Last April, Premier Gordon Campbell and Mayor Sam Sullivan launched a "co-operative planning process to create a cultural precinct in downtown Vancouver." Since then, city council has approved $900,000 in grants to "develop Phase One (of that process) as well as a long-term strategy" for the cultural precinct. But doesn't that precinct presuppose the results of the Creative City Task Force, which is in the process of authoring a 10-year strategic arts and culture plan? Not at all, according to Vancouver cultural services managing director Sue Harvey.

Asked whether it might have made more sense to wait for the release of that plan before embarking on the cultural precinct project, Ms. Harvey said, "If one were starting from scratch, it might. But we have had a priority plan that's been in the place for the previous ten years." And the cultural precinct - which includes redeveloping Vancouver civic theatres - is consistent with that plan. Moreover, Ms. Harvey explained the city hopes those theatres "will be important venues that will be utilized during the arts festivals that will be associated with the Olympics." So it's important to get the cultural precinct project underway as soon as possible.