Huron County Cultural Plan 2014 by County of Huron

HURON COUNTY CULTURAL PLAN 2014 Creative Countryside

County of Huron Municipal Cultural Plan

For further information please contact: County of Huron Cultural Services Department 77722B London Road, RR#5 Clinton, ON N0M1L0 519-482-5457

ÂŠCounty of Huron, 2014

Huron County Cultural Plan

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TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 SECTION 1: BACKGROUND Why Cultural Planning? ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Culture and Community Sustainability ...............................................................................................................................................................11 Cultural Planning: A Provincial Priority ............................................................................................................................................................... 13 Cultural Planning in Huron County ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Integrated Cultural Planning ............................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Development of Huron County’s Cultural Plan................................................................................................................................................... 17 Steering Committee & Working Group .............................................................................................................................................................. 18 Guiding Principles ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Vision Statement ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Community Consultation .................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 SECTION 2: HURON COUNTY CONTEXT Cultural & Social Inclusion .................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Huron’s Creative Economy ................................................................................................................................................................................. 24 County of Huron Cultural Services...................................................................................................................................................................... 25 SECTION 3: FINDINGS & ANALYSIS Huron County’s Culture ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Volunteerism ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Marketing & Promotion ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Cultural Activities & Programs ............................................................................................................................................................................ 37 Types of Programs .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 39 Local vs Non-Local Content ................................................................................................................................................................................ 39 Cost of Programs ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 41 Artistic Risk ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Year-Round Participation.................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Youth Culture ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 Cultural Facilities & Spaces ................................................................................................................................................................................. 45

Huron County Cultural Plan

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SECTION 4: STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS Strategic Directions Overview ............................................................................................................................................................................ 48 Strategic Direction 1: Invest In Our People ......................................................................................................................................................... 49 Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations ........................................................................................................................... 51 Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy............................................................................ 52 Strategic Direction 4: Build on Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs .................................................................................... 54 Strategic Direction 5: Advance the Role of the Municipality in Local Cultural Development ............................................................................. 55 Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote Our Cultural Heritage .................................................................................................................. 56 SECTION 5: IMPLEMENTATION Implementation Period ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 58 County of Huronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Role....................................................................................................................................................................................... 58 Partnerships ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 58 Huron Arts and Heritage Network ...................................................................................................................................................................... 58 Cultural Plan Implementation Stakeholders ....................................................................................................................................................... 59 Priority Actions ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60 Additional Resources .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 Reporting & Monitoring ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................................................................................................................ 62 GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 63 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 65 SOURCES ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 66 APPENDIX A: RECOMMENDED ACTION TABLES .......................................................................................................................................................... 68 APPENDIX B: Referenced Documents & Reports Huron County Official Plan ............................................................................................................................................................................... 121 Take Action for Sustainable Huron: A Community Sustainability Plan (2012) .................................................................................................. 122 Economic Development Opportunities Blueprint (2012) ........................................................................................................................................ 123 Make Huron Home: An Immigration Strategy for Huron ................................................................................................................................. 124

Table of Contents

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Huron County Library Strategic Plan ................................................................................................................................................................ 125 Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Strategic Plan ................................................................................................................................. 125 The Heart of Community: A Report on Volunteerism in Perth and Huron Counties ........................................................................................ 126 Cultural Mapping Report .................................................................................................................................................................................. 127

Table of Contents

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Huron County Cultural Plan

Kryart Studio & Bizzar, Bayfield

Executive Summary

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY What are the unique characteristics that shape our sense of place and help define who we are in Huron County? According to the residents and visitors who participated in the development of the County of Huron's new Cultural Plan, the best attributes of Huron County are its rural character, friendly communities, Lake Huron, and its beaches. When asked to describe Huron County culture in a few key words or single sentence, residents and visitors who participated in this project described the local culture as full of potential, unique and underrated. The new Huron County Cultural Plan underscores those statements; having a marked appreciation for the approximately 1,800 cultural resources1 the County can boast of, while also recognizing that there is more development work to be done. The development of the new Cultural Plan follows a fourteen month timeline and was guided by an eighteen-member stakeholder Steering Committee and a Working Group of County of Huron staff. The development process included comprehensive community and sector consultation in the form of an online survey, public forums, and stakeholder interviews.

Vision The vision statement developed by the Steering Committee reflects how the group sees the arts, culture and heritage communities contributing to the success of Huron County. The vision statement provides a focus and goal for the strategic directions and actions put forth in the new Cultural Plan. The vision for the cultural sector in Huron County focuses on innovation, creativity and heritage.

Huron County is a vibrant community, working together through culture to:     

Foster innovation Nurture creativity Honour our rich heritage Celebrate our lifestyle Proudly tell our stories

Huron County Cultural Mapping Report, 2012

Executive Summary

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Strategic Directions: The six strategic directions that are the framework for the Cultural Plan are: 1. Invest in our People. Expand Huron County’s human capital by providing professional development opportunities locally, engaging more youth in local culture and recognizing the importance of volunteers to the cultural sector and the community. 2. Foster Partnerships and Collaborations. Increase the sector’s capacity by bringing different partners together to share resources and expertise. 3. Implement a Communications Strategy. Develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy to share our stories, promote our creative industries and cultural programming and build visibility and appreciation for local culture. 4. Leverage Existing Cultural Resources. Build on or adapt some of our existing cultural resources to meet new community needs. 5. Advance the Municipality’s Role in Cultural Development. Continue to support the County of Huron’s leadership role in ways that are of benefit to the entire sector and community at large. 6. Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage. Preserve our cultural heritage for future generations and build appreciation and respect for our individual and shared histories.

Recommendations Within the six strategic directions there are a total of fifty-one recommended actions. Members of the Steering Committee as well as sector stakeholders reviewed the full list of recommendations to select those recommendations that they felt were of greatest priority to the local cultural and creative sector. The implementation of these priority action items will take precedence in carrying out the full list of recommendations in the Cultural Plan.

Executive Summary

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Priority Actions  Work with local artists and arts organizations to expand on the variety of recreational arts workshops available locally and improve the affordability and participation levels for those workshops  Work with Local Immigration Partnership Council to include more diversity in cultural programs by actively reaching out to newcomer populations  Prepare a report that gathers and analyzes relevant data to measure the economic and social impact of arts, culture and heritage in Huron County  Position creativehuron.ca as the primary hub to promote and share information on Huron County’s arts, culture and heritage activities, stories, organizations and industries  Continue to build the database created through the cultural mapping project and make it into a marketing and promotional tool for all of Huron County’s cultural resources  Share best practices for modifying and renovating existing facilities into usable creative performance and studio spaces and provide that data to the sector, when requested  Explore the development of a municipal public art policy that includes a review of possible funding options for commissioning of public art projects  Huron County convene a meeting of interested stakeholders to begin discussion and planning for cultural programming in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s Sesquicentennial that will also support activities planned by the International Plowing Match  Have Huron Arts & Heritage Network (HAHN) act as an advisory committee to the County of Huron throughout the Cultural Plan’s implementation process.  Work with existing municipal heritage advisory committees to promote the advantages of having appointed heritage committees

Executive Summary

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Implementation Implementation of the recommended actions in the Cultural Plan will cover a span of four years from 2014 to the end of 2018. Principal responsibility for implementation of most of the strategic actions outlined in the plan will lie with the County of Huron. The Cultural Services Department will act as the lead on most initiatives and will receive additional input and guidance from Huron Arts & Heritage Network (HAHN) who will act in an advisory capacity throughout the implementation process. Ultimately, success for the Cultural Plan will be determined by our ability to keep the different stakeholder groups; local arts and heritage organizations, lower-tier municipalities, social agencies and community groups, engaged and committed to the process. Reporting and monitoring on the implementation will be done through creativehuron.ca and a new annual report card on Huron Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture will be prepared and disseminated by the County of Huron Cultural Services Department.

Executive Summary

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BACKGROUND

Bach Music Festival, Exeter

Section 1: Background

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WHY CULTURAL PLANNING? The culture or “quality of place” of a municipality has added importance in the new post-industrial or “knowledge-based” economy. The culture and creativity of a place and the prevalence and vitality of key cultural indicators is now proven to be closely linked to the health, prosperity and sustainability of a community. The proper planning, management and leveraging of a municipality’s cultural resources can result in:

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Economic Prosperity – Communities with vibrant cultural sectors are a strong draw to members of professional occupations. Knowledge-based workers are no longer tied to companies and have the mobility to seek out new career opportunities in any part of the world that can offer the quality of life they are seeking.

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Liveable Communities – Cultural programs and activities are what animate our civic spaces and downtown cores. Community festivals and events bring residents together to share experiences which build social cohesion among the many demographics in the community.

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Engagement – Provide access to opportunities for all individuals and groups to participate fully in the cultural life of the community as both creators and consumers of cultural products as a means to measure quality of life for residents.

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Sense of Identity – The preservation of our built heritage along with the sharing of our intangible culture (stories, legends, folklore, etc.) are the building blocks to identifying what the unique attributes of our community are and building a shared common identity among the community’s residents.

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Cultural Tourism – Cultural tourism is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry in Canada. Travel for arts and cultural experiences generated 9.5 million in overnight visitors or over one-fifth of all overnight tourists in Ontario in 2010.They spent $4.1 billion or 36% of all overnight trips spending in the province. Compared to typical overnight tourists in Ontario, arts and culture visitors spent twice as much money per trip, spent more nights in the province and made more extensive use of hotel accommodations.2

Ontario Arts and Culture Tourism Profile, November 2012

Section 1: Background

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CULTURE & COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY In September 2002, at the first World Public Meeting on Culture, held in Brazil, the idea to draw up a document outlining guidelines for local cultural policies was first proposed. The document would be comparable to what the Agenda 21 meant in 1992 for the environment. After nearly two years of work, the final document was approved on May 8, 2004 in Barcelona, and on September 15 it was submitted to the UNHABITAT and UNESCO. The Agenda 21 for culture was developed as a tool to promote the role of culture in local policies and to position culture as a fourth pillar of sustainable development. The Agenda 21 for culture starts from the idea that culture makes a great contribution to human development, because it promotes values like creativity, diversity, memory or rituality, all of them increasingly necessary for any human being to widen his or her freedoms. The Agenda 21 for culture has 67 articles, focused on five main subjects: 1. Culture and human rights 2. Culture and governance 3. Culture, sustainability and territory 4. Culture and social inclusion 5. Culture and economy The role of culture as a dimension of community sustainability as outlined in Agenda 21 for culture is summarized in Figure 1 on Page 12. In Canada, The External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities (Harcourt Commission) in their 2006 report built on the Agenda 21 for culture by recommending that Canadian municipalities embrace a ‘Four Pillar’ or dimensions of sustainability; economic prosperity, social equity, environmental sustainability and cultural vitality as their overarching planning framework. The Committee went further to say that culture was in fact the ‘glue’ binding together the other three, providing the sense of shared identity and purpose needed to tackle challenges together.3

From Restless Communities to Resilient Places: Building a Stronger Future For All Canadians, 2006

Section 1: Background

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Figure 1: Culture as a Dimension of Community Sustainability

Section 1: Background

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CULTURAL PLANNING: A PROVINCIAL PRIORITY “Ontario in the Creative Age” (Feb. 2009), a report commissioned by the Premier of Ontario and prepared by the University of Toronto’s Martin Prosperity Institute marks a major shift in provincial policy towards the active promotion of municipal cultural planning as a priority for all of the Province’s municipalities. According to the report, the challenge facing Ontario is more than an economic downturn but the rise of a new economic system “requiring a totally different set of assumptions than those that guided economic development strategies in Ontario’s past”. According to the report, the emerging understanding within the sector is that members of the creative labour force are highly mobile and can choose where they want to live. Where they want to live is in locations with high quality of place, including diverse cultural and entertainment options and unique natural and built heritage. In other words, quality of place attracts people, who in turn attract business and investment.4 In order to assist municipalities manage these new economic realities, the government of the day established the Creative Community Prosperity Fund (CCPF), a nine million, four year fund, designed to support communities in undertaking municipal cultural planning.

“Ontario’s cities and communities are adapting to economic, demographic and cultural changes. Elected officials, municipal staff and community leaders are being asked to respond. There is an emerging consensus that quality of place and sense of community is increasingly important to support sustainable economic development.” Province of Ontario Municipal Cultural Planning Brochure

Municipal Cultural Planning: A Toolkit for Ontario Municipalities, 2011

Section 1: Background

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CULTURAL PLANNING IN HURON COUNTY Huron Arts & Heritage Network (HAHN) along with Cultural Services and the Planning and Development Departments developed the first Cultural Plan for Huron County in 2007/08. Implementation of the 2008 Cultural Plan resulted in several positive outcomes and renewed momentum for the cultural sector. It built Huron County’s network of community partners, including cultural sector organizations, businesses and programmers and solidified the working relationship between County of Huron and the local industry association, Huron Arts & Heritage Network. Fulfilment of the actions contained in the original Cultural Plan brought the economic potential of the County’s arts, culture and heritage sector to the attention of many by attracting significant amounts of new funding and generating a general rate of return of two to one.5 The 2008 Cultural Plan had a planned implementation phase of three years. During that time, the field of cultural planning evolved and expanded. New models for municipal cultural planning, for example, now include thinking about the cultural sector and its importance to community sustainability and quality of place. Best practices related to cultural planning have been refined and standardized providing municipalities with better tools and planning frameworks with which to develop their cultural sector.

Cultural Mapping One of the newly adopted and advocated cultural planning processes is that municipal cultural planning begin with, and be informed by cultural mapping (Appendix B, Page 127). In 2011/12 Huron County was able to complete a cultural mapping project with assistance from the Province of Ontario’s Creative Communities Prosperity Fund (CCPF). The cultural mapping project identified over 1,800 cultural assets in Huron County. The final project report (received by Council May 2012) made the following recommendation as the next step for Huron County to take in the municipal cultural planning process: “Recommendation: That the Cultural Services Department of the County of Huron be the lead in the development of a new Huron County Cultural Plan that sets out a number of strategic goals for the leveraging, management and sustainability of the cultural resources and sector within the County and that an application be made to the Creative Communities Prosperity Fund through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport for the support of this in initiative”. Two other municipal policy and framework documents, the Economic Development Blueprint (2010) and the Take Action for Sustainable Huron (2012), also identified the need for a new or updated Cultural Plan in order to leverage local cultural resources into the economic development and sustainability of Huron County.

Between 2008 – 2010 Huron Arts & Heritage Network leveraged $87,000 in operational support into an additional $178,000 in external project grants for Huron County cultural organizations

Section 1: Background

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Take Action for Sustainable Huron – Sustainability Plan (2012) 

Immediate Actions (< 5 Years), Prepare a municipal Cultural Plan that identifies upper and lower tier responsibilities i.e. include culture and heritage assets in Official Plan, zoning, and other bylaws as necessary.

