The Village of Pemberton is getting a grant of $5,000 from the Creative Communities program funded by 2010 Legacies Now and the Province, and will match that with $5,000 of its own money, to continue cultural planning efforts for the Pemberton area, officials said last week.

The Village’s recently completed cultural scan, which outlined the artistic, cultural and historic assets in Pemberton, Area C and the Lil’wat Nation, was the first phase for a cultural strategy for Pemberton. Creating a cultural plan informed by that work is the next step.

“Phase Two of the strategy is the cultural plan which considers all the assets that were identified in the scan and helps us understand where and why these are located where they are, potential linkages to other organizations and the Village, (and) help us identify what is unique about Pemberton’s culture,” Village of Pemberton Communications Co-ordinator Jill Brooksbank wrote in an email to The Question.

“The plan will also establish municipal policies (i.e. public art policy) related to arts and culture, and will provide another lens for planning and decision making.”

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District has contributed $1,000 for the cultural plan.

A statement issued Sept. 23 by 2010 Legacies Now said the $5,000 grant to Pemberton, which is part of the final round of funding from the Creative Communities program that has put about $515,000 into 56 projects around B.C., would help the Village “lead a community engagement process to inform arts and cultural planning for the region.”

Brooksbank wrote that the structure of the community engagement will be up to the consultant chosen to carry out the project, but local cultural stakeholders will be involved throughout.

And once the cultural plan is complete, she added, Village officials will work with community members to implement recommendations “so we can begin to reap the benefits of establishing our arts and culture sector here in Pemberton.”

“This funding will allow us to develop a community-specific, place-based plan which will identify programs and services that can be developed and improved, and support the development of community partnerships,” Pemberton Mayor Jordan Sturdy said in the 2010 Legacies Now statement.

The Village also received $5,000 from the Creative Communities program for the initial cultural scan and map.