Email to Candidates (With Survey Questions)
Dear Candidate,
Welcome to ArtsVote Niagara’s fourth survey of municipal candidates!
ArtsVote Niagara is concerned with culture in our communities. Culture encompasses arts and heritage and all the specific and unique ways in which people communicate, interact, and express themselves. Arts and heritage are expressions of our current and past culture. Culture is also a business and industrial sector – a field of endeavour with both commercial and not-for-profit interests.
Thank you for participating in the ArtsVote Niagara 2026 survey. The link to the survey is HERE (and also listed below). The survey is designed to inform you of cultural issues and inform artists, audiences, arts workers, and patrons of the creative and cultural sectors of your perspective.
The survey is comprised of mostly multiple choice questions and will take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. There is space to add comments at the end of the survey. The survey can be completed on a computer, tablet, or phone.
(Click on a section link below to view questions, along with answer weights.)
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SECTION 1 | Candidate Information (2 min)
Name: [Enter]
Campaign Website or Social Media Page: [Enter]
Municipality: [Select]
- Fort Erie
- Grimsby
- Lincoln
- Niagara Falls
- Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Pelham
- Port Colborne
- St Catharines
- Thorold
- Wainfleet
- Welland
- West Lincoln
Is this questionnaire being completed by the candidate? [Yes / No]
If not, please fill in the name, position, and contact number of the person who is filling out this questionnaire.
Name: [Enter]
Position in Campaign / Relationship to Candidate: [Enter]
Contact Email (if different from campaign email): [Enter]
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SECTION 2 | Arts, Culture, and the Community (10 min)
Arts, Culture and Society
1. Please indicate to what degree you agree or disagree with the following statements.
ANSWER WEIGHTS
Statements A, C, E, F, G, H:
Strongly Disagree -2
Slightly Disagree -1
Slightly Agree +1
Strongly Agree +2
Statements B, D:
Strongly Disagree +2
Slightly Disagree +1
Slightly Agree -1
Strongly Agree -2- Arts, culture, and heritage activities are important for the ways they inspire connection, discussion, debate, and new ideas.
- Arts and culture institutions and activities are not as important to Niagara as sports institutions and activities.
- Experiencing creativity by taking part in arts and culture activities has a positive impact on our individual well-being, contributing to aptitudes for lifelong learning, communication skills and versatility.
- Very few people in Niagara take part in arts, culture, or heritage activities more than once or twice a year.
- Heritage institutions are important to forging our sense of individual, community, regional, and national identity.
- Participation in arts and culture strengthens residents' sense of belonging to their community.
- An active local arts scene helps make a community a better place to live.
- A professional arts scene in Niagara contributes to local innovation, social inclusion and community engagement
2. Municipalities invest in a wide range of physical assets, operations and programming to serve community residents. This investment is required to sustain their infrastructure and operations and to ensure broad access by citizens. In your opinion, how important is investment in the following culture-related assets:
ANSWER WEIGHTS
For each asset:
Very Important +0.25
Somewhat Important +0.1
Somewhat Unimportant -0.1
Not Important -0.25- Agricultural Fairgrounds/Farmers Markets
- Arenas
- Artist Makerspace
- Artist-run Centres
- Historic Sites
- Libraries
- Museums
- Parks
- Performing Arts Centres
- Public Art Galleries
- Recreation Centres
3. The four pillars of community sustainability are often described as Environmental, Social, Cultural and Economic. What should your municipality be responsible for when it comes to arts, culture and heritage?
ANSWER WEIGHTS
Statements A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H: +0.25
Statement I: -2(Check ANY or ALL that apply.)
- Setting direction through a culture plan that is funded, implemented and reviewed
- Including arts and culture in the municipal strategic plan, with measurable goals
- Including arts and culture in economic development and tourism strategies
- Funding organizations, artists, and projects
- Owning and operating cultural facilities
- Making cultural opportunities accessible to residents of all incomes, ages, abilities and backgrounds
- Protecting heritage buildings, sites and collections
- Measuring and publicly reporting on the sector's contribution each year
- None of the above
4. The Municipal Act requires that all municipalities fund local libraries and maintain a heritage committee. Other aspects of culture are not covered in the Act. Does your municipality have any of the following in place?
