Inspire St. Catharines: Culture Plan 2020

Culture makes St. Catharines a distinct and vibrant place, providing us with creative businesses, engaged people and a diversity of experiences. Culture influences our neighbourhoods, celebrates our stories and can help shape our future.

A three-phased approach was used to develop the Culture Plan: research on the state of culture in St. Catharines; community consultations; and an internal analysis of the City's committees, departments and plans that relate to culture.

On March 23 City Council approved Inspire St. Catharines: Culture Plan 2020. The Culture Plan identifies the many cultural assets we enjoy and recommends culture-specific priorities to strengthen our future. The Culture Plan is designed to inform City decision makers when considering investments, programming, facilities and policies that affect the creative sector, our built heritage and our urban fabric. The Culture Plan connects the culture dots of our community with a fundamental goal to grow the "cultural vitality" of St. Catharines' future.

Vision Statement

The City of St. Catharines boasts a dynamic and robust cultural sector, and values the arts, heritage and culture as essential to community building and sustainability. St. Catharines supports and promotes culture to enrich the lives of its residents, attract new people and ideas, bolster economic development and social inclusion and celebrate its unique identity. The City will nurture, support and celebrate St. Catharines distinct identity, creativity and diversity through the promotion and advancement of a wide range of cultural activities, events, facilities, programs and services that serve all citizens of St. Catharines regardless of age, ethnicity or income.

Culture Plan Priorities

The Culture Plan priorities have been shaped to allow for future opportunities that may emerge. They are:

1. Communicate the experiences and value of culture to all St. Catharines' residents.
2. Foster participation in arts, heritage and cultural experiences.
3. Cultivate the growth and development of the creative sector.
4. Further develop the planning, management and coordination of heritage assets and historical services.
5. Recognize and embrace the city's cultural diversity as a cornerstone for civic engagement.
6. Leverage culture to strengthen St. Catharines' distinct sense of place and community.
7. Foster the cross-departmental management and delivery of arts and heritage service delivery, planning and community development.