October 18, 2004 is Election Day in Red Deer.       Return to Election Forum 2004.    

Go to Question Two - Question Three - Bonus Question.          

Our first question comes from Culture Link, and is posed to the candidates for Mayor, City Council and both School Boards.  We will post replies from candidates as we receive them.

Go to these replies:

1. Elliott Bessey	2. Blake King	3. Dawna Barnes
4. Jeffrey Dawson	5. Bev Heisler	6. Dave Murphy
7. Ray McBeth	8. Bev Arnold Hughes	9. Lynne Mulder
10. Larry Pimm	11. Morris Flewwelling	12. K.C. Pavlick
13. John Cockerell	14. Lloyd Baumgarten	15. Roger Will
16. Cindy Jefferies	17. Diane MacCaulay	18. Paul Gowans
19. Frank Wong	20. Phil Hyde	21. Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer

a) In recognition of the arts and culture community and their work, Red Deer was honoured with the Cultural Capital of Canada award. How would you enhance and encourage federal/provincial/municipal investment in the cultural sector in Canada/Alberta/Red Deer?

b ) Red Deer was recently named as one of Canada's Cultural Capitals. How would your leadership support and sustain the community's vision for a livable community, which includes culture in everyday living, as outlined in the Community Culture Master Plan, and supporting plans such as the Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan and the Greater Downtown Action Plan?

From Elliott Bessey, candidate for City Counil

a) Well Red Deer is on a great track already with the Red Deer Community Cultural Master plan presented in September of 2001. Outlined in that plan are several good steps to see culture grow and continue to become a part of life in Red Deer. Of which Culture link is responsible for implementing with Help from the City of Red Deer and some community stakeholders. It was allotted 650,000 for the first three years of start up and then proposed to grow on Corporate donations and the Centennial Legacy Grant. To enhance the investment in the cultural sector of Red Deer. It will require promotion , promotion and more promotion of which i am sure Culture Links is already doing. So all i can say and commit to is that Red Deer should continue to follow the Cultural master plan and continue helping with the implementation vehcile Culture links. Continue to promote our established cultural events and explore possible expansion into new events/facilities and souces ! of funding.

b ) As stated before i belive Red Deer is on a great path for culture in theroy But as with any plans and ideas there is alwasy the problem of funding and iimplamentation as i am sure has with these plans as well. I support culture and cultural awareness and in 2001 as i ran for Mayor i pushed for more exploration and promotion of our culture and was exstatic to see the cultural master plan come into the public. I would love to see the culture venues incorperated into the downtown and riverlands area. The main thing i would like to see and commit to is the idea of a festival of festivals, where many cultures represented in the community come together and promote themselves and their cultures and incorperate local art shows and live bands from the community in a week long awareness event. Where people of Red Deer can go and learn and have a good time and raise awareness of how diverse and talented the citizens of Red Deer are. This would create a  public&! nbsp;awareness about the strength of our culture and an intrest in it and most likely will lead to more public support, which in turn will lead to more soucres of funding or investment. Another idea is displaying public art every where and any where possible. In the malls, stores, painting some murals in the community on walls that show off our colour and diversity.  Again all i can commit to is to stay on the path we are on and continue to help explore for other soucres ad funding and ways of promtion the diversity and talent of the Red Deer Citizens.

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From Blake King, candidate for City Council

a) Presenting creative and exciting ideas to the right people can encourage investment from groups we can't even imagine yet. I have been excited about the 48 Street Promenade for many reasons since the first time I heard about it. This type or unique, exciting and creative ideas catch the focus of federal, provincial and, municipal investors. I understand the benefits and will offer my full support.

b ) When I first read the Community Culture Master Plan Steering Committee's vision for the future of Culture in Red Deer I was excited because it reflects ideas I've had for years. I understand the social and economical benefits culture and cultural programs bring to the community, a community without them isn't livable. I will offer strong support and work to convince others of often overlooked benefits these programs contribute such as education, cultural awareness and even crime reduction.

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From Dawna Barnes, candidate for City Council

a) As a citizen of Red Deer, I am very proud to be part of one of the communities that was given the Cultural Capital of Canada award. Long before the award, I was involved in the public forums participating in the development of the Cultural Master Plan, the Main Street Project and of course, the visioning and development of CentreFest, the downtown street performers festival.