ANSWER WEIGHT
0 (This is an educational question)[CHECK BOX] A current culture plan or cultural policy
[CHECK BOX] A grant program for arts, culture or heritage organizations
[CHECK BOX] Staff whose responsibilities include arts and culture
[CHECK BOX] Staff whose responsibility includes museums and/or heritage
[CHECK BOX] A public art program or policy
[CHECK BOX] A formal relationship with local Indigenous community representation
[CHECK BOX] I’m not sure / I don’t know5. In the past year, what are the ways in which you have participated in arts, culture, and heritage activities?
ANSWER WEIGHT
Statements A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I: +0.25
Statement J: 0(Select ANY or ALL that apply)
- Attended a live performance of music, dance, theatre, cabaret, or other performing art form
- Visited an art gallery, museum, or heritage site
- Read a novel, short story, or poetry by a Niagara-based author
- Purchased an artwork by a Niagara-based artist
- Volunteered with one or more arts, culture, or heritage organization (including sitting on a Board of Directors or Board committee)
- Donated to, or attended a fundraising event, for one or more arts, culture, or heritage organization
- Held membership to one or more arts, culture, or heritage organization
- Attended an event held by the Indigenous community
- Used the services of your local library
- None of the above
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SECTION 3 | Arts, Culture, and the Economy (10 min)
Arts, Culture, and the Economy (10 min)
6. Please indicate to what degree you agree or disagree with the following statements.
ANSWER WEIGHTS
Statements A, C, E, G:
Strongly Disagree -2
Slightly Disagree -1
Slightly Agree +1
Strongly Agree +2
Statements B, D, F:
Strongly Disagree +2
Slightly Disagree +1
Slightly Agree -1
Strongly Agree -2A. The arts, culture, and heritage sector has a positive economic impact at the municipal level.
B. Municipal investment in the arts, culture, and heritage sector are not in the public interest
C. Cultural and recreational amenities can be used to facilitate downtown revitalization.
D. Arts, culture, and heritage organizations do not contribute significantly to a community’s economic well-being.
E. A strong arts, culture, and heritage sector affects the ability of municipal governments to influence local economic development by attracting and retaining F. businesses, young people and a skilled workforce.
G. Arts, culture, and heritage activities are exclusively recreational pastimes that should operate without any public support.
H. Arts, culture, and heritage tourists spend more and stay longer at their destinations than other visitors.Arts, Culture, and the Economy
In 2024, the Canadian arts and culture sector contributed $65 billion directly to GDP and $131 billion in total economic impact, supporting 1.1 million jobs and generating $17 billion in federal and provincial tax revenue. Ontario’s arts and culture sector is the largest in the country, with a GDP impact of $29.8 billion and 279,536 culture jobs. The Niagara arts and culture sector created $366 million in GDP and 5,780 arts and culture jobs in 2023. Source: Artworks: The Economic and Social Dividends from Canada’s Arts and Culture Sector (Canadian Chamber of Commerce); Ontario Arts Council, OAC Impact Report (2025)
The Arts Vibrancy Index measures 22 Canadian metropolitan areas on both arts presence and economic performance. Niagara ranks 2nd for the share of businesses that are arts businesses and 3rd for arts jobs per capita, but only 14th for arts revenue per capita and 18th out of 22 overall. Source: Business/Arts (2026).
7. Which, if any, of the following types of support for the arts and culture sector should municipal and regional governments provide:
ANSWER WEIGHTS
Statements A, B, C, D: +0.5
Statement E: 0
Statement F: -1
Statement G: -2(Check ANY or ALL that you would support)
A. One-time funding for arts and culture events and projects by local artists, community groups, and professional non-profit organizations
B, Operating funding for non-profit organizations that provide arts and culture activities for Niagara residents
C. Funding for capital (physical infrastructure) projects for professional non-profit arts and culture organizations
D. Promotion of local arts and culture events and activities as destinations for cultural tourism
E. I don’t know / I’m not sure
F. Funding for the arts and culture sector is the responsibility of the provincial and/or federal governments, not local governments.
G. There shouldn't be any government support for arts and culture.Regional Investment in the Arts and Culture Sector
The Region of Niagara approved its first Cultural Plan in 2010. The plan listed four strategic directions – Creative Economy, Creative Places, Creative People and Creative Identity. In 2014, Regional Council voted to support a $250,000 Niagara Investment in Culture (NIC) program. The fund was administered by Planning staff and provided special project grants for municipalities and arts organizations. The fund provided grants to dozens of projects that provided arts and culture activities to tens of thousands of Niagara residents in all twelve municipalities.
