In the village of West Lorne in the Township of West Elgin, a remarkable community project is creating a cultural hub with the goal of enhancing tourism and economic development in the region.

About 100 people have contributed to the development of The Arts & Cookery Bank during the past two years. They have transformed a former Bank of Montreal branch dating from 1914 into a place that will promote the value of a rural lifestyle and cooking experiences, and tell the stories of West Elgin, Dutton-Dunwich, Newbury and Southwest Middlesex.

Construction of The Arts & Cookery Bank, now under way, will join the bank building to a transplanted barn built in 1883 to create a modern showcase for local culture and history. It is set to open in the spring of 2010. You can get a sense of the activity and excitement surrounding this project at www.theartsandcookerybank.com.

“It is a huge project so it is happening in layers,” says Grace McGartland, chair of The Arts & Cookery Bank, which is a not-for-profit corporation that seven volunteers have set in motion.

One of the project layers is a feature on the website called the CAR Map. It is a community map of the heritage, cultural, and tourism/recreational resources of the four townships. Clicking on an item pulls up details about it, including photos and a description of what residents and tourists can find there.

“There is no other single place where people can go to get all that information,” McGartland says. “It is a gateway to the cultural and recreational resources in our area.”

Creation of the CAR Map was the result of a collaborative agreement among The Arts & Cookery Bank, the four municipalities and three regional business organizations, with support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Elgin Business Resource Centre. Fifteen volunteers spent about a year gathering information about the 200 places described on the map.

That’s the sort of commitment The Arts & Cookery Bank has attracted from the community, McGartland says. The seven board members, the teams of volunteers and the two staff members, Tammy Oliveira and Monique Lunn, are all working long hours to conduct fund-raising events and prepare for the teaching courses and digitally enabled displays and presentations that will be held at the Bank.

McGartland says, “We see this as a way to celebrate our rich rural community and heritage, and to be an attracter and magnet.“

"Research has showed us that tourists are looking for authentic rural experiences. We want to create experiences that are fun and exciting, and speak to the rural essence of what we are. The long-term vision is to stimulate growth through tourism.”

Programming at the Arts and Cookery Banks will include cooking lessons by local and guest chefs, photography courses and photographic and multimedia exhibits featuring local culture.

The barn will house a digital photography lab and a demonstration kitchen, while the former bank building will offer meeting rooms and a 50-seat event centre that can be catered.

About $800,000 has been raised from partnerships with the federal, provincial and local governments to support The Arts and Cookery Banks project. McGartland says,"Elgin County 'stepped up early' and continues to be an enthusiastic partner".