Minister Sheila Copps announces names of Cultural Capitals of Canada for 2004

VANCOUVER, October 28, 2003 -- Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps today announced the Cultural Capitals of Canada for 2004 at a press teleconference. The winners are:

Regina, Saskatchewan
Winner for population over 125 000 category - maximum contribution of $500,000

Kelowna, British Columbia
Winner for population between 50 000 and 125 000 category - maximum contribution of $500,000

Owen Sound, Ontario
Winner for population under 50 000 category - maximum contribution of $250,000

Powell River, British Columbia
Winner for population under 50 000 category - maximum contribution of $250,000

Lethbridge, Canmore, Drumheller and Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, and Fernie, British Columbia

Winners for Innovative Cultural Bridges - maximum contribution of $500,000

"The arts and culture are the soul of our communities, and contribute to their vitality. They make our cities and municipalities places of expression, creativity, openness and sharing," said Minister Copps. "In naming the Cultural Capitals of Canada 2004, the Government of Canada recognizes and underlines the important role played by municipalities in the area of arts and culture. Each of the proposed projects will enable a large number of Canadians to gain access to their culture in all its diversity."

In all, 25 applications qualified for awards in the program's second year. To select this year's winners, Minister Copps received unanimous recommendations from an independent advisory committee composed of the mayors of the Cultural Capitals of Canada 2003, supported by experts in the field of arts and culture. The prizes are thus all awarded for merit, according to the quality of the project proposed and the earlier achievements of applicants. Recipient communities receive a contribution matching what they themselves invest.

The contribution can be up to $250,000 or $500,000 depending on the category. The attached fact sheets present a list of the 2004 winners a summary of the projects they proposed, the maximum amount that can be awarded, and a list of the applicants.

The Cultural Capitals of Canada program was launched on May 31, 2002 to promote arts and culture in Canadian municipalities. The program awards cities whose previous achievements demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the arts and culture, and provides funds to enable recipients to mount special events that highlight the importance of arts and cultural activities in our communities.

Four awards are presented to individual municipalities or as partners in a joint project, according to population size. For this program, a municipality is defined as a town, city, regional municipality or district with a duly constituted gouvernement, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit equivalent gouvernements. The Award for Innovative Cultural Bridges goes to a group of two or more municipalities (in at least two different provinces or territories) who submit a joint application to develop innovative cultural exchanges and partnerships that celebrate the community identity of each partner and help to build a lasting legacy for the arts and culture in both.

The deadline for applying to be designated a Cultural Capital of Canada 2005 is March 15, 2004.

Information:

Naline Rampersad
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788

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SUMMARIES OF CULTURAL CAPITALS OF CANADA 2004 SPECIAL PROJECTS
Regina, Saskatchewan

Winner for population over 125 000 category - maximum contribution of $500,000

Special Project: Celebrating the Regina Arts Commission's 25th Anniversary
The events surrounding the Regina Art Commission's 25th Anniversary celebration include initiatives such as Art at Work, which will encourage the development of artworks created by professional artists using materials produced by local businesses; the newly created Regina Art Awards; and Talking Circles, a summer-long multi-media exhibit featuring young Aboriginal artists. A heritage awareness project will highlight Regina's rich diversity of natural, built, and social heritage. Regina's municipal government has played an important role in the development of the arts community, providing strong financial support for the arts and culture and implementing an innovative Municipal Arts Policy.

Kelowna, British Columbia

Winner for population between 50 000 and 125 000 category - maximum contribution of $500,000

Special Project: Kelowna's Cultural Legacy Program
Kelowna's Cultural Legacy Program highlights activities leading up to the city's 100th anniversary in 2005. Events for all seasons include winter outdoor theatre and sculpture events and summer arts-based programming in city parks. An educational program for students will highlight the culture of the city's First Nations, French, Chinese, and Japanese residents. Kelowna has demonstrated a clear vision for the arts and culture as a means of improving quality of life through its cultural development work.

Owen Sound, Ontario

Winner for population under 50 000 category - maximum contribution of $250,000

Special Project: People and the Land

In anticipation of the city's 150th anniversary in 2006, People and the Land presents a broad program of activities that will involve the residents and visitors in their community and reach out to areas beyond provincial borders. Owen Sound will partner with the M'Wikwedong Native Cultural Resource Centre in a cultural exchange with First Nations youth from British Columbia. It will also partner with the neighbouring Saugeen First Nation in a community theatre project, and with other partners in a wide range of interdisciplinary artistic activities from the traditional to the contemporary.New and significant exhibits at museums in the area will reflect the contributions of Black Canadians to the dynamic cultural life of the region and Canada.

Powell River, British Columbia

Winner for population under 50 000 category - maximum contribution of $250,000

Special Project: Qathet Ñ Celebration, Creation, Connection and Continuation
The Coast Salish word Qathet, meaning together, is an apt description of Powell River's ambitious project to work with professional artists, community residents, and First Nations to celebrate its cultural achievements. From major landmark celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Festival of the Performing Arts and the 50th anniversary of the Powell River Chorus to the establishment of a new bilingual Summer School, Powell River will showcase and develop its many talented artists and cultural workers. Despite its small population and remote location, Powell River has an exciting history of cultural activity.

Lethbridge, Canmore, Drumheller, and Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, and Fernie,
British Columbia

Winners for Innovative Cultural Bridges - maximum contribution of $500,000

This is awarded to a group of two or more municipalities (in at least two provinces or territories) who submit a joint application to develop innovative cultural exchanges and partnerships that celebrate the community identity of each partner and help to build a lasting legacy for the arts and culture in both.

Special Project: Celebrating Canada's Coal Culture
Celebrating Canada's Coal Culture centres around several anniversaries which highlight the coal mining history of the region and provides a theme for arts and heritage development in large and small communities. Exhibitions and touring productions will portray aspects of life as a coal miner and, in particular, the lives and work of Italian immigrant coal miners. Canadian authors who have written about coal mining will be profiled. The partners will also host conferences on museums, rural tourism, and preservation of industrial heritage. This proposal is an outstanding collaborative submission.

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APPLICANT COMMUNITIES CULTURAL CAPITALS OF CANADA 2004

Four Cultural Capital of Canada designations are awarded each year to individual municipalities or groups of municipalities with qualifying proposals. The proposals are for activities that celebrate and build a lasting legacy for the arts and culture. Awards are divided into three categories based on population size.

Population over 125 000 category

Edmonton, AB
Regina, SK
Windsor, ON

Population between 50 000 and 125 000 category

Brantford, ON
Guelph, ON
Kamloops, BC
Kelowna, BC
Kingston, ON

Population under 50 000 category

Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, ON
Baie-Saint-Paul, QC
District of Campbell River, BC
Charlottetown, PE
Gravelbourg, SK
Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC
Morinville, AB
Nelson, BC
Owen Sound, ON
Pemberton, BC
District of Powell River, BC
Revelstoke, BC
Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, QC
Saugeen First Nation, ON
Town of Vegreville and County of Minburn, AB
West Vancouver, BC

Award for Innovative Cultural Bridges
This is awarded to a group of two or more municipalities (in at least two provinces or territories) who submit a joint application to develop innovative cultural exchanges and partnerships that celebrate the community identity of each partner and help to build a lasting legacy for the arts and culture in both.

Lethbridge, Drumheller, Canmore and Crowsnest Pass, AB, Fernie, BC