Simcoe County's Donna Goodwin's presentation at our Cultural Summit on October 6, 2015

1. Culture in the County
October 6, 2015

2. Who we are?
 4,690.24 square km
 277,614 population
 16 member
municipalities
 Georgian College.
Laurentian University,
Lakehead University
 Lake Simcoe to
Georgian Bay

3. Background
Fall of 2012, a committee of The County of Simcoe County Council gave the go
ahead to apply for funding through MTCS to undertake a study for culture
Primary purpose of the study:
 Engage the arts and culture community
 Examine the role the County of Simcoe might play in supporting the sector
Process:
 Background research
 Review of current County initiatives
 Establishment of a framework to define culture in Simcoe County
 Inventory of Cultural Assets
 Community Consultation process

4. Why? What’s all the fuss about?
 Culture is one of the fastest growing sectors in Ontario. It generates
approximately $22 billion of Ontario’s GDP and supports more than 280,000
jobs.
 Ontario has over 58,000 artists – nearly twice as many as any other
province.
 Nearly five million Ontarians are active library cardholders.
 About 24,000 properties are protected under the Ontario Heritage Act and
there are over 300 community museums in the province.
 Ontario’s music industry is the largest in Canada, and in 2013-14 its film
and television production supported over 44,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Province of Ontario (Cultural Strategy Consultation)

5. On the Same Wave Length
 "A vibrant culture attracts talented and creative people, promotes
business development, spurs population growth and revitalizes our
communities, making them destination points for citizens, tourists
and magnets for business."
 "By focusing on culture as a driver of creativity and innovation, a
community creates a competitive and adaptive economy, capable of
dealing with increasingly complex issues."
Pride of Saskatchewan: A policy where Culture, Community and Commerce Meet. Government of Saskatchewan, 2010
 "The benefits of a more integrated, collaborative approach to cultural
development are many: from more employment in sustainable
cultural industries to community revitalization, from enhanced
creativity and innovation to the preservation of our cultural diversity."
Creative Newfoundland and Labrador: The Blueprint for Development and Investment in Culture, Government of Newfoundland &Labrador, 2006

6. Existing County Cultural Services
 Tourism Simcoe County
 Simcoe County Museum
 Simcoe County Archives
 Simcoe County Library Cooperative
 Local Immigration Partnership
 Finance and Geographic Information
Systems

7. Common Themes
 Funding Opportunities
 Networking and Collaboration
 Marketing
 Education
 Physical Spaces
 Cultural Inventory

8. Grant Review and Options
 identified that the County of Simcoe could play a more significant role in the
arts and culture sector with a single grant process
 rework the grant requirements/parameters to support other findings in the
Plan for Culture
 recommended changes to the grant program would come into effect in the
year 2016

9. Staff Recommendations
Staff presented 4 Options to Council:
Continue doing what we were doing.
Ramp it up a bit by changing the grant structure in its current form, add some
money to the pot and streamline the process so that we could help build
capacity in the existing arts and culture community,
Enhance existing festivals/events and partner with some existing initiatives
Really get in the game – experiential development, workshops, marketing,
grant

10. Mission Statement
To promote Simcoe County as a first class tourist
destination by further developing the tourism industry
and community partnership

11. Today…
 Staff was hired in April to start to implement Option 4
 Work has started with local arts and culture participants to map out next
steps and support cultural planning/ placemaking and cultural experiential
development
 development of the new/ amalgam of the Cultural Grant (launch ???)
 support for municipal cultural advisory committees/ heritage committees/
arts and culture programming where possible/requested

12. North of 9 Campaign
 Option 4
 Money was allocated for the production of 5 cultural vignettes
 Leveraged part of the budget through RTO7 partnership funding
 Allowed for 8 vignettes and still money left over for an advertising buy
 Campaign developed around the concept of why drive north of HWY 9
?

13. Odd, Authentic & Accessible
 Festival du Loop – La Fontaine
 Mariposa – through the Leacock Writers Festival and Mariposa Folk festival
 Steampunk Festival – Victorian Village of Coldwater
 Carrotfest – 70% of all carrots are from the Town of
BradfordWestGwillimbury
 9 Mile Portage - Festival at Fort Willow, Wasaga Under Siege
 Small Halls Festival
 First Light

14. Steampunk

15. 9 Mile Portage

16. 1st Light at Sainte-Marie

17. Creative City Network of Canada
Through its work the Creative City Network of Canada
helps build the capacity of local cultural planning
professionals – and by extension local governments – to
nurture and support cultural development in their
communities.
By doing so, the Creative City Network of Canada aims to
improve the operating climate and conditions for artists,
arts, heritage and cultural organizations across the country,
and the quality of life in Canadian communities of all sizes.
http://www.creativecity.ca/
www.Ontario.ca/culturetalks

18. THANK YOU
Contact
donna.goodwin@simcoe.ca
705-726-9300 ext 1620
experience.simcoe.ca