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Federal Budget 2022
Federal MP Julie Dzerowicz's (Davenport, Liberal), in her role as a member of the Finance Committee, has invited OMA ED Marie Lalonde to present on the needs of culture organizations in the pre-budget study for Canada's Federal Budget 2022.
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OMA Participates in
Ontario's Budget 2022 Process
The OMA has submitted a letter to Finance Minister Bethlenfalvy for the provincial 2022 Budget Consultations. Emphasizing the need for targeted provincial support to enable museums to survive the current wave of closures and participate in the province’s economic and social recovery, and maintaining consistent messaging with the OMA’s Budget Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs (SCFEA).
The OMA's consistent recommendations were brought forward in these ways:
- OMA Executive Director M. Lalonde presented to the SCFEA, January 20, 2022
- Budget Submission sent to Minister of Finance, MHSTCI, and all members of the SCFEA
- Submission to the Ministry of Finance Budget Consultations
- OMA members sending letters in support of the OMA Submission to their local MPPs
- There's still time! Send a support letter to your MPP
- Download the template HERE
Read the OMA’s letter to the Minister of Finance HERE.
Read the OMA’s Budget Submission HERE. |
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Call to Action
Recommend Support for Museums in
Ontario's 2022 Budget
Engaging your MPP
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Ontario Investing $25 Million to Combat
Hate in Communities
Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism
Announced February 3, 2022, the Ontario government is investing $25 million in a new grant program to help faith-based and cultural organizations protect their communities against hate-motivated crime. The new Ontario Grant to Support Anti-Hate Security Measures for Faith-Based and Cultural Organizations will help eligible organizations cover expenses related to security and safety measures including enhancing security of their buildings and training staff on how to respond to hate-motivated violence. Eligible organizations include charities and not-for-profit corporations that host, as a primary activity, regular gatherings of religious, spiritual or cultural significance at least once a month, and that rent or own indoor facilities used for these gatherings. The government will provide up to $10,000 in one time grants, based on the organization’s revenue. Read more about the Grant HERE. Read the full News Release HERE. |
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Now Open for Applications:
Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant
Deadline: March 11, 2022
February 8, 2022 - The Ontario Small Business Relief Grant (OSBRG) application portal is now open until March 11, 2022 for eligible applications from:
- Newly established businesses
- Businesses that may not have previously applied to the Ontario Small Business Support Grant in 2021
- Businesses that were previously deemed ineligible but are now eligible.
The Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade emailed eligible businesses that received previous grants in 2021 to pre-screen their eligibility for this new funding stream. These businesses do not need to re-apply if you completed the pre-screen and were verified to receive this grant. Access the Portal HERE. Read the OSBRG User Application Guide HERE. Read more information on available business supports HERE. |
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Reminder:
Summer Experience Program
Deadline: February 15, 2022
The Summer Experience Program provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, and First Nation communities to create career-related summer employment opportunities for students. The summer employment positions must focus on activities supporting key sectors within the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. Applications are due February 15, 2022, by 5pm ET. View the Guidelines for more information HERE. Read more about the Program HERE. View more Funding Opportunities on the OMA website HERE. |
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Upcoming Funding Deadlines
View more funding opportunities on the OMA website HERE. February 15, 2022: Summer Experience Program March 1, 2022: Museums Assistance Program - Digital Access to Heritage March 3, 2022: Ontario Grant to Support Anti-Hate Security Measures for Faith-Based and Cultural Organizations March 11, 2022: Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant April 6, 2022: Resilient Communities Fund, Ontario Trillium Foundation April 30, 2022: Community Anniversaries - Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage April 30, 2022: Local Festivals - Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage |
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Campaign to Relocate Fugitive Slave Chapel to Fanshaw Pioneer Village
Fanshaw Pioneer Village
In concert with Black History Month, Fanshawe Pioneer Village has kicked off a capital campaign, The Chapel Project, on February 1, 2022, to relocate the Fugitive Slave Chapel building to the Village. Together with support of local community groups — London Black History Coordinating Committee, the Chapel Committee, Congress of Black Women of Canada, Black Lives Matter London and the British Methodist Episcopal Church — the London & Middlesex Heritage Museum (which operates Fanshawe Pioneer Village) is working toward the long-term preservation and programming of the Fugitive Slave Chapel. As it stands, the building is at risk of further deterioration. If action is not taken now, a key piece of the London area’s Black History could be lost. The fundraising goal to support the relocation and restoration of the Fugitive Slave Chapel at Fanshawe Pioneer Village is $300,000. Read the full media release HERE. Access The Chapel Project HERE. |
