I am a regular at local festivals, street fairs, playgrounds, libraries, and community events. Ward 3’s artistic and cultural associations and the amazing events, exhibitions and festivals they produce make all of Regina a more vibrant place to live.
City Hall has an important role to play in enhancing and supporting our community’s arts and culture organizations. That’s why I was proud to have supported the Civic Arts policy. Opportunities like the Community Partner Grants and the Culture Grants help many non-profit organizations in our community provide valuable programming. And public facilities like the Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre offer world class programming for both adults and children.
As a city councilor, I will support the development and implementation of the City of Regina Municipal Cultural Plan – a policy that is in the midst of development. That means advancing the arts as an essential aspect of the civic commons, from repurposing heritage buildings into multi-use art spaces to providing appropriate performance and rehearsal space in the city.
It is important that the City of Regina does its part to support and encourage a creative city, which means finding ways to support local artists. We need to have a policy in place to ensure that all work on city art projects is compensated in a manner aligned with professional standards. It’s also critical that Indigenous artists play a central role in defining public art and policy in our community.
As part of the Official Community Plan’s “Complete Neighbourhood” policy, we can make arts and culture part of the fabric of Regina’s urban landscape. Council can start by creating opportunities for the arts community to take part in the formation of these policies and programmes.
Council also needs to affirm its support for revitalizing our recreation amenities and facilities, in alignment with the Recreation Master Plan. Indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities remain a high priority for residents, which is why I proudly supported the Wascana and Maple Leaf Pool rebuilds. Dewdney Pool requires the same attention, so I commit to working with the North Central community immediately after election to begin this discussion. We also need to prioritize the Winter City initiative and focus on year-round activities, from indoor skate parks to a new aquatic facility. With a portion of tax increases dedicated to recreation, Council has created the financial capacity to take on this important challenge.