Community Services gets thumbs up from council after rocky term

by Tristan Turner
Morinville News Correspondent

Following a brief presentation recapping their previous year of shows and programming, Morinville’s Community Services Department, which operates programming at the Community Cultural Centre and elsewhere in town, gave a presentation to Council that lead to smiles from Administration, and those on Council. The presentation was lead by Ryan Telfer, Interim Events and Culture Coordinator and Kathleen Ducharme, Culture and Events Programmer.

The presentation recapped the major events and programming, which councillors described as “awesome” in multiple instances, praising high turnouts for particular events, especially family-centered ones. Mayor Holmes praised the report for being detailed and in depth.

This experience represents a change in tone for Council surrounding interactions with the department, particularly surrounding the CCC’s concert series, which was previously factious.

Councillor Stephen Dafoe praised Telfer and Ducharme and commented, “I think after we were elected no one came harder at the Cultural Centre than [Councillor] Turner and I. I mean all of Council had concerns, but we were merciless, and I think we may have looked like anti-arts people. But we weren’t. We just wanted it to be cool and great, and now it is… and I’m really proud of the work that’s being done there.”

The presentation and report were unanimously accepted by Council as information.