Canadian Heritage Committee on May 15th, 2014

[The Chair (Mr. Gordon Brown (Leeds—Grenville, CPC)), Conservative, Gord Brown]

Good morning everyone. We're going to call this meeting number 24 of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to order.

Today, we have the pleasure of hosting the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, the Honourable Shelly Glover, to our committee.

Welcome, Minister. We're going to have you speak for 10 minutes and then for the rest of the hour we will have questions for you. Following that, we will have a half-hour with the officials from the Department of Canadian Heritage. After that half-hour, we will go in camera to work on our study.

Minister, welcome. You have the floor for 10 minutes.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

To begin with, I would like to talk about hockey and say that last night's game was fantastic. Go, Habs, go! We are all proud today. I also want to say hello to my husband. It is my anniversary today. So, hi Bruce.

Mr. Chair, I am delighted to be with you today as Minister responsible for Canadian Heritage. With me today are Colleen Swords, the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, Robert Hertzog, the Department's Chief Financial Officer.

l will begin with a heartfelt thanks to the committee members for your ongoing work to help strengthen the arts, culture and heritage in Canada. You have been hard at it since I was here last fall, with your studies on the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi and on Canada's music industry. I know my departmental officials briefed you as part of their study on the music industry.

The committee has asked me here to speak about the 2014-15 Main Estimates for the Department of Canadian Heritage and Portfolio organizations, so l will briefly go over the key elements with you.

The total resources for the Department of Canadian Heritage for 2014-15 are $1.39 billion—$178.3 million in operating expenditures, $1.19 billion in grants and contributions, and $24.0 million in Statutory.

This year's departmental estimates have increased by $72.8 million over 2013-14.The overall $1.39 billion figure for the department includes the transfer of $14.2 million from the National Capital Commission to the Department for the Capital Experience Program. With the transfer of the Capital Experience Program, Canadian Heritage has taken responsibility for activities including Christmas Lights Across Canada and Winterlude. I was pleased to participate in both events, and they were a huge success.

This year, portfolio organizations are receiving $1.8 billion in appropriations as well as the $803.7 million they generate as revenues, making total resources of $2.6 billion available to them in 2014-15. In particular, the National Battlefields Commission is receiving an additional $5.6 million in funding in 2014-15—an increase of 64.8%—so that Gilmour Hill can remain open 12 months of the year. Overall, the government is providing $8.2 million from 2013-14 to 2015-16 for this project.

All in all, the funds allocated through this year's main estimates will allow the department and the portfolio organizations to continue serving Canadians by promoting our official languages, supporting our arts, culture and heritage sectors, and fostering sport participation in this country.

As you know, the government also tabled the 2014 Economic Action Plan, the EAP, in February, and several items reflect our strong support for arts, culture, heritage and sport. We recognize the contribution these sectors make to strengthening communities and generating economic activity. According to the most recent figures, arts, culture and heritage in this country generate close to $50 billion and 630,000 jobs each year.

Through the economic action plan we have put in place permanent funding to programs that were due to sunset on March 31, 2015, which brings total permanent funding to $24.6 million per year for the Canada Music Fund and $39.1 million for the Canada Book Fund. We also made $79.9 million in funding permanent for arts programs, bringing total funding for core arts programs of Canadian Heritage to $120.6 million on an ongoing basis.

The economic action plan also confirmed the permanent renewal of $25 million for the Canada Council for the Arts resulting in total ongoing funding of over $180 million annually.

Now the combination of our artists, talent, and creativity and the support they received from Canadians has resulted in a remarkable year for the sector. At home the Governor General's awards in visual and media arts recognized eight Canadian artists in different fields such as visual arts, architecture, video, independent film, and new media.

I was also so pleased to host the screening of Louise Archambault's Gabrielle at February's movie night. This gem of a film won a Canadian screen award for best picture and best actress for Gabrielle Marion-Rivard's incredible performance. Gabrielle also won five Jutra awards and Antoine Bertrand won a Jutra for best actor for Louis Cyr: L'homme le plus fort du monde.

