People are curious – How does Arts and Culture have anything to do with economic development? And specifically, how do art councils figure into this equation? The Algonquin Arts Council (AAC), incorporated in 1980, has had a long history of involvement with regional economic development in the Bancroft and north Hastings area of Hastings County. In the early 1990’s, the Town of Bancroft realized a regional approach was needed to achieve goals such as airport development, increased health care and public transportation.  Bancroft reached out to neighbouring communities and various sectors such as the school board, financial institutions, realtors, Loyalist College, the Chamber of Commerce, and the BBIA and formed an organization called Bravo–Bancroft Region Achievements, Vision and Opportunities– as a sub-committee of the Community Futures Development Corporation. Recognizing the importance of arts and culture as an economic driver, BRAVO also reached out to the Algonquin Arts Council. 

The AAC has since had a representative on BRAVO, renamed the North Hastings Economic Development Committee (NHEDC), sitting as an equal committee member. In 2014, the AAC representative, also the NHEDC Treasurer, was instrumental in the incorporation of the NHEDC as a Non-Profit. Projects have included lobbying for high speed internet, workshops to address accessibility issues, transportation research, development of a regional profile for granting applications, OMAFRA training courses, federal All Candidates meetings (actively sponsored by the AAC), development of a branding strategy for North Hastings,  and a seasonal residents survey which is used for future economic planning. The most recent project was sponsoring the development of non-motorized trails in North Hastings.  

The Town of Bancroft Economic Development Strategic plan released in 2019, identified arts and culture as one of three major economic growth areas to be developed – to give direction, goals and priorities for economic growth and success over the next five to ten years.  The Algonquin Arts Council is specifically named in this report as a champion of area arts and culture, key to such growth areas as downtown revitalization, and names the AAC as a resource to be called upon by the Town of Bancroft.