Contact(s)
The birthplace of legendary folk singer, Gordon Lightfoot, and summer home of Canada's most famous humorist, Stephen Leacock, Orillia has inspired outstanding artistic creation for generations. Group of Seven painter Franklin Carmichael and renowned sculptor Elizabeth Wyn Wood are also two creatives who have called Orillia home, a city where arts and culture are celebrated year-round.
Cultural Plan and Vision
Orillia’s vision for culture is a city:
- in which culture is understood to be central to making Orillia a place where people want to live, work, play, and invest.
- that is a regional hub for tourism built on the quality of its natural and cultural environment and the vitality of its arts, heritage and cultural activities.
- that values its downtown as the social, economic, and cultural hub of the community.
- where growth and development are managed in a way that preserves the community's natural and cultural assets and its unique small town ambience and identity.
- that values public space across the community, working to protect and enhance it through effective urban design and art in public places.
- that supports and values a dynamic array of arts, heritage, and cultural organizations and individuals committed to collaboration and shared resources.
This vision draws and nurtures a wealth of painters, sculptors, musicians, writers, and other artists to our community. If you're looking for arts and culture, look no further than Orillia!
Orillia's Cultural Plan defines a shared vision and framework through which the municipality, working with its community partners, can support cultural development in Orillia for years to come. The Cultural Plan:
- Reports on the results of community consultation
- Identifies (maps) the City's many diverse cultural resources
- Proposes a mission and mandate for the municipality
- Defines a cultural governance system to support partnerships and collaboration
- Outlines a wide range of potential future strategies and actions
For more details, please review the Cultural Plan for the City of Orillia.
Support for the Arts
Orillia & District Arts Council
The Orillia & District Arts Council (ODAC) serves the arts community by bringing people and resources together to enrich the cultural, economic, and intellectual life of our community. The organization offers support through membership including workshop material, professional development and funding opportunities, tools & resources, marketing support and more. To learn more, visit their website at orilliaartscouncil.ca.
Grants Committee
Established in 1998, the Grants Committee's mandate is to review and make recommendations to Council on applications requesting grant funds from the City.
There are two funding streams to which organizations can apply. For details visit their webpage at orillia.ca/grants.
Festivals & Events
Every year, popular events such as the venerable Mariposa Folk Festival, Scottish Festival, Jazz Festival, Starry Night Art Walk, and Roots North, bring thousands to the Sunshine City to celebrate works of the imagination. For a full list of events and festivals in the city, including Canada Day Celebrations (Orillia's largest FREE festival), visit our events webpage.
Planning an event?
The city has developed a comprehensive Festival and Event Toolkit to help organizers successfully plan their event.
Downtown Tomorrow
The Downtown Tomorrow Community Improvement Plan (DTCIP) launched on January 1, 2017. This program seeks to encourage growth in Downtown Orillia by providing grants designed to stimulate development. View the Downtown Tomorrow webpage to learn more.
Cultural Roundtable
Orillia's Cultural Roundtable is an ongoing working group that provides strategic vision and mobilizes action by linking leaders from across all sectors. It was created to bolster cultural development by facilitating communication and supporting collaboration among community, business, and municipal interests. To learn more about the group, visit our Cultural Roundtable webpage.
Resources
Arts and Culture Directory |
| Orillia supports and values a dynamic array of arts, heritage, and cultural organizations. Visit the Arts & Culture Directory for the full list. |
HR Resources |
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Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) The Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) brings together cultural workers and employers to address training, career development and other human resource issues. Work-in-Culture supports the professional lives of artists, creatives, and cultural workers.
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Health and Safety |
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Event Safety Alliance Canada – NEW May 7, 2020 ESAC is a member of the Event Safety Alliance. Its mission is to
Details on the alliance can be found at http://esacanada.ca/. Health and Safety Guidelines for Workplaces The Ontario government works closely with four provincial health and safety associations (HSAs) to help set, communicate and enforce the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Unison offers two primary forms of support: emergency financial services, and discreet counselling solutions for things like mental health difficulties or work-related concerns. |
Funders |
Agencies and Groups |
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Tourism Resources |
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Visit Orillia is the City of Orillia's destination marketing initiative within the Business Development, Tourism and Modernization Department. Through digital marketing initiatives as well as on their website, Visit Orillia actively promotes visitor experiences within the City. OLC is the industry’s local destination marketing organization. Their website provides update to date resources and event information related to Ontario’s Lake Country (Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Rama First Nation, Ramara, and Severn) businesses and the public. |
Business Resources |
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The CDC provides counselling, training & funding to local businesses to support job creation, growth and innovation. They work with many community partners on various community economic development projects to build an economy in Ontario’s Lake Country that is prosperous, growing and sustainable. They serve the City of Orillia, Townships of Oro-Medonte, Ramara, Severn, and the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and are the area’s go-to for business support. The City of Orillia’s Business Development, Culture and Tourism Department has friendly staff with expertise and knowledge that can connect you with funding opportunities, resources and the community. (RDAs) can assist businesses and tourism operators with access to federal funding and services. They are the front line for economic development in Canada and help to address key economic challenges by providing regionally tailored programs, services, knowledge and expertise. |
