Last night (September 15), thirteen candidates for council and mayor addressed issues surrounding arts and culture in Airdrie at a forum hosted by Creative Airdrie at the Hampton Inn & Suites.

Mayoral candidates Peter Brown, Fred Burley and Marie Lauer and Council candidates Rick Northey, Allan Hunter, Tina Petrow, Chris Gourlie, Fred Burley, Ron Chapman, Marie Lauer, Daria Skibington-Roffel, Darrell Belyk, Tim Lowing, Charlotte Blackwell and Nicole Proseilo were on hand to answer questions.

Each candidate was given one minute at the beginning of the forum for introductions, and were asked to discuss their personal connection to arts and culture. Each candidate then answered two of seven questions about arts and culture in Airdrie, with 90 seconds allowed per response. The candidates were then given one minute each for final remarks. 

The candidates were asked a range of questions on issues including public art, Airdrie’s heritage, positive race relations, art facilities and tourism.

Peter Brown said he embraces all aspects of arts, but reiterated repeatedly that everything done in Airdrie is driven by the people that live here. On the issue of tourism, Brown saw an opportunity to hire an individual to address tourism in Airdrie. He believes the city does have draws, like the Festival of Lights, but there is an opportunity to create more draws. Those ideas need to come from Airdrie’s residents. Brown also addressed race relations in our increasingly diverse city, stating that the best part of his job as mayor has been welcoming new residents. Brown said Airdrie is a dynamic, diverse community welcoming to all. and specifically addressed the LGBTQ community, saying Airdrie is welcoming to all.

Marie Lauer said she considers herself a patron of the arts, and has tried to expose her family to  every opportunity to culture including drama, theatre and dance. Lauer was asked about public art, which she believe adds a visual appeal to the city and adds depth and dynamic to the community. Pointing to controversial art pieces in Calgary, she also said she sees public art as an important way of generating conversation. She said when it comes to investing in art facilities, the community needs to develop a vision for the future, and it's council’s responsibility to be strategic in that. She also said it's important to listen to the voices of people in the arts community that have been working here already.

Fred Burley said a great way to start investing in art facilities that provide a return on investment would be to make a new planned library into a multi-use facility that incorporates the arts in a way decided by the community.  His future vision for Airdrie is a well-rounded, vibrant community that offers something for everyone. Burley also said he thinks public art is important, because it's a visual reminder of heritage. He believes it's important to collaborate to decide what the city wants and where it goes. When it comes to public art, Burley believes Airdrie artists should be considered first, than Calgary-area artists, Albertan artists and finally Canadian artists, and that the City should not go out of the country for public art.

Chris Gourlie said he believes Council's role is to listen to ideas from staff and citizens. Those are the people that have ideas, and Council should support those ideas. He also said more people will be drawn to Airdrie if there are more events. Those attractions will lead people to visit and possibly move to the city. Addressing positive race relations, Gourlie firmly stated that it's crucial to remember everyone is important regardless of differences, and everyone should be treated with respect. He expressed his belief that the city is better when it's inclusive, and Airdrie will support everyone regardless of who they are.

Ron Chapman said tourism would be great, but Airdrie needs to do something to draw people in. According to Chapman, there are too many empty lots downtown that are not owned by the City, and he would love to see development on those lots to improve downtown and attract tourists. He also would like to see Airdrie become more walkable, with plaques telling the city's history. Chapman said Airdrie is an inclusive city and suggested starting some sort of annual festival that highlights cultural diversity.

Nicole Proseilo said she would support the City's upcoming cultural master plan. She also said that the City should look at finding a way to get federal funding for arts and culture. She said she was a huge supporter of public art, because it's something tangible people can interact with. To that end, she believes the city should allocate funds to public art and said it's important for Airdrie to preserve remaining heritage buildings.

Rick Northey explained that he believes government’s role is to improve people’s lives and make the city better. Northey said when investing in art facilities, Airdrie should not compete with Calgary and should endeavor to build something unique. He deferred to the arts community, who he believes has a better idea of what that would be. He also admitted arts and culture was not his area of expertise, but was happy to have the debate, and expressed his belief that good ideas become great ideas when more people are in the room.

Allan Hunter repeatedly vowed his commitment to work for the citizens and guard their tax dollars. He said direction needs to come from the community when it comes to arts and culture. In regards to an upcoming cultural master plan, Hunter said the City is good at making plans but not as good at executing. Any cultural plan would need to be matched with execution, dollars, and communication to all residents. Hunter also said an important part of Airdrie’s heritage is our agricultural roots, which he believes is being forgotten and needs to be preserved.

Tina Petrow, when asked about the upcoming cultural master plan, said she would support it but also expressed the importance of looking at it once it's actually out. She also said Airdrie faces an important decision on whether we want to become a suburb of Calgary or create our own unique identity. She also said that Airdrie has lost most of its heritage buildings, but not all of them, and going forward the City needs to evaluate if the cultural master plan does enough to preserve Airdrie's heritage. She also said Airdrie needs to plan for future growth, and make sure future plans are cohesive and fit the desires of residents.

Darrell Belyk said he has a two sided approach to arts and culture. He has both enjoyed what Airdrie offers in terms of events, and as a councillor he has had the opportunity to listen to different groups present ideas and approve them when appropriate, something he hopes to continue to do. Belyk said he believes the city's role is to assist the musuem and other groups that highlight Airdrie's heritage. He also said he would support the upcoming cultural master plan. In regards to downtown redevelopment, he said he would have to wait to see what City staff bring back in the form of a report. If the report is favourable, the arts and culture community would need to be consulted on what types of facilities are needed in Airdrie.

Daria Skibington-Roffel said one of the first things she noticed when she first moved to Airdrie was a lack of arts spaces, and she would like to see some sort of arts common that would draw people to the city. She said she looks forward to advocating on behalf of the arts community if elected and hopes to see Airdrie become a more arts friendly city. She also said that preserving Airdrie's heritage is important and a good way to do that is through public art.

Charlotte Blackwell said she believes Airdrie already has a solid strategic plan for arts and culture, and council needs to build on those issues. She also said Airdrie needs to find its niche. Comparing the city to Vulcan, Vegreville and other communities that boast a large draw, she said Airdrie needs to find what we can offer to bring people to the community. She also said the city needs to reach out to younger generations and capitalize on them in a way that has an economic impact.

Tim Lowing said he was excited to potentially be a part of the solution going forward when it comes to arts and culture in Airdrie. He said he thinks art is something that needs to be fostered in Airdrie for everyone from kids to seniors. Lowing said he thinks arts can be a good return on investment, because cultural facilities can serve as draws to the community. With the possibility of the Olympics returning to Calgary, Airdrie should get ready to capitalize by creating cultural attractions that will draw people into Airdrie at that time.

 

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