Engaging our local MP, MLAs, and city councilors in this process is vital to getting our message to the powers to be. I believe that the first step to advocating is by participating in the process. It is key to understanding the true value of arts and culture and how it contributes to community wellness, to everyone’s quality of life and ultimately to the community economic wellbeing.

Through my work in our community on projects such as CentreFest, Opening Doors, Diverse Leisure Opportunities in Downtown, Historic Homes Tour, and the Red Deer and District Foundation, I have been afforded the opportunity to further advocate the value of arts and culture and lobby for investment in the health of our community. Celebrating our success is another very important way of demonstrating the richness, the value and the benefits of a healthy arts and culture community. I believe that we have much to celebrate in Red Deer!

As a council member, I will continue to participate in to the process so I can advocate on behalf of the citizens of Red Deer to all levels of government.

b) It is good to see in that the question includes the concept of “culture in everyday living” because that truly is what culture is all about. When I looked for a definition of the word, the following statement seemed to sum up the question: culture is “the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.”

Intrinsically, we all include some form of culture in our lives and Red Deer has a lot to offer. Whether it is going to the symphony, a hockey game, the Farmers’ Market, a restaurant, an art gallery or simply visiting one of our fabulous boutiques, Red Deer is rich with culture. I know I have only touched on a very few but our Cultural Capitals Award is evidence that others also believe that we are a city that is culturally rich.

Red Deer has a growing array of opportunities for its citizens because of the incredible work that it has put into projects like the Culture Master Plan. As a member of the Greater Downtown Action Plan Policy Committee and the Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan, I have had the opportunity to directly participate in hearings and to work with many of the stakeholders. It is incredibly important to me that we are conscious of all sectors of our community and that we are inclusive in our approach towards development. We must consider the diversity of our community.

Though my involvement in many community projects, I have demonstrated not only my commitment and dedication to this very subject but also I have shown a leadership role in community cultural development. As a councilor, I will be in an even better position to make positive contributions to these and other challenging aspects of our community.

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From Jeffrey Dawson, candidate for City Council

Culture by definition is 'the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.' Culture is an important part of a growing, thriving community.  Any new programs or facilities require partnership from the federal, provincial, municipal governments and other partners within our community as well as the public at large. The City of Red Deer has supported culture and continues to do so through programs, facilities and as a facilitator.  Council can continue to foster and exploit opportunities as they become available such as the vision for a culture hub in the soon to be redeveloped Riverlands District. Another example is the GH Dawe Centre, a partnership between The City, the library board and both school boards. Who knows what partnership synergies may be developed to further the culture needs of our community in he future. With the recent announcement from the Province, The City may be able to provide funds for projects, when identified, and when balanced against all other priorities. In addition when projects are
identified council can encourage funding from the feds, and the province and help facilitate other partnerships.

b) My leadership to support and sustain the community vision for a livable community will continue with collaboration with the rest of council.  I believe council has had an impressive record of fostering sustainable communities, which includes providing culture opportunities in everyday living. As a team member of the new council I see this role and leadership continuing within our fiscal capabilities. Any attempts to backtrack on the sustainable community model will be met with thoughtful debate to encourage its continuance.

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From Bev Heisler, candidate for Catholic School Trustee

a) It is always good to learn the value of arts and culture at a young age. Red Deer Catholic had supported the arts and culture by designating St. Martin de Porres as a fine arts school, Sharing the love of the arts and culture and teaching children their importance will be an investment to the future of the arts and culture sector of Red Deer/ Alberta/ Canada.

b) Again as stated above St. Martin de Porres Catholic School has been designated a fine arts school, a move which I gave my support to. Taking this step showed our board as progressive and ready to support "culture in everyday living".  In addition to St. Martin's school there are many and varied arts and culture programs that exist in all the schools in our system such as band programs, drama programs, theatre performances, museum field trips, and art classes to name only a few.

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From Dave Murphy, candidate for Public School Trustee

a) I believe that it is important to look at ways we can incorporate the arts and culture in our lives. This means at work, in our community and at home. I believe it is important to show the impact that the arts and culture have in our community to all levels of government. The arts and culture must be made available to everyone. Arts and culture should not be elitist. Exposure to the arts can have a profound effect on one's well-being. My involvement with the Arts a La Carte is an excellent example on how the arts can impact people in a positive way.

