Planning is underway for Port Moody's centennial celebrations.
Approved at Tuesday's council meeting was a list of proposed centennial projects and events, with a budget of just over $134,000. Topping the list of expenses is the hiring of a centennial year co-ordinator ($35,000), followed by a community picnic at Rocky Point Park ($25,000) and a fireworks display ($20,000).
There will also be a parade ($15,000) and the annual Ioco Ghost Town Days will be expanded ($5,000).
The celebrations are set to kick off on the first day of 2013 with a spruced up Penguin Plunge ($4,000) and continue with community block parties ($2,000), a garage door "mural mania" ($2,000), a living heritage project ($4,400), a time capsule ($1,000) and a poet laureate ($500).
Another $95,000 is being set aside from the artwork reserve budget for a public art piece in front of city hall.
Other Port Moody news:
YOUTH FESTIVAL
A proposal for a youth festival got mixed reviews from Moody council.
The event was approved as part of the five-year arts and culture master plan back in March 2011 but Coun. Diana Dilworth said there isn't enough time to pull it together before it's scheduled to take place July 25 to 27.
"I support a youth festival but not if it has to be rammed in in under six months," she said, noting there are already youth-focused events as part of the Festival of the Arts and Art4U Day.
Coun. Gerry Nuttall, who chairs the arts and culture committee, acknowledged this year's event might be a "learning year" but it was important to follow through so that it could be built up for the city's centennial celebrations in 2013.
The festival is to include performances, displays and seminars on theatre, dance, music, photography, visual and literary arts and more at locations throughout Port Moody at a cost of $12,000.
Dilworth and Mayor Mike Clay voted against the recommendation.
NECKLACE PROJECT
Port Moody will add a public art piece to the Necklace Project.
Council approved the glass mosaic works, to be embedded in the ground at historic spots throughout Port Moody, such as the first bank on Clarke Street and the PoMo Station Museum. One large anchor piece would be outside the PoMo Arts Centre and would encourage visitors to seek out the remaining mosaics.
The original $30,000 budget for the piece grew to $50,000 to pay for the larger, above-ground artwork outside the arts centre.
The Necklace Project is a series of public art projects "threaded together as individual jewels" in 10 municipalities throughout Metro Vancouver.
Coun. Rosemary Small said she liked the idea of the project but felt the cost increase was "way too high."
She, Dilworth and Clay voted against the project.