Economic Development Blueprint (2010) 

Updating and implementation of the County’s Cultural Plan; identify opportunities on an ongoing basis, for implementation of the existing County Cultural strategy



Continue working with County-level Cultural Services Department and Huron Arts & Heritage Network to promote lifestyle and creative opportunities available in Huron County

Based on Council support for the Sustainability Plan and Economic Development Blueprint, an application for funding was made to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport’s Creative Community Prosperity Fund (CCPF) in August, 2012. Funding for the development of a new municipal Cultural Plan was approved by the Province in January 2013.

Section 1: Background

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INTEGRATED CULTURAL PLANNING The County of Huron has a number of current strategic planning and framework documents that contain recommendations and action items relating to the County’s cultural and creative sector. In developing the strategic actions for the Cultural Plan, County staff along with the project steering committee conducted a survey of existing reports to ensure that recommendations and initiatives from existing municipal documents were fully incorporated and supported by the strategic actions indentified and put forward in the Cultural Plan. Strategies in existing County documents considered and referenced in the Huron County Cultural Plan include:  Huron County Official Plan – Page 121  Take Action for Sustainable Huron – Page 122  Economic Development Opportunities Blueprint – Page 123  Make Huron Home: An Immigration Strategy for Huron – Page 124  Huron County Library Strategic Plan 2012-2017 – Page 125  Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Strategic Plan 2013-2018 – Page 125 Figure 2: Huron County Planning Documents

The strategic directions and actions in the Cultural Plan also support the strategic objectives in the County of Huron Strategic Plan (2013), to “Strengthen the Local Economy” and “Support and Enhance the Rural Lifestyle in Huron County”. Section 1: Background

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DEVELOPMENT OF HURON COUNTYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CULTURAL PLAN Development of the Huron County Cultural Plan was broken down into a ten stage process covering a fourteen month period from March, 2013 to April 2014.

Section 1: Background

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STEERING COMMITTEE & WORKING GROUP The Plan’s development was guided by a Steering Committee made up of sector representatives and stakeholders who met on a monthly basis throughout the project period (Acknowledgments, Page 62).The eighteen members of the steering committee provided input and representation from the local arts, heritage, municipal government, education, youth, business and economic development fields. A Staff Working Group made up of County of Huron employees from the Cultural Services and Planning and Development Departments provided a second layer of oversight to the development of the Cultural Plan. Aside from bringing their specific expertise, the Staff Working Group were responsible for ensuring that all of the recommended actions in the plan supported or in some way built on the existing policies and goals of their respective department and the County of Huron. In total there were twenty-six individuals including: County of Huron staff, community and sector organizations and lower-tier municipal representatives directly engaged in guiding the development of the Cultural Plan’s strategic directions and recommended actions.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES Members of the project Steering Committee and the Staff Working Group developed a set of guiding principles as they worked to form the strategic actions in the Cultural Plan including:      

Recognition that culture encompasses the traditions, customs, activities and expression of ourselves as individuals and communities and as such culture affects and impacts the lives of all people Increase economic prosperity for those within the cultural sector and contribute to the prosperity of all Huron County residents Integrate culture into the municipal decision making process Improve access to cultural activities for all Provide opportunities for residents to apply their creative talents Appreciation for the role that culture and built heritage has in determining community identity

Section 1: Background

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VISION STATEMENT The steering committee’s vision was developed collaboratively through facilitated group exercises. The vision statement created reflects how the steering committee saw the arts, culture and heritage communities contributing to the success of Huron County and provided a focus and goal for the strategic directions and actions put forth in the Cultural Plan.

Huron County is a vibrant community, working together through culture to:     

Foster innovation Nurture creativity Honour our rich heritage Celebrate our lifestyle Proudly tell our stories

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION Community consultation was undertaken at various times over the course of the project. In addition to the steering committee meetings, the project also included an online survey, community forums and one-on-one interviews with stakeholders. Online Survey A thirty-seven question online survey was conducted on creativehuron.ca. The survey was promoted through Huron County Library branches, countywide media release, Huron Arts & Heritage Network’s digital newsletter, and through contact lists and social media pages of steering committee members. The two-month survey garnered two hundred and sixty-three responses. Results from the survey are used throughout this report to inform the recommended strategic directions and actions.6

Full survey results can be found in the Appendix C

Section 1: Background

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Cultural Conversations Four community forums were held in July and August of 2013 to allow residents additional opportunity to provide their input on the strategic actions and direction for the Cultural Plan.    

July 20 at the Huron County Museum in Goderich July 23 at Exeter Town Hall in Exeter August 14 at REACH in Clinton August 17 at Wingham Library in Wingham

Stakeholder Interviews A number of one-on-one interviews were conducted with sector stakeholder representatives throughout the development process. Stakeholder groups consulted include:         

Huron County Historical Society Huron Branch; Ontario Genealogical Society Bluewater Heritage Advisory Committee Goderich Municipal and Marine Heritage Committee Huron Pioneer Threshers & Hobby Association Friends of the North Huron Museum Goderich BIA Huron County Junior Farmers Huron Federation of Agriculture

Section 1: Background

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HURON COUNTY CONTEXT

Alice Munro Literary Garden, Wingham

Section 2: Huron County Context

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A number of considerations that are specific to Huron County also had a bearing on the development of the strategic action items in the Cultural Plan.

CULTURAL & SOCIAL INCULSION One of the goals of the Cultural Plan is to ensure that all residents have equitable access to participation in the cultural life of the community. BARRIERS TO CULTURAL PARTICIPATION Cost, transportation, and age were identified as barriers to participation in the survey responses along with lack of time and no one to attend with. Effective strategies are needed to minimize these barriers to cultural participation so that all residents can take an active part in shaping Huron County as a vibrant, healthy and sustainable community. INCOME LEVELS The cost of cultural programs needs to be of paramount consideration when striving to offer cultural activities that are aimed at widespread participation. The median income for families in Huron County is $70,028 which is considerably lower than the provincial median of $80,987 in Ontario. Close to 20% of Huron County households are in the low income range7 and almost 57% of the labour force in Huron earns under $30,000 annually. The cost of cultural programming was identified as a barrier to participation by 24% of the online survey respondents (Figure 12, Page 34). TRANSPORTATION Lack of public transportation creates additional barriers to participation to those in lower income brackets. Youth, seniors, disabled individuals and low income families are all very much affected by transportation issues. Most youth are still reliant on parents for transportation – either to provide a ride or to use the family car. Seniors may not drive anymore or may be uncomfortable driving at night or in winter when road conditions are poor. The cost of bussing to visit local cultural facilities is prohibitive for many schools. Huron County documents such as the “Huron County Transportation Demand Management Plan”, 2011 contain strategies and recommendations aimed at minimizing many of these transportation barriers. ETHNIC & RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY Creativity and innovation depend on diversity yet Huron County is largely ethnically and religiously homogenous with most residents being of European Christian descent. Huron County has a visible minority population of just fewer than 3%, far behind the provincial average of 22.8%. English is the primary language for 92.5% of the population; however 7.5 % of the population speak a non-English language as their mother tongue - mostly German and Dutch. Religious diversity is even scarcer in the County with 81% of the population belonging to the Christian faith, 7

Low income is considered half of the median after-tax household income of $52,480, Statistics Canada National Household Survey, 2011

Section 2: Huron County Context

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% identifying as having no religion and a mere .5% having a faith other than Christianity. 80% of Huron County’s population is third generation or more which means having deep roots and strong traditions in the community. It should be noted that care be taken to ensure that entrenched social norms are not a barrier to new ideas and different ways of doing things. AGE DEMOGRAPHICS Seniors (over the age of 65) make up approximately 20% of Huron County’s population which is higher than national average of 14.5%. Youth (15-25 years of age) account for 12.5% of the population, slightly lower than the national 13.2% for the same age range. Teens (15-19 year of age) account for 7% of that demographic and the post-secondary education graduation age group of 20-25 years of age accounts for 5.5% of the County’s population. This creates a community profile in Huron County that is disproportionately older. The Steering Committee chose to focus on strategic actions aimed at youth in the Cultural Plan in order to provide more opportunities for youth to take part in Huron County’s cultural community as a means to help offset the age disparity.

THE LINK BETWEEN DIVERSITY & CREATIVITY The creative process thrives on social interaction particularly between diverse groups of people. Tolerance has been repeatedly identified in the literature as a vital requirement for the attraction and retention of Creative Class workers (Florida, 2002). Seeking a diverse and open environment is a goal of many Creative Class workers, and is a facet of economic development strategies that most rural areas struggle with. In the University of Toronto Martin Prosperity Institute’s 2012 report “Benchmarking the Creative Economy in Rural Ontario”, they examined diversity and tolerance in a community as the percentages of visible minority and immigrant populations using 2006 census data. Their work found that 28.4% of the populations in Ontario’s metropolitan areas are a visible minority compared with only 2% in rural Ontario. The percentage of visible minorities in Huron County (approximately 2.8) is in-line with the 2% average found for rural Ontario. There is a proven link between excellence in the creative and innovative sectors and diversity. An ‘outsider’ perspective such as being a being a person who does not quite fit in with mainstream social norms is an advantage when it comes to thinking creatively (Barber, 2010). This is especially common for immigrants, gays, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) people and anyone who suffered from an isolating illness during childhood. Immigrants have an edge as they are especially adept at viewing the world from two perspectives, their country of origin and their adopted country. A benchmark American study on childhood genius done by Stanford University in 1959 found immigrants were seven times more likely to excel in creative fields compared to individuals whose families had lived there for generations. A follow up study done by the same University thirty-five years later found that of the intellectually gifted children from the original study not one from an affluent home had achieved any prominence in a creative field. This has considerable implications for Huron County where 80% of the population is third generation or more (2011 Canadian Census). Huron County’s ability to succeed in the new creative economy will likely go hand-in-hand with the successful implementation of the County’s Immigration Strategy and our openness and tolerance as a community to different cultural groups.

Section 2: Huron County Context

Huron County Cultural Plan HURON’S CREATIVE ECONOMY

creative countryside CULTURE-LED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In Canada the creative class now accounts for 35% of the workforce or approximately five million people. In the next ten years the estimated job growth for the Creative Sector is 20% compared to 10% for the working sector and 14% for the Service Sector8.

The important dimensions of culture-led economic development are culture and quality of place, culture and the expanding creative economy, and cultural tourism.

The Creative Class, a term coined by Dr. Richard Florida to designate a socio-economic class who are the driving force for economic development in the post-industrial economy, make up 21% of Huron County’s workforce. This is considerably lower than the provincial rate where the creative class accounts for 34% of the workforce. The creative class has grown faster than the average of all occupations in Ontario while declining faster than average in Huron County. From 2001 to 2006 the creative class grew by 8% in Ontario but declined by -4% in Huron County. Looking at the SuperCreative Core, those whose work is fully engaged in creative and innovative process, the growth rate in the province from 2001 to 2006 was 12% and in Huron County this segment saw a slight decline of -1%9.

1. Culture and Quality of Place The emerging understanding is that members of the creative labour force are highly mobile and can chose where they want to live. Where they want to live is in places with high quality of place including diverse cultural and entertainment options and unique natural and built heritage. In other words, quality of place attracts people who in turn attract business and investment – not vice versa.

Huron County does have some strong concentrations of the creative class in six industry groups. Education, Scientific and Technical Services, Information and Cultural Industries, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation, Health Care and Social Assistance, Finance and Insurance, all have creative class concentration of over 40% according to the same report. Among local industries with high creative class concentrations, “Local municipal and regional public administration” and “Amusement, gambling and recreations industries” have significantly higher shares of creative class workers. In “Benchmarking the Creative Economy in Rural Ontario”, (Feb 2012), the Martin Prosperity Institute found that Huron County and Goderich, in particular, scored better than most of its rural peers on their Creativity Index, a checklist of economic and social indicators for benchmarking the scale and strength of local creative economies.

8 9

Martin Prosperity Institute, University of Toronto, 2013 Creative Class Workers in Huron County, (2011), Four County Labour Market Planning Board

Section 2: Huron County Context

2. Culture and the Expanding Creative Economy The creative economy is an economy driven by ideas, innovation, knowledge, collaboration and creativity. It is an economy in which people are paid to think. Ontario is well positioned to prosper in this economic system with its unrivalled advantages: rich natural resource areas, wealth of human talent, strong social infrastructure, and creative and cultural industries. Leveraging these advantages requires new economic assumptions and more aggressive strategies to strengthen the creative economy. 3. Cultural Tourism Cultural tourism has for several years been one of the fastest-growing and more lucrative segments of the North American travel industry. The current demand for cultural tourism experiences is being driven by the 50-plus ‘mature market’ – with Generation X (ages 29-49) close behind – both seeking learning-based travel and cultural enrichment. Cultural tourists are more highly educated, stay longer in the destinations they visit, spend more, and are more likely to choose commercial accommodations than to stay with friends or relatives.

Huron County Cultural Plan

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COUNTY OF HURON CULTURAL SERVICES The Cultural Services Department of the County of Huron includes Huron County Library, Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol, Huron County Archives and Cultural Programs. The Cultural Services Department was identified as a core cultural asset in Huron County during the cultural mapping project due to the many cultural programs and services that the department provides across the County. Through its programs and services Cultural Services also acts as a strong link between local government and the cultural sector and community. Huron County Library Huron County Library is a countywide library system with twelve branches across Huron County. In recent years, a key strength of the system has been its ability to provide relevant services to its rural communities through traditional methods while forging ahead and providing core service through cutting edge technology. The balance that has been created between tradition and innovation has been one that has ensured equality of access for all library users. In 2012, Huron County Library adopted a new Strategic Plan which includes new goals, mission and vision statements for the library system. Today, Huron County Library's mission statement is to build "strong communities by serving as an inclusive community hub and ensuring universal access to information and ideas for cultural, economic, educational and recreational development." Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol The Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol engage our community in preserving, sharing, and celebrating Huron County culture. The doors of the original Huron County Museum opened July 4, 1951 in the former Goderich Central School. The museum was built to house the collection of Joseph Herbert Neill (1884-1969). Today, the Huron County Museum consists of over 25,000 sq. ft. of gallery and support space and an additional 15,000 sq. ft. of collections storage and maintenance space. The facility also includes archival stacks, archives reading room and Corporate Records storage. In 1991 the Museum amalgamated with the Historic Gaol, a National Historic Site. a unique and imposing octagonal building which served as the County Jail from its opening in 1841 until 1972. The building originally housed the County Courts and Council Chambers, as well as serving as Gaol and House of Refuge. The Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol is also responsible for the administration of three additional sites: the Marine Museum, located on town property near the beach in Goderich, the Sky Harbour Gallery, located near the Goderich Airport, and Tiger Dunlopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tomb. Huron County Archives In 1964, the Huron County Historical Society initiated an archives in Huron County. The Reading Room and environmentally controlled document storage were added to the Huron County Museum in 1988. At this time, materials were transferred from Western Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Regional Archives Collection and the former Huron County Board of Education to the new facility. Since then, the collection has grown to include photographs, meeting minutes, diaries, correspondence, scrapbooks, and family bibles all donated by individuals, business or organizations relevant to Huron County.