I believe this is a noteworthy year for arts and culture in Canada, with elections at all levels there is an opportunity to reinforce the need and value of supporting cultural investment at the national, provincial and municipal levels. I believe that it will be important to engage in dialogue to show both the social, emotional and the economic benefit that gained from having the arts and cultures in our community. In this way we can position Red Deer to set examples and gain financial support to ensure we continue to thrive as a cultural community.

b) I believe my experience in community leadership and my association with various arts and cultural groups has put me in a strong position to see the impact that the arts and culture have on our community. I had the opportunity to be a participant in providing input into the Cultural Master Plan. In addition, I was involved in the Rotary Recreation Facilities review that included the recreation center, the Golden Circle and the museum. One of the objectives was to look at ways to include the arts and culture into the facilities, open space and programming.

One of the roles of our school system is to develop our students as good citizens. The arts and culture are part of this. Currently the Red Deer Public Schools has superb programs that expose our children to a wide variety of cultural activities. This can be found throughout all grade levels of the Red Deer Public school system.

I have proven support of sustainable culture through my position as chair of the Red Deer Public School Foundation. Through the foundation we raise funds to enhance student-learning opportunities. Our foundation believes that the arts and culture are important learning opportunities to develop the total child.

I believe that as a school district we need to utilize the resources of our teachers and those in the community for the betterment of our students. As a School Board Trustee, I would strive to continue to encourage opportunities for teachers and students be exposed to cultural learning opportunities as part of the curriculum.

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From Ray McBeth, candidate for Mayor

Culture includes a wide scope of groups and needs: ethnic, arts, history.  The mayor can and should ensure that culture is considered in all forms of civic planning.  Culture opportunities in Red Deer and area are abundant.....at the moment, "Red Deer has a higher ratio of performing arts seating than communities of comparable size" (quote from the Culture Master Plan).

I would lobby Federal and Provincial governments to ensure arts and culture funding per capita is at an appropriate level.

My personal history and success at obtaining government funding - requires partnerships with local businesses/groups and commitment of monies raised by group, etc....not just a request for handouts.

My platform is common sense with your cash. What does that mean to the culture community? It means that I will support and encourage cultural amenities that are appropriate for our community. Example - an art gallery can be supported by a city of 200,000 and we should include that in our long range planning.

I also believe the City of Red Deer should provide a role in encouraging culture groups - provide a method of funding (currently there is the Fee For Service Funding) based not only on a need, but also on the commitment of the group to raise its own funds.

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From Bev Arnold Hughes, candidate for City Council

The best culture for Red Deer is our Red Deer Culture .... let me explain.  Our culture is all around us, we see and enjoy it in the form of our 'ghosts collection', our trails and parks, our diverse urban life style and yes, even our love for the game of hockey. It is the everyday experience that is a part of our quality of life. Preserving our culture is something we all take part in, however it is headed up by groups like Culture Link , The Culture Charter Partners and others who dedicate their time and special interest to its preservation and enhancement.

Winning the prestigious recognition as a Cultural Capital of Canada recognizes our forward looking vision and our efforts and determination to embrace our culture. The cities Cultural Master Plan played a huge part in Red Deer receiving this award for it alone laid out a plan for Red Deer's cultural future. The Cultural Master Plan identifies 27 diverse strategies including partnership and capacity development, communications andmarketing, spaces and places to create and display art as well strategies for encouraging sustainable cultural and heritage development.

Within the Cultural Capital of Canada award there are 12 projects identified for completion by the period ending 31 March 2005. Culture Link is the organization charged with overseeing this project. The award is a matching fund award, the Federal Government contributed $500,000.00 and the City
contributes $500,000.00 for a one million dollar project.

Projects and initiatives of this magnitude require Municipal political leadership, administrative staff, community cultural organizations/groups and educational leadership in order to establish and move forward with a sustainable cultural plan. In this regard Red Deer is years ahead of other Municipalities our size.

I have supported these efforts from the very beginning and have served in an advisory role on both the Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan and the Greater
Downtown Action Plan ......and I will continue to use my resources and talents to see that our culture is enhanced, made available and preserved.

