Healthy Rural Communities

Population: 12,604

Initiative 

 Rural communities finding creative ways of incorporating cultural elements into their community.

Context

• Cultural initiatives, heritage and revitalization are all important and successful elements in Trent Hills.

• Walkability is important within Trenthills. An advantage of being a smaller rural community is that the scale of the downtown makes it possible to walk to a variety of locations.

Official Plan Policy

4.1.2 To recognize, conserve and promote cultural heritage resources and perpetuate their value and benefit to the community.

4.2.2 A diverse range of activities such as recreational and cultural activities will be supported and promoted based on the needs of the community and will be accessible to all the residents of the Planning rea.

Innovative Features 

 Festivals in Trent Hills

• There are a variety of festivals that occur in the community, these include the lilac festival, maple syrup festival and waterfront festival.

• These cultural and heritage elements have a strong link to economic development; the community is able to use culture to attract people to their community.

• Another interesting example that combines culture and heritage is the festival theatre which is an old converted barn that is used for musical performances. In this example a historic building is being used for cultural and community events.

Key Lessons and Tools

• Find what makes your community unique and build on this.

• It is also helpful to have a supportive council that is willing to provide the resources needed.

• Keep an eye out for potential funding in the form of grants and fundraisers, this has helped Trent Hills make various projects into a reality.

• Find initiatives that citizens will get excited about and support.

Contact

Jim Peters, Director of Planning and Development

Jim@trenthills.ca

705-653-1900 ext.234