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This is about the Cultural Development Commission (CDC), to be given new authority over how Nelson is run and looks at itself but not really with a new bylaw maybe and a new second-hand Comprehensive Cultural Policy.
And the Community Heritage Commission (CHC) absorbed but not really by the CDC as part of the process maybe.
And the current Advisory Planning Commission (APC) being disbanded but not really to become a new version of itself maybe.
This transfiguration - to be operational by September - somewhat dealt with in the Regular Council Meeting, July 9. What with most everybody gone for at least part of the summer.....do the math!
City Hall's culture of procedure over content
All this supposedly as requested by the Committee of the Whole. As per The Corporation Of The City Of Nelson, Request For Decision - City Committee Restructure, page 1. Actually not quite! As I understand it: The Committee of the Whole is called this because it is to be all-inclusive - allowing for direct, on-the-spot participation of the whole of Nelson. This whole was not consulted; it has not participated in this process in any way!
In fact, Councilor Macdonald makes clear to CDC members in that group's last meeting, July 4, that their input is not sought, because - to paraphrase her - this is the job of officials they elected: like it or not. Definitely or not, particularly as she is here as a CDC member! Or what!
That attitude is uncomfortably close to the Harper telling nay-sayers that he is only doing what the majority elected him to do! So there!
Of course, as requested by could be a misspeak, yet this not having been caught by the collective Council is telling. Which - in this meeting - is unenthusiastic, unprepared and largely baby-sat by the City Manager. Clearly without a vision that this shift in commissioning - if done thoughtfully - could be the game-changer Nelson needs to become resuscitated. There will be further readings!
A culture of just wanting to go home
You may not care about any of this, but you should care about the wonderful, whacky world of City Hall - procedure in action - and if you don't like it for whatever reason: get your butt to council meetings and express your opinion in said monthly Committees of the Whole!
The following is a peek at City Hall: in this case talking the talk but so far not really walking it anywhere.
CDC
So you don't know what the current CDC is all about. Understandably so: neither does the CDC. It has never clearly explained itself to itself and the general public - using many words to not do that in the initial Comprehensive Cultural Policy of 4 years ago. Which will become the new Comprehensive Cultural Policy - after Minor Changes - maybe, but still not explaining what culture means.
What follows then is: how exactly will Council have this Culturally Developing Commission morph into the Cultural Development Committee!
CHC
But you do know about the CHC - the group responsible for choking-off any kind of meaningful development downtown for years, while letting so-called heritage buildings there fade into a Brigadoon-fog of dinginess and decay. So-called: because Nelson's brand of heritage does not conform to the accepted definition of the term farther outside its fog-belt.
APC
The APC - the CHC's strange bed-fellow - has been pointless for years: largely because no planning is needed when there is no development.
To illustrate my point: the APC meeting, June 20, is attended by two basic members, one rep each from City Planning and Council. A third member shows-up 30 minutes late: he'd forgotten! At that point I leave because this isn't going anywhere - seemingly the reason why the rest of the members hadn't shown-up.
According to the City Manager: these same APCers will have a direct shot at participating in the new APC-configuration.
A culture of expediency
Anyway, it would seem reasonable - at this juncture - for Council to finally and definitively explain what culture and heritage mean to City Hall - this as a basis for letting Nelson get on with it for real, focused on economic needs and guided by a CDC bylaw/policy with teeth. While mindful of Nelson's past - not held captive by a selectively superficial memory of it.
Thus far - the City's interpretation (if any!) of both has been all over the map and through repetitiousness accepted by a dumbed-down public.
Ultimately it does not matter how City Hall interprets anything - as long as it communicates whatever clearly to the public for acceptance/rejection.
A culture of self-determination through participatory democratic processes.
A healthy culture!
Culture - according to City Hall
As lead-in to this proposed almost-as-good-as-new Comprehensive Cultural Policy we once again still have Nelson as "the best small art town in Canada", even though - one more time: the author never visited Nelson, and the other three Canadian candidates were Stratfod Ont, Niagara-on-the-Lake and a Gulf island. With Nelson's entry a stand-out as the longest: an over-the-top sales-pitch of wishful thinking, phoned-in as fact! Embarrassing!
A culture of insecurity
Then the Policy says that Many different definitions of arts, culture and heritage are used interchangeably. How fun! It already said that four years ago and here still mentions culture/cultural/cultural sector 99 times - give-or-take a few!
The Policy's cultural sector, among others, comprises cultural events, cultural organizations, First Nations history and culture - in these three at least: culture probably having different meanings.
Not to itemize here all the different cultures - none as telesexy as First Nations - brought to Nelson over time and contributing to the City becoming what it is today. If those Councilors from different cultures - or with a partner from a different culture - want to dump theirs in favor of the British-colonial mono-cultural look: go for it!
But for Council to disregard non-white-Anglo culture-groups here is disrespectful - and reprehensible, as Council members were voted into office in part by these very same they disrespect!
Nonetheless - we do have our identity as a vibrant, authentic cultural community in which cultural attributes permeate everyday life. What twaddle this and much of the Cultural Policy!
A culture of ignorance
Heritage - according to City Hall
In the CDC's reincarnation: heritage will continue to be about British-colonial buildings and their owners/architects only. Decidedly not about those many from other cultures, who made the money for those few and under what conditions. Who made Nelson!
So these non-people from non-cultures also didn't have and don't have a heritage! How could they - they didn't and don't exist!
Unless they vote and consume!
A culture o bigotry
How heritage a la Nelson will fit into the new, improved CDC remains to be seen, as the heritage-contingent is a bunch of fundamentalists with an agenda - totally not ready to vacate the throne!
A clear and expansive, commonly acceptable and accepted definition of heritage and culture are the needed fulcrum for heaving Nelson out of its smug and narrow-minded cedar-chips: into an era of cooperation, based on a focused goal for the good of the whole - now! A Cultural Development Committee could be conduit, guide, flashpoint in this - once defined in a clear, simple language kept brief!
Councilor Cherbo, most vocal heritage-above-all advocate on Council - in full Freudian slippage - in his opinions refers to the Cultural Heritage Commission.
Bless him!
If only!
The next Committee of the Whole,
Mon. July 23, 19:00,
Council Chambers - City Hall
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