Ottawa, April 11, 2022
Ukrainian Conflict, Housing Crisis and Fiscal Uncertainty Define Federal Budget
Multi-year museum and heritage sector pandemic assistance maintained but new spending curtailed
The world looked much different when Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled her first federal Budget a year ago, at the time, Canada and much of the world were still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reflecting a domestic and global reality shaped by a deadly pandemic, Budget 2021 included new, large multi-year federal investments in Canada’s heritage, arts and museums sectors. Notably, $500 million for the recovery of the arts, culture, heritage, and sports sectors, and to support community-level festivals and other in-person cultural events
Budget 2022 was framed by a different set of circumstances. In this context, it’s not surprising that COVID assistance and cultural programming should take a back seat to measures to mitigate new military threats and promote housing affordability and economic stability in Canada.
The good news for Canada’s museum and heritage sector is that Budget 2022 maintained the large multi-year investments announced last year and supplemented them with modest new investments. Specifically:
- An additional $50 M in 2022-23 to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, and Telefilm Canada to compensate arts, culture, and heritage organizations for revenue losses due to public health restrictions and capacity limits.
- $20 million to support the construction of the new Holocaust Museum in Montréal
In addition, last week’s budget contained a number of measures designed to support the larger arts and cultural community, notably to foster greater inclusiveness in the arts training sector and the creation, promotion, and touring of productions with Canadian commercial and not for profit organizations.
While some may be disappointed that the budget did not include a more robust or comprehensive response to the pressing challenges faced by Canada’s museum community, none should be surprised.
For our sector, the budget represents a challenge. In a period of growing competition for scarce government resources and rapidly shifting priorities, our sector must be prepared to make a compelling case of why it matters to Canada.
We know museums can be safe spaces for reflection about our society and the value of diversity and real inclusion. They can serve as stages for larger narratives, dialogue, and healing, when a cacophony of seemingly irreconcilable perspectives dominates our daily lives.
It will be up to us to drive that point home, and to make the case for the kind of federal partnership that will allow our community to play that role.
Massimo Bergamini
Executive Director & CEO (Interim)
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