Copps calls for review of policies to better reflect Canada’s cultural diversity

Canadian Heritage minister Sheila Copps is calling on her department and the agencies under it to review and possibly modify policies to encourage greater cultural diversity in broadcasting and other sectors. The review runs the gambit from who gets hired at Canadian Heritage to guidelines for the disbursement of production funds from Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board. "The time has come to do more. It’s time for action on cultural diversity, not just at the broadcasting level but at the government level," Copps told an audience May 21 at the Diversity and Canada’s Cultural Agencies conference in Ottawa, hosted by the Pearson-Shoyama Institute. "I have begun a process in the department in which every section is reviewing their policies through the lens of diversity. Gone is the time when the only piece of legislation that affected minority Canadians was the Multiculturalism Act." "Frankly, as a government, in particular, in the department of Canadian Heritage, we can do more," she added. The minister stated she’s planning a national summit for February 15, 2003, where government agencies, broadcasters, the production industry, and various ethnic communities can talk about what policy changes and reorganizations might be required to better reflect the cultural diversity of the "new" Canada. That’s a Canada, Copps pointed out, in which ethnic minorities now account for 30 per cent of the population. She noted, for example, that changes made to Telefilm eligibility guidelines enabled the creation of Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. "It just didn’t happen because we have this incredible artist from Nunavut. We specifically made a decision three years ago to ensure that Aboriginal and Inuit producers were given access to Telefilm," she said. "And when you look at the Telefilm envelope and what’s not English and not French, it’s clear that we need to do more to ensure that Canadians have access to stories of many languages." Jacques Bensimon, chair of the National Film Board, also spoke at the conference. He noted that cultural diversity is an essential part of his agency’s new strategic plan. He pointed out that one step taken was the announcement last month that the NFB’s reel diversity competition for emerging filmmakers of colour will be extended from eastern Canada to all regions of the country. The five winners, who will each have the opportunity to make a 40-minute documentary under the program, will be announced this month in Banff. The resulting works will be aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Vision TV. The CRTC, which also falls under the Canadian Heritage umbrella, has also recently put an added focus on cultural diversity. The commission asked Global Television, CTV Inc., and TVA to submit cultural diversity plans as part of their respective licence renewals."We are in the course of discussing these diversity plans and their strategies with the TV broadcasters to ensure that they’re sufficiently comprehensive and results oriented," said CRTC chair Charles Dalfen. As well, the CRTC has called upon the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) to develop an action plan on cultural diversity for private broadcasters (CCR, Oct. 26/01). "We are working with the CAB to fine tune this blueprint," Dalfen noted. "As it is rolled out, there will be opportunity for input from the public. As I see it in this area and in others, the regulator’s role is to open doors." Said Copps: "Every one of our children deserves to see themselves reflected because that’s how you build the next generation of leaders...I think one of the things that we’re talking about is moving governance forward…to reflect the totality of what we have become as a country. She added, "Some changes need to be developed...We’re trying to get these agencies to have a second look, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to change the licensing process tomorrow, particularly if someone has had a licence to operate for a long time."

Copps calls for review of policies to better reflect Canada’s cultural diversity

Broadcast | May 23, 2002

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