Transition material 2021 — Minister of Canadian Heritage

A – Overview of the Department of Canadian Heritage

B – Overview of the Canadian Heritage Portfolio

Overview of the Portfolio

C – Strategic Advice (Key Policy & Program Files)

Canadian Heritage Portfolio Overview

Introduction

The Canadian Heritage Portfolio is one of the largest, most varied portfolios in the Government of Canada. This portfolio, comprised of the Department of Canadian Heritage and 16 organizations, includes 3 agencies, 11 Crown corporations, and 2 administrative tribunals. These organizations are active in the fields of arts, culture, heritage preservation and conservation, as well as human rights.

What we do

The Portfolio Affairs Office has been established to help the Department carry out its Portfolio management responsibilities. It acts as a ‘single window’ between you, the Department and the organizations, to enhance communication and collaboration. We provide strategic advice and analysis on Portfolio issues and ultimately support ministerial oversight.

The Portfolio organizations play a key role in helping the Government achieve its public policy goals and priorities. Since they involve a variety of governance structures (Crown corporations, agencies, and administrative tribunals), and are led by Boards of Directors and Heads of Organizations appointed by the Governor in Council, they maintain different relationships with the Government and enjoy varying degrees of autonomy.

Crown corporations are accountable to Canadians. The Government has a range of instruments to influence the conduct of Crown corporations, in terms of legislative requirements, approval of planning documents and budgets, as well as the appointment of individuals to key positions, such as the members of the Boards of Directors and Heads of Organizations.

Agencies operate largely within the same fiscal and human resources framework as federal departments, but have more autonomy in their decision-making, either because of the specialized skills involved in their work, or because they perform regulatory functions that must be seen to be free of political influence.

You are responsible for recommending appointments to the Governor in Council for 163 positions, 124 of which are part time and 39 of which are full time. These positions include Deputy Heads and Heads of Organizations, Chairpersons and Board members of Portfolio organizations, which report to you or to Parliament through you. The Department, through the Portfolio Affairs Office, will help you and your office manage all Governor in Council positions within your Portfolio.

Organizational overview

Description

In the audio-visual field, the National Film Board of Canada is world-renowned for its creation of documentaries, animation, and culturally diverse and socially relevant productions, whereas Telefilm Canada fosters and supports the broader audiovisual industry in Canada through financial support and the promotion and export of Canadian film productions.

As Canada’s national broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada delivers culturally diverse Canadian programming that reaches over 75 percent of Canadians every month. CBC/Radio-Canada is also in the process of completing its new office, Maison de Radio-Canada, in Montréal, a creative space that will act as a catalyst for developing the country’s top productions and talent. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission regulates all aspects of Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications.

Creating and supporting cultural content also resonates with the Canada Council for the Arts, which provides artists and professional arts organizations in Canada with a broad range of grants and services. As a key funder of the arts in Canada, the Council fosters and promotes the enjoyment of, as well as production of works in, the arts. The National Arts Centre is the only bilingual multidisciplinary performing arts centre in North America. The National Arts Centre collaborates with artists and arts organizations across Canada to help create a national stage for the performing arts, and acts as a catalyst for performance, creation and learning across the country.

Six national museums contribute to the preservation and promotion of Canada’s heritage, while educating Canadians and inspiring innovation and creativity. The National Capital Region is home to four of Canada’s national museums, namely the National Museum of Science and Technology (Ingenium), the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Canadian Museum of Nature. The remaining two national museums are in Halifax and Winnipeg, namely the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Each year, millions of Canadians and foreign tourists have the opportunity to learn about Canada's heritage through visits, on-site and off-site educational and public programs, travelling exhibits, websites and digital applications. Museums, archives, galleries, and academia from across the country benefit from the leadership, expertise, services, collections, exhibits and programs of these heritage institutions.

The National Battlefields Commission preserves and develops the historic and prestigious urban parks of the National Battlefields Park in Québec City, while Library and Archives of Canada preserves and acquires Canada’s documentary heritage. Determining whether cultural property is of outstanding significance and national importance is the responsibility of the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board.

Lastly, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation contributes to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society.

Agencies

Library and Archives Canada

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year – Library and Archives Canada

Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Full-Time Equivalents (Planned)
Operating	$100.8M	-
Capital	$38.2M	-
Statutory^{Table 1 note *}	$11.8M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$150.8M	986

Table 1 notes

Table 1 note *

Mostly for contributions to employee benefit plans

Return to table 1 note * referrer

Description

Library and Archives Canada was established on May 21, 2004, to join the responsibilities, collections, services and expertise of the former National Archives of Canada and the former National Library of Canada.

It is mandated to:

preserve the documentary heritage of Canada;
serve as a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada as a free and democratic society;
facilitate co-operation among the Canadian communities involved in the acquisition, preservation, and diffusion of knowledge; and
serve as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions.

Library and Archives Canada’s holdings consist of published and unpublished information resources in a variety of formats and media. Library and Archives Canada also manages federal records of historical and archival value from almost 200 federal institutions that are subject to the Library and Archives of Canada Act.

It plays a lead role in developing standards, tools and best practices for information management and recordkeeping. It also works with federal institutions and evaluates information resources, issues records disposition authorities, and develops tools, guides and guidelines.

Library and Archives Canada also achieves its mandate through work with archives, libraries and museums across the country that also hold their own parts of Canada’s national collection of cultural materials.

The headquarters is located in Gatineau. Direct services to the public, including reference services and public programming, are located in Ottawa.

Library and Archives Canada’s extensive collections are housed at its Gatineau Preservation Centre, the 395 Wellington Building and the Nitrate Preservation Facility in Ottawa and a Collection Storage Facility in Gatineau.

Construction of a new preservation facility in Gatineau, Gatineau 2, is well underway and should be completed in 2022. This new facility will preserve the analog collection in optimal conditions.

Library and Archives Canada and the Ottawa Public Library are currently working on the construction of a joint facility that will bring together the public services of the two institutions. The joint facility, slated to be completed in late 2024, and officially open in 2026, will be called Ādisōke.

Governance

The Librarian and Archivist of Canada is appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during pleasure and has the rank of a deputy head of a department. There is no prescribed term; however, they are generally appointed for 3-5 year terms and do not continue in office once their terms have expired. They are eligible for reappointment.

Librarian and Archivist of Canada: Leslie Weir was appointed on August 30, 2019, for a four-year term ending on August 29, 2023. Before coming to Library and Archives Canada, Ms. Weir was the University Librarian at the University of Ottawa from 2003 to 2018. During her tenure as University Librarian, she founded the School of Information Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ottawa and was cross appointed as a professor. Prior to her arrival at the University, Ms. Weir held positions at the National Library of Canada and the Statistics Canada Library. She holds a Master’s in Library Science from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts (Canadian History) from Concordia University.

Librarian and Archivist of Canada - Library and Archives Canada (bac-lac.gc.ca)

National Battlefields Commission

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year – National Battlefields Commission

Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Full-Time Equivalents (Planned)
Operating	$6.63M	-
Statutory^{Table 2 note *}	$2.35M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$8.98M	59

Table 2 notes

Table 2 note *

Mostly for contributions to employee benefit plans

Return to table 2 note * referrer

Description

The National Battlefields Commission was established in 1908 through the National Battlefields at Quebec Act. It is the caretaker of Battlefields Park (the Park) in Quebec City and preserves its legacy for public benefit.

The Park consists of the Plains of Abraham (commemorating the 1759 Battle of Quebec) and Des Braves Park (commemorating the 1760 Battle of Sainte-Foy).

It is one of the largest and most prestigious urban parks in the world and a major tourist attraction, receiving around four million visitors each year.

The National Battlefields Commission focuses on activities that support the historic, cultural, recreational, natural and scientific aspects of the Park.

The Commission manages 19 buildings, including the Plains of Abraham Museum, administrative offices, the Martello towers, service buildings and public facilities, four monuments and three terraces, two trails and a road network totalling 12.5 kilometres.

Governance

The Secretary (full-time) is appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during pleasure. There is no prescribed term; however they are generally appointed for 3-5 year terms and do not continue in office once their terms have expired. They are eligible for reappointment.

The Chairperson of the Board of Directors and six other members (part-time) are appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during pleasure. There are no prescribed terms; however, they are generally appointed for 3-5 year terms and do not continue in office once their terms have expired. They are eligible for reappointment.

Note: In addition, the Governments of Quebec and Ontario can appoint one member each to the Board; however, the Government of Ontario has abstained from this practice since 1963.

As of August 2021, there are no vacancies on the Commission’s Board of Directors. Average years of service of current membership is 3.6 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson and Commissioner: Jean Robert was appointed on June 6, 2018, for a five-year term ending on June 5, 2023. Mr. Robert has extensive experience in the field of academia and is currently the Senior Advisor for McGill University’s Institute for Health and Social Policy Training and Retention of Health Professionals. He has also served as Campus Director and Assistant Director for the Dean of Academic Services and Student Affairs for St. Lawrence College in Quebec City. Mr. Robert is an active member of his community and serves on a number of boards, including as a member of the Comité provincial – Commission de l’éducation en langue anglaise, Chairman of the Jeffery Hale Foundation, and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Central Quebec School Board (CQSB), in addition to being elected School Commissioner for the CQSB. Mr. Robert holds a PhD from Laval University, a Masters of Education and a Bachelor of Physical Education from University of Ottawa. He completed his Management Development Program at Harvard University.

Secretary: Annie Talbot was appointed on January 4, 2021, for a four-year term ending on January 3, 2025. A well-known figure on the cultural and philanthropic scenes, Annie Talbot has nearly 30 years of experience in management, funding, and philanthropy; strategic planning and governance; and marketing, communications, and major event planning, primarily as an executive in the non-profit sector. She has forged her path working with organizations such as the National Battlefields Commission, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Quebec City Summer Festival, Palais Montcalm, Musée de la civilisation, Fondation du Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec—where she led the institution’s first major fundraising campaign, which made the Pierre Lassonde Pavilion possible—and Fondation La Presse. As Secretary-General Manager, she is the head of the National Battlefields Commission.

http://www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca/en/about-us/commission/

National Film Board of Canada

Expected expenditures for the 2019-20 financial year – National Film Board of Canada
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Full-Time Equivalents (Planned)
Operating	$65.5M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$65.5M	382

Description

The National Film Board of Canada was established in 1939 through the National Film Act.

Its mandate is to provide new perspectives on Canada and the world from Canadian points of view.

The National Film Board of Canada is world-renowned for distinctive documentaries, author animation, alternative drama and culturally-diverse, socially-relevant productions that foster exchange and encourage debate on issues that matter to the country.

The public face of the National Film Board of Canada’s digital transformation is its online screening room, NFB.ca, which offers free viewing of close to 3,000 NFB productions. Since 2009, National Film Board of Canada’s content has been viewed more than 54 million times across all platforms. Content in the educational and institutional sectors has been viewed more than 11 million times.

The headquarter is located in Montréal. Production centres are located in Edmonton, Halifax, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Moncton, Regina and St. John’s.

Governance

The Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson (full-time) is appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Board of Directors, for a period not exceeding 5 years. They do not continue in office but are eligible for reappointment.

The six other members of the Board of Directors (part-time) are appointed by the Governor in Council for a period of 3 years. They do not continue in office but are eligible for reappointment.

The Executive Director of Telefilm Canada is an ex officio member of the Board.

As of August 2021, there is one vacancy on the NFB’s Board of Directors. Average years of service of current membership is 3.6 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson: Claude Joli-Cœur was first appointed on November 27, 2014, for a term of five years and was reappointed for a three-year term ending November 26, 2022. Mr. Joli-Coeur joined the National Film Board of Canada on October 20, 2003, as Director of Business Affairs and Legal Services, became Secretary to the Board of Trustees in October 2003, and was appointed Assistant Commissioner in June 2007. Mr. Joli-Coeur is a specialist in entertainment law and international coproductions. He practised law with the firms of Langlois Drouin and Lafleur Brown in Montreal from 1979 to 1985 and was legal counsel at Telefilm Canada from 1985 to 1987. From 1987 to 1995, he worked for Astral Entertainment Group, a film financing and distribution company, first as Director of Business Affairs and then as Vice-President of Legal and Business Affairs. In 1995, he was appointed Vice-President, Legal and International Affairs, for Coscient Group (Motion International), a position that he held for five years. From 2000 to 2002, he served as Vice-President, Legal and Business Affairs, and Secretary of TVA International Inc. before becoming Vice-President, Business Affairs, for Zone 3 Inc. before joining the NFB. From 2002 to 2011, Mr. Joli-Coeur was an Executive Committee member and Treasurer of the Alliance for Children and Television. He has sat on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Retransmission Collective (CRC) since 2004. Mr. Joli-Coeur earned a law degree from the Université de Montréal.

https://www.canada.ca/en/national-film-board/corporate/about/organization/board-of-trustees.html

Crown corporations

Canada Council for the Arts

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year – Canada Council for the Arts
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating	$480.6M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$480.6M	264

Description

The Canada Council for the Arts was created in 1957 with the adoption of the Canada Council for the Arts Act.

It is mandated to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.

The Canada Council for the Arts invests in Canada’s cultural industries through a broad range of grants, services and payments to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations. The Canada Council for the Arts also awards prizes and fellowships to artists and scholars for their contributions to the arts, humanities and sciences in Canada.

Grants are allocated primarily through peer evaluation committees, composed of artists, administrators and other arts professionals from all parts of Canada.

The Canada Council for the Arts also manages the Canada Council Art Bank, a national collection of over 17,000 paintings, prints, photographs and sculptures by over 3,000 artists.

The Canada Council for the Arts is responsible for the Public Lending Right Commission, which manages a program of remuneration to authors whose books are used in Canadian libraries.

The Canada Council for the Arts administers the Canadian Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which promotes Canada’s priorities within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the work of this organization in Canada.

Its facilities are located in Ottawa.

Governance

The director (full-time) is appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during pleasure. There is no prescribed term; however they are generally appointed for 4-5 year terms and do not continue in office once their terms have expired. They are eligible for reappointment.

The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson (part-time) of the Board of Directors are appointed by the Governor in Council for a period not exceeding 5 years. Both are eligible to hold office for 2 consecutive terms. The 9 other members (part-time) of the Board are appointed by the Governor in Council for a period of 4 years. They are eligible to hold office for 2 consecutive terms. Board members do not continue in office.

As of August 2021, there are 4 vacancies on the Board of Directors, including the Vice-Chairperson position. Selection processes to fill these vacancies are underway. Average years of service of current membership is 2.4 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Jesse Wente was appointed on July 28, 2020, for a five-year term ending on July 27, 2025. Jesse Wente is an Anishinaabe writer, broadcaster, speaker and arts leader. Born and raised in Toronto, his family hails from Chicago and the Serpent River First Nation. Jesse is best known for his 24 years as a columnist for CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, and he spent 11 years with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)—the last seven as the director of film programmes at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. An outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights and First Nations, Métis and Inuit art, he has spoken at the International Forum of Indigenous Peoples, Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Canadian Arts Summit and numerous universities and colleges. In 2017, Jesse Wente was named the inaugural recipient of the Reelworld Film Festival’s Reel Activist Award. He was named the first Executive Director of the Indigenous Screen Office in February 2018, and received the Association of Ontario Health Centres Media Award for 2018. He has served on the boards of directors of the Toronto Arts Council, the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Festival, the Native Earth Performing Arts, and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Director: Simon Brault was first appointed on June 26, 2014, for a five-year term and was reappointed for a second four-year term ending on June 25, 2023. Simon Brault came to the position with a full understanding of his role, having served as Vice-Chair of the Council’s Board of Directors from 2004 to 2014. In 2019, he became the first Canadian to be elected Chair of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA). He has been a board member of IFACCA since 2016. Mr. Brault has been active in the cultural sector for over 30 years and has been a driving force behind a number of major projects. Notably, as Administrative Director and Director General of the National Theatre School of Canada, he coordinated the ambitious project of restoring Montréal’s historic Monument-National. He has held key positions in national organizations and has participated actively in initiatives such as the Agenda 21C de la culture au Québec. An initiator of Journées de la culture, he was also a founding member and Chair of Culture Montréal from 2002 to 2014. He represented Canada as a cultural expert at the first G7 on arts and culture and has received numerous distinctions for his commitment to the social recognition of the arts and culture. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, an Officier de l’Ordre national du Québec, a Fellow of the Ordre des CGA du Québec and the Ordre des CPA du Québec, and he is a recipient of the 2009 Keith Kelly Award for Cultural Leadership. In 2015, he received the Ordre des CPA du Québec’s prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award for bringing together “two worlds that were once disparate—the arts and business—an alliance that significantly benefits society at large.” Mr. Brault holds a Bachelor of Science in Law and Accounting from the Université de Montréal.

https://canadacouncil.ca/about/governance/board-members

https://canadacouncil.ca/about/governance/ceo

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Radio-Canada

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Radio-Canada
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating	$1,118.7M	-
Capital	$106.7M	-
Working Capital	$4.0M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$1,229.4M	7,581

Description

CBC/Radio-Canada was established in 1936 through the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Act to create a national radio service and to regulate the broadcasting system. The Act was significantly amended in 1968 to clarify the national broadcasting policy, including explicit objectives for CBC/Radio-Canada. The current mandate is defined in Section 3 of the Broadcasting Act (1991).

As the national public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada provides radio and television services incorporating a wide range of programming that informs, enlightens and entertains. CBC/Radio-Canada’s programming is to be predominantly and distinctively Canadian, reflect Canada and its regions to national and regional audiences, and actively contribute to the flow and exchange of cultural expression.

CBC/Radio-Canada delivers close to 30 distinctive Canadian programming services on various media platforms: radio, television, Internet and others. The following are examples of the services it provides:

two national television networks, CBC Television and ICI Radio-Canada Télé;
four national radio networks: CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 2, Première and ICI musique;
CBC North, delivering television and radio services directed to Aboriginal and Northern audiences in French, English and eight Aboriginal languages;
continuous news and information services: CBC News Network and Réseau de l’information de Radio-Canada (ICI RDI);
specialty television services such as ICI ARTV, documentary Channel, ICI Explora and a broadcasting partnership with TV5Monde;
satellite radio services, including CBC Radio 3, ICI musique and CBC music;
over 10 digital services, including CBC.ca, Radio-Canada.ca and specialized websites that provide news, programming, music, sports and on-demand services, such as CBC Gem, Tou.tv, Radio Canada International (which provides content internationally in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Punjabi, with Tagalog to be available soon), and CBC Sports; and
free apps such as CBC Listen and OhDio that provides users with a one-stop destination for CBC/Radio-Canada radio, podcasts and music.

CBC/Radio-Canada has six permanent foreign bureaus.

The head office is located in Ottawa, with main network operations in Toronto and Montréal. CBC/Radio-Canada’s local programming originates from 27 television stations, 88 radio stations and one digital station across the country in major cities such as Halifax, Québec, Calgary, and Vancouver.

Governance

The President (full-time) is appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during good behaviour for a period not exceeding 5 years. They continue in office and are eligible for reappointment.

The Chairperson and ten other members (part-time) of the Board of Directors are appointed by the Governor in Council to hold office during good behaviour for a period not exceeding 5 years. The Chairperson is eligible for reappointment, while the other members are eligible for 2 consecutive terms. All continue in office upon expiration of their terms.

As of August 2021, there are no vacancies on the Board of Directors. Average years of service of current membership is 2.5 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Michael Goldbloom was appointed on March 29, 2018, for a five-year term ending on March 28, 2023. Mr. Goldbloom began his career as a labour lawyer at Martineau Walker (now Fasken) in 1981, and has significant experience in Canada’s news media industry, serving in the role of Publisher for both the Montreal Gazette from 1994 to 2001 and the Toronto Star from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Goldbloom has been Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke since 2008. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer for the YMCA of Montréal. He also served as President of Alliance Quebec and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ville Marie Social Services Centre, Selwyn House School in Montreal and of the YMCA of Quebec Foundation in a volunteer capacity, furthering his community-focused leadership. In December 2013, Mr. Goldbloom was appointed to the Order of Canada for his work in building bridges between Montreal’s English- and French-speaking communities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern European History and Literature from Harvard University (1974), and a Bachelors of Civil Law (1978) and Common Law (1979) from McGill University.

President: Catherine Tait was appointed on July 3, 2018, for a five-year term ending on July 2, 2023. Prior to her appointment at CBC/Radio-Canada, Ms. Tait co-founded New York-based Duopoly Inc, an independent film, television and digital content company, which she led as President from 2002 to 2018. She also co-founded iThentic, a digital content company, in 2006 and Hollywood Suite in 2010, a broadcasting company in Canada. She was also previously the President and COO of Salter Street Films from 1997 to 2001. She has experience working for the Government of Canada as Director and Cultural Attaché with the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris, and as Manager of Policy and Planning for Telefilm Canada where her passion for Canadian film and television content was ignited. She’s been a member of a number of industry-specific boards including Comweb Group, DHX Media LTD, Hollywood Suite (which she co-founded), iThentic Inc, eOne Entertainment, CHUM Ltd, Aliant Inc, Rogers Mobile Film Fund and the Canadian Film and Television Production Association. Ms. Tait holds a Diplôme d’Études Approfondies, Communications Theory from the University of Paris (1983), a Master of Science from Boston University’s School of Public Communication (1982) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hon) in Literature and Philosophy from the University of Toronto (1979).

Leadership - CBC/Radio-Canada

board-directors-governance-guide.pdf (radio-canada.ca)

Canadian Museum of History

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - Canadian Museum of History
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating and Capital	$72.8M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$72.8M	431

Description

The Museum was established as the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 1990 and in 2013 became the Canadian Museum of History with a more extensive focus on Canadian history.

The Crown corporation includes both the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum (which opened in 2005 in its new location).

The mandate of the corporation is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of events, experiences, people and objects that reflect and have shaped Canada’s history and identity, and also to enhance their awareness of world history and cultures.

The Canadian Museum of History presents the national narrative of the history of Canada and its people. Its First Peoples Hall and the Grand Hall tell the history of Canada’s First Peoples and highlight their modern-day contributions.

The Canadian War Museum promotes public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions. The Museum’s collections are among the finest military holdings in the world and comprise more than 3 million artifacts.

The corporation welcomes over 1.6 million visitors each year. It is also home to the Canadian Children’s Museum, the Virtual Museum of New France and the CINÉ+, a 295-seat movie theatre equipped with a giant 3D screen and a giant dome.

The Canadian Museum of History is located in Gatineau, and the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Governance

The director (full-time) is appointed by the Board of Trustees, with the approval of the Governor in Council, to hold office during pleasure for a term not exceeding 5 years. They do not continue in office, but are eligible for reappointment.

The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and nine other members (part-time) of the Board of Trustees are appointed by the Minister, with the approval of the Governor in Council, for a period not exceeding 4 years. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson are eligible for 2 consecutive terms in office, while the other members are eligible for 3 consecutive terms. All continue in office upon expiration of their terms.

As of August 2021, there is 1 vacancy on the Board of Trustees and 2 part-time members continue in office. An open, transparent and merit-based selection process to find a new director is ongoing and an interim director is in place. Average years of service of current membership is 3.6 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Carole Beaulieu was appointed on May 5, 2021, for a four-year term ending on May 4, 2025. Ms. Beaulieu is an innovative leader with strong expertise in corporate governance, strategic management, marketing, design thinking and public affairs. Her work has led to a deep understanding of the public, private, media and creative sectors. From 2015 to 2021, she was Chair of the Board of Directors of Groupe Média TFO. This Province of Ontario agency and media company is a top-ranked destination for children and audiences seeking award-winning educational and cultural content on television and on transformational digital platforms. Carole has served as Vice President Advancement at OCAD University, as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Culture and Francophone Affairs in Ontario, and as Head Marketing and Development at Canada's National Ballet School.

She is a graduate of Laurentian University, les Hautes Études Commerciales and the Rotman School of Management’s Director Education Program. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum and of the Institute of Corporate Directors with an ICD.D.

Director: Caroline Dromaguet was appointed Acting Director on December 11, 2020, for a one-year term. Her interim appointment was extended for up to one year, ending on December 10, 2022. A seasoned museum professional, Caroline has over 20 years of experience in numerous aspects of museum work, including museum management, the development and delivery of cultural products, international partnerships and initiatives that strategically position Canada’s rich and fascinating history on the world stage. She is committed to fostering collaboration, innovative thinking and leadership among members of Canada’s museum community. Since initially joining the Museums in 1998, Caroline has held a number of key leadership positions in diverse areas of both Museums, including as Manager of Exhibitions and Strategic Initiatives, and Director of Exhibitions, Creative Development and Learning, prior to being appointed as Acting Director General of the Canadian War Museum in early 2018. As part of her role as Acting Director General, she has worked to ensure the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives in the Museum’s projects and to explore new ways of connecting with stakeholders. Caroline’s dedication to Canada’s cultural and heritage industry is long-standing. In addition to her work with Canada’s national history museums, she has previously worked at the National Gallery of Canada, and has contributed to initiatives with the Canadian Museums Association and the Virtual Museum of Canada.

https://www.historymuseum.ca/about/the-corporation/board-of-trustees/board-of-trustees-biographies/

https://www.historymuseum.ca/about/the-corporation/#tabs

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating and Capital	$25.4M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$25.4M	132

Description

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was created in 2008 and opened to the public in 2014.

It is mandated to explore the subject of human rights, with special but not exclusive reference to Canada, to enhance public understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others, and to encourage reflection and dialogue.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is focused more on the interpretation of ideas than on the collection of artefacts. As such, its exhibits excel in audio-visual design.

The Museum is a national centre for human-rights learning. It is a trusted source of objective information about a broad spectrum of human-rights topics and offers a variety of educational and public programs.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights’ galleries and exhibits weave the human rights stories of many diverse groups, reflecting powerful lessons that transcend individual experiences.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is located in Winnipeg.

Governance

As of August 2021, there are no vacancies on the Board of Trustees and 2 part-time members continue in office. Average years of service of current membership is 4.2 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: J. Pauline Rafferty was appointed on December 14, 2017, for a four-year term ending December 13, 2021. Pauline Rafferty is the former chief executive officer of the Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM). Trained as an archaeologist, Pauline’s work first centred on archaeology, then on heritage interpretation. Throughout her career, Pauline held various high-level positions in government, and was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Women’s Equality in 1990. After retiring from the RBCM in March 2012, she has continued to be active on the boards of both national and provincial organizations. She serves on the Board of the British Columbia Government House Foundation, and BC’s Provincial Health Services. She is a former board member of Simon Fraser University, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, as well as former president of the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada. Pauline has also been honoured for her work in 2014 with an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Victoria. In 2016, she was honoured with the Order of British Columbia and also received the Queen Elizabeth II, Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Director: Isha Khan was appointed on August 17, 2020, for a five-year term ending on August 16, 2025. Ms. Khan is a human rights lawyer who has dedicated her career to issues of inclusion and equality. She has experience in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors and has earned a reputation as a compassionate and collaborative leader. For almost a decade, she has led the advancement of human rights in Manitoba as the Executive Director and Senior Counsel of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, educating the public about human rights, promoting systemic change, and advocating against discrimination and harassment. She is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of United Way Winnipeg, member of the Law Society of Manitoba’s Equity committee and former President of the Manitoba Council of Administrative Tribunals, and has chaired the Review Tribunal on the Canada Pension Plan disability benefits.

https://humanrights.ca/aboutgovernance-and-reports/board-of-trustees

https://humanrights.ca/about/our-staff

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating and Capital	$8.1M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$8.1M	52

Description

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 was created in 2010 and became Canada’s sixth national museum.

It explores the theme of immigration to Canada to enhance public understanding of the immigrant experience and of the contribution of immigrants to Canada’s culture, economy and way of life.

Located in Halifax, the museum collects, shares, and pays tribute to the Canadian immigration story. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is a National Historic Site and was the gateway to Canada for almost one million immigrants and the departure point for 368,000 Canadian military service personnel during the Second World War.

Governance

As of August 2021, there are no vacancies on the Board of Trustees and 1 part-time member continues in office. Average years of service of current membership is 2.8 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Robert Vineberg was appointed on December 14, 2017, for a four-year term ending on December 13, 2021. Mr. Vineberg’s career in the Canadian Federal Public Service spanned over 35 years, of which 28 were with the immigration program, serving abroad, in policy positions at national headquarters and as Director General of Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Prairies and Northern Territories Region. He retired from the public service in 2008. Mr. Vineberg has written and published several peer-reviewed articles on immigration history and on military history. His book, Responding to Immigrants’ Settlement Needs: The Canadian Experience (Springer), was published in 2012. He co-edited and contributed two chapters to Integration and Inclusion of Newcomers and Minorities Across Canada (McGill Queen’s University Press, 2011), and has contributed chapters to Immigration Regulation in Federal States: Challenges and Responses in Comparative Perspective (Springer, 2014) and Immigrant Experiences in North America (Canadian Scholars’ Press, 2015). He is Chair of the Board of Governors of Immigration Research West, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Immigrant Centre Manitoba, a member of the council of the Local Immigration Partnership Winnipeg and a Senior Fellow with the Canada West Foundation. He is also Past-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Manitoba Opera. Mr. Vineberg has a BA in History from the University of Toronto as well as an MA in Canadian History and a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, both from Carleton University.

Director: Marie Chapman was first appointed on October 20, 2011, for a five-year term and was reappointed for a second five-year term ending on October 19, 2021. She was recently reappointed for another four-year term effective October 20, 2021. Ms. Chapman was a central figure in the establishment of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 while working at the Pier 21 Society as Director of Marketing, Sales and Development from 2003 to 2011, as well as Chief Operating Officer from 2008 to 2011. Prior to that, Ms. Chapman held various positions in development, marketing and fundraising activities within many institutions, including Mount Allison University, Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre Foundation. In honour of her success, she was named Outstanding Fundraising Professional at the 2007 Maritime Philanthropy Awards. Ms. Chapman served on many committees, such as the Red Cross Humanitarian Dinner Committee. Ms. Chapman graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce with a concentration in Marketing from Mount Allison University. She has completed a Certified Fundraising Executive Designation, as well as the Executive Leadership program and the Governance Training program at Queen’s University.

https://pier21.ca/about/board-of-directors

https://pier21.ca/about/contact/pier-21-society-by-department#2

Canadian Museum of Nature

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - Canadian Museum of Nature
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating and Capital	$27.7M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$27.7M	139

Description

The Canadian Museum of Nature was created in 1990.

It is Canada's national museum of natural history and natural sciences. The museum provides evidence-based insights, inspiring experiences and meaningful engagement with nature’s past, present and future through scientific research, a specimen collection, education programmes, signature and travelling exhibitions.

The Canadian Museum of Nature is home to one of the world’s largest natural history collections. Comprised of 24 major science collections of more than 14.6 million specimens, the Museum’s holdings cover four billion years of Earth history.

The Museum’s conservation research in assessing collection preservation risks is an area of unique expertise that is recognized internationally.

The Canadian Museum of Nature operates two facilities: the Victoria Memorial Museum Building in Ottawa, which houses permanent galleries and special temporary exhibitions and where public programming is delivered, and the Natural Heritage Building in Gatineau, the site for research, collections and administrative operations.

Governance

As of August 2021, there are no vacancies on the Board of Trustees and 3 part-time members continue in office. Average years of service of current membership is 3.2 years. An open, transparent and merit-based appointments process was launched in June 2021 to find new part-time members for the Board of Trustees.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Judith A. LaRocque was appointed on December 14, 2017, for a three-year term and was reappointed for a second three-year term ending on December 13, 2023. Ms. LaRocque has extensive and various work experience within the Government of Canada. In 2000, she was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, and became Deputy Minister in 2002. She subsequently served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. She currently serves as a board member for The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the Hawkesbury General Hospital. Ms. LaRocque has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in political science and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from Carleton University.

