Evidence of meeting #20 for Canadian Heritage in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Some artifacts are missing, but this also happens in the other museums. We have just met with representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs who lend their artifacts to foreign missions. We asked them if they ever had any missing artifacts. They replied that although it did happen, the artifacts were not really missing because they sometimes showed up again. They are sometimes recovered.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Based on the inventory, about 18 or 20 artifacts are missing.
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
No. The Department's intranet site includes a list of these artifacts. We have art coordinators in every region, and they can help us recover these artifacts. Some artifacts are sometimes borrowed from offices; sometimes, when people leave, they take the artifacts with them.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
At the Department's request, Mr. Houle conducted a study during the 1980s and made several recommendations on the collection and how it should be maintained.
Are you aware of this report?
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
No, I am not aware of it, but I could find it if you like.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
If you find it, I would appreciate receiving a copy because we can't seem to get hold of one.
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
What is his name?
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes, I do recall now. We have a copy of this study.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes.
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Liberal
4:10 p.m.
Bloc
Maka Kotto Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I have two quick questions, because we are running out of time. I will let others delve into this more deeply.
Are you aware of the report that the Auditor General released two years ago on the conservation of works?
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes. We took part in this study. Representatives from the Office came to see us to find out how we proceeded.
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
It was what?
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes, but not as far as we are concerned. It was aimed more at the National Archives and Parks Canada.
4:10 p.m.
Manager, Indian and Inuit Art Centres, Corporate Services Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
No.
4:10 p.m.
Bloc
Maka Kotto Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
An artist's work is designed to travel and not to be preserved inside a box.
The Musée du Quai Branly, which is considered the world's leading tribal art museum, has just opened in Paris. It asked for indigenous, Inuit and other works of art from Canada and the province of Quebec. It did not receive a positive response. It received two artifacts, which it exposed. The people at the museum were somewhat disappointed, if not to say frustrated, given our lack of response to their request.
What is your position on this?