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From Lynne Mulder, candidate for City Council

a)  I am fully supportive of the work of Culture Link and have huge respect for all the committee members. What I believe is important in enhancing and encouraging investment in the arts and culture at the government level is to take every opportunity to leverage our curent strengths. We are honored to be one of Canada's Culture Capitals and therefore are already on the governmental radar screen. We have demonstrated our ability to come together as a community
to celebrate the many forms of culture in our city and to work collaboratively with government at all levels. As a member of council, I would look for and
encourage Culture Link in particular to take advantage of all funding opportunities as well as opportunities to "show our stuff" locally, provincially and nationally. We are experts at partnerships and we must continue to maximize our strength.

b) We have a Community Culture Master Plan which has been endorsed by City Council. We have a vision that reflects the views of our community and it will
be important that we continue to articulate actions required to attain our vision. As we all know, we cannot do everything at once and we can't do it alone. We must seek out partners to help us achieve our goals. I have been fortunate to meet on several occasions with senior city personnel in my role at Red Deer College. We were engaged in exploring some exciting opportunities for the City to work together with Red Deer College to reach some common goals for
our community. The Riverside Redevelopment plan and the Greater Downtown Action Plan are exciting and visionary! We need to identify strategies for ensuring that everyone in our city can enjoy our art and culture -perhaps incorporating some of our art collections into downtown businesses, perhaps moving some of the college programs like glassblowing down to the riverlands where walking trails could link up with the college. It is exciting!! It does however cost
money and it will be important that we look at creative ways to make it happen over time. It is obvious that the City cannot afford to fully fund these
ventures in light of our many priorities but we can support exploration of partnership opportunities and ensure that we maximize support of the provincial
and federal government.

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From Larry Pimm, candidate for City Council

There is no silver bullet. One size definately does not fit all. Our successes to date have hinged on careful planning, judicious financial support, and the formation of partnerships, both formal and informal.  Perhaps there is something to learn from the sport successes that have been achieved by some of Red Deer's citizens. For example, how did Jamie Sale and Jeremy Wotherspoon reach the pinacle of their respective sports and what role did the community and The City of Red Deer play? Both started in Red Deer, using facilities built and operated by the City of Red Deer. Both benefitted from dedicated and talented local coaches and volunteers played a big role in their success, particularly early on. And both, at the appropriate time moved on to more sophisticated programs in larger centers.  The sacrifices, both personal and financial, they and their families made to achieve success are incalculable.

Over the years, Red Deer has had a very strong emphasis on sport which is quite properly seen as contributing to the development of healthy, positive young citizens. As our community develops, the emphasis is shifting to other activities, many of a cultural nature. If we were to compare today's City of Red Deer Activity Guide with one of ten or fifteen years ago, this trend would be born out. The process is evolutionary; it involves many minds with a lot of energy and creativity. The municipal government can be helpful, but it can't do it all.

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From Morris Flewwelling, candidate for Mayor

To enhance federal, provincial and municipal investment in the cultural sector in Canada, Alberta and Red Deer, I would focus attention on PARTNERSHIPS, PLANNING and PROFILE. By working collegially and with government, the arts will become more vitally engaged in the community creating economic and social benefits. Investing in culture will strengthen the economic and tax base, improve quality of life for residents and visitors, and enhance community identity and reputation. The arts are a big business. The arts should be in service to the community. We need to raise the profile of the arts on the public agenda. Following are seven opportunities where I, as Mayor, would seek to advance our community through arts, culture and heritage.

URBAN REVITALIZATION AND RENEWAL The arts revitalize city neighbourhoods, including the downtown core.

CULTURAL TOURISM People want to visit places that offer exciting things to do as well as intereting ways to express themselves.

CULTURE AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE Cities will not attract new business or investment, or see job growth, if "creativity" is not a component of their
economic and strategic plans. Creativity is the engine of the new economy.

QUALITY OF PLACE, QUALITY OF LIFE Arts, culture and heritage are cornerstones in developing vibrant, attractive, resilient, competitive and creative communities.

BUILDING COMMUNITY IDENTITY AND PRIDE Local arts and heritage give your community vitality and a sense of identity. Cultural activities create and
strengthen social connection, drawing diverse citizens together.

ADDRESS SPECIFIC COMMUNITY CHALLENGES Integrating culture with the delivery of social services can help to address specific social challenges
facing communities in innovative and lasting ways.

PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH Where do people most often look towards for fun, stress relief, peace, personal expression, balance and safe environments? Arts and Culture, that's where.

Arts, culture and heritage can be engaged in any of the foregoing opportunities to strengthen and build our community. They are a vital and important part of our community business.