My hometown of Winnipeg put on an outstanding show for Canada in hosting this year's Juno award ceremony as well. It was a great opportunity to recognize a host of Canadian music professionals for their work: singers, songwriters, composers, musicians, and entrepreneurs. Arcade Fire's Reflektor won a Juno for album of the year and it was also certified triple platinum in March 2014. Winnipeg's own Bachman-Turner Overdrive was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

The talents of Louis-Jean Cormier and Marie-Mai were recognized at the awards ceremony gala of l'ADISQ. Internationally our artists and films are being nominated at the biggest international festivals and winning many, many awards. For example, Xavier Dolan Tom à la ferme won the International Federation of Film Critics best film prize at the 2013 Venice Film Festival. Canadians Michael Bublé and Jennifer Gasoi won Grammy awards. Dany Laferrière became the first Quebecker to be elected at the prestigious the Académie française and Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize in Literature 2013, which is a first for a Canadian woman author.

In addition to the emphasis that we place on promoting Canadian arts and culture, our government continues to celebrate and honour our history.

The EAP noted several milestones on the road to Canada's 150^th birthday in 2017. Historic events this year include the 150^th anniversaries of the Charlottetown and Québec Conferences. To date, our Commemorate Canada program has invested approximately $7.4 million in celebrations related to these historic nation-building milestones.

As well, our government is asking Canadians how they would like to celebrate our 150^th birthday. Individuals can have their say through an online forum at the Canada150 website, and I hope all of you will encourage your constituents to submit their ideas on how to mark this important anniversary.

I have participated in several roundtables, and I was particularly impressed by the forward-looking views I heard from youth representatives. And similar meetings are taking place throughout the country with a range of participants representing aboriginal and linguistic minority communities, as well as business, arts, heritage and cultural sectors.

In 2017, communities of all sizes from coast to coast to coast will join in the celebrations of our diverse, bilingual, pluralist and unique Canadian heritage.

Our government has also reconfirmed it's commitment to sport participation and sport excellence in this country. Canada's athletes are an enormous source of pride. Witness Sochi, where we placed third in the gold medal count at both the Olympic games and the Paralympic games winning 10 gold medals at the Olympic games and seven gold medals at the Paralympic games.

We will build on the momentum generated in Sochi by continuing to invest significantly in sport. There will be ongoing funding of nearly $23 million yearly made permanent in budget 2014 towards sport excellence, bringing total ongoing funding for sport support to $146 million.

This includes $11 for Own the Podium, $6 million for summer team sports, $5 million for the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and $1 million a year for Special Olympics Canada.

We will provide Special Olympics Canada with an additional $10.8 million over the next four years to help provide sport training and competition opportunities for Canadian athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Increasing sport and physical activity among Canadians, particularly children and youth, is another priority for our government. We are providing Le Grand défi Pierre Lavoie with $1 million over two years to promote healthy living and physical activity among school children living in Quebec and in French language minority communities.

I see John Weston over there just grinning ear to ear. I want to thank you for all of your fitness concerns and helping us all to stay active and healthy through fitness. Thank you, John.

The 2014 economic action plan reconfirms $500 million over six years for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games in Toronto. This includes $193.9 million for the Games in 2014-15, which is an increase of $71.6 million from 2013-14.

As one of the largest multi-sport events ever held in Canada, the Games will create economic, cultural and community development opportunities for the Greater Golden Horseshoe area and beyond. They will highlight our country's sport excellence and create a sport legacy for all Canadians.

In brief, these are the key elements of the main estimates for 2014-15 and the 2014 economic action plan. Both clearly show that our government continues to be committed to supporting arts, culture, and heritage in Canada.

I'd now like to turn it over to your chair and answer any questions you might have.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

All right. Thank you very much, Minister.

We're now going to go to the questions and we're going to start with Mr. Boughen for seven minutes.

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Thank you, Chair.

Let me say welcome to the minister and to your colleagues with you. I appreciate the fact that you're giving time to sit with us and hear our issues and concerns and that we can hear from you.

