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Ontario Budget 2021 and Museum Support

Feb 11, 2021
Jump to: Community Museum Operating Grant (CMOG) 2019 Reporting
Need to Know  | Provincial News
            OMA Initiatives  |  Out-of-Province News   
            In The Media   |   Upcoming OMA Dates
This edition of ONmuseums is sponsored by Carr McLean
 
Need to Know
OMA Recommendations to
Ontario's Budget 2021
Three recommendations to provide immediate support to Ontario's museums and empower them for long-term recovery

Echoing the context and recommendations provided in the OMA's document Exhibiting Resilience: Empowering Ontario's community museums for strategic recovery, and aligned with the government's efforts towards recovery as outlined in the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries' White Paper Reconnecting Ontarians: Re-emerging as a Global Leader, the OMA brings forward recommendations to address the impacts of the pandemic for the province's museums. 

The OMA brings forward three recommendations for Ontario's 2021 Budget:
  1. An Ontario Museum Relief Fund of $8.5million
  2. A Digital Response Fund of $10million over three years, and 
  3. A Renewed Museum Funding Model of operating funding to a total of $15million annually
Read the OMA's 2021 Ontario Budget submission HERE. 
Call to Action:

Recommend Support for Museums in Ontario's 2021 Budget
 
Members can support the OMA's Recommendations in two ways:

1. Engage your MPP:
The OMA is available to work with Regional Museum Networks and members to plan meetings with their local MPPs. Please reach out to community@museumsontario.ca with your interest. 

2. Participate in Ontario's 2021 Budget Consultations
(by FRIDAY, February 12, 2021):
a) Make your own submission, using the OMA's Submission to Ontario's 2021 Budget HERE (Submissions are limited to 500 words)
b) Send by email to submissions@ontario.ca and 
You may address your submission to: 
The Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy
Minister of Finance
c/o Budget Secretariat
Frost Building North, 3rd Floor
95 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1Z1
 
OMA Recommendations to
Canada's Federal Budget 2021

The OMA has also prepared a submission of recommendations to the federal government for consideration in advance of the upcoming federal budget.

The OMA recommends:
1: That through the 2021 Federal Budget, the government continues to prioritize an investment of resources toward the review of the national museum policy;
2: That the 2021 Federal Budget extends and increases emergency support to museums;
3: That the 2021 Federal Budget increases funding to Canada’s museums to at least $60 million annually;
4:  That the government fund initiatives for digital transformation in museums; 
5: That the government expand the Endowment Incentives of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund to include heritage organizations including museums; and
6: That the Federal Budget includes sufficient financial resources to recognize the tremendous benefits of museums to the economy and society.

Read the OMA's submission for Canada's 2021 Federal Budget HERE. 

The OMA fully supports and reiterates the recommendations of the Canadian Museums Association. 

Before February 19, 2021, members can make recommendations to the federal government by visiting the Let's talk Budget 2021 website to fill out a questionnaire or upload their own submission HERE. 
Community Museum Operating Grant (CMOG) 2019 Reporting
 
The OMA is aware of the request sent to CMOG-recipient museums for 2019 documents to be submitted before March 31, 2021. The simpler application process in June 2020 was to expedite funding to assist organizations dealing with significant reductions in revenue caused by closures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The OMA is in discussion with the Ministry to express member concerns about the timing of the submission deadlines for CMOG applicants. The MHSTCI's request for documents comes during the provincial lockdown, as museums are experiencing closures, business disruptions, financial uncertainty, and staffing pressures. In addition, the timing conflicts with museums planning for March Break and beyond, as well as the submission of other grant applications, including the anticipated Community Building Fund.

We encourage museums to share their concerns and particular challenges with the OMA, mlalonde@museumsontario.ca, and contact their Museum and Heritage Programs Advisor, elka.weinstein@ontario.ca, for further information and advice.

The OMA also awaits a response and confirmation from the Ministry that CMOG-recipient museums will not be penalized for observing public health measures and reporting lower operational data in 2020, influenced by the pandemic.
 
Provincial News
MHSTCI Webinar: Provincial COVID-19 Response Framework
 

Ontario's MHSTCI has updated their provincial COVID-19 response framework. In a Webinar of February 8, Minister MacLeod and MHSTCI staff presented changes for the sector as the province returns to the COVID-19 Framework at the end of the Stay-at-Home Order. The recording of the webinar can be found HERE.  

