(More from the mayor’s forum last Friday night.)
Asked what they’d do about an arts and culture facility, infrastructure for it and a site, Sylvan’s three mayoralty candidates weighed in with different ideas.
Noting the Heart of Town Association gave the town $100,000 in trust for a stage on the pier, Sean McIntyre said he’d love to see that happen.
“It goes back to communications with the province,” he said. “The pier is not owned by the town.”
McIntyre predicted a regional recreation hub is eight to ten years down the road and there’s a great opportunity to add a performing arts segment, work with local organizations to see that become a reality. He noted the skatepark took about 10 years to establish.
Melesa Starcheski said she’d need input from residents about what they’d like. She suggested things like the Trauma Tour need to be considered again.
Susan Samson pointed to planning for the new multiplex which will include a civic events centre, “a larger space that this (community centre) that is much more formal so we can attract things like concerts and conventions. We’ve got plans in the works for the multiplex. We’re going to try and make it more multi-use.”
She added the town contributes significant dollars to Jazz at the Lake, Shake the Lake and Alberta Culture Days to promote those events. The new town administration building is going to be used for cultural events.
“I’m not in favour of a Trauma Tour,” Samson said. “This is a young family based community. An event like Trauma Tour no longer fits with the kind of community we have here today.”
“If there are 13,000 people in town, there are 13,000 opinions, we need to hear people, support what people want,” said Starcheski in rebuttal. “Let’s listen to people and decide.”