Meeting with Provincial Deputy Ministers of Culture/Heritage

During a meeting last month between the Creative Industries Coalition (IATSE, Equity, CFM, and the ADC) and the federal Deputy Heritage Minister Isabelle Mondou, we raised concerns that the federal government had carried the majority of the load in terms of industry support while the provinces – aside from Quebec – had been largely silent. This has been particularly true for the live performance sector. We also informed her that we regularly encourage our Local leaders to advocate for their members and the industry by seeking meetings with provincial elected officials and bureaucrats.

Based on this discussion, Mme. Mondou offered us the opportunity to have a joint meeting with all of her counterparts – the provincial Deputy Ministers of Culture/Heritage – from across the country. We readily agreed. Coordination involved the PMO and the Privy Council. For unions to have access to such a meeting is unprecedented. It required a lot of preparation, which included internal meetings and consultations with employers, and resulted in the creation of supporting documents in order to educate participants on the status, structure, and challenges of the live performance sector, as well as our recommendations for support. These documents were sent out prior to the meeting so that participants could come fully prepared.

I am pleased to report that our presentation was very well received. Between provincial DMs and staffers, the meeting was highly attended, with over 100 participants. Time will tell whether any action results from the meeting, but at the very least, provincial governments are now aware of the issues facing the live performance sector and have been provided with options to assist. We encourage you to continue your efforts to advocate provincially and have posted below the documents that we created in order that we are all speaking with one voice.

Process & Time Frame Required to Mount a Production:  English & French
Coalition Proposals: English & French
COVID Impact on the Industry & Current Status: English & French
2021 Tax Rates for Charitable Organizations Across Canadian Provinces: English & French

 

English (Canada)