MP Ashton & MP McPherson call for equitable investment in the arts

Dear Minister St-Onge,

We are writing to you today, as New Democrats are committed to ensuring that the communities we represent get equitable funding and treatment when it comes to investments in the arts.

The arts play an incredibly important role in our communities. They express who we are as a country and tell our stories in ways that attract people to spaces that they otherwise wouldn’t access. Art and music festivals bring communities closer together and help remind us of our shared values and struggles, as well as our history and accomplishments.

Investing in the arts is not only a cultural imperative but also an economic one. It creates jobs, stimulates local economies, and attracts tourism. In fact, creative industries provided over 600,550 jobs and contributed $55 billion to Canada's economy in one year alone.

In 2022, your government spent 30 per cent less of the total amount of grants disbursed to the Canada Council for the Arts compared to the previous year. At a time when festivals across the country are struggling, this cut in spending is unacceptable and will hurt communities.

That is why we are calling for you to reverse your government’s budget cuts and restore this critical funding for the Canada Council for the Arts to the Budget 2021 levels. By doing so, we will ensure that public arts remain accessible to all Canadians, no matter where they live in our country.

We look forward to discussing this matter with you and your department.

Sincerely,

Niki Ashton, Canadian Heritage Critic - (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski)

Heather McPherson, Canadian Heritage Deputy Critic - (Edmonton Strathcona)