Arts and Culture
Settlement of Simcoe County by aboriginal peoples, and subsequently, by settlers including a significant francophone community and others from European and Métis origins, has resulted in a wealth of cultural heritage resources in the watershed.
In the Severn Sound watershed:
- Cultural heritage resources are a significant component of the tourism industry.
- First Nations communities include Beausoleil First Nations on Christian Island.
- Built and cultural heritage is protected to some degree by municipal and Simcoe County Official Plan policies that:
- limit development that is incompatible with the character of historic areas or buildings (e.g., County)
- seek to conserve cultural heritage resources, built heritage resources, archaeological resources, and cultural heritage landscapes (e.g., County, Midland, Oro-Medonte)
- call for inventorying of significant resources (e.g., County, Penetanguishene)
- assign heritage district overlays (e.g., Orillia)
- encourage and foster public awareness, participation and involvement cultural heritage resource preservation (e.g., Midland)
- Most well developed approaches to cultural heritage preservation exist in Orillia. The City’s arts and culture initiatives include a Cultural Plan, a dedicated Department of Culture and Heritage, policies in Charting Our Future, and include cultural heritage goals in the Corporate Plan.
- Community organizations that support arts, culture and heritage in the watershed include: