Ottawa to shift arts funds to Olympic programs by James Bradshaw
Source : Globe & Mail
More than $40-million freed up by controversial cuts will be redirected to athletics, bilingualism plan
August 22, 2008
More than $40-million in savings the federal government will reap from controversial cuts to arts and culture funding will be redirected to the Vancouver Olympic torch relay and two other programs, exacerbating fears that replacement initiatives are not in the cards.
The Conservative strategy is apparent in a section of the 2008 federal budget that promises to "redirect all savings" from cuts to several Department of Canadian Heritage domains to pay for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic torch relays; the Road to Excellence program, which supports Summer Olympics athletes; and the Action Plan for Official Languages, which promotes bilingualism.
According to the budget, Heritage planned $61.9-million in cuts between February, 2008, and the end of the 2010-2011 fiscal year as part of its ongoing strategic review. Those funds, which include the trimmed arts and culture spending, will instead be used to pay for the $24.5-million torch relays and to provide $48-million to the Road to Excellence over three years.
A supposed lack of funding for athletes surfaced as a hot topic when Canadians failed to win any medals in the first week of the Beijing Olympics.
The level of funding for the official-languages plan was still to be determined when the budget was published, but Heritage found further savings in July when the government decided to cut another $17-million from other arts and culture programs, including the much-publicized $7.13-million Trade Routes cultural export program.
Both Heritage Minister Josée Verner and the Prime Minister's communications director, Kory Teneycke, have been coy when asked about the possibility of creating new, streamlined arts and culture initiatives to replace those they say were inefficient, but the prospect of replacement programs looks increasingly bleak now that the most obvious funds with which to create them have been drained from the cultural coffers.
Mr. Teneycke said he hopes the shift in funding is part of a larger strategy stretching back to past budgets that takes into account the "total envelope of cultural money."
Most within the arts community have softened their tone in recent days when expressing their disappointment about the cuts. Katherine Carleton, executive director of Orchestras Canada, stressed that though the community's confidence in government support has been eroded, it is important not to spark a "jocks versus artsies" squabble.
Jeff Alexander, president and CEO of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, said federal support for the arts through Heritage has been integral to thousands of artists and organizations.
© Globe and Mail
The Conservative strategy is apparent in a section of the 2008 federal budget that promises to "redirect all savings" from cuts to several Department of Canadian Heritage domains to pay for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic torch relays; the Road to Excellence program, which supports Summer Olympics athletes; and the Action Plan for Official Languages, which promotes bilingualism.
According to the budget, Heritage planned $61.9-million in cuts between February, 2008, and the end of the 2010-2011 fiscal year as part of its ongoing strategic review. Those funds, which include the trimmed arts and culture spending, will instead be used to pay for the $24.5-million torch relays and to provide $48-million to the Road to Excellence over three years.
A supposed lack of funding for athletes surfaced as a hot topic when Canadians failed to win any medals in the first week of the Beijing Olympics.
The level of funding for the official-languages plan was still to be determined when the budget was published, but Heritage found further savings in July when the government decided to cut another $17-million from other arts and culture programs, including the much-publicized $7.13-million Trade Routes cultural export program.
Both Heritage Minister Josée Verner and the Prime Minister's communications director, Kory Teneycke, have been coy when asked about the possibility of creating new, streamlined arts and culture initiatives to replace those they say were inefficient, but the prospect of replacement programs looks increasingly bleak now that the most obvious funds with which to create them have been drained from the cultural coffers.
Mr. Teneycke said he hopes the shift in funding is part of a larger strategy stretching back to past budgets that takes into account the "total envelope of cultural money."
Most within the arts community have softened their tone in recent days when expressing their disappointment about the cuts. Katherine Carleton, executive director of Orchestras Canada, stressed that though the community's confidence in government support has been eroded, it is important not to spark a "jocks versus artsies" squabble.
Jeff Alexander, president and CEO of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, said federal support for the arts through Heritage has been integral to thousands of artists and organizations.
© Globe and Mail
