Federal Budget Promises Assistance for Arts & Culture Sector ~ SaskCulture

Federal Budget Promises Assistance for Arts & Culture Sector

April 28, 2021

The Government of Canada tabled the federal budget on April 19. The budget acknowledged the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts, culture, and tourism sector and contained several measures to address these impacts:

A promise to support worker recovery in the arts, culture and tourism sector of $1 billion over three years, starting in 2021 - 2022; no further details were released at this time
$300 million over two years in new funding to Heritage Canada to establish a recovery fund for heritage, arts, culture, and sport sectors
$49.6 million over three years for the Building Communities Though Arts and Heritage program
$70 million over three years for the Canada Music Fund
$15 million in 2021 - 2022 for the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund
$200 million to be made available through regional development agencies to support major arts and cultural festivals
$200 million through Canadian Heritage to support local festivals, community cultural events, outdoor theatre performances, heritage celebrations, local museums and amateur sport events
$400 million in 2021 - 2022 to create a temporary Community Services Recovery Fund to help charities and non-profits adapt and modernize to the post-pandemic environment
Expansion of borrower eligibility in the Canada Small Business Financing Program to include non-profit and charitable social enterprises
Creation of the Canada Recovery Hiring Program to provide eligible employers, including non-profits and charities, with a subsidy of up to 50% on the incremental remuneration paid to eligible employees between June 6, 2021 - November 20, 2021