Section 2: Huron County Context

Huron County Cultural Plan

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In March 2014 the Archives launched an online collections database digital.huroncounty.ca featuring over 850 images from local WWII air training schools called the Henderson Digitization Project. Additional archival collections will be added to the website in the future, significantly increasing researcher access to archival resources. Those who benefit from archival services include: playwrights, authors, historians, collectors, students, government employees, archaeologists, genealogists, designers, educators, film makers, and local business owners. The Huron County Archives wants to be a resource for other local archives and historical societies, providing them with assistance and helping to promote their collections. Cultural Programs The County of Huron believes in maintaining close working relationship with our industry and sector partners. As such, Cultural Services provides support to Huron Arts & Heritage Network, the umbrella organization for arts, culture and heritage in Huron County. Through the Cultural Development Officer, the County of Huron provides assistance with planning and coordination of cultural events produced by Huron Arts & Heritage Network as well in the preparing of funding applications in support of those community events and programs. The Cultural Development Officer also works with other organizations and individuals in the cultural and creative sector to build capacity within the sector by providing professional development workshops, assistance with writing funding applications and support in delivering programs and services. Municipal cultural planning initiatives, such as the Cultural Mapping project and the development of the Cultural Plan, also fall under the Cultural Programs division of Cultural Services. The Cultural Development Officer also works closely with the Huron Tourism Association and County of Huron Economic Development Services to promote cultural tourism and creative and cultural businesses in Huron County.

Section 2: Huron County Context

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Figure 3: Huron County Cultural Services Department Current Cultural Programs

Section 2: Huron County Context

Huron County Cultural Plan

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FINDINGS & ANALYSIS

EPIC Youth Visual Art Project, Goderich

Huron County Cultural Plan

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HURON COUNTY’S CULTURE What are the unique characteristics that shape our sense of place and help define who we collectively are in Huron County? Survey participants were asked to tell us what they thought the three best attributes of Huron County are and despite the subjective and open-ended nature of the question there were remarkably consistent results. The vast majority of survey respondents placed the same three attributes in the top three. They are: 1. Huron County’s rural character - its agricultural roots, the open spaces and the natural landscape features 2. Huron County’s friendly communities and people 3. Lake Huron and its beaches To provide some context as to how dominant those three attributes were in the survey response; Huron County’s rural setting was ranked in the top three by 161 people, Huron County’s communities and people was ranked by 110 people and Lake Huron and its beaches received 95 votes. Heritage and history, the next closest attribute, only received about a quarter as many mentions, being ranked in the top three by only 25 respondents. Those three attributes are overwhelmingly the popular view of what residents believe to be best about Huron County. As one survey respondent put it Huron County can then be described as “a beautiful rural county whose friendly residents appreciate their heritage and support and enjoy the wealth of home-grown talent.”

NOTE: NATURAL HERITAGE Many survey respondents and participants in the community consultation sessions spoke about Huron County’s natural heritage amenities as being one of our greatest strengths and advantages in promoting the quality of life that makes Huron a desirable place to settle. The Planning & Development Department has been working with a group of stakeholder organization on a Natural Heritage Strategy for Huron County. Due to the advanced stage of the work already done on the Natural Heritage Strategy we have not made any recommendations for strategic actions for this cultural resource category in the Cultural Plan and have instead focused solely on cultural heritage resources.

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Asked to take a narrower focus and describe Huron County culture in a few key words the survey participants responded with statements like:    

“Lots of untapped potential” “A county that is just waking up to its cultural beauty and potential” “Unique and underrated” “Making great improvements and becoming a presence within the County”.

Those statements reveal a marked appreciation for our local cultural resources while also recognizing that there is more development work to be done. Even though there is work to be done, the profile and importance of culture and heritage in the County is recognized by residents based on the survey findings (Figure 4). Survey respondents also recognize that the important role culture plays stretches beyond social and quality of life factors, and contributes to the County’s economic prosperity as well (Figure 5).

How important would you say culture is in contributing to your "quality of life" in Huron County?

How important would you say cultural activities are to Huron County's economy?

Number of Respondents: 257

Very Important 74%

Figure 4: Survey Question # 5

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Not Important 2% Somewhat Important 24%

Very Important 71%

Not Important 2%

Somewhat Important 27%

Figure 5: Survey Question #6

Huron County Cultural Plan

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VOLUNTEERISM The cultural mapping project data found that 82% of our community organizations were entirely volunteer run. As such, volunteers really are the lifeblood of the cultural sector as well as the larger non-profit sector in the County. However, volunteerism as a whole is changing in response to contemporary lifestyles and overall volunteer hours are starting to shrink10. Lack of time, hearing about volunteer opportunities and expense associated with volunteering are some of the barriers survey respondents gave (Figure 6) for being unable to volunteer.

Please indicate any barriers you may have encountered in volunteering your time for an arts, culture or heritage event. (Please Check all that apply) Number of Respondents: 199

70%

36% 20%

Not enough time to volunteer

Hearing about volunteer â&#x20AC;Ś

Cost - out of pocket expenses for â&#x20AC;Ś

16%

Unable at this stage of life

Did not meet my Lack of childcare expectations

Figure 6: Survey Question #26

2010 Canadian Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, Statistics Canada, Annual volunteer hours decreased to 156 in 2010 from 166 in 2007.

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Based on survey results volunteerism is still a priority for many residents in Huron County (Figure 7) with over 60% of the respondents saying that they had volunteered in the past year for some type of cultural event or activity. The way we volunteer our time has also changed with 70% of the survey respondents durations; either a single shift or a single event (Figure 8). Organizations that rely operational models to address these changes; moving towards having a broader commitment of volunteers. This lack of longer term commitment from volunteers organizations who rely on community volunteers to sit on their Board of Directors.

Have you volunteered for a cultural activity or event in the past year? Number of Respondents: 255

No 39%

Yes 61%

indicating that they would prefer to volunteer for short on volunteers will have to think about adapting their volunteer base to counter balance the shorter time will also have adverse consequences for non-profit

If you do volunteer, do you prefer volunteering for a specific event or task (e.g. single shift or one-day event) or volunteering on an ongoing basis (e.g. once a week or month at the same organization on a regular schedule)? Number of Respondents: 209

Ongoing 30% Specific Event 70%

Figure 7: Survey Question #23

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Figure 8: Survey Question #24

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Building a broader volunteer base in Huron County to help preserve the current level of services and programs that our cultural and community organizations provide will require new tools to promote volunteer opportunities. Options include the development of a central website promoting volunteer opportunities in the region (Figure 9) or creating a shared volunteer database (Figure 10) for the local not-for-profit sector.

Would you be more likely to volunteer if there was a "one-stop" online site that clearly listed all volunteer opportunities available locally? Number of Respondents: 250

To the best of your knowledge, are you currently listed in a volunteer database with an organization or business? Number of Respondents: 249

No 30%

Yes 35%

No 65%

Yes 70%

Figure 9: Survey Question # 27

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Figure 10: Survey Question #25

Huron County Cultural Plan

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MARKETING & PROMOTION The County of Huron corporate website (huroncounty.ca) was the main source of municipal information for survey respondents (Figure 11). Fifty-two percent of the survey respondents (Figure 12) cited difficulty in finding information about local events and activities as a barrier to their participation speaks to the importance of a comprehensive events calendar for the County. Both huroncounty.ca and ontarioswestcoast.ca are the two County of Huron sites that have event calendars and perhaps not coincidentally also have the most visits from our survey respondents.

11. What, if any, are the barriers preventing your participation in local cultural activities and programs? (Please check all that apply)

Have you visited any of the following Huron County websites in the last month? (Please check all that apply) Number of Respondents: 164

Number of Respondents: 207

84.76%

huroncounty.ca 50.61%

ontarioswestcoast.ca

53%

Lack of information about local â&#x20AC;Ś

52%

28.05%

creativehuron.ca

18.90%

tasteofhuron.ca

15.85%

shopinhuron.ca huronmanufacturing.ca

7.93%

makehuronhome.ca

7.93%

investinhuron.ca

Lack of Time

Not geared to my age group

29%

5.49%

golfhuron.ca

2.44%

hikehuron.ca

1.83%

Cost of attending

Figure 11: Survey Question #32

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

24%

Figure12: Survey Question #11

Huron County Cultural Plan

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The availability of reliable broadband across Huron County has raised residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations on the availability and amount of local online content (Figure 13). Sharing information and telling our stories using digital media across multiple online platforms has now become `business as usualâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;.

I would like more local information (news, videos, event listings, etc.) available online. Number of Respondents: 254

Strongly Agree

36%

Agree

46% 6%

Somewhat Disagree Disagree Don't Know

Which of the following websites do you visit on a regular basis (i.e. daily or multiple times per week)?

2% 11%

Figure 13: Survey Question #33

Number of Respondents: 212

Foursquare

92% 52%

Tumblr 31%

Instagram 25%

LinkedIn 14%

10%

Twitter YouTube Facebook

The survey also showed that a significant percentage of Huron County residents now use social media sites to keep in contact with social networks and to find out what is happening locally (Figure 14).

4% 0%

Figure 14: Survey Question #31

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Although the primary focus should be on improving our online presence and developing new digital content, any communications strategy has to employ a multi-pronged approach of using new and traditional media as many residents still rely on traditional outlets for information about community and cultural events and programs (Figure 15). Newspapers, printed materials and radio still have a vital role to play in circulating information. The more people we reach with any information the better because word of mouth is still the most effective way to pass along our message in Huron County.

How do you currently find out about community events or programs? (Please check all that apply and list any specific media outlets) Number of Respondents: 256

81% 59%

58% 49%

43% 32% 18%

Social Media Newspaper

Printed Posters

Radio

Website

Community Calendar

11%

Digital Newsletter

Word of Mouth

Figure 15: Survey Question #18

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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CULTURAL ACTIVITIES & PROGRAMS Huron County has a growing cultural scene that reflects our unique character and qualities of place. Based on the survey results the top ten cultural activities that respondents participate in include:

In the last year I attended the following cultural activities and programs in Huron County. (Please check all that apply) Number of Respondents: 256

Community Events Beach Farmers' Markets Theatre Performance Music Craft Shows Hiking Historic Sites Visual Arts Exhibit Church Events Fairs

86% 83% 80% 66% 66% 55% 52% 52% 49% 48% 47%

Figure 16: Survey Results Question #8

The top three: Community events, beach and Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets re-assert those Huron County attributes of friendly communities, Lake Huron and farming that survey respondents had rated as having a high value. Those are followed by the performing arts; music and theatre (rated equally) and a strong appreciation for the plastic arts; crafts and visual arts. The rest of the top ten, including hiking, church events and agricultural fairs circle back around again to those three key County attributes valued by respondents. School events, sporting events, photography exhibits, library programs, lectures and workshops, history displays, museum programs, film festivals, home and garden tours and cycling complete the top twenty cultural activities and programs in Huron County according to the survey results.

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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In developing strategies that are appropriate and relevant to building capacity for Huron Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural sector current program offerings have to be looked at from the cultural programmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s viewpoint as well as from the viewpoint of local audiences. Survey respondents were asked how they perceived current levels of cultural activity both in their respective communities and within the County as a whole (Figure 17 & 18).Most residents reported being satisfied with the number and variety of cultural programs in their communities, with 57% rating current levels of programming as either excellent or good. The overall satisfaction rate for the number and variety of cultural programs increases to 64% when respondents were asked to consider cultural programming available across Huron County.

How would you rate your satisfaction with the number and variety of cultural activities and programs available in your local community (town or municipality)?

How would you rate the number and variety of cultural activities and programs in Huron County as a whole? Number of Respondents: 257

Number of Respondents: 256

Fair 28% Good 43%

Good 51%

Fair 32%

Excellent 14%

Poor 10%

Excellent 14%

Poor 3% Unsure 4%

Unsure 1%

Figure 17: Survey Question # 12

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Figure 18: Survey Question #13

Huron County Cultural Plan

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TYPES OF PROGRAMS Although most survey respondents stated they were satisfied (or better) with the types and variety of cultural programming available to them, a majority of survey respondents, when prompted, did make suggestions for additional cultural activities and programs they would like to see offered. Music programs had the highest number (three times more than the next highest activity) of mentions as cultural programming respondents would like to see offered. The responses covered all genres of music from jazz festivals, country music, big band, to pop and rock and roll. Some respondents were specific in identifying more music programming aimed at youth, for example one respondents’ comment of “more festivals geared to a younger audience”. About half of the respondents that asked for more music programming specified more concerts and the other half of respondents were specific in asking for more music festivals. It is difficult to determine how important those distinctions are, but taken at face value it appears to be a desire for more single, one-off music concerts as well as larger music festivals featuring multiple acts. After music concerts, survey respondents asked for more visual arts and crafts activities, in particular instructional workshops and classes to learn how to do certain crafts or arts disciplines. Visual arts and craft exhibits and displays were the second most requested activity in that category followed by studio tours. Theatre and drama programs and activities were the third most requested by survey respondents. Similar to visual arts and crafts most respondents were looking for participatory opportunities in theatre and drama as opposed to passive audience experiences. Community festivals and events ranked fourth and are often the most highly attended and accessible of cultural activities in Huron County. The other most requested cultural programming were all very close in order of prominence and are as follows: Films and movies, Farmers’ Markets and local food events, programs geared towards youth and multicultural programming.

LOCAL vs. NON-LOCAL CONTENT Are Huron County audiences looking for local performers and artists or are they looking for popular non-local acts? When survey respondents were asked what their motivators were for purchasing a ticket to a local cultural event (Figure 19), the number one reason for purchasing a ticket, was if it was for an artist or performer they had heard of. There is also qualitative survey information to support this with some respondents making statements such as; ``I think it`s vital to bring in bigger name acts” and ``more recognizable names``. Acts with strong name recognition can alleviate patron uncertainty about the quality or type of cultural experience by providing audiences with a `proven’ experience. This suggests there is good cause for local programmers to bring in well known national or international artists, setting aside the extra production costs and higher ticket price of bringing in these performers.

