Can you teach an old dog new tricks?

Alain Gourd said it all when he joked, “It will be more of a marathon than a sprint.” It doesn’t matter what party is before the country, Gourd explained. The same issues still rear their ugly heads with spare hope of retreat. He made sure to clarify that the new minority government, like the Liberals before them, both fail to hold culture at the top of their priority lists.

Artists need to continue to plead their cases to government and demonstrate the importance of arts in Canadian society. Their approach must be very targeted, despite the vastness of the arts sector and the world surrounding it. In the short term, Gourd said government must invest more time in financial issues like funding.

All in all, it just sounds like there needs to be new approaches to old ideas. Will these objectives become clearer this afternoon? Hopefully Gourd’s presentation will help to direct and focus the discussion following lunch. And, speaking of lunch, people seem impressed with today's menu. Apparently yesterday's six different kinds of potatoes left much to be desired.