Canadian Heritage Committee on Nov. 27th, 2020

[Paul Muir, Education Director, Rosebud Centre of the Arts]

One of the things is that we had to cancel the entire 2020 season, which Bob referenced earlier. Throughout the summer and the fall, as the COVID restrictions lifted a little, we did put on a show, not one that was scheduled but a one-act version of A Christmas Carol, which was super exciting.

With COVID, we knew that we could only serve about 20% of the audience that we would normally be able to serve. We also created a film version of that play. It's now available on the Internet for people to watch.

As for your question, MP McPherson, in terms of moving forward, as Bob indicated, our organization, our operating, has reduced by over two-thirds. When we look ahead to continued COVID restrictions through 2021, it's still quite bleak.

Here's an interesting thing, though, that I find fascinating. Our student intake has increased. To me, that's hopeful. That says that there's a group of young people out there who are still interested in training to become storytellers and to become theatre professionals, while at the same time the theatre itself is almost not present.

In terms of what the government might be able to support, we've run into a number of roadblocks because we are a unique organization. We're a theatre but we're also an educational institution that is not recognized under Post-Secondary Learning Act, etc., so we find ourselves in a unique place. We hit a roadblock within the post-secondary funding world, and we hit roadblocks within the professional theatre training world.

One thing, as Bob was mentioning earlier, is the CEWS support. While we have been super grateful for the CEWS support, at the same time, it hasn't been enough. Of course the reduction of the CEWS is coming at a time when we are still unable to restart our main revenue generator, which is ticket sales.

Do you want to add to that, Bob?

[Bob Davis]

Yes. There are restaurants, businesses and retailers that can generate revenue. As CEWS is reduced, there's revenue being generated by entrepreneurs in their businesses. In theatre, there's no revenue generated.

CEWS is being reduced and, therefore, even more pressure is put upon the organizations because there's zero revenue coming in in the arts world when we're not able to present.

One other little factor about the roadblocks is that Rosebud's been very proud of the fact that it has not relied on government support for many years. Less than 2% of our funding comes from government, which is rare in the arts world. However, when the time comes for us to seek a request or make a request for emergency funding, we are told that, because we have not received funding in the past, we are not eligible for funding going forward.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

You are, in fact, being penalized for it.

[Bob Davis]

Yes, we're being penalized for not being reliant on government funding. It's a terrible roadblock to face, because it's an emergency.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I can see how that would be very frustrating. You probably know, but Edmonton Strathcona, the riding I represent, is a massive theatre community. It created a theatre district in our area that restaurants and shops depend upon. I absolutely hear your concerns, the need for flexibility and the need for the theatre to be recognized and a different sort of support for that.

For my next questions, I'm going to switch gears a little. I know I don't have very much time. I would also like to ask Mr. Hinds a question.

One of the worries that I have with the small newspapers being at risk and shutting down in regions, smaller areas, is the lack of training or the lack of capacity to build our journalistic expertise. Could you talk a little about some of the impacts you see from that?

[John Hinds]

I think one of the challenges we see is on the attractiveness of the profession going into it. If you talk to the J-schools around the country, it's not one of the high priorities for really high-achieving students, and the reality is that it is hard to break in.

What was interesting, though, is that, as you know, we are one of the administrators of the local journalism initiative program, and we had a meeting recently with the other administrators, where one of the common themes was the difficulty of trying to find journalists in rural and remote areas to fill those positions under the local journalism initiative.

I think there is a role. What we don't see anywhere is any role in journalism development or media training funded by governments. Unlike the U.S., where foundations have stepped in and have done quite a bit of this, we just don't have access to that in the Canadian marketplace.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you very much. I'm quite certain that my time is done.

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

We'll now go to Mr. Shields for six minutes, please.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of the witnesses for being here today.

I have just one comment for Mr. Hinds before I go to Rosebud. As you mentioned, the amount of taxpayers' money in Canada going to Google—and the non-return—is a huge issue. I have many weekly newspapers in my riding that have suffered greatly from a lack of print advertising. They suggest that if the federal government would put taxpayers' money into print advertising instead of giving it to the big Googles and FaceBooks out there, they would survive.

Rosebud, I really appreciate you being here today. As you say, you're in a small community, but you attract tens of thousands of people from the surrounding area. As you have said, the possibility of receiving funding is not something you've looked for in the past, but in an emergency situation....

As you are now millions of dollars short and you have students who want to be in this profession and are attracted to what you represent in the community, what suggestions might you have for getting out of this conundrum and this emergency we're in? What suggestions might you have for us to look at going forward?

