Moose Jaw city council has given the go-ahead last week for the Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee to move forward with the research phase of its Community Cultural Action Plan. 

The research phase is expected to cost about $5,000 which will be covered by the Sask Culture Community Cultural Engagement and Planning Grant. 

The action plan is broken down into four phases: Research, engagement, development and implementation. 

Director of parks and recreation Derek Blais explained how long it would take to get through all four phases. 

“As we go through different phases of developing the plan, (it) would likely take about three years to get developed,” Blaise said.  

“So next year's phase will cost a little bit more, so the city may have to budget of $5,000 next year and anticipate another $5,000 grant and another $10,000 just to fully develop the plan.” 

This phase would include doing community engagement and research through surveys, focus groups, targeted meetings and community forums from June to October of this year. 

A preliminary draft of cultural inventory or maps and key themes and observations would be compiled by November. Feedback on the preliminary draft and changes will be made for a final report in December 2021 and January 2022. 

The Community Cultural Action Plan goes back to December of 2020, when the advisory committee received approval to submit a grant application for the Sask Culture Community Engagement and Planning Grant, which was successful. 

In February of this year, a virtual information session was held by the Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee and Prairie Wild Consulting, with about 50 participants. 

“What I think is really exciting, it seems like this is the right time and the right place for this now. When we had the consultation with the public, it was probably one of the most well attended, considering it was all done via Zoom or Teams,” said Coun. Crystal Froese. 

The presentation looked at Prince Albert’s cultural plan and how it was implemented.