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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I am more likely to purchase a ticket for a local event if: (Please check all that apply) Number of Respondents: 253

It is an artist or performer I have heard of

76%

Social activity with friends or family

69 %

I know someone connected to event or production

69%

Someone I trust has recommended the performance

62%

The ticket money is supporting a cause or charity I have read a good review of the perfomance or event It is a local story of significance

53% 47% 42%

Figure 19: Survey Question# 17

Looking again at the list of motivators the pendulum swings the other way in favour of offering programming and events that feature local performers and talent. The number two and three reasons for the survey respondents to purchase a ticket are that they are looking for a social activity to do with their friends or they know someone who is performing or connected to the event. Ticket buyers that are primarily looking for an activity to go out and socialize with friends are generally going to forgo events with a higher price point (e.g. performances with well-known artists) in favour of activities that are more casual and affordable in nature which should favour programming that features more local talent. Patrons that are buying a ticket because they know someone connected to the production undoubtedly do so for the local content. Rural communities are tightly-knit socially with strong support systems and those social bonds carry over to cultural fields as well. It would be difficult to overestimate local social networks as a motivator for attending or participating in cultural activities. Local culture takes advantage of those rural social networks as a way to draw audiences and participants in so doing it also strengthens those bonds and builds social cohesion as a favourable by-product.

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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This dichotomy between local and non-local acts and performers is not always adversarial. Bringing in famous acts or performers from other parts of the country or the world exposes our local artists to what’s happening creatively in different regions, which can provide inspiration and trigger new creative responses in their own work. It can also help to build audiences for local culture. It may take a well known act to get a new patron to purchase a ticket to attend an event but once they have it creates opportunities to expose them to supporting local acts, or to build their appreciation for the art form resulting in increased demand for live music, theatre, art exhibits locally. Promoting and providing employment opportunities for local talent is our priority as a municipality and cultural sector but in building audiences and capacity for our cultural organizations there is also good cause to advocate for a certain percentage of the cultural programming offered being by non-local artists and performers. Bringing in new programmers to work with locals has the potential to strengthen bridging social capital, a foundation for strong rural community development.

COST OF PROGRAMS One of the biggest challenges facing cultural programmers in Huron County is price point. Ticket prices have been in the $20.00 to $25.00 per person price range for the last decade and this price point barrier was confirmed by our survey results (Figure 20). If you consider the most popular types of cultural programs (Figure 16, Page 38), at least half of the top ten are free of cost which also illustrates the challenge of charging fees for cultural programs in Huron County.

Please indicate what price level you are comfortable paying for a ticket to a local concert, play or cultural program. Only Free… <$10.00

Number of Respondents: 254

$11.00 -…

37% 33%

$21.00 -… 13%

$31.00 -… >$50.00

Figure 20: Survey Results Question #15

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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As a result of this stagnation of ticket prices in the $20.00 to $25.00 range, programmers face the difficult challenge to balance low cost tickets against an ability to offer quality cultural experiences or products to local audiences. It would be easier to keep ticket prices lower if there was potential for larger audiences but with Huronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relatively small population combined with increased competition from internal (other cultural programs in Huron) and external (internet and cultural programs in nearby cities) drawing large audiences for local cultural programs has gotten increasingly challenging for programmers. There is room for negotiation between audiences and programmers as evidenced in the graph (Figure 21). Survey respondent are willing to go higher on ticket price but cultural programmers will have to work a little harder to educate audiences on the actual costs of producing cultural programming and the relationship between quality and value.

Please indicate what price level would be the maximum you would pay for a ticket to a local concert, play or cultural program. Number of Respondents: 254

Only Free Events <$10.00 $11.00 - $20.00

0% 1% 17% 28%

$21.00 - $30.00 $31.00 - $40.00

30% 24%

>$50.00

Figure 21: Survey Results Question # 16

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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ARTISTIC RISK Huron County offers a wide variety of cultural programs and events but if we want to provide our residents and visitors with a truly dynamic cultural product, programmers need to take a higher degree of artistic risk or as one survey respondent described it “vibrant but needing to be more progressive and daring.” Unfortunately, the narrow financial margin that many of our cultural organizations often operate within imposes restrictions on the kinds of programming risks they can take. Budgets for bringing in big name acts or producing large scale work just aren’t available. Management and Boards of cultural organizations are risk adverse because it can take years for an organization to rebound from even one single event that experiences substantial losses. As a result, the prudent course for many cultural organizations is to generate dependable and ‘safe’ cultural programming. However, the old adage of no risk, no gain holds true for arts and culture as well. Programming becomes stagnant and audiences can lose interest when things get too predictable. A mainstream approach to programming also doesn’t allow for the building of audiences as no new programming is offered to attract different audience demographics. The key is to find ways to manage or share the risk across interested stakeholders so that the producing organization doesn’t have to assume all of the risk alone. Minimizing financial risk by improving access to new revenue sources through both public funding programs and private sponsorship can help many County cultural programmers undertake more calculated artistic risks and by consequence also increase the variety of cultural programming available to local audiences.

YEAR-ROUND PARTICIPATION Huron County is an eventful place. It offers residents and visitors a wide range and number of cultural programming and activities to take part in. During the summer months especially, there are often several cultural programs happening on any given weekend. The level of cultural programming and activities continues to hold mainly steady until end of October. This crowded calendar of cultural activity is generally positive; abundance of selection, employment opportunities for local performers, bolstering our tourism experiences and generating a lot of economic activity. There are some negative consequences as well. The number one issue we hear from residents and visitors is that there is a lack of information on cultural programming happening and the number two issue we hear is that there is too much going on and why can’t programmers work together to more evenly schedule events so people can take part in more cultural activities. This came up often during the community forums as part of the consultation process. Residents and audiences are frustrated that so much programming overlaps. The County’s cultural organizations find it challenging as well. It is difficult to find space for new programs and events in an already crowded calendar. The winter and spring months stand in stark contrast to this intense period of cultural activity. There are a number of community Christmas related activities throughout November and early December and then events taper off significantly. A few communities have local winter celebrations and the Livery Theatre in Goderich runs its productions during these months but outside of those few offerings there is very little on the events calendar again until late May. The case for offering more activities and programs during these ‘off-season’ times is supported by tourism statistics from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Their tourism statistics for Huron County demonstrate that tourism is year

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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round and despite a peak in the summer months it is generally equally spread out through the rest of the year with 29% of visitors coming between July and September, 25% from October to December, 23% from April to June and 23% from January to March.11

YOUTH CULTURE Requests for cultural programming aimed specifically at youth audiences occurred consistently in the online survey when we asked respondents “what type of cultural programming they would like to see”. These results may be a little skewed as 27% of the survey respondents were less than 30 years of age. Having youth participate in local culture as artists and audiences is an important part of connecting them with their peers and cultivating a sense of connection to their local community. Providing spaces where youth can perform and watch their peers perform and gain inspiration from each other’s ideas and creativity can trigger innovation, foster collaborations and to create and deepen their community and social bonds. Youth are often at the forefront of social and cultural trends. New or counter-cultural movements that begin as small underground forms of artistic expression or social rebellion trickle up into the mainstream as they are co-opted and modified into the popular culture. The next ‘big thing’ in mainstream popular culture is likely already being created by youth. Fostering this counter or youth culture in Huron County by providing opportunities for young artists to experiment and build their skills, while being careful not to interfere too much has to be a part of any effective cultural development strategy. Providing more youth cultural programming can also support cultural tourism in Huron as youth already account for a significant portion of Huron County’s annual tourism visitors. Visitors between the ages of 24 to 34 account for 18% of Huron County’s annual tourism, which is tied with 55 to 64 years of age, also at 18%, as the largest age demographic among visitors12. Those in the 18 to 34 years of age group also account for 29% of cultural tourism in Ontario13.

Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport 2013 Huron County Tourism Statistics Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport 2013 Huron County Tourism Statistics 13 Ontario Arts and Culture Tourism Profile, 2012 12

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CULTURAL FACILITIES & SPACES The Cultural Mapping Report identified 222 facilities and spaces in Huron County where culture is either created or hosted. The majority of those facilities are non-traditional cultural spaces, meaning they are not primarily designed for cultural programs, such as churches, community centres, restaurants, etc. The list of cultural facilities that survey respondents reported visiting in the last year also illustrates the wide assortment of municipally owned properties, privately owned businesses, outdoor spaces and community gathering places that makes up the cultural spaces in Huron County. The top 10 attended or visited cultural facilities in Huron County in the last year are:

In the last year I have attended or visited these cultural facilities in Huron County. (Please check all that apply) Number of Respondents:256

Library Theatre Conservation Area Hiking Trail Community Centre Bar/Restaurant with live music Art Gallery Recreational Park Church Movie Theatre

65% 64% 61% 61% 60% 59% 57% 56% 54% 51%

Figure 22: Survey Question #20

Data from the Cultural Mapping Project found that many of our purpose built cultural facilities; performance spaces, historic sites and facilities that house heritage collections are in need of renovation and upgrades. Although these spaces need some capital investment 76% of survey respondents believe that their community has adequate cultural facilities (Figure 23). This high rate of satisfaction with the current facilities suggests that residents may have a preference to renovate and modify existing facilities, over building new facilities.

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

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How would you rate the cultural facilities (e.g. museums, libraries, theatres, etc.) that currently are in your community? Number of Respondents: 250

Inadequate for community's â&#x20AC;Ś 22% Adequate for the community 76%

Not a user of the facilities 2% More than the community â&#x20AC;Ś 0%

Figure23: Survey Question #21

Section 3: Findings & Analysis

Huron County Cultural Plan

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STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

Robert Tetu, Beechwood Pottery

Huron County Cultural Plan

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STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS OVERVIEW The six strategic directions that provide a framework for Cultural Planâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommended actions evolved out of the Strengths, Weakness, Obstacles and Threats (SWOT) analysis that the project Steering Committee took part in during the initial stages of the project. Information collected through the online survey further supported these six areas of focus for the Plan.

Section 4: Strategic Directions

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 1: Invest In Our People People in society create culture and culture in turn shapes the way people interact and understand the world. If we define culture in this manner it should come as no surprise that Huron Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest cultural resource is its people. Investing in our human resources by providing more opportunities for young people, recognizing the contributions of volunteers and providing professional development opportunities locally helps to maintain our competitive edge by retaining our talent. Youth Strategies for youth retention are a priority for all nine Huron County municipalities and youth out-migration has had negative impacts on all five of the Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic pillars. The arts culture and heritage sector is just as affected by the loss of many of our most talented and creative youth to the lure of large urban centres. We need to be more active and strategic in engaging youth and letting them know there is a place for them in Huronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural sector. Volunteers Volunteers are the lifeblood of not only the cultural sector but also the greater non-profit sector in the county. The cultural mapping project data found that 82% of our community organizations were entirely volunteer run. Volunteerism is shrinking due to a number of contemporary lifestyle trends. Lack of time, hearing about volunteer opportunities and expense associated with volunteering are some of the barriers survey respondents gave for being unable to volunteer. Professional Development It is a challenge to access professional development and skills training opportunities locally for many of our arts and culture workers. By providing more of these opportunities locally we are investing in our creative human capital and generating occasion for individuals within the sector to connect and build social capital as well. Providing that same competitive advantage to our private creative industries by making sure they have local access to business development training and to our public non-profit community organizations will complete the circle of offering access to development opportunities for individuals, businesses and organizations in the cultural sector.

Section 4: Strategic Directions

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Recommended Actions:

Invest in Our People 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11

Nominate local individuals and organizations for external awards and recognition programs and provide support in preparing those nominations Support the recommendations in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Heart of Community: A Report on Volunteerism in Perth and Huron Countiesâ&#x20AC;? prepared by the United Way Perth-Huron (Appendix B, Page 126) Provide professional business development training workshops and mentoring for cultural and creative industries to help ensure the health and competiveness of that economic sector Work with local artists and arts organizations to expand on the number of recreational arts workshops available locally and improve the affordability and participation levels for those workshops Provide more intensive arts-based skill development opportunities for local youth (e.g. arts camps, workshops, young companies) Investigate the possibility of establishing a Cultural Specialist High Skills Major at two Huron County secondary schools Establish a scholarship fund for local youth headed into the creative sector Promote more volunteer opportunities in the arts, culture and heritage sectors to high school students Identify the youth friendly spaces in each community and promote to youth as spaces where they can gather and provide assistance in organizing arts programming Provide more opportunities for youth to contribute to local culture by encouraging and recruiting youth to sit on the Boards of Directors, Advisory, Planning and Steering Committees for our cultural organizations Work with existing cooperative education programs in the Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secondary schools to place more students in creative and cultural industries

Section 4: Strategic Directions

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Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations During the data collection process, it was identified that we have dedicated and skilled people working in every part of the sector but too often that work is being done in isolation or for the benefit of only one specific community. Many of the skills necessary to build the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity already exist in our people; we simply need to foster an environment that values collaboration and partnership and the sharing of experiences, resources and best practices. Building social capital by bringing together partners from different groups has the potential to spark creativity and new innovations. Stable funding is a struggle for every non-profit cultural organization. It is beyond the scope of a municipal Cultural Plan to address trends in provincial and federal funding programs but if the sector is to continue to succeed we need to have the skills and tools to successfully access available funding by tracking new funding programs and priorities. We also need to share expertise to be more competitive in project proposals. Two goals of cultural planning are to build audiences for cultural programs and engage residents in cultural activities. One of the best methods to achieving both of those goals is to provide opportunities for those at the beginner or hobbyist level to try their hand at different artistic disciplines. Providing those opportunities builds an appreciation for the skill and expertise possessed by professional artists who live in the community and that new interest and appreciation usually translates into a new educated audience member and supporter.

Recommended Actions:

Foster Partnerships and Collaborations 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

Provide not-for-profit board training including: succession planning in organizations to ensure our cultural leaders pass on their knowledge and passion before they leave Bring together private sector businesses and cultural organizations to explore sponsorship opportunities that are mutually beneficial Hold a fundersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; forum to present information of different public funding programs and opportunities available Provide support to sector organizations to write effective funding proposals Promote membership in Huron Arts & Heritage Network (HAHN) to those in the arts, culture and heritage sectors Provide networking events and opportunities for the arts, culture and heritage communities in Huron Work with the Local Immigration Partnership Council to include more diversity in cultural programs by actively reaching out to newcomer populations

Section 4: Strategic Directions

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Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy Huron Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural sector often suffers from a detrimental mixture of low visibility and being taken for granted. Residents and audiences point to a lack of readily available information on what cultural programs are happening and artists and cultural programmers tell us they feel their contributions to the local community and economy are undervalued and under promoted. The result of these two combined factors is a lack of knowledge on how much is happening culturally in the County and a tendency to minimize the impact of culture on the economy and quality of life in Huron County. Many of our cultural industries have great success stories and Huron County is home to artists and performers who have accomplished careers and received international recognition. On a more local scale there is a large number and wide variety of cultural programs and activities happening across the County every week that are available to residents and visitors. Our survey identified a lack of awareness as one of the largest barriers to attendance and participation in cultural activities (Figure 12, Page 34). The development and implementation of a comprehensive communications strategy helps to remove that participation barrier and is also instrumental in sharing our success stories and creating visibility and recognition for the contributions the cultural sector is making to the community.. A number of the recommendations in this section pertain to the goal to build on The County of Huronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website creativehuron.ca into a centralized hub for the arts, culture and heritage sectors of the County; a strategy supported by the 82% of survey respondents who are looking for more information and resources available online (Figure 13, Page 35). Creativehuron.ca was developed by Economic Development Services in 2011 and has been used as a platform to share information about the cultural mapping project and development of the Cultural Plan. The site currently hosts the cultural database created through the cultural mapping project, digital copies of project reports and video depicting some of our heritage stories. The site is also used to promote some of the cultural events happening across the county. Current plans for the continued development of the site include moving Huron Arts & Heritage Network site to become a micro site within creativehuron.ca and the addition of cultural tourism products (brochures and videos) that were recently created through a Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cultural Strategic Investment Fund (CSIF).

