IMPAC unlikely to be ressurected after funding crunch hits members

Some bitter feelings remain from the demise of the Interactive Multimedia Producers Association of Canada (IMPAC) as a national umbrella association for new media, but Canadian Heritage’s point-man for the sector says the timing for government aid to the nascent body wasn’t right. René Bouchard, director for multimedia at the department, says a new envelope for sectoral development should help him assist future attempts to network the industry. In an interview with Canadian NEW MEDIA, Bouchard says that while IMPAC was attempting to fulfil its role, his hands were tied to find money to support its efforts. He notes that Canadian Heritage did not have a funding envelope from which he could properly authorize funds for the association. Until the announcement this March of new funding for the sector in the government’s Speech from the Throne, Bouchard adds that he has struggled to find money for special projects from other budgets. Brian Wood, who has been charged with the task since earlier this year to revive the flagging fortunes of IMPAC, says a lack of funding was the key reason why the group fell into disarray late this summer. Since the Banff Television Festival, he says, most of the member organizations have folded or are struggling to stay afloat. "I guess generally, across the country, all the different groups couldn’t support it. There just wasn’t enough cash," Wood tells CNM. "The Quebec government and other groups put money in initially to start it off. It struggled along, but it didn’t get the proper support from the different levels of government that it should have. Now, we’re back to nothing again. "People put a lot of time and effort into things. I did three reports for Canadian Heritage back in March which kind of outlined the situation and put together some thoughts on how things should move forward, if at all. We had a meeting in June at the Banff festival – an advisory meeting where they launched all the money for Canadian Heritage – but there was no support for the national association." IMPAC has been teetering on the brink of failure for most of this year as its member organizations have struggled to maintain viability. With the exception of New Media BC, the New Media Business Alliance in Toronto, and the Alliance Numérique in Quebec, most have folded or lost critical sponsorship funding. Earlier this summer, IMPAC officials had explored the potential for escaping the need for project funding in order to survive by broadening the group’s membership base and moving to a membership fee model (CNM, May 17/01). Several key people, including GM Claude Dugas, left the association in the spring, and industry advocate Steve Comeau of Nova Scotia resigned his seat to concentrate his efforts on liaising with the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CNM, Sept. 20/01). Wood reserves some of his harshest criticism for Canadian Heritage, which he says didn’t follow through with enough support. " had meetings and pulled people together, but there always seemed to be other agendas," he says. "Seventy thousand dollars or $80,000 isn’t very much to try to start a national association. Yes, there were some mistakes made. I’m sure will have some criticisms for the guys in Quebec. But, they didn’t really assign someone to really work with the group. We seem to be all over the map, dealing with this department and that and all of this was project driven and it takes six months to get a project off the ground. By that time, our general manager is living off his credit card. How do you do that? You can’t run an association like that." Within weeks, however, Bouchard says he should be in a position to announce the details of a new sectoral development fund with cash earmarked for work such as that undertaken by IMPAC. He cautions, however, that the envelope won’t be very big, and he doesn’t anticipate any funding announcements similar to the unprecedented amount given to the Alliance Numérique by the Quebec government and the Canada Economic Development body (see story in this issue). "I don’t think that’s our responsibility," Bouchard tells CNM.

IMPAC unlikely to be ressurected after funding crunch hits members

News | 10/18/2001 4:00 am EDT

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