Culture and heritage priorities discussed at annual meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers

TORONTO, June 29, 2023 /CNW/ - Federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) ministers responsible for culture and heritage held their annual meeting in Toronto, Ontario, on June 27?29, 2023, to discuss common priorities for the 2023?2024 year. The meeting was hosted by the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage; the Honourable Neil Lumsden, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport; and the Honourable Michael Ford, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.

FPT governments agreed in 2021 on a five-year strategic framework (2021?2026) to focus their governmental collaboration around three strategic priorities:

• Strengthening the creative economy;
• Strengthening the culture and heritage resources in Canada; and
• Strengthening engagement and promotion in the culture and heritage sectors.

Ministers discussed these priorities in relation to recent federal legislation touching on the cultural sector, including the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11, which received Royal Assent on April 27, 2023, and the proposed draft policy direction.

A high-level analysis of key data and trends for culture and heritage, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, was presented to the ministers. The latest provincial and territorial data indicate that the nominal gross domestic product (GDP) for the culture sector in Canada increased by 8.3 percent to $54.8 billion in 2021, and that jobs increased by 11 percent. Notably, increases are observed in all provinces and territories. Overall, the sector has shown signs of recovery since the fourth quarter of 2020, with its nominal GDP increasing for a ninth consecutive quarter. For Canada overall, both cultural GDP and jobs continue showing steady growth, surpassing pre-pandemic levels around the second quarter of 2022.

Ministers discussed the importance of federal, provincial, and territorial heritage sites to our culture and acknowledge the need for additional governmental resources to further support this sector to address current challenges.

Ministers were also informed about the international perspective on COVID-19 recovery as well as on comparable relief efforts for these sectors. Ministers were encouraged by the evidence of ongoing recovery and will continue to pursue their respective efforts in support of long-term growth in these sectors, benefiting workers, and communities across Canada.

Regarding the challenges and opportunities related to arts, culture and heritage infrastructure in their province, British Columbia addressed work being done in response to shifting demographics, community expectations, rising market pressures, and climate adaptation.

Quebec discussed the issues and challenges that are affecting its cultural sector in relation to the digitally driven transformation of consumption patterns for cultural products, and presented some of the solutions that it is currently considering in order to ensure the diversity of cultural content, particularly French content, in the digital environment.

Representatives from three of Ontario's culture and heritage agencies (Ontario Creates, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Heritage Trust) shared information regarding recent support, programs, and initiatives to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the cultural sector.

Representatives from Nunavut made a presentation on Indigenization of government policies, specifically the integration of Inuit Qaujimaningit (Inuit Societal Values) into Nunavut's core government operations.

National Indigenous organizations attended a distinct meeting with the ministers prior to the FPT meeting. Discussions focused on a range of topics of importance to these organizations.

Yukon will host the next ministers' meeting in 2024.

"Over the past two days, ministers responsible for culture and heritage across Canada have come together for the future of our sector. We've talked about strengthening our creative economy, consolidating our cultural and heritage resources, and mobilizing our communities. We've accomplished a lot, but there's still work to do, and I'm excited about what we're going to accomplish to encourage long-term growth, support workers and communities, and celebrate the rich culture found within Canada."

?  Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"Co-hosting this FPT meeting with my colleagues Michael Ford, Ontario's Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, and Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, was an honour. Gathering with our fellow ministers to discuss trends and our respective and shared priorities in the culture and heritage sectors allows us to focus on continued growth and transformation and identify how we can make them more resilient and supportive of innovation. I am optimistic about the future of these sectors and the important contributions they will make to Ontario and Canada's economic stability."

?  Neil Lumsden, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

"It was a privilege to co-host this FPT meeting with Ministers Neil Lumsden and Pablo Rodriguez, and welcome colleagues from across the country to Ontario. It was a valuable opportunity to come together to share our successes and explore innovative initiatives to support, strengthen, and promote the country's culture and heritage sectors. This meeting reinforced our collective commitment to work together to honour Canada's history and create a brighter future for all those who call it home."

?  Michael Ford, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism

As of the fourth quarter of 2022, the quarterly GDP of the entire culture sector surpassed pre-pandemic levels, totalling $16.8 billion, an increase of 12 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Jobs in the sector stood at 714,177, an increase of five percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. However, the rate of recovery varies across subsectors.

The cultural heritage subsector's GDP and jobs totals are still 15 percent and 10 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels, respectively.

Newspapers are 9 percent lower in GDP and 13 percent lower in jobs, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The performing arts subsector remains 7 percent lower in GDP and 6 percent lower in jobs than it was pre-pandemic.

Meanwhile, the audio-visual and interactive media subsector is up 14 percent in GDP and 23 percent in jobs compared to before the pandemic. The visual and applied arts subsector has grown 28 percent and 23 percent, respectively.

SOURCE Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for culture and heritage