Section 4: Strategic Directions

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Recommended Actions:

Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy 3.1

3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7

Prepare a report that gathers and analyzes quantitative data to measure the economic and social impact of local arts, culture and heritage in Huron County as the basis for making the case for support and appreciation for the local cultural sector Publish an annual report card on the status of the creative and cultural sector in Huron County Position creativehuron.ca as the primary hub to promote and share information on Huron Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arts, culture and heritage activities, stories, organizations and industries Continue to build the database created through the cultural mapping project and make it into a marketing and promotion tool for all of Huronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural resources Promote the large music scene that exists in Huron County by creating a distinct directory of musicians, music teachers and live music events and venues Promote the Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural selling points and contributions to quality of place in Huron County as part of newcomers attraction strategies Include an educators menu on creativehuron.ca that lists local heritage and cultural sites information and activities that complement the education curriculum

Section 4: Strategic Directions

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Strategic Direction 4: Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs The 2012 cultural mapping project identified approximately 1,800 cultural resources in Huron County. The Cultural Plan builds on the strength of those existing assets. By adapting the way we approach, deliver and promote those services and programs we have the potential to meet the challenges identified in the development of the Cultural Plan.

Recommended Actions:

Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9

Share best practices for modifying and renovating existing facilities into usable creative performance and studio spaces Launch creative makerspaces in public facilities and spaces and provide that data to the sector, when requested Expand Huron County Cultural Awards to reflect the new Cultural Plan vision statement and strategic actions (e.g. innovation in the arts) Look for ways to extend the tourism season beyond the summer months by encouraging the production of more cultural events in the spring and winter Create new dynamic tourism experiences by packaging existing cultural activities and programs with accommodation and dining offers Develop a cultural tourism marketing campaign to promote Huron Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;signatureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; festivals and events Build appreciation for our natural heritage by promoting outdoor recreational opportunities (e.g. hiking trails, rivers, beaches, etc.) Ensure that our civic spaces (downtown cores, parks, etc.) have the necessary infrastructure to be venues for community events and cultural programming Work with Chambers of Commerce and BIAs to produce cultural events and activities in the downtown cores

Section 4: Strategic Directions

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Strategic Direction 5: Advance the Role of the County of Huron in Local Cultural Development Aside from the administration and operation of two cornerstone cultural resources; Huron County Library and Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol, the County currently provides additional resources and support to the heritage community through the Huron County Heritage Fund. The County of Huron also provides support to Huron Arts & Heritage Network, a countywide arts and heritage industry organization, through the services of the Cultural Development Officer and co-production of some its annual programming. The Huron County Museum also mounts an annual Huron County Art show and purchases the work of Huron County artists for inclusion in the Huron County Art Bank from that annual exhibit. Due to all of this activity the municipality is seen as a leader in the cultural sector and will continue to expand its leadership role to benefit the entire sector and community at large. The recommended actions under this strategic direction also argue for the continued support of some of our core programs and services.

Recommended Actions:

Advance the Role of the County of Huron in Local Cultural Development 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8

Investigate a Huron County funding program that provides seed funding for arts and culture initiatives similar to the Huron Heritage Fund Explore the development of a Huron County public art policy that includes a review of possible funding options for commissioning public arts projects Huron County convene a meeting of interested stakeholders to begin discussion and planning for cultural programming in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s Sesquicentennial that will also support the activities planned by the International Plowing Match Take the lead in promoting local cultural events and activities as part of the Canada’s annual Culture Days weekend Have Huron Arts & Heritage Network (HAHN) act as an advisory committee to the County of Huron throughout the Cultural Plan’s implementation. Continued support from the County of Huron for current Cultural Services Department programs including: Huron Heritage Fund, Huron County Art Bank, Summer Reading Program, Internet Access Training Continuation of support and partnership with Huron Arts & Heritage Network from the County of Huron Continue to promote Huron County Libraries as information centres

Section 4: Strategic Directions

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote Our Cultural Heritage Our built heritage is a shared community treasure. The Main Street Victorian-era commercial blocks and the private residences that speak to the wealth and prosperity of our historic industries form the backdrop of our day-to-day lives. The cultural mapping project identified 454 cultural heritage resources, which means cultural heritage resources are the largest resource category in Huron County. These resources are shared equally across all nine Huron County municipalities. No lower-tier municipality in Huron County lacks in significant architectural assets nor has a monopoly on natural and scenic beauty. Preserving our cultural heritage and promoting our unique stories is the foundation on which a common identity and sense of community is built.

Recommended Actions:

Preserve and Promote Our Cultural Heritage 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9

Work with existing municipal heritage advisory committees to promote the advantages of having appointed heritage committees Convene a heritage networking organization to connect members of other heritage committees and organizations across the county Create a uniform heritage plaque program with which to recognize significant heritage resources Provide and promote workshops on conservation and collection management topics Use and encourage the use of digital media and technology to create new content that tells our communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stories Connect the arts and heritage communities in order for them to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects Work with municipalities and heritage committees to build on their existing heritage walks Connect local heritage organizations to regional and provincial initiatives and best practices by building membership and participation levels in regional and provincial umbrella organizations Continue to move forward with the Archives, Corporate Records, Museum Storage Feasibility Study

Section 4: Strategic Directions

Huron County Cultural Plan

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IMPLEMENTATION

Ballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bridge, Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh

Huron County Cultural Plan

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IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD Recommendations in the Cultural Plan will be implemented over a four-year span beginning in 2014 and continuing until the end of 2018.

COUNTY OF HURON’S ROLE Principal responsibility for implementation of most of the strategic actions outlined in the Plan will lie with the County of Huron. The Cultural Services Department will act as the lead on most initiatives and will be responsible for the oversight of the Plan’s implementation. Economic Development Services will also have an essential role to play in implementing some of the strategic actions that are directly linked to the County’s existing economic development strategies. The successes of many of the recommended actions are tied to initiatives that are already ongoing such as the Sustainability Plan, Make Huron Home, and the Transportation Demand Management Plan. The successful implementation of those plans will directly affect outcomes of the Cultural Plan. The relationship between those different strategic documents underscores the need for staff from different departments to remain connected and working together.

PARTNERSHIPS The well being and vitality of Huron County’s cultural sector is a shared responsibility. To succeed in building our cultural capital the County will need to work closely with many partners and collaborators from the local cultural sector, lower-tier municipalities, social agencies and community groups in implementing the Cultural Plan. Working with our networks and sharing ownership of some of the action items provides the project with additional skills and resources and improves our ability to implement more of the recommended actions.

HURON ARTS & HERITAGE NETWORK In order to ensure that our Cultural Plan partners continue to be part of the decision making process throughout the implementation process it is proposed that Huron Arts & Heritage Network (HAHN), as the County’s cultural umbrella organization, act in an advisory capacity to the Cultural Services Department. The County of Huron and HAHN already have a close working relationship and as the cultural industry association in Huron they are identified as a key partner in the implementation in many of the recommended actions. The Board of Directors of HAHN, with ten representatives from the arts, culture and heritage communities of the County, provides a broad sector perspective and wealth of professional expertise. The Cultural Development Officer will attend monthly meetings of the HAHN Board to provide progress reports and solicit input on the Cultural Plan’s implementation.

Section 5: Implementation

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Figure 24: Stakeholders in Cultural Plan Implementation

Section 5: Implementation

Huron County Cultural Plan

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PRIORITY ACTIONS At the 2013 annual Huron County Cultural Symposium, participants were asked to review the full list of fifty-two recommended actions and select the ten action items that were of primary importance to carry out during the implementation of the Cultural Plan. This table contains the ten recommended actions that were selected by the stakeholders as priority actions. Implementation of these ten action items will be the core focus for carrying out the recommendations in the Cultural Plan and first for allocation of any additional resources.

Action # 1.4

RECOMMENDATION Work with local artists and arts organizations to expand on the variety of recreational arts workshops available locally and improve the affordability and participation levels for those workshops

2.7

Work with the Local Immigration Partnership Council to include more diversity in cultural programs by actively reaching out to newcomer populations

3.1

Prepare a report that gathers and analyzes relevant data to measure the economic and social impact of arts, culture and heritage in Huron County

3.3

Position creativehuron.ca as the primary hub to promote and share information on Huron Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arts, culture and heritage activities, stories, organizations and industries

3.4

Continue to build on the database created through the cultural mapping project and make it into a marketing and promotion tool for all of Huron Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural resources

4.1

Share best practices for modifying and renovating existing facilities into usable creative performance and studio spaces and provide that data to the sector, when requested

5.2

Explore the development of a municipal public art policy that includes a review of possible funding options for commissioning of public art projects

Section 5: Implementation

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5.3

Huron County convene a meeting of interested stakeholders to begin discussion and planning for cultural programming in 2017 to celebrate Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sesquicentennial that also supports the activities planned by International Plowing Match

5.5

Have Huron Arts & Heritage Network (HAHN) act as an advisory committee to the County of Huron throughout the Cultural Planâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s implementation process.

6.1

Work with existing municipal heritage advisory committees to promote the advantages of having appointed heritage committees

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Additional resources will be required for the implementation of some of the recommended actions in the Cultural Plan. The contribution of additional resources could be a challenge for some of our partners in the implementation process who are already operating at maximum capacity. However, there is a dedicated Huron County staff resource in place through the Cultural Development Officer. The County of Huron will move the recommendations forward by assisting in securing the necessary additional resources and by working with stakeholders to collaborate and share limited resources. Sourcing additional resources may affect the order in which we can implement the recommended actions items, needing to secure the necessary resources first. REPORTING & MONITORING All of the strategic actions contained in the Cultural Plan have identified performance measures so progress can be tracked and reported on. The Cultural Development Officer will prepare an annual report card on the work being done to carry out the recommendations. The annual report will be made available on creativehuron.ca.

Section 5: Implementation

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Steering Committee Mark Cassidy, Municipality of Bluewater Ryan Erb, United Way Perth-Huron Connie Goodall, Township of North Huron Tyler Hessel, Huron County Council Lisa Hood, Blyth Festival Kate Johnston, Goderich Little Theatre Wes MacVicar, Foundation for Education Aaron Neeb, Imagine South Huron Paul Nichol, Huron Business Development Corporation Ivan Raczycki, Eternal Bummer Records

George Robertson, Huron County Warden 2013 Rosemary Rognvaldson, Howick Agricultural Society Deb Sholdice, Huron Arts & Heritage Network Joe Steffler, Huron County Warden 2014 Robert Tetu, Beechwood Pottery Elizabeth Van den Broeck, Elizabethâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Gallery Roger Watt, Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Catherine Weber, Art aRound Town Committee Alma Westlake, Bluewater Heritage Advisory Committee

Staff Working Group

Photo Credits

Claire Carter, Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Dwayne Evans, Planning & Development Patricia Hamilton, Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Mike Pullen, Economic Development Services Rebecca Rathwell, Planning & Development Rick Sickinger, Cultural Services Jenna Ujiye, Economic Development Services Denise Van Amersfroot, Planning & Development Meighan Wark, Director of Cultural Services

Page 47 Cora de Vries All other photos property of the County of Huron

Developed by the County of Huron with support from the Province of Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creative Communities Prosperity Fund

Acknowledgements

Huron County Cultural Plan

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GLOSSARY BIA (Business Improvement Area): A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is an association of business people within a specified district who join together, with official approval of municipal council. Memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fees collected from businesses in the designated area go towards programs aimed at improving the attractiveness of the area and promoting it as a good place to shop, visit and do business.

BR +E: Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E for short) is an economic development strategy that focuses on the retention and expansion of existing businesses.

Chamber of Commerce: A local business organization usually governed by a Board of Directors made up of business owners the Chamber of Commerce advocates for and works with municipal government on behalf of the business community.

Community Improvement Plan (CIP): A tool that allows a municipality to direct funds and implements policy initiatives toward a specifically defined project area. Community Improvement Plans are intended to encourage rehabilitation initiatives and/or stimulate development.

Creative Economy: (also referred to as called Knowledge Economy) the creative economy refers to a range of economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information.

Cultural Resource Framework: A tool to help identify and classify cultural resources that uses a broad definition of culture resources that breaks public and private community cultural resources into eight subcategories: Cultural Industries, Cultural Occupations, Community Organizations, Cultural Facilities and Spaces, Cultural Heritage, Natural Heritage, Events & Festivals. In Huron County it also includes: Recreational Facilities, Educational Institutions and Places of Worship.

Cultural Resources: Cultural resources encompass both tangible and intangible cultural assets. Heritage Advisory Committee: A municipal council appointed advisory committee, made up of citizen representatives and council designates, responsible and accountable to municipal council. It helps council make decisions on any matter relating to the legal designation and conservation of property of cultural heritage value or interest, including individual properties and heritage conservation districts. Huron County: Refers to the upper-tier municipal government of the County of Huron

Glossary

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Makerspaces: (also sometimes called hackerspaces or creative makerspaces) refers to any area where people gather to make and create. In makerspaces, people share supplies, skills, and ideas, and often work together on projects. Makerspaces grew out of maker culture--a group of people dedicated to craftsmanship and creation. Makerism focuses on DIY projects, and makers value creation by individuals or small groups.

Municipal Cultural Mapping: A government led systematic approach to identifying, recording and classifying a community’s cultural resources.

Municipal Cultural Planning: A municipal government led process approved by Council, to leverage a community’s cultural resources, strengthen the management of those resources and integrate those resources across all facets of municipal government planning and decision making.

Municipality: Refers to the government of one of the nine lower-tier municipalities that make up Huron County: Township of AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh, Municipality of Bluewater, Municipality of Central Huron, Town of Goderich, Township of Howick, Municipality of Huron East, Municipality of Morris-Turnberry, Township of North Huron, and Municipality of South Huron.

Plein air: An artistic term of French origin which means "in the open air," and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors. Social Capital: Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society's social interactions. Increasing evidence shows that social cohesion is critical for societies to prosper economically and for development to be sustainable. Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions which underpin a society – it is the glue that holds them together.

