On September 24, 2008, Ordinary Canadians for the Arts was founded at a meeting of members of Peterborough’s arts and culture sector. Ordinary Canadians affiliates itself with the Department of Culture, a nation-wide movement responding to the Conservative government’s aggressive attack on the cultural health of our nation. 

Since their election into power in 2006 the Conservative government has eliminated over $60 million in support to arts and cultural industries, while initiating a campaign of misinformation about the value of our cultural products and their benefits. What is more disturbing than the Conservative’s fiscal approach to the arts is their apparent attitude that culture has no value to ordinary Canadians.

We are ordinary working people who happen to be arts professionals, cultural workers, artists, musicians, film and theatre performers, technicians and producers, patrons and supporters.  We represent everyone in Peterborough who shares a common belief that the social and cultural well-being of our country is facing a serious threat from the Conservative Party: A threat that undermines the values of our community as well as Canada’s reputation abroad.

This is not a fight about money. This is not a fight over the inherent value of cultural expression. This is not a fight about ideology, nor what percentage of the GDP should go here or there. It is not about saving our national reputation. It is about all of the above. We are a movement to fight for progressive social and cultural values. It’s about how in a flourishing society arts, culture, healthcare, heritage, sports, agriculture, education, the environment and immigration are interconnected (DOC).  Cut away one and the others will bleed.

Ordinary Canadians for the Arts is not endorsing a particular party. We are saying that we don’t like the Conservative Party. We don’t like their priorities. We don’t like their values. We don’t like their centralized, U.S.-style secrecy, and we don’t like their cuts to the arts.

Arts and culture are not draining the public purse as the Conservatives would have us believe. They are a $40 billion annual industry in Canada. Right here at home the arts stimulate business and bring money into our community. This investment in arts and culture makes Peterborough a better place to live. So what is the Conservative excuse for the cuts? 

The broader issue affects the national scene. Canadian sovereignty is not just a matter of defending our borders. It is about affirming who we are and what we stand for as a people. By undermining the work of artists and institutions, the Conservative government is telling the world that we have no values worth defending, no identity worth affirming, and merit no place on the international stage. Is that what we want?

Ordinary Canadians for the Arts ask the people of Peterborough to join us and say no to a Conservative government.

On October 14
Vote ABC
Anything
But
Conservative

Over the next two weeks we will utilize our creative skills, experiences and imagination with resources available to us as artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, to bring attention to this issue in our Peterborough riding.  Artistic communities across the country are doing the same.

Contact:  ordinarycanadian@gmail.com

Media Contacts:

Iga Janik, Artspace,
iga@artspace-arc.org 705-748-3883

Bill Kimball, PND
bill@publicenergy.ca 705-745-1788