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Museums in Southwestern Ontario celebrating Black history with online tours
St Thomas Times-Journal
The story of Black history in Southwestern Ontario is being retold 21st-century style – online. The Elgin County Museum is one of a number of museums in the region collaborating on an interactive update of an 18-year-old Museum London exhibition and publication. The work has resulted in several online tours illustrating the region’s Black historical experience. While available free of charge on anyone’s mobile device, organizers say they hope users will also hop in their cars or on their bikes to explore the areas and visit local museums and historical sites that are reopening their doors. There are tours of Essex-Windsor, Chatham-Kent, the London region, including St. Thomas and Elgin, and Oxford, each beginning with the story of the Underground Railway and leading up to modern times. The initiative was funded by a Canada Healthy Communities grant through Museum London, and contributions from participating museums and sites. Read more HERE. Access the tours HERE. |
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‘Centre Black lives’: Natasha Henry on changing how people look at Canada’s history
TVO.org
Natasha Henry, president of the Ontario Black History Society and completing a PhD in history at York University, has created a resource that contextualizes the scope of slavery in Ontario; highlights the experiences of the men, women, and children whose names can be found in the archives; and helps people “appreciate the complexities and the nuances of Black history.” The project, “One Too Many: Enslaved Africans in Early Ontario, 1760–1834,” is an extension of her dissertation research on the enslavement of Africans in early Ontario. TVO.org speaks with Henry about moving beyond the Underground Railroad, the importance of publicly acknowledging former enslaved Africans in Ontario, and teaching Black history in Ontario’s schools. Read the full interview HERE. Visit "One Too Many: Enslaved Africans in Early Ontario, 1760–1834" HERE. |
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Hillary House to be supported by Town of Aurora through grant-matching program
The Toronto Star
The nearly-160-year-old Hillary House, Aurora’s only National Historic Site, will receive an extra boost of support from the Town of Aurora through a grant-matching program. Following a motion from Mayor Tom Mrakas in December 2021, Council approved allocating a segment of the Town’s Heritage Reserve Fund for the continued preservation of Hillary House, a property owned by the Aurora Historical Society (AHS), towards matching any other funding received by the AHS up to $150,000. Read more HERE. |
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$447K to Mattawa Museum through
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation
Ministry of Northern Development, Mines,
Natural Resources and Forestry
The Ontario government is investing over $2.1 million in seven community projects in the Nipissing region through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). Among these community projects is renovating and expanding the Mattawa Museum. Through NOHFC, $447,428 is being delivered to the Town of Mattawa for this project. Read the full News Release HERE. NOHFC is open for applications, read more HERE. |
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Ontario's 2022 Election is June 2!
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Election Advocacy:
Learning the rules & engaging communities
Ontario Nonprofit Network
The Ontario general election will take place on June 2, 2022, and the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) is offering a free webinar series to help you get informed on election advocacy rules and gather insights on how to engage communities.
Part 1: What nonprofits need to know
Free Webinar Thursday, February 10, 20221:00pm - 2:00pm ET Before engaging in election advocacy, you might have questions about rules around what your organization can and cannot do. Do the Ontario’s Election Finances Act Third Party Election Advertising Rules apply to your nonprofit or charity? What are the things you need to do to comply with the Act? Attend this webinar to learn about the rules around election advocacy engagement! Speakers:
- Benjamin Miller, Policy Advisor/Lawyer, ONN
- Candice Zhang, Policy Advisor, ONN
Register HERE.
Part 2: Engaging communities in advocacy
Free Webinar
Thursday, February 17, 2022
1:00pm - 2:00pm ET
Elections provide meaningful opportunities for nonprofits to engage the communities they serve and to act as a conduit for civic engagement! How can nonprofits engage and mobilize community members in respectful and accessible ways? What can nonprofits do to ensure that people have the support and resources they need to actively and meaningfully participate in civic engagement?
This webinar will include tips and stories from experienced community leaders/organizers on movement building, and community mobilization and engagement, as well as discussion on how nonprofits and communities can work together for powerful election advocacy.
