On the occasion of an Appearance Before The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage

Ottawa, Ontario
February 9, 2009

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Introduction

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and honourable members of the committee.

Let me begin by saying thank you for affording me the opportunity to be here today. I want to establish a positive rapport with you, the members of this committee. I hope that this will be the beginning of a productive working relationship.

I know from having served on several Parliamentary committees over the past eight years how hard members work. The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in particular has a reputation of being proactive in its studies and reaching out to Canadians regarding issues that matter. In the past, this committee has studied issues such as the role of the public broadcaster in the 21st century, the Canadian Television Fund, Internet regulations and much more. I hope that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage will continue this record of dedication and cooperation in this new session of Parliament.

I’d like to begin by sharing with the committee members the work that has been ongoing since I was appointed Minister of Canadian Heritage. I’d like to talk about my meetings with stakeholders and what I’ve learned. I welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can work together to be proactive in shaping the arts and cultural scene in Canada. I will also be very happy to answer any questions you may have. I hope that today’s session will be the first of many productive exchanges.

Mandate

Building stronger communities has been a priority for our conservative government since day one. It is stable, vibrant communities that will provide opportunities for individuals and contribute to our great country’s health and identity.

That’s why we’ve committed to our Roadmap for Canada’s linguistic duality; this investment of $1.1 billion over five years will be spread across 13 government departments and agencies. This amount is unprecedented and includes $14 million to preserve and promote linguistic duality in the arts and culture sector. This year is the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act. This is something to celebrate and all Canadians are proud.

We’re also investing in festivals and historic commemorations. Our programs provide opportunities for Canadians to become involved in their communities and to have access to arts and heritage. For example, in our first three years, we increased funding through Arts Presentation Canada by 37%. With Budget 2009, we’re continuing that strong track record by investing another $100 million over two years in marquee festivals and events.

We’re investing in communities right across our country. We invested in Québec City last year to commemorate its 400th anniversary. We are investing $2 million through our Cultural Capitals of Canada program to help Trois-Rivières celebrate its 375th anniversary. These milestones are of national significance, and we know the local economic and societal benefits achieved from these events.

Just two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Halifax to announce that our government is investing more than $160,000 in the Atlantic Jazz festival and the 2009 Scotia Festival of Music. We’re also investing in the Lockport Children’s Festival in Manitoba and the Festival du Bois in British Columbia. Festivals and commemorations bring communities together to make them stronger and richer and in turn contribute to the well being of our country as a whole.

Another priority for our Government is to do our part to support museums. That’s why we’ve invested $100 million for our national institutions since 2006. We are ensuring that our national museums have the resources to maintain and operate the buildings and collections that they hold on behalf of Canadians.

In December, I had the privilege of joining the Prime Minister and Premier Gary Doer in Winnipeg for the ground-breaking of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This was done through an act of Parliament, and is the first investment for a national museum outside the national capital region. This is record funding, and is an excellent example of a project where we are working with various partners including the private sector, the Government of Manitoba, and the City of Winnipeg.

Let me also mention that we work together with Aboriginal people to celebrate and strengthen their culture. We support the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards that recognize the outstanding achievements of members of the community in various fields.

Arts and culture is another area of this diverse portfolio, and I would like to reiterate our firm commitment in this area and our recognition that cultural creativity and innovation are vital not only to a robust Canadian culture, but also to our economy. I also know, through my travels and consultations across the country, the importance of arts and culture and how closely associated they are to our heritage, identity and quality of life.

Since coming into office in 2006, we increased spending by 8% for the arts and cultural sector. Our Government has made significant increases to programs across the Department. We’ve doubled the funding for Cultural Spaces Canada for the coming year and extended the program by an additional year. We increased funding for arts training by 42% and for Museums by 28%.

Our Government is continuing our record of increased spending in Budget 2009, and we’re continually working to meet the concerns of the creative community. We’re doing this by sustaining cultural funding with $540 million in this budget. This includes investments in training programs and young artists and creators.

Many of you will have personal memories — or have heard of — the remarkable impact that the celebration of the country's centenary in 1967 had on our sense of pride and identity. Canada's 150th birthday is now approaching. I believe that it can and should be a landmark event — that we should shine as a country — that we should evoke in each and every Canadian a sense of belonging to the best country on earth.

