Home »
A critical step in making a great city
Letter to the Editor
Dear City of Cranbrook Mayor and Council
I write to you in support of the Cranbrook and District Arts Council’s endeavour to re-purpose the former Cranbrook Fire Hall No. 1 as a gallery, workshop and meeting place. As such, I stand beside the Arts Council in opposing the sale of the Fire Hall.
An avid and frequent traveler, I judge the quality of a city by its cultural heartbeat. Art galleries, museums, theatres and open spaces such as parks and courtyards are the signposts of that heartbeat. Cranbrook is fortunate to house many fine and talented artists, but without a viable space to gather, learn and present work, growth of that talent is at stake. The downtown core of any city is where travelers expect to find artistic hubs. The heritage, aesthetic and location of the Cranbrook Fire hall makes it the ideal choice for such a centre and offers an obvious magnet for commerce such as restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and local shopping.
As a long-time arts educator and parent of two school-aged children, I am passionate about the positive and necessary impact that a vibrant arts scene has on children and families. Cranbrook needs the Fire Hall as an arts space to help its children and youth carve an identity for themselves with not only art to surround them, but a place to belong.
It’s been said that the marker of a dying civilization is the erosion of its culture. The acquisition of the Fire Hall for the CDAC is a critical step in making Cranbrook a great city. Please see that it happens.
Thank you for you consideration of this important matter.
Mary Hamilton,
Cranbrook
