Counties set to spend $107K on cultural mapping project

It's going to cost the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) and its tourism partners more than $107,000 to carry out a cultural mapping and inventory project.

At a committee of the whole meeting held on Tuesday, November 9, regional mayors agreed to proceed with the cultural mapping and inventory project recommended in the Economic Development for Prescott-Russell Final Report, which was compiled by the consulting firm Millier Dickinson Blais.

It was published in February 2011 and outlines a strategic plan for economic development and tourism in Prescott-Russell.

The report recommended the UCPR, along with the newly formed Prescott-Russell Tourism Association, work together on the cultural mapping project, which the UCPR says will "guide the decisions of the UCPR and its eight municipalities and guide the cultural development of the UCPR on the socio-economic reality of the environment and budgetary capacity of its eight municipalities."

Sylvain Charlebois, director of economic development and tourism for the counties, recommended that the counties confirm a financial partnership with the Prescott-Russell Community Development Corporation (PRCDC) for the project and that council mandate the counties' own economic development and tourism department to manage the project.

His report makes no mention of the Prescott-Russell Tourism Association.

It does note that the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture created a cultural fund, named the Creative Communities Prosperity Fund, to provide financial support to cultural projects and helps non-profit organizations implement special initiatives designed to strengthen the capacity for cultural planning.

"The UCPR submitted a funding application to the fund and was approved for an amount of $60,358.50," Charlebois said.

In addition to that money, the UCPR will put $17,000 toward the project, while the PRCDC will invest $30,000, bringing the grand total of the project to $107,000.

He explained the counties will define a process of consultation and strategies for awareness and training for creative clusters and create an extensive database on cultural heritage and a municipal plan, including information that will meet the cultural needs of all eight regional municipalities.

Charlebois said partners will develop a call for tender relating to the objectives of the cultural mapping projects, including a complete inventory of all cultural resources and will hire a consultant that will be tasked with creating a report on how to carry out the project.

"The consultant will carry out all of the goals and objectives of the project," he commented. "This will be an excellent tool for us and will carry us into the future."