Museums play an essential role in our society. Canada has more than 2,600 museums, art galleries and related heritage institutions. They employ more than 32,000 people and 103,000 volunteers all over the country. Almost 62 million people visit our museums, galleries and historic sites each year, including 7.5 million students.
The economic and social impacts of museums in Canada are huge. Surveys show that people who visit museums indicate a very high level of satisfaction, at 78%. Ninety-one per cent of the visitors agree that museums provide valuable learning experiences, both in major urban areas and in rural community museums.
Museums are seen as trusted and respected cultural institutions. Their popularity is explained by the variety of their exhibition programming and the services they provide. I should even add that, more and more, we are talking about museum experiences. These experiences vary. They can be multisensory and multimedia.
As centres for continuing education, museums are also key players in research into, and the conservation and interpretation of, Canada’s heritage. Museums foster a better understanding of Canada’s history and life in Canada for new Canadians, and promote Canadian identity beyond our borders.
As a national association, the Canadian Museums Association represents the interests of more than 2,000 members all across Canada. Our mission is to maintain meaningful links between museums and their communities, and to enhance the value of museums in society.
We are here today to share our assessment of Canada's museums, based on extensive consultations, and to offer preliminary recommendations to guide the committee's study of our country's museums. We respectfully request being invited back at a later time to further explore these issues and address the questions raised during the course of the committee's study.
Thank you.