Glossary

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ONTARIO MINISTRY OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND SPORT: The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport provides leadership within the arts and culture community to support a strong and stable culture sector that will help to build vibrant and liveable communities and a creative and innovative knowledge-based economy in Ontario. They work with the culture sector to develop and implement policies, programs and services that enhance the contribution of cultural industries, arts, heritage, archaeology, libraries, museums and cultural agencies to Ontario's quality of life. www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/culture

MUNICIPAL CULTURAL PLANNING INC. (MCPI): A coalition of provincial government agencies, municipalities, cultural service organizations, post-secondary institutions and others dedicated to promoting Municipal Cultural Planning across the province of Ontario. www.ontariomcp.ca

CREATIVE CITY NETWORK: The Creative City Network of Canada is a national non-profit organization that operates as a knowledge sharing, research, public education, and professional development resource in the field of local cultural policy, planning and practice. www.creativecity.ca

WORK IN CULTURE: An incorporated not for profit since 1998, Work In Culture supports the people who work in the cultural sector through life-long career development and business skills training. Work In Culture provides training and tools that help arts and culture professionals develop the business skills to match their creative talents. www.workinculture.ca

ARTSCAPE: Artscape is a not-for-profit urban development organization that is widely recognized as an international leader in creative placemaking, a practice that leverages the power of art, culture and creativity to catalyze change, growth and transformation of communities. Since 1986, Artscape has been developing and managing unique multi-tenant facilities that deliver sustainable and below-market production, rehearsal, exhibition and living space for artists, creative practitioners, entrepreneurs and cultural organizations. www.torontoartscape.org

ARTSVEST: artsVest is Business for the Arts signature matching incentive and sponsorship training program, designed to spark new business sponsorship of arts and culture and to build capacity in Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural sector. artsVest provides small- to mid-sized arts and culture organizations with the expertise and tools needed to develop sponsorship opportunities with local business, through in-depth sponsorship training, matching incentive funds and community networking events. www.artsvest.com

Additional Resources

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SOURCES Barber, N. (2010). The Secret of Creativity: An Oblique Perspective. Available at: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-humanbeast/201009/the-secret-creativity-oblique-perspective County of Huron and Cultural Services Department. (2012). Huron County Cultural Mapping: Lake Land and Local. Available at: http://www.creativehuron.ca/cultural-mapping-report/report/ County of Huron and Economic Development Services. (2011). Make Huron Home: An Immigration Strategy for Huron. http://www.huroncounty.ca/plandev/downloads/immigrationstrat/ImmigrationStrategy.pdf County of Huron and MMM Group. (2011). Transportation Demand Management Plan. Available at: http://www.huroncounty.ca/sustainablehuron/downloads/TDM_Report/TDMP_fullreport_May11.pdf County of Huron and Sustainable Huron Steering Committee. (2011). Take Action for Sustainable Huron: Community Sustainability Plan. Available at: http://www.huroncounty.ca/sustainablehuron/downloads/SustainabilityPlan-complete.pdf County of Huron Planning and Development Department. (2013). Huron County Official Plan. http://www.huroncounty.ca/plandev/downloads/HuronCountyOfficialPlan-2013.pdf County of Huron. (2013). Huron County Culture & Mobility Fact Sheet. Available at: http://www.huronsbec.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2012/11/Huron-County-2013-Culture-Mobility-fact-sheet.pdf County of Huron. (2013). Huron County Income Fact Sheet. Available at: http://www.huronsbec.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/HuronCounty-2013-Income-fact-sheet.pdf County of Huron. (2013). Huron County Population Fact Sheet. Available at: http://www.huronsbec.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/HuronCounty-2013-Population-fact-sheet.pdf External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities. (2006). Final Report: From Restless Communities to Resilient Places: Building a Stronger Future for All Canadians. Available at: http://www.nrtsi.ca/documents/eaccc_rep_ccevc_rap_e.pdf Flora, C. et al. (1992). Rural Communities: Legacy and Change. Westview Press. Boulder, Co.

Sources

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Florida, R. (2002). The Rise of the Creative Class: And how It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life, Basic Books Four County Labour Market Planning Board. (2011) Creative Class Workers in Huron County. Available at: http://www.planningboard.ca/reports/labour-market-research/creative-class-workers-in-huron-county-feb-2011/ Huron County Library Board. (2012). Huron County Library Strategic Plan 2012-2017. Available at: http://www.huroncounty.ca/library/downloads/HCLStrategicPlan2012.pdf Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol, Christine Lockett Associates, Design in Three Dimensions. (2013). Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Strategic Plan 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2018. Available at: http://www.huroncounty.ca/museum/downloads/museum-stratplan-2013.pdf Martin Prosperity Institute (2012). Benchmarking the Creative Economy in Rural Ontario. Available at: http://martinprosperity.org/media/EDCO%20Final%20Report.pdf Martin Prosperity Institute. (2009). Ontario in the Creative Age. Available at: http://martinprosperity.org/media/pdfs/MPI%20Ontario%20Report%202009%202nd%20Ed.pdf Municipal Cultural Planning Incorporated. (2011). Municipal Cultural Planning: A Toolkit for Municipalities. Available at: http://www.ontariomcp.ca/toolkits/MunicipalCulturalPlanning_AToolkitForOntarioMunicipalities_digital.pdf Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd. (2012) Ontario Arts and Culture Tourism Profile. Available at: http://www.arts.on.ca/Page4928.aspx United Cities and Local Governments. (2010). Culture: Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development. Available at: http://www.agenda21culture.net/index.php/docman/-1/393-zzculture4pillarsden/file

Sources

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RECOMMENDED ACTION TABLES

Clinton Library, Clinton

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.1 Nominate local individuals and organizations for external awards and recognition programs and provide support in preparing those nominations  Identify and post on creativehuron.ca all of the relevant external award and recognition programs along with criteria and deadlines  Target specific organizations and individuals each year  Include volunteer recognition programs Huron Arts & Heritage Network and County of Huron Cultural Services Department Other arts, culture and heritage organization Municipalities Chambers of Commerce and BIAs Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Number of nominations sent in each year Number of recipients of awards or recognition

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.2 Support the recommendations in the Volunteerism Report prepared by the United Way Perth-Huron (Appendix B, Page 126)  Provide representative to be part of a working group addressing recommendations contained in the report  Support the development of a network in Huron County similar to Volunteers in Perth, with intent of sharing best practices and promoting volunteerism in the region  Look for opportunities to host United Way Perth-Huron workshops on volunteerism United Way Perth-Huron County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network Year 1 and Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Increased volunteerism

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation

Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.3 Provide professional development training workshops and mentoring for cultural and creative industries to help ensure the health and competiveness of that economic sector  Survey sector to find what the skill gaps are  Review data from Four County Labour Market Planning Board Skills Gap Inventory Report  Review existing skill development programs already available through external agencies i.e. Work in Culture and Artscape  Investigate different delivery models – workshops, mentoring, online courses, toolkits, etc. County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Business Development Corporation Huron Small Business Enterprise Centre Huron Arts & Heritage Network Lake Huron Learning Collaborative Huron County Economic Development Services Year 2 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of workshops offered Attendance at workshops

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation

Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.4 Work with local artists and arts organizations to expand on the variety of recreational arts workshops available locally and improve the affordability and participation levels for those workshops  Review existing programs to identify gaps in current programs: skill level (advanced or beginner), artistic disciplines (visual arts, music, theatre, etc.)  Identify where the local expertise and facilities are to teach and host workshops  Coordinate workshop delivery - marketing, multi-workshop passes, availability on different communities  Investigate potential funding sources to offset costs and make workshops more affordable and accessible Huron Arts & Heritage Network Art aRound Town Blyth Festival Art Gallery Lake Huron Learning Collaborative Elizabeth’s Art Gallery Goderich Co-op Gallery Worth Their Salt Huron County Library Year 2 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number and variety of workshops offered Enrolment in workshops Cost of workshops

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.5 Provide more intensive arts-based skill development opportunities for local youth (e.g. arts camps, workshops, young companies)  Review existing programs to identify gaps in current programs: skill level (advanced or beginner), artistic disciplines (visual arts, music, theatre, etc.)  Identify where the local expertise and facilities are is to teach and host workshops  Coordinate workshop delivery - marketing, multi-workshop passes, availability on different communities  Investigate potential funding sources to offset costs and make workshops more affordable and accessible  Address transportation issues County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network Imagine South Huron Foundation for Education Blyth Festival Livery Theatre Huron County Library Huron County Health Unit Year 2 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of workshops offered Attendance at workshops

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.6 Investigate the possibility of establishing a Cultural Specialist High Skills Major at two Huron County Secondary Schools  Open dialogue with Avon Maitland District School Board  Look at existing programs and courses that the School Board Offers to assess if there is a need  Work with School Board in establish the curriculum for the Specialist High Skills Major Avon Maitland District School Board and Huron Perth Catholic District School Board Foundation for Education County of Huron Cultural Services Department Imagine South Huron Year 4 Minimal < $1,000 Specialist High Skills Major Program established Enrolment in program

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.7 Establish a scholarship fund for local youth headed into the creative sector  Pull together partner organizations  Examine the different types of scholarship funds and identify the legal and financial implications of each  Identify a fundraising goal and begin fundraising  Establish criteria for disbursement Huron Arts & Heritage Network Foundation for Education Arts Organizations Service Clubs Huron Manufacturing Association (Best Practices) Year 4 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Amount of funds raised for scholarship fund Number of applicants Number of scholarships granted

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.8 Promote more volunteer opportunities in the arts, culture and heritage sectors to high school students  Create a list of volunteer opportunities  Develop a volunteer package outlining opportunities and contact information for distribution  Work with guidance counselors to distribute information packets  Target specific opportunities to appropriate teachers or department heads i.e. theatre, visual arts, music, etc. Huron Arts & Heritage Network and County of Huron Cultural Services Department Foundation for Education Avon Maitland District School Board Huron Perth Catholic District School Board Arts Organizations United Way Perth-Huron Year 1 Minimal < $1,000 Number of youth volunteering

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.9 Identify the youth friendly spaces in each community and promote to youth as spaces where they can gather and provide assistance in organizing programming  Establish criteria for what constitutes a youth friendly space  Use cultural mapping data to create inventory of possible spaces  Assess possible spaces using established criteria  Publish and circulate list of youth friendly in each community to the youth County of Huron Cultural Services Department Youth-oriented service providers Service Clubs Huron County Health Unit Huron County Library Centres for Employment & Learning Imagine South Huron Year 4 Minimal < $1,000 Number of youth friendly spaces existing and created based on the established criteria Amount of activities and programming available in the spaces identified

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation

Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.10 Provide more opportunities for youth to contribute to local culture by encouraging and recruiting youth to sit on the Boards of Directors or Advisory, Planning and Steering Committees for cultural organizations and events  Survey cultural organizations and events to determine how involved youth currently are in their programs  Compile survey results and work with an ad hoc advisory committee of stakeholders to make recommendations based on the survey results  Share findings and recommendations with arts, culture and heritage groups  Develop a list of Committees and Organizations that have youth positions or are seeking more youth involvement  Promote the positions available on Committees and Board to youth County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Networks Arts, Culture and Heritage events and organizations Avon Maitland District School Board Huron Perth Catholic District School Board Imagine South Huron Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Number of positions available to youth Number of active youth on Committees and Boards of Directors

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction1: Invest in our People Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility

Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

1.11 Work with existing cooperative education programs in Huron County’s secondary schools to place more students in creative and cultural industries  Survey cultural organizations and events to determine how involved youth currently are in their programs  Compile survey results and work with an ad hoc advisory committee of stakeholders to make recommendations based on the survey results  Share findings and recommendations with arts, culture and heritage groups  Develop a list of Committees and Organizations that have youth positions or are seeking more youth involvement  Promote the positions available on Committees and Board to youth County of Huron Cultural Services Department Avon Maitland District School Board Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board Centres for Employment & Learning Arts, Culture and Heritage businesses and organizations Year 2 Minimal < $1,000 Number of youth with cooperative placements in cultural and creative industries

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendation

Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

2.1 Provide not-for-profit board training including: succession planning in organizations to ensure our cultural leaders pass on their knowledge and passion before they leave  Work with sector stakeholders to identify the training needs  Contract a specialist to put together a training workshop or toolkit  Provide the content through workshops or other means Huron Arts & Heritage Network Huron Business Development Corporation County of Huron Cultural Services Department Lake Huron Learning Collaborative United Way Perth-Huron Year 2 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of organizations accessing the prepared training program

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

2.2 Bring together private sector businesses and cultural organizations to explore sponsorship opportunities that are mutually beneficial  Identify the arts, culture and heritage organizations who rely on funding and sponsorship to deliver programming  Identify potential corporate funders in Huron County  Host an event that brings potential funders together with the organizations who are seeking funding or sponsorship to pitch their programming and activities to potential funders Huron Arts & Heritage Network Huron Business Development Corporation Artsvest County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Small Business Enterprise Centre Huron Economic Development Partnership United Way Perth-Huron Year 1 Minimal < $1,000 Attendance at an event New funding partnerships created

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

2.3 Hold a Funders Group event to present information on different public funding opportunities available  Contact members of existing Funders Group about Huron County hosting their annual event  Identify a location and develop a budget for the event  Coordinate registration for a daylong Funders Group event in Huron County County of Huron Cultural Services Department Ontario Trillium Foundation Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport Ontario Arts Council United Way Perth-Huron Year 2 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of organizations and individuals who register for the Funder’s Forum

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

2.4 Provide support to sector organizations to write effective funding proposals  Continue to offer proposal writing support to organizations through Cultural Development Officer position  Convene groups around specific program deadlines – i.e. bring groups together who are applying to November 1 Trillium Foundation in early October to go over some elements of successful application  Promote funding opportunities and programs on creativehuron.ca County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network Funding Organizations Year2 Minimal < $1,000 Participation rates Number of successful funding proposals

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

2.5 Promote membership in Huron Arts & Heritage Network to those in the arts, culture and heritage sectors  Develop a membership brochure that details the activities of Huron Arts & Heritage Network and benefits of membership  Promote membership on creativehuron.ca  Promote membership at annual cultural awards event  Board members speak to boards of other arts, culture and heritage organizations Huron Arts & Heritage Network Cultural Services Department Other member organizations and individuals Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Number of HAHN members

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

2.6 Provide networking events and opportunities for the arts, culture and heritage communities in Huron  Continue producing the bi-monthly Huron Arts & Heritage Network “Speakeasy” events  Continue hosting an annual Huron County Cultural Symposium  Explore how other sector events can incorporate a networking component Huron Arts & Heritage Network County of Huron Cultural Services Department Other sector organizations Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Number of networking events each year Attendance at networking events

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 2: Foster Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

