Canadian Heritage Committee on June 20th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Sorry for being a little late. We had some votes. We'll make sure that we try to keep this first section to maybe 20 minutes or half an hour so we can have our Canadian museums people come forward. I know some have travelled a long distance and have been waiting for this day for quite some time.

Again, welcome to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), this is a study related to Canadian museums. We welcome from the Department of Canadian Heritage, someone who comes on quite a regular basis, Lyn Elliot Sherwood. Thank you very much for coming. We will listen to your comments first. As I say, we'll keep it to 20 minutes to half an hour with Ms. Sherwood.

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood, Executive Director, Heritage Group, Department of Canadian Heritage]

Thank you, Mr. Schellenberger.

We understood from the committee staff that you wanted to begin with an overview of the programs in the heritage portfolio, so that's what I'm going to do, and I will try to go very quickly. Then I'll be happy to answer any other questions that I don't hit in the introduction.

I do want to stress that what I'm talking about is the funding available within the portfolio of Canadian Heritage. There is funding that is made available to heritage institutions by other departments, such as the Human Resources Department or the regional development agencies, but I'm only focusing on the heritage portfolio.

Clearly, the most significant investment we make is in the five national institutions: the four national museums and Library and Archives Canada. Under “Grants and Contributions”, we have a variety of programs, some of which are focused on museums and others for which museums are eligible clients. In those other programs, there is not necessarily a dedicated envelope for heritage or a sub-envelope for museums. So the total I've given you on the left-hand side of that column, the $37.8 million, is an average based on the use of the programs by heritage institutions.

The museums assistance program is the longest-standing program. It has existed since 1972. It accounts for approximately 25% of the total annual funding that goes to heritage. It has four components, one of which deals with access and promotes primarily travelling exhibitions; another promotes excellence in museological practices; the third is focused on aboriginal heritage; the fourth component is the annual funding we provide to the Canadian Museums Association to support the services it provides to its members.

The second program, the movable cultural property program, is a very small grants program of just under $1.2 million. It is used to support acquisitions by museums of cultural property that is threatened with export or that may become available on international markets. So in recent weeks you will have seen the news coverage of the 18th century Nascapi coat that is being acquired by The Rooms Provincial Museum in Newfoundland--we were able to support that--or the Southesk Collection that was in a British family and became available at auction. The Royal Alberta Museum has acquired that with support from the program.

The Young Canada Works program has two components. One is primarily a summer employment program; the other is designed to foster careers for recent graduates in relevant disciplines. We have five delivery partners for that program, of which the Canadian Museums Association is one. Of the $3 million in that program, which is part of the youth employment strategy, the museums account for $1.7 million.

In the broad package of programs generally known under the umbrella Tomorrow Starts Today, the Canadian arts and heritage sustainability program has one component that is specifically dedicated to heritage. That component focuses on fostering business skills. The museums assistance program fosters museum skills; this one fosters plans to increase financial sustainability and plans that look at the governance of institutions, that kind of activity.

The Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada is a very small program, $300,000, which goes to a single recipient, the A-V Preservation Trust. You may have noticed in the news every spring their announcement of the 12 master works that are selected for special preservation treatment. That program supports that activity.

The next line of programs under “Grants and Contributions” are ones for which I'm not directly responsible. I therefore beg your indulgence if I have to get back to you with any detailed information you may ask for. Heritage institutions have access to the Cultural Spaces Canada program, which supports the improvement of infrastructure. That's another program from the Tomorrow Starts Today envelope.

Similarly, Canadian Culture Online is a partnership fund that is used to create online content and is also a source of funds for heritage institutions.

Outside the department, the Canada Council offers assistance to art museums and public galleries, particularly for the promotion of and education in contemporary art. A limited number of the fine arts museums in Canada can access that program. As well, Library and Archives Canada has a grants and contributions program focused on the needs of archives across the country.

In terms of support other than grants and contributions, under the Movable Culture Property Program, tax incentives are provided when cultural property is either donated or sold to public institutions.

The Cultural Property Review Board certifies between $100 and $200 million in cultural property each years for tax credit purposes. From a tax standpoint, the Finance Department pegs the value of these credits at between $7 and $36 million per year, depending on whether or not we consider these credits have changed people's behaviour or actions.