Speakers:
- Sree Nallamothu, Associate Executive Director, Toronto Neighbourhood Centres
- Elene Lam, Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network)
- Pam Frache, Justice for workers
- Moderator: Candice Zhang, Policy Advisor, ONN
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Webinar: Know Your Target Audiences
by Tourism Product
Destination Ontario
Destination Ontario and Environics Analytics analyzed 16 Ontario tourism product categories to understand the types of domestic (Ontario) consumers that frequent these different experiences across the province. Over two sessions, they will share these findings to better equip tourism businesses/operators to plan and target current and potential new, local and non-local audiences.
Join one or both sessions (by separate registrations) as Larry Filler, Senior Vice President and Practice Leader, Environics Analytics, delivers the results. Due to the depth of content, each session will focus on eight (8) product categories. Learn how to:
- Target the right audience with the right tourism products and experiences
- Identify the right platforms and advertising channels to reach that audience
- Understand the unique attributes of potential high-value audiences
Session 1 (Free Webinar)
Thursday, February 24, 2022
10:00am – 11:15am ET, including Q&A
Products and experiences covered:
- ATVing
- Angling
- Major & Minor League Sports
- Indigenous Experiences
- Francophone Experiences
- Attractions & Theme Parks
- Resorts
- Spas & Retreats
Register in advance for Session 1 by clicking HERE. Session 2 (Free Webinar) Thursday, March 3, 202210:00am – 11:15am ET, including Q&A Products and experiences covered: - Theatre & Film
- Museums & Heritage Sites, Science & Education
- Art Galleries
- Opera, Ballet & Symphony
- Foodie Destinations, Food Trails & Food Festivals
- Wine Regions
- Breweries, Cideries & Distilleries
- Farmers’ Markets
Register in advance for Session 2 by clicking HERE. |
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OMA Recommendations to
Ontario's Budget 2022
The Ontario Museum Association has prepared a Submission to Ontario's 2022 Budget. The OMA makes three recommendations for targeted provincial support, so that museums can recover and strengthen their service to communities across Ontario. The OMA's recommendations are:
- An Ontario Museum Relief Fund, valued at $10 Million, in immediate response to the impacts of COVID-19—to support museums’ survival during periods of closures
- A Digital Response Fund, valued at $10 Million over three years
- Increased support for community museums by $10 Million per year to reach 300 communities across the province—towards stabilizing operations and local recovery
The OMA has maintained consistent messaging since the start of the pandemic--emphasizing the need for targeted provincial support so museums can survive the current wave of closures to participate in the province’s economic and social recovery.
Read the OMA's Budget Submission HERE. |
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Upcoming OMA Dates
February 14, 2022: Start Date: CMS: Exhibit Planning & Design
March 2, 2022: Registration Opens: CMS: Museums in Historic Buildings (Facilities Management)
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CMA Presents to Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage
Canadian Museums Association
On Monday, CMA President Michael Wallace and Board Director Heather George represented our museum community before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. At the forefront of their testimony was a call for a new national museum policy. "Canada’s National Museum Policy was written in the early 90s – more than 30 years ago. It’s out of date. It simply doesn’t reflect modern Canada - what it looks like today, the challenges it faces and its potential for tomorrow. A new national museum policy is crucial, not only for our sector – but for the country." Watch the CMA’s presentation HERE. |
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Innovation and resilience in the arts, culture, and heritage in Canada: 12 key themes
Hill Strategies Research Inc.
Many artists and organizations in the arts, culture, and heritage have responded and adapted to pandemic-induced challenges by doing new things or doing things in new ways. Innovation and resilience in the arts, culture, and heritage in Canada offers 29 stories of artists and organizations using innovation to find resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The artists and organizations profiled in this project actively sought out changes and innovations that provided a measure of stability in turbulent times, whether that stability involved interesting new directions, significant personal opportunities, promoting diverse voices, combatting racism, limiting staff layoffs, or increasing revenues. Hill Strategies discovered 12 interrelated themes in the stories. Details are provided in the synthesis report.
