EDITORIAL: Three cheers for Vaughan arts, culture champs

YorkRegion.com
April 9, 2015
Kim Champion

It’s often tough to put a price tag on the value of arts and culture, unlike, say, the obvious economic benefits projects such as the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension or the building of a hospital in Vaughan would provide.

But there is so much more to the lifeblood of a community than big-ticket development, retail strip plazas, fine-dining restaurants and new hotels, much as all those are incredibly vital to one’s enjoyment of a city.

It’s just as important, in our view, to also grow and nurture local cultural experiences that spark our curiosity, stoke our creativity, ignite our imagination and, who knows, perhaps even spawn the next great movie critic such as Roger Ebert or a boundary-breaking filmmaker, such as Spike Lee.

As luck — and the hard work of Vaughan Film Festival co-founders Antonio Ienco and Mark Pagliaroli — would have it, Vaughan residents can get a fix of all the above, and more.

First, a bit about the fest: beginning May 25, locals and visitors alike will have the opportunity to attend the third annual event, which has grown into a four-day showcase of more than three dozen short films that include 15 shot by students from Vaughan schools.

Young filmmakers from Father Bressani Catholic High School, Toronto District Christian High School and Vaughan Secondary School, among others, have earned the extraordinary opportunity to have their work screened at Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan (formerly Colossus).

How can you put a value on the self-esteem and confidence gained by someone who suddenly feels their cinematic endeavours have the power to move an audience?

Or how about the social and job-related skills a student volunteer picks up while helping out at the fest in myriad roles, including greeter and grip, usher, crowd control or coordinator?

For that matter, how do you assess the dollar value of giving visitors to Vaughan an additional reason to come here, making our city that much more attractive a destination?

We’ve seen the draw our well-established fairs and other events have on the local economy. One needs only look at the ever-expanding Savour York Region restaurant week.

Participating restaurants have increased their volume of new customers during this period, gained invaluable exposure and have had a high rate of return business.

The Woodbridge Fair, Kleinburg’s Binder Twine Festival, the Woodbridge Ribfest, CariVaughan, MapleFest, the Woodbridge Village Farmers Market, the Vaughan of a Kind arts and crafts fest, the Thornhill Village Festival, Concerts in the Park, and more, all foster a sense of belonging for those who attend.

We’re off to a good start in Vaughan, thanks to the many individuals who pour blood, sweat and tears into giving us culturally rich and rewarding experiences.

The challenge now is to seize on what’s already been created and continue to support and encourage an even broader mix of arts and culture options.

We can all contribute to making this happen either through attendance, financial donations, or both. If we don’t have it in Vaughan, start it up.

Let’s never forget just how much a thriving arts community contributes to our quality of life.
 
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Email editor Kim Champion at kchampion@yrmg.com to share your thoughts on arts and culture in Vaughan.