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Tag archive: Mélanie Joly (16)

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Music Canada welcomes Pablo Rodriguez as Minister of Heritage; thanks Mélanie Joly for leadership on policies affecting the music sector

Toronto, July 18, 2018: Music Canada welcomes incoming Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Hon. Pablo Rodriguez and thanks the Hon. Mélanie Joly for her efforts in this role following her appointment as Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the changes to his federal cabinet earlier today.

As Minister of Canadian Heritage, Rodriguez will be responsible for implementing the government’s plan to strengthen Canada’s cultural and creative industries, and will be tasked with managing the legislative, regulatory, and Cabinet processes to deliver on the government’s priorities.

“On behalf of Music Canada, I would like to congratulate the Hon. Pablo Rodriguez on his appointment as Minister of Canadian Heritage,” says Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “In this role, he has the opportunity to improve the livelihood of Canadian creators, by creating the conditions for a functioning marketplace where creators receive fair compensation for the use of their work. We look forward to working with Minister Rodriguez to continue to advance policies that support creators and the companies that invest in them.”

Music Canada also extends congratulations to the Hon. Mélanie Joly on her appointment as the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, and expresses appreciation for her leadership on key policies affecting Canada’s music sector, including the initiation of a process to reform the Copyright Board of Canada, the launch of the statutory review of the Copyright Act, and the #DigiCanCon consultations.

“During her tenure as Minister of Canadian Heritage, Mélanie Joly advanced key priorities to strengthen Canada’s creative industries and improve the livelihood of Canadian creators,” says Henderson. “Her efforts to improve the regulatory frameworks that affect creators, such as the Copyright Board and the Copyright Act, has begun a process to put creators at the heart of cultural policy. Thank you, Minister Joly, and best wishes in your new role.”

In the music sector, Music Canada has been the lead advocate for practical and forward-looking improvements to Canada’s marketplace, institutions, and legal framework. The most pressing issue for the music sector in Canada, and around the world, is the Value Gap. Defined as “the significant disparity between the value of creative content that is accessed and enjoyed by consumers, and the revenues that are returned to the people and businesses who create it,” the Value Gap threatens the future of Canadian culture by harming creators’ ability to make a living from their work.

Music Canada’s comprehensive report, The Value Gap: Its Origins, Impacts and a Made-in-Canada Approach, provides insights into how policymakers can reverse the Value Gap. The report recommends four steps that could be quickly implemented, and would help creators and harmonize Canadian policy with international standards:

  1. Remove the $1.25 Million Radio Royalty Exemption
  2. Amend the Definition of ‘Sound Recording’ in the Copyright Act
  3. Address the Effects of Safe Harbour Laws and Exceptions in Canada
  4. Private Copying: Renew Support for Music Creators

Each of these recommended changes removes an unfair subsidy, harmonizes the laws within our industries, and brings us to international standards. The report was presented to the Industry, Science and Technology committee as part of the Statutory Review of the Copyright Act, as well as the Canadian Heritage Committee in their study of Remuneration Models for Artists and Creative Industries, where it has been cited by members of the committee as well as several other industry groups appearing as witnesses before the committee.

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For more information:
Quentin Burgess, Music Canada
qburgess@musiccanada.com
+1 (647) 981-8410

About Music Canada
Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada: Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada. Music Canada also works with some of the leading independent record labels and distributors, recording studios, live music venues, concert promoters, managers and artists in the promotion and development of the music cluster. For more on Music Canada, please visit www.musiccanada.com

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Music Canada souhaite la bienvenue au nouveau ministre du Patrimoine canadien Pablo Rodriguez et remercie Mélanie Joly de son leadership en matière de politiques affectant le secteur de la musique

Toronto, le 18 juillet 2018 : Music Canada souhaite la bienvenue au nouveau ministre du Patrimoine canadien, l’honorable Pablo Rodriguez, et remercie l’honorable Mélanie Joly de ses réalisations comme ancienne titulaire de ce poste alors qu’elle est désormais chargée du ministère du Tourisme, des Langues officielles et de la Francophonie. Ces changements ont été annoncés plus tôt aujourd’hui par le Premier ministre Justin Trudeau.