[Bob Davis]

The first suggestion is to re-evaluate the CEWS relationship to organizations that do not have income. Again, we're not able to generate any income and offset the reduction of CEWS. For the arts particularly, if CEWS could be maintained at the level it was at this year, that would be one positive step.

A second one would be to re-examine the Canada Council evaluation of applicants who may not have a track record, in order to be able to open the door for allowing new applicants to programs within Canada Council programs, because at this point that's a roadblock that we can't get past.

The third option is to look at other programs within Heritage, such as the building communities through arts and heritage festival programming. Once again, there are potential opportunities, but I will say that the length of time that is required to go from the application deadline to the decision has now reached six months and is reaching eight months. Organizations do not have eight months—or even six months—to wait for the adjudication of applications. It would be really helpful if it could be 60 days or a maximum of 90 days from the time of application to the time of decision. Even knowing a negative decision is more helpful than waiting 120 or 180 days for a decision on programs.

Speed things up, open the doors and maintain CEWS. Those would be three directions we'd suggest, Mr. Shields.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

One of the things that has come up is the mental health of people who are involved in the business: the actors, the participants. With those people who are in the performances—the actors, the performers and the musicians—are you seeing any of that challenge?

[Paul Muir]

Yes. The COVID crisis caused us to cancel in excess of a hundred thousand dollars' worth of guest artist contracts here at Rosebud, and that's just our little theatre company. Now, extrapolate that to all of the professional theatre companies not only in this riding but across the province, across the country, and it's millions of dollars of lost revenue for those artists.

Certainly, with the colleagues I'm in touch with, the mental health side of this is critically important. I know a lot of people who really are struggling. Of course, don't forget that they are artists, and artists find a way to be creative often in the worst situations. During the Great Depression, it was so often the artists who thrived, not financially, but in terms of finding their voice and making an impact. Certainly, I'm finding that lots of our graduates who are out there working professionally in the industry are finding their way. Again, it's not financially, but they are finding their way to make their impact and still be storytellers.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you.

The students you talked about in the school, would you—

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Very quickly please.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

The positivity of your school in the community...

[Paul Muir]

The positive impact of the Rosebud school of the arts in this community is huge. To have 25 to 30 young people studying arts in this community is the day-to-day lifeblood of this community—

[The Chair, Liberal, Scott Simms]

Okay, Mr. Muir. Sorry about that.

Madame Bessette, according to the clock, you could be the last person. However, because of the technical difficulties that we have, I'm going to take it upon myself to stretch it a little bit, so here's what I'd like to do.

Madame Bessette, I'll give you your five minutes. However, after that I'm going to ask Ms. McPherson and Monsieur Champoux if they would like to have quick questions, maybe for clarification. I'm not going to give them a set amount of time. I'm just going to allow them a couple of questions, otherwise we would go too long.

Could I get the blessing of the committee to do that? I know I'm going beyond the scope here of what I normally do, but I just wanted to get that in, given the technical difficulties that we have.

Okay.

Mrs. Bessette, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Lyne Bessette, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

My questions go to Mr. Girouard.

The AMECQ has been fighting for a long time to protect local advertising. In my region, advertising in our print media is critical for our SMEs and our local merchants.

Could you tell us a little more about the role of advertising in print media in the context of the local economy in a region and the economic recovery?

[Yvan Noé Girouard]

At the beginning of the pandemic, in March or April, all businesses in Quebec shut down. If there had not been advertising from the Government of Quebec, the newspapers would have shut their doors. Buying local and supporting local merchants are very important. At a certain point, we have even seen local merchants advertise on Facebook, which is the equivalent of shooting themselves in the foot, if I may put it that way.

In a word, community newspapers support local businesses.

[Lyne Bessette, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you.

Our seniors have also been severely affected by this pandemic, especially because of the lockdown measures.

Can you tell us about the role that community print media play in the daily lives of seniors, and tell us how we can help them get through this crisis?

[Yvan Noé Girouard]

As we know, seniors read community newspapers a lot. They are greatly attached to them. As they don't all have Internet access, the community newspaper provides them with local information. The community media talk about the people around them. Often, older people recognize themselves and everyone in the community in the paper.

[Lyne Bessette, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you.

In your opinion, which measures will be necessary in the future to support community print media, especially in the regions?

[Yvan Noé Girouard]

Measures by whom?

[Lyne Bessette, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

I am asking which measures will be necessary in the future to support community print media, especially in the regions?

[Yvan Noé Girouard]

We will need a program designed for small newspapers and small communities. Assistance should not be given simply to official language minority newspapers or those in a media desert. The program must be designed for everyone in Quebec, including small municipalities.