Results of Candidates Questionnaire - Please Share
Hello Theatre Collingwood Friends,

On September 12th, 2022 the Collingwood Arts, Culture & Entertainment group (CACE) sent out a questionnaire to the 15 candidates running for Collingwood Council in this upcoming municipal election. The purpose was to gage where each candidate stood in regards to the building of an arts, culture and entertainment centre in Collingwood. Below is what was sent to each candidate and what their response was. The arts organizations have over 10,000 subscribers in their data bases and the results are being forwarded to them. Theatre Collingwood has almost 6,000 subscribers to this newsletter.

There are many important issues ahead of the next council. We hope that you see the need for an arts, culture & entertainment centre as one of them. Please consider attending the two candidates meetings this week put on by the Collingwood Chamber of Commerce:
  • The Chamber will hosting two separate “Meet the Candidates” meetings.
  • Tues. Sept. 27th will be for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Candidates
  • Thurs. Sept 29th will be for the Councillor Candidates.
  • Due to number of candidates this year, Candidates will have time to make their opening comment and then the chamber will pose questions. Number of questions asked depends on time. Send your questions that could be asked of the candidates that evening by emailing your questions in advance to Trish at tirwin@collingwoodchamber.com.
We hope you find this information helpful as you make your voting decisions.

Erica
The Questionnaire

We would like to thank all of the candidates for taking the time to answer this question.
Dear Candidate,

The Collingwood Arts, Culture & Entertainment Group (CACE) is a group of citizens who have been researching the need for a purpose-built centre for arts, culture & entertainment in Collingwood, servicing the South Georgian Bay region. The group consists of people with a wide variety of work experience and expertise, and a high level of business success, who have given their time as volunteers for the past four years.

The following groups support this communication and request a response from all candidates:

Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts
South Georgian Bay Music Foundation/Jazz and Blues LIVE at The Station
Theatre Collingwood
Collingwood Music Festival
South Georgian Bay Arts Network
Gaslight Community Theatre
FleetWood School of Dance
Collingwood Cinema Club
CACE

FACTS

CACE members and associated arts groups together have an engaged data base of well over 50% of the community residents.

In January 2021, The Town of Collingwood engaged consultants Nordicity and Giamo Architects to undertake a Feasibility Study for an Arts and Culture Centre in Collingwood.

In their report, completed September of 2021, Nordicity’s analysis supported green-lighting a professional arts centre. It found “sufficient demand from the community and from the surrounding area for a new performing arts centre, and that its development would be feasible provided its design and development, and start-up and operations were capably taken.” The Town of Collingwood does not have a purpose-built centre for the arts.

All facilities currently being used for performance by the Town of Collingwood do not meet the Town of Collingwood’s Accessibility Standards.

Arts and culture in Ontario directly contribute $25 billion annually to the provincial economy and there are more than 286,230 culture jobs in Ontario.

88% of Ontarians agree that arts and cultural activities are important to a community’s economic well-being.

9.5 million Overnight tourists participate in arts and culture activities while visiting Ontario, generating $3.7 billion in GDP province-wide.

According to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities “arts, culture and heritage improve the ability of municipal governments to influence local economic development by attracting and retaining a skilled and talented workforce.”

In an effort to better understand your position regarding arts, culture & entertainment in Collingwood, please complete the following question. The results will be recorded and distributed to our data base. Please respond by September 16th as results will be published September 20th.

Thank you for your time.

The CACE Group
info@collingwoodarts.com
www.collingwoodarts.com
The Question

1. Cost, location and size for an arts, culture and entertainment centre will be addressed by the consulting company (Nordicity) contracted by the Town of Collingwood. Subject to credible financial analysis, do you support a purpose-built centre for Arts, Culture and Entertainment in Collingwood?

  • YES

  • NO

  • Other
The Results
  • 15 candidates completed the questionnaire
  • 13 answered YES
  • 0 answered NO
  • 2 answered OTHER
  • 14 gave their names
  • 1 answered anonymously (we assume this is Kathy Jeffery)
(In order of submission)

Brandon Houston -YES - Thank you for sending me this question. I'd like to go a little further than the single question survey if that's okay. I believe it deserves a little more depth. In Collingwood we have an enormous wealth of artists contributing to our arts and culture scene. We've gone to some distances showcasing that, but I believe we can do much more. The amount of talent we have in our region on a per capita basis is surprisingly high. We should be doing more to highlight and promote that. I think investing in it through something like the building of an arts and culture centre just makes sense. Art and culture are the soul of any community. Regardless of if you think you are interested in, take part in, or are familiar with art and culture, you are surrounded by it every day. It makes up the world around us and it provides an economic and social impact that isn't always understood or appreciated. But, it's the thread of what ties a community together.

Bob Madigan - YES

Norm Sandberg - YES

Steve Johns - YES

Steve Berman - Other - Far too many variables for me to commit to a hypothetical scenario.

Anonymous - YES

Cam Ecclestone - YES

Mariane McLeod - YES

Yvonne Hamlin - YES - I strongly support an arts and entertainment centre in Collingwood. It would bring vibrancy to our downtown, enrich the community and engage our young people. It would be a major economic benefit to our Town and draw in visitors from our region and beyond. Building an arts and entertainment centre is a priority for me.

George Dickenson - YES

Ian Chadwick - YES

Deborah Doherty - YES

Tim Fryer - YES

Chris Potts -YES

Rob Ring - Other - I could strongly support a purpose-built Arts, Culture and Entertainment Centre in Collingwood, but I would like to review the cost, location, size, and see a credible financial analysis of this Centre before I make a 100% commitment.
 Election Day is Monday, October 24th, 2022
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