Ontario Election and Your Museum

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Ontario's 2022 Election
Toolkit for Museums

The OMA has prepared a toolkit of messages, tips for advocacy, and ways to engage all candidates in advance of the provincial election on June 2nd, 2022.

Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, museums have exhibited resilience and delivered valuable engagement, serving their communities where possible. With adequate and stabilizing government support they can continue to build their contributions. The Ontario Museum Association recommends $10million in additional operating support annually for community museums –reaching 300 communities across Ontario– as necessary stabilization for our sector. Further investments in Ontario museums’ digital response will provide more quality educational experiences for more of Ontario’s students.

Download the Toolkit HERE.

Download a template Invitation for Candidates HERE. 
2022 Election Toolkit for Museums
 
Ontario's 2022 Election
Party Platform Analysis

From available materials, the OMA has found items of interest for museums in the party platforms announced for Ontario's 2022 Election. The Elections Ontario list of all registered parties and links to their official websites is HERE.
 
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
 
The incumbent Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario released the 2022 Budget on April 28, with several items of interest for museums:
  • Raising the Minimum Wage: Recognizing that wages for many have not kept up with the rising cost of living, the Ontario government is raising the general minimum wage to $15.50 per hour on October 1, 2022. (page 66)
  • The Digital Main Street program, provides grants for the implementation of digital strategies, offers technical training for workers to reach more customers in person and online, and helps businesses open online stores. The government enhanced the Digital Main Street program in the Fall 2021, investing $40 million over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to further help Ontario’s business increase their digital presence. (page 39)
  • Helping Families Explore Ontario: To help encourage everyone to explore Ontario and support local tourism, the government introduced the temporary Ontario Staycation Tax Credit for 2022. This credit will provide eligible Ontario residents with support of 20 per cent of eligible 2022 accommodation expenses in Ontario, up to $1,000 for an individual or $2,000 for a family, for a maximum credit of $200 or $400, respectively. The credit is expected to provide an estimated $270 million in support to about 1.85 million Ontario families for 2022. (page 47)
  • Supporting Tourism Recovery in Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls is a premier international tourism destination that was heavily impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic. The government is committed to working with impacted sectors and the region to recover to pre‐pandemic tourism levels and beyond. Development in the region will play to Niagara’s competitive advantages, diversify the tourist experience, and offer unique reasons to visit and extend stays. (page 47)
  • Bringing Back Passenger Rail Service to the North: Bringing back passenger rail service is at the forefront of the government’s plan to secure a prosperous and healthy future for Northern Ontario. In November 2021, Ontario named Timmons — one of the largest municipalities in Northern Ontario and a major employment hub — as the terminus station for the Northeastern Passenger Rail Service. (page 86)
  • Bringing High-Speed Internet Access to Every Community: Access to high‐speed internet in communities across Ontario will bring new economic opportunities, create jobs and improve quality of life for families, workers and communities. This is why, in the 2021 Budget, the government increased its overall investment in broadband to nearly $4 billion beginning in 2019–20 to ensure every community in Ontario has access to high‐speed internet by the end of 2025. (page 44)
  • Ontario is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and communities by focusing on initiatives that promote economic prosperity and create a better future for everyone across the province. This is why the government is investing $25 million over three years to support Indigenous communities, including providing Indigenous‐owned businesses and entrepreneurs with working capital to ensure continued business operations. The Indigenous Economic Development Fund will enhance Indigenous training and capacity development by providing grants to First Nation communities, Indigenous organizations, and other key partners to better support skills enhancement, Indigenous apprentices and economic development. (page 52)
  • Support for Ontario businesses: The government would enable in 2022 an estimated $8.9 billion in cost savings, with $4.1 billion to go to small businesses, including (page 53):
    • Introducing and temporarily enhancing the Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit to encourage investments in certain geographic areas of Ontario that have lagged in employment growth in the past
    • Providing support through the Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program and the Ontario COVID‐19 Small Business Relief Grant for eligible businesses that were required to close or reduce capacity due to public health measures in response to the Omicron variant of COVID‐19
Read Ontario's 2022 Budget HERE
 
Ontario New Democratic Party
  • Increase funding for the Community Museum Operating Grant and review the outdated funding model for museums. (page 41)
  • Increase funding to the Ontario Arts Council: We’ll support new and experienced Ontario artists by restoring and providing additional funding to the grant program. (page 41)
  • We’ll create a Provincial Arts Strategy that centres artists and supports arts, culture, and heritage community-based institutions committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, assessing needs through measurable outcomes. (page 41)
  • Restore the Indigenous Culture Fund to strengthen opportunities for Indigenous artists and ensure they have fair opportunities for their stories to be seen and heard. (page 62)
  • Financial support: To support their recovery and protect the sector, an Ontario NDP government will provide financial support to non-profits and charities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, so they can reinvest in their mission and their workforce. (page 35)
  • Extend government-funded business investment programs and initiatives like Digital Main Street to the [non-profit] sector, to help non-profits, charities and the cooperative sector recover and thrive. (page 35)
  • Volunteer recovery strategy: Work with the [non-profit] sector to develop a provincial volunteer recovery strategy, helping organizations bring back personnel and execute their mission. (page 35)
  • Raise the minimum wage to $20 in 2026, with stable, predictable $1-an-hour increases annually. To help small businesses achieve this, New Democrats will bring in targeted supports for those that need help increasing wages as our economy is rebuilt. (page 29)
  • Legislate 10 permanent personal emergency leave days for all workers, so they can stay home if they are sick or are caring for a sick child. We’ll work with businesses to ensure they have predictability and the support they need as we make this transition. (page 29)
NDP Platform HERE
 
