Arts & Culture

Goal: To develop a comprehensive arts and culture focus, integrated into the community for economic and social well-being.

Why is Art and Culture important?

• Arts and culture contribute to a positive identity and enhanced sense of place and ownership.
• Citizens live longer, healthier lives in communities with flourishing arts and cultural programs.
• Youth are more likely to be engaged and involved when arts and culture are available.

Where are we now?
Dawson Creek is proud that its vibrant arts and culture programs and events exceed what is typical for communities of a similar size.

Dawson Creek Art Gallery
With 200 linear feet of exhibit space, the art gallery is one of the largest artist-run galleries in the province. It has 14 exhibits annually, a large permanent collection, picture rental program, gift shop, and year-round workshops for all ages.
www.dcartgallery.ca

South Peace Art Society
The South Peace Art Society is an artist run organization that operates the Dawson Creek Art Gallery for the city, fundraisers and runs community events and art classes, weekly "Cultural Café" noon hour presentations, the downtown mural painting project, and produces a monthly newsletter for the arts community.
www.dcartgallery.ca

Community Arts Council
The Community Arts Council consists of more than fifteen energetic organizations encompassing the historical, performing, literary and visual arts and culture.
www.pris.bc.ca/spcartscouncil

Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre
KPAC provides music, theatre, art and recreation programs for all ages, hosts artisan guilds, produces the annual South Peace Performing Arts Festival as part of the adjudicated national education and performance program, and offers performaces by local and visiting artists throughout the year in its 200 seat auditorium.
www.pris.bc.ca/kpac

Unchagah Hall
The 640 seat theatre is the anchor for the highly regarded performing arts program at the community high school and the venue for performances by touring symphonies, ballet companies and performers in all genres of music and dance.
clbc.cioc.ca

Museums
The Station Museum and the Walter Wright Pioneer Village are significant historical sites. The city also has an active Roots Group and an archive that manages the world renowned Calverley Collection.
www.pris.bc.ca/dcsm

EnCana Events Centre
Opened in 2008, the 6500 seat multi-use facility hosts large scale events of regional interest such as concerts, hockey, circuses, family and specialty events.
www.dawsoncreekeventscentre.com

Fall Fair and Exhibition
Since 1922, The Dawson Creek Fall Fair & Exhibition has been showcasing regional achievements in agriculture (Dawson Creek shipped more wheat than any other depot in the Commonwealth in the 1950's). The rodeo has been part of the fair from the beginning and is on the national professional rodeo and chuck wagon circuit, bringing competitors from across North America and as far away as Australia.
www.dawsoncreekfair.com

How are we doing?
The community's sustainability plan will also outline a series of indicators so that progress toward sustainability can be measured over time. It is expected that the indicators will be available by the end of 2008.

What are we doing to improve?

Heritage Master Plan
Heritage conservation is the management of change to enable development without losing the collective memory of the community. Dawson Creek's Heritage Master Plan incorporates community values, which have been identified through a program of public consultation that included a visioning workshop, stakeholder interviews, and a public open house. It is currently being reviewed and updated.
Heritage Strategy (6,109 KB)

Cultural Master Plan
Dawson Creek is committed to undertaking a Cultural Master Plan.

Dawson Creek Downtown Revitalization Strategy (10,454 KB)

Alaska Highway Corridor Thematic Strategy (1,209 KB)

Alaska Highway House Concept Plan (3,174 KB)

For more information on the cultural master plan, visit Tourism Dawson Creek .