Canada: Cultural spaces, museums and creative professionals

March 14, 2025

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Open Access Government charts the Government of Canada’s policy priorities concerning arts and culture, focussing on the examples of supporting cultural spaces, museums and creative professionals

The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, believes that arts and culture foster unity, bring people together, ignite creativity and imagination, and enhance the well-being of Canadian communities. (1)

Did you know that February 15, 2025, marks the 60th anniversary of the National Flag of Canada? The National Flag of Canada represents Canadian excellence in every performance venue and cultural centre. Canadian artists showcase their talents to the world at museums and festivals celebrating their heritage. Additionally, creators share stories on every stage and screen, highlighting Canadian identity. (2)

This smoothly transitions into examples that showcase how the Government of Canada supports arts and culture, particularly by promoting cultural spaces and museums and assisting creative professionals.

Cultural spaces and museums in Canada

Cultural spaces play a crucial role in the vibrant communities of Canada. They serve as places to perform, create, showcase, preserve, and collect works that reflect Canadian identity. These spaces foster a sense of belonging and bring people together. In January 2025, Jenica Atwin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament (Fredericton), announced funding from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for five cultural organizations in New Brunswick.

“Museums, theatres and cultural spaces are better able to reflect their communities when they have modern infrastructure and equipment. To help communities realize this goal, our government is supporting innovation and essential upgrades to cultural facilities,” Minister St-Onge, said. (3)

In November 2024, Minister St-Onge announced the formation of an advisory panel to guide the review and updating of the interpretive exhibits and descriptive texts at the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa. This initiative aims to enhance Canadians’ awareness of the Holocaust and the importance of combating hate in all its forms.

“The memory of the Holocaust must be preserved to ensure that the lessons of the past are never forgotten. The National Holocaust Monument commemorates the six million Jews and millions of other victims of the Nazi regime, while reminding us of the resilience and remarkable contributions of Holocaust survivors in Canada,” Minister St-Onge, affirmed.

The advisory panel will comprehensively review the monument’s interpretive elements and provide recommendations to the Minister of Canadian Heritage in 2025. (4)

Cultural spaces tell stories and provide opportunities for people of all ages to discover and appreciate Canada’s rich heritage. In August 2023, Peter Fragiskatos, Member of Parliament (London North Centre), announced funding for the London Children’s Museum on behalf of Minister St-Onge. The investment will create a new area at the London Children’s Museum for interactive exhibits and hands-on programming, allowing children to explore history, science, and art through over 7,000 artifacts.

“Children’s museums are wonderful institutions in Canada, where children and their families can gather to learn about culture, history and art. Our government is proud to support spaces where Canadians of all ages can enjoy the arts and our heritage in their community, while also allowing for the presentation and preservation of our culture,” Minister St-Onge commented. (5)

Supporting creative professionals

In February 2025, Minister St-Onge announced Canada’s strong commitment to protecting cultural heritage, vital for social cohesion, identity, and peace in the digital age. The Government of Canada aims to ensure that all cultural expressions are valued in Canadians’ daily lives and is dedicated to maintaining cultural sovereignty against the influence of digital giants.

Canada also emphasizes the importance of collective action to preserve the values of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, ensuring that the digital environment promotes cultural diversity.

“We are reaching a new step in the protection and promotion of cultural diversity. Canada recognizes the urgency to take action to preserve our wealth of cultural expressions in an ever-changing world. We are proud to actively support UNESCO’s efforts to advance several key files in the digital environment,” Minister St-Onge said. (6)

The Government of Canada supports Canadian creative organizations and companies in increasing their visibility and export revenues in global markets. This initiative
benefits both Canada’s creative professionals and its economy.

In February 2025, Parliamentary Secretary Taleeb Noormohamed announced an investment in the Racial Equity Screen Office (RESO) for its project, IP Across Continents Accelerator. This project aims to empower racialized, independent Canadian producers by helping them locate buyers for their intellectual property in the audiovisual industry.

“I am very proud that an organization from Vancouver, like RESO, is committed to supporting racialized creators in building new opportunities in the creative industries, which will have an impact on future generations. This will allow more Canadians to succeed and showcase our country’s diverse creative talent in key markets abroad,” Parliamentary Secretary Noormohamed affirmed. (7)

When cultural institutions and universities collaborate, they create dynamic environments where art and knowledge converge. This partnership enhances education, makes cultural access possible, and strengthens community ties, which is a good note to end this analysis of arts and culture. It’s, therefore, fitting that in February 2025, Parliamentary Secretary Noormohamed announced an investment in the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia.

“The Chan Centre is a cornerstone of culture and education in Vancouver. It plays a key role in bringing together artists, students and people who are passionate about creativity and sharing,” Minister St-Onge said.

“This investment reflects our government’s commitment to providing Canadians with access to exceptional cultural and educational opportunities within their communities, while supporting the next generation of performers,” Parliamentary Secretary Noormohamed added. (8)

This article was written in late February 2025.