The south downtown has long been home to bad ideas, but it has also generated some good ones, such as the creation of a cultural complex built around the life and career of Joni Mitchell.

As one of the country's most gifted artists, Mitchell's oeuvre contains more than enough great writing, music and art to anchor an interpretive centre that could also act as a great people place.

The model Ron Lamb has in mind is the Buddy Holly Centre in Lubbock, Tex. That one features an art gallery, a Texas musicians' hall of fame and an outreach and education office that hosts a wide variety of events, including musical workshops for kids. Something along these lines could easily be adapted to fit the Saskatchewan cultural scene and it suits the ideals set out for the downtown area.

It would display the best of the local cultural scene and feature an international presence of undeniable influence.

It needn't be a shrine to Mitchell but a drawing card with a unique perspective, which almost everyone says the south downtown needs.