Director: Margaret (Meg) L. Beckel was first appointed on June 6, 2011, for a five-year term, was reappointed for a second five-year term, and was recently reappointed for an additional year ending on June 5, 2022. Prior to her appointment to the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ms. Beckel was the Vice-President, External Relations, at the University of Waterloo. In this position, she was responsible for Development, Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs, and Government and Institutional Relations. Ms. Beckel began her career as a Development Associate for the National Ballet of Canada, and as the Director of Development for the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre and the Vancouver Symphony Society and Foundation. Her role as Executive Director, External Relations, at the University of Victoria was followed by her appointment as Executive Director and President of the Royal Ontario Museum Foundation, and then as Chief Operating Officer and Board Secretary of the Royal Ontario Museum. Ms. Beckel has served on the boards of directors of many organizations, including Humber College, the Victoria Symphony Society, the National Ballet School of Canada, The Museum (formerly Waterloo Region Children’s Museum), the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada and on the Advisory Board of Ottawa RiverKeeper. She currently serves as a member of the Board of TerraTundra Foundation. Ms. Beckel holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Queen’s University.

https://nature.ca/en/about-us/museum-corporation/governing-authorities

Canadian Race Relations Foundation

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - Canadian Race Relations Foundation

Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating and Capital	-	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A^{Table 10 note *}	-	35

Table 10 notes

Table 10 note *

2021-22 Main Estimates: $0 The Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s primary source of income is derived from the investment income earned from its $24 million Endowment Fund. The CRRF has currently six employees.

Return to table 10 note * referrer

However, in Budget 2021, the Government announced it would provide $11 million over two years starting in 2021-22 (with no ongoing funding) to expand the Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s efforts to support community-based anti-racism efforts, such as: the provision of grants to community organizations; initiatives focused on anti-Asian racism and other targeted groups; an anti-racism fund; or a national coalition to support to Asian Canadians. This investment is expected to directly benefit racialized communities.

Description

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation was created by the federal government on October 28, 1996, and, in accordance with the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement, the Government provided the Canadian Race Relations Foundation with a one-time endowment fund of $24 million.

It facilitates the development, sharing and application of knowledge and expertise to contribute to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society.

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation is governed by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Act (1991), and is a registered charitable corporation under the Income Tax Act.

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation undertakes research, collects data and develops a national information base to better understand the nature of racism and racial discrimination. It also facilitates exchanges on race relations policies, programs and research, and increases public awareness of the importance of eliminating racial discrimination.

Its office is located in Toronto.

Governance

The director (full-time) is appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister after having consulted the Board of Directors, to hold office during pleasure for a period not exceeding 5 years. They do not continue in office, but are eligible for reappointment. The director is an ex-officio member of the Board, but has no vote.

The Chairperson and up to nine other members (part-time) of the Board of Directors are appointed by the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister, for a period not exceeding 4 years. They do not continue in office, but are eligible for re-appointment.

As of August 2021, there are 4 vacancies on the Board of Directors. Average years of service of current membership is 2.5 years. An open, transparent and merit-based appointments process was launched in spring 2021 to find new part-time members for the Board of Directors.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Teresa Woo-Paw was appointed on November 8, 2018, for a four-year term, ending on November 7, 2022. Teresa Woo-Paw is a decorated, polyvalent leader with experience as a public office holder, entrepreneur and community volunteer. She began her career working to advance diversity causes with organizations such as the Red Cross, the United Way of Calgary, and the Calgary Health Region. Since 2017, she has provided environmental services projects through Teresa Woo-Paw and Associates Ltd. In public office, she held a series of firsts. She became the first Asian-Canadian Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Government of Alberta where she served from 2008 to 2015, and the first Asian-Canadian female Cabinet Minister in Alberta when she was appointed Associate Minister of both International & Intergovernmental Relations, and Asia Pacific Relations. Ms. Woo-Paw possesses extensive board experience, including as member of the Calgary Arts Foundation since 2017, Chair of the Asia Advisory Council, Chair of the Calgary Board of Education, and co-Chair of the Immigration Sector Council Calgary. Ms. Woo-Paw is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Chinese Canadian Legend in 2016 and the Queen’s Jubilee Award – Multiculturalism & Community Services in 2012. Ms. Woo-Paw holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Calgary.

Executive Director: Mohammed Hashim was appointed on October 13, 2020, for a five-year term ending on October 12, 2025. Mr. Hashim is a labour organizer and human rights advocate who has dedicated his career to supporting equity, inclusion and community empowerment. In the last decade, he has worked in the labour movement, most recently as a senior organizer for the Toronto & York Region Labour Council, where he advocated for a variety of issues, including many anti-racism initiatives. He has a strong dedication to public policy development in addressing systemic discrimination and has worked to create opportunities for marginalized communities through fellowships and community benefits agreements. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Way of Greater Toronto, Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations and is a founding advisor of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

https://www.crrf-fcrr.ca/en/about/board-of-directors

National Arts Centre

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - National Arts Centre
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating	$39.2M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$39.2M	275

Description

The National Arts Centre was created in 1966 and opened in 1969.

The National Arts Centre’s vision is to be Canada’s pre-eminent performing arts centre; to create, showcase and celebrate excellence in the performing arts; and to symbolize artistic quality, innovation and creativity for all Canadians.

The National Arts Centre is the only bilingual multidisciplinary performing arts centre in North America.

It is one of the country’s most active co-producers of English and French theatre and dance, and is an active partner in numerous regional and local festivals. Its Department of Indigenous Theatre began its first full season of programming in 2019. Through this initiative, the National Arts Centre aims to foster and preserve Indigenous artistic practices and create welcoming spaces of cultural resurgence and inspiration.

The National Arts Centre is also home to the internationally acclaimed 50-member National Arts Centre Orchestra. Through concerts, school programs and educational activities, the Orchestra introduces young audiences to the performing arts, trains talented young musicians and makes educational material available to teachers.

The National Arts Centre is located in Ottawa.

Governance

The President (full-time) is appointed by the Board of Trustees to hold office for a term not exceeding 5 years. They do not continue in office but are eligible for reappointment.

The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and up to six other members (part-time) of the Board of Trustees are appointed by the Governor in Council for a period not exceeding 4 years. They do not continue in office but are eligible to hold office for two consecutive terms. The Mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau are also on the Board but are not appointed by the Governor in Council.

As of August 2021, there are no vacancies on the Board of Directors. Average years of service of current membership is 3.4 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Adrian Burns was first appointed on December 11, 2014, for a four-year term and was reappointed for a second four-year term ending on December 10, 2022. Ms. Burns has served on the National Arts Centre Board of Trustees since 2002. In addition to her appointment as Chair, Ms. Burns has also served as Vice-Chair and as the Chair of the Human Resources Committee. Ms. Burns has dedicated her career to Canadian broadcasting and the arts, education, corporate and public governance, and community involvement. A businesswoman, she also holds business real estate interests in Western Canada. Ms. Burns is a director of the Board of Directors of SHAW Communications, has been a member of the Copyright Board of Canada, and has been Chair of the Western Independent Producers Fund of CanWest Global Television. From 1988 to 1995, she was a Commissioner of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Prior to joining the CRTC, she was Business Editor for CFCN-TV in Calgary, and held the positions of anchor, writer, and producer between 1981 and 1988. She taught art history in Calgary, at Mount Royal College (1969-79), and in the City’s continuing education program (1970-72). Ms. Burns has a degree in Art History from the University of British Columbia and did graduate work in archaeology and art history at the British Academy in Rome, Italy.

President and Chief Executive Officer: Christopher Deacon was appointed by the Board of Trustees on June 8, 2018, for a five-year term ending on June 7, 2023. Before joining the National Arts Centre, Mr. Deacon was Director of Operations for the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and Coordinator of Grants and Artists at the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He began his arts administration career in 1982 as the administrator of the Toronto new music concert series Arraymusic. Mr. Deacon joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra as Tour Manager in 1987. He became Orchestra Manager in 1989 and Managing Director in 1996. Under his leadership, the NAC Orchestra has developed a well-earned reputation as one of the most ambitious and innovative touring music ensembles in North America. He planned and executed dozens of complex tours featuring hundreds of concerts and music education events to countries such as China, the U.S., Mexico, Israel, Italy, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom – as well as to numerous communities throughout Canada. Mr. Deacon has also championed digital outreach at the NAC Orchestra through the development of various initiatives such as podcasts, online streaming and distance learning, as well as traditional media such as television and CDs. He was chair of the steering committee overseeing the NAC’s Architectural and Production Renewal Project. Passionate about music, Mr. Deacon trained as a composer. He studied piano, harmony and solfège at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec in Hull. He later received a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from the University of Toronto.

https://nac-cna.ca/en/about/leadership

National Gallery of Canada

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - National Gallery of Canada
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating and Capital	$37.8M	-
Acquisitions	$8.0M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$45.8M	235

Description

The National Gallery of Canada was founded in 1880.

Through its collections, onsite and travelling exhibitions, loans program, educational programs, as well as publications, professional training programs, and outreach initiatives, the National Gallery of Canada aspires to be a model of excellence in furthering knowledge of the visual arts, both at home and abroad. Through collaboration with national and international institutions, it seeks to make art accessible, meaningful and vital to diverse audiences of all ages.

Its collection includes over 98,000 works of art. Its comprehensive and important collection of Canadian art consists of a growing number of contemporary and Indigenous works. The National Gallery of Canada also has important collections of Western European, American and Asian art and a prestigious collection of prints, drawings and photographs of both historical and contemporary significance.

The National Gallery of Canada is located in Ottawa. It also operates the Canada Pavilion in Venice, Italy, which is used for the Venice Biennale, a major biennial international art event.

Governance

As of August 2021, there is one vacancy on the Board of Trustees and one part-time member continues in office. Average years of service of current membership is 3.7 years. An open, transparent and merit-based appointments process was launched in July 2021 to find new part-time members for the Board of Trustees.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Françoise E. Lyon was appointed on December 14, 2017, for a four-year term ending on December 13, 2021. Ms. Lyon is a Senior Executive with 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, across a range of disciplines including business development, strategic initiatives, operations, change management, and sales and marketing. She has extensive experience working with ultra-high net worth and high net worth individuals, as well as entrepreneurial and institutional clients across Canada and internationally. Ms. Lyon is presently the President and Managing Partner of DGC Capital, a Canadian private equity firm focused on information and communication technologies, technology, lifestyle and advanced manufacturing sectors. Prior to her appointment to DGC Capital, she was Senior Vice-President-Canada at Pembroke Private Wealth Management Ltd. (2011-2017); Vice-President and Head-Eastern Canada for the Private Client Services Group with the Bank of America Merrill Lynch (2010-2011); and Vice-President, Strategy and Marketing - Wealth Management Group with National Bank Financial Group of Canada (2006-2010). In addition to her work with the National Gallery of Canada, Ms. Lyon serves on a variety of boards and associations. She is presently: a Director of the Washington-based International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation and Vice-President of the International Women’s Forum Canada; a Director of the Quebec Financial Women’s Association; and Founder and President of the Women of Influence Circle of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. She previously served as Director of: Crossroads International; Réseau HEC Montréal; and Dakis Decision Systems Inc. She is a former Chair of the Audit Committee of National Bank Securities and a former Vice-President of the Charles-Lemoyne Hospital Board. In 2015, Premières en affaires magazine named Ms. Lyon one of Quebec’s 8 Incontournables en finances (Eight Key Female Financial Players). In 2014 she was named by the Canadian Board Diversity Council as a Diversity 50 Fellow. Ms. Lyon is also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Director: Alexandra (Sasha) Suda was appointed on April 19, 2019, for a five-year term ending on April 18, 2024. Dr. Suda began her career in the Medieval Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and has since become an internationally recognized curator. In her most recent role as the Curator of European Art and the R. Fraser Elliott Chair of Prints and Drawings at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), she has made transformational acquisitions and significantly expanded her portfolio’s scope of collecting to include contemporary art. Recent projects include a collaboration on Ethiopian Art with the University of Toronto, and Early Rubens, a major international exhibition conceived and co-curated by Dr. Suda in partnership with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Her award-winning 2016 exhibition, Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures, hosted a record number of visitors and forged a historic partnership between the AGO, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Rijksmuseum. As the youngest woman appointed to the helm of the National Gallery of Canada, Dr. Suda leads according to the conviction that “what’s good for art is good for Canada and for the world.” It is her ambition to uphold a Gallery that is art-centred, generous and accessible to all. Dr. Suda holds a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, a Master of Arts from Williams College, and a PhD in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.

https://www.gallery.ca/about/governance/board-of-trustees

https://www.gallery.ca/about/from-the-director

National Museum of Science and Technology (Ingenium)

Expected expenditures for the 2021-2022 financial year - National Museum of Science and Technology (Ingenium)
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating and Capital	$28.5M	-
2021-2022 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$28.5M	239.5

Description

While the legal name of the Corporation is the National Museum of Science and Technology, since June 26, 2017, the Corporation operates its three museums under the corporate brand Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation (Ingenium).

The Canada Science and Technology Museum opened in 1967. The Canada Aviation and Space Museum was made an affiliate in 1967, as was the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum in 1995. All three museums are located in Ottawa.

The Canada Science and Technology Museum is the only comprehensive science and technology museum in Canada and has the largest collection of scientific and technological artefacts in Canada.

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum houses the most extensive aircraft collection in Canada and preserves Canada’s extensive aeronautical and space history.

The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum demonstrates the evolution of agricultural technology and the importance of agriculture in the everyday lives of Canadians.

Governance

As of August 2021, there are no vacancies on the Board of Trustees and two part-time members continue in office. Average years of service of current membership is 2.6 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Neil Russon was appointed on May 9, 2019, for a four-year mandate ending on May 8, 2023. Neil Russon’s career reflects an extensive financial background, as well as knowledge of the healthcare and IT consulting services space. As a senior executive and entrepreneur, he has more than 30 years of experience providing fiscal, strategic, and operations leadership in diverse settings. Currently, Mr. Russon is Managing Director of the Ascension Advisory Group, a consultancy practice which offers executive-level support to private sector firms. Over the years, Mr. Russon has volunteered his time to a wide range of community organizations and athletic groups. For seven years, he served as a board member and Chair of the Finance, Audit, and Risk Management Committee for the National Museum of Science and Technology (now Ingenium). Today, he serves as a board member and Chair of the Canadian Cancer Society (New Brunswick Division). Mr. Russon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Economics Major) from the University of New Brunswick. He is a Certified Management Accountant and a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Director: Christina Tessier was appointed on June 11, 2018, for a five-year term ending on June 10, 2023. Ms. Tessier served as Director General of the Canada Science and Technology Museum, from 2014 until June 2018, where she led the fast-tracked renewal of the exhibition galleries and visitor experience elements for the Museum which reopened in November 2017. Prior to her role as Director General, Ms. Tessier was Director of Operations at Ingenium’s Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Ms. Tessier has worked in the cultural field for close to 18 years at various institutions, including the Portrait Gallery of Canada, Parks Canada, where her work focused on National Historic Sites, and at Ottawa’s Bytown Museum. Ms. Tessier is an active member of her community and currently sits on the Algonquin College Foundation Board. She has also served on a number of committees and juries for the Canadian Museums Association, Ontario Museum Association, and the City of Ottawa. She was President of the Council of Heritage Organizations in Ottawa and the founding Chair of the Ottawa Museum Network. Ms. Tessier is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, with a degree in Classical Studies, and she also holds a diploma in Applied Museum Studies from Algonquin College.

https://ingeniumcanada.org/corporation/board-of-trustees

https://ingeniumcanada.org/corporation/executive-leadership-team

Telefilm Canada

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - Telefilm Canada
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Employees (Planned)
Operating	$251.9M	-
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$251.9M	189

Description

Telefilm Canada was established in 1967 through the Telefilm Canada Act. It fosters and promotes the development of the audiovisual industry in Canada.

Telefilm Canada provides financial support to Canadian film projects, promotes and exports Canadian content at festivals, markets and events, and makes recommendations to the Minister of Canadian Heritage on whether projects can be recognized as audiovisual treaty coproductions. For over 10 years, Telefilm has been responsible of the day-to-day administration of applications for the Canada Media Fund programs, which supports the creation of multi-platform television and digital media content, as well as the development of interactive digital media content and software applications.

The majority of Telefilm Canada’s activities centre on investments in individual projects. As a cultural investor, the revenues from investments in film are reinvested in new productions.

Telefilm Canada also supports the marketing and promotion of audiovisual productions and facilitates the participation of the industry at festivals and markets. These initiatives are aimed at helping the industry attract foreign financing and improve sales.

Over the years, many productions supported by Telefilm Canada have garnered numerous prizes and awards, both domestically and internationally.

Its facilities are located in Montréal, with offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax.

Governance

The Executive Director (full-time) is appointed by the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Corporation, to hold office during pleasure. There is no prescribed term; however they are generally appointed for 4-5 year terms and do not continue in office once their terms have expired. They are eligible for reappointment.

The Chairperson and five other members (part-time) of the Corporation/Board of Directors are appointed by the Governor in Council for a period of 5 years. They do not continue in office, but are eligible for re-appointment.

The Government Film Commissioner of the National Film Board of Canada is also an ex-officio member of Telefilm Canada’s Board of Directors.

As of August 2021, there are no vacancies on the Board of Directors. Average years of service of current membership is 1.7 years.

The Board meets approximately 4-6 times per year.

Chairperson: Robert Spickler was appointed on May 9, 2019, for a five-year term ending on May 8, 2024. Mr. Spickler has extensive experience as an administrator of cultural organizations. He has served as co-director and director of administration for Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui and Théâtre du Nouveau-Monde and as executive director for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Centre for Architecture. At the Canada Council for the Arts, he held the positions of Director, Arts Division (1983-1985) and Associate Director (1987-1990). Between 2002 and 2008, he has chaired the boards of the Montréal Museums Society and the Canadian Conference of the Arts, as well as the Finance and Resources Committee of the International Council of Museums.

Executive Director: Christa Dickenson was appointed on July 30, 2018, for a five-year term ending on July 29, 2023. Ms. Dickenson has over two decades of experience spanning broadcast television, technology, telecommunications and interactive digital media, having worked at CTV, CPAC, Rogers and Interactive Ontario. She possesses an un-paralleled talent for innovation coupled with a strong business acumen. With brand advocacy expertise honed over many years, she is a highly effective screen-based industries advocate and spokesperson. In addition to a professional background spanning both the creative and business sides of the broadcast, technology, telecommunications and interactive digital media industries, Ms. Dickenson has a BAH and Masters of Fine Arts in Film Studies.

https://telefilm.ca/en/about-telefilm-canada/board-of-directors

https://telefilm.ca/en/about-telefilm-canada/senior-management

Administrative tribunals

Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board

Following the creation of the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada on November 1, 2014, all financial and human resources allocated to the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board, have been transferred to the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada.

Description

The Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board was created as an independent administrative tribunal in 1977 under the Cultural Property Export and Import Act. The Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and is one of the 11 federal administrative tribunals supported by the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada.

Under the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board reviews applications for refused export permits, makes determinations respecting fair cash offers for institutions to purchase cultural property, and certifies cultural property for income tax purposes.

Its facilities are located in Ottawa.

Governance

The ten-member Board (part-time) is appointed by the Governor in Council upon the recommendation of the Minister to hold office during pleasure. There is no prescribed term; however, they are generally appointed for 3-4 year terms and do not continue in office once their terms have expired. They are eligible for reappointment.

As of August 2021, there are 2 vacancies on the Review Board. Average years of service of current membership is 6 years.

Chairperson: Sharilyn J. Ingram was first appointed on December 21, 2016, for a three-year term and was reappointed for a second six-month term ending June 20, 2020. She was reappointed for a three-year term ending June 20, 2023. Retired from faculty at Brock University’s School of Fine and Performing Arts, Sharilyn J. Ingram came to academia from a career in cultural management. She began her career at the Royal Alberta Museum, and subsequently held such senior positions as Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Western Development Museums, Deputy Director of the Art Gallery of Ontario, and President and CEO of Royal Botanical Gardens (Canada). During her time as Director of Planning and Management Services at the National Museums of Canada, she directed the preparation of legislative proposals for the establishment of independent national museum corporations. As a consultant, she has directed studies in governance, strategic planning, operational effectiveness, collections development, foundation establishment, and public art for such clients as the Museum of Ontario Archaeology, the Saskatchewan Foundation For the Arts, the National Museum of Science and Industry (U.K.), and the City of Vancouver Cultural Services. Current and past Board and committee service includes ICOM Canada, the Region of Niagara’s Culture Committee, the Cultural Human Resources Council, the St. Catharines and Area Arts Council, the American Public Gardens Association, the Rodman Hall Art Centre, and the Niagara Symphony. Named a Fellow of the Canadian Museums Association in 2005, Ms. Ingram chaired the Fellows Committee from 2014-2017. She lectures internationally on the intersection of gardens and art.

Meet the Board | CCPERB (ccperb-cceebc.gc.ca)

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

Expected expenditures for the 2021-22 financial year - Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Type of Expenditures	Amount	2021-22 Full-Time Equivalents (Planned)
2021-22 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates A	$17.9M	538

Description

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission was established by Parliament in 1968 and is an independent public authority constituted under the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act (1985).

The Commission strives to ensure that Canadians have access to a world-class communication system.

It is an arm’s length administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest and contributes to the privacy and safety of Canadians.

The Head Office is located in Gatineau; six regional offices are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Toronto, Montréal and Dartmouth.

Governance

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act provides for a Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons and ten full-time members appointed by the Governor in Council. The Commission currently consists of a Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons and six full-time regional members. Four full-time positions are vacant.

The nine-member Commission (full-time) are appointed by the Governor in Council during good behaviour for a term not exceeding five years. All are eligible for reappointment. The Governor in Council will designate one of the full-time members to be Chairperson and two of the other full-time members to be Vice-Chairpersons.

Average years of service of current membership is 2.7 years.

Chairperson: Ian Scott was appointed on September 5, 2017, for a five-year term ending on September 4, 2022. Mr. Ian Scott has over 25 years of policy and regulatory experience in broadcasting and telecommunications both in the public and private sectors. After working at the Competition Bureau, he joined the CRTC from 1990 to 1994, where he collaborated on the development of a framework for long-distance telephone service competition in Canada. Between 2007 and 2008, as part of the Executive Interchange Program, he was Senior Policy Advisor to the Chairman at the CRTC. Before rejoining the CRTC in 2017, Mr. Scott held various executive positions in the communications industry, including at Telesat Canada, Telus and Call-Net Enterprises. He also provided leadership on broadcasting policy and regulatory issues as an executive at the Canadian Cable Television Association. Mr. Scott has served on various boards, including Women in Communications and Technology and Ski Quebec Alpin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from McGill University.

Our Leadership | CRTC

Liberal Party of Canada’s Electoral Platform Summary – Canadian Heritage Perspective – Minister of Canadian Heritage

Arts and Culture and Media

Reform the Broadcasting Act (first 100 days).
Make changes to the Copyright Act.
Establish a Digital Charter and digital policy task force.
Introduce legislation that would require digital platforms that generate revenues from the publication of news content to share a portion of their revenues with Canadian news outlets (first 100 days).
Modernize CBC/Radio-Canada.
Modernize audiovisual institutions (Telefilm, National Film Board and Canada Media Fund).
Increase funding for Telefilm Canada (permanent increase of $50 million).
Increase funding for the Canada Media Fund (double government contribution over three years).
Increase the proportion of funding for French audiovisual content at Telefilm and the Canada Media Fund from 33% to 40% to support a better presence of French-language productions.
Ensure stable funding for Canada Music Fund (increase annual contribution to $50 million per year).
Support Canadian authors and books publishers by increasing, by 50%, funding for through the Canada Book Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Public Lending Right Program ($43 million per year).
Bring Canadian culture to the world by:
- Helping Canadian cultural industries succeed abroad by issuing a mandate to BDC and EDC to support the growth of creative industries in new markets;
- Launching a new cultural diplomacy strategy with an annual budget of $20 million per year to leverage the work done by our artists and cultural industries to support Canada’s diplomatic goals; and
- Forging an international coalition to work on a new UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Content Online.
Break down systemic barriers in our media and cultural sectors to ensure that Canadians from all backgrounds have their experiences and perspectives represented by:
- Moving forward on supporting productions led by people from equity-deserving groups working in the Canadian audiovisual industry;
- Supporting the production of news in underserved communities with $50 million over five years through the Local Journalism Initiative; and
- Developing a new $50 million Changing Narratives Fund to empower diverse communities, including BIPOC journalists and creatives, with the tools to tell their own stories and promote diverse voices in arts and culture and across media.
- Introduce legislation to combat serious forms of harmful online content, specifically hate speech, terrorist content, content that incites violence, child sexual abuse material and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images (first 100 days).
- Strengthen the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to combat online hate
COVID-19 relief:
- Hold a summit on plans to restart the arts and culture industry (first 100 days).
- Implement a COVID-19 transitional support program to provide emergency relief to out-of-work artists, craftspeople, creators, and authors who are primarily self-employed or independent contractors.
- Ensure the realities of artists and cultural workers are considered in upcoming Employment Insurance reforms.
- Launch a new Arts and Culture Recovery Program that will match ticket sales for performing arts, live theatres, and other cultural venues to compensate for reduced capacity.
- Extend COVID-related insurance coverage for media production stoppages.

Human Rights

Continue to support the Court Challenges Program by doubling the program’s funding and increase Canadians’ support for legal cases of national significance that clarify official languages rights and human rights.

Indigenous Affairs

Address the legacy of colonialism and residential schools.
Continue progress on reconciliation and self-determination.
Fully implementing An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and codeveloping the Action Plan to achieve its objectives.
Continue efforts to fully implement the Indigenous Languages Act.
Accelerate the implementation of the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People with Indigenous partners.
Accelerate our work with all partners in our collective and shared priorities in the 2021 National Action Plan.
Create a standing Federal-Provincial-Territorial table on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People to facilitate and coordinate this work.
Ensure that Indigenous voices and cultures are present on our screens and radios and provide stable funding to the Indigenous Screen Office ($13 million per year).

Heritage

Support Commemorate Canada and ensure this program recognizes modern Veterans as well as women, Indigenous, racialized, and LGBTQ2 Veterans from all conflicts.
Ensure that we recognize the valuable contributions of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans who have served our country in domestic operations (in collaboration with Commemorate Canada).
Fund Saint-Jean Baptiste celebrations across Canada.

COVID-19 Support Measures for the Arts, Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Sectors

A. Issue

In early 2020, the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors were among the first to suffer from the economic shutdowns and, with some variation among subsectors, will be among the last to recover. Many organizations and business models in these sectors continue to struggle for viability because of unique underlying economic pressures and a typically precarious workforce.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the federal government has made substantial commitments in terms of emergency support and reinvestment in the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors. Key relief packages administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage, such as the Emergency Support Fund, Recovery Fund, and Reopening Fund, have been some of the main support mechanisms for organizations in these sectors during the pandemic.

B. Background and Current Status

The arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors play a critical economic and social role in Canada. They contribute to nation building and fostering Canadian identity, both on a national and regional level, and are defining elements of Canada’s trading relationships, tourism industry, and cultural diplomacy.
In 2019, the cultural sector contributed $57.1 billion toward the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or 2.7% of the national GDP, and provided approximately 672,929 jobs in Canada, accounting for 3.5% of all jobs in the economy. The sport sector in Canada contributed $6.1 billion toward the national GDP and accounted for about 99,240 jobs in 2019.
The creative sectors already faced unique challenges and were susceptible to broader economic shocks well before the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, the sport sector’s reliance on revenue from major spectator events, coupled with structural barriers to increased participation, makes it vulnerable to broader economic shocks.
The pandemic has created a difficult environment for businesses in the arts, cultural, entertainment, and recreation sectors, but at the same time has accelerated digital trends and transitions. Nevertheless, the financial and workforce impacts have been significant.
Now, 18 months into the pandemic, recovery within these sectors remains uneven, with the longer-term economic impacts potentially affecting the capacity and willingness of consumers to pay for certain cultural and sporting activities, leading to uncertainties for sectors that rely on audience engagement, large gatherings, exhibition visitors and tourism.
In addition, while public health requirements are likely to remain well into the near future, in some cases they are shifting from restrictive (e.g., restrictions on large gatherings) to enabling (e.g., vaccine passports). Significant variations in public health requirements across jurisdictions mean that similar types of organizations will face different challenges and operating environments across the country. Notably, some venues are responding to public opinion and implementing their own rules, leading to inconsistency between jurisdictions.
Government support for individuals (e.g., the Canada Recovery Benefit) and support for businesses (e.g., the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, or the Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program) have all helped to keep many businesses afloat. Due to the unique business models and the typically precarious nature of the workforce in the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors – characterized by both not-for-profit organizations and for-profit cultural enterprises, self-employed individuals, and seasonal workers – these measures were not sufficient to stave off the collapse of many organizations without additional support. Specific measures were introduced to help ensure the survival and viability of the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors through the pandemic.

Emergency Support Fund

On May 8, 2020, the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced the details of a $500 million Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Organizations (ESF) to help alleviate the immediate financial pressures of organizations affected in the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This targeted funding focused on immediate and short-term emergency assistance and helped organizations maintain continuity of operations and employment while continuing to support artists, heritage workers, and athletes. To accelerate the distribution of funds, a two-phased approach was followed:
- Phase I provided an urgent formula-based top-up to eligible current funding recipients via Canadian Heritage and its delivery partners, Telefilm Canada, and the Canada Council for the Arts.
- In Phase II, outreach efforts were undertaken to encourage eligible organizations that were not current funding recipients to apply from across Canada.

Waiving Part I and II License Fees

In 2020 and 2021, the Government waived the requirement of all licensed broadcasters to pay Part I fees and waived the requirement of licensed radio stations, conventional television stations, and discretionary television services to pay Part II fees, as a temporary relief to allow them to weather the unprecedented impacts on their advertising revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By not collecting these fees, the Government has forgone revenues of up to $70 million for the fiscal year 2020-2021.

Short-Term Compensation Fund

In September 2020, the Government introduced a temporary support measure to allow the film and television industry to get back on its feet. Administered by Telefilm Canada, along with the Canada Media Fund, the Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF) initially made as much as $50 million available for the industry to compensate independent production companies for the interruption or shutdown of an eligible audiovisual production due to confirmed cases of COVID-19.
In early 2021, the Government announced an extension and expansion of the STCF to continue to assist producers in the sector and compensate for the lack of insurance coverage for COVID-19-related disruptions. The STCF is planned to sunset on March 31, 2022.

Support for Workers in the Live Arts and Music Sector Fund

An additional $181.5 million in new funding for the live arts and music sectors was announced in the November 2020 Fall Economic Statement. This funding, administered by Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, supports the planning and presentation of COVID-safe events in the arts and music sectors—including both live and digital—so as to provide work opportunities in these sectors, such as short-term contracting of technical workers.

