News

CCA Together!

Yes, we're still here, and it’s high time that I reported our recent weeks’ activities!

Just like Mark Twain (and many others since), the CCA would like to say that rumours of its death have been greatly exaggerated! Upon hearing the recent news, some may have jumped to the conclusion that the CCA was folding its tent. Neither the board nor the staff has thrown in the towel and we’re working at full steam ahead...

Fallout from the Federal Budget… Continues

CCA Bulletin 08/12

The CCA continues to identify the cultural impacts of federal budget. On April 30th, several departments and agencies announced a third wave of cuts to the federal public service. Today, the statistics we need and impacts on collective memory.

Other Consequences of the Federal Budget

CCA Bulletin 07/12

In the wake of the budget presented on March 29, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled yesterday a Bill that puts into place some the budget initiatives. Food inspection has attracted a great deal of attention but in the cultural sector there are two measures in particular that we would like to highlight.

Special Budget Edition

Special Budget Edition

We are very proud to present this special federal budget edition. Our in depth budget analysis will be published in a few weeks when the Heritage Minister publishes the estimates and report on plans and priorities. Normally the government announces the plans and priorities before the federal budget drops, but not this year...

Telefilm Canada: The Impacts Remain Difficult to Evaluate

In 2011-2012 Telefilm received $105.7 million from the Heritage Department. For 2012-2013, their budget will be cut $10.6 million over 3 years, a reduction of 10%. Since last summer, the government has been telling agencies that they will need to cut 5-10% from their budgets. If observers weren’t surprised by the cuts to CBC – they were announced and expected from many members of government – the cuts to Telefilm and NFB caused a bit more surprise. Some have wondered if the other audio-visual agencies were cut to make the cuts to CBC...

Special Budget Edition: A First Look at the Federal Budget

We are very proud to present this special federal budget edition. Our in depth budget analysis will be published in a few weeks when the Heritage Minister publishes the estimates and report on plans and priorities. Normally the government announces the plans and priorities before the federal budget drops, but not this year. Specific impacts are beginning to emerge as to which programs are being maintained, but there is no guarantee that priorities will remain the same. Several signs are already visible; others will accumulate over the weeks...

CCA President’s Blog – All together now!

April 23, 2012 After months of silence, we finally know where we stand: the federal government has confirmed officially it will put an end to 46 years of funding to the Canadian Conference of the Arts by March 31, 2013. The good news is: we can count on some transition funding. We trust that Minister Moore’s decision to grant final funding to the CCA is an acknowledgment of the pertinence of our business plan and of our serious intent to transform the organisation. I won’t deny however that we are disappointed with the final decision, as...

National Arts Center

Of the eight organizations that were cut in the recent federal budget, the reductions to the National Arts Centre have received very little reaction. The cutbacks to the organization may have been overshadowed by the much larger cuts to the CBC and the Heritage Department and the fact that funding was maintained for the Canada Council for the Arts. However the cuts of $1.9 million over 3 years add up to just over 5% of the NAC’s budget – and this does not include having to cover inflation on salaries, goods and services. Very few arts...

The National Film Board

One of the 2012-13 Budget’s main disappointments for the cultural sector were the cuts imposed on the audiovisual sector. “Efficiencies” or not, the repercussions from the cuts to CBC, Telefilm and the National Film Board will have important consequences for the production food chain of this important sector of cultural expression. Let’s look at the case of the National Film Board which will lose 10% of its budget ($6.7 million) on top of having to absorb inflation on goods, services and salaries. It seems that because it has been...

CBC: The Cuts Expected by All

If the federal budget contained some surprises, the cuts to the CBC weren’t one of them. It has been a number of months that we have been expecting these cuts to the crown corporation. Minister James Moore has continued to reaffirm that the CBC needs to make cuts between 5-10% like all the other agencies. You didn’t need to be psychic to predict the cuts of approximately $115 million. You also have to add to this the obligation to absorb the increased costs of doing business, just like at the Department and its agencies and societies. The...