2.7 Work with Local Immigration Partnership Council to include more diversity in cultural programs by actively reaching out to newcomer populations  Look for ways to include more multicultural programming into existing community festivals and events  Speak to event organizers and offer assistance with putting them in touch with newcomer populations  Build audiences for this type of programming through increased exposure and education Huron Local Immigration Partnership Huron Arts & Heritage Network Cultural Services Department Perth-Huron Multicultural Association Avon Maitland District School Board Huron Perth Catholic School Board Foundation for Education All arts, culture and heritage organizations Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Number of events that include multicultural programming

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

3.1 Prepare a report that gathers and analyzes relevant data to measure the economic and social impact of arts, culture and heritage in Huron County  Review of existing documents for data  Establish set of key benchmarks and statistics for economic and social impacts  Surveying of arts, culture and heritage resources on benchmarks and statistics  Create a one-page fact sheet as well as full report County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network County of Huron Economic Development Services Huron Business and Development Corporation Four County Labour Market Planning Board Lower-tier municipalities Year 1 Minimal < $1,000 Amount of quantifiable data contained in the report Circulation of the completed report

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

3.2 Publish an annual report card on the status of the creative and cultural sector in Huron County  Establish set of key benchmarks or indicators to monitor on an annual basis  Survey of arts, culture and heritage resources on those benchmarks and indicators to establish a baseline – quantitative data  Collect same data sets each year through survey as a way to compare and monitor state of the sector County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network County of Huron Economic Development Services Huron Business and Development Corporation Year 2 and Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Annual report created Circulation of the completed report

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy Recommendation

Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

3.3 Position creativehuron.ca as the primary hub to promote and share information on Huron County’s arts, culture and heritage activities, stories, organizations and industries  Creating additional content on creativehuron.ca  Promote more cultural activities and events on the site  Adding Huron Arts & Heritage Network to the site  Keeping site content fresh and up-to-date  Linking the site to social media  Explore having a community forum or message board as part of the site  Ask community champions to blog regularly on the site County of Huron Cultural Services Department Economic Development Services Huron Arts & Heritage Network Huron Tourism Association Year 1 Minimal < $1,000 Web analytics – number and duration of visits to creativehuron.ca

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy Recommendation

Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

3.4 Continue to build the database created through the cultural mapping project and make it into a marketing and promotion tool for all of Huron County’s cultural resources  Develop a public interface for the database/directory  Establish search criteria for the directory - e.g. type of business or service, location, etc.  Add images and links to as many listings as possible  Keep information current by doing annual or semi-annual review and updating of the listings in the database County of Huron Cultural Services and Economic Development Services Departments Huron Arts & Heritage Network Year 1 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of cultural resources in the database Views/searches of database

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

3.5 Promote the large music scene that exists in Huron County by creating a distinct directory of musicians, music teachers, live music events and venues  Work with local musicians to identify local musicians and help spread the word to musicians to get listed  Use social media to help find local musicians  Go through business directory, tourism calendar and municipal sites to identify events, venues and facilities for live music  Add audio files to the directory listings so people can hear or sample their music  Promote the music scene as a sub-sector of the arts and cultural resources in Huron  Connect event programmers, wedding planners, business owners, etc. to the music directory to find and book local musicians County of Huron Cultural Services Local music stakeholders Music Departments of County secondary schools Huron Arts & Heritage Network Economic Development Services Department Year 1 Minimal < $1,000 Number of musicians and events in the directory

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

3.6 Promote the County’s cultural selling points and contributions to the quality of place in Huron County as part of newcomer attraction strategies  Share content between County websites; Make Huron Home, Creative Huron and Ontario’s West Coast  Continue the working partnership between Make Huron Home and Huron Arts & Heritage Network and Cultural Services Department in producing an annual multicultural event  Provide links, images and information on local culture in published newcomer materials Local Immigration Partnership Council (Make Huron Home) County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network Huron County Economic Development Services Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Inclusion of culture in tools and materials aimed at newcomer attraction

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 3: Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Communications Strategy Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

3.7 Include an ‘Educators’ menu on creativehuron.ca that lists local heritage and cultural sites and resources that complement the education curriculum  Establish an ad hoc group of educators and cultural resources to review curriculum by grades to determine where the linking opportunities lie  Work with cultural resources to adapt or offer programming and activities that align with school curriculums  Promote the creativehuron.ca sub-menu to teachers across Huron County County of Huron Cultural Services Avon Maitland District School Board Huron Perth Catholic School Board Foundation for Education Local cultural resources Year 1 Minimal < $1,000 List places and activities promoted in the educators menu Increased visits to local heritage resources from local schools

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 4: Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs Recommendation

Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.1 Share best practices for modifying and renovating existing facilities into usable creative performance and studio spaces and provide that data to the sector, when requested  Continue to promote the County working with lower tier municipalities to create or enhance cultural spaces  Collect best practices and successful examples for organizations with this expertise e.g. Artscape  Create an inventory of existing community spaces that could be adapted  Identify programs that fund capital projects for cultural facilities  Look at ongoing projects; Hensall Town Hall, Blyth School and Hay Township Hall as practical local examples and learning models County of Huron and all nine Municipalities County of Huron Cultural Services Department Municipal Economic Development Staff Arts Organizations Heritage Advisory Committees Hensall Town Hall Blyth 14/19 Committee Hay Township Hall Bayfield Historic Town Hall Year 3 Moderate to High>$5,000 Number of projects that contain adaptive or new uses for cultural programming

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 4: Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.2 Launch of creative makerspaces in public facilities and spaces  Use community spaces (e.g. program rooms at Huron County Library Branches) to host makerspaces  Work with local creators to provide instruction and mentorship  Source sponsorship for materials and supplies  Monitor feedback and response of participants to identify new skill areas or artistic mediums  Make digital “How to videos” of makerspaces available online County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron County Library Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Huron Art & Heritage Network Local Arts Organizations Year 2 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of creative maker space programs Participation levels at maker spaces

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 4: Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.3 Expand Huron County Cultural Awards to reflect the new Cultural Plan vision statement and strategic actions (e.g. innovation in the arts) ď&#x201A;ˇ Review existing awards with an eye to expanding eligibility criteria of current categories or creating new award categories ď&#x201A;ˇ Promote nominations in new categories Huron Art & Heritage Network County of Huron Cultural Services Department Sector Organizations and Individuals Year 2 Minimal < $1,000 Number of nominations for awards New awards created

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 4: Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.4 Look for ways to extend the tourism season beyond the summer months by encouraging the production of more cultural events in the spring and winter  Work with events taking place during this time of year to see if their programming can be expanded  Look at offering incentives for event producers who program work during this time of year  Explore way to package or bundle experiences to make visiting and participation more attractive to tourists e.g. birding, hiking events, tundra swans at Hullett Huron Tourism Association County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network Sector Organizations and Individuals Year 3 Minimal < $1,000 Number of events taking place in spring and winter

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 4: Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.5 Create new dynamic tourism experiences by packaging existing cultural activities and programs with accommodations and dining offers  Development of a passport program linking cultural experiences in Huron County  Create a ‘rainy days’ page on websites promoting activities  Tailor packages to specific experiences (e.g. theatre, hiking, gardens or heritage) or seasons (Christmas, Spring, Fall, etc.) Huron Tourism Association Huron Arts & Heritage Network Sector Organizations and Individuals Regional Tourism Organization 4 Economic Development Services County of Huron Cultural services Department Year 3 Minimal < $1,000 Number of cultural tourism packages created Sales figures for new tourism packages

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 4: Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.6 Develop a cultural tourism marketing campaign to promote Huron County’s signature events  Develop criteria for what constitutes a ‘signature’ event  Identify what events fulfil the criteria to be branded ‘signature’  Create a marketing campaign promoting the signature events  Look at ways to package the signature events with accommodations and dining offers  Provide a theme to the package  Explore cooperative marketing opportunities between County of Huron, Huron Tourism Association and Signature Event Producers Huron Tourism Association County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network Cultural Event Organizations Year 3 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 New campaign created Number of signature events identified and promoted

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

Huron County Cultural Plan

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Strategic Direction 4: Leverage Existing Cultural Resources to Meet Community Needs Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.7 Build appreciation for our natural heritage by promoting outdoor recreational opportunities (e.g. hiking trails, rivers, beaches, etc.)  Include hiking trails and outdoor recreation programs in municipal Sports and Recreations Guides  Host beginner or introductory events at trails and conservation areas  Build the number of geocaches and promote geocaching as a recreational activity in Huron  Invite photography clubs to do photo shoots and visual arts groups to do plein air painting classes Sustainable Huron Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Maitland Valley Conservation Authority Maitland Trail Association Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area Bayfield River Valley Trails County of Huron Planning and Development Department Huron Tourism Association Municipal Recreation Departments Year 3 Minimal < $1,000 Number of natural heritage resources promoted Number of formats/outlets used to promote natural heritage resources

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Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.8 Ensure that our civic spaces (downtown cores, parks, etc.) have the necessary infrastructure to be venues for community events and cultural programming ď&#x201A;ˇ Assess civic spaces to determine if there are improvements that can be made to make them more usable as spaces for community events and festivals ď&#x201A;ˇ Consider community festival and events needs in planning decisions ď&#x201A;ˇ Work with event producers and local service clubs to partner with municipalities to improve civic spaces for greater community use County of Huron Planning and Development Department Municipalities Local Service Clubs Ongoing Moderate to High >$5,000 Number of event spaces in each community

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Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

4.9 Work with Chambers of Commerce and BIAs to produce cultural events and activities in the downtown cores  Inventory the events program currently happening in downtowns and identify any gaps or opportunities to augment existing programming  Develop a programming niche (i.e live music every Saturday during the summer months)  Make sure downtown spaces have adequate infrastructure (e.g. seating, washrooms, garbage bins, etc) to host groups of people  Look at vendor licences that might allow for buskers and food carts for specific events or dates Chambers of Commerce BIAs Municipalities Huron Arts & Heritage Network Local Service Clubs Cultural Event Organizations Ongoing Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of events taking place in downtown core areas Attendance at those events

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Strategic Direction 5: Advance the Role of the County of Huron in Local Cultural Development Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

5.1 Investigate a municipal funding program that provides seed funding for arts and culture initiatives similar to the Huron Heritage Fund  Review similar funding programs in other municipalities  Look at different options for raising the capital to establish the fund; Huron Economic Development Partnership, pooling some of the resources from current municipal community grant programs, fundraising activities  Talk to sector representatives about funding criteria to ensure the program meets sector needs  Establish who administers the program and determines which applicants receive funding County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network Municipalities Cultural Organizations Year 3 Moderate to High >$5,000 Consensus on a funding program including eligibility criteria Amount of funds dispersed through the program Number of projects receiving support

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Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

5.2 Explore the development of a municipal public art policy that includes a review of possible funding options for commissioning of public art projects  Use cultural mapping data to inventory the amount and location of existing public art as a way to identify gaps  Review public art policies in other municipalities to determine best practices  Work with lower tier municipalities to ensure that any policy supports their goals and objectives  Explore options for expanding on the historic murals that are already in many communities  Look at successful models for funding public art projects County of Huron Cultural Services Department Municipalities Huron Arts & Heritage Network Year 3 Minimal < $1,000, to develop policy Policy created More public art projects commissioned

Appendix A: Recommended Action Tables

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Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

5.3 Huron County convene a meeting of interested stakeholders to begin discussion and planning for cultural programming in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s Sesquicentennial that also supports activities planned by the International Plowing Match  Work with organizers of the International Plowing Match to take an active support role in the planning and production of the 2017 IPM in Walton  Convene a planning committee to begin looking at the types of programming for Canada’s 150th  Bring stakeholders from the arts, culture and heritage sectors to the table to collaborate on programming  Identify funding opportunities for programming  Have some of the key recommendations in the Cultural Plan completed by 2017 so Huron County has the cultural materials and products in place for 2017 celebrations County of Huron Cultural Services Department Planning & Development Department Huron Tourism Association Huron Arts & Heritage Network Arts, Culture and Heritage Organizations Year 1 Moderate to High>$5,000 Amount of cultural programming incorporated into these two events Number of stakeholders involved in programming for both events Level of County support for the two events

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Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

5.4 Huron County take the lead in promoting local events and activities as part of Canada’s annual Culture Days weekend  Work with cultural organizations to cooperatively promote their Culture Days programming  Promote Culture Days programming to public using social media, print, and radio advertising  Encourage cultural organizations and artists to offer programming during Culture Days weekend County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron Arts & Heritage Network Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Huron County Library Cultural Organizations Culture Days organizers Year 2 and Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Amount of promotion done in support of Culture Days Local participation in Culture Days Amount of Culture Days programming available

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Strategic Direction 5: Advance the Role of the County of Huron in Local Cultural Development Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

5.5 Have Huron Arts & Heritage Network (HAHN) act as an advisory committee to the County of Huron throughout the Cultural Plan’s implementation process.  Select Council members from the partner organizations working on implementation of Cultural Plan actions  Hold four quarterly meetings each year  Identify the successes as well as the challenges encountered in implementing the actions contained in the Cultural Plan and use experience and resources of the Advisory Council to keep the project moving forward Huron Arts & Heritage Network and County of Huron Cultural Services Department HAHN Members Economic Development Services Planning and Development Department Ongoing Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of meetings held each year Number of recommendations that HAHN assists with implementing

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Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

5.6 Continued support from the County of Huron for current Cultural Services Department programs including: Huron Heritage Fund, Huron County Art Bank, Summer Reading Program, CAP Program  Continuation of Huron Heritage Funds  Continuation of annual Huron County Art Show and Sale  Continuation of Huron County Art Bank  Continuation of Summer Reading Program  Continuation of Community Access Program (CAP) County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Huron County Library Huron Arts & Heritage Network Year 1 and Ongoing Ongoing Amount of staff support provided for cultural programs Financial support for cultural programs Multiplier effect – amount of new funds leveraged Media coverage for County programs

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Strategic Direction 5: Advance the Role of the County of Huron in Local Cultural Development Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

5.7 Continuation of support and partnership with Huron Arts & Heritage Network from the County of Huron  Cultural Services Department will continue to provide staff and financial resources to support Huron Arts & Heritage Network programming including: Huron’s Multicultural Festival Doors Open Huron County Huron County Cultural Awards Huron’s Multicultural Festival County of Huron Cultural Services Department and Huron Arts & Heritage Network Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Huron County Library Ongoing Ongoing as part of annual budget process Amount of staff support provided for cultural programs Financial support for cultural programs Multiplier effect – amount of new funds leveraged for HAHN programs Media coverage for programs and activities

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Strategic Direction 5: Advance the Role of the County of Huron in Local Cultural Development Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

5.8 Continue to promote Huron County Libraries as information centres  Have community information kiosks in each library branch that contain information on the local cultural resources and events  Use existing Library van as a means to distribute materials to branches  Have a monthly community newsletter prominently displayed that lists upcoming events and activities in the community Huron County Library Municipalities Huron Arts & Heritage Network Cultural Organizations Ongoing Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Information kiosks in every library branch Amount of material circulated through the libraries

