nights? So why don't we

3:16:24include those and do we include an amortization of those big buildings, right, that are a significant

3:16:32capital spend? Through the Chair to Councillor O'Rourke, the library investment isn't included

3:16:39because it isn't included in the municipal benchmarking reports and so we did want to compare

3:16:48the same metrics as reflected in the municipal benchmarking reports.

3:16:55The Market Square programming, cultural programming is included in our investment report so

3:17:05and I can't speak to the amortization but I don't believe that that is captured by

3:17:11comparators participating in municipal benchmarking study. And my last question,

3:17:19two questions. The plan that we have in front of us that we're asked to approve,

3:17:27is that the list of things that the City will now commit to doing in the next

3:17:32period of time? I don't know if it's a 10-year plan, five-year plan, seven, okay?

3:17:40So yeah, so are we approving all the bullets in this plan? It's my first question and then I have a

3:17:46specific follow-up. Through the Chair to Councillor O'Rourke, it is our hope that Council will approve

3:17:53all of the bullets in the plan. It is a Culture Plan 2030, it was intended to be a seven-year plan

3:18:01and that would enable us to request modest investment through this multi-year budget

3:18:10and then provide us an opportunity to request budgetary support starting in 2028 for other

3:18:18items within the budget. Thank you for clarifying. So through you Chair Downer to Ms. Atkins. So then

3:18:26my other question, and there's no page number in the separate report so I can't refer you to the

3:18:32separate report but under the address gentrification piece, the second bullet says advocate for basic

3:18:38income opportunities for artists and culture workers. So I have no problem advocating for basic

3:18:44income for lots of people, right? My concern is we are presented by our intergovernmental team with

3:18:54a list of these are our priorities this year for what we will advocate to government. It's part of

3:18:59the delegations we have at AMO, it's part of the conversations that staff focus on. So does this then

3:19:07become part of that advocacy piece because really there's no question that the arts and culture

3:19:14sector was hit extremely hard through COVID and there's no question that I support a basic income

3:19:22but my concern is about the specificity of this bullet. Are we now committed to above all other

3:19:29priorities or in line with other priorities going to put one group or over another and I'm

3:19:33uncomfortable with that. So can you tell me please what was the process to vet that through

3:19:39intergovernmental to have that you know sit within the overall strategy of advocacy?

3:19:46Through the chair to Councillor Orror, thank you for the question. Certainly in discussion with

3:19:54the culture community when discussing affordability and affordable housing it's recognized that

3:20:01these are issues that are impacting the broader community and that work that council does to

3:20:07address those issues will hopefully have a positive impact on the culture community.

3:20:14But it was important for the culture community to for council to understand from the culture community

3:20:22that the current economic conditions are impacting the culture sector in a unique way.

3:20:30Again because of traditional precarity employment in the arts and culture sector

3:20:37and that we are seeing a culture drain artists leaving the community or considering leaving

3:20:43the community and so through community engagement the culture community wanted council to know

3:20:51that among the many things the community loses if we don't address affordability and attainable

3:20:58housing we will lose our creative community and that will be a cost to the community. So that's

3:21:06why it is singled out in this plan for consideration by council. Again the culture community recognizes

3:21:16that these conditions have broader impact than just the culture community but they are impacting the

3:21:22culture community in a unique and outsized way. So through you chair down or to Ms. Adkin I'm just

3:21:34wondering if there can be a conversation before the end of the month like this is not the what we

3:21:38heard section right this is the what we'll do section and I just want to know that our colleagues

3:21:47at intergovernmental are comfortable with that and that we're comfortable with that

3:21:52because we don't have other plans that say we're going to advocate for affordable housing for

3:22:00artists specifically right or for specific areas we want to advocate for affordable housing for

3:22:08everybody or basic income for everybody and so the specificity of this is a little bit concerning

3:22:14on the whole I love the plan I've done lots of work with you know art and belonging and all that

3:22:19stuff but the specificity of this one is a little concerning. Thanks. If I may Madam Chair to the

3:22:25Chancellor certainly there's other ways to advocate as well through then just through

3:22:30AMO and to government levels that we can still have a voice a collective voice and collaborate with

3:22:36all of the artists in the community to have and heard and hear that voice but certainly

3:22:41happy to have an offline or another conversation to bring back towards the end of the month

3:22:46happy certainly to share some different ways where we might be able to do that.