Comme ministre du Patrimoine canadien, M. Rodriguez aura la responsabilité de la mise en œuvre du plan conçu par le gouvernement pour consolider les industries culturelles et créatives du Canada en plus de la gestion des processus législatifs, réglementaires et ministériels permettant de répondre aux priorités du gouvernement.

« Au nom de Music Canada, je tiens à féliciter l’honorable Pablo Rodriguez de sa nomination au poste de ministre du Patrimoine canadien », a déclaré Graham Henderson, président et chef de la direction de Music Canada. « Le nouveau ministre aura la possibilité d’améliorer les moyens de subsistance des créateurs canadiens en créant les conditions nécessaires à l’existence d’un marché fonctionnel où les créateurs toucheront une rémunération équitable pour l’utilisation de leurs œuvres. Nous sommes impatients de collaborer avec le ministre Rodriguez à l’avancement de politiques qui soutiennent les créateurs et les entreprises qui investissent dans leurs carrières. »

Music Canada tient également à féliciter l’honorable Mélanie Joly de sa nomination comme ministre du Tourisme, des Langues officielles et de la Francophonie et à la remercier de son leadership concernant certaines politiques clés affectant le secteur de la musique au Canada, notamment la mise en place d’un processus de réforme de la Commission du droit d’auteur du Canada, le lancement de l’Examen prévu par la loi de la Loi sur le droit d’auteur et celui des consultations #verslenumérique.

« Durant son mandat comme ministre du Patrimoine canadien, Mélanie Joly a fait avancer des priorités clés visant à consolider les industries créatives du Canada et à améliorer les moyens d’existence des créateurs canadiens », a déclaré M. Henderson. « Les efforts qu’elle a déployés pour faire améliorer les cadres réglementaires affectant les créateurs, qu’il s’agisse de la Commission du droit d’auteur ou de la Loi sur le droit d’auteur, ont mis en branle un processus visant à mettre les créateurs au cœur de la politique culturelle. Merci, Madame la ministre Joly, et bonne chance dans vos nouvelles fonctions. »

Dans le secteur musical, Music Canada est le chef de file de la défense d’améliorations pratiques axées sur l’avenir à apporter au marché, aux institutions et au cadre juridique du Canada. Le problème le plus urgent, pour le secteur musical canadien comme pour celui du reste du monde, est celui de l’écart de valeur. Défini comme étant « la disparité significative qui existe entre la valeur du contenu créatif que les consommateurs consultent et apprécient et celle des revenus qui sont transmis aux individus et aux entreprises qui l’ont inventé », l’écart de valeur menace l’avenir de la culture canadienne en réduisant la capacité des créateurs de vivre de leurs œuvres.

Intitulé L’Écart de valeur : ses origines, ses impacts et une démarche faite au Canada, le rapport exhaustif préparé par Music Canada décrit les solutions auxquelles peuvent recourir les décideurs politiques canadiens pour remédier à l’écart de valeur. Le rapport recommande quatre étapes qui pourraient être rapidement mises en œuvre pour aider à harmoniser la politique canadienne avec les normes internationales :

  1. Éliminer l’exemption de redevances de 1,25 million $ de la radio commerciale
  2. Modifier la définition d’« enregistrement sonore » dans la Loi sur le droit d’auteur
  3. Régler la question des effets des lois sur les exemptions de responsabilité et les exceptions au Canada
  4. Copie privée : rétablir le soutien aux créateurs de musique

Chaque modification recommandée vise à faire disparaître une subvention injuste, à harmoniser les lois gouvernant nos industries et à nous permettre de nous conformer aux normes internationales. Le rapport a été présenté devant le Comité de l’industrie, des sciences et de la technologie dans le cadre de l’Examen prévu par la loi de la Loi sur le droit d’auteur ainsi que devant le Comité permanent du patrimoine canadien dans le cadre de son étude de Modèles de rémunération pour les artistes et les créateurs, où Music Canada a été cité par les membres du comité ainsi que par plusieurs regroupements de l’industrie invités à témoigner.