Two weeks ago, we discussed the Indemnification Program. It is estimated that the program has generated savings of approximately $20 million over five years in insurance costs. There are also two national centres of excellence and expertise worthy of note. Firstly, the Canadian Conservation Institute conducts research and provides training and services such as the sharing of knowledge in the conservation field. Secondly, the Canadian Heritage Information Network handles the creation, management and preservation of digital content, including national databases of museum collections across the country.

The Virtual Museum of Canada program is one of the programs managed by the network which now encompasses approximately 1,200 museums nationwide. All of these institutions work together to create digital content. The Virtual Museum is responsible for two programs, neither of which falls into the category of a grants and contributions program. Rather, they involve contracts and tenders for projects aimed at creating digital content. The goal of the Investment Program is to create major exhibits. Finally, the Community Memories Program gives small museums an opportunity to develop small exhibits relating to local history.

I'm going to stop there. I believe you have also received extracts from the department's book of summaries of the various programs that are available.

I would be more than pleased, Mr. Chairman, to answer any questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

Mr. Bélanger.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I will wait until we've had presentations from the other witnesses to address questions concerning the entire program and where we believe things should be headed. However, there's a practical matter that I think needs to be addressed today.

Our witness mentioned the Young Canada Works program, that there are two components. As far as the summer component is concerned, the museums of Canada are basically the largest partner of Heritage Canada; I think they have 500 of the 800 jobs, just rounding off numbers here. As of mid-May, they were all told to hold off, that this was going to get done, but as of mid-June, last week, it hadn't been done. A number of museums, small museums and large ones, across the country are waiting--or they were as of last week anyhow--for a decision to be made out of Heritage.

I'm wondering if Madam Sherwood is in a position today to confirm that it's done and that these museums, and the four other partners as well in the Young Canada Works summer component, are now in a position to proceed with hiring their staff. It's been very late this year.

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

Yes, it has been late. I know that some of the files for the delivery agents, the delivery partners, have been signed, and I believe the others are in the final steps of the due diligence process. Those should be signed momentarily.

I don't have the information from today, so I will need to get back to you and confirm--

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Signed by whom, Madam?

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

The minister needs to approve the documents. There's a process, as they go through the department, of due diligence. I honestly can't tell you today where in the process they are.

We are certainly conscious of the urgency on this file.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Indeed. We're almost at the end of June.

Mr. Chair, I want to share this with the committee so that perhaps collectively we can encourage the department and the minister to get on with this, because the information I have--whether it is correct or not remains to be seen--is that these are, for the most part, held up in the minister's office and have been for quite a while now. Whether that is true or not--I'm not trying to cast blame here--I think it's increasingly urgent that it be done. I'm certainly passing that on to Mr. Abbott so it can be looked into and we can get on with the summer employment, which benefits both the students and the institutions that get the funding to hire them.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Kotto.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Welcome, Ms. Sherwood. I have a few brief questions for you and I'd appreciate some brief answers.

How long have you worked for the department?

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

I've been with the department since its inception, if I'm not mistaken, in 1993. Before that, I was the Director General of the Canadian Heritage Information Network.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

I see.

How long have you been associated, directly or indirectly, with museums?

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

I've been with the National Museums of Canada for some 25 or 30 years now.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Therefore, you've been able to follow the evolution of the process to develop a new museum policy, from committees and focus groups through to discussion groups.

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

That's correct.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

So then, would you agree at this time that numerous consultations on the museum policy have already taken place and that many advisory committees have already been set up by both the department and the Canadian Museums Association?

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

There certainly have been many consultations and considerable research has been done, which isn't unusual. Each government sets its own priorities and targets areas of interest, a process that requires some analysis by officials.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

I understand.

I realize that you can't make any comments of a political nature, but based on your observations and your personal experience, is museum policy defined by the culture of government? Or, is the primary consideration in fact the role museums play in the community?

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

It's really a combination of factors, given that various levels of government -- municipal, provincial and federal -- are involved in the process. Each level of government plays a different role.

It all depends on the situation, on the local environment and also on what the Government of Canada can do.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

I see.

At the end of the day, given these broad consultations and the various information gleaned, the department is sitting on a tremendous amount of information it could us to redefine the museum policy.

Objectively, do you believe new studies are warranted to gather additional data with a view to developing a new museum policy?

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

As I said, each government has its own issues...

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

I realize that, but haven't we collected enough data?

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

You're putting me in a rather awkward position, Mr. Kotto.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

That wasn't my intention, Madam.

[Lyn Elliot Sherwood]

As a public servant, I must say...