Journal staff
Lambton's Creative County Grant Program has approved 19 projects for the 2023 program year, representing an investment of $70,530 in funding in local arts, culture, and heritage initiatives.
The program makes available $75,000 in funding each year, with $35,000 set aside for projects that have a county-wide impact, and an additional $10,000 allocated to four different geographic quadrants of the county.
The committee received 24 requests for funding, amounting to over $129,000 in asks from community organizations and individuals.
The committee evaluated each application against the program criteria and available funds, and approved the following grant contributions to support 19 new cultural initiatives across Lambton County that contribute to quality of life and promote a sense of cultural identity:
• $5,500 to support the Lambton Centre with its Explore the Arts Summer Camp
• $1,500 to support the Wiiwkewdong Arts Collective with its Indigenous Culture event
• $6,000 to support the Optimist Club of Forest with its Kid Food Nation local food program
• $6,500 to support the E’Maawizidijig Heritage & Culture Club with a live Indigenous Dance performance at area schools
• $5,000 to support filmmaker Kyler Wigle with the production of the short film Food for Thought
• $6,400 to support the Bluewater Wind Ensemble with their concert series
• $2,500 to support the Centre Communautaire Francophone de Sarnia-Lambton with their Diversity & Inclusion sidewalk project
• $890 to support local historian Paul Janes with the Township of Warwick: A Story Through Time anniversary video project
• $1,800 to support the Forest Business Improvement Area (BIA) with its Forest Mural Project
• $6,700 to support the Town of Plympton-Wyoming with the restoration of their 1932 Chevrolet Pumper at the Wyoming Fire Station
• $1,200 to support the Forest Agricultural Society with the Skilled Trades & Small Business Portrait Exhibit
• $2,000 to support Lambton Central Collegiate Vocational Institute with their school theatre production
• $2,205 to support the Bridgeview Public School with their Student Mindfulness Dance Program
• $2,500 to support the Town of Petrolia with the publication of their Petrolia 150th Events Calendar and Commemorative Booklet
• $5,795 to support the Petrolia Discovery Foundation with the restoration of the Canadian Rig and other site projects
• $2,500 to support local historian Kim Thomaes with the publication of a book on the history of the Village of Port Lambton
• $1,540 to support the Municipality of Brooke-Alvinston with the reproduction of murals located in the community auditorium
• $5,000 to support historian Mat Johnson, Marathon of History, with the publication of a book on the history of the St. Clair River railway tunnel
• $5,000 to support Krista Klompstra with the cost of artist fees for the Sombra Community Mural project
The funding provided, which cannot exceed 50% of the total project costs, leverages significant local cultural investment by applicant organizations and their respective partners.
The Creative County Grant Program was launched in 2013 to support innovative projects that build cultural capacity, strengthen the creative community, define the County's unique identity and enrich the quality of life of all residents.
The next application intake is scheduled for the fall of 2023 and will support initiatives taking place during the year 2024.
For more information about Lambton's Creative County Grant Program, visit lambtononline.ca/creativecounty