3:22:49There is often a staff long long level a long long list of advocacy's that do go through to other

3:22:57levels of government and to your example of the administration of municipalities list your AMO list

3:23:02and that that needs to get streamlined of course because time with ministers is very

3:23:07narrow and so even though this may be on that list it may not get to you at any rate so

3:23:13happy to share some other things that we might be able to do going forward to help support this to

3:23:18provide some comfort. Councillor Croson. Yes through you Chair Downer to staff first of all

3:23:29thank you for the the strat of the plan I am a big fan of it I think it's such an important

3:23:35part of what happens in our community. I have a question about some some language on page eight

3:23:43I have two questions two different so you've got foster collaboration between the culture sector

3:23:50and adjacent sectors with a bullet point underneath it saying work with all city departments to

3:23:54develop and support placemaking strategies so staff is is no stranger to me talking about

3:24:00placemaking and how important I think it is it has a different definition for everyone and I was

3:24:08also really happy to see it in the parks and recreation and I know that it's also part of the

3:24:12economic development and tourism plan. In this in this plan I see one line and it does does speak

3:24:20to it being a collaborative role but I feel that culture is really the seat of placemaking.

3:24:28How people use and interact with public spaces is culture you know and and the arts culture sports

3:24:36recreation tourism you know these all fall into these public use of public spaces so I was hoping

3:24:41you could talk a little bit about why there's not a strategy specifically in the plan about

3:24:46placemaking and maybe I'll stop there for that question. So through Chair Downer maybe I'll jump

3:24:54in and Ms. Holmes may also want to contribute so certainly as you said placemaking is an inter

3:25:00departmental function we typically have tended to view it more through the economic development

3:25:06and tourism lens but not to say that there isn't obviously a strong connection both for culture,

3:25:11for our parks and recreation and those teams definitely work strongly in collaboration with Ms.

3:25:17Holmes teams where placemaking is is concerned and we can definitely take that away if there is a

3:25:24desire for us to look at how we can strengthen the language related to placemaking then the other

3:25:28sort of note is I mean this is a broad community wide culture plan placemaking tends to be a little

3:25:35bit more site specific and I think when we're for example talking about the downtown downtown and

3:25:40particularly placemaking in the downtown core that maybe is where I'll pass it over to Ms. Holmes

3:25:45to comment further. Thank you and through the Chair to Council class and so for the downtown in

3:25:51particular we did we have committed to Council that we will be coming back specifically with the

3:25:59Wyndham EA recommendations and results and with that as part of our discussions we will be talking

3:26:04about placemaking very specifically for the downtown so for the downtown part that would be

3:26:10the probably the best place to have that discussion because it's already part of our design our

3:26:15streetscaping and what we're recommending bringing forward it sounds to me look like this is a

3:26:20broader request across the city so I'm not quite sure if we need a bit of scoping with that just to

3:26:27help deliver what what you're what you're trying to accomplish. Yes thank you for that and through

3:26:34the Chair to the DCAOs I think you know it started off with potentially thinking about the

3:26:40downtown specifically but it it has broadened after you know looking at the culture plan specifically

3:26:47because I started to think about you know Councillor Bousetil bringing up the West End Rec

3:26:52Center for example and as we look forward to the South End Rec Center how will that space also be

3:26:59animated from a cultural perspective. I just think that there's opportunities as we're building to

3:27:04look at these spaces as potential placemaking spaces you know and and maybe this is already done maybe

3:27:10you can clarify for this for me because for me you know even it could be applied to looking at a new

3:27:16development how how are we integrating placemaking when we build a new place. Through the Chair to

3:27:24the Councillor I can't speak sort of specifically around development but culture and recreation

3:27:32and when we move next into the Parks and Recreation Master Plan there's lots of crossover in creating

3:27:37opportunities for interaction in our community but in our place and so art plays a culture and art

3:27:43plays a strong role in creating those opportunities when we look at interactive art we look at

3:27:48opportunities for benches not to just be a stick and a back but to potentially include an artistic

3:27:56feature that then has a slide and has an opportunity for involvement of all ages in creating these

3:28:03sort of opportunities we see examples of interactive art we see textiles we see opportunity to try new

3:28:10things that can be both for wellness can be cultural based can be recreational based as well

3:28:18and that spaces become beautiful we can walk through umbrellas hanging in the air that are

3:28:23become an artistic feature and so very much in the in the culture and allowing artists to be