Budget 2021— Recovery and Reopening Funds

In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced $1.93 billion in new spending through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Heritage Portfolio, including an investment of $200 million to support local festivals, community cultural events, outdoor theatre performances, heritage celebrations, local museums, amateur sport events, and more, and $300 million to establish a Recovery Fund for Arts, Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Sectors, details of which were announced in June 2021.
The Recovery Fund for Arts, Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Sectors will provide $300 million over two years to support organizations that are still struggling with operational viability due to the pandemic. It will also support recovery for these sectors by providing organizations and individuals with the financial means to pursue objectives related to building organizational resilience, as well as to pursue business innovation and transformation, including through advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) objectives, as well as greening initiatives.
The Reopening Fund will invest $200 million over two years to help Canada’s local festivals, community cultural events, outdoor theatre performances, heritage celebrations, and local museums. It will support organizations and projects that deliver in-person experiences and events that draw visitors to our communities.
The Recovery and Reopening Funds will be administered through 16 existing programs at Canadian Heritage, as well as at the Canada Council for the Arts and at Telefilm Canada. Funding will be delivered through a mixture of top-ups to existing recipients and application-based programming. The rollout of funding will be gradual and will ramp up over the course of the 2021–2022 fiscal year. This is largely due to the need to calibrate new supports with existing programming and application cycles, as well as to provide time for new program elements to be onboarded to the Department’s online application portal.
Canadian Heritage has engaged the Regional Development Agencies and Innovation as well as Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to ensure alignment between the funds and other major and tourism-related investments in Budget 2021, and to identify potential gaps (e.g., zoos, aquariums, rodeos, fairs and exhibitions with annual revenues below $10 million, and botanical gardens without heritage collections). Although the department can provide support to non-traditional recipient organizations in instances where they align with the objectives and eligibility criteria of existing programs, the potential for gaps remains. To address them would require important changes (e.g., new policy authorities, new funding program).
In addition to these two funds, a number of Treasury Board submissions related to other Budget 2021 announcements have been approved and are in implementation stages, while other submissions still require approval. Further details on the status of these initiatives will be provided in future briefings.

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitments

The platform has made nine commitments to directly aid in the recovery of the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors. These include, among others, new wage and rent subsidies for the tourism and live events sectors; the launch of a new Arts and Cultural Recovery Program to match ticket sales for performing arts, live theatres, and other cultural events to make up for reduced capacity; a new transitional employment support program for cultural workers, and a commitment to hold a summit within the first 100 days on plans to restart the industry.
See Annex A for a full list of platform commitments.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

There are distinct ongoing needs in the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors, which have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some sectors that deliver national programming and managed to continue operations during the initial COVID-19 outbreak are experiencing a slower than anticipated recovery. Increased costs and reduced revenue due to COVID-19 restrictions are having significant impacts on these sectors.
Since the start of the pandemic, the Department has regularly interacted with the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors, and has collected key data on the economic state of these sectors. Stakeholders have voiced expectations and evident needs have been demonstrated at the local level, but those needs and approaches vary considerably across the country.
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Recovery and Reopening Funds

The department will continue with the accelerated implementation of the Recovery and Reopening Funds as announced in Budget 2021 and as originally designed.
Reallocation of funds between the various program components of the Recovery and Reopening Funds could be possible as needs of the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors become clearer, or change over time.
The funds will continue to complement the emergency supports of the past 18 months, along with other initiatives proposed in the election platform.

D. Strategic Considerations

Stakeholder Perspectives

Through recipient surveys following the rollout of the $500 million Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations (ESF), as well as a broad engagement with over 4,000 stakeholders in the arts, heritage, cultural, and sport sectors via six public town halls and 15 invitation-only roundtables in September and October 2020, stakeholders have indicated that the Government’s emergency measures have been critical lifelines enabling these sectors to mostly survive the pandemic so far—although for some they were more a “drop in the bucket” and continued support will be required to maintain operations if the pandemic continues beyond 2021.
The short-term outlook for these sectors remains bleak for the fiscal year 2021–2022 and possibly beyond. The need for renewed business and financial models has also been made evident, as some sectors are in survival mode from the loss of normal revenue streams.
A related need to support the digital transition of some sectors was expressed, as the pandemic has accelerated the shift to a digital marketplace (e.g., skills development and access to the Internet, especially in rural/remote areas).
Stakeholders in the Canadian sport system have made it clear, through roundtable discussions and direct communication, that the system (particularly at the community level) requires strong support to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and to continue to provide opportunities for Canadians to be active.
Large stakeholders such as Festivals and Major Events Canada have raised relevant considerations and concerns throughout the design process of the Recovery and Reopening Funds, including the need to ensure that the criteria, eligibility, timelines, and other requirements surrounding the funds are designed to produce the best possible outcomes for recipients. As well, they have stressed the importance of carefully thinking through potential funding gaps or unnecessary overlaps between different initiatives.

FPT Considerations

There is asymmetry in the funding models and funding amounts for arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sector organizations across different provincial-territorial (PT) jurisdictions. PT governments have voiced near unanimous interest in having a larger role in the development and implementation of federal emergency supports, particularly in the cultural and heritage sectors.
Canadian Heritage has five federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) tables through which the Government of Canada has been able to remain in close contact with PT counterparts throughout the pandemic. Through most of these tables, the Department has been able to involve the PTs in the development of emergency measures, particularly in the identification of greatest needs and gaps in support. Canadian Heritage has also played a leading role in ensuring all jurisdictions are aware of the emergency supports being developed across the country, helping to identify best practices.
In the sport sector, bilateral agreements have been an efficient mechanism to advance a number of pandemic priorities across jurisdictions. Such relationships have enabled strong collaboration with a variety of partners such as Indigenous organizations.
Some PTs have suggested that similar agreements be developed for the arts, cultural, and heritage sectors. However, Canadian Heritage has noted that the scale of sport supports is comparatively small and administratively less complicated. Bilateral agreements for the delivery of arts, cultural, and heritage funding are not an approach being called for by stakeholders in these sectors, who typically benefit from access to support from multiple orders of government in this area of shared jurisdiction.
A number of PTs have also released their budgets for 2021–2022 over the past few months, and some new funding has been earmarked for the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors:
- Quebec announced additional funding for its cultural recovery fund and other investments to support the sectors’ economic recovery and make culture more accessible to all.
- Provinces such as Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia have proposed increases to their cultural, sport, and/or tourism budgets.
- Other provinces such as Manitoba have announced slight decreases to their cultural and sport budgets.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

The ESF recipient survey results highlighted some of the challenges faced by Indigenous organizations during the pandemic. For instance:
- Indigenous organizations (65%) were less likely than other organizations (84%) to indicate that they were operating or plan to continue operations. They were also less likely to indicate that the ESF helped their organization remain in operation;
- Indigenous organizations were less likely to indicate that their organization received other funding from federal government sources, and more likely to have received other funding from provincial and municipal governments.
Indigenous organizations were overall very satisfied with the ESF process across the board, including the application and attestation process, the timeliness and amount received, and the information received along the way.
Under the Reopening Fund, additional support of $47.8 million is identified for post-COVID celebration and commemoration initiatives; of this amount, $2.1 million in 2022–2023 is earmarked to support commemoration of treaty anniversaries. Indigenous stakeholders have high expectations regarding the need for recognition and commemoration of treaty anniversaries.

GBA+ Considerations

The pandemic has had disproportionately acute impacts on marginalized communities in Canada—primarily low-wage workers, young people, racialized workers, and women.
The demographic makeup of the arts, cultural, heritage, and sport sectors is disproportionately composed of workers from these groups relative to other economic sectors. When combined with the precariousness and low-wage situations prevalent in these sectors, the already significant negative impact on these communities caused by the pandemic has been worsened.
Departmental funding implicitly favours well-established organizations who have experience in navigating funding processes and the resources to write strong funding applications. This means many organizations led by or serving equity-deserving individuals or communities do not receive funding or are chronically underfunded. Emergency funding programs have not necessarily extended support to some of these communities, such as the 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities, who are in turn less able to deliver support to clients because of the constraints caused by the pandemic. Through the ESF survey, a higher percentage of organizations that advocate for the needs of equity-deserving populations reported being affected to a large extent by the COVID-19 crisis.
At present, there is a concerted effort to advance objectives related to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across all of the Department’s programs. Canadian Heritage supports many organizations that serve equity-deserving communities through current funding, as well as other entities that advance EDI as one of many priorities in their work. Some of these organizations will receive new funding through the Recovery and Reopening Funds, as will new recipients where applications are invited for new initiatives.
Following the successful ESF recipient survey, which collected data across 16 diverse communities, the Department has developed a similar approach to collect qualitative data to measure performance and assess the impacts of the Recovery and Reopening Funds across diverse populations. The Department could also integrate this type of data collection into regular program cycles.

International Considerations

In 2018, imports of cultural products totalled $2.2 billion while exports of Canadian cultural products totalled $16.9 billion.
- The Crafts, Books and Performing Arts subdomains contributed the most to cultural imports.
- Film and Video, Crafts and Performing Arts contributed the most to cultural exports.
In 2016, tourism spending by international visitors to Canada totalled $328.9 million. Organized sport generated the most spending among international visitors that year, totalling $171 million.
Cultural exports represent some 30% of cultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and should be considered as part of the solution to sector recovery and growth post-pandemic.
Canada is recognized globally for its high-quality creative content and industries, which are an engine of economic growth and a competitive advantage. Canada’s exports of cultural goods and services accounted for approximately one third of Canada’s culture GDP in 2018, at $16.9 billion. Exports of Canadian cultural products experienced a 50% growth overall between 2010 and 2018. The value of cultural exports represented the equivalent of 196,500 cultural jobs in Canada in 2018, or 30% of all cultural jobs in Canada.
Exporting firms tend to be more successful than non-exporting ones. For example, although only 7% of creative firms export, they generate nearly 30% of Canada’s cultural GDP. In general, they are more productive and have higher revenues. Exporting firms also tend to employ a higher number of workers, have a more diverse workforce, and pay higher wages.
Exports will be a key element in helping creative industries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

Many rural and Indigenous communities rely on tourism as a source of employment and income and are dependent on out-of-province and international visitors. With many travel and public health restrictions in place, job and income losses have hit the tourism sector in rural areas particularly hard.
Due to poor quality Internet, many rural communities have been limited in their ability to respond effectively to the economic, educational, health, and commercial crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Improved access to digital arts, cultural, and heritage content has extended the reach of many organizations’ activities during the pandemic, increasing engagement among Canadians living in rural and remote areas who previously had to travel to urban areas in order to access such content.

Annex A: Relevant Platform Commitments

The following language is taken directly from Liberal Party of Canada’s platform commitments which are available online at the following link: https://liberal.ca/our-plan/

Recognizing the enduring impact of COVID-19 on these sectors, a re-elected Liberal government would introduce a temporary wage subsidy and rent subsidy stream for sectors like hotels, tour operators, convention centers and festivals experiencing a minimum of 40% revenue loss. Qualifying businesses in these sectors would be able to access a maximum subsidy rate of up to 75%, commensurate to their revenue loss, in order to help cover fixed costs like wages and rent between September 2021 until May 31, 2022.
Extend the Canada Recovery Hiring Program to March 31, 2022.
Provide Canada’s hard-hit tourism industry with temporary wage and rent support of up to 75% of their expenses to help them get through the winter.
A re-elected Liberal government will provide $50 million to the Canada Council of the Arts in order to implement a transitional support program to help bridge workers from the creative industry who continue to be impacted by the pandemic.
Launch the Arts and Culture Recovery Program to match ticket sales for performing arts, live theatres, and other cultural events to make up for reduced capacity.
- Introducing a matching program to address revenue loss for cultural venues. The program will match revenue coming from the sale of tickets for venues that are subject to reduction in audience or attendance capacity due to measures imposed by local health authorities until May 2022. Admissible venues will include performing arts and culture venues, live theatres, and museums. The Government will ensure that funds provided by this program will be used to support workers in the industry.
Protect our vibrant film and television production sector with COVID-related insurance coverage, supporting 150,000 Canadian jobs. The Compensation Fund for Canadian audiovisual productions is a temporary measure administered by Telefilm Canada, which fills the void left by the lack of insurance coverage for filming interruptions and production shutdowns due to COVID-19.
Implement a COVID-19 transitional support program to provide emergency relief to out-of-work artists, craftsmen, creators, and authors who are primarily self-employed or independent contractors. Ensure the realities of artists and cultural workers are considered in upcoming reforms to the Employment Insurance (EI) system.
Hold a summit, within the first 100 days, on plans to restart the industry.
Extend COVID-related insurance coverage for media production stoppages to support 150,000 Canadian jobs.

National Summit on Restarting the Arts and Cultural Sectors

A. Issue

In its 2021 electoral platform, under the “Helping Artists and Cultural Industries Recover” section, the Government committed to “Hold a summit, within the first 100 days, on plans to restart the industry.” This document provides a brief overview of key considerations related to this commitment. Information about the economic impact on these sectors, and related government supports to date, can be found in the fiche entitled “COVID-19 Support Measures for the Arts, Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Sectors.”

B. Background and Current Status

Previous Departmental Engagement with Stakeholders: Fall 2020 Ministerial Town Halls and Roundtables

In September and October 2020, the Department of Canadian Heritage held five virtual public town halls and 15 invitation-only virtual roundtables at which Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault, Parliamentary Secretary Julie Dabrusin, and Parliamentary Secretary Adam van Koeverden met with stakeholders in the arts, culture, heritage, and sport sectors across the country to discuss impacts of the pandemic and goals for an inclusive and sustainable recovery.
In total, these events engaged over 4,000 participants and generated over 1,000 written submissions. The Government’s emergency measures were acknowledged at that time as critical lifelines which enabled these sectors to mostly survive the pandemic; however, the short-term outlook for the arts, culture, heritage, and sport sectors was described as bleak for fiscal years 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 and highly uncertain beyond that. Stakeholders also highlighted systemic barriers to the participation and success of Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized people, women, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2 populations working in these sectors or supported by them.
Since then, the Department has begun delivering the $300 million Recovery Fund and $200 million Reopening Fund announced in Budget 2021, which were designed in part as responses to these and other considerations. An additional $181.5 million in new funding for the live arts and music sectors was announced in the November 2020 Fall Economic Statement. This funding, administered by Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, supports the planning and presentation of COVID-safe events in the arts and music sectors—including both live and digital—so as to provide work opportunities in these sectors, such as short-term contracting of technical workers.
The Department is also undertaking an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Review to assess barriers to accessing departmental funding experienced by equity-deserving communities.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

Design Considerations

The specific subsectors and stakeholders to be included will be key to determining the scope, objectives, format, and expected outcomes of the event or events that would respond to this platform commitment.
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Logistical Considerations

For a virtual event, all planning decisions should be made 4 to 5 weeks prior to its launch to allow for effective and efficient invitations, agenda development, procurement of translation and interpretation services, and other logistical needs.
For an in-person event, all planning decisions should be made at least 6 to 7 weeks prior to its launch to enable the above operations as well as other logistics, including venue booking, accommodations, and compliance with public health measures.
One hundred days from the Cabinet swearing-in on October 26, 2021, would be February 3, 2022.
All of the fall 2020 town halls and roundtables were hosted on Zoom with simultaneous translation provided. [REDACTED]

Options

In light of the above considerations, the Department could proceed with implementing this platform commitment in the following ways:

[REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
  - [REDACTED]
  - [REDACTED]
  - [REDACTED]
  - [REDACTED]
  - [REDACTED]
- MISSING REDACTED LIST ITEM
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Leveraging the Arts, Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Sectors to Promote and Advance Environmental Sustainability

A. Issue

Environment/climate change is the top electoral issue of greatest concern to Canadians as shown by a recent Angus Reid Institute survey (August 2021).
In the arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors, the need for greening is well recognized and organizations are developing/seeking to develop new models that augment their capacity to address environmental issues.
The Department of Canadian Heritage has levers, through its funding programs, to influence the green and innovative recovery of a wide variety of organizations in the arts, culture, heritage, and sport sectors.

B. Background and Current Status

Greening Goals in Canada

The Government of Canada has committed to reducing total emissions to 40-45% below 2005 levels by year 2030 under the Paris 2030 Agreement and is aiming for net zero emissions as soon as possible and no later than 2050.
Budget 2021 allocated an unprecedented amount to Canadian Heritage and its Portfolio organizations for a variety of programs, including a $300 million Recovery Fund. As pertains to greening, some Recovery Fund initiatives will support business transformation initiatives that promote organizational resilience and sustainability by increasing the capacity of arts, culture, heritage, and sport organizations to advance greening outcomes.
The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) sets out the Government of Canada’s environmental sustainability priorities, establishes goals and targets, and identifies actions to achieve them. The 2019–2022 FSDS includes 13 goals which also support the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Government has promised to finalize Canada’s first-ever National Adaptation Strategy by the end of 2022. A National Adaptation Strategy will help Canada respond to the shared reality of climate change impacts by uniting all orders of government, Indigenous Peoples, private companies, academia, civil society, youth, and all Canadians in a whole-of-society approach to climate change adaptation.

Greening at Canadian Heritage

Through its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS), Canadian Heritage incorporates greening initiatives by supporting the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) goal of the Government of Canada “lead[ing] by example by making its operations low-carbon.”
As per the actions that support the UN’s 2030 agenda sustainable development goals (SDG), the Department directly supports Goal 12, responsible consumption and production, which has a target designed to “promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities” and Goal 13, climate action, which has a target designed to “integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning”. Through its action in the arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors, Canadian Heritage also indirectly supports Goal 11, sustainable cities and communities, which has as a target to “protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage.”

Greening in the Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Sport Sectors

The arts, culture and heritage sectors in Canada are incrementally expanding their capacities to address environmental issues. For instance, there are a growing number of projects and organizations specialized in arts and sustainability activities who are providing leadership on sustainability, green operational practices, and reducing the environmental impact of cultural productions.
Greening the arts, culture and heritage sector tends to focus on the following areas:
- supporting adequate planning to allow for the proper identification of material, equipment, or products that may reduce the environmental impact;
- reducing the use of fossil energy sources during all stages of production;
- promoting an environmentally conscious management of transportation during production and touring (as applicable);
- promoting the re-use and recycling of used material;
- integrating environmental considerations in all aspects of infrastructure construction and management; and
- exploring ways the sectors can leverage their impact and cultural capital to increase environmental awareness.
In the sport sector, the United Nations Sport for Climate Action Declaration has been endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and by 256 major sport organizations (both competitive and professional). Other relevant international policies are the European Green Deal (used for the Euros 2021) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (particularly Goal 13, climate action, that featured predominantly in the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games).
The sport sector uses various means to measure its environmental impact, such as:
- greenhouse gas emission or carbon footprint;
- waste volume;
- level of impact on biodiversity;
- LEED certification (for infrastructure); and
- ISO 2021 (for management sustainability).
While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to reductions in emissions and energy usage across these sectors, it has also left them more vulnerable in terms of implementing more permanent greening measures due to financial pressures and cessation of live events, among others.
During the Department’s Fall 2020 ministerial roundtable series with stakeholders, organizations signalled varying degrees of readiness to address sustainability, and called for leadership and investment from Canadian Heritage and all levels of government.
While some organizations within these sectors are operating as sustainability leaders, the majority are not leveraging their potential to generate a meaningful environmental impact. As organizations seek to recover and transform their operations in the wake of COVID-19, many see an opportunity to advance sustainability by embedding new green approaches but lack the knowledge or resources to do so.
Canadian Heritage portfolio organizations are at varying levels of implementation but are taking an active leadership role towards climate change. Some are already implementing their greening plans and initiatives. [REDACTED]
On June 9, 2021, the Minister of Canadian Heritage approved the establishment of two Ministerial Consultative Committees on greening the arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors. The Minister had an opportunity to share his vision and meet the members at two distinct first meetings (one for art, culture and heritage and one for sport) held virtually on August 11, 2021.
Environmental scans and literature reviews are being undertaken to deepen our understanding of the landscape of current and future challenges faced by our concerned sectors and to assist the Department in defining its role and areas of intervention. Currently, ongoing environmental activities in the arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors fall into two broad categories: implementation (emissions reduction, energy efficiency, travel and waste management) and public engagement (popularizing environmental issues and awareness).

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

While the arts, culture, heritage, and sport sectors present important and highly visible opportunities to advance environmental sustainability across Canada, and while the Government has made clear its expectations that the Department delivers on these, the Department has had to reallocate existing resources to undertake the work required.

GBA+ Considerations

Climate change disproportionately affects certain communities and demographic groups compared to society in general, as evidenced, for instance, by the unequal impacts on women as compared to men. Studies suggest that “Climate change has led to the declining availability of traditional country food for Inuit communities, exacerbating already high rates of food insecurity in the North. Inuit women experience significantly greater food insecurity relative to men.”
Moreover, climate change may further exacerbate pre-existing inequalities. Culture can help mitigate these inequalities, by contributing in numerous ways to all the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thereby contributing to environmental sustainability.

FPT Considerations

Provinces and territories are key players in moving forward on greening the arts, cultural, heritage and sport sectors and in some instances, they are further ahead than the federal government (e.g., in Quebec and B.C.). For example, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Quebec Drama Federation is leading a project to adapt the UK’s “Creative Green Tools” (an innovative partnership between sector leader Julie’s Bicycle and Arts Council England) for a Canadian context, built on a shared vision of the transformative role of culture in tackling the climate crisis.
Government approaches to greening industries are not symmetrical across jurisdictions. While industry specific norms and tools sometimes exist, as well as provincial levers, the situation is far from being uniform across sectors. [REDACTED]

International Considerations

Greening policy for sport is first developed internationally then nationally; most policy exists internationally and is taken up by national governments. Government action is primarily influenced by sports’ mega-events or consists of international agreements. Little environmental policy targets sport explicitly at a national level. Instead, sport organizations are signatories to agreements mandating environmental action. Environmental actions taken by national governments happen through general environmental law.
On the arts, culture and heritage side, the literature review shows that other countries rarely impose specific guidelines on organizations in the arts, cultural and heritage sectors. Their involvement in organizations’ greening efforts is achieved mainly by factoring environmental considerations into policy development and funding programs criteria, and into their own operational practices in order to lead by example.
Multilateral dialogue on how art, culture, and heritage sectors can address climate change is infusing the work of organizations beyond the United Nations. There is growing attention on the need to factor in culture and heritage to support a sustainable post-pandemic recovery, as demonstrated in the July 30, 2021, G20 Culture Ministerial Declaration that advocates for concerted global action on climate change through culture and heritage.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

The Ministerial Committees have noted that the environment has links to equity and Indigenous conceptions of culture and that opportunities should be seized to address emerging issues of environmental racism.
[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

To date, Canadian Heritage has reallocated existing resources to support the establishment and work of the two ministerial consultative committees as well as the production of literature reviews and the undertaking of portfolio organizations consultations. Further resources may be required.

Modernizing Canada’s Broadcasting Legislative & Regulatory Framework

A. Issue

Canada’s broadcasting legislation was last updated 30 years ago. Online streaming services have radically altered the way we consume audiovisual and musical content. Broadcasting policy needs to be updated to support Canadian creators, producers and broadcasters and ensure that Canadian music and stories remain available and accessible in this new reality.

B. Background and Current Status

The Canadian broadcasting sector is facing significant disruption: online streaming is shifting audiences and changing the way content is consumed. Meanwhile, Canada’s broadcasting legislation and regulations remain oriented towards the traditional broadcasting system. While traditional broadcasters must adhere to regulatory requirements to contribute a portion of their annual revenues to supporting Canadian creators, online broadcasters are not subject to similar requirements.
This asymmetry puts traditional Canadian broadcasters at a competitive disadvantage. Audiences are shifting to online broadcasters, leading to diminishing revenues for traditional services. In turn, this risks less funding for Canadian music and programming. Canadian creators and Canadian stories—particularly those from Indigenous, francophone, and other minority communities—also sometimes struggle to find an audience in a media landscape dominated by large foreign players. Urgent action is needed to address long-term structural challenges in our system to ensure ongoing support for Canadian creators and producers and to safeguard Canadian cultural sovereignty.
Prior to the pandemic, traditional broadcasters were already experiencing a steady decline in revenues, with a loss of 1.8% per year over the last five years. This negative trend has accelerated during the course of the pandemic, making bankruptcy and closures an even greater threat to the broadcasting sector. Without meaningful change, the Department of Canadian Heritage expects support for Canadian programming to decline by approximately a third between 2018 and 2023.
Reviews of Canada’s broadcasting legislative and regulatory framework, and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) mandate and role in supervising the broadcasting sector, have recently been completed. These include a 2018 report produced by the CRTC entitled Harnessing Change, which studied the future of programming distribution. In January 2020, a panel of experts established by the Government of Canada also submitted its report to conclude the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review.
Informed by these reviews, in November 2020 the Government of Canada introduced new proposed legislation (Bill C-10) to modernize Canada’s broadcasting system for the digital age. Bill C-10 was adopted by the House of Commons on June 22, 2021. It passed second reading in the Senate on June 29, 2021, and was referred to a Senate committee for further study. Bill C-10 then died on the order paper when Parliament was dissolved.

Liberal Party Platform Commitments

The Liberal Party platform committed to reintroduce legislation to reform the Broadcasting Act within the first 100 days of a new mandate to ensure foreign web giants contribute to the creation and promotion of Canadian content. The platform also includes commitments to update and strengthen CBC/Radio-Canada and to modernize or provide greater funding to institutions such as Telefilm Canada, the National Film Board, the Canada Media Fund, the Canada Music Fund, and the Indigenous Screen Office. These investments would aim to provide greater support to Canadian creators, particularly those from underrepresented groups.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

Recent research suggests that, in Canada, women still occupy less than 25% of key creative positions within the film and television production industry (writing, directing, cinematography) and underrepresentation is of even greater concern when it comes to racialized women and Indigenous women.
In comparison to traditional broadcasting services, online services provide audiences with greater freedom to choose the content that they consume. Their business models place less emphasis on creating content that appeals to mass markets and, instead, provide opportunities to showcase stories and creators that speak to underrepresented communities and those that face systemic barriers in this industry, including women, LGBTQ2+ communities, and Indigenous Peoples.
Bringing online broadcasters into the regulated system, coupled with current CRTC initiatives to increase diversity and break down systemic barriers (e.g., the CRTC’s summit on gender parity in Canada’s film and television production industry, which brought together large public and private broadcasters to create action plans to address inequality), could lead to greater inclusivity.
Preliminary research obtained from Numeris reveals that women, seniors, francophones, unemployed people, and lower-income Canadians consume content predominantly through traditional broadcasters. Establishing a fairer competitive environment as between traditional and online broadcasters should help ensure that traditional broadcasting services remain viable and accessible by these and other Canadians.

FPT Considerations

Provinces and territories support action to modernize Canada’s broadcasting system to ensure an equitable playing field for traditional Canadian broadcasters, creators and producers. Jurisdictions such as British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, seek to protect the broadcasting and film and video production sectors within their jurisdictions and look to the federal government to maintain strong supports for these industries.
Modernization efforts enjoy particularly broad support in Quebec as broadcasting is viewed as a key policy instrument for protecting the French language and Quebec culture.
[REDACTED]

International Considerations

Canada is not the only jurisdiction contemplating broadcasting reforms. For example, the European Union’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive requires member states to impose quotas and prominence requirements for European works on Internet broadcasting services. The United Kingdom and Australia are currently studying various approaches for regulating online broadcasting. Different approaches could lead to a patchwork of regulations that would be difficult for multinational corporations to navigate. Policy makers engage regularly to discuss interoperability and exchange best practices.
Trade commitments also need to be considered when modernizing Canada’s broadcasting legislative and regulatory framework. Many of Canada’s trade agreements include commitments to treat foreign goods and services in a similar manner to domestic ones. Many agreements (e.g., the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement) also include a general exception for Canada’s cultural industries; however, when the general exception is invoked, retaliatory measures are allowed.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

Broadcasting plays a key role in the preservation of Indigenous perspectives, cultures, languages and traditions. Indigenous partners look to efforts to modernize the Broadcasting Act to result in augmented funding for Indigenous audio and audiovisual content; autonomy to make decisions in Indigenous broadcasting organizations; Indigenous representation at the CRTC and a reorientation of the mandate of the CBC/Radio-Canada to better complement and support Indigenous storytelling. Many of these issues will require time to meaningfully engage and explore solutions with Indigenous partners.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Stakeholders within the broadcasting and creative sectors are diverse, vocal, and organized. However, they frequently hold competing views regarding the reforms that should be put in place to modernize Canada’s broadcasting system. Stakeholders are divided in their preferred approach, specifically whether to maintain a robust regulatory framework or move to reduce the regulatory burden.
With the entry of foreign online streaming services into the Canadian marketplace, many cultural stakeholders suggest that a robust regulatory framework is needed now more than ever and should be extended to cover the new digital entrants. They advocate for rules and regulations that seek to protect and promote Canadian broadcasters and creators, make certain that Canadian stories and music are presented, and ensure that diverse players (e.g., players of different sizes, from different communities, with different editorial voices) can participate in the broadcasting system. These rules would include discoverability requirements, funding quotas, Canadian ownership requirements, terms of trade agreements, and rules to prevent the abuse of market power. In general, proponents of this view include small independent broadcasters, creators (e.g., producers, writers, musicians), and groups who view broadcasting policy as an important tool for protecting and preserving their culture (e.g., francophones, official language minority communities, Indigenous Peoples).
However, other stakeholders suggest that such a framework is overly burdensome and stifles competition. They argue that it prevents the development of strong, competitive Canadian creators and corporations. Further, some believe that a rigid regulatory framework limits the ability of broadcasters to respond to consumer expectations. These stakeholders advocate for eliminating overly prescriptive requirements (e.g., mandating the presentation of “programs of national interest”) and for reducing the regulatory burden. They would like to see increased use of incentives (e.g., tax credits and direct funding mechanisms) to achieve cultural objectives. They also argue for providing greater flexibility in the regulatory system so that regulatees can contribute to the Canadian broadcasting system in a way that makes sense given their business model. [REDACTED]

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

In the face of declining advertising and subscription revenues, broadcasters and distributors are expected to reduce or rationalize their operations. This may disproportionately affect rural and remote communities. It is expected that a modernized broadcasting legislative and regulatory framework would improve the ability of Canadian broadcasters to maintain operations, helping to mitigate these negative impacts. The former Bill C-10 included provisions that acknowledged the importance of community broadcasting.
With many broadcasters now distributing content online, the availability of high-speed Internet becomes an important factor in ensuring that Canadians have access to the programming. Broadband infrastructure is largely a matter for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

Timing

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]

Harmful Content and Disinformation

A. Issue

Social media platforms are a ubiquitous feature in the lives of Canadians. But a growing body of evidence shows that these platforms are used to spread harmful content that disproportionately impacts visible minorities, religious groups, LGBTQ2+ individuals, women, and other equity-deserving communities.
- 1 in 5 Canadians have experienced some form of online hate; 58% of women in Canada have been victims of violence online; and racialized Canadians are almost three times more likely to have experienced harmful behaviour online. This content can have real-world consequences, like the January 29, 2017, attack on the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City.
- In 2019, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) saw a 1106% increase of child sex exploitation and abuse reports from 2014. A recent review by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) found that 80% of victims appeared to be female and 78% of images reviewed depicted children under the age of 12.
- A 2018 study by MediaSmarts on the non-consensual sharing of intimate images amongst Canadian youth found that 4 in 10 have engaged in sexting and that 1 in 6 had had an intimate image shared non-consensually.
There are no broad regulatory requirements in Canada for platforms to identify, manage and reduce harmful content on their services. Existing tools, like criminal law requirements in the form of court-ordered takedowns, are insufficient and result in limited incentive to be proactive. Social media platforms have voluntarily taken some steps to combat these types of harmful content, but their actions are too often reactive, ad hoc, and uneven across platforms.
Canadians see the need for action. For example, 79% support strengthening existing laws to hold people accountable for their online speech.

