NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development 2010CSCD0002-001426 Nov. 18, 2010

ARTS LEGACY FUNDS FLOW FOR BC SPIRIT FESTIVALS

NORTH – Forty-nine communities will share more than $1 million from the Province to commemorate B.C.’s 2010 Olympic success by enlisting local arts and cultural organizations to lead BC Spirit Festivals next February, Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux announced today, with support from North Shore MLAs Naomi Yamamoto, Joan McIntyre, Jane Thornthwaite and Ralph Sultan.

“As proud hosts of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, B.C. welcomed the world to share our vibrant culture – our special sense of place, our spirit of enterprise and optimism,” Cadieux said. “By giving expression to the unique spirit of , locally- based artists and arts organizations will use their creative energy to help communities celebrate in their own way. From my four colleagues in the legislature who represent Vancouver’s North Shore, congratulations to all the festival communities.”

BC Spirit Festivals will bring together artists, cultural organizations, creative industries and local citizens to celebrate the spirit of British Columbia. Featured activities will include visual arts exhibitions, public museum programs, publications, media arts, dance, music and theatre productions.

The Assembly of BC Arts Councils is administering the BC Spirit Festivals program. With help from a panel of judges representing B.C.’s arts and culture community, the assembly adjudicated applications from regional and Aboriginal arts organizations in communities across the province.

“The assembly is delighted that so many of our members have been successful in their applications for funding,” said Joan Richoz, assembly board president. “The B.C. government’s investment will benefit arts and cultural organizations across the province.”

Funding for the BC Spirit Festivals comes from the $60-million 2010 Sport and Arts Legacy, established by the Province to help celebrate the pride and spirit shown by British Columbians during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games – and the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

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For more information about support by the B.C. government for cultural development, visit the ministry’s website at: http://www.gov.bc.ca/cscd/index.html

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A backgrounder follows.

Media Contact: Jeff Rud Communications Director Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development 250 953-3677

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.

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BACKGROUNDER

For Immediate Release Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural 2010CSCD0002-001426 Development Nov. 18, 2010

BC SPIRIT FESTIVAL COMMUNITIES ANNOUNCED

The Assembly of BC Arts Councils approved applications from arts organizations in 49 communities across the province to hold BC Spirit Festivals in February, 2011.

Funded by $1,007,224 from the provincial government’s 2010 Sport and Arts Legacy, BC Spirit Festivals will give community-based artists an opportunity to lead local celebrations honouring the unique spirit of British Columbia.

These communities will host BC Spirit Festivals:

Community Recipient $ Funding

Ashcroft COMMUNITY FUTURES SUN COUNTRY 10,000 Abbotsford METIS NATION BC 36,700 Bowen Island BOWEN ISLAND ARTS COUNCIL 9,170 Burnaby BURNABY ARTS COUNCIL 50,000 Campbell River CAMPBELL RIVER COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 20,000 Chase ADAMS LAKE RECREATION & CONFERENCE CENTRE 10,000 Chemainus CHEMAINUS VALLEY CULTURAL ARTS SOCIETY 9,510 Chetwynd CHETWYND COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL SOCIETY 2,000 Coquitlam ARTSCONNECT TRI-CITIES ARTS COUNCIL 46,123 Creston CRESTON, COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL OF 19,993 Dawson Creek SOUTH PEACE COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 20,000 Denman Island ARTS DENMAN 8,000 Duncan COWICHAN INTERCULTURAL FESTIVAL 20,000 Fernie FERNIE & DISTRICT ARTS COUNCIL 17,000 Fraser Lake STELLAT'EN FIRST NATION 10,000 GOLDEN DISTRICT ARTS COUNCIL / KICKING HORSE Golden CULTURE 19,500 Hope TRAILS CROSSING FRIENDSHIP CENTRE 9,998 Kelowna ARTS COUNCIL OF THE CENTRAL OKANAGAN 50,000 Langley LANGLEY ARTS COUNCIL 29,650 Lasqueti Island LASQUETI ISLAND ARTS COUNCIL 8,157 Maple Ridge MAPLE RIDGE AND PITT MEADOWS ARTS COUNCIL 50,000 McBride ROBSON VALLEY ARTS & CULTURE COUNCIL 10,000 Merritt NICOLA VALLEY COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 2,000 Mount Currie L'IL'WAT7UL CULTURE CENTRE 10,000 Nanaimo NANAIMO ARTS COUNCIL 40,490 NORTH VANCOUVER COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 45,000 Parksville OCEANSIDE COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 15,900 Peachland PEACHLAND COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 5,000 Pemberton PEMBERTON ART'S COUNCIL 10,000 -more-

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Pender Island PTARMIGAN MUSIC AND THEATRE SOCIETY 10,000 Penticton OKANAGAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 20,000 Port Coquitlam FRIENDS OF LEIGH SQUARE SOCIETY 9,340 Powell River FRIENDS OF FILM SOCIETY OF POWELL RIVER 20,000 Princeton PRINCETON COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 10,000 Prince George PRINCE GEORGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 50,000 Quesnel QUESNEL & DISTRICT COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 5,000 Revelstoke REVELSTOKE ARTS COUNCIL 20,000 Richmond RICHMOND ARTS COALITION 50,000 Salt Spring Island SALT SPRING ARTS COUNCIL 19,073 COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL OF THE SAANICH Sidney PENINSULA 3,520 Smithers DZE L K'ANT FRIENDSHIP CENTRE SOCIETY 10,000 Sooke T'SOU-KE NATION 10,000 Surrey ARTS COUNCIL OF SURREY 50,000 Terrace TERRACE ART ASSOCIATION 2,500 Vancouver CONSEIL CULTUREL ET ARTISTIQUE 13,600 Vernon NORTH OKANAGAN, ARTS COUNCIL OF THE 20,000 Victoria LA SOCIETE FRANCOPHONE DE VICTORIA 50,000 WEST VANCOUVER COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 20,000 Whistler WHISTLER ARTS COUNCIL 20,000 1,007,224

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Media Jeff Rud Contact: Communications Director Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development 250 953-3677 250 208-4028 (cell)

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.