3:28:29inspired and and create that space for us we just need to say yes and go ahead and the creative

3:28:36community will certainly respond to some of that very much in some of our advocacy work through the

3:28:41culture plan would be absolutely to inspire and and the public art policy I would suggest to and to

3:28:47supply private space and community space and whether that's development or otherwise to

3:28:53work in interactive features to consider architectural features as art as well that

3:28:59again can create those sort of place spaces as well okay thank you I do have a second question

3:29:08and it's regarding something completely different and and I'm sorry I didn't ask this earlier it just

3:29:14came to me after I heard our our delegations as well you know we've heard that there's a great

3:29:19need for spaces that are affordable and accessible and I have received a number of emails as well

3:29:25asking for these types of spaces so I have a question with regard to art the city's role and

3:29:30perhaps in the cultural plan and I'm sorry if I missed it but I am wondering if are we mapping

3:29:37our cultural spaces and what's available in them like how public spaces can be used you know who

3:29:44can use what and you know if somebody has a creative approach to using a public space for a rehearsal

3:29:51or for art installations from you know from the public at large is there is that integrated into

3:29:57the plan currently through the chair to councillor class and thank you for the question the need to

3:30:06map cultural spaces has been identified through the plan and is hopefully the first order of work

3:30:12and part of the work we will be doing with the digital hub we need to have a better understanding

3:30:18of what's available both traditional spaces and non-traditional spaces what's available

3:30:25for for artists to create rehearse perform an exhibit so that indeed is is part of the plan

3:30:35okay thank you okay thank you so next we have councillor Chew and then councillor

3:30:43kate and then mayor Guthrie thank you ma'am chair through you just to bounce off of councillor class

3:30:52and then the placemaking ideation that we're talking about here I'm just trying to find a way in which

3:30:59we can connect the dots from this culture plan which I appreciate which is broad and allows for more

3:31:06ideation in the future for how that manifests itself just as an example you talk we talk about

3:31:14gentrification and to a lot of us we think of the south end we have to admit as well the south end

3:31:20is quite new it's recent and there's opportunity as well for culture to incubate itself through the

3:31:27new record center but I'm also just thinking are there costs effective public private partnerships

3:31:33that we can leverage through the language from the culture plan into the parks and rec master plan

3:31:39because I think as it stands right now not to speak too much in the parks and rec master plan but

3:31:45it really alludes more to sporting facilities and sports theming but I do think there's opportunity

3:31:52to create that synergy with our artists and residents that are highly invested in this culture plan

3:31:59to perhaps create a space in which we can talk about wayfinding educational signage

3:32:07that can be cost effective and can link into our trails master plan which talks a lot about the

3:32:12different types of wayfinding and educational signages so I say all this and just asking very

3:32:20simply how do we connect the dots and how do we create a broader vision for people so there's

3:32:25something to be excited about and there's also a way to set the expectation up front especially

3:32:30when we're talking to our development partners who would be more than happy to find ways for cost

3:32:38effective strategies through interested partners that especially within our highly engaged artists

3:32:46community so perhaps if you can jump off a bounce off of that that would be appreciated

3:32:54Through the chair to the councillor thank you for the question you do you will see placemaking and

3:33:02intersection with arts and culture in the parks and rec master plan of course placemaking is in

3:33:07our plan it's reflected in economic development and tourism and in planning I know anecdotally

3:33:15in speaking with my colleagues across the city that there is a commitment and an enthusiasm for

3:33:22placemaking and so by articulating it in all of our plans it gives us the impetus to to come

3:33:30together and work together to advance our placemaking strategies and just to follow up with me you

3:33:37kind of spoke briefly about programming opportunities like the theater in the park which took place in

3:33:43the in order to repark this summer I was just wondering as well if there are ways in which you

3:33:49can engage particularly minority groups in the south end visible minority groups to insert themselves

3:33:57into programming opportunities in those existing park spaces so I'm just thinking right out loud

3:34:02we have our park steward programs we have community gardens taking place wayfinding is

3:34:08something that's low hanging fruit that can easily be brought into the conversation through

3:34:14conversations within arts and culture through the culture master plan and through these grassroots

3:34:19organizations in front of us today how do we tie some of the I how do we tie in some engagement

3:34:27opportunities from folks that don't wouldn't necessarily come into city hall or engage

3:34:32through our engagement process at the park at Orrin Reed and how do we connect the dots with