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Pour de plus amples renseignements :
Quentin Burgess, Music Canada
qburgess@musiccanada.com
+1 (647) 981-8410

 

Au sujet de Music Canada

Music Canada est une association professionnelle à but non lucratif qui représente les grandes maisons de disques au Canada, notamment Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada et Warner Music Canada. Music Canada collabore également à la promotion et au développement du secteur musical en collaboration avec de nombreux chefs de file de l’industrie musicale indépendante – étiquettes et distributeurs de disques, studios d’enregistrement, salles de spectacles, diffuseurs de concerts, gérants et artistes. Pour en savoir plus sur Music Canada, veuillez vous rendre sur www.musiccanada.com

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Music Canada applauds 2018 Federal Budget

Music Canada is pleased to see that the 2018 federal budget, which was tabled yesterday in the House of Commons by Minister of Finance Bill Morneau, further illustrates the Government’s commitment to reforming the Copyright Board of Canada.

Budget 2018 advances the Government’s Intellectual Property Strategy, as well as outlines measures to modernize Canada’s regulatory frameworks. Recognizing the need to promote efficient and predictable regulation within these frameworks, the Budget proposes support for the Government to “pursue a regulatory reform agenda focused on supporting innovation and business investment.” The Budget also correctly states that for “Canadian companies to grow and thrive in the global marketplace, they also need a competitive and predictable business environment that supports investment.”

In the music sector, this is particularly true at the Copyright Board. The rates set by the Board directly impact the value of music, and the ability for creators and labels to commercialize their work and investment. Music Canada has been a lead advocate for reforming the Copyright Board. We participated in both the Senate hearings on the Copyright Board, and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s Review of the Canadian Music Industry, appearing as a key stakeholder in favour of full and meaningful reforms. Music Canada’s Graham Henderson also raised the issue in a recent Policy Options op-ed, and cited the need for reform of the Copyright Board as a first priority for government to modernize in a speech before the Economic Club of Canada.

“Reforming the Copyright Board of Canada has for years been a top priority for creators and the businesses that support them,” says Music Canada President & CEO Graham Henderson. “Music Canada extends our appreciation to the Government, particularly Ministers Bains and Joly, for taking the next step in modernizing this institution, which is vital for Canada’s cultural industries.”

Budget 2018 is great news for a more timely, efficient, and predictable Copyright Board. We look forward to working with Ministers Navdeep Bains and Mélanie Joly to make this a reality.

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Music Canada applauds Ministers Bains and Joly for initiating the statutory review of Copyright Act

Toronto, Dec 13, 2017: Music Canada applauds today’s announcement by The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, in conjunction with The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, regarding the review of the Copyright Act, to be conducted by the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.

“I applaud Minister Bains and Minister Joly for initiating this review of the Copyright Act,” says Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “Music creators, and all creators who depend on copyright, deserve a Copyright Act that protects their rights when their works are commercialized by others. This is our chance to address the Value Gap threatening the livelihood of Canadian creators and the future of Canadian culture.”

Music Canada recently examined the significant changes in business models that are impacting the value chains for copyrighted content in our report, The Value Gap: Its Origins, Impacts and a Made-in-Canada Approach.

“A modern copyright framework containing strong IP and copyright provisions is essential for an effective marketplace for music creators,” says Artist Advocate Miranda Mulholland. “This Copyright Act review is an important first step in ensuring artists and labels are able to earn a fair market value for their work. Canadian creators have been eagerly awaiting this review.”

Music Canada looks forward to participating in the process to ensure that creators are fairly compensated for the use of their works under the revised Act.

Adds Henderson, “We must ensure this review yields meaningful results.”

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For more information:
Corey Poole, Music Canada
cpoole@musiccanada.com
+1 (647) 808-7359

About Music Canada
Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada: Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada. Music Canada also works with some of the leading independent record labels and distributors, recording studios, live music venues, concert promoters, managers and artists in the promotion and development of the music cluster. For more on Music Canada, please visit www.musiccanada.com

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Miranda Mulholland and 100 fellow creators call for real and meaningful reform to the Copyright Board of Canada

In August of 2017, Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister, Navdeep Bains, in conjunction with Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced the launch of consultations on reforming the Copyright Board of Canada. According to the government’s release, the goal of Copyright Board reform is to “enable creators to get paid properly and on time.”