Ontario Liberal Party
  • We’ll restore funding, grants and donation matching for the arts, music and culture – fully implementing Ontario’s Culture Strategy. We’ll reintroduce the $5 million Indigenous Culture Fund that the Ford Conservatives scrapped in 2019 and bring back the Ontario Sports and Recreation Communities Fund to help people live healthy, active lives; and we’ll reform the Ontario Arts Council and Ontario Trillium Foundation boards, appointing people with the skills and experience to uplift the arts and culture sector. (page 43)
  • We’ll also invest $50 million to build, purchase or refurbish performing arts studios, visual arts galleries and event spaces – being sure that this includes more spaces to feature work from Black, Indigenous and other artists of colour. (page 43)
  • We’ll help cities create municipal tourism strategies. (page 43)
  • We’ll increase the minimum wage to $16 an hour and then develop a living wage that factors in the local cost of living in different regions of the province. (page 10)
  • Give 10 paid sick days to all workers, and business reimbursement costs up to $200 a day; banning employer required doctor notes; launching a four-day work week; ban unfair and underpaid gig and contract workers; make sure every worker is covered by benefits (page 39-40)
  • Invest in e-commerce, cybersecurity and innovation: Fund programs that help small and medium-sized businesses go digital. (page 44)
  • Reinvest in OSAP and eliminate interest on student loans. (page 52)
  • We are committed to implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action by working with and learning from Indigenous peoples: Increasing support for the option to learn First Nations languages and culture; mandate learning about Residential Schools, investing $2M in First Nation Public Libraries; promote Indigenous health and wellbeing; investing $25M in Indigenous small businesses. (page 76-77)
  • Build up rural and Northern Ontario: We’ll build or repair crucial community rural infrastructure like libraries, arenas and other community spaces through a new $50 million Rural Development Fund; invest in the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). (page 79)
Liberal Platform HERE
 
Green Party of Ontario
  • Support local arts and social enterprises, including (page 37):
    • Decrease land taxes payable for buildings in which below market rent opportunities are available to creative and social enterprises.
    • Develop a made-in-Ontario social enterprise strategy with the nonprofit and cooperative sectors to drive local job creation and support rural, remote, and urban self-reliance.
    • Create a stabilization fund for the nonprofit sector to ensure that nonprofits and charities can help rebuild the economy and communities.
    • Affirm the arms-length operations of, and increase investment in, the Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
    • Reinstate support for the Indigenous Culture Fund.
  • Communities can and must be connected, affordable and sustainable, featuring:
    • Municipal governments with the authority and resources to achieve net-zero community emissions by 2045.
    • Safe streets and quality, equitable public spaces.
    • Durable, resilient infrastructure.
    • Constructive sharing of knowledge, tools and public space. (https://gpo.ca/climate/community/)
  • Meaningful action toward reconciliation, including (page 19-21):
    • Work in partnership with Indigenous communities
    • Address the legacy of colonialism and residential schools: mandating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday; restore funding for the Indigenous curriculum program and work with Indigenous educators and community leaders to develop a mandatory curriculum on colonialism, residential schools, treaties
    • Fix the healthcare gap
    • Fund an Indigenous-led housing strategy
    • Support community rights to a healthy environment
  •  Respect workers rights and economic security, including (page 25-27):
    • Improve workers’ rights and wages including increasing the minimum wage to $16/hr, increase number of paid sick days, ban employers from requiring sick notes and more.
    • Strengthen rights and protections for gig and temp workers including implementing a "Gig Workers Bill of Rights” to protect gig workers under the Employment Standards Act.
    Green Party Platform HERE
     
    Communist Party of Ontario
    • Eliminate admission prices and expand hours and services at public museums, sports and recreation facilities, art galleries and other public cultural institutions, and increase funding for them.
    • Increase the provincial minimum wage to a liveable wage of $23/hr and maintain this wage relative to the cost of living.
    • Increase funding to the Ontario Arts Council and TVOntario and democratize oversight and administration.
    Communist Party Platform HERE

     

    Additional Information for Voters

    Electoral District Maps and Information

    Registered Political Parties in Ontario

     

    Additional Information from the OMA

    Ontario’s Museums 2025 Strategic Vision & Action Plan