Editor: On behalf of the Recreation, Culture and Public Art Advisory Committee we want to express our dismay at the decision made by 91原创 City council to eliminate culture and art in their recommendation to place recreation under the Parks and Environment Advisory Committee.
It came as a surprise at the November meeting that RCPAC would no longer be a standalone advisory committee.
The members of the committee were confused by the decision and came up with a motion that was presented to council to have them look at forming a sub-committee that focuses on arts and culture, but that was defeated on Dec. 7, with no explanation.
91原创 City council has set themselves up to be questioned on the course they have taken. The committee of volunteers of the RCPAC is made up of many stakeholders, who went through the process of applying to sit on the committee as advisors to council.
Members dedicated their time and brought to the table ideas and initiatives to enhance arts and culture, oftentimes affording the community the opportunity to engage in arts and cultural events through recreation.
If council felt the need to have recreation become part of the Parks and Environment Committee, maybe they should have just formed an Arts and Cultural Committee.
It is disheartening that we have to continue to fight for arts and culture, which enhance the community through engagement and sharing of history, traditions and customs.
Why go backwards when so much momentum and thought was put into moving forward?
Arts and culture foster a sense of community identity, spirit and pride and fosters growth of individuals to reach their full potential.
Culture is created and shared through intellectual achievement in literature, music, fine arts, philosophy and the performing arts.
Culture and art go hand in hand in understanding people and affording opportunities for exposure through self-expression; sharing ethnicities, rituals, customs and history, allowing moments to be honoured, captured, translated and personalized in the delivery of the expression.
One cannot ignore that much of what surrounds us was created by another individual.
Together, we create a new culture by building on possessions created through the course of generations.
Rosemary Wallace,
91原创
