North Shore Cultural Mapping Project Receives Federal Funding

North Vancouver Community Arts Council executive director Nancy Cottingham Powell points to a concept panel detailing the North Shore cultural mapping project, as North Vancouver District Mayor Richard Walton, North Vancouver MP Jonathan Wilkinson, Squamish Nation Coun. Chris Lewis, West Vancouver Mayor Michael Smith, North Vancouver City Mayor Darrell Mussatto, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation Coun. Liana Martin look on. | Image: Mike Wakefield / North Shore News.

On November 17, North Vancouver MP Jonathan Wilkinson announced the federal government will grant $421,000 towards a North Shore cultural mapping project led by the North Vancouver Community Arts Council in cooperation with local partners, including  three North Shore municipalities, North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commission, and Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations.

According to the North Shore News, "[t]he mapping project, which was first spearheaded by the arts council in 2015, would function as an online tool that would identify different cultural assets among the three North Shore municipalities, including art spaces, cultural organizations, festivals, events, public services, heritage institutions, libraries, tourist destinations, multiculturalism societies, First Nations, and more."

The map, which will look similar to Google Maps upon completion, will make available extensive information about the North Shore's arts and culture institutions. The goal is to raise public awareness of these organizations, and publicized the cultural character of the area. A soft release in 2019 is planned for the project, with the official rollout anticipated for 2020.

“A tool like this is going to really help everyone, not just the residents but also visitors and the organizations within our community – our governments, planners, all those people – see what we have, and where our gaps are,” says North Vancouver Community Arts Council executive director Nancy Cottingham Powell.

 “This isn’t just about the cultural community, it’s about how we fit within our community as a whole.”

For more extensive coverage, visit the North Shore News. To learn more about the project, visit nvartscouncil.ca/cultural-map.