I know there's certainly something a little ironic perhaps in someone who is, in fact, not Canadian by birth representing that point of view, but I'm very glad to be here in Canada, very glad to be at the ROM. I have noticed, as I talk with colleagues, the fact that many of the senior managers in museums, particularly larger museums, are not necessarily from Canada.
I believe that is also because there's a bit of a leap between the fair number of small to mid-sized institutions to many of the largest institutions in the country. There isn't the same way for people to make their way up a kind of a chain of leadership to develop the skills that might be necessary in the more complex, largest institutions.
I think what I've seen elsewhere and basically have in mind is the need for a perception of—not discouraging, by the way, international talent from coming to Canada, because I think that infuses different insights into the Canadian museums sector—of how we can build mentorship programs and consider what the role of the federal government is in supporting endeavours to increase these mentorship programs? By that I mean—just very quickly—where someone in a senior role could be partnered with someone who represents emerging talent in a different level of institution, scale, or size, and if that could be encouraged both by the federal government as a conceptual advantage and something to be supported.... Also what I've seen in these programs is that there often needs to be a small amount of money to set up that program and then to continue to encourage the interaction and to pay things like travel if there's some distance between us.
There are a variety of steps. I think it's partly conceptual and partly about providing some small financial support to make that happen.