On November 23, 2016, more than 70 representatives from Ontario’s arts community participated in Arts Day at Queen’s Park (ADQP). Over the course of the day, these representatives met with 47 Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and key policy advisors to speak about the importance of public investment in the arts in every corner of our province.
The day concluded with a reception at the provincial legislature hosted by the Ontario Arts Council (OAC). Twenty-five MPPs attended this reception, which featured three speakers: the Honourable Michael Chan, Minister of International Trade (on behalf of the Honourable Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, who was attending the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Tourism meeting in Nunavut), MPP Steve Clark, PC Culture Critic, and MPP Paul Miller, NDP Culture Critic, all of whom spoke eloquently about how vital the arts are to Ontario, in terms of both economic and social benefits.
See below or click here for photos and social media highlights from Arts Day at Queen’s Park.
What’s next?
Whether or not you participated in Arts Day at Queen’s Park, you may want to add your voice to the Ministry of Finance pre-budget consultations. There are several ways you can do so.
- In-person sessions and telephone town halls will be held with stakeholders across the province. If you are interested in participating, contact the Ministry of Finance at 1-866-989-9002 or e-mail: submissions@ontario.ca.
- You can also provide a written submission until midnight on December 11, 2016 at Budget Talks.
For more information about public input into Ontario’s budget, click here.
Telling the story beyond the numbers
Part of ADQP focused on sharing stories about how the arts make a difference in lives and communities. To support these stories, OAC produced a brochure with the latest facts and statistics on the impact of the arts in Ontario. Click here for a PDF version of this useful brochure.