Culture and Vibrancy

What do we mean when we talk about culture in a city?

In the broadest sense, culture can be defined as the customs, arts, institutions and achievements of a nation, people or other social group that are passed down from generation to generation. In the case of a multicultural society like Canada, there is a diversity of cultural expressions, traditions and knowledge that form an integral part of our identity, and the interconnections of these multiple cultures is also a marker of our identity. This includes the multiple Indigenous nations of the land now known as Canada, the French and English, and the multiple immigrant communities that have added to the tapestry of Canada over the decades.

Culture is ever-evolving, constantly being reinterpreted, and segmented in many ways. There are cultures and sub-cultures by age groups, by city, by spheres of interest like sports or musical genres, and countless more. This endless slicing and re-slicing of our diverse cultures, and our celebration of them, is what makes Canadian society as fulfilling, rich and interesting as it is. At the same time, our collective narrative as a nation is one that finds its most visible expression in the Nation’s capital.

A capital city has a dual cultural role. First, as a reflection of the country, it has the responsibility of being the stage and reflection of as many of the national identities as possible, in a meaningful way, and of making those visible in the urban canvas through a range of expressions that can be built (official buildings, streetscapes, museums, galleries, monuments) and unbuilt (public places, parks, art in all its forms, events and celebrations). This notion is at the core of the Plan for Canada’s Capital, 2017–2067 (2017).

Second, as a major city within the nation, the capital also has its own culture. It is unlike any other city because of its national and international role, and that role is a big part of its identity as an important metropolitan area in its own right - one with its own local arts and music scene, sports teams, local lore and history, and its own voice and personality. And again, unique to our region, this metropolitan expression of culture is a blend of its own plurality, with Ottawa and Gatineau being distinct cultural entities in addition to being metropolitan siblings. In addition, there is the host Algonquin nation, for whom the provincial boundary is meaningless.

The core area of the National Capital, on both sides of the Ottawa River, is the place where most of the built and unbuilt expressions of culture at all these levels can and should be seen, felt and experienced. It is a big part of what draws visitors here, and for those of us who live in the region, it is and will remain one of the main reasons to come downtown, especially if going to work is no longer as prominent a reason as it was in the past.

The NCC’s work on the new National Capital Core Area Plan is an opportunity to think about the place of culture in all its facets as part of the fabric of our downtown. Because, since culture is something that draws people, it also contributes to the image of the city as a vibrant place. Expanding the downtown’s cultural footprint should be seen as a significant catalyst not just for restoring the health of the heart of our capital, but also for growing it. The closeness of a multitude of cultural venues, institutions and options within a walkable geographic area means more reasons to be downtown, more people on the streets, more buzz, more choices, and a long-overdue recast of our image on the national and international stage.

When the NCC prepared the Plan for Canada’s Capital, 2017–2067 (in 2017), it heard from people from all across Canada that the Capital has to be a vibrant place that makes us all proud to be Canadian. This is not surprising: our population is now over 80% urban. To be truly representative, it is therefore in the national interest for Canada’s capital to be a vibrant urban place. What Canadians want out of their capital is not only the important symbols and institutions of the nation, but also a city with action, flair and vibrancy, a real city, something more than a theme park for impressive buildings. And there is no better place than the core area to achieve this.

We previously talked about the increasing interest to achieve a smoother blend between Town and Crown. Ideally, we want a city that looks like a capital, and a capital that looks like a city. This extends to culture and vibrancy as well. As we contemplate the need to reserve opportunities for future national cultural institutions, are there more ways to accommodate local culture and identity (nightlife, festivals, celebrations, arts and the use of public spaces in a variety of ways that populates them with people on an ongoing basis) to create people-magnet spaces that will benefit the national institutions and the image of the capital?

What are the key spaces in our core area that should be identified for major and minor celebrations, whether of a national or “metropolitan” stripe, so that such space is common to the function of celebration? What local flavour do we want to give to our prominent places that have national significance? How can visitors see and feel the presence and history of the Algonquin people in our capital, distinct from the presence and history of other Indigenous nations and cultures?

These are some of the themes we are seeking to discuss as we assess the cultural dimension of the new National Capital Core Area Plan.