Minister Joly Presents Three Main Pillars of Creative Canada
/The following is excerpted from a release issued by Canadian Heritage.
In September, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, launched Creative Canada, the Government of Canada's vision for the future of the country's creative industries in a digital world.
On December 8, Minister Joly delivered a speech at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, where she presented the main themes of Creative Canada. The renewed policy approach rests on three pillars: investing in our creators and creative industry professionals, promoting the discovery and distribution of our content at home and globally, and working to strengthen public broadcasting and support local news.
Minister Joly highlighted the following initiatives:
- Supporting creators and artists through increased funding to the Canada Media Fund, starting in 2018. A third of grants awarded through the fund support French-language content, including Unité 9 and L'Échappée.
- A review of the Broadcasting Act and Telecommunications Act to ensure that these laws meet the needs of today's digital world. This also includes strengthening the mandate of CBC/Radio-Canada. Further, the Minister will underscore the importance of Canadian creators in a competitive creative marketplace in the context of the upcoming Parliamentary review of the Copyright Act.
- Investment of $125 million over five years to support Canada's first export strategy for creative industries. As part of this strategy, Minister Joly will be leading Canada's first creative industries trade mission to China in 2018.
Minister Joly also took the opportunity to reiterate the importance of cultural industries in the context of the federal government's NAFTA negotiations.