B. Background and Current Status

Digital Citizen Initiative and Addressing Disinformation

In 2019, the Digital Citizen Initiative (DCI) was created to build social resilience to online disinformation ahead of the 2019 federal election. The DCI contributed $7 million over nine months in 2019 for 23 projects to strengthen citizens’ critical thinking about online disinformation, their ability to be more resilient against online harms as well as their ability to get involved in democratic processes. As of July 2021, the DCI has funded 17 research projects on disinformation through its Digital Citizen Contribution Program (DCCP). The DCI has become a central player and focal point for confronting disinformation and other harmful content online within the Government of Canada, but is scheduled to sunset in 2022–2023. Ongoing funding would allow the DCI to continue this important work.
Internationally, Canadian Heritage has put a working group in place on diversity of content online that involves representatives from France, Germany, Finland, Australia, major social media platforms, and civil society. Engagement on issues of disinformation and online harms has also taken place with like-minded countries and jurisdictions such as France, Australia, the United Kingdom and the European Commission. Like Canada, these international collaborators have developed, or are in the process of developing, their own frameworks for combatting harmful content on social media platforms.

Harmful Content Online

In July 2021, the Government launched a public consultation on a proposed new legislative and regulatory framework for social media platforms. The proposed framework targets five categories: hate speech, terrorist content, content that incites violence, child sexual exploitation content, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. These categories were selected because they are some of the most egregious kinds of harmful content and the definitions draw on existing Criminal Code offenses. It sets out a statutory requirement for regulated entities to take all reasonable measures to make harmful content inaccessible in Canada, while also compelling regulated entities to remove content that is flagged by a user as meeting the definition of any of the five categories within 24 hours.
The proposal also includes a new Digital Safety Commission to support three bodies that would operationalize the new regime: the Digital Safety Commissioner would administer, oversee, and enforce the new legislated requirements; the Digital Recourse Council would provide people in Canada with independent recourse for the content moderation decisions of regulated platforms; and the Advisory Board would provide both the Commissioner and the Recourse Council with advice on emerging industry trends and technologies and content-moderation standards.
The public consultation closed on September 25, 2021. [REDACTED]

Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and Online Hate

Through the Anti-Racism Action Program Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022, an investment of $3.6 million (totalling 24 projects) was made to support community-led digital and civic literacy programming to address online disinformation and hate speech. This reflects heightened concerns around online hate and the need to support local communities. In summer 2021, the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat hosted two national summits on antisemitism and Islamophobia to identify ways in which the Government of Canada can work with communities, organizations, and individuals to combat misinformation and online hate. Following the summits, the Government of Canada committed to take action to combat hate everywhere, including online.

Liberal Party Platform Commitments

The Liberal Party of Canada platform proposes to:
- move ahead with tabling legislation on online harms within the first 100 days of their mandate;
- establish a Digital Policy Task Force to position Canada as a leader in the digital economy and shape global governance of emerging technologies; and
- forge an international coalition to work on a new UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Content Online.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

According to a 2020 report by the Social Media Lab at Ryerson University, the majority of adult Canadian internet users (94%) have an account on at least one social media platform. Young people (aged 18–24) are the largest adopters, and women have generally adopted social media in higher proportions than men.
Research and official reporting demonstrate that individuals and groups use social media platforms to spread hateful messaging. This messaging directs extreme detestation and vilification, especially towards identifiable, equity-deserving groups and Indigenous peoples across the spectrum of Canadian society: racialized communities, women; Indigenous peoples; members of LGBTQ2+ people and communities; religious and ethnic minority groups; and official language minority groups.
A 2019 survey conducted by Léger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies found that 60% of Canadians have experienced what they considered to be “hateful or racist speech” online. Of the 1,946 hate crimes reported to police in 2019, the majority were motivated by race or ethnicity (876), followed by religion (608), sexual orientation (263), gender (53), and language (27).
Harmful content on social media is often gender-specific. A 2020 study by Plan International found that 58% of girls surveyed across 22 countries had experienced harassment or abuse when using social media.
In 2019, CBC reported that police forces across Canada were on track to receive over 5,000 complaints of people allegedly sharing intimate images without consent, an increase of more than 240% from 2018.

FPT Considerations

Provinces and territories have not actively engaged with the Department of Canadian Heritage on this file. It is expected that they will closely follow any future legislative or regulatory developments to ensure that any regime does not hinder the ability of their police bodies to conduct their activities.

International Considerations

Some of Canada’s allies and like-minded partners have already implemented approaches to address harmful content. As such, some argue that Canada is lagging while allies are acting. Others, in contrast, suggest that Canada should learn from the controversy and challenges of those implemented approaches. Below are the highlights of some of Canada’s allies’ positions on harmful content and disinformation:
Germany’s NetzDG approach outlines procedural requirements for flagging and complaints and requires that platforms remove content that is “manifestly unlawful” within 24 hours of receiving a complaint.
Australia’s approach is based on its e-Safety Commissioner. The eSafety Commissioner investigates and acts on complaints for cyberbullying and non-consensual sharing of intimate images and administers the online content scheme.
The United Kingdom implemented a Duty of Care approach which sets out Codes of Practice and a statutory Duty of Care, focuses on systems and processes and compels annual transparency reports. The framework is administered by audiovisual regulator Ofcom. The approach was developed through wide consultation and will be complemented by separate legislation to require reporting of child sexual exploitation to law enforcement.
The 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is a critical pillar in this new online world. It ensures that we can create, produce, and enjoy a broad range of cultural goods. Canada continues to work with key partners to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions and meet the challenges and opportunities of this digital era.
[REDACTED]

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

Data from Statistics Canada show that police-reported hate crimes against Indigenous people are on the rise: between 2016 and 2018, incidents targeting First Nations, Métis, or Inuit communities rose by 17% (from 30 to 35). The systemic racism faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada also shapes their online experience. A 2018 study found that Indigenous social media users are routinely exposed to content that perpetuates stereotypes, vilifies and dehumanizes Indigenous women. Many news organizations have also disabled comments on stories about Indigenous issues because of the racist responses that they elicit.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Any action in this space will elicit wide-ranging reactions. The Online Harms consultations solicited 423 unique responses. Of the 423 unique responses: 352 were from individuals; 40 were from advocacy, research, or other types of organizations; 19 were from industry (including social media platforms, telecommunications companies, and industry associations); ten were from academics.
[REDACTED]

Timing

[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]

Support for News Media in the Digital Age

A. Issue

The health of the Canadian news and information ecosystem is at risk, as many news media businesses have experienced substantial economic decline over the last decade. Digital platforms like Google and Facebook derive significant profits by playing a gatekeeper role in what information Canadians access online. Without intervention, the availability of existing news media, particularly local news and news from diverse sources, are at risk. A decrease in the diversity of news and information, along with decreasing coverage of public interest stories, has significant social costs for Canadians.

B. Background and Current Status

Background

Canadians need access to news and information on matters of public importance, including information regarding health, education, and political life, in order to fully benefit from and participate in democratic society. News media serves to inform communities, drive civic engagement, and counter the rise of disinformation. However, many Canadian news media businesses are shrinking, having to cut costs and jobs, and even closing altogether. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this decline.
From 2008 to August 2021, almost 450 news outlets have closed, with nearly 63 of those closures happening since the start of the pandemic. Only 172 new outlets have opened. Of the 449 outlets that closed, 344 were local community newspapers which provided an important voice for individual communities with unique interests. Given the increasing financial pressures on news organizations, the shift towards digital models and the imbalances that currently exist in the market, the quality and independence of news and information are at risk.
Digital platforms operate key digital business segments in Canada, such as social media, search engines, and digital advertising technologies. They aggregate, package, and offer a large bundle of information, including news, to Canadians in ways that are efficient and innovative. These platforms derive significant financial benefit from their operations in Canada. As unavoidable intermediaries for Canadians seeking to access news and information online, they act as gatekeepers to news media’s monetization and distribution of their digital content.
Digital platforms have reached commercial agreements to fund certain news media organizations directly and are building partnerships with a number of news organizations. However, contributions are made on a voluntary basis, and in the absence of regulatory oversight, may not meet the goals of a sustainable, fair and diverse news and information ecosystem for Canadians and the full protection of an independent, free press.
Despite their important role in the news and information ecosystem, digital platforms are not subject to any public interest requirements in this area. Platforms are not required to financially support news. Currently, there is no regulatory framework in place to oversee negotiations between digital platforms and news media and whether those negotiations are in the public interest.

Current Status

In the course of the statutory review (2019) of the Copyright Act, the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU) called for a study to investigate several issues related to the remuneration of news publishers.
The Broadcasting and Telecommunications Review Panel Report (2020) also included a recommendation to introduce levies on certain broadcasting undertakings to contribute to the production of news content and regulation of the relationship between social media platforms that share news content and news content creators.
Canadian Heritage has initiated a phased approach to stakeholder engagement on news media remuneration to solicit policy input from key stakeholders, including publishers, broadcasters, platforms and organizations representing the interests of a variety of equity-deserving communities. In August 2021, Canadian Heritage published a What we Heard Report on key policy considerations regarding fair revenue sharing between digital platforms and news media and sought additional comments from the public and interested stakeholders. The deadline for submissions in this second phase of engagement was September 15, 2021. Canadian Heritage officials are currently analyzing these submissions.
Canadian Heritage is leading international efforts on diversity of content online through a multi-stakeholder working group with like-minded countries (which includes Australia, Finland, France and Germany), civil society and the private sector, to develop guiding principles, one of which speaks to fair compensation for digital content creators.

Liberal Party Platform Commitment

The Liberal Party platform commits to introducing new legislation to address news media compensation within the first 100 days. Legislation would be based on the Australian model, which would require digital platforms to share revenues with Canadian news outlets. It would also enable news publishers to negotiate collectively with platforms to ensure fair compensation for, and fair use of their work.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

The primary beneficiaries of the potential actions above would be the news media sector. This sector faces key Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) challenges. According to the 2016 census, 21% of employees in the Canadian economy identified as visible minorities, and 4% of employees identified as Indigenous. To contrast, only 15% of employees in the publishing and broadcasting industries (of which the news media sector is a subset) identified as visible minorities, and 2.5% as Indigenous. This suggests that these groups are underrepresented in the news media sector.
Given the representation challenges in the sector, a key objective of the options considered above could be supporting underrepresented communities and voices. [REDACTED]. All Canadians would benefit from a sustainable, fair, local, and diverse news and information ecosystem that is broadly available and accessible. Canadians that are part of underrepresented groups would benefit from policies that encourage more diversity in the news sector and may benefit from increased funding for local journalism.

Official Languages Considerations

Journalism in francophone markets faces distinct challenges notably due to the small size of the French-language news market in Canada and North America relative to the English-language news market. Consequently, fewer news sources are available to French speakers both in Quebec and other Canadian provinces and territories.
News media in official language minority communities play an essential role in the development and vitality of these communities. According to the Standing Committee on Official Languages, most newspapers serving official language minority communities have been severely affected by the shift in advertising revenue to digital platforms, and face capacity and resource challenges in developing and distributing online content in a high frequency news cycle.
[REDACTED]

Legal Considerations

[REDACTED]

International Considerations

[REDACTED]
Prominent international approaches to this issue include France, which transposed a “neighbouring right” for press publishers, as provided for by the recent European Copyright Directive. This neighbouring right creates an obligation for news aggregators to compensate press publishers for use of snippets of their works online. France’s competition authority subsequently issued an interim order enjoining Google to negotiate in good faith with press publishers—including retroactive payments going back to the introduction of the law.
Australia’s approach includes the introduction of a mandatory bargaining code to address bargaining power imbalances between digital platforms and Australian news businesses through enabling individual or collective bargaining with digital platforms over payment for the inclusion of news on platforms and services. It also features binding final offer arbitration, to resolve disputes over fair compensation for news content.
The UK government has announced plans to set up a pro-competition regulatory regime to apply to digital firms with substantial market power. The regime would introduce a mandatory code of conduct, along with other tools, to ensure consumers and businesses (including but not limited to news publishers) are treated fairly.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

Canadian Heritage officials are currently working on a contract to begin Indigenous engagement on this issue. The Department would engage a facilitator to host a series of roundtable discussions with Indigenous publishers, the National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs), as well as Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), a rights-holder as per Article 32 of the Nunavut Agreement. The roundtables are meant to provide the participants with an opportunity to share the unique perspectives and needs of their organizations in relation to new legislation meant to support Canadian news media in the digital age.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Government action would be likely to elicit wide-ranging reactions as views on news media remuneration are polarized and strongly held. Canadian news media stakeholders support government action to address the issue of declining revenue in the news sector, although they are divided on the best approach. Online platforms, open Internet advocates, and other experts and pundits oppose regulation in this space, arguing that it creates an unwanted precedent in the governance of the Internet. Others still raise the argument that government intervention in the news sector, either financial or through legislation, could threaten press independence and ultimately provide a less desirable outcome for the news and journalism sector than relying on market forces.
In a 2021 survey by Ipsos, the majority of Canadians indicated that responsibility for supporting journalists and news publishers should be divided among online platforms, social media platforms, and the government.

Timing/Operational Considerations

[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]

CBC/Radio-Canada

A. Issue

CBC/Radio-Canada is facing financial pressure as a result of declining earned revenues and the effects of inflation. Without additional government investment, it will be unable to maintain current service levels, much less pursue strategic initiatives that respond to the challenges and opportunities of the new media environment. At the same time, the review of the Broadcasting Act is an opportunity to clarify CBC/Radio-Canada’s role as a public-service-media provider for the 21st century as part of a phased approach to legislative reform.

B. Background and Current Status

As the national public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada occupies a unique role in Canada’s media landscape. The Broadcasting Act entrusts it with a special mandate to provide a wide range of programming that informs, enlightens, and entertains (s.3 [1] [l]). The Act also sets out several overarching policy objectives for its programming, including that it should be predominantly and distinctively Canadian, reflect the different needs and circumstances of each official-language community, and contribute to shared national consciousness and identity. Together with its statutory guarantees of freedom of expression and journalistic, creative, and programming independence, the Corporation’s mandate and programming objectives reflect many of the core values and defining characteristics of public-service broadcasting, including breadth, quality, and distinctiveness of programming; independence from political and commercial interests; concern for national identity and culture; an emphasis on regional reflection; special consideration for minority populations and general geographical availability.
Apart from being publicly owned and subsidized, public-service broadcasters around the world are often distinguished from commercial broadcasters in that they seek to provide a universal service—widely accessible and intended for all members of the public—that addresses the collective needs and interests of audiences as citizens over and above their individual wants as consumers. Since the incentives of commercial broadcasters tend to be shaped less by public-interest considerations than by economic imperatives, they tend to allocate more resources to certain kinds of programming than to others. Public-service broadcasters, on the other hand, are expected to provide a wide variety of programming with a view to promoting a range of non-commercial, public-interest objectives, including social cohesion, gender equality, cultural diversity, intercultural understanding, political learning and engagement, access to and participation in public life, and respect for democratic values and human rights.
Despite transformative changes in how audio and audiovisual content is produced and distributed, CBC/Radio-Canada remains a pillar of Canada’s media ecosystem and creative economy. In 2020, it accounted for 22% ($561 million) of total expenditures on Canadian programming across all conventional and discretionary television services, including 27% of all expenditures on news and 52% of all expenditures on Canadian drama and comedy. The magnitude of its contribution is particularly evident on conventional TV, where in 2020 it outspent the entire private sector in every genre of programming that the CRTC deems to be of national interest, including drama and comedy, children’s and youth, long-form documentary, and variety and performing arts. The Corporation is also the single most important domestic partner to Canada’s independent production sector: in 2020, it accounted for more than one out of every three dollars spent by Canadian broadcasters on programming acquired from independent producers.
CBC/Radio-Canada operates on a mixed funding model that combines government appropriations and earned revenues from advertising, subscriptions, and other commercial activities. The Corporation receives an annual appropriation of approximately $1.2 billion (which in 2018 placed Canada 17th out of 20 peer nations in per capita funding for public-service broadcasters at $33 against an average of $88).
Over the past decade, each of CBC/Radio-Canada’s revenue streams have been essentially stagnant or in decline. Gains on its digital platforms have not been sufficient to offset losses on its traditional services: between 2010-11 and 2019-20, its total earned revenues fell 24%, from $662 million to $504 million. Despite a government reinvestment of $75 million in 2016 and $150 million per year thereafter, its appropriation has shed $110 million in real dollars since 2010-11 (a reduction of 9%). Adjusted for inflation, the Corporation’s total revenues are down nearly 20% ($330 million) from a decade ago.
Budget 2021 announced $21 million in one-time operational support for CBC/Radio-Canada to ensure its stability during COVID-19, but its financial pressures precede and will persist beyond the pandemic. [REDACTED].

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitments

The Liberal platform committed to updating CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate to ensure that the Corporation can meet the needs and expectations of Canadians through unique programming that distinguishes it from private broadcasters. The platform also committed to reaffirming the Corporation’s role in protecting and promoting the French language and francophone cultures in Quebec and across the country; supporting the increased production of national, regional, and local news by the Corporation; strengthening Radio Canada International; ensuring that the Corporation reflects Indigenous voices and cultures; ensuring that it helps bring Canadian content to the world stage, and providing it with $400 million over four years with a view to eliminating advertising from its news and public-affairs shows.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

CBC/Radio-Canada’s radio, television, and digital services form an integral part of the media habits of millions of Canadians. As the national public broadcaster, it has a mandate to serve and reflect Canadians of all ages, backgrounds, and genders, including those who have traditionally been underrepresented or less well served by commercial media.
[REDACTED]

International Considerations

Public-service broadcasters around the world operate on a variety of funding models, including licence fees, universal household levies, hypothecated taxes, and government grants. While some also generate commercial revenues, many—including the BBC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Spain’s Televisión Española, and Japan’s NHK—are expressly forbidden from running advertisements on their publicly-funded domestic services. Where public-service broadcasters are permitted to carry advertising domestically, there may be strict rules on how much or at what times of day.
In 2020, the regulator and competition authority for the UK’s communications industries (Ofcom) undertook a review of the future of public-service media in the UK, which included an extensive public consultation and multiple public-opinion surveys. Amongst other things, the surveys found that, while trusted and accurate news is the aspect of public-service media most valued by adults in all age groups, young people placed greater emphasis on diversity, universality, and distinctiveness.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

In its final report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called upon the federal government to increase funding to CBC/Radio-Canada to enable it to support reconciliation and properly reflect the diverse cultures, languages, and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples. Similarly, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples establishes a positive duty on states to take effective measures to ensure that state-owned media duly reflect Indigenous cultural diversity.
[REDACTED]

Stakeholder Perspectives

There is a broad social consensus about the importance of CBC/Radio-Canada. According to the Corporation’s annual mandate-and-vision perception survey, fully 87% of Canadians agree that it is important for Canada to have a national public broadcaster like CBC/Radio-Canada. A 2019 Nanos Research poll also found that the majority of Canadians support maintaining (33%) or increasing (46%) the Corporation’s funding. However, some Canadians complain of perceived “left-wing bias” in its news coverage. Radio-Canada captures a larger share of conventional-television viewing hours than CBC in their respective markets (13% versus 5%), but this is at least partly attributable to the more intense competition for English-speaking audiences, greater audience fragmentation across a much larger universe of English-language channels, and higher levels of online viewing amongst anglophone Canadians.
Some broadcasters and news providers view CBC/Radio-Canada as a major competitor whose ability to run ads against publicly subsidized content constitutes an unfair economic advantage that distorts the market and compounds financial pressure on commercial media. Others argue that the Corporation has strayed from its mandate by offering programming that is increasingly indistinguishable from that of its commercial counterparts. In their submissions to the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel, several stakeholders recommended that the Corporation reduce or eliminate advertising on some or all of its services. (In its own submission to the panel, the Corporation acknowledged that an ad-free model would make it “a better public broadcaster and a stronger partner for the Canadian cultural system.”) Recommendations to this effect also appear in virtually every major government-sponsored or parliamentary study of the news media and the national public broadcaster undertaken in the past twenty-five years.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

[REDACTED]. Local news and public-interest journalism are already experiencing systemic market failure as many commercial providers reduce their expenditures, withhold new investments, or withdraw from the market. The ongoing cuts, closures, and consolidation across the sector may lead to news deserts and information inequalities between different regions, communities, and groups as coverage becomes increasingly concentrated in larger centres and available only to those who can afford to pay for access.

Timing

[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]
In its electoral platform, the Liberal Party committed to providing the Corporation with $400 million over four years with a goal of eliminating advertising during its news and other public-affairs shows.

[REDACTED]

Short-Term Compensation Fund for Canadian Audiovisual Productions

A. Issue

The Short-Term Compensation Fund (SCTF), launched in September 2020 to mitigate the lack of pandemic insurance coverage in the audiovisual sector, was part of the suite of federal programs to support economic recovery, and is planned to sunset on March 31, 2022.
The Liberal platform committed to extend the STCF to December 31, 2022. [REDACTED]

B. Background and Current Status

Within the audiovisual industry, the availability of financing from private and public funders is often contingent on production companies being appropriately insured for their audiovisual projects. To make a production, a producer (through his/her production company) finances it among other things by selling exploitation rights to funders, including distributors, broadcasters, and online platforms. Funders release payments as the production progresses, rarely in advance. This means that production companies need to find upfront money to start production and to pay their staff, rent equipment, etc. To do so, these companies contract interim financing loans which are also only granted upon formal proof that all risks to the production are fully covered by a proper insurance policy.
At the beginning of the pandemic, film sets were shut down in Canada and around the world. When health conditions improved, health authorities in Canada agreed to resume filming, under certain conditions.
However, insurance companies refused to cover Canadian production companies for COVID-19-related risk thus jeopardizing the resumption of filming. To prevent such a scenario, the Government of Canada introduced the Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF), administered by Telefilm Canada, as part of the suite of emergency measures to support economic recovery, to cover the COVID-19 risk that private insurance companies refused to cover.
The STCF officially launched in September 2020, with a budget of $50 million was originally scheduled to sunset on 31 March 2021. As this date approached, the pressure continued to exist as no alternative solution was found in the private insurance sector to cover the COVID-19 risk. Therefore, in February 2021, the Government extended the STCF to March 31, 2022, and doubled its funding to $100 million, then enhanced it in May 2021 by reprofiling unspent amounts from the previous fiscal year, bringing the program’s capacity to $149 million to meet the industry’s needs during the peak production period, which runs from late spring to mid-autumn.
The STCF is open to production companies for film and television projects that are eligible for Canadian content certification by the Department and which filming is taking place in Canada.
It provides compensation of up to 20% of eligible production budget up to a maximum of $1.5 million per production in case of interruption and up to a maximum of $3 million in case of cancellation due to a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, which occurs during production, of (i) a main cast member (ii) director, or (iii) an outbreak on set (e.g., multiple confirmed infections), and necessitates a production-wide shutdown.
The fund does not extend to interruptions resulting from general prohibition measures by national or local authorities. Loss of revenues (e.g., late delivery), expenses reimbursed by other sources (private insurers or other public programs) and expenses not directly related to the production (publicity, legal and insurance fees, interest on loans, etc.) are excluded from eligible amounts.
From its initial launch on October 28, 2020, to March 31, 2021, the STCF, with its $50 million envelope, has enabled 187 audiovisual productions to take advantage of the program’s benefit for a total coverage amount of $105 million, which represents a total volume of production activity of $607 million. During that period, there were only four (4) claims due to COVID-19-related interruptions. The total amount of compensation paid in relation of these interruptions was just over $265,000.
From April 1, 2021, to September 22, 2021, with its expanded envelope of $149 million, 463 audiovisual productions have already benefited from the STCF for a total coverage amount of over $301 million, which represents nearly $1.6 billion in production activity volume. [REDACTED]

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

At its inception, the STCF was meant to be a temporary measure that would be terminated as vaccines and private insurance product would be made available to progressively return the mitigated risk to the industry as soon as possible. Although vaccine roll out is doing well in Canada, private insurance products to cover the costs related to interruptions due to COVID-19 infections on set are not yet available at a level that would provide a viable short-term alternative to the coverage offered by the STCF.
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

Since the program is available to all Canadian audiovisual productions that are eligible for Canadian content certification by the Department through the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office, it is relatively neutral from a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) perspective. [REDACTED]

FPT Considerations

[REDACTED]

Stakeholder Perspectives

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Timing

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

While it is too early to know the exact amount of compensation that will be paid out by the STCF over its lifecycle [REDACTED].
[REDACTED]

Transition Program for Workers from the Live Performance Sector

A. Issue

The sustained negative impact of COVID-19 on workers in the cultural sector—most notably the live performance sector—combined with the wind down of the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) on October 23, 2021—is fuelling concern about the adequacy of existing universal income support mechanisms to mitigate the financial precarity of a workforce that is largely composed of self-employed and gig workers.

B. Background and Current Status

The Liberal Party of Canada’s electoral platform includes the following commitment:
- Transition program for workers from the live performance sector who continue to face economic challenges caused by COVID-19. A re-elected Liberal government will provide $50 million to the Canada Council for the Arts in order to implement a transitional financial support program managed in collaboration with third parties and non-profits allowing access to emergency relief to out of work artists, craftsmen, creators, and authors who are primarily self-employed or independent contractors who continue to face economic challenges caused by COVID-19.
COVID-19 has had a deep and sustained impact on the arts and cultural labour force. There are 726,600 cultural workers in Canada, which includes 158,100 professional artists. (Hill Strategies, Artists in Canada’s Provinces and Territories in 2016 [With summary information about cultural workers], 2019).
At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Government of Canada launched the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to support eligible workers, including the self-employed. The CERB was in effect between March 15, 2020, and October 3, 2020, and was delivered under the authority of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Act by the Canada Revenue Agency and under the authority of the Employment Insurance Act by Service Canada.
In response to sector advocacy, the benefit was rapidly adjusted to better serve the arts by ensuring artists could receive royalties and earn some income without losing access to the CERB.
In the fall of 2020, the Government transitioned workers to a simplified Employment Insurance (EI) program and introduced a suite of three temporary recovery benefits, including the (CRB). On July 30, 2021, the Government extended the CRB to October 23, 2021, and increased the maximum number of weeks available for the CRB by an additional 4 weeks to a total of 54 weeks, at a rate of $300 per week.
Statistics Canada’s analysis of CERB data found that “in every province or territory, the percentage of workers receiving CERB payments was the highest in industries that were severely affected by the economic lockdowns in 2020”.
Of all workers earning at least $5,000 in 2019 and employed in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector that year, 62.7% received CERB payments in 2020, the second-highest rate among all industries. Only the accommodation and food services sector had a higher percentage with 66.6% of workers.
Data is not yet available by industry for the CRB; however, it is expected that CRB uptake among artists and cultural workers would continue to be high, given that the recovery anticipated for 2021 has not materialized and sector economic conditions continue to be challenging.
In addition to universal measures, the Government created the Support for Workers in Live Arts and Music Sectors Fund, a one year (fiscal year 2021–2022) $40 million initiative delivered by existing Canadian Heritage programs, designed to stimulate short-term employment for artists and cultural workers in the live arts and music sectors.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]
Key federal benefit programs such as the Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) and the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) are delivered through the income tax system; amounts paid to beneficiaries are based on income reported during the previous tax year and do not respond to immediate financial need. The Employment Insurance (EI) program (administered by Service Canada) and the temporary benefits administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) are available to workers who meet the eligibility criteria of those programs. [REDACTED]
Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan has included sector-specific income replacement support. The Fisher Harvester Benefit provides income support (of up to $10,164) to self-employed fish harvesters and sharepersons (those who receive a share of landed value, non-wage earning crew) who were not eligible for other existing federal measures and suffered self-employed fishing income loss in 2020 compared to 2018 or 2019, as reported to the CRA, and who were not eligible for other financial relief programs. Income information held by the CRA is used to determine eligibility and to calculate the amount of the benefit. The program is delivered by Service Canada on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), with Service Canada responsible for processing applications, issuing payments, and mailing out tax slips.
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

The majority of the arts labour force tends to be majority female, with 53% of the arts labour force identifying as female compared with 48% of the labour force overall. Age distribution in the arts labour force is similar to the overall labour force, with the exception of older workers aged 65 and up who represent 12% of the arts labour force compared to 6% of the total workforce. Indigenous representation in the arts labour force is 3.3% (compared with 4.0% of the workforce). Also, within the arts labour force, 15% of the population are racialized (compared with 21% of the workforce), and 21% are immigrants (compared with 23% of the workforce).

FPT Considerations

There is an established system of income support programs delivered within federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions. Careful consideration would be required in light of potential interactions with provincial and territorial income security programming. PTs provide direct cash transfers/last resort social assistance and access to “in-kind” benefits such as rent subsidies and coverage for medical expenses. Significant FPT engagement would be required to ensure the implementation of the policy objective of providing adequate support to these individuals. Otherwise, the additional financial support could render some recipients ineligible for some or all PT support or lead to reduced PT supports.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Arts sector stakeholders have been advocating for the continuation of relief measures for both individuals and organizations until recovery is possible. Reaction to this commitment will be positively correlated to how quickly funding can be delivered, thereby minimizing the disruption caused by the end of the CRB. Implementation complexities will draw negative reactions from arts sector stakeholders.
The projected $50 million envelope may not be viewed as a sufficient investment and commitment to address the current economic uncertainty for workers in the arts and culture sectors.
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Timing

It is highly probable that that there will be a significant gap between the expiration of CRB and delivery of this transition program, given the complexity of implementation.
[REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

Supporting the Recovery of Arts and Culture Venues

A. Issue

COVID-19 has had a deep and sustained impact on the arts and cultural sector, especially on organizations that depend on “in-person” attendance, and own, operate or use cultural venues.

B. Background and Current Status

The Liberal Party of Canada electoral platform includes the following commitment:
- Supporting the recovery of arts and culture venues. A re-elected Liberal government will introduce a matching program to address revenue loss for cultural venues. The program will match revenue coming from the sale of tickets for venues that are subject to reduction in audience or attendance capacity due to measures imposed by local health authorities until May 2022. Admissible venues will include performing arts and culture venues, live theatres, and museums. The government will ensure that funds provided by this program will be used to support workers in the industry.
The live performing arts sector has been hit especially hard with the shutdown of facilities and cancellation of events during lockdowns, and limited openings due to stringent public health measures. Organizations have lost not only ticket revenues but also other self-generated income such as merchandise sales, concessions, and rental revenues.
Despite the widespread availability and uptake of vaccines in North America in recent months, the readiness of audiences to return to live events remains uncertain. The Canadian Arts Response Tracking Survey found in May/June 2021 that the proportion of indoor culture goers who are ready to attend in-person indoor arts and cultural performances immediately after businesses reopen was increasing (35%, up from 30% in February 2021, and 25% in November 2020). However, there are signals that willingness to attend in person is softening. August 2021 US survey data from the Audience Outlook Monitor found a sharp increase in reticence to attend live events due to fears of a Delta variant fourth wave, and half of vaccinated respondents stated they will not attend until epidemiological conditions improve. The Department is monitoring to see if this trend emerges in the Canadian data.
Throughout the pandemic, the established programs at Canadian Heritage have been the primary mechanisms through which the Government has provided timely, sector specific, assistance in response to the COVID-19 crisis; including resources from the $500 million Emergency Support Fund (ESF) for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations (2020–2021), and the $40 million Support for Workers in Live Arts and Music Sectors Fund (2021–2022) to “support the arts and cultural sectors in immediately contracting and employing artists and cultural workers.”
In Budget 2021, $500 million has also been allocated for 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 to create the $300 million Recovery Fund for Arts, Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Sectors and the $200 million Reopening Fund. The parameters for these two funds were made public in June 2021 and include funding benefiting arts and cultural venues.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
Implementation of this proposed, time-limited (to May 2022), revenue matching program would require a high level of effort, given the pressures of designing, launching, and delivering this initiative within the fiscal year 2021–2022—potentially compounding internal capacity challenges associated with delivering the existing targeted recovery and reopening measures for which Canadian Heritage is responsible, as well as ongoing regular program support.
[REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

The pandemic is having disproportionately acute impacts on marginalized communities in Canada—primarily low wage workers, young people, racialized workers, and women, with the pronounced impacts on women in particular, leading many experts to describe the economic impact as a “she-cession.”
In the summer of 2020, Canadian Heritage implemented a recipient survey to help assess the impacts of the ESF funding delivered that year. Survey results measured differing vulnerabilities and needs for emergency funding across 16 diverse communities. For example, in comparison to the average of all survey respondents, a higher percentage of organizations that advocate for the needs of equity-deserving populations reported being affected to a large extent by the COVID-19 crisis. Also compared to the average, higher percentages of organizations that advocate for the needs of equity-deserving populations reported that:
- the ESF helped them stay in operation to a large extent;
- they sought ESF funding to pay self-employed workers/freelancers;
- they sought ESF funding to adapt their business models; and
- they sought ESF funding to honour existing contracts.
Ministerial roundtables held with stakeholders in the fall of 2020 included several events held specifically for equity-deserving and official language groups, and the engagement yielded a number of recommendations about addressing systemic barriers to the participation of specific groups in the sectors. These included the exploration of core funding and other dedicated funding options for equity-deserving organizations, inclusion of new funding streams or funding envelopes, and the collection of more disaggregated data to better understand the situation.

