Canadian Heritage Committee on March 2nd, 2009

[Max Berdowski]

What I can speak to is the fact that it speaks to the level of filmmakers who are giving back to the next generation of filmmakers. In the case of Bon Cop, Bad Cop, the producer of that film, Kevin Tierney, taught a class for us in producing, an advanced producing class. And that's just one example, but what it attests to is the level, the high calibre of the training we offer, the access our students get to the top professionals in the industry.

Everything we are doing is very industry-based training. It's all about what is currently being done, the best practices of what's being done in the industry at the time. That's a level of training that, potentially, will not be available in a year's time, certainly not through us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay, thank you very much.

Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

To begin with, I'd just like to correct the record. I feel it's incumbent upon me to do so. I just want to cover some of the commitments made by the government in our economic action plan, budget 2009, and also point out that the honourable member from Trinity Spadina is not supporting these investments in arts and culture.

Of course, we've got $540 million of total investment in arts and culture, $276 million of which is new investment, Mr. Chair. That's an increase of 10% in the total budget. The Canadian Television Fund will be receiving $200 million over two years, cultural infrastructure will receive a $60-million investment, $100 million for marquis festivals from coast to coast in this country, $20 million for national arts training, $25 million to create a new Canada Prize, an endowment fund, $30 million over two years for magazines and community papers, to support those organizations, $28.6 million for the Canadian new media fund, and of course $75 million for upgrades to historical sites.

So we've got a very, very substantial increase in the budget, a substantial increase in the budget for heritage. Obviously, we already had increased that by some 8% since we took government. So I don't want the misrepresentations of the member to lead the witnesses to believe there's been a cut to heritage, because there's only been an investment into heritage.

Now, there have been reallocations. There have been programs that have been terminated. I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking that is not the case. But the misrepresentations by the members across is abhorrent to me, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Lambert, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions.

First of all, you indicated you didn't think there was an analysis. I can assure you the government has mandated all departments to undertake a strategic review, to indicate the bottom 5% of programs in each department. That is an analysis that is going on in every single department, and this one department was not singled out for that. So I just want you to—

[John Lambert]

Well, I wasn't made aware of it, though.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Okay. That was mandated back in 2006 by the government, and that's been undertaken by all departments, not just the heritage department.

Now, you talked a little bit about how you didn't know if we realized how much was lost by some of the reallocations and so forth. You spoke about PromArt, which is a DFAIT program, and you said you didn't know if we realized how much had been lost. But just to come around to my question—

[John Lambert]

I didn't quite say that. I don't believe I said that. All I'm doing is trying to bring to the committee some of the impact, immediate impact, and long-term impact that it's having on an industry that's functioning very well, and that's actually one of our more successful industries. I was just bringing forth to the committee that these cuts have destabilized an export industry.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Okay. No, that's fine. I'm not arguing with exactly what your quote was, but what I wanted to come back to was this. Could you therefore comment on what an investment program, like putting $100 million into festivals, summer festivals, would mean, how much you think that might generate? You indicated PromArt has about a five-to-one generation multiplier. The substantial increase we put behind Canada Council for the Arts, or the $22 million we're providing to DFAIT to assist in the promotion of artists abroad--can you comment on how these investments are assisting artists, and what that means to them?

[John Lambert]

I think this is what I'm actually telling you, sir. The Canada Council is responsible for the research and development of a highly esteemed product. It's a product that's esteemed around the world. We have that in science and technology in Canada as well. Canadians have invested over the years in developing quality. What I'm saying is that if one department feels itself not suited to administer funds that are to follow through, then the money shouldn't be cut off, it should be transferred to another administrative body that can do that and is set up to do that with a jury system and with a good knowledge base on how to do this.

When you're developing work you have a local market, but then you have a very expansive international market, especially when your product is good and so you want to take it to market. What's happened now, we're just cutting that money out. We have other programs that are being proposed to establish the prestige of international work in Canada and to really highlight that. I think that's a good ambition, but we're already doing that through the export of our artists to the major festivals--the Vienna Festival, the Sydney Opera House--around the world. We're looking pretty good because of our artists.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

I agree.

Thank you, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

Ms. Dhalla.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

I want to take the opportunity to thank our witnesses for coming and providing a little insight into the impact that the fund has had, not only on your organizations, but I think Canadian artists across the country.

With all due respect, the parliamentary secretary was speaking about all these investments that have been made. I can tell you from the e-mails and hundreds of phone calls that I've received in my office, there are many people who have been impacted by the cut. I haven't yet had many phone calls from people who have benefited from the investment, but people have been talking about the cut.

Robin, you mentioned that you had received a letter. I think my colleague Mr. Rodriguez had asked you whether or not there was any consultation done, but you just received a letter in the mail or a phone call one day. How did you find out about the fact that your organization was receiving a cut?

[Robin Jackson]

I got a call on August 8 saying that the program would be terminated, and then we had a follow-up letter afterward.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Max.

[Max Berdowski]

I had a phone call in August. I don't remember the exact date.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Did that phone call solicit any advice or suggestions as they were doing a strategic review of the departments and their programs to see how you could perhaps provide input into some of the policies and programs they already had in existence?

[Max Berdowski]

No, it was just to inform me.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Robin, you had mentioned it's going to cost almost $100,000 to get out of the leases that you have, both in terms of the place you're renting and also photocopiers and other equipment. Have you written to the department to request any type of assistance for this?

