Cultural groups feel ‘in good hands’ after meeting with Quebec’s CUSMA lead

Arts and culture leaders from la belle province met with Quebec’s pointperson for the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) negotiations after being shut out from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new advisory council. Marie-Julie Desrochers, executive director of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE), said she does not believe Canada has abandoned cultural policy, but the industry felt “reassured” after meeting with Quebec emissary Louise Blais. “There’s always been a special channel for Quebec regarding the negotiations with the U.S.,” Desrochers told The Wire Report in an interview. “That’s nothing new.” “We are in good hands . She is an experienced diplomat and also has experience in the cultural sector.” Blais, who led the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris from 2007 to 2011, was appointed to the trade position on April 28 by recently-installed Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette. She has also served as Canada’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. In 2017, during the initial CUSMA negotiations, Quebec named former cabinet minister Raymond Bachand as the province’s chief negotiator. “We have no reason to be worried right now,” said Desrochers, who has advocated for the protection of the trade agreement’s cultural exception and the Online Streaming Act (OSA) in recent months. “It’s just important for us to speak with everybody.” Desrochers said the meeting focused on a variety of digital policies, including the cultural exception and OSA, but also Bill 109, a provincial bill regarding the discoverability of French-language content on digital platforms. Alongside Desrochers, Blais met with other members of the CDCE’s new Quebec committee on culture and Canada–U.S. trade relations, including Eve Paré, CEO of ADISQ (Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo), and Laurent Dubois, who leads SARTEC (Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma). Desrochers said meetings with Blais and other trade officials have become increasingly important after Carney’s (Nepean, Ont.) newly-named advisory group for U.S.-Canada trade did not include “a direct voice” for the cultural sector. Announced last month, the 24-person committee features former premiers, ex-federal party leaders, as well as industry experts. Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival, was the lone representative of the entertainment sector named to the group. According to Desrochers, Bailey can advocate for broader cultural interests, but none of the advisors will represent “Quebec’s voice.” Bailey has not responded to repeated requests for an interview from The Wire Report. “The establishment of an advisory committee on Canada–United States economic relations, on which no organization representing Quebec creators or cultural businesses is represented, has raised serious concerns, particularly given Quebec’s leadership role in the protection of culture and language,” read a CDCE news release issued on May 8. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has identified the OSA, which would require U.S. companies to allocate a portion of Canadian revenue to supporting domestic news and entertainment media, as well as the Online News Act as irritants ahead of the upcoming CUSMA review. As previously reported by The Wire Report, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour, N.B.) met with audiovisual leaders in February, when he reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting CUSMA’s cultural exception. The CUSMA renewal is scheduled for July 1, though it’s unclear whether trade discussions will conclude by that deadline. “Everybody wants to be invited to the party,” said Desrochers. “We just want to be invited to as many parties as possible.” “We will continue to make sure that we are part of the discussion.” dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Cultural groups feel ‘in good hands’ after meeting with Quebec’s CUSMA lead

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By Davis Legree
|May 12, 2026

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Cultural groups feel ‘in good hands’ after meeting with Quebec’s CUSMA lead

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