Evidence of meeting #4 for Canadian Heritage in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was organizations.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Hélène Laurendeau  Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
Jean-Stéphen Piché  Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs, Department of Canadian Heritage
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Thomas Bigelow

8:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

Let us just continue on very quickly, because this is the time we have with the officials.

With your indulgence, since we started late and it's much later now than we anticipated, I'd like to do it this way. Instead of doing this in a formal manner and going down the list, may I propose something like a lightning round? If anybody has a specific question, please raise your hand and we'll deal with it. It doesn't have to be linked to parties. It's just if you have any questions for the officials that you didn't get answered.

I see Mr. Rayes. I'll go from the list that we see here, and then we'll go from the floor back to the list. We'll try to make this as short as we can. We don't have a lot of time.

Mr. Rayes, the floor is yours.

8:55 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

I have a question about the assistance given to the various small organizations in the regions. For example, country festivals, village festivals and very small museums do not receive annual funding from Canadian Heritage.

How could these organizations, which have no revenue other than their ticket sales, or the proceeds from beer or from the cafeteria, be contacted to access their share of the 20% of the $500 million allocated to them?

As members of Parliament, we have never had access to this specific information, which would have allowed us to pass it on.

8:55 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage

Hélène Laurendeau

In the case of the small museums, for which we had budgeted a substantial amount in phase 2 of the expenditures, we set up an online portal where people could apply. We also communicated a great deal with local associations to let them know that funds were available.

8:55 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

If there was funding for phase 2, it would have been nice if all 338 members of Parliament had access to that information, because I think we are in the best position to inform those organizations, since we know them. They are often volunteers who don't have full-time positions, so it's fine to give them this information, but they don't have the resources to communicate it quickly.

You have access to 338 ambassadors who all love their region and think it is the most beautiful in the world, so I invite you to use us. Few departments did so during the crisis, despite the urgency of communicating with people. This is an appeal that I am making to you, and I hope that it will be heard the next time there is help for people in the cultural sector and for small events, especially in the regions.

9 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage

Hélène Laurendeau

Thank you for your suggestion. We will certainly keep it in mind in the future if we try to reach partners who are not our usual partners.

9 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Thank you.

9 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

Thank you, Mr. Rayes.

I'm going to try to move this along. It's very informal, at this point.

Again, if you want to ask a question, please raise your hand.

Tom, is there anybody in the room right now who would like to ask a question?

9 p.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Thomas Bigelow

Yes, sir. I believe Mr. Shields and Ms. McPherson have both raised their hands.

9 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

Mr. Shields.

9 p.m.

Conservative

Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB

I'll be quick.

I would like to know the amount of money that went to advertising in weekly newspapers in Canada. I'd like to know the amount of money spent on advertising, to print advertising, out of Heritage—not to support under any other program other than the amount of money that was paid to weekly advertising in their print paper.

9 p.m.

NDP

Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Can I do a really hot pursuit on this? That was going to be my question, except I also wanted to add, if I could, how much was spent on Facebook ads.

9 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

Just so that the officials are clear, it's weeklies and Facebook ads.

November 5th, 2020 / 9 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage

Hélène Laurendeau

You mean by Canadian Heritage, per se.

9 p.m.

NDP

Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Correct.

9 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage

Hélène Laurendeau

I would have to get back to you on whether or not we paid for any advertisements, because we don't advertise a lot. I could not give you that answer directly, unless Eric or Jean-Stéphen know.

9 p.m.

Conservative

Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB

Under the Canadian media fund—you fund them—what I need to know is how much money was spent by the federal government on print ads in weekly papers.

9 p.m.

NDP

Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

And Facebook.

9 p.m.

Conservative

Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB

That's the other side of it—how much on digital.

9 p.m.

Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs, Department of Canadian Heritage

Jean-Stéphen Piché

Just to be clear, Canadian Heritage is not the conduit for federal advertising. PSPC is responsible for that function.

In terms of us as a department using ads, that's something we would have to look into. We don't manage federal advertisements in general. This is not within the purview of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

9 p.m.

Conservative

Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB

Can we get it for print and digital under Heritage, then?

Thanks.

9 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

Thank you, Mr. Shields.

I will draw that part to a close.

Folks, we're running over time in a major way, for reasons that were obvious from the beginning, but we still have to vote on these particular measures in both the mains and the supplementaries. With unanimous consent, I can group all of these together. There are several votes here that would take some time. However, we can break this up into three things: number one, an overall vote on the main estimates; a second vote on the supplementary (B)s; and then a third vote to refer it to the House.

I need unanimous consent to do that. In the virtual world, of course, we have to do this by dissension.

Yes, Mr. Piché.

9 p.m.

Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs, Department of Canadian Heritage

Jean-Stéphen Piché

May I make an adjustment to something I said? It relates directly to the vote you want to take. There was a question about the CBC adjustment in their budget.

9 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

Very quickly, please go ahead.

9 p.m.

Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs, Department of Canadian Heritage

Jean-Stéphen Piché

There was an adjustment in the CBC budget in supplementary (B)s due to the deferral of the Tokyo Olympics, and for the TV rights. We can send you information on this. Someone asked the question earlier. I didn't have the information on hand when I answered. There was a budgetary adjustment because the games have been postponed.

9 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Scott Simms

Thank you very much, sir.

Is there any dissension on doing this by grouping the votes together?