Miranda Mulholland is a violinist, singer, label owner, and the recipient of Music Canada’s inaugural Artist Advocate Award for her outstanding achievements in advocating for the rights and livelihoods of music creators. One of those achievements is becoming the first creator to deliver a keynote address to the Economic Club of Canada. Another is rallying her fellow musicians on the importance of reforming the Copyright Board and her submission of two letters to the Canadian government.

The first letter was submitted on behalf of “Canadian musicians, independent label owners and creative entrepreneurs – at all stages of their careers” 100 of whom added their names. The letter states “While only part of our income comes from royalties collected by collective societies, the rates set by the Board directly impact the value of our music, and our ability to earn a living from it.” The letter specifically supports three options outlined in the consultation’s Discussion Paper and points out that while the role of the Board has evolved, “at the end of the day, the Board is valuing our work, and setting rates that affect our livelihoods.”

The second letter was submitted to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and in addition to the list of supporting names, is signed directly by Mulholland, Jim Cuddy, Alan Doyle and Joel Plaskett. It stresses the need for real and meaningful change at the Board, calling for tariffs to be set faster and more in line with market values, and also thanks the government for embarking on the long overdue reform process.

You can read Miranda’s letters below, which are also available on the advocacy section of her website.

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Music Canada applauds the Government of Canada for initiating consultations on Copyright Board of Canada reform

August 9, 2017, Toronto:  Music Canada applauds today’s announcement by The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, in conjunction with The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, that the government has launched a consultation process to reform the Copyright Board of Canada. The consultations will run until September 29, and will seek public feedback on ideas to make the Copyright Board’s processes more transparent and more efficient.

“Music Canada applauds Minister Bains and Minister Joly for beginning these consultations on Copyright Board reform,” says Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “The time is right to modernize the Board, which will better support music creators and advance Canada’s innovation agenda. A more efficient and predictable regulatory environment will help spur growth for Canada’s cultural industries and the creative class.”

Music Canada has been a lead advocate for change at the Copyright Board. Music Canada participated in both the Senate hearings on the Copyright Board, and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s Review of the Canadian Music Industry, appearing as a key stakeholder witness in favour of full and meaningful reforms. Graham Henderson also raised the issue in a recent Policy Options op-ed, and cited the repair of the Copyright Board as first priority for government to modernize in a speech before the Economic Club of Canada.

Today’s announcement follows the release of a 2016 report by the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce titled Copyright Board: A Rationale for Urgent Review. The thorough and comprehensive report concluded that the Board is “dated, dysfunctional and in dire need of reform.”

During the Senate committee hearings that led to the report, stakeholder and expert witnesses all identified the lack of timely decision-making as the biggest challenge in relation to the Board, and there was wide-spread consensus on the need for urgent, meaningful reform. The Senate report notes that, “On average, the Board may take between 3.5 and 7 years to make a final decision, the result of which is uncertainty and diminished economic activity within Canada’s cultural sector.”

Music Canada looks forward to continuing to work with government on this timely file to develop a regulatory framework for the Board that fosters innovation so that our cultural industries can thrive.

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For more information:

Corey Poole, Music Canada
cpoole@musiccanada.com
+1 (647) 808-7359

 

About Music Canada

Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada:  Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada.  Music Canada also works with some of the leading independent record labels and distributors, recording studios, live music venues, concert promoters, managers and artists in the promotion and development of the music cluster.

 

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Photos: Scott Helman and Vincent Vallières shine at Capital Beat

Parliament Hill was alive with the sound of music last week, as the inaugural Capital Beat event brought together parliamentarians, Hill staff, and media for a non-partisan celebration of Canadian music. Presented by Music Canada and Quebecor, Capital Beat featured performances by Scott Helman and Vincent Vallières, as well as remarks by special guest speaker The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Also sponsored by TD Bank Group and Stingray Digital, Capital Beat took place at the National Arts Centre, where invited guests enjoyed the performances in an intimate setting. DJ del Pilar provided music before the event as well as at the afterparty.

