At May 10 Council there will be a presentation and report on the Heritage & Cultural Masterplan. The purpose of this Plan is to guide the Staff in maintaining King’s unique identity, care for its heritage collections and celebrate our cultural assets. As reviewed in the report consultation on the Plan started in November 2019; target is to bring the final draft back to Council in June 2021 incorporating feedback received on this draft. The Plan is impressive in its scope and also in the detail. It is a 10 year Plan; it lays out what is wanted and defines when the specifics will be done. It presents a plan for the Heritage & Cultural Centre (HCC) to truly become “a happening place” throughout the year with a goal of being of interest to all demographics and not just to the Township’s residents. And very importantly the scope of prgramming is not exclusive to the HCC in King City; municipal assets (buildings and open spaces) are to be utilized for programming and exhibitions. If you wish to make a deputation about the report and the Masterplan register with clerks@king.ca by noon May 10; or to same address and same timing send an email. I also suggest if you have some feedback about Masterplan specific you can send that to ebaird@king.ca
I look forward to reading the Heritage and Cultural Master Plan. While “the purpose of the Plan is to guide the Staff in maintaining King’s unique identity, care for its heritage collections and celebrate our cultural assets,” I believe the very people who call King home and especially those who have lived here for some time, perhaps for generations, are best positioned to maintain King’s identity, care for its heritage collections and celebrate King’s cultural assets. I have watched volunteer citizens with passion and expertise do these very things in the King Township Historical Society and in ASK. And yet the responsibility has shifted from these dedicated volunteers to King Township staff, often with the bureaucracy that results. In saying this, I do recognize a good number of well-qualified staff who put their heart and excellent skills into sustaining and highlighting King’s rich heritage and culture. My only appeal here is to give insightful and talented citizen volunteers a key responsible role in shaping the “Plan” and carrying it out in partnership with King Township.
Hello Bruce, I hope you do read over the Masterplan and that once you have read it you will temper, somewhat your concerns. Your comments make it look as though this plan has been made from an ivory tower, far removed from the community and citizens. As noted in the report ASK, KTHS, Museum Board were part of the process. The realities of the pandemic and lock downs has meant that there has not been as much engagement over the last year as there would have been but i don’t think the citizens’ touch has has been lost. Volunteers are critical to delivery; I think having a masterplan which shows the path, so to speak, makes it more enticing for an individual to get involved.
Hello Debbie
Thanks for sending this out. I would love to attend.
Hope you are well and thank you for all that you do for King!
Kathy