Huron-Kinloss Cultural Plan

Project Description:

Huron-Kinloss is a beautiful, amalgamated community of towns and villages along the shores of Lake Huron. Funded through the Ontario Creative Community Prosperity Fund, Cobalt Connects was engaged as the lead consultant to create the Township’s first Cultural Plan.

Rural communities have been identified as lacking in cultural policy in Ontario and present unique opportunities and challenges due to geography, lack of traditional cultural infrastructure, and typically small cultural budgets. Cobalt was excited to dive into what likely wasn’t going to be a standard process.

Over the course of year, Cobalt Connects conducted hundreds of interviews and engagement session with local artists, 4H club members, Historical Club founders, church and business leaders, residents and property owners, local grade school students and the Mennonite community.  By adopting a “go the people” approach of engaging residents, we held creative sessions in arenas, legion halls, parks and schools across the Township. Working with artists to help make the process fun and engaging, it was seen as a major breakthrough when leaders from the Mennonite community arrived to participate in a session in town.

In the end, a plan was created that would unite the community in a common love of their rural traditions, a respect for an evolving history, but also a desire to ensure their community can grow and embrace the youth who seek a future in the region. Council voted unanimously in favour of the plan, Sowing the Seeds of Local Culture, which laid out a multi-year strategy to developing a stronger sense of local culture, collaboration and civic engagement.

Client: Township of Huron-Kinloss

Collaborators: Township staff, hundreds of residents

Website: https://www.huronkinloss.com/en/explore-and-play/arts-and-culture.aspx

City: Township of Huron-Kinloss, ON. (Ripley, Lucknow, Point Clark)

Date: 2013