Kaitlin MacLeod-Rogers Opinion Reporter
Calgary’s East Village revamp should be a positive example for other blighted Canadian cities, according to Anne Jarvis of The Windsor Star. In her Oct. 19th article, Jarvis highlights the economic, social, and cultural benefits of the East Village project. She calls on other cities (including her hometown of Windsor, Ontario) to look to Calgary for wise taxpayer-funded investments, specifically the need to inject life back into once-vibrant, now-derelict downtown areas.She claims that arts and culture are a worthy project for Calgary, perhaps the most powerful way to transform the current neighbourhood, notorious for its homeless population, drug dealers and prostitution:“The city wants to reclaim the area and bring people back. It hopes to draw more than 11,000 people there to live. How will it get them? By using the arts, culture and heritage as a catalyst for renewal and innovation.”The city is investing $165 million in the East Village, what Jarvis quotes as “incredibly bold” during a recession. Although this is not a local piece, the author’s main argument has future implications for Calgary that can’t be ignored. If the East Village springs back as planned, Calgary could become a success story for the rest of Canada. And this, in turn, may convince taxpayers in other cities that the best investment of their money might be to re-energize local communities through the arts.
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