News and announcements

Mandate letter to Heritage Minister confirms review of national museum policy

December 13, 2019

The Canadian Museums Association (CMA) was pleased to see certain museum, culture and heritage issues prioritized in the Mandate Letters which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released earlier today.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage will be required, among other things, to:

Preview our national museums policy to ensure that people can access Canadian history across the country, with better access to digital collections. Introduce the Culture Pass, a $200 credit that every Canadian child will receive when they turn 12 years old to be used to access theatres, museums, galleries, workshops and other cultural venues and local Canadian content.
Co-develop, with Indigenous Peoples, a framework for repatriating Indigenous cultural property and ancestral remains.
Work with the national museums to increase Canadians’ awareness of climate change.
Make the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Centre a national museum.
Work with all cultural and creative sectors on the successful delivery of initiatives and new funding announced in previous Budgets.

During the election period, in collaboration with provincial and territorial colleagues, the CMA had insisted that political parties prioritize museums. The group emphasized the need for a review of the policy, a review of funding streams and a simplification of the funding application process, as well as an expansion of the Museums Assistance Program. The Liberal Party promised a review of the Policy, however this commitment was not included in the recent Speech from the Throne.

The CMA anticipates playing a central role and actively participating in the process of reviewing and updating the National Museum Policy, on behalf of our members and the museum community. We look forward to working with the Minister and the Department of Canadian Heritage on this critical review.

The CMA will review the mandate letters more thoroughly in the coming days. We will be exploring further connections between our work, including in relation to the Young Canada Works Program and the CMA Truth and Reconciliation Program, and the government’s priorities. We will be writing relevant Cabinet Ministers and seeking meetings to discuss how best to work with the Government of Canada to advance museum issues.

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