COVID-19: Support for culture, heritage and sport sectors

The Support for Booksellers sub-component of the Canada Book Fund helps Canadian booksellers increase their ability to sell books online, in order to strengthen the sustainability of their operations in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic.

Application deadline: April 25, 2022

The Short-Term Compensation Fund for Canadian audiovisual productions (STCF), administered by Telefilm Canada, provides a temporary measure to help minimize the consequences of the lack of insurance coverage for filming interruptions and the abandonment of productions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the sector of audiovisual production.

The STCF is extended until March 31, 2023 and is budgeted at up to $150 million dollars.

The Community Sport for All Initiative component of the Sport Support Program will provide $80 million over two years to support organized sport at the community level to help Canadians and communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

Application deadline: April 4, 2022

Learn more about this initiative to support community sport projects for equity-deserving groups.

The Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund is a new $60 million temporary funding program to help workers in the live performance sector. It will fund initiatives led and delivered by organizations in the sector to directly support independent and self-employed workers (gig workers) in the live performance sector.

Learn more about this additional Support for Cultural Workers in the Live Performing Arts Sector.

May 2, 2022 announcement: Four independent organizations will provide COVID-19 transitional support to self-employed cultural workers in the live performing arts sector

In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada committed $1.9 billion to help support the arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors. This continued support for Arts, Culture, Heritage and sports sectors will help ensure recovery and growth, and help create good, middle-class jobs in these sectors.

Learn more about the distribution of Recovery and Reopening Funds for the Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Sport Sectors and the Major Festivals and Events Support Initiative.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has been meeting with people working in the culture, heritage and sport sectors across the country to understand how the Government of Canada can best support them through this challenging time. In the fall of 2020, a series of town halls and roundtables engaged nearly 4,000 individuals and organizations and received close to 1,000 written submissions. Participants had an opportunity to share their views about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their sectors. They also discussed ideas for a relaunch that will be more fair, inclusive and green. These conversations will help us build towards a stronger and more equitable recovery for Canadians.

Summaries of roundtable discussions

• Roundtables on the Future of Libraries and Archives – November 27 and December 2, 2020
• English-Language and Live Performance Sector Roundtable - September 2, 2020
• Visual and Digital/Multimedia Arts, Museums, and Heritage Institutions Sectors Roundtable - September 3, 2020
• French-Language Live Performance Sector Roundtable - September 8, 2020
• Music Sector Roundtable - September 10, 2020
• Green Recovery Roundtable - September 11, 2020
• Broadcasting Sector Roundtable - September 17, 2020
• Film and Television Industry Roundtable - September 18, 2020
• Anti-Racism and Equity Roundtable – September 24, 2020
• Publishing Sector Roundtable - September 25, 2020
• Roundtable on Accessibility and the Participation of People with Disabilities in Arts, Culture and Sport – October 1, 2020
• Roundtable on Advancing Equity for Women, Non-Binary People and LGBTQ2+ Communities - October 5, 2020
• Journalism Sector Roundtable - October 5, 2020
• Recreational Sport Roundtable - October 7, 2020
• Indigenous Sport Roundtable - October 7, 2020
• High Performance Sport Roundtable – October 8, 2020

The Support for Arts and Live Events Workers in Response to COVID-19 provides funding for 2021-2022 to help the planning and presentation of COVID-19 safe events in the arts and music sectors – including both live and digital – and provide work opportunities in these sectors.

The Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations provided additional temporary relief to support these organizations and help them plan for the future.

We conducted a survey to determine whether this emergency support fund achieved its main objectives in helping organizations maintain jobs, and support business continuity. Here are the results from the Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations Recipient Survey.

• The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will not issue letters requesting payment for Part I licence fees by broadcasters for the 2020–21 fiscal year.The government will transfer the necessary funds to the CRTC to support its operations.
• Waiving these regulatory charges for broadcasters provides immediate financial relief for the broadcasting industry, freeing up more than $30 million in cash.

More information

• COVID-19: the Government of Canada Provides Relief to the Broadcasting Sector

• Budget 2019 had announced three tax measures intended to support Canadian journalism that include:
  • allowing certain journalism organizations to register as qualified donees
  • the Canadian journalism labour tax credit
  • the digital news subscription tax credit
• A necessary condition for journalism organizations to benefit from these measures, is Qualifying Canadian Journalism Organization status. In addition, each measure has its own additional eligibility conditions. An Advisory Board is responsible for making recommendations to the Canada Revenue Agency on whether a journalism organization meets certain criteria to receive the Qualifying Canadian Journalism Organization designation.
• The Government is proposing a number of changes and clarifications to these measures that would apply retroactively to the coming into force dates of each of the measures. These draft legislative proposals are in line with the original policy intent of the journalism measures and would help ensure that support is available to Canadian journalism organizations.

More information

• Support for Canadian Journalism

Visit the Support for Canadian Heritage grants and contributions recipients page for information on Canadian Heritage funding support during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Government of Canada announced an emergency investment of $25.7 million for Canada’s six national museums and the National Battlefields Commission

More information

• The Government of Canada Maintains Its Efforts to Support Cultural and Heritage Organizations

The Government of Canada announced an emergency investment of $18.2 million to help the National Arts Centre (NAC) ensure the continuity of its operations and be ready to reopen to the public. The Crown corporation is the only multidisciplinary, bilingual performing arts centre in North America.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NAC closed its doors to the public on March 13, 2020 to protect the health and safety of their staff, visitors, and all Canadians. This investment will support the national institution as it continues to be a leader and innovator in performing arts fields, supporting emerging and established artists, and producing quality educational activities. It will also protect jobs on which many Canadians depend.

This support complements the Government of Canada announcement of $25.7 million for Canada’s national museums and the National Battlefields Commission.

Crown corporations, such as the National Arts Centre, are not entitled to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy or any other support measures that the Government of Canada has put in place to date.

• Canada Council for the Arts will issue advances enabling core funded organizations to: meet their immediate commitments, help ensure cash flow and address outstanding payments to the artists and cultural workers they employ.

More information

• $60M in advance funding to help stabilize backbone of arts sector as it faces COVID-19 crisis

• The Canada Council will provide a total of $1 million in funding to successful applicants to develop, create and share original or adapted works with Canadian audiences online.
• CBC/Radio-Canada will showcase and amplify the discoverability of select projects on one or more of its platforms.

More information

• Digital Originals - Micro innovation grants