FPT Considerations

Quebec is the only jurisdiction that has experimented with a similar revenue matching initiative in the live events and cultural facilities sector. The Mesure particulière à la diffusion de spectacles is a $50 million fund delivered by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ). Announced on October 2, 2020, this program supports organizations that want to present Quebec shows in performance venues by compensating them for a portion of the box-office receipts lost as a result of Government of Quebec measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. Originally covering the period from 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021, the program was extended to December 31, 2021. It is anticipated that the initiative will be maintained during the remainder of the fiscal year 2021–2022. Recipients are being asked to file their programming plans for the period January-March 2022 in anticipation of the initiative being extended beyond December 31, 2021.
- It is anticipated that the provinces and territories would welcome additional investments that support the recovery of arts and cultural venues. However, in its proposed form (i.e., as a revenue replacement program rather than the conventional subsidy of verifiable expenses) this initiative may present alignment and coherence issues with existing provincially/territorially delivered programs of support across Canada, including Quebec.

Stakeholder Perspectives

[REDACTED]
Stakeholders in the museum sector may be less receptive to this initiative as they stand to realize less benefit than other sectors within the scope of this proposal. While the heritage sector has experienced revenue losses, only 50% of heritage institutions charge admission, and overall admission fees only amount to 10% of all revenues in the sector. Smaller museums are less likely to charge admission than larger museums and would therefore be less likely to benefit from the program.
To date the intended beneficiaries of this initiative have received support through existing programs, with which they are familiar and have established relationships and contribution agreements. While arts and culture venue operators and users will respond favourably to the availability of additional resources, they may have mixed feelings about the administrative challenges of seeking additional support through a novel mechanism—especially under significant time constraints and with their winter 2021/spring 2022 planning and budgeting already well advanced.
There is the risk that some venue dependent sectors may be dissatisfied if the scope of eligibility for this program excludes them (such as film exhibitors).
The public considers cultural facilities as valued community assets. It is anticipated that the public will respond favourably to investments that help ensure the viability of arts and cultural spaces and provide access to cultural experiences despite the uncertainties surrounding the return to in-person attendance.

Timing

There are significant risks associated with effective implementation of this initiative, given the timeline to secure the necessary authorities and implement a program for an eight-month period ending in May 2022. The complexity of the approach, combined with the time constraints, elevates the risks associated with the ability to implement this proposal.
[REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]

Cost Implications

For provisional costing purposes, the Government of Quebec’s Mesure particulière à la diffusion de spectacles provides a useful proxy. In 2020–2021 Quebec distributed $50 million to performing arts organizations only (not including festivals or museums) through this new program of COVID relief, anchored in a formula based on compensation for lost ticket revenues. Scaled up nationally (using Quebec’s proportional contribution to national culture GDP for the live performance domain as the benchmark) this $50 million investment in Quebec would translate into a $163 million program Canada-wide (exclusive of FTEs and O&M resources required to deliver).
By way of comparison (and to place a potential new investment within the context of planned targeted additional federal spending), the Government has already committed $127 million in 2021–2022 for the performing arts, music, festivals, and museums sectors through the Support for Workers in Live Arts and Music Sectors Fund ($40 million) and the Recovery and Reopening Funds ($87 million combined), over and above annual departmental program spending. A further $43 million in Recovery and Reopening Fund spending for these sectors is identified in the fiscal framework for 2022–2023.

The Audiovisual Sector

A. Issue

The current set of tools and policies in support of the Canadian audiovisual content sector has generally reached its intended [REDACTED]. Like the Broadcasting Act (1991), most of these tools and policies were put in place before the Internet became part of the everyday life of Canadians. The Feature Film Policy (2000), Tax Credit Policy (1995), Distribution Policy (1986), and Telefilm Canada (1965) support measures for television production, and the National Film Board of Canada (1950), to name a few, [REDACTED].
Over the years, and since the time they were put in place, these tools have allowed the sector to flourish and grow to its current state of economic importance (the audiovisual production sector contributing over 157,700 direct full-time equivalent jobs and almost $19.7 billion in GDP). The fact is that the world has drastically changed during the last 30 years [REDACTED]

B. Background and Current Status

The Government of Canada’s existing suite of policy instruments has made an important contribution to the successes and growth of Canada’s audiovisual industry, including for film, television, broadcasting, and interactive digital media. However, digital disruption in terms of content production and distribution, changing consumer habits (where much consumption now occurs on Internet-based platforms), and enhanced global competition (with further participation by foreign players in the audiovisual landscape in Canada) [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
Need to Rebalance Cultural Objectives: The current definition of Canadian Content (CanCon) for the purpose of the tax credit, focuses on creative personnel and ownership without according any value to the Canadian character of the content itself. Productions that look and feel like American productions are receiving maximum tax credit because the current system considers them as Canadian. [REDACTED]
Disrupted Viewing: CanCon represents an increasingly smaller share of the content accessible to, and consumed by Canadians, as viewing content online is growing in importance relative to the traditional theatrical and regulated broadcasting systems. [REDACTED]
Box Office Challenges: From 2013 to 2019, the share of Canadian films at the national box office ranged between 1.7% and 3.2%—well below the Canadian Feature Film Policy’s 5% goal. However, 95% of views of Canadian feature films occur on television. [REDACTED]
Production Boom: Over the past decade, the volume of foreign film and television production in Canada has increased by 180%, while CanCon production has grown by 20%. [REDACTED]
Increasing and Unsustainable Dependency on Public Funding: For English- and French-language television and film productions, public financing now represents 56% of the production budgets, compared to 12% 25 years ago. Of note, in 2019–2020, public funding sources provided 84% of the total financing for French-language feature film productions. ^{Footnote 1} [REDACTED]

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED] could help to support historically underrepresented groups in the Government of Canada’s audiovisual policy toolkit. In particular, funding (whether existing or new) and support mechanisms could be targeted at Canadian creators that self-identify as Indigenous, Black, and racialized people as well as women, members of the LGBTQ2+ community, and people with disabilities.
By ensuring support for representation at all levels and ensuring that people from historically underrepresented communities are in decision-making roles, both within the audiovisual industry and in positions in the funding bodies (boards, juries, administration, etc.) there will be greater opportunities made available for increased representation over the coming years.

Federal-Provincial-Territorial Considerations

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

International Considerations

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

Indigenous communities would be meaningfully engaged [REDACTED]. Consultations with the Indigenous Screen Office as a unique third-party delivery program providing support for Indigenous audiovisual creators, [REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Stakeholder Perspectives

Stakeholders are asking for more federal funding to be invested in the audiovisual sector and for better representation from traditionally underrepresented communities. [REDACTED] emerging creators, and more specifically, creators from traditionally underrepresented communities, including Indigenous, racialized, and LGBTQ2+ communities; OLMCs; women; and people with disabilities, [REDACTED]
[REDACTED] Strategic engagement and communications with key players in the sector will be essential.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

The audiovisual production industry in Canada is largely centered in three primary hubs: Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. [REDACTED] will help to address stakeholder expectations in other regions of Canada as well, as the Government [REDACTED]

Timing

[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]

Local Journalism Initiative

A. Issue

The health of Canada’s democracy is intrinsically related to the health of the news ecosystem. Canadians’ level of access to accurate, well-sourced journalism is threatened. Digital technologies have fundamentally restructured the economic foundations that once supported the production of robust public interest journalism, decreasing access and diversity of perspectives while introducing a greater risk of misinformation and disinformation. In recent years, the Government has sought to address a variety of interdependent issues that underpin the health of the news ecosystem. However, coverage deficits will continue in the short to medium-term, particularly in underserved and equity-deserving communities.

B. Background and Current Status

The traditional news media organizations that have served as the backbone of the news ecosystem have been facing mounting financial pressures for years. Historically, these organizations were capable of producing robust journalism because 1) consumers were accustomed to paying for news, 2) advertising rates were lucrative, and 3) costs could be managed by bundling costly-to-produce civic reporting with entertainment and classified advertising. As a result, news organizations were able to re-invest a portion of profits in the production of public-interest reporting.
Globally, this environment has transitioned to one where online content is unbundled, consumers have access to free content and the advertising market has been restructured by digital platforms who operate as intermediaries, directing audience attention and capturing revenue by providing highly targeted low-cost advertising options. As a result, monetizing content has become an unprecedented challenge, resulting in a steady decline in the scale and capacity of traditional media outlets.
Since 2008, advertising in the newspaper industry has decreased by 64%, from $3.9 billion to $1.4 billion. By accelerating already-decreasing advertising, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated financial pressures and served as a potential inflection point for many local news organizations. Since 2008, 449 outlets have closed, 63 of which closed during the pandemic alone. While other cultural industries have started to see evidence of a rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, declines in the newspaper industry continue.
The diminishing scale and number of traditional media outlets is not being offset by growth in digital news organizations. Since 2008, 172 new outlets have been created, including 83 online news organizations. Digital advertising in daily and community news organizations reached $274 million in 2019, an 11% increase from a decade ago.

The Significance of the Newspaper Industry

The newspaper industry remains an important component of the news ecosystem, generating $1.36 billion in Gross Domestic Product, $2.7 billion in annual revenues, and creating over 21,000 jobs. There are currently 77 daily and 974 community newspapers, distributing almost 34 million copies per week.
According to international studies, newspapers continue to be a vital source of original reporting, producing a breadth and depth of coverage that is later further distributed or discussed in other media.

Federal Support

Over the years, the Government has sought to support the health of the news ecosystem in a manner that is aligned with interrelated policy principles, namely prioritizing press independence; supporting a diversity of perspectives; fostering sustainability; promoting transparency and supporting professional journalism with an emphasis on public interest journalism. Both structural and targeted measures have been employed.

Direct Support

Existing Canadian Heritage programs for the news sector are industrial, with funding available to news organizations and associations rather than direct support to individuals. They include:

The Canada Periodical Fund

Since 2010, the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) has provided $75 million a year in financial support to print non-daily newspapers, print magazines and digital-only periodicals to help them overcome systemic market disadvantages and adapt to the digital world. In 2020, Canadian Heritage announced the modernization of the CPF, which will pivot the program to provide support based on investments in content creation, regardless of the distribution platform.
In particular, in 2021–2022, through the aid to publishers component, the CPF has invested more than $6.9 million in 135 ethnocultural, Indigenous and LGBTQ2+ periodicals. The CPF is supporting the publication of periodicals in more than 30 different foreign languages to the benefit of many equity-deserving communities throughout Canada.
Following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Heritage introduced temporary Special Measures for Journalism (SMJ) to help offset a rapid decline in the advertising market. The program provided $60.8 million through the CPF to help existing clients weather heightened financial pressure and extend support to free periodicals that rely heavily on advertising. In June 2021, Canadian Heritage announced a one-year extension to the SMJ, totalling $21.5 million, coupled with an additional $10 million top-up to the annual contribution provided through the aid to publisher component of the CPF.

The Local Journalism Initiative

In 2019, Canadian Heritage launched the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) which is providing $50 million over five years to support the hiring of journalists to provide coverage for underserved communities. To maintain distance between the government and the press, the funding is administered by seven not-for-profit Administrator Organizations (AOs) that represent different segments of the journalism sector
(e.g., newspapers, community radio, official language minority publications, the ethnic press, etc.). AOs are solely responsible for application processes, funding decisions and monitoring compliance with program parameters. The program is scheduled to sunset in 2023–2024.
While the program remains quite new, preliminary results for the program have been promising. In 2019, 342 journalists were hired to provide coverage for 418 communities spanning across the country. The LJI is already well implemented within equity-deserving communities. Notably, 56% of journalists served communities whose perspectives are traditionally underrepresented in the media, including 49 Indigenous, 59 ethnocultural and 82 Official Language Minority communities.
Budget 2021 increased the investment in the LJI by $10 million over two years as part of the Recovery Fund for Arts, Cultural, Heritage and Sport Sectors. At least 60% of this funding is reserved for journalists that serve underrepresented communities.

Fiscal Measures

In 2019, the Government announced three broad fiscal measures to support public interest journalism: a 25% labour tax credit on journalist salaries; a temporary 15% consumer credit for subscriptions to digital news sources; and changes to the charitable tax regime that allow news organizations to become tax-exempt and issue tax receipts to donors. It is estimated that these measures will provide $595 million over five years. Private non-community broadcasters and the CBC/Radio-Canada are not eligible. These measures are under the responsibility of the Department of Finance Canada.

Compensation

[REDACTED]

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitments

The Liberal Platform has committed to:
- Support the production of news in underserved communities with $50 million over five years for the LJI; and
- Create the Changing Narratives Fund to invest $50 million over five years to support diverse artists and journalists.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

[REDACTED]

Stakeholder Perspectives

[REDACTED]

Timing

[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]

Copyright

A. Issue

New technologies and consumer habits are challenging Canada’s copyright framework, a crucial tool for promoting the creation, dissemination, and monetization of original works. Canada’s cultural sectors have also faced challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada must act before the end of 2022 to extend its general term of copyright protection under its commitments to the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The Parliamentary Review of the Copyright Act (2019), and three public consultations held in 2021, have established a basis for considering additional amendments to the Copyright Act.

B. Background and Current Status

The Copyright Act (the Act) is a legislative framework designed to promote the dissemination of works while ensuring fair remuneration for creators. Responsibility for copyright policy lies with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and the Minister of Canadian Heritage; the latter is responsible for copyright as it pertains to cultural policy.
In the context of evolving technologies, consumption practices, and business models, creators assert that it is increasingly difficult to enforce rights and receive remuneration. Some content users such as libraries, archives and museums (LAMs) argue the need to reassess the framework to meet the needs of the digital age. Copyrighted content is also increasingly crucial for the application and development of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence.
Reports from the Standing Committee on Innovation, Science and Technology (INDU) and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (CHPC) were published following the 2019 Parliamentary review of the Act. Together, over 50 recommendations on copyright were made.
Under CUSMA, which entered into force on July 1, 2020, Canada agreed to extend, by the end of 2022, its general term of copyright protection from 50 to 70 years after the life of the author. This obligation provides an opportunity for Canadian Heritage and the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to consider other potential amendments to the Act.

Work to Date

In 2021, Canadian Heritage and ISED held three public consultations on specific copyright issues raised during the Parliamentary review of the Act.

Consultation	Dates	Key subject(s)
How to implement Canada’s commitment under CUSMA to extend the general term of copyright protection	February 11 to March 31, 2021	Whether term extension should be implemented alongside accompanying measures that address the issues of orphan and out-of-commerce works and if so, what those accompanying measures should be.
A modern copyright framework for online intermediaries	April 14 to May 31, 2021	To what extent does the framework protect and encourage the use of copyrighted content online, safeguard individual rights and freedoms in an open Internet, and facilitate a flourishing digital market?
A modern copyright framework for artificial intelligence and the Internet of things	July 16 to September 17, 2021	Is the current framework well adapted to these emerging technologies? Topics discussed are text and data mining,^{Footnote 2} AI authorship and ownership, liability and infringement, and repair and interoperability.

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitments

The Liberal Party of Canada’s electoral platform makes two commitments concerning copyright:

To “Protect Canadian artists, creators, and copyright holders by making changes to the Copyright Act, including amending the Act to allow resale rights for artists.”; and
To “Amend the Copyright Act to ensure that its provisions cannot prevent the repair of digital devices and systems, even when nothing is being copied or distributed.”

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

Legislative and Judicial Considerations

[REDACTED]
On July 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) issued a ruling in the case of York University versus Access Copyright, a case with significant implications for educational copying, fair dealing,^{Footnote 3} and collective management as a whole in Canada. The SCC held that Access, which represents educational publishers, cannot enforce tariffs upon schools that have not assented to a license agreement. The SCC also noted that Parliament has the power to amend the Act to make collective infringement actions more accessible to rights holders. On fair dealing, SCC ruled it unnecessary and inappropriate to make declarations on the fairness of institutional guidelines. [REDACTED]

GBA+ Considerations

Any potential amendments to the Act will warrant direct engagement by Canadian Heritage officials with the appropriate stakeholder groups. Further work is needed to understand how copyright policy uniquely impacts equity-deserving groups.

FPT Considerations

Provinces and territories engage often on issues of copyright in Canada, particularly on the issues of educational copying and remuneration for creators. Concerning fair dealing and educational copying, there can be disagreement between ministers of culture and ministers of education within the same jurisdiction. The former tend to favour stronger protections for the educational publishing industry; the latter tend to favour cost-efficient access to materials.
In Quebec, most schools have maintained license agreements with COPIBEC, the collective society representing educational publishers in that province. Publishers in Quebec have therefore been less affected by the remuneration challenges facing those elsewhere in Canada. Nevertheless, COPIBEC urges that the Government respond to address this issue. In general, the Quebec Government has urged strengthening creator rights while narrowing fair dealing exceptions.
The governments of Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut have expressed strong interest in the implementation of an artist’s resale right (ARR) to benefit visual artists.
[REDACTED]

International Considerations

Issues of copyright are frequently raised in trade negotiations. Internationally, copyright is governed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). At WIPO’s Subcommittee on Copyright and Other Related Rights (WIPO SCCR), Canada supports a flexible global broadcasting framework that aligns with our current domestic retransmission regime. At WIPO’s Intergovernmental Committee on Indigenous Intellectual Property Issues (WIPO IGC), Canada continues to advocate for a balanced international regulatory instrument compatible with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Principles Respecting the Government of Canada’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

While not specifically addressed in the three recent consultation papers, care must be taken to ensure that reforms are responsive to the concerns of Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous Peoples can make use of the current copyright system to protect their arts and cultural expressions. However, Indigenous Peoples cite limitations in the current system. Examples cited highlight the inability of Western copyright systems to provide Indigenous Peoples and communities with perpetual protection and collective ownership rights over their arts and cultural expressions.
The protection of Indigenous arts and cultural expressions was raised during the Parliamentary review of the Act; INDU recommended that the Government consult with Indigenous groups, experts, and other stakeholders on the protection of Indigenous arts and cultural expressions. Canadian Heritage continues to engage with Indigenous Peoples in support of this recommendation. This work includes engagement with Indigenous artists and experts in support of developing tools for promoting and protecting Indigenous arts and cultural expressions.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Canadian copyright stakeholders can be broadly characterized as pro-user, favouring exceptions and limited rights, or pro-creator, favouring stronger rights and limited exceptions; submissions received in the recent consultation generally reflect this divide. Many stakeholders have strong views regarding which copyright issues require immediate reform. To date, the Government has not committed to consulting on some issues studied during the review, such as educational copying, Artist’s Resale Right, and the making available right.
Reactions to recent copyright consultations demonstrate the need to clearly define the scope and nature of copyright policy initiatives in order to ensure that stakeholders and the public do not confuse copyright issues with other broadcasting and creative marketplace initiatives.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

See FPT Considerations.

Timing

Under CUSMA, copyright term extension must be implemented by December 31, 2022.

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]

Renewal of the Creative Export Strategy

A. Issue

The funding authority for the Creative Export Strategy (CES), co-led by Canadian Heritage and Global Affairs Canada (GAC), is set to expire in March 2023. Canadian Heritage and GAC intend to renew the CES due to its success in achieving strong economic results, and the need for export support, as expressed by stakeholders across Canada during virtual consultations held in summer 2021.

B. Background and Current Status

Budget 2016 laid the foundation for the CES by allocating $35 million over two years (i.e., fiscal years 2016–2017 and 2017–2018), through the initiative “Showcasing Canada’s cultural industries to the world”, which sought to foster inclusive growth and help GAC missions abroad promote Canadian culture and creativity on the international stage.
The CES was then launched in June 2018, with an investment of $125 million over five years ($95 million allotted to Canadian Heritage and $30 million allotted to GAC).
The CES, currently in its fourth year, is being implemented across three key pillars of activities:
1. Boosting export funding in existing Canadian Heritage programs and Telefilm Canada to position creative industries for export and sales in foreign markets:
  - The Canada Arts Presentation Fund: To support participation of arts presenters and stakeholders at key Canadian festivals and arts events, and participation of delegations of Canadian arts presenters in key international arts events;
  - The Canada Book Fund: To support preparation for Canada as Guest of Honour Country at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2020–2021 and support publishers’ participation at international book fairs and exploratory trade missions;
  - The Canada Music Fund: To support professional boot camps, international touring and marketing, business development, and buyers’ missions to Canada;
  - The Canada Periodical Fund: To support participation of magazine publishers at trade shows and international conferences, exploratory trade missions, and export readiness support; and
  - Telefilm Canada: To produce up to two additional co-productions annually.
2. Increasing and strengthening the presence of Canadian creative industries abroad by:
  - promoting Canadian artists and culture internationally and increasing support for Canada’s international priorities; and
  - offering direct services to companies primarily through Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service (TCS).
3. Growing creative industries by funding export-ready projects through the Creative Export Canada (CEC) program and building the relationships needed to make business deals. This includes the following sub-activities:
  - The CEC program, an innovative funding program with an economic mandate aimed at supporting projects that generate export revenues and enhance the discoverability of Canadian works around the world;
  - Creating opportunities and increasing export capacity through the coordination of trade missions, trade programming at international and domestic events, and partnerships; and
  - Leading preparations for Canada’s Guest of Honour virtual presence at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2020 and a hybrid presence in 2021.
Since its launch in 2018, the Creative Export Strategy has supported 1,925 Canadian businesses across Canada in all creative industry sectors. Support was provided for export activities around the globe, particularly in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China and the United States. Other activities and results of note across the strategy’s three pillars include the following:
- The CEC program has funded 66 export-ready projects for a total of $32.9 million in funding, supporting the audiovisual, interactive digital media, music, performing arts, publishing, visual arts, and design industries.
- Canadian Heritage-led trade missions to China (2018), Latin America (2019), the Netherlands (virtual—2020), Germany (virtual—2020) and Sweden (virtual—2021) have led to the signature of commercial agreements with a combined value of $130.7 million for Canadian creative businesses.
- Over 500 cultural and literary events (and video content) were held across Germany in the context of Canada’s Guest of Honour Year at the Frankfurt Book Fair to promote the export of Canadian creative content.
- The TCS has delivered over 6,400 services to more than 1,600 creative companies since the launch of the strategy. Canadian creative companies also saw an increase of 650% in commercial deals signed facilitated by the TCS, compared to pre-strategy.
Now in its fourth year, the CES is still delivering key funding and services to Canadian creative businesses across Canada, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Canadian Heritage has pivoted its service delivery to adapt to these new circumstances, including by hosting virtual trade missions (Netherlands, Germany and Sweden) and export seminars, supporting and participating at numerous virtual events, and adapting and extending its presence as the guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2020 and 2021. The Government of Canada has also made significant investments through Budget 2021 to support creative exports, allocating an additional $7.9 million over two years to provide support to export-ready Canadian creative businesses and organizations through the CEC program; $1.7 million over two years to accelerate the growth of creative exporters through training and mentorship opportunities; and $7.2 million in 2021–2022 to promote Canada’s book industry at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
In the context of renewing the funding authorities of the CES, Canadian Heritage engaged with over 340 creative industry stakeholders and partners during summer 2021. This was done through five virtual roundtable sessions, an online survey, and one-on-one meetings. These consultations were an opportunity for stakeholders and partners to provide Canadian Heritage and GAC officials with direct feedback about current CES programs and services, their barriers and challenges to export, and their views on what they would like to see in a future CES.
Key themes which emerged from this engagement process include support to new exporters in addition to export-ready businesses; reducing the minimum project threshold amount to less than $300,000 for the CEC program; improved communication of the minimum requirements expected of organizations applying to participate in trade missions and amplification events; increased information on how CEC recipients are chosen; and the need for better communication from Canadian Heritage officials regarding the suite of programs and services offered by the CES, including post-application feedback. Canadian Heritage plans to publish a “What We Heard” report on its website in fall 2021 detailing the feedback received during the engagement process.
The Government has made the following platform commitments relevant to creative industry exports and the CES:
- Help Canadian cultural industries succeed abroad by issuing a mandate to the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC) to support the growth of creative industries in new markets; and
- Launch a new Cultural Diplomacy Strategy with an annual budget of $20 million per year to leverage the work done by Canadian artists and cultural industries to support Canada’s diplomatic goals.
Canadian Heritage will work closely with GAC to ensure that the CES and the Cultural Diplomacy Strategy are complementary and mutually reinforcing. Likewise, Canadian Heritage will work closely with BDC and EDC to ensure services offered to creative industries by both organizations are complementary to the CES.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]
The first iteration of the CES, which focuses its efforts on supporting export-ready businesses, has proven successful in its objective of supporting Canada’s creative industries in their export endeavours. However, the need for increased export assistance overall, and in particular for new exporters, was made clear during the consultation process and will likely be included in Canadian Heritage’s recommended option for renewal.
Prior to the pandemic, Canada’s exports of cultural goods and services accounted for approximately one third of Canada’s culture GDP in 2018 at $16.9 billion. Exports will be key to creative industries recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As potential for domestic growth is limited by Canada’s small and linguistically segmented domestic market, cultural entrepreneurs will need to turn to global markets to remain viable, competitive and generate jobs and prosperity.

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

Equity-deserving communities face unique challenges and barriers in business and export. As part of the CES renewal process, Canadian Heritage engaged with members of Black communities to discuss these challenges and barriers. Additional engagement sessions will be organized in fall 2021 with Indigenous partners and other equity-deserving communities, as appropriate. These engagement sessions will help to inform the proposed options for a renewed CES to better meet the needs of equity-deserving communities in the creative export space.
Canadian Heritage will also continue to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion considerations are included in the programs and services offered under the CES. For example, the CEC program will continue to encourage projects that implement gender or diversity considerations for staffing, leadership, and decision-making roles. In addition, the guiding principles of the Frankfurt Book Fair Initiative have ensured the delegation of authors and illustrators, chosen by the industry, is representative of Canadian diversity. In terms of cultural programming, every effort was made to select artists from diverse communities.
Canadian Heritage has developed a data entry system as part of the CES’ Measurement and Results Strategy, which tracks all beneficiaries of the CES and certain associated data (e.g., cultural sector, headquarters location, target market, type of support received). Moving forward, Canadian Heritage will collect information on diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information on whether a beneficiary’s initiative impacts diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives. This database will allow Canadian Heritage to better track and report on the overall impacts of the CES on equity-deserving communities.

FPT Considerations

PTs are also regularly engaged on the CES via the FPT working group on Cultural Promotion and Diversity of Content in the Digital Age Working Group. PTs have been a key partner in the delivery of the CES and have collaborated with Canadian Heritage on various international trade missions to increase the export capacity of Canadian creative industries. All PTs have also been actively engaged in supporting Canada’s presence as Guest of Honour country at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2020–2021. Canadian Heritage will continue to forge partnerships with PTs to deliver key events related to the CES in the future.
In the context of renewing the funding authorities of the CES, Canadian Heritage engaged with PT partners during summer 2021. Key feedback provided by PTs includes the need for an improved communication strategy on the programs and services offered under the CES; support for new exporters; and dedicated resources for equity-deserving communities.

International Considerations

The CES was designed and developed in collaboration with GAC and Canadian Heritage legal services to ensure it adheres to the departments’ international trade obligations and commitments with partners.
Canada’s support for creative exports remains modest in contrast to other countries. Australia, New Zealand, France, South Korea, and the United Kingdom have developed extensive creative export strategies, which have allowed them to reinforce the global competitive position of their creative industries and effectively penetrate key markets. For example, the United Kingdom and South Korea have been successful at leveraging their “country brand” to boost their economies, increase exports, and create demand for their cultural products and services.
Exports are heavily dependent on strong international relationships, which were negatively impacted by pandemic-related travel restrictions. It would be in Canada’s interest to elevate its image on the international stage to support the creative industries, thereby allowing creative businesses and organizations to maximize their export potential.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

Canadian Heritage strives for the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in the delivery of CES programs and services. For example, the CEC program encourages projects that implement diversity considerations for staffing, leadership, and decision-making roles. In addition, Canadian Heritage intends to lead a trade mission and participate in international trade events with a focus on Indigenous creative businesses in the future. Canadian Heritage has also commissioned research focused on Indigenous-owned creative businesses to better understand the sector and inform policy and program design.
Canadian Heritage intends to hold an engagement session with Indigenous partners to ensure the next iteration of the CES considers Indigenous perspectives in its design and available programs and services.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Given the strategy’s success, and the positive reactions to the CES thus far—including those expressed during the recent engagement process—creative industry stakeholders are largely in support of the CES and its renewal, including new proposed programs and services to support international business development.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

The vast majority of creative businesses and practitioners are located within urban centres (i.e., Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto). Through outreach and engagement, the CES ensures that creative exporters outside of large urban centres receive the same level of stakeholder support and consideration for funding and programs as those operating in urban areas.

Timing

[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

The current funding of the CES is $25 million per year over five years, and is ending in March 2023. [REDACTED]

Canada Music Fund

A. Issue

The Canada Music Fund (CMF) modernization has been the largest shift in funding for commercial Canadian music in almost twenty years and is the culmination of many years of research, program development and industry consultation. The first phase of the modernization launched on April 1, 2020, and its evolution will continue over the medium- and long-term.
Connecting Canadian artists with audiences is the modernization’s objective. As such, the CMF modernization focuses on creating winning conditions for Canadian artists to be competitive in Canada and abroad. To support that core mandate, the CMF now has enhanced flexibility to quickly adapt to new business models and address industry disruptions. With expanded program authorities that allow the program to support a wide swath of the commercial-focused Canadian-owned music industry, the only restriction on the reach and impact of the CMF is its annual budget levels.
In addition, Canada’s live music sector remains in crisis mode as COVID-19-related restrictions on public gatherings continue to be in place across much of Canada in a fourth wave of the pandemic. Companies in the live music sector are still generating little to no revenue, while still incurring significant operating and administration expenses. Public health restrictions are expected to be in place through 2021 and well into 2022.

