Tourism, Culture and Recreation
August 13, 2010
Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Commit to
Fostering Arts and Heritage in Changing Times
Canada's federal, provincial and
territorial (FPT) Ministers responsible for Culture and Heritage met
August 12 to discuss topics relating to the theme of this year's meeting
— Fostering Arts and Heritage in Changing Times. All ministers
agreed on the importance of working together to advance common goals and
reaffirmed their support for the FPT Culture/Heritage and Tourism
Initiative (FPTTI).
At the meeting, co-chaired by the
Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official
Languages, and the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture
and Recreation for Newfoundland and Labrador, the ministers spoke on
issues of common interest, such as adapting to the digital environment,
cultural collaboration and the 150th celebration of Canadian
Confederation, cultural and heritage tourism as a key economic driver
and cultural heritage.
"The Government of Canada is committed to
working with provincial and territorial governments towards staking out
a place for arts and heritage in the everyday lives of Canadians," said
Minister Moore. "To accomplish this we must adapt our policies and
programs to ensure they keep pace with the changing economy. Already,
the Department of Canadian Heritage has begun this transformation
through the renewal of our suite of cultural programs to bring them in
line with our new digital reality."
"Newfoundland and Labrador has a vibrant
culture that is recognized throughout the country and around the world,
and our Provincial Government has made a concerted effort to preserve,
protect and promote our rich and diverse heritage," said Minister
French. "We recognize the value of our cultural and heritage assets and
the importance of working with our federal, provincial and territorial
counterparts to take advantage of the economic opportunities they
present. We were therefore delighted to host this
federal-provincial-territorial meeting; to share our successes with our
colleagues, and to learn from them what measures have proven successful
in their respective regions."
Tom Perlmutter, Government Film
Commissioner and Chair of the National Film Board (NFB) of Canada, gave
a presentation on Fostering Arts and Heritage in Changing Times, which
was followed by an open discussion by all ministers.
Adapting to the Digital Environment
Minister Moore provided an update on the status of the copyright reform
and the introduction of Bill C-32, the Copyright Modernization Act,
on June 2, 2010. According to Minister Moore, the purpose of this new
legislation is to bring Canada in line with international standards and
advances in technology, with clear rules that support consumers,
creativity, innovation, and economic growth. Provincial and territorial
ministers recognized the pressing need to modernize Canada's Copyright
Act, and welcomed the opportunity to comment on Bill C-32. Ministers
agreed that a modernized copyright framework is key to Canada's ability
to flourish in a knowledge economy. On the Digital Economy Strategy,
Minister Moore provided a status report on the public consultations
which concluded in July, and thanked the ministers for their
participation in this consultation.
Cultural Collaboration
The ministers highlighted the importance of cultural collaboration among
provinces and territories, and pointed to the presence of the Atlantic
Canada House and Canada's Northern House pavilions at the Vancouver 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as examples of highly-successful
regional cultural collaborative efforts. Ontario also noted the
importance of upcoming events such as the War of 1812 Bicentennial
celebrations.
A presentation on cultural collaborations
initiated discussions between Ministers on the celebration of the 150th
anniversary of Confederation in 2017. It allowed for ministers to
recognize the importance of this milestone event as a unique opportunity
to highlight the value of culture and heritage in all regions across the
country. The 150th anniversary will be discussed in more detail at the
next FPT meeting.
Cultural and Heritage Tourism as a Key
Economic Driver
Cultural and heritage tourism is a key economic driver and was showcased
through Newfoundland and Labrador's presentation on its vision of
Cultural and Heritage Tourism.
The presentation outlined key issues, successes to date, and future
opportunities.
Alberta and New Brunswick, with the
support of British Columbia, presented their report on the FPT
Culture/Heritage and Tourism Initiative. Ministers reaffirmed their
support of this initiative, and agreed to recognize the FPTTI as an
ongoing activity of the Culture and Heritage Table. They look forward to
its continued success.
Cultural Heritage
Quebec presented Bill 82, the Cultural Heritage Act, which will
modernize the 40-year-old Cultural Property Act. The Government
of Quebec wishes to enact a law that reflects the evolution of the
concepts and offers a much more inclusive definition of cultural
heritage. Bill 82 proposes an in-depth reform of the approach used to
safeguard and showcase Quebec's heritage and is an act that will allow
for the stories of the land to be preserved and shared.
Next Ministerial Meeting
The Honourable Elaine Taylor, Minister of Tourism and Culture for Yukon,
was pleased to extend an official invitation to her federal, provincial,
and territorial counterparts to hold the next meeting in Yukon in 2011.
2010 08 13
9:05 a.m.
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