Evidence of meeting #16 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 museums.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
Last year, I think it was about $120,000.
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
Last year, we received funding under the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program and the Museums Assistance Program, for exhibits.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good afternoon and welcome.
In the 38th Parliament, in other words during the last Parliament, Minister Frulla, from the government of the day, began a review of museum policy.
Did you participate in these consultations under the museum policy review?
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
Yes, we did so through the Société des musées québécois, but not specifically as regards the rail component. We are represented by and members of two associations, the Canadian Museums Association and the Société des musées québécois. They explained the requirements for the museum community, in other words requirements in terms of conservation, exhibits, but each of the specific sectors was not covered.
Since we are the only railway museum in Quebec, the information is obviously general in nature and applies to all museums. It is more or less the same thing throughout Canada. There are very few railway museums in comparison with other museums. The general thrust is the same. We agree in terms of requirements for conservation and exhibits, but more specific requirements remain, for example, for restoration. We cannot send railway cars to the Centre de conservation du Québec or to the Canadian Conservation Institute. So throughout Canada, when museums need to do railway restoration work, whether they would be large or small, they do the work on site. Access to funding for this component is therefore... That is why we asked to be heard, to explain the importance of access to funds for restoration work, because we would apply for that kind of funding for our type of collection, for example. However, programs do not always specifically fit with this kind of requirement.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Apart from this very specific aspect, that you have just told us about, do the other observations made before this committee and put to the department in the previous Parliament suit you?
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
Yes. In terms of the requirements for museums of which we are one, we fully agree. The problem specific to our collection, to Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum, and the association, is very specific. I do not believe that Canada has any other collection of this value for the country. That is a specific aspect. However, we fully agree with respect to the other aspects outlined by the Canadian Museums Association and the Société des musées québécois with respect to requirements for museums.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Aside from restoration, are there other problems specific to your museum and other railway museums?
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
Another important factor is the fact that preserving industrial artifacts requires sizeable facilities. In the past, not enough was done in the field of documentation on protecting collections. The federal government tended not to invest as much as was needed to meet the museum community's needs in this area.
In general, museum funding, be it for exhibits, research or conservation, has been woefully inadequate over the past 12 to 15 years. There are shortages in all areas. One of the areas in which museums play a key role is memory. However, memory needs to be looked after, something that is impossible if museums are unable even to afford their power bill. And this is a situation in which many museums find themselves.
Bloc
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
We have to find solutions. Any self-respected society that wants to pass on its values to future and present generations has to invest in its heritage. That is something that is crucial. Understanding the past is a prerequisite to understanding the future; we learn from the past. It is extremely important for a child to be able to go into a museum such as ours and discover a world different from what he finds on the Internet or in a Nintendo game. Upon entering the museum, children experience a sense of wonder and of new discovery. Another person may experience this same wonder when faced with a work of art or an aboriginal artifact. In our museum, we witness the sense of wonder all day long, and it affects young and old alike. Contact with an artifact is the best way to teach life's lessons.
Bloc
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
I will ask my question again. What will happen if we do not act now?
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
I simply cannot believe that we would stand by and do nothing ; I cannot believe that, as Canadians, the people seated around this table are not cognizant of the importance of our heritage. I have faith that those around us will be open to supporting heritage, because destroying our heritage is tantamount to saying that the ingenuity of yesteryear is worthless, which is not at all the case.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
To follow on from what Mr. Malo was saying, it seems that you are teetering on the edge of the precipice. Obviously, it is important that you maintain a positive attitude towards the future. In terms of other sources of funding, you have revenue generated by selling tickets to those who visit the museum. However, if I have understood you correctly, aside from some small envelopes for specific projects, you receive virtually nothing from the federal government. You have received support through the student program, although according to the announcement made two weeks ago, it would seem that the current government wishes to cut back this program.
That being said, I would like to point out that it is thanks to Mr. Abbott's interest in the subject that you are here today. Mr. Abbott supported my motion. I am targeting my criticism not at him personally, but at his government that wants to make cuts to this program. At the end of the day, you essentially get nothing from the federal government. However, you receive funding from the Quebec government.
What shape does the Quebec government's financial contribution take?
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
It is referred to as operational support. We receive an annual contribution to cover human resources, electricity.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Obviously, all institutions, be it CBC or a museum such as yours, want to secure stable long-term funding. But, with respect to the contribution from the Government of Quebec, when will that agreement come to an end?
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
We have not been given an end date. So long as the Government of Quebec recognizes the importance of museums that must be financially supported and so long as we perform well, based on evaluations every three years, we will continue to receive support.
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
So long as they deem it important. As I have said, that has been the case since 1979. We do hope they will always consider it important.
Liberal
Director General, Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Canadian Railroad Historical Association
No, but we have been receiving the recurring grant since 1992. Obviously, since the capital project, the provincial government has made an effort to support us, in the hope that other equivalent partners could join in, because the heritage we are safeguarding is Canadian heritage. The province of Quebec recognizes that part of this heritage is also specifically that of Quebec — the first railroad was built in Quebec, not far from the museum — but it also considers the collection to be the focus of a significant partnership with the federal government.
Liberal