B. Background and Current Status

Canada Music Fund – Overview

The CMF is the main support program for commercially driven Canadian music. It provides support to Canadian music artists, organizations and entrepreneurs for the production and marketing of commercial music recordings, touring, showcasing, conferences, awards shows and other events that enhance the visibility of Canadian artists. It aims to foster an environment where a diversity of Canadian music artists connect with audiences everywhere, providing upfront support and sharing the risk with Canadian-owned music entrepreneurs to develop Canadian artists. CMF funds are delivered by two third-party administrators, FACTOR and Musicaction (initial recipients), which also administer a portion of Canadian Content Development (CCD) funds contributed by Canada’s commercial radio broadcasters.
The CMF’s permanent budget is about $25 million. In addition to its core funding, the CMF delivers $1.15 million for Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages and, as part of Canada’s Creative Export Strategy, $2.5 million for export-specific support from 2018–2019 through 2022–2023. In Budget 2019, the CMF received $20 million over two years to enhance the program’s focus on promoting Canadian music via a program modernization detailed below. This annual funding of $10 million was extended to 2021–2022 in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement as well as to 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 in Budget 2021 to stabilize the overall environment faced by CMF current recipients.

CMF Modernization – Initial Phase

The first phase of the CMF modernization streamlined the program structure from four components to two and moved to a single-window access in each linguistic market with all funding now administered by FACTOR and Musicaction. This modernization is largely addressing the near complete transformation over the past two decades of how music is distributed and consumed. The modernization opened more flexible funding to a wider spectrum of companies who are integral to the development and promotion of Canadian artists and also supported key export initiatives and training for entrepreneurs and artists to develop modern marketing skills.
The first phase of the CMF’s modernization is now fully embedded in the program. However, the Canadian-owned music industry and Canadian artists are now facing further disruption beyond how streaming has redefined music consumption and much greater financial pressure than before. The effects of these are heightened for artists and organizations in equity-deserving groups.

Canada’s Live Music Sector – Past CMF Support and Pandemic Impact

Prior to the pandemic, the live music sector had taken over as the largest economic driver for artists and the industry. In the face of reduced revenue from the exploitation of their recordings, Canadian artists began to primarily rely on live performances to build audiences, generate income and advance their careers.
The CMF’s core budget had always provided key, targeted support for Canadian artists’ live activities. In 2019–2020, more than one third of the CMF’s budget (which includes CCD funds) supported live music activities that helped Canadian artists to tour at home and abroad, and to perform at various live showcasing events. The CMF’s support for live was largely directed to record labels, artist managers and artists themselves. While other companies in the live music sector such as booking agents, concert producers, concert promoters, and venues had benefitted indirectly from the increased demand for their services, they were not directly ultimate recipients.
Health restrictions put in place around the world to limit the transmission of COVID-19 effectively shut down the entire live sector. The impact has been felt throughout the entire music ecosystem and has impacted the revenues of every segment of the music industry. While the CMF had previously focused its support for live to record labels, managers and artists, the COVID-19-related measures for Canada’s live music sector expanded CMF eligibility to all players in the live sector not previously directly supported by the program. Specifically:
- In 2020–2021, Phase 2 of the Emergency Support Fund provided $25 million through the CMF to existing program recipients and entrepreneurs in the live music sector who are not normally directly funded by the CMF such as venues, concert promoters, concert producers and booking agents to support the live music ecosystem and ensure its recovery.
- 2021–2022, the Government continued to provide relief for the ongoing financial and operation pressures of Canada’s live music sector with $15 million to support COVID-19-safe live music events (announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement) and $50 million for continued emergency support and further funding for in-person and hybrid concerts (announced in Budget 2021).

Impact of the Pandemic on the Canadian Music Industry

The impact of the pandemic has varied between segments of the Canadian music industry. Music publishers’ performance rights revenues declined by 19.6% in Canada in 2020, driven by a fall in radio income of 18.6% and a decline in public performance income of 37.8%. While revenues for record labels in Canada continued to climb during the pandemic, aided predominantly by streaming revenues this growth has been experienced mainly by multinational labels operating in Canada representing the top superstar artists with the vast majority of Canadian-owned labels having seen significant decreases to their revenue.

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitment

The Platform proposes to ensure better and stable funding for the music sector by increasing the annual contribution to the Canada Music Fund to $50 million by 2024–2025.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

While the music industry, especially the live music sector, was among the hardest hit by the pandemic, individuals from underrepresented groups suffered disproportionately. Support for diversity and inclusion is embedded in the CMF’s core programming; eligibility criteria are open to all, and artists and entrepreneurs of all genders benefit from the delivery of the program. The CMF recognizes that equality cannot be achieved simply by giving members of equity-deserving groups the same opportunities as others, because this does not necessarily lead to equity. The CMF’s goal is to provide Canadian artists, music entrepreneurs and organizations from equity-deserving groups with fair and equitable access to the CMF and the Canadian music industry, through a continuum of timely changes to CMF policy and programs. The program has identified four pillars to achieve this: 1) data collection (demographics); 2) evergreen monitoring; 3) building a vision; and 4) targeted actions.

FPT Considerations

Many Canadian provinces provide financial support programs to help develop their artists and music entrepreneurs, although the type and degree of support varies. Throughout the pandemic, the Program has held ongoing, routine discussions with stakeholders and funding bodies, which have been instrumental in developing emergency support, recovery and budget proposals and ensuring that funding at the federal level was complementary to provincial music funding programs.

International Considerations (See proposal in Section C)

Global competition will attract Canadian artists and the CMF will help position them and the increased investments in international marketing, including touring and development of competencies, will better position the music industry.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

The Program continues to work with initial recipients to put into place additional financial support and reduce application complexity to ensure Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs have increased access to CMF funding.

Stakeholder Perspectives

CMF stakeholders communicated that there is still an urgent need for continued financial support during the current pandemic emergency and recovery periods. Music Publishers Canada, the Association des professionnels de l’édition musicale, the Canadian Independent Music Association and l’Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo recommends making the $10 million increase to the CMF budget sunsetting in 2023-2024 permanent, with APEM advocating for an additional $10 million increase. The Canadian Live Music Association recommends a $50 million annual fund for Canada’s live music sector to stimulate employment of technical workers and artists, support marketing and promotion, and help live music venues improve infrastructure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through various consultations, including the CRTC’s Commercial Radio Review, music industry stakeholders expressed an urgent need to create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable commercial music industry. Stakeholders have continued to advocate for the extension of government-wide pandemic relief measures and increased direct investment through the CMF to ensure stabilization to the sector.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

The CMF is a national fund and is available to artists in every part of Canada and within all diverse genres. As with the GBA+ considerations, targeted outreach to certain underrepresented groups, especially in rural and isolated areas, is an important consideration for the CMF to ensure better access to funding for all groups.

Timing and Cost Implications

[REDACTED]

Canada Book Fund

A. Issue

The Canada Book Fund has been successful over the years in supporting the development of Canadian independent book publishers in all provinces and one territory and multiplying by four the number of books published by Canadian firms since 1979. The core program budget has remained the same since 2001 despite a significant increase in the number of recipients and the growing need for support for the industry to face new and ongoing challenges.

B. Background and Current Status

The Canada Book Fund

The Canada Book Fund (CBF) is the Government’s principal measure in support of Canadian books. Its objective is to ensure access to a diverse range of Canadian-authored books in Canada and abroad. The Program, with an overall annual budget of $39.1 million, provides funding of approximately $36.3 million through two permanent components: Support for Publishers (SFP) and Support for Organizations (SFO). Support for Publishers ($30.7 million) provides funding to Canadian-owned publishers for the production and marketing of Canadian-authored books. Support for Organizations ($5.6 million) provides funding to book industry organizations and associations for collective projects that strengthen industry infrastructure and develop the market for Canadian books.
An evaluation of the Canada Book Fund, covering the period of 2012–2013 to 2017–2018, was completed in July 2019. The evaluation confirmed the relevance of the Canada Book Fund, its importance to the financial viability of the industry, and its success in achieving its expected outcomes. Addressing the issue of discoverability of Canadian books, i.e., how best to market and promote them in the digital marketplace, was identified as a key area where industry stakeholders continue to experience challenges and where greater program support is needed.
In parallel to these developments, the 2019 Federal Budget announced an investment of $22.8 million over 5 years (2019–2020 to 2023–2024) for the development of an initiative to support the sustainable production and distribution of accessible digital books by Canadian independent publishers through the Canada Book Fund. This funding is delivered through the existing SFP and SFO components of the program. The objective of this initiative is to create incentives for the Canadian book industry to integrate accessibility features into the production and distribution of digital books (eBooks and audio books) that persons with print disabilities can also use. Specifically, this initiative aims to increase the availability of “born accessible” Canadian-authored digital titles. This investment is an opportunity for the Canadian book industry to consolidate and further develop its digital infrastructure for the benefit of all Canadian readers and build a strategic advantage in international markets.

Impact of COVID-19 on Booksellers and CBF Response

COVID-19 has hit the Canadian book industry hard. At the height of the crisis, bookstore sales dropped 75% from the previous year, although overall sales results for 2020 were buoyed by the surge in online sales spurred by physical store closures. The $500 million Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations (ESF) provided Canadian independent book publishers and book industry organizations with close to $20 million in aid.
Budget 2021 provided $300 million over two years to Canadian Heritage to establish a Recovery Fund for Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Sport Sectors, of which $11.4 million will be allocated to the Canada Book Fund. For 2021–2022, a top-up will be provided to publisher’s regular support, and for 2022–2023, investments will help publishers better serve under-served communities and better support Canadian book publishers and authors from racialized, official language and Indigenous communities.
As an additional economic recovery measure, Budget 2021 announced $32.1 million over two years to help bookstores increase online sales to ensure Canadian books can get into the hands of readers. Ultimately, stimulating sales of Canadian books via online sales platforms will benefit the entire Canadian book supply chain, from authors to publishers to retailers. [REDACTED]

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitment

The Liberal Party of Canada committed in its electoral platform to “[i]nvest $43 million per year to support Canadian authors and book publishers by increasing, by 50%, funding for the Canada Book Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Public Lending Right Program”.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]
Canadian authors and book publishers can access funding under the Canada Council for the Arts’ horizontal programs. While regular programming at the CCA is non-disciplinary, initiatives that support authors and publishers more directly are: the Public Lending Right Program (PLR), and its translation program for the presentation or publication of literary and dramatic works that includes the National Translation Program for Book Publishers (NTPBP)—which is a joint initiative with the CBF—for the translation of literary works.
[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

The primary target group for the CBF is the Canadian book industry. The industry pertains to several demographic groups, including Indigenous, racialized, and OLM communities as well as persons living with print disabilities. The CBF will maintain existing measures to address current inequalities and support diversity in the book publishing industry. For example, Indigenous, racialized and official language minority (OLM) publishers are afforded enhanced funding (through adjusted weighing of their sales in the formula and increased maximum funding percentage for certain projects) and special eligibility criteria to improve their access to the program. Publishers and organizations enjoy increased funding amounts and percentages for hiring Indigenous and OLM interns.
Approximately 1 in 10 Canadians live with a print disability, which means that they cannot use a conventional print book because of a perceptual, motor and/or comprehension disability. Stakeholder groups representing persons with disabilities contend that less than 10% of published materials in Canada are available in fully accessible formats. [REDACTED]

FPT Considerations

Most provinces support the book industry through direct funding or tax credits. Ontario (Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Creates, Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit), Quebec (SODEC, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, loan financing and tax credit) and BC (BC Arts Council, tax credit) provide the most support to book publishers. The CBF maintains positive relationships with PT partners.

International Considerations

Canadian Heritage’s investments in international marketing have yielded impressive results. While total sales of Canada Book Fund recipients have dropped by 8% since 2009–2010, exports have increased by more than 30% over this ten-year period. Export sales now account for one third of Canada Book Fund recipients’ sales. Export activities, which will culminate with Canada being the Guest of Honour at the 2021 Frankfurt Book Fair (a key component of Canada’s Creative Export Strategy), will remain a key means to expand publishers’ revenues.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

The CBF has already implemented changes to its existing program guidelines to facilitate access to the Program for Indigenous publishers and organizations and will continue to implement further incentives for publishers to increase marketing and sales of Indigenous authored books.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Since 2017, industry stakeholders, notably the Association of Canadian Publishers and the Association nationale des éditeurs de livres, the two main industry associations, have made regular pre-budget submissions to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance calling for an increase to the Canada Book Fund budget. Moreover, stakeholders have indicated that discoverability of Canadian-authored books is an ongoing challenge, and that lack of capital is hampering their ability to invest in digital innovation. [REDACTED]

Timing

[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

[REDACTED]

Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act

A. Issue

The Department of Canadian Heritage is the lead federal department on the co-implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act (the Act). The Act responds to Calls to Action #13, #14 and #15 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and contributes to the Government of Canada’s Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, specifically under the implementation of the Canadian Heritage-led culture theme. The Act also contributes to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as it relates to Indigenous languages.

B. Background and Current Status

Indigenous Languages in Canada

Although there is no definitive count of Indigenous languages currently spoken in Canada, 2016 Census data from Statistics Canada reports more than 70 Indigenous languages reported to be spoken at home, and The Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger from the UNESCO reports 90 Indigenous languages for Canada. Most Indigenous languages in Canada are considered endangered.

The Indigenous Languages Act

The Indigenous Languages Act (the Act), which was developed in collaboration with Indigenous partners, received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019. Its overall purpose is to support the efforts of Indigenous Peoples to reclaim, revitalize, maintain, and strengthen Indigenous languages.
On August 29, 2019, all provisions of the Act came into force, except those dealing with the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, regulation making, and Parliamentary and independent reviews. These latter provisions came into force on October 1, 2020.
The Act contains mechanisms to do the following:
- seek to establish measures that facilitate the provision of adequate, sustainable, and long-term funding in support of Indigenous languages;
- establish an Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages;
- provide for agreements or arrangements to support Indigenous language revitalization and preservation with Indigenous governments or organizations and provinces and territories including in areas of provincial/territorial jurisdiction;
- facilitate meaningful opportunities for Indigenous governments and other Indigenous governing bodies and Indigenous organizations to collaborate in policy development related to the implementation of this Act; and
- outline the role of federal institutions in providing access to services in Indigenous languages where capacity and demand exist, subject to established regulations or agreements.

Indigenous Languages and Culture Program (ILCP)

The ILCP is comprised of several funding components, the most materially significant of which is the Indigenous Languages Component, which provides project funding for community-driven activities to support the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance, and strengthening of Indigenous languages.
Other components support Territorial Languages Agreements, agreements under sections 8 and 9 of the Act, engagement with National Indigenous Organizations, Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting, the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, and activities related to National Indigenous Peoples Day, Indspire, scholarships and youth initiatives.

Funding: Increased Demand and Challenges

Budget 2019 made a historic investment of $333.7 million over five years and $115.7 million ongoing in support of the implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act. Building on these investments, Budget 2021 announced additional funding in the amount of $275 million over 5 years, and $2 million ongoing, to further support the implementation of the Act.
The number of applications to the Indigenous Languages Component has increased significantly in recent years. The total amount requested by applicants increased from $16.7 million in 2017–2018 to $84.6 million in 2021–2022.
Indigenous Peoples are increasingly engaged in the work of revitalizing their languages and cultures, and there is more readiness and capacity across Indigenous communities, organizations, and governments to undertake this work.
Funding levels are currently insufficient to respond to demand, specifically to meet the objective of supporting all Indigenous languages, with a special focus on the most endangered languages.
Current funding allocations do not reflect the actual, distinct needs of First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation, nor do they adequately take into account factors such as population and language vitality.
Time limited, project-based funding does not support long-term planning and revitalization needs.
Competitive-based funding and limited capacity have led to lower uptake by Indigenous communities.

Implementation

A Joint Implementation Steering Committee has been established for the purpose of working collaboratively on the implementation of the Act. The Committee is comprised of representatives of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the Métis National Council (MNC), and Canadian Heritage.
Canadian Heritage is also engaged with self-governing nations, other Indigenous governing bodies and organizations at the national, regional, and local levels to ensure the implementation of the Act is respectful of the diversity of Indigenous partners across Canada. Engaging with these entities will inform the most effective and efficient ways of supporting urban and multi-distinction Indigenous organizations to respond to the needs of Indigenous people, regardless of where they reside.
Canadian Heritage continues to engage other federal departments, provinces, and territories in a collaborative approach to implementing the Act.
Implementation activities to date:
- A series of virtual consultations on the implementation of the Act were held with Indigenous Peoples across Canada from September to December 2020. The consultations focused on appointments to the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages and on funding for Indigenous languages.
- A virtual Symposium on Indigenous Languages: Building on Strengths and Successes was held in January 2021. The Symposium was the first national forum to engage with Indigenous Peoples and hear their perspectives on best practices, funding models for Indigenous languages, the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, and the upcoming International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032).
- On June 14, 2021, the first appointees to the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages were announced, following an open, transparent, and merit-based selection process informed by Indigenous perspectives.
- The appointment of Commissioner Ronald E. Ignace and Directors Joan Greyeyes, Robert Watt, and Georgina Liberty took effect on July 12, 2021. Each term of appointment is 5 years.
- The Office is an arms’ length institution and appointees are currently in the process of working through the logistics involved with establishing a functional Office as soon as possible.

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitments

Continue working with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation to fully implement the Indigenous Languages Act, in order to preserve, promote, and revitalize Indigenous languages in Canada, supported with long-term, predictable, and sufficient funding.
Accelerate the implementation of the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. Work with partners to advance collective and shared priorities in the 2021 National Action Plan and create a standing Federal-Provincial-Territorial table to facilitate and coordinate this work.
Fully implement An Act Respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and codevelop the Action Plan to achieve its objectives. Ensure ministers’ offices and ministries work alongside Indigenous Peoples to advance their rights.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

The implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act is a concrete response to the urgent need for action to support the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance, and strengthening of Indigenous languages spoken in Canada, most of which are endangered.
Making progress on Indigenous languages is central to advancing reconciliation and a nation-to-nation, government-to-government or Inuit-Crown relationship. It is also a priority identified in the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, Canada’s contribution to the co-developed National Action Plan.
Canadian Heritage would continue to work collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples to achieve significant milestones in the implementation of the Act.

Long-term Funding of Indigenous Languages

Canadian Heritage is currently working with Indigenous partners to evolve existing funding structures with a view to ensuring funding for Indigenous languages is predictable and sufficient. The intent is to meet one of the purposes of the Act, which is to “establish measures to facilitate the provision of adequate, sustainable and long-term funding for the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance and strengthening of Indigenous languages.”
The recent consultations and Symposium provided opportunities for Indigenous Peoples to express their views as to current and future funding structures. In response to this feedback, Canadian Heritage is doing the following:
- working with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation peoples on the long-term funding of Indigenous languages. The Joint Implementation Steering Committee has achieved a consensus on the broad direction and the key elements of a new funding model;
- engaging bilaterally with the AFN, ITK, and MNC to develop specific distinctions-based approaches to respond to the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation; and
- working with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada CIRNAC and self-governing Nations to develop an expenditure need methodology for supporting the vitality of their communities’ languages under the Collaborative Fiscal Policy Language and Culture working group.
Until new funding models are in place, Canadian Heritage will continue with its transitional approach to ensure that program funds continue to flow to Indigenous communities and organizations to support language revitalization efforts. This transitional approach includes distinction-based Indigenous Review Committees making recommendations on applications, a timelier application process, and some increased funding flexibility. The approach was developed in partnership with the Joint Implementation Steering Committee and is intended to respond to some of the critical issues that Indigenous Peoples have identified and to ensure funding stability until new funding structures are implemented.
Indigenous perspectives on funding for Indigenous languages have highlighted a need to address funding gaps, move away from proposal-based models, and increase Indigenous autonomy.

Access to Services in Indigenous Languages

Indigenous Peoples in Canada do not have systematic access to federal services in Indigenous languages in multiple areas. The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls identifies meaningful access to Indigenous languages as an important channel for systemic change.
The Act includes key provisions on services in Indigenous languages, developed collaboratively with representatives of the three distinctions. Access to services in Indigenous languages can be framed under agreements or regulations.
- Through agreements, the Minister can cooperate with other levels of government or Indigenous governments or Indigenous organizations, to provide services in areas such as education, health, and the administration of justice.
- Under regulations, services can be provided in Indigenous languages if a federal institution, or its agent or mandatary, “has the capacity to do so and there is sufficient demand for access to those services in that language.” Regulatory definitions of “access,” “capacity” and “demand” can be distinctions-based, depending on various criteria, such as the unique circumstances and needs of an Indigenous group, community, or people who use that language. Further work is needed to achieve a common understanding of key terms such as “access,” “capacity” and “demand” and their policy implications.
Canadian Heritage is engaged in discussions with Indigenous organizations and other government departments on the issue of access to services in an Indigenous language. Existing provision of services in federal departments is not fully known at this point and follows an ad hoc approach that will need to be streamlined and leveraged through interdepartmental collaboration. Moving forward, Canadian Heritage plans to do the following:
- lead an interdepartmental committee on Indigenous languages which, in addition to sharing information and knowledge around the implementation of the Act, will provide an opportunity to discuss services in Indigenous languages, identify best practices and leverage efforts and initiatives;
- explore pilot project opportunities with Indigenous partners and other government institutions; and
- continue to work towards a potential implementation of a pilot project on access to services in Inuktut in Nunavut.
Canadian Heritage could also work with federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to explore how best to encourage expansion in the use and availability of Indigenous languages in areas of Indigenous-led, federally funded services such as community-based health, mental health, and child and family services.

Recognition and Status of Indigenous Languages

The Indigenous Languages Act has drawn criticism from some Indigenous groups who called for further protection of Indigenous languages via official recognition or official status.
Indigenous groups often draw comparisons between the status of their languages and the value and recognition of official languages throughout Canada, particularly supports provided for French-language services and education in settings where French is a minority language.
While this is a sensitive and complex issue, the Department could continue to explore with Indigenous partners opportunities within the implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act to advance Indigenous language service provision and promote a positive vision of the relationship between Indigenous languages and official languages, one that presents these languages both as complementary and essential to the fabric of our country.
In the short to medium term, Canadian Heritage will continue to engage on these issues with Inuit partners at the Inuktut Working Group, to support the broader work of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee. The planned work on expanding access to services in Indigenous languages will also contribute to the ongoing dialogue of recognition.

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

The Indigenous Languages Component of the Indigenous Languages and Culture Program considers distinction (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis) and place of residence (province or territory) in allocating its funding. Communities implement activities for different age groups that are equally accessible to women, men, and people with other gender identities. Recent participant data indicates that approximately 40% of participants were under 25 years of age, 31% were between 25 and 44 years of age and 29% were over 45 years of age. However, 41% of the participants were male, and 58% were female. This distinction between men and women was most prevalent among those aged 25 and over, where there were about twice as many women as men. This can be explained in part by the persistence of women’s social roles in terms of linguistic and cultural transmission, socialization of children and education.
The Program is working with an Indigenous researcher to conduct in-depth analysis of Statistics Canada data to identify trends in the status and characteristics of Indigenous languages and communities using data from the 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 Censuses. The research findings will support GBA+ as it provides data disaggregated by language, place of residence, gender, age, and distinction on measures of language vitality (mother tongue, knowledge, and regular/primary home use) and will provide information at the national and local levels on progress made in revitalizing Indigenous languages.
Canadian Heritage intends to work jointly with Indigenous partners, as it renews its results framework, to determine how best to collect information about the different impacts of the Program on segments of the Indigenous population, and to determine what, if any, specific targets should be set for GBA+ groups.

FPT Considerations

Provinces and territories have been engaged in the development and implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act during federal-provincial-territorial meetings of culture ministers and during direct discussions between Canadian Heritage officials and their provincial and territorial counterparts.
The Act provides mechanisms to work with Indigenous representative organizations, Indigenous governments, and provinces and territories to create effective support for Indigenous languages in Canada. For example, sections 8 and 9 of the Act allow for agreements between the Crown, Indigenous governments and organizations, provinces, and territories to support Indigenous languages programs and services, coordinate efforts to efficiently and effectively support Indigenous languages, or to meet the purposes of the Act.
Canadian Heritage has two Territorial Language Agreements currently in place supporting the Yukon Government and the Government of the Northwest Territories for the delivery of services in Indigenous languages. Canadian Heritage is also piloting a Pathfinder Agreement in partnership with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Government of Nunavut ($42 million over 5 years) to support, revitalize and strengthen Inuktut in Nunavut.
At the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers and Deputy Ministers responsible for Culture and Heritage in May 2021, several provinces and territories shared the ways in which they are working on the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance, and strengthening of Indigenous languages in their jurisdictions. There was a general recognition of the need to support and further each other’s work on reconciliation. Moving forward, provinces and territories may be interested in learning more about supports available for Indigenous language revitalization efforts within their jurisdictions, as well as exploring ways to align funding and programming.
[REDACTED]

International Considerations

Canada is viewed internationally as a leader on Indigenous issues, and has the opportunity, with the upcoming International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), to continue showing its leadership.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which proclaimed the International Decade of Indigenous Languages from 2022 to 2032 to draw attention to the critical loss of Indigenous languages and the urgent need to preserve, revitalize, and promote Indigenous languages and to take urgent steps to this end at the national and international level. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the lead agency for the organization and implementation of the Decade.
Canada is currently a member of the Global Task Force, the governance mechanism for the Decade, under the leadership of the UNESCO. Participation in the Global Task Force provides Canada a strategic role in influencing the orientations of the Decade.
A Global Action Plan for the Decade, currently in development, will recognize the centrality of Indigenous Peoples in the Decade, define major actions, provide guidance on the implementation, outline a monitoring strategy, and suggest measures to be taken by all categories of stakeholders to achieve the Decade’s objectives. Canadian Heritage, the federal lead on the Decade, is providing input into the Global Action Plan. The final version will be presented for endorsement by member states during the 41st UNESCO General Conference in November 2021.
The Government of Canada’s participation is an opportunity to continue implementing the Indigenous Languages Act and to demonstrate Canada’s strong engagement towards the revitalization of Indigenous languages and, more generally, towards better outcomes for Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

Indigenous Peoples consider that healthy languages and cultures are essential to healing and are fundamental to Indigenous identities, cultures, spirituality, and self-determination as well as relationships with the land and to the world.
The Act recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are best placed to take the leading role in reclaiming, revitalizing, maintaining, and strengthening Indigenous languages.
One of the purposes of the Act is to facilitate meaningful opportunities for Indigenous governments and other Indigenous governing bodies and Indigenous organizations to collaborate in policy development related to implementation and the preservation, promotion, and revitalization of Indigenous languages.
The Act includes an obligation for the Government of Canada to consult with Indigenous Peoples on:
- meeting the objective of providing adequate, sustainable, and long-term funding;
- the appointment of a Commissioner and Directors for the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages;
- the designation of a Director as Acting Commissioner for more than 90 days; and
- the development of regulations under the Indigenous Languages Act.
Indigenous Peoples have been directly involved in the development and implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act since its inception. Mechanisms are in place to ensure Canadian Heritage continues to work collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples on further implementation activities, including consultation, engagement, and co-development efforts.
During engagement sessions on the culture theme of the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People held by Canadian Heritage, Indigenous partners indicated that supporting the efforts of Indigenous Peoples in the retention, preservation, revitalization, maintenance, and strengthening of Indigenous languages, cultures, and cultural spaces was a thematic area that encompassed the bulk of their priorities for the culture-related Calls for Justice.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

While Canadian Heritage continues to work closely with the AFN, ITK, and MNC on a variety of ongoing implementation matters, engagement is also underway with self-governing nations, multi-distinction groups such as the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and the Native Women’s Association of Canada, and Indigenous Friendship Centres to ensure that the language needs and objectives of all Indigenous People, including urban populations, are included going forward.

Timing

The implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act is ongoing. Generally, Indigenous partners expect that, in addition to ongoing program, policy and engagement activities, efforts over the next two to three years will focus on the following key implementation issues:
- working with Indigenous partners and other federal departments to better define and deliver access to services in Indigenous languages;
- working with Indigenous partners to develop and implement distinction-based Indigenous languages funding model; and
- working with Indigenous partners, other federal departments and provinces and territories to advance Indigenous language agreements under the Act.

Cost Implications

While Budget 2019 provided ongoing funding, Budget 2021 covers the 2021–2022 to 2023–2024 period only, which means a significant drop in funding levels starting in 2024–2025. Work with key Indigenous partners is currently underway in the context of determining long term, predictable, and sufficient funding for Indigenous language revitalization. Future cost implications will likely become clear as this costing work advances, but current funding is generally seen as insufficient by partners to meet the requirements of the Act.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People

A. Issue

The Department of Canadian Heritage is the lead department government-wide for the culture theme of the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (Federal Pathway), which is the Government of Canada’s contribution to the 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (National Action Plan). Canadian Heritage is currently examining how to proceed with further work to respond to the culture-related Calls for Justice, Métis Calls for Miskotahâ (change), and priorities of Indigenous partners.

B. Background and Current Status

The National Action Plan was released on June 3, 2021. The National Action Plan is evergreen with the intent that it will evolve over time in keeping with the priorities of implicated partners. It outlines the respective strategies of federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments as well as Indigenous organizations to address the 231 Calls for Justice from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). The Final Report found that deliberate historic and ongoing violations of health, security, justice, and cultural rights are at the root of this violence and amount to genocide. The National Action Plan also responds to a Métis-specific report by Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak with 62 Calls for Miskotahâ (change).
Of the 231 Calls for Justice, 54 are related to culture. They seek to reclaim and promote Indigenous languages, to provide access to culture and cultural knowledge, to support Indigenous sovereignty over the telling of Indigenous stories — including positive portrayals of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual Plus (2SLGBTQQIA+) individuals — as well as to combat systemic racism and promote decolonization through public education and awareness campaigns. Similarly, of the 62 Calls for Miskotahâ, nine are related to culture and cover issues such as dismantling harmful stereotypes in popular culture, addressing the specific forms of racism that Métis women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people face, and reinforcing Métis identity through the restoration of Métis cultural practices and traditions. See Section E for a full list of culture-related Calls for Justice and Calls for Miskotahâ,
Under the culture theme of the Federal Pathway, Canadian Heritage and its federal and Indigenous partners have outlined their common path to end systemic racism and violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people by identifying three areas for future collaborative action.
The culture theme of the Pathway entails three federal commitments informed by engagement and analysis of the culture-related Calls for Justice and Calls for Miskotahâ:
- supporting the retention, revitalization, maintenance, and strengthening of Indigenous languages, cultures, and spaces;
- strengthening opportunities for Indigenous cultural expression, participation, promotion, and representation in the arts, cultural industries, and media; and
- addressing systemic anti-Indigenous racism in the public and policy spheres.
Although Canadian Heritage led the development of the culture theme and will be deeply implicated in responding to its priorities, this is a whole-of-government priority to which other government departments and Canadian Heritage portfolio organizations will also contribute. A non-comprehensive assessment suggests that there are nearly 70 initiatives in response to approximately 40 culture-related Calls for Justice, across eight departments and agencies as well as 10 Canadian Heritage portfolio organizations. In addition, five initiatives were announced in Budget 2021 in support of the culture theme. Four of them are led by Canadian Heritage or a Canadian Heritage portfolio organization:
- support for Indigenous languages (see corresponding transition fiche on Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act for more information);
- funding for the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities component of the Sport Support Program seeking to use sport to address the needs and priorities of Indigenous women and girls, especially in the areas of Physical and Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, Sexual Trafficking Awareness and Prevention, Safe and Healthy Relationships, and Sexual Positivity (2SLGBTQQIA+);
- the Indigenous Screen Office, a new third-party delivery program that will support Indigenous projects in any audiovisual format to promote Indigenous narrative sovereignty and the revitalization of Indigenous languages and cultures; and
- funding for digitization of Indigenous traditional knowledge and historical records, led by Library and Archives Canada.
The other Budget 2021 initiative under the culture theme is led by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and relates to the creation of a new Indigenous Cultural Spaces Program.
The Government of Canada has committed to publishing annual progress reports starting in fiscal year 2022–2023. To do so, CIRNAC is now leading the development of an evergreen Implementation Framework for the Federal Pathway. This will outline goals, milestones, and timelines for the initiatives that support it. CIRNAC is currently developing a draft of the Implementation Framework and Canadian Heritage has provided input regarding its MMIWG-related initiatives, including Budget 2021 investments and a planned public education and awareness campaign under Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. CIRNAC is also leading a process to designate MMIWG as a horizontal initiative, which would standardize annual reporting on results for all implicated departments.
Indigenous Peoples as well as many non-Indigenous People in Canada have high expectations for the Government to make swift, tangible progress on addressing the MMIWG crisis. Action to date represents only a first step and expectations will be high for continued progress as many Canadians believe that governments have not gone far enough to advance Reconciliation more broadly.
Without a strong foundation of culture, other socio-economic investments are far less likely to succeed. Culture is the foundation of identity and is essential in creating the security of identity that leads to thriving and safe communities. This message was reinforced in engagements on development of the culture theme. Indigenous partners, including families and survivors, stressed the need for transformational change both in the Government of Canada’s internal culture and in its relationship with Indigenous peoples, including in program and service delivery, by stating the following:
- The Government of Canada must widen the scope of its policies and programs and integrate Indigenous worldviews. As Indigenous peoples have shared, culture is all-encompassing and includes ways of life, ways of being and doing, traditions, languages, histories and literatures (both oral and written), belief systems, cultural spaces, and natural environments.
- Because culture is foundational, necessary for healing and empowerment, and at the heart of one’s identity and self-worth, enhanced investments are required.
- Anti-racism work in the federal Public Service and in the Canadian population is key to addressing ongoing discrimination and victimization faced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals.
- More initiatives should have a specific focus on Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, rather than a general focus on Indigenous Peoples as a population.
There is broad support for efforts related to MMIWG among federal political parties. During the election period the Liberal Party of Canada committed to accelerate the implementation of the Federal Pathway and National Action Plan with Indigenous partners as well as create a federal-provincial-territorial table to coordinate this work.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

Ending violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people is a complex and sensitive policy issue. It requires a compassionate, comprehensive response that addresses the underlying factors contributing to this violence (including culture as well as food insecurity, education, health, mental wellness, and community safety). It also requires sustained, coordinated efforts with Indigenous partners and across all levels of government (federal, provincial/territorial, Indigenous, and municipal).

