Hello, Mr. Chair.
My name is John McAvity and I am the executive director of the Canadian Museums Association.
I am joined this morning by Mr. Bob Laidler. He is a volunteer, one of 115,000 volunteers who work in the museum sector.
Museums are one of the most important valuable assets that unite Canadians. They support Canada on the world stage and build a better nation at home. However, this sector has suffered from numerous funding cuts over the years.
Canada is home to approximately 2,600 not-for-profit museums, galleries, science centres and related institutions. They attract over 75 million attendants each year, and that attendance is going up by some 10%.
The tragic fire at the National Museum in Brazil caught the world's attention. Neglected and underfunded for years, this tragedy forced the government to move quickly due to the public's outcry. That outcry was loud and fierce over the neglect of this precious institution.