Additional resources which were referenced in the presentation include:·

Additional information for museums, galleries, and heritage institutions, see the OMA's February 8th eNews Alert HERE.
Specific information for
Museums, Galleries, and Heritage Institutions
  • Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens, and similar attractions are permitted to open in the Green (Prevent), Yellow (Protect), Orange (Restrict) and Red (Control) Zones, with conditions.
  • Whether the attraction is in the Green (Prevent), Yellow (Protect), Orange (Restrict) Zone, the person responsible for the business must ensure that the attraction enables members of the public to maintain physical distance of at least two meters from other persons.
  • If washrooms are available to the public, they must be cleaned and disinfected as frequently as necessary to maintain a sanitary environment.
  • Interactive and high-contact exhibits can only remain open if located in the Green (Prevent), Yellow (Protect), Orange (Restrict) Zone, with frequent cleaning and disinfection as necessary to maintain a sanitary condition.
  • Some parts of museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions (e.g., restaurants/cafeteria) may be impacted by the changes to other sections of the regulation and should consider these restrictions where required.
In Grey (Lockdown) Zone
  • Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens, and similar attractions must be closed to the public with the exception that in the Grey (Lockdown) Zone, these institutions may open to provide drive-in or drive-through access to the public if the special drive-in/drive-through conditions set out in regulation are followed.
 
Heritage Week 2021
February 15-21

The Ontario Heritage Trust has announced their theme for Heritage Week 2021- the environment! The Trust will be engaging on social media with #ONheritageweek. 

This environmental theme gives members the opportunity to showcase how their work helps preserve and promote the variety of Ontario's natural spaces, like:
  • hiking trails and outdoor interpretive spaces
  • environmental awareness programming and exhibits
  • museum efforts to address climate change
  • and more!
During Heritage Week, we encourage museums to share your successes and highlight their important work on social media!
Tag @museumsontario and use #MuseumsConnectON!
 
Designing Leadership in a Time of Change
 
Her Honour, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, celebrated Black History Month with a discussion on Black leadership in the arts and culture sectors.
 
Speakers discussed the importance of reimagining the purpose of museums given their colonial underpinnings and how museums can better serve all communities. They also offered their perspectives about systemic barriers to advancement in the arts and culture sector and how their leadership practice unfolds.

Speakers:
Gaëtane Verna, Director, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery
Shelley Falconer, President and CEO, Art Gallery of Hamilton
Karen Carter, Executive Director, MacLaren Art Centre

Moderator:
Josh Dyer, Director of Marketing, Myseum of Toronto

Emceed by:
Dave D'Oyen, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Corus Entertainment
 
View the conversation HERE. 
 
OMA Member Discount Code:
Toronto History Museums (THM) Shop 
City of Toronto

The City of Toronto has announced the creation of the Toronto History Museums (THM) Shop, a new online retail experience offering products uniquely inspired by the City's artifact collection and the best in local art. Products include Indigenous crafts, artisan jewellery, clothing, accessories, home décor, gardening, reproductions, stationery, toys, educational items, and literature that reflect the history and heritage of Toronto's sites.

The THM Shop has offered OMA Members a Reciprocal Discount Code that can be used to receive a 10% discount when making THM Shop purchases. This offer is part of a pilot project running from February 1st to August 31st, 2021.  

OMA Members can find the discount code on our Member's Benefits Page HERE.

To view the THM shop, click HERE. 
Funding Opportunities
Deadlines for 2021
 
OMA Initiatives
OMA Museum Sector Feedback to
MHSTCI White Paper
Reconnecting Ontarians: Re-emerging as a Global Leader
 
The OMA is finalizing a response to the MHSTCI White Paper Reconnecting Ontarians and its 15 Action Items. The OMA's response emphasizes the inter-connectedness of the Ministry's portfolio, and how the museum sector, with appropriate supports, can be a key assets for the province to achieve the goals set out in Reconnecting Ontarians.

To provide feedback to the OMA about the Ministry's White Paper, please email community@museumsontario.ca.
 
Registration Now Open for
Indigenous Collections Symposium 2021!
March 25-26

The OMA, our partners and members of the Indigenous Collections Symposium Working Group are thrilled to announce that the Indigenous Collections Symposium: Mashkawatgong mamawewiziwin - Strengthening our bonds, sharing our practices has been rescheduled and is transitioning from an in-person to an online event. ICS will be presented online on March 25-26, 2021, with a pre-symposium event on March 24, 2021.