In 2021 the Niagara Investment in Culture program was shut down. Since then, arts and culture groups in municipalities without arts and culture investment programs have not had a local source of public support. There has also been no Region-level public sector investment for the regional organizations (such as the Mighty Niagara Film Festival, Niagara Children’s Festival, Niagara Symphony, and Niagara Artists Centre) to bring their programs to all Niagara residents.
8. Would you advocate for the Regional government re-examining its role in investing in and promoting Niagara’s arts and culture sector?
ANSWER WEIGHTS
YES = +1
NO = -1YES
NO
9. Many arts and culture organizations, artists, and arts workers struggle to find affordable space to create and share their work with the public. Which of the following would you support?
ANSWER WEIGHTS
Statements A, B, C, D: +0.25
Statement E: 0
Statement F: -1(Check ANY or ALL that apply.)
A. Making surplus municipal property available for cultural use at below-market rates
B. Including creative space in affordable housing and community hub projects
C. Incentives for cultural spaces in downtowns and on main streets
D. Permitting live/work and studio uses in more zones
E. I don’t know / I’m not sure
F. None of the above10. How should your municipality involve the arts and culture sector in decisions that affect it?
ANSWER WEIGHTS
Statements A, B, C, D, E: +0.2
Statement F: 0
Statement G: -1(Check ANY or ALL that apply.)
A. Consult the sector before decisions on funding, facilities or policy are finalized
B. Maintain an advisory committee with cultural sector representation
C. Include cultural sector representatives in economic development and tourism planning
D. Report publicly to the sector and residents on cultural investment and results
E. Hold regular meetings between elected officials and cultural organizations
F. I don’t know / I’m not sure
G. None of the above -
SECTION 4 | Candidate Comments and Confirmation
11. Comment on the Arts, Culture, and Heritage sector (Optional)
You are invited to provide comments or a position statement on arts, culture, and heritage sector issues and priorities, including relevant education, work experience and volunteer work. Your comment will be posted on the ArtsVote Niagara website along with the campaign website address you provided at the start of the survey.
This question is optional. If you do not wish to provide a comment, your campaign website link will still be posted.
PLEASE NOTE: Comments will be published exactly as submitted, without editing, unless there is language deemed offensive by the ArtsVote Niagara Committee (eg obscenities, slurs, etc). If the Committee has a concern about the language used in your comment, you will be contacted and given one opportunity to provide an alternative comment before the publication of the results. If no alternative statement is provided or the alternative statement also contains language deemed offensive, only your campaign website link will be posted.
Candidate Affirmation: I declare that my responses to this questionnaire are a true reflection of my understanding of and/or opinions on the question topics.
NAME:
DATE:
Thank you for participating in the ArtsVote Niagara 2026 survey. If you have any questions, please contact the ArtsVote Niagara Committee at arts.vote.niagara@gmail.com
The survey submission deadline is Monday October 5 at 9AM.
Survey results and candidate comments will be shared on the ArtsVote Niagara website for voters to review and consider.
All the best and thank you for your community service!
The ArtsVote Niagara Committee
Candidates Running in St. Catharines
Candidates running for office in St Catharines were asked three additional .Yes/No/Maybe. questions about support for the City's Culture Plan, the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program, and a Civic Art Gallery.
Methodology
Candidate emails were gathered from the various municipalities' clerks offices, online searches, and phone calls to the candidates. Emails with survey links were sent out from the ArtsVote Niagara gmail account in late September. Reminder emails without URLs were sent in early October, as the committee recognizes that email providers may have classified the original email as spam.
The committee is aware that candidates receive hundreds of emails during the campaign period and acknowledges the likelihood that a candidate not completing the survey is due to the high volume of emails causing ArtsVote Niagara’s messages to not reach the candidate.
The survey was administered using Google Forms.Responses were collected in a spreadsheet and coded so that the answer weights could be applied. The resulting numbers placed the candidates into one of four alignment categories. Candidates were also given an opportunity to provide comments and/or their website, and those have been posted without adjustments or editing.
The ArtsVote Niagara survey was written by the ArtsVote committee using current research on the social and economic impact and value of the arts and culture sector. The survey is designed to identify how the candidate's opinions relate to these topics. The weighting of the questions is not intended to create a ranking but instead an illustration of the alignment between the candidate's position and the current needs and priorities of the arts and culture sector. The questions and the weighting of the answers can be found (in the survey sections) above.
The ArtsVote Niagara survey results are neither an endorsement nor a criticism of candidates’ positions or campaigns.