This Committee may wish to play a role as we look forward to 2017. Fifty years after 1967, Canada is in many ways a very different country. The committee may wish to seek views on how best to strengthen knowledge of Canada's history and institutions — not just of the long-ago past, but of the more recent past and the role of new Canadians in it. It could explore how to foster a sense of attachment and engagement among new Canadians, youth, and others. It could consider how to build momentum towards 2017, and finally, how to mark 2017 itself. I would welcome such ground-breaking work from the committee.

Our Government is promoting Canada on the international cultural scene. We invest $21 million annually on international promotion and export through organizations such as the Canada Council for the Arts, whose budget we have increased by 21% since 2006. The Canada Council for the Arts now receives over $180 million a year; this means more money is going directly to artists.

Add to this our new investment of $25 million for the Canada Prizes, which will showcase Canadian artists to an international audience. It will be the largest multi-disciplinary prize for arts in the world, and it will cement Canada permanently as a cultural hub in the world. We believe that Canadian artists can compete with the best in the world and that’s exactly what they will be able to do thanks to our investments.

Our Government recognizes that when we invest in culture, we get a lot back. The Conference Board of Canada estimates that the cultural sector generated $46 billion to our GDP in 2007, and that it supports more than 650,000 jobs in our economy.

However, as we all know very well, while culture generates compelling economic data, it is about much more than that. It is an intangible yet powerful part of what holds us together as Canadians. Based on values that we hold dear, our culture is a fundamental part of our Canadian identity.

Creativity and innovation are vital, not only to an enriched Canadian cultural life, but also to Canada’s economic future. Our Government recognizes the importance of arts, culture, and heritage, and has devoted more than half a billion dollars to it in Budget 2009. This includes $100 million for festivals and events, $60 million for local theatres and small museums, and new money for national arts training.

We know that an investment in culture is an investment in our future. That’s why we have committed more money to arts and culture than any other government in Canadian history.

Sport is part of our Canadian identity and an important part of the work at Canadian Heritage. Physical activity is part of a healthy lifestyle and sport is part of a healthy society. This is one of the reasons why we are the largest contributor to sport in this country. Our investments are supporting participation and excellence, from the playground to the podium. In 2008-09, our Government’s investment in the Canadian sport system will have grown to an all-time high of $166 million annually — this is a record level.

Canada has a sport heritage that we can all be proud of. As someone who calls British Columbia home, I am particularly excited about the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Right from the outset, when it was announced that Canada would host the 2010 games, I began to attend as many games-related events as possible. And I am pleased to say that our Government’s $55 million dollar “Own the Podium” initiative is helping to ensure that our athletes have the financial support they need while they prepare for the Games. With one year to go, I am sure the members of this committee, and indeed all Canadians, share my excitement.

Our communities gain tremendously from these and other high-stature sport events. From improved sport facilities to increased volunteer capacity and sport participation, the social and economic legacies of the 2010 Games will benefit this country for years to come.

This opportunity of a lifetime extends beyond athletes and spectators and into the arts and culture community. We will have a wonderful and opportune occasion to showcase our Canadian heritage to an international audience, and an estimated 3.2 billion people will be watching the opening ceremonies. Recently, not far from my home in Port Moody, the Cultural Olympiad 2009 opened in Metro Vancouver. This six-week long festival will feature 400 performances and exhibits featuring 120 distinct artistic projects, taking place in close to 70 different venues. Our investment in the Cultural Olympiad is just one of the many events that we have been able to fund through our Government’s 37% increase to the Arts Presentation Canada Program.

We are also investing $24.5 million for the Olympic torch relay as approved in last year’s budget. This incredible event will see the Olympic torch travel 45,000 km over 100 days through more than 1,000 Canadian communities. It will be the longest torch relay ever, and it will engage Canadians in French and English speaking communities across the country. We’ve set aside $12.5 million in funding for community celebrations at various stops every day. These celebrations will showcase local artistic talent as a part of the torch events. This is yet another example of how our Canadian artists will be launched into the international spotlight.

