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Cultural Mapping Project Started for Region – The Enterprise Bulletin May 21, 2010

Press Release – May 17, 2010

South Georgian Bay, ON - The South Georgian Bay Cultural Mapping Project is an ambitious project being undertaken collaboratively by the Towns of Collingwood, The Blue Mountains, Wasaga Beach and Clearview Township. The project is a component of a Regional Economic Development Strategy and is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade through its Communities in Transition Initiative.

The South Georgian Bay Cultural Mapping Project joins leading communities across Canada in recognizing the role of cultural mapping in supporting local economic development through culture. In Ontario, municipalities that have launched cultural mapping projects include Hamilton, Vaughan, Windsor-Essex and the Region of Durham.

Cultural mapping is a process for systematically identifying and recording local cultural assets and making them better known to the community and to visitors. These assets come in two forms. The first is tangible assets of all kinds – non-profit cultural groups, for-profit cultural businesses or creative cultural industries, cultural heritage, natural heritage, festivals and events, spaces and facilities, and more. The second is intangible assets – important stories of people, places and events that have shaped the unique identity of the community.

Among the many benefits of mapping: it helps increase community awareness and promotion of local culture to residents and tourists; it strengthens networks and collaboration among cultural, community and business groups; and it supports municipalities in enhanced planning and decision-making.

All over the world, creativity and culture are more and more being seen as powerful tools to renew local economies. Leading cultural mapping and cultural planning practitioner and Project Consultant Dr. Greg Baeker says, “I had the pleasure of speaking at the Georgian Triangle Development Institute’s annual conference in 2008 to talk about the power of cultural mapping as a local economic development tool. To see this project realized and cultural mapping being undertaken as part of the larger economic development strategy is very exciting and puts the South Georgian Bay Cultural Mapping Project in the forefront of cultural mapping practices in Ontario.”

Public workshops will be held in each community to introduce the project and present preliminary maps and findings. All are welcome to attend. RSVPs are requested to Tanya Mazza (705) 445-7450 ext. 234, for any of following dates:

Wednesday, June 9 9: 00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. – Wasaga Beach, Wasaga Beach Town Hall, Classroom
Wednesday, June 9 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. – The Blue Mountains, Beaver Valley Community Centre, Thornbury
Thursday, June 10 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. – Collingwood, Collingwood Public Library
Thursday, June 10 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. – Clearview Township, Clearview Township Council Chambers, Stayner

A website for this exciting project is underway, visit www.georgianbaymappingculture.com

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Tanya Mazza, Arts and Culture Office
Town of Collingwood (705) 445-7450 ext. 234 or tmazza@collingwood.ca