ARTiculation: Culture days
I spent my childhood in the mid-sized town
of St. Thomas, which is nestled between the
tiny beach village of Port Stanley, scenic
Aylmer to the east and London, large city.
St. Thomas has a population just shy of
forty thousand, which makes it big enough to
attract big box stores like Wal-Mart – which
literally sits in the middle of the city with a
huge flag erected, and attracts a crowd that
makes it feel like Boxing Day, everyday –
and small enough to still run into people you
know everywhere you go.
By all accounts, the town is an average Canadian city.
Last week, cities all over Canada participated in a program called Culture Days. Its name is pretty telling. It’s an initiative that aims to bring people together and share in the love of culture, from history to art and interesting local programs. London has quite a large program in place. Many artisans and local businesses open their doors to the public, and you get a glimpse into their lives. It provides opportunity to engage in the city through conversation with proprietors and fellow participants.
Having come from St. Thomas, when I began visiting larger cities, I felt overwhelmed by the swell of culture I experienced. There would be music somewhere every night, people sitting in parks on their lunch breaks and small art galleries everywhere. And although you have to dig a little bit more in London, it exists here as well.
In small towns, culture seems to be built in. You have to learn to connect with the other people around you because you see them every day.
But when I head back to St. Thomas and drive through the downtown, it feels deserted, save for an art gallery that seems vacant most of the time. What happens? Do people who live in smaller towns feel less inspired, creative? I can’t be sure why it seems to be this way in mid-sized cities, but I imagine projects like Culture Days could help foster community among the population.
What I am certain of is that this conversation needs to be opened up and given more thought. These sorts of cities pepper the country and account for a large amount of the population. It is wonderful that we pay so much attention to culture in both large and tiny communities (how many times have you driven to Toronto to see a band or taken a day trip to a cute little town), but we can’t ignore the median.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
By all accounts, the town is an average Canadian city.
Last week, cities all over Canada participated in a program called Culture Days. Its name is pretty telling. It’s an initiative that aims to bring people together and share in the love of culture, from history to art and interesting local programs. London has quite a large program in place. Many artisans and local businesses open their doors to the public, and you get a glimpse into their lives. It provides opportunity to engage in the city through conversation with proprietors and fellow participants.
Having come from St. Thomas, when I began visiting larger cities, I felt overwhelmed by the swell of culture I experienced. There would be music somewhere every night, people sitting in parks on their lunch breaks and small art galleries everywhere. And although you have to dig a little bit more in London, it exists here as well.
In small towns, culture seems to be built in. You have to learn to connect with the other people around you because you see them every day.
But when I head back to St. Thomas and drive through the downtown, it feels deserted, save for an art gallery that seems vacant most of the time. What happens? Do people who live in smaller towns feel less inspired, creative? I can’t be sure why it seems to be this way in mid-sized cities, but I imagine projects like Culture Days could help foster community among the population.
What I am certain of is that this conversation needs to be opened up and given more thought. These sorts of cities pepper the country and account for a large amount of the population. It is wonderful that we pay so much attention to culture in both large and tiny communities (how many times have you driven to Toronto to see a band or taken a day trip to a cute little town), but we can’t ignore the median.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
