Economic Analysis
Economic analysis for the South Georgian Bay Cultural Mapping Project was completed by the firm of Millier Dickinson Blais. AuthentCity recently partnered with Millier Dickinson Blais and the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto on creative economy strategies in Eastern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario and Durham Region. All studies demonstrated the strong role played by creativity, culture and quality of place in growing local economies.
The analysis for the South Georgian Bay Cultural Mapping project included both statistical analysis as well as a broader consideration of culture-led economic development. A final report with detailed findings and recommendations has been prepared and will be made available.
Creative Economy Analysis
The consulting team accessed Statistics Canada data for both North American Industry Classification System and National Occupational Categories to assess the strength of the creative economy. Sources of information are updates from the Statistics Canada survey program and the Business Number registration source collected from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
In an effort to support communities in Ontario assess and grow local creative economies, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has designed a tool called the Competitive Advantage Analysis (CAA) Tool or Creative Economy Tool to assist municipalities with identifying the relative size and performance of their creative economy. Similar to the analysis presented later in this report, the CAA Tool has been assigned to two additional classifications using:
- Richard Florida’s framework of the creative class; and
- Statistics Canada’s Framework for Culture Statistics.
The report also provides a statistical analysis of the creative economy broadly and the creative cultural economy more specifically. Among the highlights from the quantitative analysis are the following.
Creative Economy
- The highest numbers of creative industries or businesses business consulting, engineering, web & software design, advertising and publishing; these are broadly similar to provincial figures (2009)
- Creative occupations in the region represent 28.3% of the economy compared to a provincial average of 34.7; creative industries are 9.8% compared to a provincial average of 14.4% (2006). Possible explanations for both shortfalls may well be the higher
The difference in the share of the creative class occupations between the region and the province may be influenced by the higher share of service jobs in the tourism areas of Wasaga Beach and Collingwood and by the impact of higher levels of creative employment in larger urban centres such as Toronto and Ottawa.
Creative Cultural Economy
- The four highest numbers of creative cultural industries in the region are in design, performing arts, advertising, motion picture and video industries and publishing (2009).
- In creative cultural occupations, the highest growth in percentage terms has been found in authors and writers, journalists and library and archival technicians and assistants; the greatest decline in percentage terms has been in editors and graphic arts technicians (2009).
- In terms of actual growth in numbers of creative cultural occupations (versus % growth/decline) the six highest areas of growth were in authors and writers, journalists, graphic designers and illustrators, artisans and craftspeople, musicians and singers, and painters, sculptors and other visual artists.
Culture and Quality of Place
While economic analysis completed for the project includes a statistical analysis of the creative economy broadly an the creative cultural economy more specifically, the most powerful economic arguments for culture may well be those connected to its role in enhancing quality of place to attract people and investment.
Richard Florida famously coined the ‘Three-T’s’ of Technology, Talent and Tolerance to define the conditions for success in the creative economy. Recently Florida added a fourth T – Territory to signal the critical role played by quality of place in attracting people, talent and investment.
The traditional view was the economic competitiveness was driven by jurisdictional characteristics such as access to raw materials, transportation routes and the general labour force. The emerging understanding is that the creative labour force is highly mobile and can choose where they want to live. Where they want to live is in places with high quality of place with diverse cultural and entertainment options, unique natural and built heritage. In other words, quality of place attracts people who in turn attract business and investment – not vice versa. In short, place matters.
The scenic beauty of the South Georgian Bay Area, its unique natural and cultural heritage assets, strong recreational lifestyle together with the growth of cultural activities is proving an important magnet for talent and investment. Quality of place and affordability has attracted many artists from all disciplines. An abundance of galleries, numerous studio tours, arts organizations and cultural events enhance the area quality of place.
Cultural Tourism
Quality of place is also directly related to another important economic driver – cultural tourism. Cultural tourism is an important part of the larger tourism agenda set out in the Georgian Triangle Tourism Association’s Regional Tourism Plan.
Cultural tourism has for several years been one of the fastest-growing and lucrative segments of the North American travel industry. The demand for cultural tourism experiences is being driven by the 50-plus “mature market” seeking learning-based travel and cultural enrichment. Cultural tourists are more highly educated, stay longer in the destinations they visit, earn more, spend more, and are more likely to choose commercial accommodation than to stay with friends or relatives.
Leading jurisdictions are directing increased attention to place-based cultural tourism as an alternative to the traditional focus on large attractions. A leading cultural tourism expert in Canada defines place-based tourism as: “Capitalizing on a destination’s unique identity, cultural character and ‘sense of place,’ place-based cultural tourism maximizes a destination’s appeal to cultural tourists and maximizes a destination’s profit from cultural tourism.”[2]
[2] Steven Thorne (2008). “Place as Product: A Place-Based Approach to Cultural Tourism.” Mapping and Place Branding Municipal World. September 2008