How would my leadership support and sustain the community's vision for a livable community, which includes culture in everyday living, as outlined in the Community Culture Master Plan, and supporting plans such as the Riverlands Area Redevelopment Pland and the Greater Downtown Action Plan?

Let's first take a look at why Red Deer was one of the first cities in Canada to be designated a Cultural Capital. It was because this community had the foresight and planning sense to commission the Community Culture Master Plan and the supporting plans. We take the arts, culture and heritage seriously in this community. We want to have the arts at the table and on equal footing with the other businesses and activities in our city.   The Plan identifies a desired future and sets out a series of goals and objectives to reach that future. As Mayor, I would use the Plan as the road map to achieving the goals and ultimately the envisioned future. I would also see that the Plan would be a living document that would undergo an annual review, update and extension so that it always reflected the directions the community chooses. As with all plans, you start with the more easily achievable goals and move towards those which take a longer to gather resources and achieve. It is important always to have buy-in from the community with all such plans. I would see my role as Mayor to champion
the Plan and try to encourage the community, individuals, City Council and City Management to support and implement the Plan.

We have already seen some encouraging progress in the Culture Plan and the Greater Downtown and Riverside Meadows Area Redevelopment Plan. Think of the new children's park in Riverside Meadows, the plans for Alexander Way as our Alberta Centennial effort, the new Downtown Plaza Park, the white lights
in the downtown trees and the improvements on Kerry Wood Drive. These are only a few of the visible examples of the Plan being rolled out.

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From K.C. Pavlick, candidate for City Council

K.C. Pavlick has an extensive background in the arts. He has performed in or directed a dozen major theatre productions as well as roles in several television commercials. K.C. Pavlick has received awards for excellence in directing and writing. K.C. Pavlick's father is the Award Winning, Best Selling author and poet, Frank Pavlick.

With this culturally enriched background, you can be sure that K.C. Pavlick will continue to champion for the arts.

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From John Cockerell, candidate for Public School Trustee

I like to think of myself as a person who rewards excellence and then builds on it. I like to think in terms of goals, and yardsticks to measure our progress towards those goals.

In terms of funding from 3 levels of government, I believe there should be a reward attached to achieving the title of "Culture Capital of Canada". Our community representatives at 2 levels can petition the federal and provincial governments to provide a reward or financial incentive for achieving this prestigeous designation. Thus, no handouts involved. Some may think this only allows the best to get better at the expense of others, but there could be runner-up incentives also.

In terms of the second part of the question, and with a focus on the schools, I think we can use a similar reward system, but at a school level. For those of you who have visited Eastview Middle School, and witnessed the hanging art in the main hall, you realize the talent and organization involved. As a public school board trustee, I would ensure that funding for arts related programs remains strong. I would also suggest putting into place a talent search, to give those students who qualify for exceptional artistic merit the recognition they need to obtain special funding to excel even more. This extra funding could come from the community at large including various service clubs. I do believe in the slogan from the Alberta Commission on Learning: "Every child learns. Every child succeeds.", but extraordinary talent needs to be recognized and enhanced. A well rounded education is important, but the cure for cancer will not be discovered by a "well rounded" individual.

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From Lloyd Baumgarten, candidate for Catholic School Trustee

The Arts and Culture enhance our community's beauty and social fibre. They communicate our value in the often simpler things in life as well as the finer side of life. As a trustee, I supported the Fine Arts focus at St. Martin de Porres last year and I will continue to support programs which foster growth in experience and appreciation of the Arts and the various aspects of our young but very rich culture. Businesses of an Arts and Cultural nature will enliven the downtown much like they do Old Strathcona in Edmonton or Calgary's downtown cultural venues.

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From Roger Will, candidate for City Council

a) We should be proud as citizens of Red Deer that we were honoured with the Cultural Capital of Canada award. By working with community leaders, I would be proud to represent Red Deer in obtaining support from the federal, provincial, and corporate levels with the city playing its role to carry on our investment into the community by way of programs and events in Red Deer.  Every councillor has a duty to promote culture and ensure that we encourage partnerships within the community so cultural events remain a focal point of Red Deer's everyday community.

b) In order to sustain the community's vision for a liveable community, which includes culture in everyday living; we would need to bring together all the stakeholders to commit their support. This support need not necessarily be financial but rather a true desire to support the community through events, programs, and the long-term planning process that promotes culture. I truly believe that art and culture add a distinct dimension that weaves its way through the fabric of our community. Throughout my school and college years, one of my greatest joys was performing on stage.

