SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 177 - Mar/31/23

Mar/31/23 12:47:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, going back to where I was, I would like to reference that arts are defined in this bill as “drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, photography, videography and filmmaking”. The contributions Canadians artists make to our society and our national identity cannot be overstated. Art comes in all forms, and this legislation's definition of art broadly encompasses what the artist laureate would be focused on. These last two years have been a trying time for Canadians. As we struggled through COVID, many of us turned to the arts to cope with the loneliness, fear and anxiety that came with the pandemic. The arts provided a respite during this time and continue to do so. We should keep in mind that Canada's arts community suffered these same symptoms and continued to produce works for us to enjoy. We should also keep in mind that the economic downturn affected our cultural community in quite a drastic manner. According to Hill Strategies Research Inc., between 2019 and 2020, over half of the businesses and organizations in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector saw a 50% loss in revenue. Performing arts and festivals lost over half of their revenues and some 35% of total jobs during that period. However, the arts are resurging and have been recovering slowly but surely. Canada's government has been there for the sector and will continue to do so. Canada needs a strong and vibrant arts sector. Part of the power of the arts is their way of breaking down barriers between people. Canada is a multicultural country, and art provides a creative outlet to help us understand each other. Artistic expression can be understood without the use of words, and this gives us the ability to learn and understand stories and perspectives across linguistic barriers. As Senator Bovey put it, “Artists have always depicted or discussed contemporary issues in their work and drawn attention to critical concerns. It is clear, for instance, that understanding each other will play a key role in reconciliation, for which cultural understanding is essential.” Allow me to take a moment now to explain why art is so important to me and to my constituents. There is a rich arts scene in my riding of Cloverdale—Langley City, sure to be excited about this amendment to the Parliament Act. I want to bring attention to Lucy Fournier’s mural work titled “The Sunshine Circle” for bringing community together. I also want to recognize Councillor Rosemary Wallace for creating an entirely free event called “Arts Alive”, which proves to be a very impactful experience for artists coming together to share, inspire, and connect each year in Langley City. In addition to the specific Cloverdale and Langley City art examples just mentioned, Surrey overall has a history of being a community that supports its artists. In 1964, the Surrey Art Society advocated for a centre for the arts in Surrey. The proposal was to build a space that would not only showcase the artistic talent in Surrey but also give space for artists to learn and hone their talents. The Surrey Art Gallery was built and is an important art space in Surrey. Additionally, the Arts Council of Surrey operates every day out of a repurposed fire hall, which further reinforces the history that the arts council has with the Surrey community. Is this not the power of art and creativity? The Arts Council of Surrey took an old building and gave it new life as a safe place for artists to express themselves in their own community. It has had markets for artisans and indigenous artists to sell their arts and crafts. This is just one example of how the arts are an integral part of Surrey and how it demonstrates how legislation like the one before us today, now more than ever, is so important. This past year, I had the pleasure of meeting Sandy Dimond. She had her first exhibition at the Surrey Art Gallery. Sandy only recently started painting after she retired from training horses professionally. It was something she had always played around with, but after she had some time on her hands, she finally picked up the brush full time. Sandy paints beautifully and her art ranges from trains making their way through the Canadian landscape, to horses she used to train, and to amazing landscapes. I personally love her painting of trees. The gallery showing was fantastic. When Sandy reached out to my office, she did not know if I would come. I had not met her before, but the arts are important to her and she wanted that shared with everyone. What she did not know was how important the arts are to me and my family. There were many who showed up to her gallery exhibition, including me, but also the mayor of Langley City, a member of the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society and local media. This shows again how important the arts are to Cloverdale—Langley City. The creation of a parliamentary artist laureate would build on the government’s support for the arts since 2015. The parliamentary visual artist laureate would complement these commitments by creating an opportunity to celebrate Canadian visual arts and artists, and projecting a—

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Context: House Hansard - 177 - Mar/31/23

Mr. John Aldag

Mar/31/23 12:53:06 p.m.
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Re: Bill S-202

Madam Speaker, the parliamentary artist laureate would complement these commitments by creating an opportunity to celebrate Canadian visual arts and artists, and by projecting a global image of open-mindedness, creativity and innovation. Canadian artists from across the country, whether they be lifelong Canadians, immigrants or indigenous peoples, would benefit from having a parliamentary artist laureate here in Ottawa. The appreciation of the arts unites us, and in a multicultural country such as Canada, we should be promoting our many different forms of art at every given opportunity. In summary, supporting Bill S-202 recognizes the importance of visual arts to the Canadian creative economy, supports diverse artistic expression by Canadian artists, raises the profile of Canadian visual arts in Canada and abroad, and demonstrates that the government values the contributions made by contemporary Canadian visual artists. I look forward to the discussion we will have here today, and I am hopeful Bill S-202 will receive support from all the parties represented here in the House of Commons. I hope all members will join me in celebrating the arts in our country.

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Context: House Hansard - 177 - Mar/31/23

Mr. John Aldag

Mar/31/23 12:57:38 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member and I have spoken previously about this legislation. She has a family member who is a visual artist, so I appreciate all her support for this. I think the intent of the position would be to create and curate art exhibitions, and bring forward the diversity within our country. I think the engagement with young people across the realm of cultures, including, as we heard previously, indigenous artists, would be so important in order to highlight the amazing diversity we have in this country and really engage young, aspiring artists. It can be a tough world. I spoke in my comments about some of the challenges artists have had during the pandemic and the recovery. It has always been a bit of a challenging world; I hear that from artists all the time. The importance of this position is to help bring attention every day to visual artists and not only the struggles but also the successes they have. I hope that would involve young Canadians as well.

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