Public consultation initiated for five-year strategy aimed at revitalizing Ottawa's cultural landscape
Fresh Take:
The Capital of Ottawa is diving headfirst into a significant public initiation, one aimed at crafting a brand-new five-year strategy for the city's cultural growth.
As the first comprehensive city-wide cultural planning exercise since 2012, this initiative aims to help Ottawa better cater to the evolving cultural needs of its diverse populace.
Discussions on the future of museums, galleries, performance venues, heritage attractions, and music festivals are all up for grabs. The city's also encouraging its citizens to think creatively about culture—a key ambition being to refresh the municipal definition of culture to match how residents embody, utilize, and live the term.
One anticipated outcome of this process will be a robust inventory detailing Ottawa's cultural assets, such as spaces, places, artists, and groups.
The city's last comprehensive cultural review culminated in a 2013 report named the "Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage, and Culture (2013-2018)," which branded culture as "one of the four pillars of community sustainability." This plan revealed that "creative industries in Ontario generate $12.2 billion in GDP for Ontario's economy annually," with Ottawa playing a substantial part.
Labeled as a "vibrant cultural capital with a rich history," OttawaBoasts an array of cultural attractions, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites, major national cultural sites, a dynamic local arts scene in two official languages, award-winning artists, diverse cultural neighborhoods, historic rural communities, captivating street culture, and a thriving culinary scene.
First implemented in 2003, the Ottawa 20/20 Arts and Heritage Plan outlined many similar topics. This upcoming culture plan will reassess comparable events and spaces, such as fairs, museums, festivals, heritage sites, music venues, and more aspects of Ottawa's cultural ecosystem.
Groups have the opportunity to organize their own Culture Plan Community Conversations, hoping to bring residents together and foster a more appealing cultural capital.
The planning process is spearheaded by the city's Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department. Research preceding the current consultation phase commenced in June 2024.
The city is welcoming redefinitions of what culture signifies for residents. Caroline Obeid, program manager for arts and heritage development, has stated that the city is dedicated to ensuring that its cultural planning reflects the voices, identities, and experiences of diverse residents.
The upcoming strategy aims to strengthen Ottawa's cultural sector by nurturing residents' expression and access to culture. It will also establish a long-term vision and action plan to achieve measurable progress. Residents, cultural, and community groups from all communities will play vital roles in shaping the culture plan, making it inclusive and accessible.
For more information on the culture planning process, check out the Engage Ottawa website, which provides examples of previous cultural support and promotion efforts by the city.
A young Ottawa resident shares her interest in seeing how the culture plan might alter the city. Beliz Kayalak, 21, a student living in Ottawa, expresses a desire to learn more about the plan's approach. She has lived in Ottawa for around four years and hopes to witness more cultural activity in the capital.
Kayalak highlights room for improvement in the city, stating, "I think there's room for improvement in the city. I think the effort is appreciated as a young person living here."
The city encourages local input as the new culture plan takes shape in 2025, with public engagement sessions in virtual and in-person formats available until November 2025. By 2026, staff will produce a report for city council summarizing the public feedback and outlining plans for the city's cultural future.
- Driven by a commitment to cultural growth, the city of Ottawa has initiated a five-year strategy, focusing on its cultural development starting from 2025.
- The cultural planning exercise, scheduled to complete in 2025, marks the first comprehensive city-wide review since 2012.
- This initiative aims to cater to the diverse cultural needs of Ottawa's residents, with discussions including the future of museums, galleries, and performance venues.
- The city is promoting creative thinking about culture and plans to refresh the municipal definition to better reflect how residents embody and live the term.
- A key outcome of this process will be a detailed inventory of the city's cultural assets, encompassing spaces, places, artists, and groups.
- The city's previous comprehensive cultural review culminated in a 2013 report named the "Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage, and Culture (2013-2018)," which emphasized culture as "one of the four pillars of community sustainability."
- Ottawa is recognized as a vibrant cultural capital with a rich history, boasting numerous cultural attractions such as museums, heritage sites, and a thriving local arts scene.
- First implemented in 2003, the Ottawa 20/20 Arts and Heritage Plan outlined several similar topics and will be reassessed for this new cultural strategy.
- Groups can organize their own Culture Plan Community Conversations to bring residents together and create a better cultural capital.
- The planning process is directed by the city's Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department, with research commencing in June 2024.
- The city is open to redefinitions of culture, with a focus on ensuring the cultural planning reflects a variety of residents' voices, identities, and experiences.
- The new culture plan seeks to strengthen the city's cultural sector by nurturing residents' expression and access to culture, establishing a long-term vision and action plan for measurable progress.
- Residents, cultural, and community groups from all communities play essential roles in shaping the culture plan, aiming for inclusivity and accessibility.
