Media releases

  • Brock, RHAC Inc. put out the call to help steer Rodman Hall

    MEDIA RELEASE: 2 December 2019 – R00186

    Brock University and the local group Rodman Hall Arts Centre Inc. have announced they are collaborating to find a partner who will help drive an initiative to ensure the future operation of Rodman Hall in downtown St. Catharines.

    Brock and RHAC Inc. have issued a formal Request for Expressions of Interest as a way to identify parties who have the interest and ability to help transform the historic property into an economically viable and culturally sustainable operation.

    Rodman Hall is an estate that dates to the 19th-century, and was originally the home of Thomas Rodman Merritt, the son of William Hamilton Merritt.  The striking 7.15-acre property includes a Victorian mansion with a modern addition built to accommodate an art gallery, surrounded by hillside gardens running down to the banks of Twelve Mile Creek.

    For much of the last half-century it has served as a leading art gallery for the region. In 2003, the University embarked on a 20-year arrangement to own and operate Rodman Hall. Since then, its community uses have continued and Brock also uses it as a teaching venue for fine arts students.

    While the arrangement is scheduled to end in 2023, Brock is challenged to sustain the financial support of Rodman Hall on its own. The University has been engaging in dialogue and exploring partnership opportunities, and today’s announcement signals a new and tangible collaboration that will hopefully identify a sustainable operating model for the property which is protected by a heritage designation that was enacted in 2018, and which the University supported.

    Greg Finn, the University’s Provost and Vice-President Academic, said the decision to issue a Request for Expression of Interest is an indicator of the desire to ensure a positive future for Rodman Hall.

    “Brock is pleased to be working collaboratively with RHAC Inc. to find a successful solution for Rodman Hall,” said Finn. “It is everyone’s intention to achieve a result that truly serves the interests of the entire local community.”

    Jean Bridge, Chair of RHAC Inc., said the group is focused on efforts that will allow the Niagara community to continue to enjoy the many benefits of a robust and professional art gallery.

    “Rodman Hall Art Centre Inc. wants to advance the interests of this community in a dynamic art gallery that allows citizens of all ages to continue to enjoy and engage directly with the visual arts,” said Bridge.

    The document released today sets out a timeline in which expressions of interest can be submitted, including optional site visits by potential partners. The deadline for submission is noon on Feb. 5, 2020.


    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
     

    • Kevin Cavanagh, Brock University Communications, kcavanagh@brocku.ca,
      905-688-5550 x5888 or 905-321-4310
    • Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

     Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

    – 30 –

     

    Categories: Media releases

  • NCO brief details homegrown response to governance issues

    MEDIA RELEASE: 29 November 2019 – R00185

    A new Niagara Community Observatory (NCO) research brief says now that the Ontario government has taken a hands-off approach to regional governance structures, it’s time for Niagara to reflect and further examine potential changes it would like to see.

    Doing so allows the opportunity to identify governance problems in the Niagara region and find ways for the all 12 municipalities to cooperate more efficiently in planning, economic development and service delivery, says the brief, titled “Reflections on Amalgamation: Where Do We Go From Here?”

    “In our exhilaration at the passing of the gun and knife, we should not lose this opportunity to make less-radical changes,” says the brief, authored by Brock University Professor Emeritus of Political Science David Siegel.

    This latest research follows an earlier brief that provided information and options for possible amalgamations in Niagara in response to the Ontario government’s examination of how decisions are being made, and services being delivered, in some two-tier municipal systems.

    A major concern was that the Ontario government would consider implementing its own amalgamation and re-structuring plans for municipalities. In late October, the provincial government announced there would be no forced amalgamations, instead leaving it up to municipalities to identify changes they think need to be made.

    The most recent NCO brief analyzes an array of perceptions and criticisms of the Niagara Region’s governance system and municipalities within the region.

    Controversial areas include the number of councillors — 126 in the 13 local governments in Niagara — a relatively heavy presence when compared to much larger populations, such as Halton and Peel. There’s also a general perception of too much duplication among governance bodies.

    The brief suggests that an excessive amount of time and energy have been wasted on “mindless complaining” centred on councillor numbers and vague notions of inefficiencies.

    “If Niagara could put aside phantom discussions about council size and general complaints about overlap and duplication and instead focus on organizing these two related areas that really need attention, surely some working arrangement could be developed,” says the brief.

    People who live in Niagara should start with fresh eyes on identifying problems and then seeking solutions for those problems, says the brief.

    This could be accomplished by an “All-Niagara Summit” in which a wide selection of people representing many different sectors of the region would come together to address a simple question: “How do we make Niagara a better place to live?”

    The group could then propose methods of moving toward the improvements they identify.

    “This is an opportunity for Niagara to control its own destiny,” says Siegel. “We need to get past old differences and look to the future.”

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

    * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970 

    Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

    – 30 –

    Categories: Media releases