The Community Culture Master Plan, the Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan and the Greater Downtown Action Plan all give us a good direction to follow
in our long-term planning process. I personally sat on the Steering Committee for the Greater Downtown Action Plan. This plan was developed to make Red Deer define its development for the benefit for all citizens.  Following this plan would enhance our city for today's and future generations. Putting together these Master Plans is a collaboration of citizens' input and sets a good direction for Red Deer to follow.

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From Cindy Jefferies, candidate for City Council

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your question pertaining to arts and culture in our community/province/country.

a) I appreciate the work of so many people in our community who continue to promote arts and culture in Red Deer, in Alberta, and in Canada. I believe this work needs to be, and it is, ongoing. Tremendous progress has been made over the years as Red Deer has grown; we are fortunate to have such a diverse array of opportunities.

How would I enhance and encourage federal/provincial/municipal investment in the cultural sector? Advocacy - take advantage of every opportunity to speak to the importance of this sector. As a trustee, I attended a session at a conference which highlighted the opportunities for employment and business in arts and culture. I was ‘blown away’ by the number of jobs created and the economic impact of this sector. While I would prefer that people appreciated the value of arts and culture for more than the economic impact, I think promoting this aspect opens the doors to more support and opportunity. I would want to speak to the economic components, but also encourage appreciation for the ‘quality of life’ components. Arts and culture contribute to the richness of our community; they are valuable without considering the employment and business opportunities presented.

b) I believe we are fortunate to have, (and to have had), members of our community who recognize(d) the importance of exposing people to the arts and who have worked to create so many opportunities for arts and culture to be part of our daily living. The opportunities to explore our own individual creativity and appreciate the creativity of others are important and add so much to life. How would my leadership support and sustain the community’s vision for a livable community, which includes culture in everyday living? First of all, I would welcome the opportunity to learn more about the work being done in this area. To date, I must admit, I have been a beneficiary of the hard work and effort of others as a patron and participant. I believe we need to support the people and groups who are taking the initiative and providing the leadership. The community (including Council) must continue to work together. The Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan and the Greater Downtown Action Plan provide wonderful opportunities for our community to continue to lead as a Culture Capital. I think there is tremendous potential to create unique environments in these two areas which will attract people and business –arts and culture play a pivotal role in that endeavour.

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From Dianne MacCaulay, candidate for Public School Trustee

a) Since Red Deer was named one of Canada's Cultural Capitals recently I think it only fitting to quote Gabrielle Roy who has been honored by putting his quote on the new $20 bill, "Could we ever know each other in the slightest without the arts". Fine words to live by I think. So in short I feel if it is important enough to enhance our currency with art and famous quotes, the government should find it also important enough financially support.

b) I grew up in a small town outside of Red Deer so as you can imagine our High School options in regards to arts and culture were slim.But I was fortunate enough to participate in a Drama Workshop at the Red Deer College ,and in all honesty it changed my life.I was exposed to a whole other world just in my back yard that I had no idea even existed.The impact of the work shop lead me to audition for my first C.A.T production ,what an awesome experience for a young girl.Since then I have continued to support the theater ,and I am also active in other arts such as painting ,calligraphy,and singing.So I can assure you with my experience in the Arts and Culture in Red Deer and how they positively influenced my life, I will always support and sustain them in this community.

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From Paul Gowans, candidate for City Council

Red Deer is recognized as a great place to live and work. There are many  reasons for this. One of them is a direct consequence of the efforts and demonstrated skills of our arts and cultural community. Red Deer, being recognized and honored as a Cultural Capital of Canada, illustrates this point very clearly. Citizens of Red Deer no doubt should and do take considerable pride in this recognition!

In terms of your question as to how I would enhance and encourage investment in the arts and cultural sector, I think we need first of all to acknowledge the important impact that culture has on our community. It positively influences our overall quality of life, enhances the community's identity and strengthens the economy. Promoting these aspects of culture should open up more opportunities for support. We also need to recognize that we cannot do it alone. As a result, we need to build partnerships with the local cultural groups, the School Boards, the College, service clubs and work closely with all government levels to take advantage of the various expertise, opportunities and funding that are available. Hopefully, my background in administering schools during the past 25 years, and my experiences working with the Red Deer Public School Board and different levels of government would help in this regard.