Looking ahead to the 150th anniversary of Canada, the government has some important milestones that will define our history and shape our identity. Our government takes holding these events very seriously and is working hard to ensure that the celebrations will showcase all the best of Canada. You've pointed that out, Minister. We're certainly with you on that.

You and your department have been undertaking national consultations with a large number of Canadians to see how they would like to celebrate Canada's 150th. Could you perhaps give us an update on how these consultations are going and what are you hearing from Canadians from coast to coast to coast?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

First of all, let me thank you for that wonderful question. This is going to be a celebration of the greatest country in the world. The 150th anniversary of Confederation for Canada will be an event from coast to coast to coast that is celebrated in every locale.

We are presently doing these consultations, as you mentioned. Here I'd like to share just one little bit of a proposal put forward by a youth from the north. As you know, we've already got a number of celebrations planned, and in this regard I think of things like the 50th anniversary of the national flag and the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage. Of course, we're in the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I and the 75th anniversary of the start World War II. Presently we're commemorating those events.

We've got a number of events on the road to 2017 that we're already acknowledging, but there is this one young person who said to me at a youth round table that his grandmother makes quilts. He's an aboriginal boy from the Northwest Territories, and quilting is part of their tradition. He suggested that for our 150th we should get all of our youth across the country to participate in making a square that would tell people what they think of 150 years in our country, and then we should put all of those squares together from coast to coast to coast and make a beautiful quilt that would then hang in one of our national museums.

And 50 years later the kids are going to be around still, he said, so we should get together again and have the next generation do the same with another quilt, and for years and generations to come people will be able to see how Canada has evolved and how proud we are of everything we have.

These are the types of things I'm hearing from Canadians. And this young boy, I'll tell you, he had an impact everyone in the room.

Aside from that, we're hearing from seniors who want to remember the sacrifices of many of our men and women in uniform, some of whom obviously gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could have the freedoms, democracy, and liberties that we presently enjoy.

I'm hearing from official language minority communities across the country that they want to make sure that we have both official languages, that they form part of this fabric of our Canadian identity and continue to thrive everywhere, that they're acknowledged.

So I just hope that all of you here will endeavour to do a round table, do a consultation in your own communities, refer people to the website that's now in place and give us your ideas. We want to make this a celebration that Canadians themselves organize and tell us what they want to do. We don't want it to be a celebration where the Government of Canada is telling others how to celebrate. This is an opportunity for all Canadians to have input.

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Well, it's interesting that you mentioned quilting, because that's definitely a Canadian throwback from years and years ago that,s coming back into its own. It's interesting to hear that the young people look at it as a kind of preservative, if you will, of culture and history. Very good.

How much time do I have, Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

You have two and a half minutes, Mr. Boughen.

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Good.

Minister, you mentioned the Juno awards, which were a resounding success. Every year they simply seem to get better and bigger and more excellent. In your opinion, why is Canadian music so important and how does it help foster and develop a strong and stable music industry in Canada?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you for mentioning music. I know you're heavily invested in a study on music at this point, and I wish you all the best in your study. I'm anxious to receive your report when it's done.

First of all, let me tell you that Canadian music is part of our identity. When we enjoy the music that our artists put out, it reflects who we are as Canadians. Our Canadian music is essential in ensuring that we are different from our neighbours across the border. So when I think of some of the artists at the Junos, and I think of Serena Ryder and how she hosted with tremendous enthusiasm, and I think, of course, about Brett Kissel, who is phenomenal and an inspiration to so many young people.

This is why it's important that through Canadian Heritage we provide some funding, so these artists can continue to provide Canadians with music that portrays who we are. Through budget 2014, we actually made permanent a number of measures, including permanency in the Canada Music Fund. We also continue to provide to FACTOR and Musicaction, so they can decide how to bring new musicians into this wonderful industry

It does create huge economic benefits for Canada, huge benefits. In fact, when I think about all of the money that is put through the industry, I know there are jobs that go with that money. So for Canadians, it's not only about feeling good or feeling sad through the music that's produced, feeling proud of who we are through the Canadian content and celebrating those musicians, but it's also an economic driver and source of employment for them. So I'm proud to be able to say it's now a permanent feature of our government's plan.

