Here continuing from Part 2: immediately below - and Part 1: second post below that.
Part 1
looks at t h e opportunity missed by Nelson to definitively get itself on the map as a tourist focus/destination, with allowing the Co-op project to go forward as unimaginatively, disconnectedly planned: an only self-serving waste of t h e location - the heart of Nelson. The Co-op's sole motivating factor: paying-off debts incurred by acquiring this space it didn't need to begin with. The faster they go - the behinder they get. Shape-shifters.
City Council's giving-the-store-away approval is locking-in/down Nelson's future. In terms of progress: before this deal going nowhere particular - they now decidedly have nowhere left to go. Or park.
While an exceptional building-complex - a collaborative effort between Co-op + City - could have given this heart blood to pump - energizing Nelson. Example: Bilbao, Spain transforming/defining itself with a single audacious building. Turning Bilbao from incidental stopover into preferred destination. Tourists - and their money! - keep on coming!
Part 2
looks at how resources - and Nelson does have resources don't be fooled! - instead of bundled for one large statement of vision and quality are thrown at awkward, unconnected bits and pieces. By a single group: the Cultural Development Committee (CDC). Holding back healthy, self-sustaining cultural development with their embarrassing lack of overall vision, scope and cultural development in-house.
Part 3
looks at the CDC, and how it was recently (inadvertently?) placed by Council as decision-maker over just about anything Nelson. Just like that - like this:
The present-future of Nelson depend on tourism. There's nothing else - period. So we have the tourism group, the economic group, the Chamber of Commerce, the merchants group, the CDC, the mayor and Council. They all know this - separately. They may connect here and there - but as there's no universal game-plan because there's no vision (and everybody has an all-overriding personal agenda to nurture along) - their talk comes down to rewrapping the topic in more-and-more over-the-top adjectives only: touting now way more than there actually is.
In reality nothing of tangible consequence is produced; nothing changes to move Nelson forward; nothing entices more tourists to come. And why should they now? We can't even get the welcome-signs right!
Nelson is a pleasant town, at a pleasant lake, with pleasant mountains and pleasant shopping. Yet there are other places like that in BC - so Nelson generally has been a pleasant stopover from somewhere to somewhere else. Except in winter, when snow-people come - but not to shop.
During the rest of the year the tourist-trade just sort-of hangs-in there. Lots of vacant stores - with fake-movement when one store closes for good, and someone with hope moves into that location from another less desirable, and someone else... A domino-effect: mostly horizontal - little vertical.
The Cultural Development Committee should be instrumental in nudging Nelson into economic bliss - after all: there is the expensive paper on the Cultural Tourist filed somewhere at City Hall, and culture supposedly is the CDC's mission. While the City - for lack of an identity - hangs on to fool's gold of past local artiness. Via the CDC's modus operandi - never having come to terms with the term culture, thus bypassing various cultures which made this town - turning culture as such into monosyllabic art. Nelson's monosyllabic art.
Never a word from them on the Nelson Commons - initially seen as the cultural center of the universe. With a possibility of becoming a tourist-destination, moving Nelson towards sustainability. And even once it becomes clear that the Commons will be no more than a rather common condo-block: the CDC could have - totally appropriately - stepped-up to talk about a vision. If it had one!
With Councillor/CDC-rep Macdonald in a Co-op "update" to Council some time ago - while mildly curious - saying little about the then presented - even less appealing than now - design of the building.
One World Trade Centre is a non-event. It's vanilla. It's like something they would build in Canada.
Banksy
On with Nelson. While the excuse from City Hall is: we've no control over design of private developments - it consistently controls away from downtown, sheltered by trees, with little traffic. But it can't have - at least - input into a very large, in-your-face development in the center of downtown? Not even on an aesthetic level hello CDC?
Smallish Mindscapes
The absence of CDC involvement here could be forgiven as limited cognitive ability - if it weren't for Nelson's persistent hunger to be bigger, better, more than it is. So there's cognition of sorts: but producing a thin layer of DOA artiness only. No grand gesture, no human-connect! The Council model!
The depth of the CDC's cognitive faculties made clear by Macdonald when she - flying without the CDC - calls Nelson's first piece of plop - the heron-post - a world-class piece of art. Without having seen it. Swallowed by Council without a hiccup: like due process within the CDC. Macdonald later modifying her expert assessment to a major piece of art. Still not having seen it. Kelowna's corporate condo-art plopped at the lake. Free and costing the taxpayer $10.000.
I was a member of the CDC for a bit but left at that time because of unattended to leadership-issues. As Joan Rivers used to say: Can we talk?
Smallish Pond
Everything the CDC does must ultimately be of economic benefit: bring more tourists to Nelson. Yet because the City does not have a bold vision, and the CDC - largely deferred to as Nelson's only possibility - is not ready to encourage formulating one: all we have is solicited outside-advise and arty local silliness. Costly! But then - the CDC receives if I recall correctly a 40% increase in funding this year, while other organizations receive no increase at all. Some natives are restless.
The increase because Councillor Macdonald in effect being the CDC - while having positioned herself smoothly as Nelson's go-to-for-whatever-else as well. Juggling 2 spheres with aplomb: a sluggish Council and compliant CDC. With nobody else standing up or by: she may well be as good as it gets.
And might even be to the Queen. During the Diamond Jubilee Mum gives a special pin to those who do lots of good on some level. Councillor Batycki - alternate Council-rep to the CDC - nominates Macdonald for the pin to the RDCK, handling this in Nelson. And of which Macdonald - be still poor heart! - is alternate City-rep/member! This makes even Bob Hall - a great fan of Macdonald and usually as decaf as can be - shift uncomfortably. I forget whether or not she's got it. The pin.
Smallish Future
Suppose Macdonald next year becomes mayor. If she runs - a done deal. And suppose Stephanie Fischer - now CDC Chair - becomes a Council member. If she runs - a done deal also, backed strategically by Macdonald's machine. So then - with Macdonald as arty mayor; Stephanie Fischer as arty Council-rep to the Committee; David Dobie - now CDC member and professional designer (as such now involved in the Co-op project!) - the arty CDC Chair: funds will keep on coming and plopping will never cease. Up and down Hall, all over the Co-op parking-lot, Baker, Railtown - you name it! Castlegar's bargain-basement.
But tourists?
If we can't have Goldsworthy - we should just plop rocks.
Jan Fraser, on Part 2
I agree. The comfort of rocks.
Rocks: Caspar David Friedrich
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