GBA+ Considerations

Concerns have been raised that the experiences of both Métis and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, who have faced a unique form of marginalization and discrimination, were underrepresented in the 2019 Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG. For this reason, the 2021 National Action Plan included contributions from First Nations, Inuit, Métis Nation, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, 2SLGBTQQIA+, and urban Indigenous representatives as well as families and survivors. The work of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Sub-Working Group will complement community engagement activities and research currently under way to help inform the federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan that is being developed by the LGBTQ2 Secretariat..

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

Many Indigenous partners were involved in the development of the National Action Plan and have been supportive of the federal government’s efforts. However, the National Action Plan also garnered criticism, including related to the time the process took; a lack of timelines and accountability for action within the National Action Plan; condemnation of the process as toxic by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, who withdrew before the release of the National Action Plan; and regional organizations (such as the Coalition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in British Columbia, the Ontario Native Women’s Association, and Quebec Native Women) who felt excluded from the process.

FPT Considerations

Many of the Calls for Justice relate to provincial/territorial jurisdiction. All provinces and territories have contributed to the National Action Plan and provincial/territorial ministers issued a joint statement of support. Yukon was the first jurisdiction to release its MMIWG strategy in December 2020, and many other provinces and territories are in the process of developing their own strategies.
[REDACTED]

International Considerations

The MMIWG crisis has drawn international attention. Canadians are aware of, and sensitive to the impact on Canada’s international reputation due to failings related to Indigenous peoples, which have been regularly reported on in international media, including a 2019 report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, as well as concerns raised in 2021 regarding the delay in developing a plan of action on MMIWG.
These concerns were raised by the United Nations through a joint communication from the following: the Special Rapporteurs on the rights of Indigenous peoples; the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related tolerance; the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-occurrence; and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes, and its consequences.
Canada continues to engage internationally on issues concerning the protection of Indigenous knowledge and cultural expressions, most notably in our ongoing involvement at the World Intellectual Property Organization Intergovernmental Committee on Indigenous Issues. Canada advocates for the development of a balanced international instrument that would protect Indigenous knowledge and cultural expressions.

Stakeholder Perspectives

There is broad support for reconciliation among Canadians and a majority believe that individuals have a role to play in efforts to bring about reconciliation.
Amnesty International has been instrumental in the push to launch and respond to the National Inquiry into MMIWG. Since 2004, it has released several reports about violence against Indigenous women and has highlighted the role of racism as well as disparities in the fulfilment of Indigenous women’s cultural rights, among others, as key causes in perpetuating this violence.
The Moose Hide Campaign is a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are standing up against violence towards women and children. Launched in 2011, it has grown into a national campaign to engage all Canadians, with over 2,000 participating communities and organizations across the country.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

Some Indigenous partners such as the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples have underscored that urban Indigenous communities experience residency-based discrimination and are among the most at-risk of losing their cultures, heritage, and languages, yet governments often fail to support them through their policy approaches and funding allocations.

Cost Implications

Budget 2021 announced $2.2 billion over five years and $160 million per year ongoing for initiatives related to MMIWG. Of this, $453.1 million over five years and $4.9 million per year ongoing was proposed for initiatives under the culture theme of the Federal Pathway.
[REDACTED]

E. Annex

1. The Calls for Justice that are most closely related to the culture theme of the Federal Pathway are as follows:

Calls for Justice for All Governments

2.1 We call upon all governments to acknowledge, recognize, and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples to their cultures and languages as inherent rights, and constitutionally protected as such under section 35 of the Constitution.

2.2 We call upon all governments to recognize Indigenous languages as official languages, with the same status, recognition, and protection provided to French and English. This includes the directives that:

2.2. i Federal, provincial, and territorial governments must legislate Indigenous languages in the respective territory as official languages.

2.2. ii All governments must make funds available to Indigenous Peoples to support the work required to revitalize and restore Indigenous cultures and languages.

2.3 We call upon all governments to ensure that all Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people are provided with safe, no-barrier, permanent, and meaningful to their cultures and languages in order to restore, reclaim, and revitalize their cultures and identities. These are rights held by all segments of Indigenous communities, from young children to Elders. The programs and services that provide such access should not be tied exclusively to government-run cultural or educational institutions. All governments must further ensure that the rights of Indigenous children to retain and be educated in their Indigenous language are upheld and protected. All governments must ensure access to immersion programs for children from preschool into post-secondary education.

2.4 We call upon all governments to provide the necessary resources and permanent funds required to preserve knowledge by digitizing interviews with Knowledge Keepers and language speakers. We further call upon all governments to support grassroots and community-led Indigenous language and cultural programs that restore identity, place, and belonging within First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities through permanent, no-barrier funding and resources. Special measures must include supports to restore and revitalize identity, place, and belonging for Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been isolated from their Nations due to colonial violence, including 2SLGBTQQIA people and women who have been denied status.

2.5 We call upon all governments, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, to create a permanent empowerment fund devoted to supporting Indigenous-led initiatives for Indigenous individuals, families, and communities to access cultural knowledge, as an important and strength-based way to support cultural rights and to uphold self-determined services. This empowerment fund should include the support of land-based educational programs that can assist in foundational cultural learning and awareness. This empowerment fund will also assist in the revitalization of distinct cultural practices as expressed by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, with eligibility criteria and decision-making directly in their hands.

2.6 We call upon all governments to educate their citizens about, and to confront and eliminate, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. To accomplish this, the federal government, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and provincial and territorial governments, must develop and implement an Anti-Racism and Anti-Sexism National Action Plan to end racist and sexualized stereotypes of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. The plan must target the general public as well as public services.

2.7 We call upon all governments to adequately fund and support Indigenous-led initiatives to improve the representation of Indigenous Peoples in media and pop culture.

Calls for Media and Social Influencers

6.1 We call upon all media, news corporations and outlets, and, in particular, government-funded corporations and outlets; media unions, associations, and guilds; academic institutions teaching journalism or media courses; governments that fund such corporations, outlets, and academic institutions; and journalists, reporters, bloggers, film producers, writers, musicians, music producers, and, more generally, people working in the entertainment industry to take decolonizing approaches to their work and publications in order to educate all Canadians about Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. More specifically, this includes the following:

6.1. i Ensure authentic and appropriate representation of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, inclusive of diverse Indigenous cultural backgrounds, in order to address negative and discriminatory stereotypes.

6.1. ii Support Indigenous people sharing their stories, from their perspectives, free of bias, discrimination, and false assumptions, and in a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive way.

6.1. iii Increase the number of Indigenous people in broadcasting, television, and radio, and in journalist, reporter, producer, and executive positions in the entertainment industry, including, and not limited to, by:

providing educational and training opportunities aimed at Indigenous inclusion; and
providing scholarships and grants aimed at Indigenous inclusion in media, film, and music industry-related fields of study.

6.1. iv Take proactive steps to break down the stereotypes that hypersexualize and demean Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, and to end practices that perpetuate myths that Indigenous women are more sexually available and “less worthy” than non-Indigenous women because of their race or background.

Calls for Social Workers and Those Implicated in Child Welfare

7.6 We call upon institutions and health service providers to ensure that all persons involved in the provision of health services to Indigenous Peoples receive ongoing training, education, and awareness in areas including, but not limited to:

the history of colonialism in the oppression and genocide of lnuit, Métis, and First Nations Peoples;
anti-bias and anti-racism;
local language and culture; and
local health and healing practices.

12.7 We call upon all governments to ensure the availability and accessibility of distinctions-based and culturally safe culture and language programs for Indigenous children in the care of child welfare.

12.12 We call upon all child and family services agencies to engage in recruitment efforts to hire and promote Indigenous staff, as well as to promote the intensive and ongoing training of social workers and child welfare staff in the following areas:

history of the child welfare system in the oppression and genocide of Indigenous Peoples;
anti-racism and anti-bias training;
local culture and language training; and
sexual exploitation and trafficking training to recognize signs and develop specialized responses.

Calls for Justice for All Canadians

15.2 Decolonize by learning the true history of Canada and Indigenous history in your local area. Learn about and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ history, cultures, pride, and diversity, acknowledging the land you live on and its importance to local Indigenous communities, both historically and today.

15.3 Develop knowledge and read the Final Report. Listen to the truths shared, and acknowledge the burden of these human and Indigenous rights violations, and how they impact Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people today.

Inuit-specific Calls for Justice—Culture theme

16.2 We call upon all governments to create laws and services to ensure the protection and revitalization of Inuit culture and language. All Inuit, including those living outside Inuit Nunangat, must have equitable access to culture and language programs. It is essential that Elders are included in the development and delivery of these programs.

16.3 We call upon all governments with jurisdiction in Inuit Nunangat to recognize Inuktut as the founding language, and it must be given official language status through language laws. Inuktut must be afforded the same recognition and protection and promotion as English and French within Inuit Nunangat, and all governments and agencies providing services to Inuit must ensure access to services in Inuktut, and invest in the capacity to be able to do so. Furthermore, all government and agency service providers must be culturally competent and educated in Inuit culture, laws, values, and history, also well as the history of colonial violence perpetuated by the Canadian state and government agents against Inuit.

16.4 Given that the intergenerational transfer of Inuit knowledge, values, and language is a right that must be upheld, we call upon all governments to fund and support the recording of Inuit knowledge about culture, laws, values, spirituality, and history prior to and since the start of colonization. Further, this knowledge must be accessible and taught to all Inuit, by Inuit. It is imperative that educational institutions prioritize the teaching of this knowledge to Inuit children and youth within all areas of the educational curriculum.

16.5 Given that reliable high-speed Internet services and telecommunications are necessary for Inuit to access government services and to engage in the Canadian economic, cultural, and political life, we call upon governments with jurisdiction in Inuit Nunangat to invest the infrastructure to ensure all Inuit have access to high-speed Internet.

16.11 Given that healing occurs through the expression of art and culture, we call upon all governments within Inuit Nunangat to invest in Inuit artistic expression in all its forms through the establishment of infrastructure and by ensuring sustainable funds are available and accessible for Inuit artists.

16.14 We call upon all federal, provincial, and territorial governments to review and amend laws in relation to child and family services to ensure they uphold the rights of Inuit children and families and conform to Inuit laws and values. Inuit parents and guardians must be provided access to Inuit-specific parenting and caregiving teachings and services.

16.18 We call upon all governments to respect the rights of Inuit children and people in care, including those who are placed in care outside of their Inuit homelands. All governments must ensure that children and people in care have access to their families and kinship systems and have meaningful access to their culture and language and to culturally relevant services. All child and family services agencies must work with Inuit communities within their jurisdiction to meet their obligations to Inuit children in their care. We call upon all governments to immediately invest in safe, affordable, and culturally appropriate housing within Inuit communities and for Inuit outside of their homelands, given the links between the housing crisis and violence, poor health (including tuberculosis and suicide. Immediate and directed measures are required to end the crisis.

16.20 We call upon all governments to support the establishment of programs and services designed to financially support and promote Inuit hunting and harvesting in all Inuit communities. All governments with jurisdiction in Inuit Nunangat must immediately increase minimum wage rates and increase social assistance rates to meet the needs of Inuit and to match the higher cost of living in Inuit communities. A guaranteed annual livable income model, recognizing the right to income security, must be developed and implemented.

16.24 We call upon all governments to fund and to support programs for Inuit children and youth to teach them how to respond to threats and identify exploitation. This is particularly the case with respect to the threats of drugs and drug trafficking as well as sexual exploitation and human trafficking. This awareness and education work must be culturally and age appropriate and involve all members· of the community, including 2SLGBIQQIAJnuit.

16.25 We call upon all educators to ensure that the education system, from early childhood to post-secondary, reflects Inuit culture, language, and history. The impacts and history of colonialism and its legacy and effects must also be taught. Successful educational achievements are more likely to be attained and be more meaningful for Inuit when they reflect their socio-economic, political, and cultural reality and needs. Further, we call upon all governments with jurisdiction over education within the Inuit homeland to amend laws, policies, and practices to ensure that the education system reflects Inuit culture, language, and history.

16.26 We call upon all governments to establish more post-secondary options within Inuit Nunangat to build capacity and engagement in Inuit self-determination in research and academia. We call on all governments to invest in the establishment of an accredited university within Inuit Nunangat.

16.27 We call upon all governments to ensure that in all areas of service delivery — including but not limited to policing, the criminal justice system, education, health, and social services—there be ongoing and comprehensive Inuit-specific cultural competency training for public servants. There must also be ongoing and comprehensive training in such areas as trauma care, cultural safety training, anti-racism training, and education with respect to the historical and ongoing colonialism to which Inuit have been and are subjected.

16.33 We call upon all governments to invest in capacity building, recruitment, and training to achieve proportional representation of lnuit throughout public service in Inuit homelands.

16.39 We call upon all governments to support and fund the establishment of culturally appropriate and effective child advocacy centres like the Umingmak Centre, the first child advocacy centre in Nunavut, throughout the Inuit homeland.

Métis-specific Calls for Justice—Culture theme

17.3 We call upon all governments to ensure equitable representation of Métis voices in policy development, funding, and service delivery, and to include Métis voices and perspectives in decision-making, including Métis 2SLGBTQQIA people and youth, and to implement self-determined and culturally specific solutions for Métis people.

17.8 We call upon all governments, in partnership with Métis communities, organizations, and individuals, to design mandatory, ongoing cultural competency training for public servants (including staff working in policing, justice, education, health care, social work, and government) in areas such as trauma-informed care, cultural safety training, anti-racism training, and understanding of Métis culture and history.

17.18 We call upon all governments to establish and maintain funding for cultural programming for Métis children in foster care, especially when they are placed in non-Indigenous or non-Métis families.

17.24 We call upon all governments and educators to fund and establish Métis-led programs and initiatives to address a lack of knowledge about the Métis people and culture within Canadian society, including education and advocacy that highlights the positive history and achievements of Métis people and increases the visibility, understanding, and appreciation of Métis people.

17.25 We call upon all governments to fund programs and initiatives that create greater access to cultural knowledge and foster a positive sense of cultural identity among Métis communities. These include initiatives that facilitate connections with family, land, community, and culture; culturally specific programming for Métis 2SLGBTQQIA people and youth; events that bring Métis Elders, Knowledge Keepers and youth together; and mentorship programs that celebrate and highlight Métis role models.

17.26 We call upon all governments to fund and support cultural programming that helps to revitalize the practise of Métis culture, including integrating Métis history and Métis languages into elementary and secondary school curricula, and programs and initiatives to help Métis people explore their family heritage and identity and reconnect with the land.

2 SLGBTQQIA-specific Calls for Justice—Culture theme

18.1 We call upon all governments and service providers to fund and support greater awareness of 2SLGBTQQIA issues, and to implement programs, services, and practical supports for 2SLGBTQQIA people that include distinctions-based approaches that take into account the unique challenges to safety for 2SLGBTQQIA individuals and groups.

18.2 We call upon all governments and service providers to be inclusive of all perspectives in decision-making, including those of 2SLGBTQQIA people and youth.

18.5 We call upon all governments and service providers to ensure that all programs and services have 2SLGBTQQIA front-line staff and management, that 2SLGBTQQIA peo-ple are provided with culturally specific support services, and that programs and spaces are co-designed to meet the needs of 2SLGBTQQIA clients in their communities.

18.6 We call upon all governments and service providers to fund and support youth programs, including mentorship, leadership, and support services that are broadly accessible and reach out to 2SLGBTQQIA individuals.

18.7 We call upon all governments and service providers to increase support for existing successful grassroots initiatives, including consistent core funding.

18.8 We call upon all governments and service providers to support networking and community building for 2SLGBTQQIA people who may be living in different urban centres (and rural and remote areas), and to increase opportunities for 2SLGBTQQIA networking, collaboration, and peer support through a national organization, regional organizations, advocacy body, and/or a task force dedicated to advancing action to support the well-being of Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA persons in Canada.

18.9 We call upon First Nations, Métis, and Inuit leadership and advocacy bodies to equitably include 2SLGBTQQIA people, and for national Indigenous organizations to have a 2SLGBTQQIA council or similar initiative.

18.10 We call upon all governments and service providers to provide safe and dedicated ceremony and cultural places and spaces for 2SLGBTQQIA youth and adults, and to advocate for 2SLGBTQQIA inclusion in all cultural spaces and ceremonies. These 2 SLGBTQQIA-inclusive spaces must be visibly indicated as appropriate.

18.11 We call upon all governments, service providers, industry, and institutions to accommodate non-binary gender identities in program and service design, and offer gender-neutral washrooms and change rooms in facilities.

18.15 We call upon all governments, educators, and those involved in research to support and conduct research and knowledge gathering on pre-colonial knowledge and teachings about the place, roles, and responsibilities of 2SLGBTQQIA people within their respective communities, to support belonging, safety, and well-being.

18.16 We call upon all governments and educators to fund and support specific Knowledge Keeper gatherings on the topic of reclaiming and re-establishing space and community for 2SLGBTQQIA people.

18.17 We call upon all governments, service providers, and educators to fund and support the re-education of communities and individuals who have learned to reject 2SLGBTQQIA people, or who deny their important history and contemporary place within communities and in ceremony, and to address transphobia and homophobia in communities (for example, with anti-transphobia and anti-homophobia programs), to ensure cultural access for 2SLGBTQQIA people.

18.18 We call upon all governments and service providers to educate service providers on the realities of 2SLGBTQQIA people and their distinctive needs, and to provide mandatory cultural competency training for all social service providers, including Indigenous studies, cultural awareness training, trauma-informed care, anti-oppression training, and training on 2SLGBTQQIA inclusion within an Indigenous context (including an under-standing of 2SLGBTQQIA identities and Indigenous understandings of gender and sexual orientation). 2SLGBTQQIA people must be involved in the design and delivery of this training.

18.19 We call upon all governments, service providers, and educators to educate the public on the history of non-gender binary people in Indigenous societies, and to use media, in-cluding social media, as a way to build awareness and understanding of 2SLGBTQQIA issues.

18.20 We call upon provincial and territorial governments and schools to ensure that students are educated about gender and sexual identity, including 2SLGBTQQIA identities, in schools.

2. The Calls for Miskotahâ that are most closely related to the culture theme are as follows:

Intergovernmental Affairs

6 Action is required to address and reduce the racism and stereotyping Métis women and girls experience when accessing services. The federal government must fund a comprehensive “Métis culture and historical awareness” program for Métis women to educate and support all public servants, including but not limited to police, early responders, medical and health services, social workers, income assistance, community and family support services, transition workers and others working with Métis people to better understand the unique circumstances of Métis women and girls. Without this type of training, services providers will not be equipped to identify Métis people and in turn, adequately collect and analyze data and deliver appropriate services. LFMO makes the following recommendations:

The federal government funds LFMO to develop a comprehensive “Métis culture and historical awareness” training program;
LFMO will deliver the training, funded by the government of Canada, with federal and provincial government departments scheduling and facilitating the training;
That this training is mandatory for all public servants, government contractors and government-funded organization. Those receiving the training will be responsible for its coordination.
This training must include detailed information on Métis history, contemporary realities, kinship, historical and contemporary trauma and other concepts specific to service provision and will include Elders, Knowledge Keepers and guest speakers.
Training programs must be evaluated on an ongoing basis by Métis communities, Elders and Knowledge Keepers to ensure that training efforts are making a difference to Métis families accessing frontline services.
10 There must be equal representation of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, especially women, across all levels of Canadian government including political structure, policies and programs and judiciary branches.

Services

21 There is a need for the development of family and community programming that focuses on bringing Métis communities and families together to share, learn about and reinforce Métis culture and a positive sense of Métis identity.

Criminal Justice

40 Action is required to support victims and family members when dealing with the media. Métis victims are often stereotyped and devalued in media accounts and action is required to ensure these myths about Métis women cease. The federal and provincial governments must financially support the development of educational notes for media and government communications branches. These notes must also be redistributed in the event of a case involving a Métis woman or girl.

Health and Wellness

56 Action is required to support Métis women as they look to restore their identity, culture, traditions and practices while accessing health services. This requires financial support to develop and deliver Métis women’s programs that are strengths-based, trauma-informed culturally safe and grounded in Métis values and worldviews.

59 Action is required to recognize and support the role of Métis Elders and Knowledge Keepers in healing Métis women and children. Funding and other supports must be available to support capacity building of Métis Elders and Knowledge Keepers for peer support, ongoing training on Métis trauma-informed processes and issues facing contemporary Métis women and girls.

Prevention and Awareness

60 Action is required by LFMO, federal and provincial governments to cooperate in the development of a media campaign to dispel common misconceptions about Métis people, especially as they relate to Métis women and girls. This media campaign will focus on historic discrimination, racism and other conditions that have worked to make Métis women and children vulnerable but will employ a strength-based narrative touching on Métis identity, strengths, pride and worldviews.

61 Funding must be directed towards public education campaigns about Métis women, girls and LGBTQ2+ people to highlight our distinct experiences with racism, sexism, and colonization.

62 The development of a community-based reconciliation activities aimed at reducing racism and promoting safe, vibrant communities.

Enhanced Commemorations of Residential Schools and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

A. Issue

In response to the ongoing tragic discoveries of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across Canada, the Government announced in August 2021 an amount of $9.6 million over three years, in addition to the $13.4 million over five years already outlined in Budget 2021, to support enhanced commemoration regarding the history and legacy of residential schools. Coupled with the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 of this year, there is intense interest and demand from Indigenous groups and the public alike for commemoration activities as Canada is called on to take more action regarding its responsibility for the Indian Residential School System and the lasting detrimental effects on generations.

B. Background and Current Status

The Celebration and Commemoration Program (the Program) has been allocated $23 million over five years, starting in 2021–2022, with $2.4 million ongoing, to support initiatives that commemorate the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools. This funding will also support events and activities marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, observed as a federal statutory holiday for the first time on September 30, 2021.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #80 called for the creation of a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday. On June 3, 2021, Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act, and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) received Royal Assent. The Act establishes September 30 as a federal statutory day of commemoration to honour Residential School Survivors, their families, and Indigenous communities for employees in the federal public sector, the federally regulated private sector, and in most federal crown corporations.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important commemorative milestone as Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous organizations have been advocating for such a day for years. In testimony to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, individuals and organizations representing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples all spoke in support of the day, particularly the need to use this time of reflection and remembrance to educate the next generations of Canadians.
Program funding will support initiatives that commemorate the history and ongoing impacts of residential schools, including events and activities marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This builds on the Budget 2019 investment that allocated $7 million over two years for a Commemorating Residential Schools funding program that helped raise awareness on the history and legacy of residential schools and for activities that enabled communities to recognize, commemorate, and honour survivors, their families, and communities. Between 2019 and 2021, seven national events and 203 community projects were funded under this initiative.
In 2020–2021, despite the pandemic, the Commemorating Residential Schools initiative was highly oversubscribed with more than $14 million in applications in this one year alone. This clearly demonstrates an interest and a need for commemorative activities and funding to support them.
Over the past year, the Program identified instances where Indigenous perspectives of commemoration may differ from the traditional definition of commemoration and where existing program criteria may need to be more flexible to facilitate a wide range of commemoration. As it develops its strategy, the Program will work to identify how its criteria can evolve to better meet the needs of its clientele and how it can be more inclusive of Indigenous understandings of culture and commemorations.
It should be noted that commemorations generally in Canada, and around the world, have become a touchstone for increased tension and reflection around collective public memory and how to ensure that history includes all realities. This became nationally and internationally apparent in the lead up to Canada Day 2021 when many Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous allies called for altering Canada Day programming to become a day of mourning, reflection, and reconciliation-focused programming as a result of the discoveries of unmarked graves at former residential school sites. By supporting Indigenous-led commemorative projects, the Program understands it has an important role to play in this evolving context.
The Government of Canada also announced in August 2021 that it had set aside a budget of $20 million to build a Residential Schools National Monument in Ottawa. Planning is currently underway to determine next steps and to establish a project timeline (see fiche on National Monuments for more details).

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitment

In addition to stating general support for addressing the legacy of colonialism and residential schools and continuing progress on reconciliation, the Liberal Party platform specifically outlines a commitment to “support and provide funding to Indigenous communities: in their work to uncover burial grounds; for commemoration ceremonies, honouring memorials, and reburial in their home communities.”

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

In 2021, for the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the federal government approach was to focus programming on national events to create awareness of the Day, and to ensure that departments across the Government of Canada were equipped with appropriate communication support and messaging.
- In terms of programming, the Celebration and Commemoration Program provided funding for national events and initiatives led by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) to help raise awareness about the new national day and the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools.
- For communications, a Government of Canada website has been established, as well as a social media campaign to provide original content.
In the upcoming months, the Program will be engaging with Indigenous groups, Survivor organizations, and communities to determine how best to distribute the funds allocated for the longer term.
The Program is also exploring options to support existing community initiatives that commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools. The Program’s vision is to work collaboratively with other departments who have similar mandates pertaining to the commemoration of residential schools, to offer a coordinated approach for communities and organizations, and to lessen the administrative burden. Preliminary discussions are underway with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

All Canadians have the potential to benefit from activities held throughout the country to commemorate residential schools and to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as they were free of charge, open to the public, and in some cases publicly broadcast.
The Program will distribute funding in a manner that ensures wide geographic and demographic reach. Part of its engagement strategy will focus on ensuring that Indigenous voices from across Canada are heard to ensure that the Program meets a wide variety of needs and includes perspectives from groups such as rural communities, urban youth, and survivors, amongst many others, and that Survivors be at the core of the engagement. The Program understands that certain Indigenous organizations might face barriers due to their socio-economic reality (e.g., Internet access).

FPT Considerations

The recent discoveries of unmarked grave sites at former residential schools have created significant public awareness and outrage. Provinces and territories are expected to play an important role in supporting Indigenous communities across the country, and some have already announced concrete actions in this regard.
With regard to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Government of Canada does not have the constitutional authority to declare a national holiday for all Canadians. It is up to each province or territory to decide whether they wish to amend their respective labour legislation to adopt the day.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was observed for the first time on September 30, 2021, as a provincial/territorial holiday in the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In British Columbia, many public services remained open but schools, post-secondary institutions, some health sector workplaces, and Crown corporations were closed, with public services operating at reduced levels. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, Ontario, and New Brunswick recognized the date but did not officially observe it. Québec did not recognize the holiday.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

By prioritizing national engagement in 2021–2022, the Program will ensure a distinctions-based approach that assures representation from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, and participation from regions across Canada to understand how best to commemorate the tragic history and legacy of residential schools and mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in the future.
Over half of Indigenous Peoples in Canada live in urban areas; the Program is taking this context into consideration as it develops an outreach strategy for this commemorative initiative.

Timing

Direction of the Program and funding decisions will be at the discretion of the Minister. Target dates are as follows:
- Winter/Spring 2022: Design of the engagement strategy with Indigenous organizations and communities;
- Spring/Summer 2022: Engagement with targeted Indigenous organizations and communities; and
- Fall 2022: Development of delivery mechanism for funding distribution; and
- 2023–2024: Implementation.

