On behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Shelly Glover, Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages and Member of Parliament (Saint Boniface), during a visit to Zones Theatrales, announced funding for arts and culture in minority official-language communities.
"I am very pleased to make these important announcements in the field of arts and culture as part of the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the implementation of the Official Languages Act," said Mrs. Glover. "Our Government is thus affirming its leadership in the promotion of our two official languages and the development of communities."
The Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages began by announcing a first round of projects awarded funding under the Cultural Development Fund. In all, 37 such projects submitted from across Canada, in both French and English minority communities, will benefit from government support totalling $2,185,990.
Next, on behalf of the Government of Canada, Mrs. Glover signed the renewal of the Agreement for the Development of Francophone Arts and Culture in Canada, together with representatives of the National Arts Centre, the Canada Council for the Arts, CBC/Radio-Canada, Telefilm Canada, the National Film Board of Canada, and the Federation culturelle canadienne-francaise, an organization representing arts and cultural groups in Francophone and Acadian communities.
Finally, Mrs. Glover announced $150,000 in funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage for the 2009 edition of Zones Theatrales. This event is produced by the National Arts Centre, in collaboration with the Canada Council for the Arts.
Government support for this project is provided under the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (formerly the Arts Presentation Canada Program) (http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/pac-apc/index-eng.cfm) and the Development of Official-Language Communities Program (http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/pgm/lo-ol/pgm/dclo-eng.cfm).
The renewal of the Agreement for the Development of Francophone Arts and Culture in Canada is intended to establish a framework for cooperation between the parties in order to foster development of Canada's Francophone and Acadian minorities and promote their contribution to Canada's cultural and artistic richness.
The Cultural Development Fund (http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/lo-ol/pgm/cult-eng.cfm), originally announced at the time of the release of the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future (http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/slo-ols/strat-eng.cfm), is part of the Community Life component of the Department of Canadian Heritage's Development of Official-Language Communities Program (http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/pgm/lo-ol/pgm/dclo-eng.cfm). This program is aimed at fostering the development of Canada's Anglophone and Francophone minorities and enabling them to fully participate in all aspects of Canadian life.
The announcements were made as part of the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the adoption and implementation of the Official Languages Act.
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