3:34:39folks here that are very passionate today it's not really a question but I guess if you can

3:34:44bounce off of those ideas that I have that would be appreciate it just to kind of help model how

3:34:50we connect the dots for everybody with this plan in front of us through the chair to counselor

3:34:58to thank you for the question cinema in the city at Orrin Reed park this past summer was one of my

3:35:03favorite cultural experiences that since I've been at the city of Guelph it was a beautiful evening

3:35:09that really brought community together and we did see people that we typically don't see when we

3:35:15do cultural events downtown or at the civic museum and so that was really inspiring we know that we

3:35:21have work to do to build relationships with diverse communities that we that typically

3:35:28haven't been engaged in the cultural offerings we have to build those relationships because we

3:35:35are hearing that people are not represented and we need to follow their lead and learn how

3:35:43best to represent and so I can't speak for my colleagues in Parks and Rec although I know

3:35:51equity, diversity, and inclusion is important is writ large in their plan as well but certainly

3:35:58in cultural activities at our facilities at the museum at river end center at the cultural

3:36:05events we offer in the community we have identified in the plan a priority to ensure representation

3:36:13and one of the you know nuggets that we learned in developing this plan is that there have been

3:36:19efforts made to diversify our programming but it has been for the benefit of our traditional

3:36:24audiences and what we have learned are there are audiences who are not represented that we need

3:36:31to actually program for diversified audiences and so that's the work that has is outlined in this

3:36:38plan. Yes I appreciate the response and just one last question and question slash statement we

3:36:48I just wanted to kind of capture the nuances that don't necessarily get highlighted in

3:36:54the south end for example there's a court right plaza just close to the Y there's a

3:37:01there's an Italian pizza shop that has kind of a creative space for artists to hang their canvases

3:37:10but it's kind of a hole in the wall you wouldn't know that it existed if you were to you know be

3:37:16an existing resident or be happening to go to the optometry or dental office I was just wondering

3:37:22if there are ways in which the this culture plan in the future maybe not now to kind of highlight

3:37:28that there are experiences like that in south guelph that are not represented and I was wondering if

3:37:34there are opportunities not just through working with economic development but also through yourself

3:37:41and the folks downtown if we can kind of bring to light some of these stories so it's a win win for

3:37:48everybody and also it makes people excited that there's actually stuff happening in the south then

3:37:55so I just wanted to highlight just a little bit of that storytelling piece and also just wonder if

3:38:04there's room for opera for engagement on those types of nuances if that makes sense through the

3:38:12chair to the counselor yes that's the importance of the next stage of our work in terms of mapping

3:38:18cultural spaces across the city and again we will be looking at the traditional cultural spaces

3:38:25non-traditional cultural spaces and we know that magic happens in those holes in the wall type places

3:38:32and so we want to ensure that that they are captured when we develop our cultural map and our digital

3:38:40cultural hub thank you so much thank you councillor kathan and then mirgothry thank you chair through

3:38:50you to staff this first of all I just wanted to say I really like the plan it's great I was really

3:38:55happy that you had even mentioned that there is accessibility barriers as part of the deaccession

3:39:02of different art pieces so I thought that was pretty awesome and I was just wondering if the plan to

3:39:07help with the inadequate events pressure and red tape is an output of this or if it was something

3:39:14that was an input sorry chair to the counselor can we just have a little bit of clarity we

3:39:30certainly can speak to the previous statement around if there's gaps that appear sort of from

3:39:36red tape and looking at different you know moving forward and trying to remove some of that red tape

3:39:40around advocating for with our colleagues around different bylaws and policies and streamlining

3:39:47systems but can you maybe just sort of clarify how we or reframe your question for us please

3:39:54yes absolutely so one of the the things that you identified in the report was that we had

3:40:01an adequate event structure and red tape and I was wondering what are we doing to solve that

3:40:11through the chair to the councillor thank you for that clarification yeah certainly within

3:40:16community engagement those were issues that were identified within the plan we have identified

3:40:25that we will open conversation about some of the red tape issues that have been raised not just

3:40:32recently but over the years with our colleagues in in bylaw in planning and helped to guide that

3:40:42conversation so that we hopefully come to a place of resolution that meets the needs of

3:40:50of the city as well as our cultural partners great thank you and through the chair I just had

3:40:56one more question so I love that you're doing a gap analysis I think that's super important

3:41:02I was just wondering is there a plan to work with transit to identify gaps in public transit access