“Tonight we are here to acknowledge the importance of music – music unites us – it inspires us – it makes us smarter and allows us to tell our stories,” said Amy Terrill, Executive Vice President of Music Canada in her opening remarks. “It builds our communities and heals our wounds.”

“It is both a pleasure and an honour for Québecor to help foster an exchange between artists, politicians and industry people but, most of all, we are happy to bring these remarkable musical talents to the attention of our nation’s parliamentarians,” said J.Serge Sasseville, Québecor’s Senior Vice President, Corporate and Institutional Affairs, in a release the day of the event.

Prior to the show, both Scott Helman and Vincent Vallières, as well as their label and management teams, were treated to a tour of Parliament by Julie Dabrusin, MP for Toronto-Danforth and member of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

 

A selection of attendee reactions to the show are embedded below. For additional photos, see our album on Facebook.

https://twitter.com/KWSasseville/status/864653603323219970

https://twitter.com/KWSasseville/status/864666866819661824

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Department of Canadian Heritage releases #DigiCanCon consultation report

On February 21, the Department of Canadian Heritage released its Canadian Content in a Digital World consultation report. The government commissioned the independent data analysis firm Ipsos to synthesize the information gathered from the DigiCanCon consultations. The results contained in the report are described as a thematic overview of submissions received.

The television and film industries are thoroughly discussed, and while the report doesn’t contain many direct mentions of music, some sections have a strong focus on creators and the need to showcase Canada’s cultural sector at home and abroad, as well as “a need to ensure that Canadian creators share in the financial rewards resulting from increased dissemination of cultural content via digital channels.”

The report identifies three main principles that arose during the consultations, and positives for the creative community can be drawn from the feedback the government received related to each of these principles:

  1. Focusing on citizens and creators

This principle involves supporting creators through skills development and ownership protection, investing in creators with a re-evaluated funding model to allow broader access, and respecting citizen choice to afford all Canadians with access to a diverse body of cultural content.

  1. Reflecting Canadian identities and promoting sound democracy

A sentiment expressed by many during the consultations was that “the Canadian ‘brand’ should reflect the diversity of both Canada’s cultural and ethnic populations and also Canada’s geography and landscape.” Per the report, “there was general agreement that a robust Canadian cultural offering contributes to a strong Canadian identity which in turn breeds engaged citizens.” This is how many participants felt that culture can promote a sound democracy.

  1. Catalyzing economic and social innovation

How to create a cultural ecosystem that fuels growth of the middle class was one of the questions the government sought to answer. While participants reportedly had difficulty expressing how a thriving cultural sector would benefit the middle class, it’s important to remember that many members of the creative class earn an income below the poverty line from their creative work. Independent musicians earned an average of $7,228 per year from music-related activities in 2011. In many respects, a strong creative class contributes directly to a strong middle class. This is one of the main reasons the Focus On Creators coalition exists – to ask the government to put creators at the heart of future policy so they can earn a reasonable living from their work, and BE part of the middle class.

We were very encouraged by one of the “next steps” identified by the government to “through both public policy and perception, reposition the cultural sector as an engine of economic growth and innovation in Canada.” We firmly believe that music has incredible potential as a driver of economic growth and job creation and we’re committed to spreading this message.

One of the key themes of the consultations, identified on page 10, is “Modernizing Canada’s legislative framework and national cultural institutions.” According to the report, the Copyright Act was one of the institutions that participants said has “not kept pace with the shifting digital environment and should be examined.” The upcoming government-mandated Copyright Act review in 2017 was identified as a vital opportunity for Canada to stand up for creators, noting that “most agreed that changes to IP legislation that divert the flow of revenue back to the hands of the idea generators is essential to the future of the cultural ecosystem in Canada.” The Copyright Act is also included as a legislative framework in the government’s “federal cultural policy toolkit.” We hope that the opportunity presented by the 2017 Copyright Act review is used to its full potential to benefit Canada’s cultural industries.