Cost Implications

An overall amount of $23 million over five years, starting in 2021–2022, with $2.4 million ongoing, is being provided for initiatives to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools, including for activities related to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

A National Repatriation Framework for Indigenous Cultural Property and Ancestral Remains

A. Issue

Co-development of a national repatriation framework for Indigenous cultural property and ancestral remains has the potential to advance reconciliation and build a new relationship with Indigenous Peoples while contributing to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

B. Background and Current Status

The 2015 report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission includes a recommendation (Call to Action #43) that Canada should fully adopt and implement the principles of the UNDRIP and that the Government of Canada should use UNDRIP as a framework for reconciliation. On June 21, 2021, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act received Royal Assent and has now come into force.
A national repatriation framework would contribute to the implementation of Article 11 and Article 12 of UNDRIP. In particular, Article 12(2) of UNDRIP states that “States shall seek to enable the access and/or repatriation of ceremonial objects and human remains in their possession through fair, transparent and effective mechanisms developed in conjunction with Indigenous peoples concerned,” which refer specifically to cultural property and the repatriation of human remains.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #67, asked the “federal government to provide funding to the Canadian Museums Association to undertake, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, a national review of museum policies and best practices to determine the level of compliance with the UNDRIP and to make recommendations,” but did not make any specific reference to repatriation. The Canadian Museums Association expects to complete its national review by spring 2022.
The repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural property contributes to cultural revitalization, as Indigenous communities seek to renew cultural knowledge and practices and heal from trauma. Repatriation is deeply important to Indigenous Peoples, as it is linked to family and kinship, worldviews, and community history, spirituality, and knowledge.
According to the 2019 Government of Canada Survey of Heritage Institutions, close to 26% of heritage institutions in Canada have collections that include Indigenous cultural property or ancestral remains that are associated with Indigenous Peoples of Canada. This equates to over 6.7 million artifacts and approximately 2,500 full or partial remains. The majority (94%) of these items are held by eight of the largest institutions in Canada with archaeological collections. Canada’s national museums have Indigenous material in their collections as do other government departments and agencies such as Parks Canada. Additional cultural property resides in private collections in Canada.
The Canadian Museum of History (CMH) has been at the forefront of repatriation for several decades, working in close collaboration with Indigenous communities. Repatriation is one of many ways in which the CMH works in close collaboration with Indigenous communities on initiatives to ensure access to the collections. These initiatives include shared custodial agreements, long-term loans, collaborative research projects, the Sacred Materials Project, as well as visits of the collections upon request which foster the mutual sharing of knowledge and expertise. In addition, CMH’s Indigenous Internship Program offers professional and technical training for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit participants. The goal of the Program is to develop ways for Indigenous nations across Canada to represent their own history and culture in concert with cultural institutions.
The preliminary steps in the development of a repatriation framework were paused when the COVID-19 crisis began in March 2020 as the department turned its focus to emergency response measures.
Although not specifically referenced in their platform, the Liberal Party committed to including, “in all Cabinet ministers’ mandate letters, the requirement to implement UNDRIP, and ensure their offices and ministries work alongside Indigenous peoples to advance their rights.” As noted above, a national repatriation framework could contribute to the implementation of Article 11 and Article 12 of UNDRIP.
A national repatriation framework that applies to museums and heritage institutions across Canada would be an important measure to contribute to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

Development of a repatriation framework will be a new activity for the Department of Canadian Heritage that will require additional financial resources.
Should the federal government seek to implement the cultural property provisions of UNDRIP, Article 11 would require that the federal government ensure that effective redress mechanisms exist concerning state-owned cultural property taken without free, prior informed consent. This may be achieved through repatriation, co-management, access, or other relevant policies and actions of the national museums, including the Canadian Museum of History, and agencies including Parks Canada.
The state obligation in Article 12 of UNDRIP is specific to objects and human remains in the possession of the state, which could be addressed through repatriation, access, and other relevant policies and actions. State-owned cultural property is held primarily by the national museums, Library and Archives Canada, and certain governmental entities including Parks Canada. Generally, these entities represent their interests directly in treaty negotiations, and agreements usually include provisions for repatriation from their collections.
[REDACTED]

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

Repatriating Indigenous cultural objects is an approach that facilitates and acknowledges Indigenous systems of governance, ownership, and property. It also fosters learning about Indigenous cultures, societies, the relationships of Indigenous Peoples to places, as well as the importance of restorative justice and reconciliation. There are numerous reasons for Indigenous communities to request the return of objects, including human rights issues, spiritual reasons, retention or restoration of cultural history, and knowledge and preservation.

FPT Considerations

Even though the federal government does not have direct jurisdiction over provincial and territorial heritage institutions, they would be affected by a national repatriation framework as there will be expectations among Indigenous Peoples and the Canadian public that all museums make an effort to participate. Several provincial institutions have already developed their own institutional frameworks for repatriation. For example, the Royal British Columbia Museum published a repatriation handbook in collaboration with the Haida Gwaii Museum, which focuses on repatriation in British Columbia in 2019. It will be important to engage and consult with these provincial institutions in the development of a national framework to ensure that policies and potential programs align.

International Considerations

The repatriation of cultural property removed during the colonial era has recently been the subject of significant international attention. In 2017, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, called for the repatriation of African cultural property held in French museums. Since then, other nations, including the Netherlands and Germany, have also worked to develop repatriation frameworks. Australia has a framework for the repatriation of Aboriginal sacred objects and ancestral remains, and New Zealand’s national museum has its own repatriation framework for Maori cultural property and ancestral remains.
The cultural property and ancestral remains of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada are also housed in museums and other institutions around the world. [REDACTED] However, foreign states and international institutions may have their own requirements (such as that a request for repatriation be made by the Government of Canada) that will need to be considered and accommodated in the development of a repatriation framework.
There are no binding international treaties that require the repatriation of Indigenous cultural property and ancestral remains.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

Developing a framework on repatriation would require extensive and meaningful consultations with Indigenous communities across Canada and will need to accommodate existing commitments in modern treaties. It is reasonable to anticipate a range of diverse perspectives as some communities have made significant efforts to repatriate their cultural property with varying degrees of success, while other communities may first need support to build capacity. Additional considerations may also arise during consultations and the development of a repatriation framework. [REDACTED] Again, it is reasonable to anticipate a range of perspectives, from the desire for a museum, to adaptations to existing community infrastructure, or other culturally appropriate solutions that may not require a facility at all.
There may also be legal obligations to consult Indigenous signatories to modern treaties and self-government agreements should any agreements contain repatriation clauses or require consultation on policy development. In addition, the development of a repatriation framework would need to inform any ongoing treaty negotiations between the Crown and Section 35 rights holders.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Key stakeholders include First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples as well as potential holders of Indigenous cultural objects, such as collectors and dealers in cultural property, auction houses, cultural and heritage institutions (art galleries, museums, libraries, archives), as well as professional associations (Canadian Archaeological Association and others), estates, organizations, and certain public authorities in Canada.
Non-Indigenous organizations and institutions holding cultural objects of significance, both locally and abroad, could also have a vested interest in the longer-term goals of this initiative, as they would be tasked with working and facilitating the possible transactions of said cultural objects to Indigenous communities. Canadians who are not part of Indigenous communities may lose access to some Indigenous cultural property through its removal from public collections.
Although the Government has not formally consulted with respect to the repatriation of Indigenous cultural property, witness testimony from the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s study of a Private Member’s bill (the Indigenous Human Remains and Cultural Property Repatriation Act) in 2018 revealed the following key points of concern from Indigenous communities and museums:
- The physical return of Indigenous cultural property is one of several successful outcomes from repatriation negotiations. Alternate outcomes, such as co-management agreements, should be factored into the development of a framework.
- Repatriation requires a great deal of research to identify where material from a particular community is held, as well as detailed research on the provenance of human remains and Indigenous cultural property currently in museum collections. Both Indigenous communities and museums indicated requiring support in order to undertake this research.
- Indigenous communities and representatives indicated that significant funding would be required to effectively enable repatriation given the costs reported by communities such as the Haida Gwaii. The Haida Gwaii Museum reports having spent over $1 million over the last 20 years in order to repatriate the remains of 500 ancestors.
- [REDACTED]
- Indigenous representatives also raised the issue that infrastructure funding could be required in order to house the cultural property returned to communities.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

A national framework for the repatriation of Indigenous cultural property and ancestral remains would have an impact on Indigenous communities and heritage institutions across Canada. However, smaller and remote communities may require additional funding support to build capacity to identify, locate, and repatriate cultural property and ancestral remains. They may also require funding support to develop infrastructure to house repatriated objects in a culturally appropriate manner.

Timing

The development of a national repatriation framework for Indigenous cultural property and ancestral remains is a long-term commitment, with an estimated timeframe of approximately 3 years, half of which is dedicated to consultation with Indigenous communities.

Cost Implications

This cannot be assessed at this time, as costs would depend on the scope and approach of the consultation, and whether the framework proposes new programs or expands existing programs to build capacity and support.

Museum Policy

A. Issue

The federal government has not articulated the policy and objectives that guide its actions to support Canada’s museums for almost 30 years. This policy emphasizes excellence in museum activities, in addition to museum core functions of preservation and providing access but does not reflect the current realities of the digital era, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, climate change, or Canada’s diverse society. Modernization of Canada’s Museum Policy would establish a new vision for federal engagement with museums post-pandemic, guide future decision-making related to museums, and ensure that the federal government responds to the needs of museums and Canadians.

B. Background and Current Status

The current Museum Policy dates to 1990. For many years, the museum community and provincial and territorial governments have urged the government to update its policy and investments to better respond to the challenges facing museums in preserving and providing access to heritage for the public.
In 2016, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage launched a study on the state of Canada’s museums. In its September 2018 report, the Committee recommended that the government review and modernize the Museum Policy. In its response to the Committee, in January 2019, the government agreed with that recommendation. It noted that among the objectives of the 1990 Policy, preservation and access continue to be relevant, because they represent core museum functions, but that the way in which museums undertake those efforts have evolved, particularly in the digital age.
The Standing Committee’s study and recommendations fuelled significant expectations in Canada’s museum community, which views modernization of federal policy and programs to be long overdue. Stakeholders, including the Canadian Museums Association, are actively calling for a modernized policy.
No commitment of new funding or timelines was signalled by the Government in its response. The Government also noted that a significant amount of stakeholder input has been received over the past several years, and that this input would be reviewed to determine what additional consultations might be warranted.
There are an estimated 2300 not-for-profit heritage institutions that would be considered stakeholders of a “museum” policy: museums, art galleries, historic site interpretive centres, zoos and botanical gardens. These institutions are located in communities in all regions of Canada, and many are small, seasonal, volunteer-run organizations. Approximately 44% of these heritage institutions are not eligible for the Government’s hallmark funding program, the Museums Assistance Program, because they are small, seasonal, volunteer run organizations. Many more institutions were eligible for the temporary emergency funding, creating new clients and hopes for future funding opportunities.
Museums are uniquely placed to play a role in larger social issues that are important to Canada and Canadians, such as diversity and inclusion. Canada’s museums are especially well placed to foster reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The Government provides only marginal funding to support museums and Indigenous communities to work together in this area.
There is across the board agreement that museums and other heritage institutions are a trusted source of history and heritage information (96%). 81% of Canadians agree that visiting a museum or other heritage institution increases their feelings of attachment to Canada, while eight in ten Canadians (80%) agree that arts and heritage experiences help them feel part of their local community.
Canadians hold overall positive views about the value of arts and culture to quality of life. 85% of Canadians feel that heritage institutions contribute to their quality of life and millions visits a heritage institution every year (over 79 million visits in 2017).
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of cultural and heritage organizations and art galleries across Canada in mid-March 2020. Organizations have since reopened and closed again based on their local public health restrictions. While most organizations have been able to reopen, some remain temporarily closed. The pandemic highlighted the precarious financial situation of the not-for-profit cultural heritage sector. Stakeholders sought emergency funding as well as support for organizations to improve online access to their collections to help weather this unprecedented crisis.
According to the Statistics Canada quarterly GDP and employment figure highlights, cultural heritage institutions saw one of the largest economic and employment declines of all the cultural subdomains during the pandemic, with GDP down 41% in the 2nd quarter of 2020 from the 4th quarter high of 2019.
In 2020, the Government of Canada announced the Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Organizations (ESF). Through temporary changes to the Museums Assistance Program (MAP) ESF provided financial assistance to organizations to allow for the continuous care of heritage collections and ensure continuity of operations under the financial hardships of the pandemic. 1,238 organizations received a total of $33.7 million.
Budget 2021 announced $500 million in additional recovery and reopening funding for arts, cultural, and heritage institutions. Of this funding, $41 million has been allocated for a Reopening Fund for Heritage Organizations to be delivered through MAP to help museums, art galleries, archives, and historic sites as they reopen and welcome back visitors.
While work on the Museum Policy was delayed by the pandemic and efforts to provide immediate support to heritage institutions, a renewed Museum Policy could incorporate measures that will develop resiliency in the heritage sector over the long term. The Canadian Museums Association in particular has been vocal in emphasizing the need for increased investment in the sector.
Budget 2021 allocated $23 million over three years to support digitization of information and collections by museums and heritage institutions, and to support original content such as educational materials, apps or other virtual activities to enhance the visitor experience. The funding will be delivered under a new component of MAP and will address one of the long-standing funding gaps that stakeholders expect the Museum Policy to address.
There was no specific reference to reviewing the Museum Policy in the Liberal Party platform.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

The following four objectives, which reflect stakeholder input to date, could form the basis for a new federal vision for museums:
- Preservation: continue to facilitate the preservation of significant and representative collections in all regions of Canada;
- Access: foster access by people throughout Canada and around the world to Canada’s heritage and enhance their awareness, understanding and appreciation of that heritage;
- Sustainability: contribute to the long-term sustainability and self-sufficiency of Canada’s museums; and
- Museums in Society: recognize and support the role that museums can play in social issues that are important to Canada and Canadians.
A significant amount of input has been received from stakeholders prior to and during the pandemic, but additional consultations are required to address gaps and to assess priorities. Planned consultations could include online and roundtable consultations with museums and stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples and equity-deserving groups, discussions with the provinces and territories, and discussions with the Canadian Museums Association and provincial/territorial museums associations to validate what we have heard. [REDACTED]
Analysis (including through the lenses of reconciliation, diversity and inclusion and greening) and options development will follow the consultative process before seeking Cabinet approval.

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

Renewal of the Museum Policy will have a direct impact on the heritage sector and the heritage workforce, which employs 37,230 paid workers: approximately 13,000 full-time employees, 20,000 part time employees, and 4,200 contract workers. Part time employees and contract workers account for approximately 66% of the heritage workforce. According to the latest figures from the 2019 Government of Canada Survey of Heritage Institutions, the heritage sector across Canada employs a higher percentage of women than men (66.4% of the heritage workforce self-identify as female, while 33.6% identify as male). The survey also shows that approximately 4% self-identify as a visible minority.
Six in ten Canadians visit heritage institutions. The proportion attending heritage sites is similar among youth (87%) and Canadians aged 25-49 (86%), and then declines from the age of 50 onwards (77% among 50-54 years of age and 68% of those aged 65+). Overall heritage attendance increases with the level of education, from two thirds (66%) of those without a postsecondary education to nine in ten (91%) with a university degree. A similar pattern exists by income, from two thirds (65%) with household incomes under $40,000 to nine in ten (90%) with household incomes of $100,000 or more.
Indigenous and racialized people are also nearly two times more likely to want a digital or virtual component as part of their ideal cultural experience, suggesting digital can be used as an even broader tool to facilitate engagement for diverse audiences.

FPT Considerations

Culture, including heritage, is a shared responsibility between the provinces and the federal government. While the federal government’s first funding priority in museums continues to be the national museums, the provinces also support their own networks of museums and heritage institutions through legislative frameworks. Provinces also generally provide varying amounts of operating grants to many, but not all, provincial, municipal, and other heritage institutions, although funding levels and programs vary from province to province. The federal government targets the majority of its non-federal heritage funding in two main areas: youth employment and infrastructure. However, the federal government also provides other supports including tax incentives, project funding (primarily through the Museums Assistance Program), and professional services through the Canadian Conservation Institute and the Canadian Heritage Information Network.
Consultation with provincial and territorial governments would be required to develop options on a modernized Museum Policy to minimize duplicating funding programs.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

A duty to consult on an initiative such as modernization of the Museum Policy has been established with a number of First Nations through Final Agreements. Provisions of a modernized Policy that facilitate increased access to, and engagement with, museums by Indigenous communities, and any increase in federal support for such activities, would help support implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Call to Action #67, funding was provided under MAP to the Canadian Museums Association to support, in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, a national review of museum policies and best practices to determine the level of compliance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to make recommendations. The project is on track and the final report and recommendations are expected by March 31, 2022. These recommendations will be an important consideration in the development of the Museum Policy.

Stakeholder Perspectives

The museum community has significant expectations from the review of the Museum Policy, including an expectation of new funding investment in the MAP. Throughout the pandemic, stakeholders have continued to request that the Government renew the Museum Policy.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

Heritage institutions are located in all regions of Canada and approximately 40% of are located in rural areas. The impact of the MAP extends equally between urban centres and rural communities, with a slightly lesser impact in medium-sized centres.

Timing

[REDACTED]

Cost Implications

Existing departmental resources could accommodate limited consultations in the short term. Exact costs would depend on a number of factors and cannot be estimated at this time. [REDACTED]

Developing the RCMP Heritage Centre into Canada’s Newest National Museum

A. Issue

Budget 2021 committed funds to develop the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Heritage Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan into a new national museum to make the story of the RCMP accessible to all Canadians.

B. Background and Current Status

The RCMP established a museum in Saskatchewan in 1933. In 2001, the Mounted Police Heritage Centre Inc., a non-profit corporation, was established to operate the museum and run its programs.
In 2007, a new RCMP Heritage Centre building opened in a facility designed by Canadian architect Arthur Erikson. The Government of Canada contributed $23.5 million toward this project. The Government of Saskatchewan contributed $3.5 million and $2.5 million came from private donors. The RCMP Heritage Centre building is owned and operated by the Mounted Police Heritage Centre Inc. but is located on the grounds of the RCMP Academy, Depot Division, Saskatchewan.
[REDACTED] In March 2019, the RCMP Heritage Centre approached Canadian Heritage to seek a 15-year partnership that would provide sustainable funding. In July 2019 the RCMP Heritage Centre wrote to the Prime Minister and indicated that without sustainable operating funding, the museum would close by the end of 2019.
Canadian Heritage does not have a program to provide operating funds to Canadian museums. The Government only provides operating funding to its national museums through parliamentary appropriations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the RCMP Heritage Centre as it temporarily closed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened to the public in July 2020 and is currently operating with reduced hours and reduced visitor capacity. According to its own budget projections, the RCMP Heritage Centre experienced a substantial admissions revenue drop in 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 and only expects to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022–2023. As a result of lost revenue, the RCMP Heritage Centre has laid off five permanent staff and five part-time staff, out of its regular staff complement of 28.
The RCMP Heritage Centre was not eligible for the Emergency Support Fund for Heritage Institutions under the Museums Assistance Program (MAP), because the MAP funding supported the care of the heritage collection, which continues to be owned by the RCMP, and is thus ineligible under the Transfer Payment Policy rules. While the RCMP Heritage Centre is eligible to apply to other departmental programs, such as the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, or the Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program, these programs only fund a portion of project expenses. Canadian Heritage does not have a program to provide operating funds to a museum.
Budget 2021 has set aside $4.5 million over three years to support the RCMP Heritage Centre in becoming a national museum. The funds are allocated in the following way:
- 2021–2022: $2.2 million
- 2022–2023: $1.8 million
- 2023–2024: $0.5 million
This funding may support operations and is meant to allow the RCMP Heritage Centre to engage in expanded consultations and update their Strategic Plan.
Canadian Heritage will transfer a significant portion of this funding to Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) to flow funds to the RCMP Heritage Centre over two years, as Canadian Heritage does not have a funding program to facilitate this transfer. PrairiesCan’s predecessor, Western Economic Diversification, has previously provided operational funding to the RCMP Heritage Centre, including $500,000 over two years in September 2019. Approximately $0.5 million per year from Budget 2021 will remain at Canadian Heritage to support the work done at the Department.
Both the RCMP and the RCMP Heritage Centre are focusing some of their efforts on celebrating the 150th anniversary of the RCMP in 2023, and the creation of a new national museum is a factor in their planning.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

Canadian Heritage will provide guidance to the RCMP Heritage Centre (an independent, not-for-profit entity) to ensure that the consultations they undertake are national, regional, and local in scope and to ensure that a diverse range of views are heard. Equity-deserving groups should be meaningfully engaged in the consultation, in particular Indigenous, Black, Asian, racialized, LGBTQ2, women, and peoples with disabilities. The voices of community organizers active in the area of social justice should also be considered.
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples must be consulted. These consultations should take place at the community or regional level, including with remote and northern communities, as well as with National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs).
Consultations must include official language minority communities and be done in the official language of their choice.
Transforming of the RCMP Heritage Centre into a national museum will need to take into consideration these voices and incorporate them into the process.
There is a specific process to create a new national museum. The key steps in the process include:
- [REDACTED]
- negotiation of an Agreement in Principle (“Statement of Intentions”) with the parties involved, including the Mounted Police Heritage Centre Inc., and the RCMP;
- negotiation of a legally binding Definitive Agreement — drafted by Justice Canada with policy direction from Canadian Heritage to set out a business plan and resolve issues with respect to land transfers, building ownership, operating costs, and ownership of the collection;
- [REDACTED]
- [REDACTED]
Once the new Crown Corporation is operational, it will operate at arm’s length from Canadian Heritage and it will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, including with respect to programming and exhibitions.

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

The mission of a national museum must be inclusive and consider the perspectives of all peoples in Canada — both from a geographic perspective and from a societal perspective. A national museum should tell a variety of stories by not only considering the law enforcement perspective, but also by addressing the broader impacts on a community, which may be positive or negative toward the RCMP.
A high percentage of Canadians visit heritage institutions (80%). Overall attendance is also higher among foreign-born Canadians (84%, vs. 79% born in Canada). The proportion attending heritage sites is similar among youth (87%) and Canadians aged 25–49 (86%), and then declines from the age of 50 onwards (77% among 50-54-year-olds and 68% of those aged 65+).

FPT Considerations

The federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over the creation of a national museum, but the Province of Saskatchewan provided some capital funding for the museum building and has an agreement with the RCMP Heritage Centre to provide ongoing funding. This arrangement will end should the RCMP Heritage Centre become a Crown corporation.

International Considerations

Several countries have museums dedicated to law enforcement or policing; however, it would seem that most are privately owned or operated, often by the police forces or friends of the police forces who have established them.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

The relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the RCMP is long and at times difficult, particularly with regard to residential schools. As it undertakes its consultations, the RCMP Heritage Centre will need to pay particular attention to the perspectives and voices of Indigenous Peoples to ensure a balanced, truthful, and representative history of the force in Canada.
As such, consultation with Indigenous Peoples will be an important part of laying the foundation for the RCMP Heritage Centre to become a national museum, and Budget 2021 includes funding for this activity.
The new museum will be required to develop its own collections management policy and/or repatriation policy which will be informed by Call to Action (CTA) 67 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). In accordance with the Museums Act, the minister/department may not direct any activities or public programming in a national museum.

Stakeholder Perspectives

In a July 2019 letter to the Honourable Ralph Goodale, then Minister of Public Safety, the Commissioner of the RCMP, Brenda Lucki, expressed her support for the RCMP Heritage Centre, stating that is a “unique facility with profound national significance.” Since then, the Department is aware of a handful of additional letters received in support of the Centre’s transition to a national museum.
There are several other museums across Canada which have expressed a desire to become a national museum. Developing the RCMP Heritage Centre into a national museum may raise expectations among these other museums.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

In many parts of the country, the RCMP represents not only a national police force but a local one as well. These communities are largely rural/remote. In other areas of the country, the RCMP is not as present. The voices of rural/remote people as well as those in urban centres are an important intersectional consideration as the RCMP Heritage Centre plans and undertakes its consultations.

Timing

Establishing a new national museum is a medium-term commitment of between 24 and 36 months.

Cost Implications

Creating a new national museum represents a long-term financial commitment on the part of the Government. There will be short-term costs associated with the creation of the museum, which may include the cost of purchasing the building from the Mounted Police Heritage Centre Inc. and legal costs to negotiate the Definitive Agreement. More significant will be the long-term operating and capital costs of the Crown Corporation. Although it is not possible to propose costs at this stage, it is likely that costs will be in line with the other national museums. Costs to operate and maintain the RCMP Heritage Centre may be most similar to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. The appropriation amounts for the Pier 21 museum in 2019–2020 fiscal year were just under $8 million.

National Monuments in Canada’s Capital Region

A. Issue

The Department of Canadian Heritage is currently developing several nationally significant monuments in Canada’s Capital Region, including the Residential Schools National Monument, the LGBTQ2+ National Monument, the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan, and the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. Canadian Heritage is also leading a consultation process on a physical tribute to commemorate victims of air tragedies.

B. Background and Current Status

Canadian Heritage leads the development of new national monuments on federal lands in Canada’s Capital Region, working closely with the National Capital Commission, other federal departments, and external partners.
Four high-profile national monuments are currently under development:
- Residential Schools National Monument: In August 2021, the Government of Canada announced that it had set aside a budget of $20 million to build a Residential Schools National Monument. The next step is the creation of a Steering Committee, the primary advisory body that will provide advice and feedback throughout the project and make recommendations at key decision points, including the following: site selection, design competition approach and jury composition, interpretation program and content, and outreach and programming for inauguration. This committee will meet for an initial meeting in coming months.
- LGBTQ2+ National Monument: In August 2021, five shortlisted design teams submitted their design concepts. The online survey inviting stakeholders and the Canadian public to share thoughts on the finalists’ design concepts will be held during the fall of 2021. A winning design concept could be announced early 2022.
- National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan: In spring 2021, stakeholders and the Canadian public were invited to participate in an online survey to share thoughts on five finalists’ design concepts. The jury will meet in November 2021 to select the winning design, and the announcement of the winning design is anticipated for late 2021.
- Memorial to the Victims of Communism—Canada, a Land of Refuge: In 2020, this project suffered challenges largely linked to the pandemic, which resulted in additional funding being required to complete onsite construction work and sculpture fabrication. In April 2021, the federal budget provided an additional amount of $4 million to complete this Memorial.
To honour the victims of Ukrainian flight PS752 and other air tragedies, Canadian Heritage was mandated to lead a consultation on a physical tribute to commemorate victims of air tragedies. The consultation will take the form of a national online survey, the objective of which is to confirm interest in a physical tribute and solicit feedback on its purpose and function. Planning is underway for the survey to launch after Remembrance Day and close prior to mid-December 2021. Canadian Heritage has been working with Global Affairs Canada and Transport Canada to advance work for this consultation, given the mandate for all three organizations to consult with the families of victims of air tragedies.

Liberal Party of Canada Platform Commitment

The Liberal Party platform mentions a commitment to “continue work to build a national monument in Ottawa to honour residential school survivors and all the children who were taken from their families and communities.”

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

There are no anticipated short-term ministerial decisions, and all projects are proceeding according to established processes and timelines.
The Minister is kept informed of all critical project developments, such as when a jury has reached a decision regarding a winning design concept, which will likely occur over the next few months for the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan and the LGBTQ2+ National Monument.

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

National monuments engage, educate, and enable Canadians of all backgrounds to reflect upon Canada’s history and our place in the world.
All national monuments must meet accessibility requirements and comply with the Accessible Canada Act.
The Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) assessments regarding ongoing projects have not identified direct differential impacts between genders or other intersecting identity factors. Monument development is driven by affected communities, and the engagement process for each monument ensures the voice and perspectives of a range of Canadians are represented, including groups with intersecting characteristics. For instance, engagement and visioning for the Residential Schools National Monument will ensure inclusion of gender considerations, including those who identify as two-spirit and other identities, to better recognize gender, heritage, and culturally specific issues.
Many of these monument projects have been in development for a number of years. Recently, the public value of monuments has become a contentious topic, and the landscape of commemoration is evolving.
For the LGBTQ2+ National Monument, the project partner made particular effort to engage Indigenous communities, including Two-Spirit peoples, early on in the process. It is critical that national monuments tell the full story of Canada, inclusive of all voices and cognizant of intersectionality of identities.

FPT Considerations

As Canadian Heritage has responsibility for national monuments on federal lands in Canada’s Capital Region, there would be no FPT component in the projects mentioned here. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report, however, contains a separate Call to Action, Call to Action #82, which calls for monuments commemorating residential schools in the capitals of all provinces and territories, but as this is under provincial and territorial responsibility, Canadian Heritage is not implicated.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

In every monument project, discussions are held with local Indigenous communities (Algonquin Anishinabeg) about site use, and Indigenous Peoples are part of monument ceremonies and events. More tailored engagement and consultations are project-specific:
- Residential Schools National Monument: While Canadian Heritage has well-developed processes and protocols for managing monument projects, it recognizes that creating the Residential Schools National Monument will require an approach to co-development that is more extensive, robust, and culturally competent. In late 2019, Canadian Heritage held a Survivor Engagement Workshop in Ottawa; this was the first formal exchange with Indigenous communities on the development of a vision for the monument. A common “Survivors First” engagement strategy placing Survivors at its core is being developed. Consultation and engagement with Survivors, Indigenous communities, and other Indigenous partners will take place to ensure that the approaches taken in developing the vision and objectives for this monument are Indigenous-led, Survivor-centric, and culturally sensitive.
- LGBTQ2+ National Monument: The partner, the LGBT Purge Fund, engaged with local Indigenous communities and Two-Spirit individuals about the monument vision and site.
- National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan: Veterans Affairs Canada sought input from Indigenous Veterans on monument design considerations and final design proposals.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Residential Schools National Monument: Canadian Heritage will work closely with its federal partners to ensure that consultation and engagement with Survivors and Indigenous communities is done in a coordinated and meaningful manner, and that reconciliatory efforts permeate every aspect of this Survivor-led monument project.
LGBTQ2+ National Monument: The partner for this project is the LGBT Purge Fund, a not-for-profit corporation established in 2018 to manage funds for reconciliation and memorialization measures. The Fund resulted from the settlement of a class action lawsuit between the Government of Canada and members of the LGBT community who were employed by the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the federal public service. The project stakeholders include the participants of the settlement agreement and the larger LGBTQ2IA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual, and other identities) community.
National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan: The partner for this project is Veterans Affairs Canada. The project stakeholders include National Defence along with Veterans of the Mission and the families of those who served in Afghanistan.
Memorial to the Victims of Communism: The partner for this project is Tribute to Liberty, a Canadian charity whose mission is to establish a Canadian memorial to commemorate the victims of Communism. The organization is governed by a nine-member volunteer board of directors who represent key ethnocultural communities in Canada affected by communism. The project stakeholders are communities affected by communism in Canada.

Timing

While national monument projects managed by Canadian Heritage take approximately five years from initiation to inauguration, schedules vary depending on scale, complexity, engagement needs, and unforeseen events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current projected inauguration dates are as follows:
- Residential Schools National Monument – Spring 2026;
- LGBTQ2+ National Monument – Summer 2025;
- National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan – Fall 2024; and
- Memorial to the Victims of Communism – Fall 2022.

Cost Implications

Residential Schools National Monument: $20 million announced by the Government in August 2021.
LGBTQ2+ National Monument: $8 million, fully funded by the settlement of the class action. Canadian Heritage is not contributing financially to this project.
National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan: $5 million, fully funded by Veterans Affairs Canada. Canadian Heritage is not contributing financially to this project.
Memorial to the Victims of Communism: Government’s initial contribution was $2 million (Canadian Heritage and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) and Tribute to Liberty has raised $1.5 million. Budget 2021 provided an additional government contribution of $4 million to complete construction.

Report a problem or mistake on this page

Please select all that apply:

A link, button or video is not working

It has a spelling mistake

Information is missing

Information is outdated or wrong

I can't find what I'm looking for

Other issue not in this list

Date modified:: 2022-02-24

Transition material 2021 — Minister of Canadian Heritage

Table of Contents

A – Overview of the Department of Canadian Heritage

B – Overview of the Canadian Heritage Portfolio

C – Strategic Advice (Key Policy & Program Files)

Strategic Context

Recovery and Rebuilding

Strengthening Canadian Voices

Indigenous Relationships and Reconciliation

Heritage Policy and Monuments

Canadian Heritage Portfolio Overview

Introduction

What we do

Organizational overview

Description

Agencies

Library and Archives Canada

Table 1 notes

Description

Governance

National Battlefields Commission

Table 2 notes

Description

Governance

National Film Board of Canada

Description

Governance

Crown corporations

Canada Council for the Arts

Description

Governance

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Radio-Canada

Description

Governance

Canadian Museum of History

Description

Governance

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Description

Governance

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

Description

Governance

Canadian Museum of Nature

Description

Governance

Canadian Race Relations Foundation

Table 10 notes

Description

Governance

National Arts Centre

Description

Governance

National Gallery of Canada

Description

Governance

National Museum of Science and Technology (Ingenium)

Description

Governance

Telefilm Canada

Description

Governance

Administrative tribunals

Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board

Description

Governance

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

Description

Governance

Liberal Party of Canada’s Electoral Platform Summary – Canadian Heritage Perspective – Minister of Canadian Heritage

Arts and Culture and Media

Human Rights

Indigenous Affairs

Heritage

COVID-19 Support Measures for the Arts, Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Sectors

A. Issue

B. Background and Current Status

Emergency Support Fund

Waiving Part I and II License Fees

Short-Term Compensation Fund