3:41:10once we find different areas I'm just thinking that like Eastview community park is a great

3:41:16area and would be good for different cultural events but like the bus doesn't even go up to

3:41:21the top entrance so those are kind of barriers to the spaces being used through the chair to the

3:41:29councillor again thank you for that question we did identify within the plan the need for public

3:41:36and active transportation options to culture for community and certainly part of our cultural

3:41:44mapping exercise will be to overlay accessible routes and ways to access culture in the community

3:41:54great thank you very much thank you Mayor Guthrie thanks chair through you I think

3:42:01Councillor Caton just basically asked my questions it was all around the barrier kind of stuff so

3:42:07you've answered that very well I guess my only follow-up question would then be

3:42:11you know how quickly can we start to actually change these things like we recognize the barrier

3:42:16issue you guys recognize the barrier issues so what you know I don't want another strategy that

3:42:22takes forever to try to figure out how to get overcome these barrier issues like how can we just

3:42:27start getting this stuff done how fast can we move on this through the chair to councillor

3:42:36or to Mayor Guthrie within the strategy there are a number of quick and I think easily achievable

3:42:48actions that we can take to improve conditions for culture and wealth and so it's our intent I

3:42:54mean I think to a large degree the communication we've had over the past couple of months

3:43:03past few months with the culture community we've already started walking down the road in terms of

3:43:09improving communication and developing connection and talking about cultivation so

3:43:16I think the work is already underway I think there are some really easily achievable objectives

3:43:22in this plan and that we intend to to act on immediately so we can have some

3:43:30quick wins for the culture community and then there are things that will require more analysis

3:43:38some deeper thinking about and and ultimately

3:43:43a budgetary investment in and so the plan has a range of scales but I do think that

3:43:51the work has begun and we can expect to have some immediate or quick impact

3:43:58okay thank you so just as a follow-up the money that is being forwarded or for us to recommend

3:44:03forward to budget is specific around the strategy I believe am I right yes yes okay

3:44:11so so what happens if there is a barrier that we want to eliminate for people to be able to

3:44:18experience more culture that has a financial impact does that mean that we can't move on that for

3:44:26like another full year because it's only the money for a strategy or does staff have the ability to

3:44:37low hanging fruit on some of the things like start to remove the barriers I just you know

3:44:44where I'm going I'm just gonna be quiet you can answer the chair to the mayor yeah absolutely if

3:44:49there is opportunity to remove barriers there may not be a cost involved or there may be a low cost

3:44:53that's included already within our operating dollars in order to support arts and culture in

3:44:57the community as well certainly anything that is vastly different across a policy piece we have

3:45:04the right to come back to council anyway so we don't need to wait four years to do such thing

3:45:09as well and a lot of these things aren't necessarily all specific to the arts community we've talked

3:45:15about that this afternoon as well and that there are some items that we heard specifically from

3:45:20the arts community because that's who we were asking but housing and affordability is across

3:45:26our entire community and province and country for that matter so I think that we can take some stride

3:45:34the beginning of our recommendation or our advancement to budget does gives the ability to

3:45:41look at some of that cultural mapping and not necessarily so strategy work but implementation

3:45:46of that sort of strategy work so there's a little bit of flexibility in what we've presented to you

3:45:51for consideration as a part of the budget process okay thank you and my last question about the

3:45:56strategy is your intent to look at reducing the cost for people to be using public places for culture

3:46:06because I hear that complaint a lot I'm sure you did too the engagement right so

3:46:12it not only the process I could just be blunt not only the process to check and get themselves

3:46:22involved in trying to figure out how but then there's the sticker shock as well so you know we have

3:46:32subsidies if we could call it that for you know non-profit groups or whatever that in sports as an

3:46:38example one around to field or something like that how are we good are you intended to take a lens in

3:46:43your strategy around that but for the arts and culture perspective as well because I actually

3:46:49really think that that is something we first of all I think it's a low-hanging fruit thing we should

3:46:54do but I think it's a big need I think we're missing a lot of arts and culture or place making

3:47:02because the barriers are very evident both in process availability and and the costs

3:47:10so is that strategy going to be really focused on that?

