OMA's response to National Heritage Policy
August 31, 2005
The Honourable Liza Frulla
Minister of Canadian Heritage
15 Eddy Street
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M5
Dear Minister:
On behalf of our members, both individual and institutional, the
Ontario Museum Association (OMA) would like to thank you for the
opportunity to respond to the Discussion Guide, Towards a New Museum
Policy and to provide input for the development of a new federal
Museum Policy. We recognize the Department of Canadian Heritage's
long standing commitment to museums in Canada and are pleased to
support this necessary initiative to promote the progress of our
museums across the country, and in our province.
The Museum Trends and Critical Issues identified in the discussion
guide underline with accuracy the many challenges facing our museums
and our work force. These difficult years have also eroded our sector's
ability to fully contribute to the development of a strong nation,
bringing Canadians together across miles, cultures, and generations.
The OMA fully supports the Canadian Museums Association's (CMA)
proposal for a new Museum policy and new funding of $ 75 million
per year to bring the heritage sector to the same level as other
cultural sectors.
The OMA would like to reiterate that flexible and sustaining funding
is a priority for museums in Ontario. We agree that the core functions
of museums need to receive more support and better targeted resources
to bring about the stability that any sector needs to address changing
needs.
In particular, and for the last 3 years, the OMA has been working
and assisting museums in planning for financial sustainability.
We are pleased to note that the overall sustainability of our sector
is one of the Department's Policy Priorities and we fully support
any initiatives focused on this objective. The OMA also believes
that the two other policy priorities identified in the guide, namely
preservation and participation, reflect a desirable, more comprehensive
approach to move the sector forward and facilitate museums' meaningful
role as centers of learning and progressive and positive agents
of change well into the 21st century.
The OMA proposes and brings forward the following for inclusion
in a new Canadian Museum Policy;
- Recognizing that 62 % of the country's 2500 institutions have
annual operating budgets of less than $ 100,000., and that 32
% have budgets between $ 100,000, an $ 1 million, we recommend
that the Department 's new Museum policy and program development
address the needs of these museums. In addition, Ontario has a
long and strong tradition of museum activity and is home to 1/3
of Canada's museums.
Therefore, in order to address the above-mentioned facts, the
OMA recommends adequate, stable, and multiple-year funding targeted
for operations and core functions to assist small and mid-sized
museums across the country to fulfill their mandates to research,
preserve and interpret our heritage for generations to come. We
further recommend that these programs be flexible, involving logical
and informed partners such as museum associations, and that they
be developed to allow for an equitable and appropriate resource
allocation addressing the needs of the greatest numbers for a
collective benefit.
- As per the CMA proposal, the OMA agrees that creating an endowment
program for heritage, with similarities to the one for the arts
community, is appropriate, necessary, and overdue. In a period
when museums are relentlessly pursuing revenue generation and
diversification, it would make sense to provide any means possible
to enhance their ability to leverage additional funding when these
institutions' needs are so great and competition so fierce. References
in the discussion guide to changing demographics and the anticipated
transfer of wealth indicate that access to a CAHSP Heritage Endowment
component could contribute to museums' sustainability.
- Also, given the estimate that "about 40 percent of collections
(…) were not fit for display ", p.8, and that we believe
that this is probably true across Canada, the OMA urges that a
strong preservation policy address our museums' needs to stabilize
and renew their collections. We propose that substantial and sustained
public investments, in particular from our national government,
are urgently needed to preserve Canada's physical assets; our
heritage buildings and our collections. Our smaller museums have
needs for capital funds, for renovations, expansion and maintenance
to meet physical plant standards. Such programs also need to include
- research, storage, exhibition, and conservation - furnishings,
equipment, and the related human resources. The OMA is interested
and would welcome participation in the further development of
the CMA's proposal of federal funding for conservation centres,
especially in our region, to complement any planned or existing
conservation services
- The OMA also agrees with the CMA's proposal that the new policy
and programs support museum-based research on collections, a much
neglected core function of our sector. It is also our experience
and belief that expertise, resources, and tools such as mentioned
"off-the-shelf" visitor surveys, consultations on audience
development, community outreach, and programming, could be most
cost-effective when developed with focus on service to the sector
and potential shared efficiencies.
Specialist and expert resources developed in response to sectoral
needs could be the transformative agents so important to museum
development. It would be ideal to promote the development of multiple
year programs to encourage resource-sharing of specialist resources
and expertise so that skills could be available if not across
the country, then certainly across a territory, or within a province,
or a region. The OMA recommends that the new policy and programs
have the flexibility to benefit from museum associations' expertise
and experience with cost-efficient creation and delivery of such
services, and as suggested in the discussion guide, by working
with both regional museum groups and/or groups individual institutions
with similar needs. The Department must consider appropriate recognition
and support for associative partners for their commitment of designated
internal resources in serving common clients. The OMA encourages
the Department to consider and ensure that, with a new policy
and programs, it can further, and achieve its goals by benefiting
from the knowledge, experience and overall privileged position
that a museum association enjoys with its members and the museum
community.
Museum associations are an integral part of the museum community.
We are the most direct source of support and access to resources
for museums and exist only to serve the sector. We strongly recommend
that the new Museum Policy foster and profit from the strengths
of the established networks of museum associations across Canada.
The Association recommends collaborative models which can work
very well As an example, we draw your attention to the OMA's successful
and ongoing five-year partnership with the Ontario Ministry of
Culture in the delivery of resources, materials, and workshops
to support the Community Museum Standards assessed in our province
as part of the Community Museum Operating Grant (CMOG) funding
program.
- The OMA recommends and welcomes policy and program development
which will; result in stimulating educational and public programming,
assist with reaching new audiences, and respond to human resources
issues for both paid and unpaid (volunteer) museum workers. The
Association believes that specialist resources (a curator, exhibit
designer, educator) identified to respond over time to the needs
of a majority of our museums, working as a group, would be well
received and of demonstrable impact.
- We support more funding and longer employment terms for Young
Canada Works, and suggest that rigid age and return-to-school-date
requirements do not address the current interests of our potential
workforce, and therefore cannot contribute as fully to the sector's
pressing need to prepare a skilled succession of capable and eager
museum workers. Again, for this reason, we also encourage the
creation of longer internships for full or part time workers bringing
more effective support for smaller museums in all their functions.
- More funding and flexibility with the CMA Bursary program could
address the particular needs of the applicant adult learners,
so that funds not only cover travel but also registrations to
the events or offerings identified to be of most benefit for their
own professional development.
- We support full funding, no cuts, to the National Museums of
Canada and encourage that a new Policy recognize their ability
to provide sector leadership.
- The OMA also recommends support for innovative museum initiatives,
such as museum celebrations which help in reaching new audiences
and encourage a better appreciation of the dynamic nature of our
institutions; such as International Museums Day, Heritage Day,
Musées en Fete, May is Museum Month, Mai, Mois des Musées.
Museums offer Canadians and visitors of all ages a safe, affordable
and educational experience, one unique to Canada and Canadians.
This invaluable message is important to communicate across the
country and to the world.
The Association is pleased to continue its participation in the
current discussion on museum issues and the development of a new
federal Museum Policy. We thank you again for this opportunity and
look forward to ongoing dialogue with you.
Sincerely,
Carrie Brooks-Joiner
President
c.c. The Honorable Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Culture, Ontario
Cal White, President, Canadian Museums Association
Ontario Museum Association
50 Baldwin Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5T 1L4
416-348-8672 or 1-866-OMA-8672
Fax 416-348-0438
Contact
Us
www.museumsontario.com
|
|
