OTTAWA, February 16, 2009 - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced the appointment of Philip C. Ponting as a member of the Canada Council for the Arts.
"I am pleased to welcome Mr. Ponting to the Canada Council for the Arts," said Minister Moore. "Mr. Ponting brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Council as a well-respected legal expert and a dedicated adept of the arts for many years."
Mr. Ponting is a senior partner in the Calgary office of McLennan Ross and practises administrative law with the major focus on the field of employment law. His extensive legal career, which spans more than 35 years, has brought him before numerous Canadian institutions, including the Supreme Court of Canada, the Alberta Court of Appeal, as well as the Alberta and Canada Labour Relations Boards.
His involvement in the arts sector is stellar. He has served on the boards of a number of cultural organizations, including the Board of Governors of the Banff Centre, the Edmonton Concert Hall Foundation, the Alberta Performing Arts Stabilization Fund, and the Council of Governors of the Edmonton Aviation Historical Society. He was also involved in the Edmonton Symphony Society from 1986 to 1996. Mr. Ponting graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and obtained his law degree from Queen's University.
The Canada Council for the Arts fosters and promotes the study, enjoyment, and production of works in the arts by providing assistance to individual artists and arts organizations through a peer-assessment process. It also administers the Public Lending Right program of payments to authors, coordinates the development of UNESCO activities in Canada, and coordinates Canadian participation in UNESCO activities abroad. For more information on the Council, visit www.canadacouncil.ca.
Information:
Deirdra McCracken
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
819-997-7788
deirdra.mccracken@pch.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
