Excerpt from remarks by MLA: Iain Black, Port Moody-Westwood
Official Report of
DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
I want to read for you something, because one of the four e-mails I've received on this topic, which have come from the different arts groups around the province who so passionately and articulately presented…. I've had thank-you letters. It's a rarity in this business to get thank-you letters, but I happened to get about three or four thank-you letters from some of the arts communities around the province who participated in the hearings, who knew of my personal passion for the arts and culture community and who followed up and said thank you.
None articulate it better than a woman who presented to us in Nelson. By happy coincidence, she also happens to be featured in the Port Moody Festival of the Arts this week. It's just wonderful to see the small-world element of this come together.
This woman's name is Aspen Switzer . . .
Excerpt from remarks by MLA: Iain Black, Port Moody-Westwood
Official Report of
DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
I want to read for you something, because one of the four e-mails I've received on this topic, which have come from the different arts groups around the province who so passionately and articulately presented…. I've had thank-you letters. It's a rarity in this business to get thank-you letters, but I happened to get about three or four thank-you letters from some of the arts communities around the province who participated in the hearings, who knew of my personal passion for the arts and culture community and who followed up and said thank you.
None articulate it better than a woman who presented to us in Nelson. By happy coincidence, she also happens to be featured in the Port Moody Festival of the Arts this week. It's just wonderful to see the small-world element of this come together.
This woman's name is Aspen Switzer, and she's a phenomenal young entertainer. She's got a haunting voice. She's a gifted guitar player. Her father apparently works about 75 hours a week managing her career.
When Aspen learned of this (increased funding for the arts), she wrote back to me. It's quite a long e-mail. I'll just read the two short paragraphs towards the end:
"I was so pleased to hear of such an increase, because I think it not only contributes to the very obvious tangible support needed for artists, but it also sends a much-needed message to artists that what they do is valued and encouraged.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for leaning and leading on this issue. I understood the importance of what we were asking for when I made the presentation, and my understanding of the importance grows every day that I am engaged in this career."
These are the types of things that a government can do to help their citizens define who they are and what they want to be.
