Canadian Arts Coalition Gearing Up for Lobby Day on the Hill
Bulletin 42/05
Ottawa, October 24, 2005 – The Canadian Arts Coalition is gearing up for an active day of lobbying on
Parliament Hill on October 25. The goal is a $5 per capita increase in federal funding for the arts, with
new funds to go to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Coalescing around a core group of national arts and culture organizations, the Coalition has been active
since May of this year. The Canadian Conference of the Arts was a founding member of the Coalition,
which now includes 26 national, provincial, and local organizations. A complete list of current members
can be found below.
The rapidly expanding activities of the Coalition have already borne fruit. The Minister of Canadian
Heritage, the Hon. Liza Frulla, has stated publicly, on several occasions, that she supports an increase for
the Canada Council, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2006. Her position received unanimous
endorsement from the provincial and territorial ministers of culture who met with her in Banff in
September. A number of Canadian cities have passed resolutions in support of the increase, with more
in the works.
While the signs so far are positive, there is still much work to be done to convince cabinet and MPs that a
$5 per capita increase is both desirable and affordable. That’s why, on October 25, a group of about 80
Coalition activists from across the country will visit with parliamentarians and their staff. Representing
the widest possible range of organizations, institutions, and artistic disciplines, this deeply committed
group will make the case for a substantial additional investment in the creative life of Canada.
The CCA will be there, represented by President Robert Spickler, Board member Bastien Gilbert, and
Interim National Director Andrew David Terris. Watch for a CCA Bulletin later this week on what
happened on the Hill.
Current Members of the Canadian Arts Coalition ~ Association nationale des éditeurs de livres ~
Association of Canadian Publishers ~ Book and Periodical Council ~ Canadian Art Museum Directors
Organization ~ Canadian Arts Summit/Sommet Canadien des Arts ~ Canadian Artists
Representation/Le front des artistes canadiens ~ Canadian Conference of the Arts/Conférence
canadienne des arts ~ Canadian Crafts Federation/Federation canadienne des metiers d’art ~ Canadian
Dance Assembly/Assemblée canadienne de la danse ~ Canadian League of Composers/Ligue
canadienne de compositeurs ~ Canadian Museums Association/Association des musées canadiens ~
Conseil québécois du théâtre ~ Greater Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture ~ Independent Media
Arts Alliance/Alliance des arts médiatiques indépendants ~ Magazines Canada ~ Le Mouvement pour
les arts et les lettres ~ Opera.ca ~ Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada ~ Periodical Writers
Association of Canada ~ Playwrights Guild of Canada ~ Professional Association of Canadian Theatres ~
Regroupement québécois de la danse ~ Union des écrivaines et écrivains québécois ~ The Writers’
Union of Canada ~ Société de développement des périodiques culturels québécois ~ Société des musées
québécois