District 10 - Candidates

Candidates for Councillor in District 10

Debbie MacKinnon

Did not fill in survey

Kathryn Morse

I saw the Ai Weiwei: Making Sense exhibition and found it very moving.

Scroll down for the detailed feedback from the candidate:

GHAC has four specific goals we're asking candidates to engage with.
Goal One: Become a leader in funding arts and culture activities.  Will you commit to:
1. Increasing HRM arts and culture program funding until it meets and exceeds the median per capita spending on art and culture of other major Canadian cities, with a goal of consistently ranking in the top 25% for arts and culture funding within the next 4 years?
2. Indexing HRM arts and culture funding to inflation to avoid real value erosion of funding envelopes?
3. Structuring HRM arts and culture funding programs to ensure equitable and meaningful investments in underrepresented communities and new voices?
4. Initiating a new HRM peer-reviewed funding program for grants to professional artist individuals and small groups targeted towards creation, presentation and professional development?
5. Initiating a new HRM program to fund artistic residencies promoting artistic research, creation and community engagement within HRM departments (example: Halifax Public Gardens artist-in-residence)?

Debbie MacKinnon

1. Unanswered
2. Unanswered
3. Unanswered
4. Unanswered
​5. Unanswered

Kathryn Morse

1. I commit to funding arts and culture programs to the fullest extent possible ​
2. I support this in principle
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes

Goal Two:  Increase supply of varied, accessible artistic venues and cultural production facilities.  Will you commit to:
1. Addressing gaps identified in HRM Performing & Visual Arts Venues Study (2024) and Discover Halifax Venues Inventory and Assessment (forthcoming)?
2. Providing major capital grants to arts and culture organizations building or renovating venues for the production or presentation of arts and culture?
3. Providing capital improvement grants to arts and culture organizations who own or rent premises?
4. Increasing grant funding available to non-profit arts and culture organizations that rent space to offset the steep rise in rental costs?

Debbie MacKinnon

1. Unanswered
2. Unanswered
3. Unanswered
4. Unanswered

Kathryn Morse

1. Yes
2. I support this in principle
3. Yes
4. Yes

Goal Three:  Equitable access to diverse arts learning opportunities for all citizens, in and out of schools.  Will you commit to:
1. Piloting a collaborative delivery model between HRM Parks & Recreation and local professional arts and culture organizations to increase arts and culture program offerings
2. Prioritizing arts education in schools by ensuring funds continue to be allocated through a Supplementary Education Funding Agreement between HRM and Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) and that such funds stay dedicated to arts education?
3. Increasing public event venue-use at Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) facilities for arts and culture programming by targeting staffing, funding and maintenance of such venues?

Debbie MacKinnon

1. Unanswered
2. Unanswered
3. Unanswered

Kathryn Morse

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. HRM doesn't maintain venues owned by HRCE

Goal Four:  An HRM where everyone can participate in thriving arts and culture activities.  Will you commit to:
1. Offering free public transit for major arts and cultural events, building off successful piloted efforts such as free transit for the first weekend in December, and chartered Halifax Transit buses for Nocturne and Juno Awards events?
2. Funding arts and culture organizations to improve financial accessibility of arts and culture experiences by reducing or eliminating admission fees for arts and culture events, programs, and activities?
3. Retaining and growing the creative and artistic workforce in HRM by developing affordable housing and live/work spaces for artists, and creating a Housing Task Force that includes artists, arts organizations, planners, and developers to define needs and propose viable economic models?

Debbie MacKinnon

1. Unanswered
2. Unanswered
3. Unanswered

Kathryn Morse

1. Will explore better coordination between major events and Halifax Transit
2. Yes
3. I support this idea but feel it should be led by NSCAD and Dalhousie School of Architecture.

How else do you commit to supporting and strengthening the arts and culture sector in Halifax, and improving the lives of the thousands of citizens who are arts and culture workers?

Debbie MacKinnon

Did not fill in survey

Kathryn Morse

I support funding for HRM's libraries as cultural venues.

If there's anything else you'd like to tell us about your vision for arts and culture in Halifax, please use the space below.

Debbie MacKinnon

Did not fill in survey

Kathryn Morse

N/A