The Citizen, 2013-08-01, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2013.School to be repurposed as part of 14/19 plan
Continued from page 1
floor, and ceilings of the two may be
included in the project.
The project follows in the
footsteps of the two major themes
that revolve around Memorial Hall:
the Blyth Festival and its status as a
living cenotaph.
“One hundred years ago, a group
of people from right here... wanted
to build a memorial for the fallen of
the first war,” he said on Sunday to
the dozens of people gathered.
“Some wanted to build a statue, but
there were others who wanted to
build a community hall.”
He said the group wanted a place
where culture could be on display.
“The culture that was fought for
[would be shown here], to be
preserved by those who gave the
ultimate sacrifice,” he said.
He then indicated that 40 years
ago, the Blyth Festival was created
following the same kind of initative.
The success of that effort is seen
around the world according to
Smith.
“[Plays that started here] have
been translated into many languages.
People have seen the work, that was
seen here first, in Japan, in France,
in Germany, in England and in South
America. It is an amazing testament
to a group of people.”
Smith said that, just like those two
groups of people, a group of people
got together and formed the 14/19
committee, which is where the
project started.
“This is a community initiative,”
he said. “It involves a lot of people
from this community. The Legion,
the Legion Auxiliary, the Lions and
the Business Improvement Area
(BIA) as well as citizens who have
an interest in creating something.
“The interest is in creating a
cultural hub here in Blyth,” he said.
“Something that is for now, but
something that is really for future
generations. Not unlike this
building, not unlike the people who
started the Blyth Festival.”
In an interviews with The Citizen,
Smith recalled how Rick Elliott and
Steven Sparling, who purchased the
Blyth Public School property,
walked him through the building
explaining how the school could
look in the future, at that point, he
said he became excited for the future
of the project.
The 150-seat theatre, for example,
had Smith really excited because it
provides many more options for not
only the theatre but for the to-be-
created school as well as the
community at large.
“The facility could definitely be
used by other groups to really
connect with the community,” he
said.
While he had likened the creation
of the school to the creation of The
Banff Centre, Smith said that it
would be a project that would reflect
more the positive aspects of Huron
County.
“In this part of the country, we
would have a natural, cultural hub,”
he said. “Over the years we’ve had
people come in to the Festival andtalk about creating a Banff East.
Banff has a lot of things going for it
but... Huron County does as well and
this would be a great start.”
Smith said the most important
thing people can take away from the
announcement is that 14/19 is a
community project.
“Today, on July 28, we are kicking
it off and we are going to need your
help,” Smith said during the
announcement. “This is not
something this small group of
people can do alone. It was not
something that group back 100 years
ago did alone [when they built
Memorial Hall]. It is not something
the Blyth Festival does alone... This
is an ambitious initiative but it’s
something that we can all be proud
of.”
Vice-President of the Blyth Lions
Club David Kelly said the project
was one his organization was excited
to be a part of because it represents
the community in many ways, most
importantly the names remembered
in Memorial Hall and how they are
still very much a part of Blyth.
“The names on the wall for which
this building was built in honour of
are not names that we don’t
recognize,” he said. “They are
names we read in the newspaper.
They are names that are scattered on
mailboxes throughout this area. This
is our hall. This is our community.
“We are so proud to be part of this
project in all three phases,” he said.
“It’s exciting, it’s inspiring and it’s
why I became a Lion. It’s why I love
living in this town and it’s why
everyone standing before me is here
today.”
The scope of the project includes a
$6 million fundraising goal and it
was announced at the kickoff that, as
of the first day of the campaign, the
14/19 committee had already raised
its first $1 million.
How the $6 million will be
allocated remains to be seen, Smith
said it won’t be as simple as splittingit evenly three ways.
“We still need to do the reviews
and figure out how much things will
cost,” he said in an interview after
the announcement. “There is a lot
that still needs to be done there.”
However, the ‘dreaming out loud,’
as BIA chair Rick Elliott likes to say,
is already being done.
“Over the next six years, the plan
is to raise the remaining $5 million
from North Huron, the province and
the country,” Smith explained.
He said he didn’t foresee
approaching the levels of
government as a problem because
North Huron Township Council,
Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson
and Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb
have already pledged their support.
“We have to make ovations to
those three,” he said, adding that
North Huron’s support is already
well documented thanks to the
announcement. “North Huron has
been very supportive of the project
to this point. [Reeve] Neil Vincent
was [at the announcement] today,
which is significant to me. [Deputy-
Reeve and Blyth Ward
representative] Dave Riach was
there today and so was [Blyth Ward
Councillor] Brock Vodden.
“[The council members] brought
their significant others and that’s
important to me because I see this
project as a community one,” he
said. “All of the people involved
aren’t just councillors or just this or
just that. They are also of the
community. They want this change
too. North Huron has been very
supportive. We hope that
relationship continues and it’s
strong.”
Smith also mentioned that every
bit of support for the campaign is
just as important as every other.
“We don’t want to diminish
anything here,” he said. “Whether
people are donating time in-kind or
whether they are donating $1,000,
$100 or a toonie, it’s all importantbecause it’s all going to make the
project a success.”
While the announcement was a
high point and definitely important
for the campaign, Smith told The
Citizen that this was really just a
small start.
“This is the rock in the pond,” he
said. “Everything will ripple out
from here.”
That said, the important part is
where that ripple started according
to Smith.
“We can have all the support in the
world, but if we’re not supported
locally, we’re not going anywhere,”
he said. “If Blyth isn’t behind this
we haven’t done our job. If we’re not
talking locally, we’re not talking at
all.”
Further to the local impact, Smith
said that this will be a huge
economic drive for the area
including both the upcoming
renovations which will create
business, but the creation of the
school, which will generate jobs and
financial growth in the area.
“This will create spinoffs that I
can’t even fathom right now,” he
said, adding that the Ontario Arts
Culture recently released statistics
showing that, for every $1 donated
locally in culture, $11 is spent. “This
will impact on the local area.”
The school will also work on a
‘trickle-down’ theory of teaching.
Professionals and artisans will be
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414 Queen St.,
Blyth, Ont.Announcing the future
Blyth Festival Interim Artistic Director Peter Smith is the
committee chair and one of the original conceivers of the
14/19 Campaign, a plan to create a cultural hub in Blyth for
all of Canada. Smith is shown above announcing the
campaign on July 28. As part of the campaign, major
changes are planned for both floors of the Blyth Memorial
Community Hall as well as a repurposing of the
accompanying courtyard where the announcement was
made. For video of the announcement, visit The Citizen’s
website at www.northhuron.on.ca (Denny Scott photo)
The proceeding procession
Played in by a bagpipe, the Blyth branch of the Royal
Canadian Legion, including its colour party, shown here,
was a big part of the 14/19 Campaign announcement made
Sunday afternoon that outlined a five-year plan to revitalize
the Blyth Memorial Community Hall and see the village
transformed into a cultural hub for the country. (Denny Scott
photo)
Continued on page 17