How Grasslands Changed Val Marie

The following is a letter from the former mayor of Val Marie, commenting on the effects of a project funded by the Canada Council of the Arts (ACCF Fund) this August. The project was called Grasslands and it involved community and artists working together.

Dear Bill,

Here are my thoughts on the dance - maybe you can forward it.

As a former mayor, I would like to tell you what the impact was of the dance week-end "Where Heaven Meets Earth" in Grasslands National Park in Val Marie, Saskatchewan.

It seemed to have affected the consciousness of the local population - people are still awed at the event and now, 3 months later, it is still a major topic of conversation. Although it seemed a bit high-brow for us at the beginning, it turned out to be an event that made many people appreciate dance. Also, on a more practical level, our business (The Convent Country Inn) has been constantly busy since the dance, which will make it the best business year in the last seven years. I spoke with the owner of the local grocery store, Whitemud Grocery, and their business has been much busier than usual since the dance. We believe that it has somehow made people more community minded. The town itself, with the props that were left, is much more aesthetically pleasing and many of the local people have felt an intense pride in their village being picked for this event.

It is very difficult to put a finger on what exactly happened - maybe it was the energy that the dancers brought to the village - this may sound a bit off the wall, but something happened that has changed this town for the better - it is difficult to understand what it could possibly be, but I appreciate that the dance was a very important commodity in the peoples lives.

Yours truly
Robert Ducan
Business owner, former mayor