The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, has announced the beginning of consultations on Canadian Content in a Digital World. The consultation functions as a review of the Heritage department’s cultural funding programs and regulatory structures (Joly has repeated that “everything is on the table” in this review) and will seek to determine how the government should support the creation, discovery, and export of Canadian content.

The new consultation was preceded by a summer-long pre-consultation which was completed by nearly 10,000 Canadians. This pre-consultation was used to shape the current consultation, which, according to its guiding principles, will:

• Focus on respecting citizen choice and supporting creators in making great, compelling content;
• Reflect Canada’s incredible diversity in the content that is produced and support the production of news information and local content that is credible and reliable; and,
• Drive social and economic innovation by forging strong links between creativity, economic growth and social resilience.

According to the ministry’s release, Minister Joly will host in-person discussions with representatives from a variety of cultural sectors across the country to receive comments on topics covered by the consultation. Canadians will also have the opportunity to comment on social media and through discussions within their own communities.

For artists and musicians—and all creators—these consultations represent an opportunity to make their voices heard. You can participate in the consultation online here.