3:47:15Through the chair to the mayor yes certainly we want to look at that and we want to generate all

3:47:20of those ideas and opportunities there is great programs now in the recreation side just sort of

3:47:25being farther ahead our youth subsidy for an example and so does that you know is that a

3:47:31similar program that it could apply we would need to and we would then absolutely come back to you

3:47:38as council in presenting those programs and those bigger policy pieces right now we're stuck a little

3:47:43bit on our rates and fees schedule and some of our city facilities but is there a way to inspire

3:47:49packages programs uh collectives we collect you got it absolutely right yeah okay thank you are there

3:47:59any other oh councillor billings okay so I don't have it yet so the mayor asked some of my questions

3:48:09because the financial implications are 75 000 but I'm assuming the way it's written it'll be 75 75

3:48:1675 for the next three years so I'll start there is that correct? Through the chair to the council

3:48:22yes that's correct okay and so then the mayor speaks of the strategy but it's the initial three years

3:48:27to conduct an in-depth cost analysis so the cost analysis is the strategy? Through the chair to the

3:48:35councillor it is all in some of the above yes okay so then do we have to have the strategy or cost

3:48:44analysis complete before we start collecting with the you know the community benefit charges

3:48:51or are we collecting right now through that for culture so when when does that start or has it

3:48:58already started? Through the council through the chair to the councillor I would have to defer to

3:49:04finance in specific on timing but yes if community benefit charges are active now from developers

3:49:11and so they are being collected and there is opportunity to use community benefit charges

3:49:17towards culture where the original or the old style DC charges development charges didn't apply

3:49:23to culture opportunities and facilities so it's new it's really new ground to us and we're greatly

3:49:30excited as you know the different new and provincial bills it is being collected certainly at a slower

3:49:35pace than what was initiated as well but there is opportunity to add this to funding for both

3:49:42culture and public art as well. Okay because that I see that being really helpful then because

3:49:51maybe there's there there's a cap on it maybe you can find that out because the more community

3:49:57benefit charges we have then it would be maybe not as much an impact to the capital budget would

3:50:04that be correct or no? Through the chair to the councillor yes I think I'll work with my finance

3:50:10colleagues to find out what could be applied all in the background finances working hard now for

3:50:15our 24 to 27 budget to present to you shortly that includes those funding streams and funding models

3:50:21so we'll see if we can get a sneak peek directly on the community benefit charges. Okay thanks for

3:50:27your help. Are there any other questions? I just have a brief one would it be possible when this

3:50:37comes back to have and I mentioned this the other day so to have a implementation timeline like we

3:50:45have in the parks and rec attached as an appendix to this report? To the chair absolutely we're

3:50:54happy to commit to showing these recommendations in sort of a work plan environment so a short-term

3:51:00long-term or short-term medium-term long-term opportunity and to be able to present that sort

3:51:06of through a staff memo opportunity before the council meeting at the end of the month

3:51:10is not a problem absolutely. That's great it just helps we keep track and as we're going along.

3:51:17Sorry is oh councillor Keran you have a question? I did I had a comment I was waiting for comments.

3:51:23Okay I'll say we can start off with comments go ahead. Just my comment is and some of you have

3:51:29heard this personal anecdote about what when it really really clicked for me how valuable access

3:51:36was to culture and the arts and it was at one of the Market Square movie nights it was early in my

3:51:44first term when we had a movie night the Wizard of Oz was playing and I was sitting at the back

3:51:49and it was packed Market Square was absolutely packed and I sat on one of the concrete benches

3:51:55and beside me was an elderly man who was an obvious member of our community that's experiencing

3:52:01homelessness and he had joined the community event and he was crying during a scene in the movie and

3:52:07I asked him are you okay and he just sobbed and he said this is my favorite movie of all time

3:52:14and I haven't seen it in years and for me something clicked about access that you can pay for a show

3:52:21at the River Run you can pay for a concert you can pay to go to an art gallery but what we need is

3:52:25more public free expressions of culture and community events and that's what makes people

3:52:33feel like they're truly part of the the community of Guelph so I really love that

3:52:39marginalized communities and public access and affordability free is embedded into this plan I

3:52:48think it's really what what drives what we as counselors believe in when it comes to building

3:52:56community in the city and so that's my that was my comment that I really love this plan for that reason

3:53:05Councillor Bousichil thank you very much I have a couple of comments first I want to thank you very

3:53:10much for this plan I think it's it's great to see an intentional priority on our equity deserving

3:53:17artists communities neighborhoods and a commitment to have you know meaningful community engagement

3:53:23I also I did catch it the water wagon in there I'm looking the additional water wagon so thank you