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.1 Work with existing municipal heritage advisory committees to promote the advantages of having appointed heritage committees  Work with cultural organizations to cooperatively promote their Culture Days programming  Promote Culture Days programming to public using social media, print, and radio advertising  Encourage cultural organizations and artists to offer programming during Culture Days weekend Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Bluewater Heritage Committee Goderich Municipal and Marine Heritage Committee South Huron Heritage Advisory Committee Huron East Heritage Committee Huron County Historical Society Municipalities Year 3 Minimal < $1,000 Presentations to municipalities New municipal heritage advisory committees created

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.2 Convene a heritage networking organization to connect members of other heritage committees and organizations across the County  Invite a representative from all of the County’s heritage organizations  Conduct regularly scheduled meetings throughout the year to discuss common issues and initiate resource sharing among member organizations Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Bluewater Heritage Committee Goderich Municipal and Marine Heritage Committee South Huron Heritage Advisory Committee Huron East Heritage Committee Huron County Historical Society St. Joseph and Area Historical Society Bayfield Historical Society and Archives Room Ontario Genealogical Society – Huron Branch North Huron Museum Van Egmond House CNR School Car on Wheels Reuben Sallows Gallery Kintail School House Blyth History Repository Bayfield Historic Town Hall Year 3 Minimal < $1,000 Membership in the organization Attendance at the meeting

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.3 Create a uniform Huron County heritage plaque program with which to recognize significant heritage resources  Work with heritage group and municipalities with existing plaque programs to agree on a uniform style of plaque  Look at the criteria for granting a heritage plaques and establish some baseline criteria that doesn’t take away from each groups decision making ability  Investigate using QR codes on plaques  Investigate if there are cost savings through combined ordering  Sharing information on resources that are to receive plaques will help identify areas of focus and priority for heritage plaques Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Bluewater Heritage Committee Goderich Municipal and Marine Heritage Committee South Huron Heritage Advisory Committee Huron East Heritage Committee Huron County Historical Society Municipalities Other Heritage and Historical Committees Year 3 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Consensus on a uniform plaque program Number of heritage resources that get plaques

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.4 Provide and promote workshops on conservation and collection management topics  Work with heritage organizations to find out what types of workshops are needed  Provide workshops at both the beginner or hobby level as well as advanced levels for those already responsible for collection management  Publish a list of material and service suppliers to assist people in finding appropriate conservation materials and services Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Huron Arts & Heritage Network Bluewater Heritage Committee Goderich Municipal and Marine Heritage Committee South Huron Heritage Advisory Committee Huron East Heritage Committee Huron County Historical Society Municipalities Other Heritage and Historical Committees and Organizations Year 4 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of workshops offered Attendance at workshops

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.5 Use and encourage the use of digital media and technology to create new content that tells our community’s stories  Use digital video to depict local history stories  Make more collection materials available online  Virtual displays to improve access to local heritage  Interactive content that engages new audiences County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Huron Arts & Heritage Network Huron County Historical Society Municipalities Other Heritage and Historical Committees and Organizations Economic Development Services Ongoing Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Amount of digital content created each year Amount of digital content being shared or linked

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.6 Connect the arts and heritage communities in order for them to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects  Link playwrights with historians  Visual artists painting local history murals  Photographers or photography groups documenting community architecture Huron Arts & Heritage Network County of Huron Cultural Services Department Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Huron County Historical Society Other Heritage and Historical Committees and Organizations Artists and Arts Organizations Ongoing Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of new collaborations Number of projects completed

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.7 Work with municipalities and heritage committees to build on their existing heritage walks  Use costumed historic interpreters to guide heritage walks  Create an architectural scavenger hunt  Expand heritage walks by incorporating them into niche products such as bicycle tours or geocaching County of Huron Cultural Services Department Municipalities Huron Arts & Heritage Network Huron County Historical Society Other Heritage and Historical Committees and Organizations Huron Tourism Association Year 4 Moderate $1,000 - $5,000 Number of new heritage walk initiatives Increase in number of people using heritage walks

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation

Potential Initiatives

Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.8 Connect local heritage organizations to regional and provincial initiatives and best practices by building membership and participation levels in regional and provincial heritage umbrella organizations ď&#x201A;ˇ Membership in appropriate provincial organizations: Ontario Historical Society Ontario Museum Association, Heritage Resource Centre at University of Waterloo, Archives Association of Ontario, etc. ď&#x201A;ˇ Sitting on Boards of Director s or Sub-committees of provincial or regional organizations Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Huron County Historical Society Other Heritage and Historical Committees and Organizations Municipalities Ongoing Minimal < $1,000 Local membership in regional and provincial or national heritage organizations

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Strategic Direction 6: Preserve and Promote our Cultural Heritage Recommendation Potential Initiatives Primary Responsibility Other Potential Agencies

Timeline Financial Implications Performance Measures

6.9 Continue to move forward with the Archives, Corporate Records, Museum Storage Feasibility Study ď&#x201A;ˇ Stakeholder consultation and input ď&#x201A;ˇ Report by contracted consultants Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol County of Huron Huron County Historical Society Municipalities Local Heritage Collections Stakeholder organizations in local Heritage Sector Huron Arts & Heritage Network Ongoing High>$5,000 Completed report with action plan for next steps

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REFERENCED DOCUMENTS & REPORTS

Maitland Mill, Gorrie

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HURON COUNTY OFFICIAL PLAN The County of Huron Official Plan Consolidation, June 2013 makes specific reference to Heritage (Built and Natural) and to Culture in Section 3.0 Community Services: Heritage and Culture The County of Huron has a rich and diverse cultural heritage. This includes archaeological sites; buildings and structural remains of historical and architectural value; rural, village and urban districts; and landscapes of historical, natural and scenic interest. The Huron County Cultural Plan provides a framework and priorities for cultural development. Respect for heritage is a community priority as reflected by the designated heritage districts and designated properties throughout the County. Heritage reflects a legacy of the expressions and aspirations of past generations and is valued for its historical significance and economic opportunity. 3.3 Community Policies and Actions: The community shall conserve and manage its significant built heritage resources, natural heritage and cultural heritage landscapes. All new development and infrastructure permitted by the land-use policies of this Plan shall conserve cultural heritage resources and shall incorporate these resources into new development plans. Where appropriate, all new development and infrastructure will be planned in a manner which preserves and enhances the context in which cultural heritage resources are situated. An inventory of heritage resources will be compiled and reflected in local Official Plans and the Huron County Cultural Plan. Local municipalities will register properties of cultural heritage value or interest. When necessary, heritage impact assessments will be undertaken, as well as measures to mitigate any negative impacts affecting identified significant heritage resources. (Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Modification 9) The County of Huron Official Plan also makes reference to Culture and Creative Industries in Section 4.0 Economy: Four industries represent the pillars of the Huron County economy: agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and creative industries. ...Creative industries encompass a wide diversity of creative establishments and occupations, including cultural and knowledge based jobs ranging from the performing arts to business and financial services. 4.3 Community Policies and Actions: 7) Economic development strategies and partnerships will be maintained and developed to enhance and support all sectors of the Huron economy including: agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and creative industries. Full version of the Consolidated County of Huron Official Plan (June 2013) can be found at http://www.huroncounty.ca/plandev/downloads/HuronCountyOfficialPlan-2013.pdf

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TAKE ACTION FOR SUSTAINABLE HURON: A Community Sustainability Plan (2012) The Sustainable Huron Take Action Report was developed through the participation of more than 1,200 Huron County residents, including 54 community groups. It was accepted by County Council as a framework document on June 2, 2010. The report contains a number of Community Action items either linked or directly related to Huron County’s cultural and heritage communities including: Section 1: Economy 

Explore niche development opportunities within the four pillars of Huron’s economies: agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and culture

Section 5: Livable Communities 

Encourage preservation of heritage buildings and heritage homes through incentives and awareness programs

Section 7: Population   

Demonstrate to youth the opportunities that exist in Huron (agriculture, manufacturing, and cultural industries) Foster a welcoming and culturally sensitive community Encourage, promote and celebrate diversity

Section 8: Downtowns  

Encourage events and activities in the downtown that attract people Preserve and restore historic buildings and spaces

Section 9: Community Needs  

Promote all County festivals, events, businesses and activities which encourage community participation and tourism, and showcase ‘uniquely Huron’ Creatively market all entertainment options (e.g. live music, clubs, trails, parks, fishing, beaches, theatre, camping, etc.)

Full version of Take Action for Sustainable Huron: A Sustainability Plan available at: http://www.huroncounty.ca/sustainablehuron/downloads/SustainabilityPlan-complete.pdf

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMNET OPPORTUNITIES BLUEPRINT (2010) Developed in 2010 by Economic Development Services and the Huron Business Development Corporation, in collaboration with the nine municipalities, industry associations, the private sector and other stakeholder groups created a long-range, comprehensive, multi-sector economic development strategy. The document identifies 8 Strategic Initiatives and twenty-one opportunities specific to the cultural and creative industries sector including: Strategic Initiatives:  Continue working with County-level Cultural Services and Huron Arts & Heritage Network opportunities available in Huron County;

to promote lifestyle and creative

 Identify and profile ‘creative economy’ individuals and businesses that have chosen Huron County  Undertake cultural mapping of the creative economy resources of the County  Update and implement the County Cultural Plan; identify opportunities, on an ongoing basis, for implementation of the existing County cultural strategy  Profile the youth element of the creative economy in Huron County through promotion of successes  Investigate potential for capacity building in the arts/crafts sector: identify artisans in the County who might benefit from training Opportunities:       

Establishment of artist’s co-operatives Developing a Public Art Policy that commits 1% of County budgets to public arts programs throughout County Creation of a communications website/hub Explore need for new arts facilities in the County Develop youth creative centres in key communities Local tourist program aimed at residents becoming ‘local tourists’ Examine feasibility of an creative business incubation centre

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MAKE HURON HOME: An Immigration Strategy for Huron In 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada approved the County of Huron’s application to establish a Local Immigration Partnership Council, made up of community organizations and stakeholder groups. The new Local Immigration Partnership Council presented an immigration strategy document in March, 2011 that focussed on four key theme areas; • • • •

Attraction Settlement Services and Programs Inclusion Communication and Marketing

The Make Huron Home Report recognizes the importance of tolerance as a community value in a successful immigration strategy: The Council recognizes the importance of fostering positive attitudes towards immigrants and the presence of newcomers in the Community. We know there are incorrect assumptions about the level of diversity in Huron. We know there is a rich history of immigration in Huron County, and that Huron County residents are already more culturally diverse than is commonly perceived. Action is needed to further encourage positive attitudes toward newcomers to take root in Huron County. This effort at education and encouragement must extend beyond members of the Huron Immigration Partnership Council. The report includes the following recommendations relevant to culture under the Inclusion Section:  

Emphasize our diversity at existing celebrations and events in Huron Ensure that local celebrations enhance cultural diversity focus – recognizing that multiculturalism is here

Full version of Make Huron Home: An Immigration Strategy for Huron available at: http://www.huroncounty.ca/plandev/immigration.php or visit www.makehuronhome.ca

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HURON COUNTY LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2017 Five key strategy areas:     

Cultivating the library’s cultural presence and community partnerships Extending the reach of the library through promotion and outreach Aligning services with community needs Strengthening technology services Building the case for stable, sustainable funding

http://www.huroncounty.ca/library/downloads/HCLStrategicPlan2012.pdf

HURON COUNTY MUSEUM AND HISTORIC GAOL STRATEGIC PLAN 2013-2018 Six key strategic goals were identified for the Huron County Museum and Gaol:      

To create a distinct brand for the Museum To align physical facilities with future aspirations To increase access to the Museum’s resources To develop community partnerships To build capacity for: improving visitor service extending marketing and communications reach increasing the number of members and volunteers improving skills in event planning obtaining sponsorships To drive an increase in attendance through dynamic programming Huron County Museum http://www.huroncounty.ca/museum/stratplan.php

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THE HEART OF COMMUNITY: A Report on Volunteerism in Perth and Huron Counties The United Way Perth –Huron’s Social Research and Planning Council’s 2013 report on volunteerism contains four recommendations 1. That a working group be established to consider the report and its recommendations. That the group minimally include individuals representing the United Way Perth-Huron, Community Connections, Volunteers in Perth (VIP), Huron County Cultural Services Department and libraries of Perth County, St. Mary’s and Stratford. The working group will: a) Review existing websites where volunteer opportunities are posted for the Huron-Perth region, including Volunteer Connectio.ca. Upon review of the existing websites, the working group will make recommendations for improvements and the possible development of a more comprehensive Huron-Perth solution to posting volunteer opportunities. b) Develop a volunteer recruitment strategy that suggests a variety of ways volunteers can be attracted to volunteer activities. Consideration could be given, for example, to the development of a Facebook page for Huron County, information sharing mechanisms in libraries and building on VIP’s ‘Who Knew?’ campaign to promote volunteerism in Huron-Perth. c) Assess the need for a Volunteer Centre, bearing in mind that such a centre need not be a physical building. This centre could act as a hub for all things related to volunteerism in Perth and Huron Counties d) Look at feasibility of developing and maintaining a network in Huron County similar to Volunteers In Perth, with the intent of sharing best practices and promoting volunteerism in the region. 2. That the Stratford Public Library and the United Way Perth-Huron continue to support and encourage bi-annual workshops on Volunteerism hosted by VIP. That organization’s in Huron County which rely on volunteers also be invited to share best practices on volunteer recruitment, recognition and development. Consideration should also be given to the location of workshops in order to include more Huron County residents. 3. That the United Way Perth-Huron continue to work with community partners to deliver the annual spring Volunteer Leadership Development Workshop series. Topics related to this report’s findings, as well as, alternative presentation formats (e.g. podcasts) should be considered for the series. Full report available at: http://perthhuron.unitedway.ca/social-research-planning-council/volunteerism/

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CULTURAL MAPPING REPORT In 2011, the County of Huron received funding from Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport’s Creative Communities Prosperity Fund (CCPF) to undertake a year-long project to map all of Huron County’s cultural resources. The project identified, inventoried and collected the GPS coordinates for over 1,800 cultural resources across Huron County including: 

305 Cultural & Creative Industries



454 Cultural Heritage Resources



187 Community Organizations



132 Annual Festivals and Events



222 Facilities & Spaces used for Cultural Programming

The data collected through the project was used to build on the existing Huron County Business Directory and to establish a separate searchable database of all the cultural businesses, programs, facilities, organizations and resources available to residents and visitors on creativehuron.ca. The inventory of cultural resources identified through the 2011/12 cultural mapping process also informed the development of the Cultural Plan by identifying the variety, location and scale of Huron County’s cultural resources and sector as a whole.

Figure 25: Cultural Resources in Huron County Full Cultural Mapping Report can found at: www.creativehuron.ca

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