The first Creative City Network of Canada conference was held in Vancouver, BC in November 2002. Since then, the CCNC has organized an annual meeting in different Canadian cities for established and aspiring culture workers to meet, share ideas, connect, and work together to build vital infrastructure for arts and cultural development across Canada’s towns and cities. The conference is now known as the Creative City Summit.
Why Attend a Creative City Summit?
Connecting with sector colleagues is an essential part of developing culture in Canada. Every year, delegates representing culture work across the country gather to share, learn, and grow.
Each Creative City Summit offers content that is national in scope and addresses the breadth of issues within the practice of local cultural development for communities of different sizes and geographies.
COVID’s Impact
The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted plans for an incredible Creative City Summit in Calgary, AB in 2020. That event was postponed to 2021 with great hopes to gather the following year. In April 2021, as a third wave of infections took hold in Canada, CCNC again faced a difficult decision. The Summit planned for Calgary, AB has been canceled. With many thanks to our team and the team in Calgary, we look forward to being able to visit this creative city in the near future.
CCNC looks forward to creating an incredible Summit in Waterloo, ON in 2022 for our 20th anniversary.
CCNC continues to create and expand on alternate ways to provide a point of connection for Canada’s culture workers during the pandemic. Explore our programs here.
Upcoming Creative City Summits
Past Creative City Summits
2019 — Saskatoon, SK
“I kind of fell in love with Saskatoon. What they are doing culturally is really exciting and you can sense the energy and youthful vibe of just getting things done, without perhaps the bureaucracy of bigger cities.”
– 2019 delegate
“This was my third conference, and I truly value what I take away [from] the Summits.”
– 2019 delegate
2018 — Mississauga, ON
Creative Disruption | Building a new foundation for people, places, and spaces
2017 — Halifax, NS
Views from the Edge: Periphery, Perspective and the Contemporary City
2016 — Surrey, BC
The Future Lives Here: Bridging Cultures and Building Communities
2015 — Kelowna, BC
Let’s Cultivate Culture! Nurture, Grow, Celebrate in Your Community!
2014 — Hamilton, ON
Love Your City: Transforming Communities through Culture
2013 — Ottawa, ON
Recalculating: Culture in a Digital World
2012 — Victoria, BC
Fertile Grounds: Culture in Your Community
2011 — London, ON
The New Old: Culture as a Revitalizing Tool in your Community