Langford residents have announced their desire for an arts and culture facility and now the question is how to make that happen.

Cindy Moyer, West Shore Arts Council president and executive director of Coast Collective, sees LangfordB次元官网网址檚 interest in an arts centre as an opportunity for collaboration.

The City of Colwood has been working with the arts council for years to develop a plan for a community cultural centre and in 2013 commissioned a $30,000 study to determine the what kind of centre would be needed to serve the area.

The resulting report gave a rough recommendation of a centre in the $35-million range, with a 650-seat theatre, a collection of studio spaces and a gallery/gift shop.

B次元官网网址淲e know itB次元官网网址檚 not an inexpensive project and itB次元官网网址檚 because of that it seems so well suited to a collaboration of some kind,B次元官网网址� Moyer said. B次元官网网址淚t feels most appropriate that it would be viewed as a regional asset.B次元官网网址�

So far ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 attempts to get shovels in the ground for the centre, first as a part of the new Royal Bay secondary school and then as a part of a large private development in Royal Bay, have hit dead ends.

So with a basic plan ready but a location and funding needed, Moyer believes Langford could be the answer theyB次元官网网址檝e been looking for.

B次元官网网址淚 would really love to see the two urban municipalities sit down and discuss the possibilities,B次元官网网址� Moyer said.

Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton is open to the idea and said she has briefly discussed collaboration with Langford Mayor Stew Young and hopes to have a more in-depth discussion soon.

B次元官网网址淭he doorB次元官网网址檚 wide open,B次元官网网址� said Hamilton. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 love to have a conversation.B次元官网网址�

Hamilton thinks ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 plan is a good one, with a lot of work behind it, and believes it the best to go forward with.

Young said the idea of Langford building an arts centre is at this point just that: an idea. He knows thereB次元官网网址檚 interest in the community and steps will be taken to get the ball rolling on developing a proposal, but the project is in such a stage of infancy he has no idea what it will end up looking like.

That being said, he is open to the idea of partners, including Colwood.

B次元官网网址淥bviously thereB次元官网网址檚 some room for cooperation, but it wonB次元官网网址檛 be one sided, it wonB次元官网网址檛 be just Langford paying,B次元官网网址� Young said. B次元官网网址淚 just hope we get one out there, I donB次元官网网址檛 care how we do it, I just want willing partners.B次元官网网址�

He said ultimately itB次元官网网址檚 the residents of Langford who will decide what plan moves ahead. City staff and committees will figure out projected costs, both for building and running a facility, and potential partnerships, and then the residents will have a chance to approve or reject the idea.

Young also believes there is room for two cultural facilities on the West Shore, should a partnership not develop. He said he wonB次元官网网址檛 take it personally if Colwood decides to do its own thing.

Moyer hopes the two do find the middle ground, however, as she sees this as a ripe opportunity for a fruitful partnership and a way to move forward as a region.

B次元官网网址淚f the issue is you donB次元官网网址檛 want to have another model of West Shore Parks and Rec, thatB次元官网网址檚 cool. Nobody is asking for that to be replicated,B次元官网网址� Moyer said, referring to the occasionally troubled relationships surrounding the regional facility. B次元官网网址淏reak some barriers, for ChristB次元官网网址檚 sake, do something fun and innovative that everybody will jump on board with.B次元官网网址