How Should Federal Institutions Support Arts and Culture in Minority Language Communities?

Official title: Examine and report on the strengthening of federal institutions’ arts, culture and heritage responsibilities in official language minority communities and in Canada

open Policy & Studies Education Indigenous & Northern Justice & Rights
The Senate's Official Languages Committee is studying how federal institutions can better support arts, culture, and heritage in official language minority communities. That means francophone communities outside Quebec and anglophone communities in Quebec. The committee wants to know if current federal support is working—and what needs to change.

Why This Matters

Are you part of a francophone community outside Quebec? Or an anglophone in Quebec? This study looks at whether federal arts funding actually reaches your community. Cultural organizations, artists, and heritage groups in minority language communities could see changes to how they're supported.

What Could Change

The committee could recommend new funding requirements for federal cultural institutions. Heritage Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts might face new obligations to serve minority language communities. Existing programs could be restructured to better reach francophone and anglophone minorities.

Key Issues

  • Are federal institutions meeting their obligations to support arts and culture in official language minority communities?
  • How can federal support for heritage preservation be strengthened in minority language communities?

How to Participate

  1. Visit the committee's briefs page to learn how to submit a written brief to the study.
  2. Check the meeting schedule for upcoming public hearings you can watch or potentially participate in.
  3. Review information for witnesses if you represent an organization that may want to testify.

Key Documents