Thursday, March 10, 2016

Plan Sets Stage For Facility Discussion

Posted on 3/10/2016 by Pete McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM
It took almost two years to complete, but Greater Vernon's cultural plan is now done, and just needing final political approval. That's expected March 23rd at the Regional District of North Okanagan board meeting. The document will guide culture, arts and heritage in the community for the next decade. 100-thousand dollars was budgeted to develop it back in 2014. Greater Vernon Advisory chair Juliette Cunningham one of the new elements will see an advisory committee formed to look at gaps in facilities. "Then it would be up to that committee to bring recommendations forward. They could recommend we should look at an art gallery or museum, or whatever," Cunningham tells Kiss FM. Cunningham says the advisory panel will be made up from members of the cultural community. "In the past, they have always felt, when there's talk of art galleries or museums, that they have no opportunity to be a part of that, so that's a pretty important difference," says Cunningham. GVAC put plans for a referendum for a new art gallery and expanded museum on hold in 2013 after cost estimates doubled to 35 million dollars. The plans were again put on hold in 2014, to allow for the cultural plan to be completed. GVAC Area C director Mike Macnabb says big ticket projects like that, need strong community support before they can be put to votes. "That's why it's so important to get the public feedback (from the advisory panel) on this stuff. You can't have one group that might be very vocal demanding this or that and then find out that, really, there isn't that much community support, so that's the test that we want to measure this," says Macnabb.

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