3:53:29for for that and I just want to make a comment on the rush tickets sorry it's not my culture rush bus

3:53:41tickets I didn't know what that meant but just eliminating barriers and that this is really

3:53:46complex and I know I'm going to speak about the west end and you're going to hear about this in the

3:53:50park and you're going to hear that in my entire term as a Councillor about the Metrolinx underpass

3:53:55and that part of our communities are chopped up and we don't have access even to Margaret

3:54:00Green Park which is a regional park I call it the piazza in the community and to the rest of the

3:54:06city of Guelph and so that's big undertaking so you know I'm trying in regularly I do want to give

3:54:14a shout out to Councillor Clausson because placemaking is absolutely an underpinning for me

3:54:21in in culture and I'm going to speak to this in two ways the first is in your report your plan

3:54:28you speak about economic development and again I said this during the presentation of staff around

3:54:33economic development I'll say it during parks and I'll keep on saying it it's about threading culture

3:54:38into our local neighborhood parks and specifically the point that I raised is in the regional parks

3:54:44the importance of concession stands and you know not that we're going to beaver tails but we have

3:54:50may have squirrel snacks or something so we can have some kind of cultural content there

3:54:56or connection there to the diversity but also what I see and I hear from the community is the need

3:55:02to have that place in our park for our community well-being to walk to for an ice cream to walk

3:55:11to for a tea to sit down and to connect with one another and that also ties into mental health

3:55:16and well-being and I keep on raising it I'm going to keep on raising it as well and and you know

3:55:21your the report talks about the increasing age of our demographics and that is what I hear and

3:55:28and you're going to hear it in parks parks are more than just kids we need to have a place for

3:55:32people to go and share a cup of tea and sit down the other thing is I'm going to bring a motion at

3:55:40the end of the month I'm going to work with staff is placemaking and you know I think I became a

3:55:46little bit animated at you know the conversation around the bell and the clock and my concern

3:55:51around the Mitchell farmhouse I don't want it to go the well way of bell and and the clock and this

3:55:57isn't I'm not going to allow us to hot potato this because there's a commitment to the community

3:56:03that was made in 2005 2006 it is a perfect opportunity for placemaking it's an it's part

3:56:10of our cultural landscape that we allowed the demolition of that we have not reciprocated and

3:56:15recreating so for me this is culture as you know this is part of our culture that I I need to see

3:56:22so and and that is it for my comments thank you thank you councillor class yes thank you

3:56:32um and uh council abuse until I just want to you know say thank you for bringing up the

3:56:37placemaking I've actually been behind the scenes chatting with staff and Mary Guthrie um about

3:56:43putting forward a placemaking strategy so or placemaking policy um so um thanks for bringing

3:56:50that up and I can be happy to work with you on that as well um and thank you to staff for um

3:56:54chatting with me and I look forward to working on it a little bit more with you this month

3:57:00are there any more comments councillor Chew

3:57:06through you madam chair it's that's exciting to hear that there's some plan that's prefaced

3:57:11around placemaking I do think as well just to put it out in the public realm wayfinding is probably

3:57:21one of the best ways in which we can add depth and meaning to our social fabric especially

3:57:28in the south end and I think I would encourage our staff to work creatively to cut up to find

3:57:35interventions through that mapping that is going to be done uh so we can come up with something

3:57:42that's more tangible that has some brass tacks to it in the future and uh I would look forward to

3:57:48working with my council colleagues as well on some of the ideas that they may have in store

3:57:56thank you are there any other comments mayor Guthrie

3:57:59through you madam chair I just want to say thank you to staff and everyone that put this together

3:58:03but I actually just really want to say thank you to um councillor Caron she brought it home with

3:58:09her remarks there at the end I just thought that was really well well stated so kudos to you council

3:58:15Caron yes thank you um and I too just want to acknowledge staff for the work that you've done

3:58:22um we originally had a parks and rec and culture plan and culture plan in it had a few pages but

3:58:30not it wasn't as robust as this plan and I know that originally this plan was going to come after

3:58:37the parks and rec plan and staff have worked to bring this all together with the public art policy

3:58:43and the parks and rec plan and that's very much appreciated so that we can consider this all together

3:58:47because they're all very much interrelated so kudos to all the work that's been done to bring

3:58:53this forward now so having said that um I'm going to go to the vote is there anyone opposed to this

3:59:01seems like we're actually all quite excited about it so uh that passes right and we will now go on to