With respect to your second question, Red Deer is very fortunate to have many members of the community that have worked in, encouraged and promoted
the arts. We need to draw on their experiences and insights in terms of how we might sustain the community's vision for a viable community, which includes culture in every day living. In terms of myself, I would very much welcome the opportunity to work with the various individuals and groups to explore ideas as to how this goal, as found in the Community Cultural Master Plan, could be reached.

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From Frank Wong, candidate for City Council

(a) Red Deer’s being awarded as one of the Cultural Capitals of Canada has certainly made all citizens of Red Deer very proud. I am proud to have played a small part during the consultation process in the preparation of the Community Culture Master Plan as the representative for the Red Deer and District Chinese Community Society. During the process I advocated the various aspects of arts and culture as they pertain to the Chinese community. We showcase our culture and traditions through our annual participation in Red Deer’s Canada Day celebration, Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year celebration.

Our Society is excited about the section on “Spaces and Places” wherein a cultural or multi-cultural centre could result.  As the current President and one of the founding members of the Red Deer and District Chinese Community Society, which is a member of Cultural Link, I will do whatever I can in the promotion of the Cultural Master Plan. I would also encourage other Cultural Groups to bring forward new ideas to encourage government investment in the cultural sector in Red Deer.

(b) On arts and culture: My ethnic and cultural background, together with my involvement with the Chinese Community Society for over 15 years, have given me ample opportunity to appreciate and support the diversity of arts and culture activities in Red Deer. In talking with the City residents, I have found that most have some sort of vision for a livable community and they would agree that Red Deer has more than its share of arts and culture in everyday living. As the City has adopted the Cultural Master Plan, Riverlands Area Redevelopment Plan, and the Greater Downtown Action Plan, future Councils will need to be creative in the implementation of some of the recommendations. Again it comes back to cost. I would work with Council as a whole in finding ways for creative funding.

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From Phil Hyde, candidate for City Council

a) I believe that arts and culture community deserves the support of Council to ensure access to any funding dollars from all levels of government. I believe it is the role of Council to lobby both the Provincial and Federal governments for support for the arts and culture communities. Red Deer has many active groups in arts and culture that make up this wonderful mosaic that resulted in the Cultural Capital of Canada award.

b) From the day we moved to Red Deer I have visioned the Riverlands partly as a centre for arts and culture facilities. We have several venues in place today and I believe it is a role of council to ensure the growth and health of the arts and culture industry.

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From Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer, candidate for City Council

To begin with, I am in full support of The Cultural Master Plan, The Greater Downtown Riverside Meadows Action Plan and The Riverlands Redevelopment Plan. In each of these plans, which complement each other, the cultural direction of the city is planned. Receiving the 'Cultural Capital of Canada Award' was no accident, hard work and a sound plan gave our City the award and along with it a very generous amount of money in which to implement the plan. The Greater Downtown Riverside Action Plan was submitted to a Provincial government and funding was awarded again, to implement the plan. I envision the same for the newly finished Riverlands Redevelopment Plan.

I believe we have made in roads as far as the two level of government. We are on the map and the momentum cannot be stopped. We have enthusiastic people and groups who will continue to make the arts and cultural a major hub in our city. It is interesting to note that as a city we support a very fine symphony. It is one of the smallest in Canada to be funded in part by the Canada Council. Again, it is the work and preparation of a hard working group of people, in this case, the Board of the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, who put together a convincing application, the symphony received not only money, but national recognition.

One of the main components of the building of the Collicutt was the implementation of art. I do hope you have noted the art work as you walk in the main entrance, in the pool area, down the main street and the lane ways. Just to give you a sense of how we, in Red Deer, value and show case our art, I give you this example. I was at a meeting at the town close to Red Deer. The meeting was held in the town's sport's facility. It was a very fine looking building but it was completely lacking in spirit, vitality, it was, completely void of any art. What a difference arts and culture can make to the quality of living in any community.

We are truly lucky to live in such a city that values its cultural community, I believe there are bigger and more exciting times ahead.  Therefore, it is important to support those candidates who truly value the arts; it makes our community a livable place.

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Election Forum 2004 | Information for Candidates | City Election section