Tour & Record

Since I was appointed Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages last fall, I have been working hard to meet the needs of artists from across our country. I have enjoyed visiting small towns and cities alike, and touring institutions such as the Musée d’Art Contemporain, Wychwood Barns, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and many more. I’ve spoken to all my provincial counterparts and I’ve met with the heads of organizations like the Canada Council for the Arts, l’Union des Artistes, Orchestras Canada, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. My goal was - and continues to be - to connect with the arts community and establish a positive relationship that will be beneficial to Canadians.

Challenges to the Cultural Sector

While I’ve been able to see first-hand that the cultural sector is innovative and dynamic, I also recognize that it faces a number of challenges as we move into the future.

First and foremost is the global economic situation. Cultural business and not-for profit organizations alike are feeling the effects of the credit crunch.

Rapidly changing technologies are having a huge impact on the sector; they are bringing challenges but also new opportunities. There are now more ways to reach audiences- for instance social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace. In fact, 34% of Canadians under the age of 20 use such sites to discover new music and art. The cultural industry is reaching them there – building artists’ profiles online instead of advertising through the traditional means such as flyers, radio and television.

Fewer people are buying CDs because they want more flexibility and choice. Instead of buying a whole album, they want to pick and choose their songs. This is something the industry is starting to deal with. They need to do more, and I will continue working with them to ensure we have a sustainable policy framework.

In this rapidly changing environment, we need to take a careful look at how we invest in culture. We need to re-examine our cultural policies because many of them are rooted in traditional approaches that may not fit anymore.
I believe we need cultural policies that respond to our unique heritage and put Canadians’ interests first, as citizens, creators, and consumers.

Canadians want and should have information about the world through books, magazines, films, and exhibitions. We want to see films telling our stories, like Passchendaele, and Ce qu’il faut pour vivre. We want to read books like Guy Vanderhaeghe’s best-selling The Englishman’s Boy, or Marie Laberge’s trilogy Le goût du bonheur.

As well, we need policies that focus on innovation so that the cultural sector can continue to be a strong driver of economic growth.

I believe the National Film Board is on the right track here. In honour of its 70th anniversary, the Board has put the better part of 900 films online free of charge. Day or night, anywhere in the country, Canadians now have access to this important part of their cultural heritage.

We want Canada to continue to be a global leader in developing video games. Among the top-selling video games in North America, 20% were developed in Canadian studios. In fact, this innovative sector had estimated revenues of $2 billion in 2007.

Last but not least, we need policies that help our creators showcase their ingenuity, build their brand, and contribute to Canada’s image outside the country. We have a small domestic market, and many of our artists owe their success to strong international sales. For example, the rock band Nickelback has sold more than 300 million dollars worth of CDs internationally over the past ten years.

When we see Cirque du Soleil or Celine Dion appearing around the world, not only do Canadians feel a sense of pride, but it also helps build our reputation abroad as a strong, competitive country. This image is central to attracting tourism and investment to Canada, and stimulating economic success across all sectors.

I want to review our existing cultural policies with a view to modernizing them. I hope that this committee, in establishing its agenda for the coming months, will consider some of these issues as well.

Priorities

In the coming months, we have much to do and we will have to prioritize, starting with the implementation of Budget 2009.

I also want to reiterate our commitment to the television and interactive digital industries with investments of $134.7 million a year over the next two years. It is through these investments that we are helping to strengthen the economy and create jobs for Canadians.

We believe that sectors of broadcasting and new media will continue to contribute to the economic welfare of Canada. We are aware of the hardships that the industry is experiencing, and rest assured I am closely following its evolution.

Conclusion

In closing, let me say that our Government understands that support for arts and culture is not a want, but a need. I have been very clear on this since my appointment as Minister of Canadian Heritage last fall. The mandate of the Canadian Heritage portfolio and specifically arts and culture is important for our Government.

I see great opportunity for all members of this committee to work together to make change possible in this time of fast-paced innovation in the cultural sector. This committee represents Canadians from many regions of our country. Their needs should be considered not only in a productive manner, but in one that is respectful of the economically difficult times that all Canadians are enduring.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I would be pleased to answer any questions you have.

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