St. Catharines Downtown Association

The announcement of $26.2 million in provincial funding for the downtown arts school was certainly great news for Brock University and the City of St. Catharines-- and hopefully the entire Niagara region is celebrating this initiative.

Much of the media coverage surrounding the news of this funding commitment by the provincial government focused on the revitalization of downtown St. Catharines; however, this project sets the stage for a much broader transformation of Niagara -- an outcome I'm sure our civic leaders such as Jack Lightstone, Rosemary Hale, MPP Jim Bradley and the others who have tirelessly championed this project, are well aware of.

Two things stand out with respect to this initiative that reflect very positively for the economic future of Niagara: greater collaborative governance and a move towards a more creative, innovative economic culture.

There is a growing body of literature that stresses a region's social and cultural dynamics are critical factors for a vibrant economy. There are the obvious tangible economic benefits of the cultural amenities themselves, such as art centres, theatres, restaurants and art galleries, etc.; however, the research reveals that social dynamics or "quality of place" -- the quality of life and a critical mass of cultural and entertainment activity -- creates a regional identity and instills passion and loyalty in its residents. This in turn enables a city or region to present a certain image that promotes the area and makes it more attractive to not only tourists, but to businesses and highly-skilled, educated "knowledge" workers.

Please see full story in The St. Catharines Standard by W. Dueck at: