Letter to the Editor

Dear Mayor Pratt and members of Cranbrook City Council:

We hope that you will take a few minutes to watch this inspiring Ted Talk before making your April 2 decision re: the future of the old fire hall.

The Cranbrook & District Arts Council (CDAC) has the ability to create, through the old fire hall, what this artist did in Chicago. He started with $18,000, and has created a hub of cultural, educational, and social activities in his community. Arts councils in communities smaller than ours are doing it – successfully.

For several years CDAC has been operating in good faith towards the goal of eventually moving into the old fire hall to expand their capacity and program offerings. They have money in the bank specifically for a lift/elevator for the fire hall, for an architectural design, paid for a completed engineering study as requested by the city, and have/are applying for hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants in support of their plans.

Just as Theaster Gates proved that arts and culture definitely rejuvenates struggling neighbourhoods, the revitalization of our downtown core is something that local businesses and two previous city councils also recognized.

There is no solid reason to reject CDAC’s proposal.

Federal and provincial governments do not return grant dollars to taxpayers because they weren’t used. If CDAC doesn’t obtain grants, the funds will go to other communities, and Cranbrook loses the economic spin-offs.

It is common practice for social service, recreational, environmental, and arts and cultural organizations to apply for grants. The City of Cranbrook also applies yearly for millions of dollars in grants in order to service our community.

For the betterment of Cranbrook, we ask that you decide in favour of turning the old fire hall over to CDAC, like the Studio/Stage Door, keeping it a public building with a beneficial public purpose.

Sharon & Joseph Cross,

Cranbrook

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