Whitby yesterday announced a new plan to build and support its culture and creative economy over the next ten years.
The town’s first-ever Culture Plan – “Culture Connects Whitby” – is focused on creating cultural connections in the community through five key areas of focus:
- Connecting creativity: strengthening and diversifying Whitby’s local arts, culture, heritage and creative sector through investments in people and programs.
- Connecting communities: supporting and building community and partner support for arts and culture in the town.
- Connecting places: preserving and enhancing Whitby’s cultural spaces and places.
- Connecting stories: celebrating and engaging with culture in Whitby so that all residents see themselves reflected in the cultural landscape, narratives and daily life.
- Connecting the process: elevating and integrating culture’s role within internal processes at the Town.
The plan also identifies 75 action items to support culture in Whitby, including:
- Partnering with both private and public partners to attract cultural investment
- Preserving and promoting local heritage
- Supporting and strengthening neighbourhood identity through localized community neighbourhood associations
- Recognizing, collaborating with and enhancing Whitby’s culinary and live music sectors
- Developing a community-driven Whitby Tourism Strategy
“Whitby residents value arts and culture in all its variety. It is part of what makes our town a great place to live. Whether it’s our Station Gallery, public library, Lynde House Museum, Whitby Courthouse Theatre, waterfront, downtowns or our many events, the Culture Plan identifies actions to support all that we now have and add more things to see, do and enjoy,” said Mayor Don Mitchell.
“The Downtown Whitby BIA is looking forward to continuing to foster our collaborative working environment with the Town as a key partner to bring the Culture Plan to life in the coming years. It has been said many times before, that the Downtown Whitby BIA is here to do great things for our downtown area, and with the adoption of this Culture Plan, it gives us more insight into the wants and needs of our community. The development of this Culture Plan was fresh and new, a welcoming addition to our Town. Culture plays such an important part of who we all are and we now have a solid foundation in place to achieve that,” added Karey Anne Large, Executive Director, Downtown Whitby BIA.
To read the full Culture Plan, visit connectwhitby.ca/culture-plan.
Quick Facts
- More than 1,000 Whitby residents, cultural organizations and businesses contributed their ideas toward the development of the plan.
- More than 80 per cent of participants in the Town’s recent Community Survey shared they are proud to say they are from Whitby. In the same survey, more than 80 per cent of participants indicated they were most satisfied with the community events as a municipal priority.
- The Culture Plan supports Whitby Council’s goal to become the destination of choice for visitors; to realize the economic, cultural and social potential of our downtowns, waterfront, green spaces and major attractions; to support and facilitate new community events and increase recreational opportunities along our waterfront.