- Innovation works best when customized
- Needed: flexibility and adaptability
- Support is varied but crucial
- Digital, organizational, and financial challenges
- Small can be mighty
- Partnerships can extend capacity and reach
- Equity bolsters resilience, and resilience enhances equity
- Sometimes, just jump
- Prioritizing and connecting with artists
- Short-term innovations can lead to longer-term changes
- Important places of exchange
- Redefining the arts and heritage
Read more HERE.
Read the synthesis report HERE.
Read the stories of innovation and resilience presented in this project HERE. |
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Participate in an ICOM discussion
for non-members
International Council of Museums Canada
ICOM Canada conducted a membership survey last year as part of its strategic planning process, and is now facilitating conversations with members to further discuss the strategic plan and share results of the survey.
ICOM Canada is also interested in meeting with non-members: to provide some information about ICOM, and the benefits of being a member, and to discuss what would entice you to join ICOM, and what you think ICOM Canada should focus on in the next few years.
These meetings will be taking place:
- In English, February 15, 2022 at 1:30pm - 3:00pm ET
- En français, le 18 février, 2022 à 1:30pm - 3:00pm ET
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Canada Extends Expanded Access to
Local Lockdown Program and
Worker Lockdown Benefit
Department of Finance
The federal government will continue to support Canadian workers and businesses where provincial and territorial public health restrictions, including capacity restrictions, remain in place.
Using the regulatory authority provided in Bill C-2, they intend to propose expanding access to the Local Lockdown Program and the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit by one month, until March 12, 2022:
- Local Lockdown Program: Eligibility would continue to include employers subject to capacity-limiting restrictions of 50% or more; and the current-month revenue decline threshold requirement would remain at 25%. Eligible employers would receive wage and rent subsidies from 25% up to a maximum of 75%, depending on their degree of revenue loss. The 12-month revenue decline test continues to not be required in order to access this support.
- Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit: Eligibility would continue to include workers in regions where capacity-limiting restrictions of 50% or more are in place. This benefit provides $300 a week in income support to eligible workers affected by a COVID-19-related public health lockdown order, and who are either unable to work or have lost 50% or more of their income as a result.
Read the full News Release HERE. |
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What We Heard: The Government’s proposed approach to address harmful content online
Canadian Heritage
In 2021, the Government of Canada published a legislative and regulatory proposal to confront harmful content online for consultation on its website. Interested parties were invited to submit written comments to the Government, and feedback both recognized the proposal as a foundation upon which the Government could build and identified a number of areas of concern. Respondents specifically called for the Government to reframe and reconsider its approach to the following elements:
- Apart from major platforms, what other types of online services would be regulated and what the threshold for inclusion would be;
- What content moderation obligations, if any, would be placed on platforms to reduce the spread of harmful content online, including the 24-hour removal provision and the obligation for platforms to proactively monitor their services for harmful content;
- The independence and oversight of new regulatory bodies;
- What types of content would be captured by the regime and how that content would be defined in relation to existing criminal law;
- The proposed compliance and enforcement tools, including the blocking power; and
- Mandatory reporting of content to law enforcement and national security agencies or preservation obligations.
Read the full report, What We Heard: The Government’s proposed approach to address harmful content online, HERE. |
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Support Ontario’s Museums by Giving Forward!
As museums across Ontario face the challenges of reopening safely and renewing relationships with your communities, the OMA is here for you now and as we move forward. The OMA successfully advocated for federal emergency support funding through the Museums Assistance Program, the early and streamlined release of Community Museum Operating Grant (CMOG) funds in 2020 and 2021, and for an additional $2 million to support digital activities during pandemic closures. Your support, participation, and membership make our work possible.Representing the interests of over 700 museums, galleries, and heritage sites across the province, the OMA offers regular webinars and professional development opportunities and resources for pandemic recovery. An OMA membership connects you with our network of over 1000 members, provides you with the tools and resources that support your professional practice, and keeps you informed of breaking news about funding opportunities and policy changes via the ONmuseums weekly newsletter and timely eNews alerts.If you are already an OMA member, thank you! Please renew your membership when you receive an email reminder. If you are not yet a member, please consider an individual, institutional, or commercial membership for yourself, your colleagues, or your institution. You can find information about member categories and benefits on our website.You can make a donation to the OMA on our website or through Canada Helps. Every contribution is giving forward, not giving back, by adding to the collective strength of our sector and investing in a vibrant future for the next generation of museum professionals. You can help us build a more resilient museum sector. Thank you for your support! |
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