City council in no rush to resume PAC talks

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This article was published 13/02/2019 (1898 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach city council expressed interest on Tuesday night in arts and cultural idea submissions from the Steinbach Arts Council, but it appeared too soon to begin anew any discussion of a performing arts centre.

Discussion of the need for a performing arts centre in the city was just one of several points raised as council met with SAC in committee on Tuesday night.

“This is going to be our 40th anniversary this year,” Cindi Rempel Patrick, SAC’s chief creative officer, noted.

“Forty years ago we had a 310 seat theatre in the SRSS. 40 years later we have a 310 seat theatre at the SRSS.”

Rempel Patrick encouraged council that SAC was still ready to work alongside the city on performing arts centre plans, part of what she argued was important to quality of life in Steinbach.

“We learned a lot,” Rempel Patrick added regarding performing arts centre project efforts in recent years.

Plans for a $24 million performing arts centre development were cancelled by city council in 2017.

“The project was simply too ambitious for what the council and other levels of government were willing to support, but we definitely know there was a private commitment to it,” Rempel Patrick said.

She noted that five private donors pledged $3.1 million towards the performing arts centre plan and asked that council remember that as it considered future projects.

Mayor Earl Funk told The Carillon following the meeting that it was a good presentation but that any discussions remain “on the backburner” when it comes to a performing arts centre.

“At this point, not that I’m saying we don’t need it, I just don’t see that the city can go down that road at this point,” Funk said, citing lack of provincial and federal funding as one obstacle.

He noted that the city is continuing to dedicate about $1 million annually to its recreation and culture reserve.

“We will be building facilities out of that. Exactly in what order, how we are going to do that…we’ll be deliberating that,” he said.

“We do have some plans going forward. At this point it’s just premature to talk about them.”

Rempel Patrick and SAC board vice-chair Audrey Hill also suggested part of what could help shape the city’s vision for arts and culture would be the establishment of a cultural policy. The document could help guide arts-related projects both big and small.

While a major capital project maybe wasn’t in the offing, council was interested in the idea of public art projects for the city. Mayor Earl Funk suggested that council would like to see five or six idea submissions from SAC to consider at its summer study session.

Public art has had mixed success in the last number of years.

Rempel Patrick noted the popularity of a piano painted by artists at Summer in the City and now placed at Clearspring Centre.

A large multi-coloured school bell, designed by retired educator J.D. Lees, was greeted with little enthusiasm by council when the Steinbach Heritage Committee project was proposed for placement on the grounds of city hall. Eventually it found its way to the corner of Reimer Street and Third Street at SAC in 2011.

Other more recent public art projects include the Canada 150 mosaic display which enjoys prominent placement at the Jake Epp Library.