Dear Prime Minister Carney,

We write today as Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation, two organizations that for 50 years have supported the development of a thriving arts sector in Toronto for the benefit of all Canadians. More than 100,000 of Canada’s 850,000 artists and cultural sector workers live in Toronto, and Toronto is home to a wide diversity of arts and culture activity, including national cultural institutions like the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada.

We are writing to urge the Government of Canada to allocate at least 1% of its overall spending towards arts, culture, and heritage, increasing its current investment of 0.94% by 0.06%. We are asking that this takes place through new investment of $140 million in the Canada Council for the Arts and $190 million in Arts Programs of Canadian Heritage―and no cuts. This reinforces the campaign of the Canadian Arts Coalition, which has so far generated more than 52,000 letters of support from Canadians across the country.

According to projections shared by the Canadian Arts Coalition, this additional commitment will result in economic impact of $4.4 billion and create 69,500 new artist and FTE staff jobs spread across every riding in Canada. Investing in the arts make economic sense. In 2022, organizations funded by Toronto Arts Council generated a total $288 million of GDP on less than $25 million of public investment―an incredible return on investment. These investments created 5,345 jobs and generated $76 million of tax revenue―a 300% return on the initial investment by the City of Toronto.

Perhaps more importantly, timely new investment in Canada’s arts and culture reflect and promote Canadian identity and stories at a time when both are more important than ever. 94% of Canadian believe that arts and culture make a community a better place to live. In Toronto, 87% of residents agree that arts build a sense of community, 79% agree that arts support community identity, and an overwhelming 96% agree that arts are important for the development of children.

And yet, artists and arts organizations served by Toronto Arts Council and Foundation continue to report extraordinary challenges amid rising costs and economic uncertainty. More than half of the organizations we fund reported revenue losses in 2024, and 74% of artists reported facing unstable financial situations that could lead them to leave Toronto or move into other professions altogether.

Now is not the time to cut arts funding; now is the time to invest more in a sector that shows us who we are as Canadians. A strong arts and culture sector fuels business, drives tourism and innovation, contributes to Canada’s prosperity and growth, and reinforces our Canadian identity. Investing in the arts makes our country a better place to live, and investing more now will strengthen and revitalize Canadian culture in the years to come. Simply put: artists and cultural organizations cannot afford funding cuts, and Canadians cannot afford to lose our arts and culture.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Kelly Langgard, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts
Dr. Sara Diamond, Chair, Toronto Arts Foundation
Celia Smith, Chair, Toronto Arts Council

CC:
Minister Steven Guilbeault
Minister François-Philippe Champagne