The Dyment Recreation Hall has a new lease on life.
In June 2022, just as Art Borups Corners’ Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse-funded Digital Arts and Cultural Entrepreneurship Incubator pilot program was gaining momentum, disaster struck. The Dyment Recreation Hall, the heart of the local arts and community work in Melgund Township, was severely flooded, throwing a wrench into our plans and casting a shadow over our carefully crafted incubator program. This devastating flood not only disrupted our Art Borups Corners Collective and Winnipeg incubator programs, it also disrupted many of the land-based arts activities that were essential to its mission.
“At that moment, it felt like everything we had worked for was slipping away,” said youth artist and musician Tony Eetak, one of the youth artists involved in the program.
However, in the midst of this crisis, the community showed incredible resilience. Thanks to the support of partners like the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and the strength and determination of our local residents, we were able to pick up the pieces and rebuild. The road to recovery was long, but two years later, our facilities have not just been restored—they’ve been revitalized with improvements that position us to better serve our arts and community programs than ever before.
The next iteration of our Digital Arts and Cultural Entrepreneurship Incubator’s land-based arts programming in 2025 marks a turning point. “This renewal is more than just a recovery; it’s a rebirth, a new chapter of growth, collaboration, and innovation,” said Art Borups Corners founding member Jamie Bell. “Our digital arts incubator and creative leadership programs will continue to nurture emerging artists and entrepreneurs, empowering them to connect, collaborate, and transform while changing the story about the arts.”
Bell said the group was fortunate in that they were able to leverage their second program hub, based out of Winnipeg to keep its programs going. “We’ve been working out of Winnipeg for the last two years, and we’re excited to be able to ramp things up again back in the community.” Plans for 2025 include expanding their existing programming to include a more structure artist residency program, and new projects exploring topics like climate entrepreneurship, participatory arts, food security and climate diplomacy.
This renewal represents the strength of the community, the dedication of its partners, and the transformative power of creativity that continues to inspire us all. From the depths of ruin, the Dyment Recreation Hall has emerged with a renewed sense of purpose, ready to continue fostering creativity and leadership, and excited to welcome the next generation of artists and innovators.
About the Digital Greenhouse:
The Digital Greenhouse is an innovative initiative designed to support Canadian individuals, groups, and organizations in leveraging digital technology to address sectoral challenges within the arts. It funds short-term projects aimed at creating new digital tools and solutions that enhance the resilience, sustainability, and visibility of the arts sector. The program fosters cross-sector collaborations and partnerships that drive the development of innovative digital business models, revenue strategies, and monetization approaches. Additionally, it focuses on enhancing digital literacy and supporting the ongoing digital transformation of the arts. The initiative also seeks to explore solutions to challenges related to accessibility, equity, diversity, decolonization, social justice, and climate responsibility, while working to bridge the gap in digital infrastructure access for remote, Northern, and underrepresented communities.
