Vancouver City Council

Motion to strongly urge the Government of Canada to renew the multi-year Tomorrow Starts Today cultural funding investment

WHEREAS the initiatives supported by the Government of Canada's Tomorrow Starts Today $560 million cultural investment, announced in May 2001, reached into communities across the country; contributed significantly to the quality of life of Canadians; and reaffirmed the importance of culture and creativity in Canada; and

WHEREAS Tomorrow Starts Today embraced the diversity of Canadian voices and allowed for the emergence of the best arts, cultural and heritage offerings in municipalities of all sizes across the nation; and

WHEREAS more than 100 communities in Canada, from large urban centres to small and remote communities, benefitted from improved infrastructure that builds cultural capacity, while 225 communities have had access to arts and cultural festivals of the highest quality through Tomorrow Starts Today investments; and

WHEREAS Tomorrow Starts Today doubled the number of arts training institutions supported, with most of the new institutions offering training in Aboriginal arts and in arts related to Canada's diverse communities and their artistic traditions; and

WHEREAS the lack of timely decisions to renew the Tomorrow Starts Today funding would put at risk thousands of projects in hundreds of communities; would adversely affect employment in the arts, cultural and heritage sectors across the country; and would reduce Canadians' access to their culture;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities strongly urge the Government of Canada to renew the multi-year Tomorrow Starts Today funding initiative, so as to continue this important cultural investment for the social and economic development of Canadian cities and communities.

* * * * *