QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Canadian Heritage
Culture Policy Development
March 19, 2019
Good afternoon, minister. On June 26, 2018, your government officially announced Canada’s creative export strategy. You are responsible for overseeing the implementation of that strategy with the support of the Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion. We know that advance consultations were held with 250 members and that round tables were held in the major urban centres of Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. However, as you know, minister, professional artistic and cultural production exists and is thriving in areas outside those major centres, and those regions have extremely important export initiatives. I am talking, in particular, about the strategy for the international promotion of Acadian artists, artists who have been doing important work since 1999. However, this strategy does not receive any funding from Canadian Heritage.
My question for you is this: How did the government consult and adapt this strategy and its evaluation criteria to take into account organizations in the regions that export to markets that are outside major centres but are nonetheless extremely important to the development of arts and culture in Canada?
Thank you very much for the question. You have touched on a fundamental point. There is a vibrant cultural scene in the different regions across the country, such as Acadia, northern Ontario and others. That is one of the reasons why, on July 17, the day I was appointed, as soon as I was driven from Rideau Hall to my office, I walked into the office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and said, “This is a wonderful office, it’s really nice, but I don’t want to be here because this is not where cultural policies that reflect the realities of Canadians and the regions are developed.” I remember saying, “I want to travel around the country. We’ll go to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and I also want to go to the regions.” That is why I went to Rimouski not so long ago and, before that, to Rivière-du-Loup. I have travelled all over because there are gems in the regions, like broadcasting studios, theatre and music shows, and cultural treasures in general. The $125-million program that was increased is for everyone, not just organizations located in major Canadian cities. It’s for the regions too. I hope that Acadians will apply, because they are doing really extraordinary things, and I hope that this government will be there to support them as well.
My comment, minister, is that Ms. Boyer, who is Director General of International Trade at Canadian Heritage, appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committee last October, if my memory serves, and talked about the targets and primary markets this strategy was going to focus on.
Those primary markets included Asia, Latin America, Europe and, lastly, the North Africa francophone market. I am quite worried about this. My question is this: why did it take four years for the development of the francophone market to become part of this export strategy, when we know, as you just said yourself, that major works and productions could be exported internationally, works that have been coming out of francophone communities before that period, of course?
Again, thank you for the question, senator. The vitality of the French language and promoting the French fact are of tremendous importance to our government. One might even say it’s in our DNA, considering that we passed the Official Languages Act, our work to promote our official languages, and the importance we place on both official languages. Certain markets, such as the Chinese market, are important, of course. I spoke to the president of Cavalia recently because his company is moving into that market. Asia is an important market because it has the population and the financial capacity to attract our cultural industries. Latin American countries, our neighbours to the south, make up another big market. I myself am originally from further south, from Argentina. Our trade mission there was tremendously successful.
None of that detracts from how important France, Belgium and francophone African countries are to our government. As you know, senator, we have very close ties with all those countries, and we are producing absolutely extraordinary things right here at home in both official languages, certainly in French, and not just in Quebec but in Acadia and other provinces, as I have seen for myself. We will be there to support our francophone artists, artisans and creators and help them export their creations to those markets.