Although it was not mentioned in the Ipsos report, The Copyright Board of Canada also has enormous potential to act as a business development force for our cultural industries. In a report released in December of 2016, The Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce stated “The Copyright Board of Canada plays a pivotal role in Canada’s cultural sector. Yet, from what the committee heard, the Board is dated, dysfunctional and in dire need of reform.” The Senate committee report recommended that an “in-depth examination of the Copyright Board of Canada’s mandate, practices and resources” be included as part of the 2017 Copyright Act review.

Music Canada would like to commend Minister Joly and the Department of Canadian Heritage for undertaking such a thorough consultation at this crucial moment in time for Canada’s cultural industries. We are very encouraged by the commitment to creators displayed by both the government and participants in the consultation, and we are hopeful that these consultations will result in new policies to better support our creative industries in the digital age.

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Music Canada’s Graham Henderson discusses his Economic Club speech and Focus On Creators on Canadian Musician Radio

Music Canada’s President and CEO, Graham Henderson, was recently interviewed by Canadian Musician’s Michael Raine for the Canadian Musician Radio podcast. Graham and Michael began by discussing Graham’s November 1 speech to the Economic Club of Canada, in which he gave an impassioned defence of creators’ rights. The conversation then flowed to the Focus On Creators initiative, which launched on November 29 with a joint letter to Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly signed by nearly 1,100 musicians, authors, playwrights, poets, songwriters and other creators, urging the government to put creators at the heart of future policy.

A common theme of both Graham’s speech and Focus On Creators is that our government must act to restore a fair and balanced working environment for creators before full-time creativity becomes a thing of the past.

“We are out of our enabling phase. We’ve enabled this new digital marketplace,” said Graham. “Very clearly, we created market distortions we didn’t intend, and now we are going to play the role, the government, will play the role of a leveler. We are going to restore balance.”

Graham spoke of the widespread support behind Focus On Creators from high profile Canadian artists and creators, but stressed the significance of the younger generation of artists who have added their names to the joint letter.

“What is just as important is the young artists. They’re signing up in droves because they’re the ones for whom this promise evaporated,” said Graham. “Our new generations of musicians are digital natives. There’s almost nothing about that environment they don’t know and they don’t understand…The problem is, they do it all, and they don’t get paid properly. They can’t afford rent. Prominent musicians who’ve had their music on 75 records, who have JUNOs, JUNO nominations, can’t afford rent. Ridiculous!”

The full interview is available on Canadian Musician Radio’s website. Graham’s interview begins at the 22:50 mark.

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Canada’s creative industries to host Thought-Leadership Event on 2017 Copyright Act review in Ottawa

thoughtleadershipevent

UPDATE – NOV 30, 12:54PM: Due to extreme weather, this event had been postponed to a future date.  Further updates will be provided when available.

Ottawa, ON – November 30, 2016:  Creative industries that rely on the Copyright Act are holding a thought leadership event today in Ottawa in preparation for the upcoming government-mandated review of the Act in 2017.

Creators and rights holders in the music, book-writing and newspaper sectors will convene with Members of Parliament and decision-makers in Ottawa. The event is intended to unite Canada’s major cultural sectors as they discuss how legislative, program and policy improvements can help their industries grow and prosper in the digital age.

The rules governing the digital environment were established twenty years ago, with the intent of supercharging the digital marketplace – to be a boon to both creators and the public. But the reality is that within the span of a single generation, the creative middle class has virtually ceased to exist.

Independent artists earned an average of $7,228 per year from music-related activities in 2011; not nearly enough to allow them to pursue a music career full-time. Taking inflation into account, writers made 27 percent less in 2015 than they did in 1998 from their writing. With average writers’ revenues that fall below the poverty line, the Writers’ Union of Canada says that writers will increasingly abandon their craft for other employment. The average income of a playwright in Canada, in 2004, was less than $10,000.

On November 29th, a joint letter addressed to the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, urged the government to put Canada’s creators at the heart of our cultural policy. The letter was signed by nearly 1,100 Canadian musicians, songwriters, composers, music producers, authors, poets, playwrights, film composers, actors, directors, visual artists and other members of the creative class.

The letter is sure to be a topic of discussion at the event, as Canada’s cultural industries further unite to ensure our creators can continue to tell Canadian stories to the world and global stories to Canadians. Music Canada will be live-streaming the event, so please look out for the video link on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

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