The only problem is, the program no longer exists.
During a presentation to City councillors on Tuesday (Aug. 6), the local MP highlighted the federal program, which recognized small, medium and large Canadian cities each year as cultural capitals in the nation for one year. The city has a good shot at the title, and the federal money that comes along with it, he told councillors, unaware the program ended last year.
According to Heritage Canada, the Cultural Capitals of Canada component of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund was cancelled as part of the 2012 budget. In its explanation for the change, a note on the agency’s website cites a need to “improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its program and operations, while returning to fiscal balance to further support jobs and growth.”
The program came up as councillors asked the MP what he was doing to promote the city, encourage economic development and bring jobs to the area.
With a vibrant arts scene, the Peterborough Lift Lock and other cultural attractions including the Canadian Canoe Museum, he says Peterborough is a city that stands out.
“We are very much a cultural city,” he said, prior to finding out the program was cancelled. “Hopefully we’ll see an application for it.”
MP Del Mastro says Peterborough had never applied for the program, though he’s suggested it in the past.
If it were still running, Peterborough would have likely had a shot at more than $1.5 million in federal funding. Calgary and the Niagara Region were the last cities to receive the designation in 2012. Each received $1.625 million.
In all, 42 communities received the designation from 2003 to 2012.
MP Del Mastro says he plans to look into the issue. He assumes the federal government will likely tie the cultural recognition into its plans to celebrate the nation’s 150th birthday in 2017. Though it’s five years away, the House of Commons is already busy planning the 150th celebration, which is expected to be a multi-million dollar affair.
The MP assured councillors he’s working hard to promote the city, though in his role he’s tasked with looking five to 10 years down the road when it comes to investment and expansion.
In 2007, MP Del Mastro says he was an avid supporter of investments at the Peterborough Municipal Airport. Since then, Flying Colours, which operates from the airport, has doubled in size, he says.
“In 2007, I couldn’t have showed you that,” he told councillors. “I could only show you the opportunity.”
He also suggested leveraging the Trent Severn Waterway as an attraction in Peterborough -- the largest city along its path.
“If you went to another city, there would be a theme park built around it,” he says, adding while it might not be appropriate in Peterborough, there could be some opportunities if council wants to reconsider the use of municipally-owned land around Little Lake. “We could definitely talk more about how to draw more people to the area.”
Parks Canada is partly to blame for the lack of promotion the waterway receives now, he says.
“The people in control of the waterway aren’t reaching out to folks like yourselves,” he says. “We certainly need more of an open management system.”
MP Del Mastro says he’s making it a priority to ensure Peterborough isn’t just keeping up in a competitive economy, but competing to be the first choice for investment.
“We are a nice community at the end of a four-lane highway. We have incredible proximity to markets,” he says.
Original Article
Source: mykawartha.com
Author: Sarah Frank
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