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Thanks, Minister.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

You have 10 seconds.

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Only 10 seconds.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

In 10 seconds, may I simply say that the Junos in Winnipeg were awesome. Thank you to all of you who were there. I know some of you were there.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Nantel.

Mr. Nantel, you have the floor for seven minutes.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to the three of you for being with us here this morning.

Minister, we all have very busy schedules, and I imagine yours must be much busier than mine.

You began your remarks by thanking the committee people for conducting in-depth studies and for devoting time to them. I do not entirely share your view in that your predecessors have done very little with those studies to date. Some of our recommendations on the 150^th anniversary, for example, have clearly been overlooked on several occasions.

The urgency in my remarks is obviously related to Radio-Canada. We will be discussing that all day. I would like to ask you some very specific questions that have been prepared on the topic.

Did you meet with the President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada before he announced the last round of cuts? How often do you speak with Mr. Lacroix and members of the board?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I want to thank the member for his question.

I definitely meet with Mr. Lacroix from time to time. At the start of my appointment as Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Mr. Lacroix and some of his colleagues attended one of those meetings, and I was there with my assistants. The meeting was supposed to take an hour and a half, but it lasted three hours.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

I understand.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I want to know everything that goes on in my department, and I pay attention when it comes to CBC/Radio-Canada. I am very proud that our government has acknowledged the importance of the role that the CBC plays in our society. That is why we grant significant funding to the agency every year.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

I am pleased to hear you say that. Thank you.

Are there any guidelines on the mandate and role of that crown corporation's board of directors? If there are, could you send them to our committee?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

What do you mean by "guidelines"?

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Are there any eligibility criteria for becoming a member of the board at the CBC?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I will be pleased to send you the eligibility criteria. The appointment process is quite rigorous, and we make sure all the criteria are met.

You mentioned that some 150^th anniversary events are overlooked. If that is the case, I was not informed of the situation. I have a whole list of those items.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

I want to make sure I re-email you the report we submitted to you. We spent several months studying the celebrations for the 150^th anniversary. One of my complaints is that the activities for the 150^th have been overlooked.

My essential point is that our committee spent a lot of time studying the music industry in the digital age.

I hope you will have a chance to read our report, which I also hope will be unanimous. If there is a dissenting opinion, however, I hope you will take the time to read it. We have invested a great deal of time, energy and money in that study. A lot of witnesses appeared before the committee, and it will be very much appreciated if our report is considered.

In the House, you mentioned the decline in the CBC's ratings. However, Mr. Lacroix told us exactly the contrary, that the problem with the CBC is not attributable to ratings.

Can you give us the source for your comment on ratings? Could you also submit a copy of the document you used as a basis for saying it?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

As I mentioned, the plan for the 150^th anniversary has not yet been established. Consequently, we have overlooked nothing yet. I encourage you to send us ideas. I know you have drafted a report, but everything is still at the planning stage.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

That in a way is the problem, minister.

Like many Canadians, I honestly wonder how it is that we have made so little progress with barely three years to go before the event. Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967 were planned virtually a decade in advance.

Furthermore, as far as I know, a community in my electoral district has submitted its consultation report to you. Will we ultimately be coming up with something?

To wrap up this discussion, which I consider less urgent than the one concerning the CBC, I simply want to remind you that recommendation 15 in the report called for the creation of an independent agency. That would be an independent, non-partisan agency that would travel the country to conduct the consultations rather than the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

You are not unaware that I appreciate your short answers, since I also have to talk about the CBC.

On April 9, we asked you some questions about the mandate of our public broadcaster and its obligations toward the official language minority communities. You immediately answered that it was up to CBC/Radio-Canada to provide the programming that Canadians want to see.

As you can understand, your answer is somewhat insulting to Canadians living in the communities, like the one you come from. Was your message that regional programming is of no interest?