As a result, the Canadian Arts Coalition has been very thankful for the wage, rent and income supports that have been integral to many throughout the pandemic. We are very thankful for Canadian Heritage's expediency in announcing the parameters for the $60-million Canada performing arts workers resilience fund. In support of arts organizations, Canadian Heritage's upcoming arts and culture recovery program may cover some additional sector needs, but it may come too late.
Organizations need flexibility in how they access and use these funds to support their unique costs through the pandemic. We also need to ensure that the visual arts, not just the performing arts, are eligible under these programs. While the tourism and hospitality recovery program may benefit some organizations too, its eligibility criteria does not fit all models in the arts sector.
We have seen this since the start of the pandemic in the design of the programs. Another injection of immediate relief funding, administered through existing channels such as Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council, would financially support organizations in a broader system. We would also like to see government-backed event cancellation insurance, not unlike what Telefilm Canada is providing. We are also very concerned that employment insurance be modernized.
Finally, the Canadian Arts Coalition recognizes that we need to encourage not just the government to take part in the recovery of the arts in this country. We need to encourage the private sector as well and engage them perhaps through a donation matching program, like Canadian Heritage's Canada cultural investment fund, which has already been so successful.