Sunday, February 16th, 2025

During the Clearview Small Halls Festival people are invited to step into our world, experience what small town life is all about, get a taste of rural life. Nine great venues, one event.

We are a great township made up of small distinct communities, each with a hall that is lovingly preserved and cherished by its community volunteers. The Small Halls Festival is about embracing our true nature, sharing authentic experiences in these quaint facilities. That is what we have to offer.

Community is about working together so we don’t understand why hall representatives are being excluded from the committee that will manage and guide the overarching direction of the festival.

Over the past two years, hall representatives have gone from having full representation to minimal revolving representation to no representation, as councillors and staff make attempts to define the committee that oversees the event.

Staff members at The Creemore Echo have been very involved in the Small Halls Festival since its inception and we care a lot, probably too much, about its success. The Creemore Echo has covered the event but further to that it has benefitted from the economic development associated with it. As individuals we are deeply immersed in the Small Halls Festival and yes, we have a vested interest in the success of the hall.

Publisher Sara Hershoff is a member of what was the executive committee.  She books the bands at Avening Hall and, with the help of supporters, has built its reputation as a premier music venue. She works with Purple Hills and Heritage Society to create programming for the Creemore Arts Festival, which takes place simultaneously at Station on the Green, one of the nine venues, and has supported programming at other halls.

Editor Trina Berlo is married to Bill Hewitt, who is chair of the Avening Hall board.    

So, in the spirit of full disclosure, all of us have benefitted from the Small Halls Festival and we have skin in the game.

The township claims many successes through the Small Halls Festival, by winning awards and building a volunteer army of 300 people.

So why exclude the people who have helped create success and want to engage?

These halls were built by community and they are managed by the community. They are owned by us, the taxpayers.

The township pumped more than $100,000 into this festival in 2015 alone, with 20 per cent of that being public money. This year, $50,000 of tax dollars are earmarked for the festival and there is less grant money so this should matter to the general public more than ever. A lot of questions need to be answered; what is this event all about and what is to be gained by shutting out hall representatives?

We urge council to pause and consider what is to be gained by excluding hall representatives?

Invite them to the table. The halls are the heart of this festival. Without the halls, it is just a Small Festival.

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