[Robin Jackson]

Yes, we've had a conversation with them. I sent them all the closing-down costs. In an e-mail of February 5 they said they will pay for the storage and shredding-related costs. Because we're a charity, we have to keep our books until 2015, which means we have to keep all our files from 2003 to 2008. We have to keep those until 2015, and we have that. They said they'd pay for that, but they have said they will not pay for anything else.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Robin, for the benefit of the committee, would you forward a copy of the letter you received with regard to the cancellation of the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund? Also, could you provide a copy of your request to the department for assistance with the closing costs you would incur as a result of the department's decision?

I can tell you that when the minister came, many of the members on this side of the House requested that they be provided with documentation of the analysis that occurred. Unfortunately, to date we have not received that analysis.

But the list goes on and on. I think PromArt was cut, and Trade Routes was cut. Now the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, Canada Feature Film Fund, the national training program for the film and video sector, and Canadian Culture Online are cut.

There have been many organizations and individuals who have been impacted. I think I can speak for my colleagues on this side of the House when I say we are trying to ensure your voices continue to be heard. Whatever we can do to assist, we are here to support you.

Some of the e-mails I've received say:

My television/video production company has been in business since 1991, founded on a grant from the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund. The documentary I made from this funding led to over 30 commissioned video projects relating to health care and social services, from which we still derive our income. Further, the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund contributed to another four documentary projects, which have been sold across Canada and throughout the world.

Another person writes:

This tiny fund of a mere $1.5 million is one of the most crucial funds in the country to enable filmmakers to make films that may not seem off the top as commercially viable, but relevant to the Canadian public. The fund programmed by our peers is cost effective and very accountable, in that funding decisions are based on audience needs. Filmmakers have to make a strong case for funding for their film, through market research and endorsements from the targeted market and audience groups.

The list just goes on, as does the number of people who have benefited from the programs you provide. I hope the voices of these individuals and the great initiatives you had will be listened to by the current government to ensure that funding is restored for some of your very important programs.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

We'll move on to Mr. Pomerleau, please.

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Lambert, you stated that one of the main obstacles Canada must contend with is its very small population base. In Canada, the same performance cannot be staged 40 times, given the small population. We have no choice but to export our productions. Are the effects of this requirement to export productions felt more strongly in Quebec?

When I was working in Texas, I bought a book by Carl Sagan entitled Contact. The book was in English and I paid $21 for a copy. I purchased the same book in Quebec for $76 a copy. Why? Because the francophone market in Quebec is so small that prices are four, five, or six times higher. As a rule, this is the reality with which the Quebec cultural community must contend. To all intents and purposes, limiting cultural exports will only bring culture to its knees. Would you say that the repercussions are far more damaging for Quebec than for any other region of Canada?

[John Lambert]

Actually, Quebec has a very good network, a very professional network, for presenting the performing arts, and the Quebec artists exploit it very well.

I'm from English Canada. I'm from Ontario. I try to tour companies across the country. It's very difficult, because you're right along the border. It's a thin line across the border. And it's a very small population base. So if you're investing all this money to develop this wonderful art, and you perform it maybe ten times in Quebec.... You have the language factor, as well. And then what are you going to do with it? Because it's so good there's a demand for it abroad, and because we've worked on that for the last 40 years, we have a market already developed. It just seems a shame to throw it in the garbage. It just seems a shame. You're going to have companies that are going to fall. Tours are going to disappear. And the partnerships we've built up are simply going to evaporate. We're developing new partnerships with China, with India, and with Colombia.

I'll give you one example, if I may. Last year I took two productions to the festival in Bogotá. Right now there's political will in North America to develop relationships with Colombia that go past the drug trade. Well, there's a festival that's existed for 20 years there called the Festival de Cine de Bogotá. It was established by a woman from Argentina who wanted to instill in the Colombian people a sense of cultural pride. She developed the best festival of Latin America, and she brought companies from around the world. And when you perform at the Bogotá festival, it's not Cirque Éloize presents; it's Canada presents. So when people are going to see a show at the Bogotá festival, they're going to see Canada.

This year they went to see Cirque Éloize, and they saw this innovative company that's really leading the world in terms of new circus. They also went to see a virtual reality show, developed by a company from Montreal, on Norman McLaren, our treasure. It integrates live performance with the films of Norman McLaren in a magical fashion that only we can do in Canada. This company is going to the Taiwan festival. I'm leaving next week. It was just in Macau. It's going to Paris. It's going to London. It's going around the world with the stamp of Canada. And that's how you people have been known.

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Lambert, you stated that exporting festivals throughout the world certainly providing a livelihood for 200 people and that the funds allocated to PromArt were generally spent on Canadian companies like the carrier Air Canada. So then, these funds are not being spent abroad. You're investing in our country's economy and the return is five times the initial investment.

You claim that you have been affected by the cuts. You never saw any study and you do not believe that funds have been transferred to other parts of Canada. Like you, I'm stunned by the cuts to this program, at a time when millions of dollars are being invested in roads, bridges and in other areas, with no guarantee of any amazing results. Yet, we know what your programs have achieved. Thank you.

I have a question for Mr. Berowski as well. You stated that artistic creativity is big business. No one denies that. Just look at the Cirque du Soleil which stages most of its performances in Las Vegas. The Cirque du Soleil started out as a troop of street performers. It was funded through a special budget set up by René Lévesque, similar to the budgets that other premiers have at their disposal. The Cirque du Soleil received sufficient funding to get off the ground and funding continued until it was well established. Today, the company rakes in billions of dollars. The performing arts is indeed a big business.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Your time is up, really, but you can have a very short question.

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

We're looking at the modern-day economy Personally, I think that we should look to the creative arts as an impetus for economic renewal, instead of producing and manufacturing waste. Creativity does not produce any waste. What do you think?