Your registration includes:

  • Two full days featuring a keynote presentation, interactive sessions by leading thinkers and practitioners, and group discussions at the end of each day­.
  • Exclusive access to session recordings for 3 months.
  • The opportunity to sign up for the March 24th Strengthening Our Bonds Networking Event hosted by the Indigenous Internship Program at the Canadian Museum of History.

For Program and Registration Information, Click HERE. 
 
Out-of-Province News
Call for Expression of Interest
National Heritage Digitization Strategy (NHDS)
Advisory Committee


The National Heritage Digitization Strategy (NHDS) invites expressions of interest from the GLAM (gallery, library, archive, and museum) community to join the NHDS Advisory Committee. The NHDS Advisory Committee is an unincorporated body whose members are aligned in engaging the Canadian library, archive, and museum community and Canadian creators in sharing expertise, to facilitate the digitization, preservation, and discovery of Canadian heritage.

The NHDS Advisory Committee is accountable to the broader GLAM community which it endeavours to represent. The Chair of the Advisory Committee reports on its activities to the NHDS Executive Committee.

Membership in the NHDS Advisory Committee is limited to Canadian public or not-for-profit GLAM (gallery, library, archives, and museum) organizations, committed to, and with a demonstrated investment in the digitization of, preservation of, and access to Canadian heritage.

Deadline to submit is February 23, 2021.

For more information, click HERE.
 
Article: For Canada's small museums, the pandemic 'opens minds' and forces a shift
Global News

"Museums large and small would normally see about 30 million visitors in any given year, according to the Canadian Museum Association. For context: paid attendance at all of the NHL games in both Canada and the U.S. for the 2018-2019 season was about 22 million.

A new national museum policy and new funding programs remain on the to-do list for the Trudeau government but Ottawa did respond rapidly last year with a one-of-its-kind emergency assistance program to help keep the lights on and maintain some basic programming. Just over $33 million was provided to 1,234 heritage institutions."

Read more HERE.
 
In the Media
Welland Museum receives $64,500 OTF Resilient Communities Fund grant

The Welland Museum has received a $64,500 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, developed to help non-profit organizations recover and rebuild from the impacts of COVID-19.

The museum will use the funds to develop new fundraising strategies, purchase data management software and install technological equipment to effectively communicate safety protocols when visitors return.

A $60,000 renovation that will improve office space, create an accessible washroom and a general store-themed gift shop will be paid for by a combination of the museum’s annual $240,000 from the city plus upper-level government grants.

Read more HERE.
Media Coverage
 
Canada and Ontario invest to improve accessibility of Historic Park in Thorold 
 

The Government of Canada is investing $267,366 in this project through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream (CCRIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing $222,783, while the City of Thorold is contributing $178,266.

Read more HERE. 
 
St. Marys Museum wants you to recreate history
St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is seeking postcards for a new exhibit
Niagara Falls History Museum celebrates Family Day by offering two free live virtual shows
The Orillia Museum of Art and History honours Fayne Bullen during Black History Month
Upcoming OMA Dates
The OMA Welcomes Your Support

If you are already an OMA member, please renew your membership when you receive an email reminder. If you are not a member, please consider joining, either as an institution or an individual. You can find information about member categories and benefits on our website.

Please also consider making a donation to the OMA on our website or through Canada Helps.

Your support of the OMA and your participation in events like this webinar make us stronger as a sector, and we appreciate each and everyone one of you.

An OMA membership connects you with our network of over 1000 members, representing 700 museums, galleries, and heritage sites across the province. In addition, an OMA membership provides you with the latest news via the ONmuseums newsletter, eNews alerts, and COVID-19 resources to mitigate impact for Ontario museums, galleries and heritage sites.
 
COVID-19 Resources

The OMA has prepared a dedicated webpage of COVID-19 communications and resources, updated as new information and resources become available.
Read more HERE.
 
We're Here to Help!

For all questions or inquiries please contact the OMA: community@museumsontario.ca or call 416-348-8672 / 1-866-662-8672.

Marie G. Lalonde
Executive Director
mlalonde@museumsontario.ca 
 
For any questions or comments, please contact
Marie Lalonde, Executive Director, (mlalonde@museumsontario.ca)
and Christopher Shackleton at community@museumsontario.ca
or by phone at: 416-348-8672 or toll free, 1 866 662 8672. 

Ontario Museum Association
Monday-Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Toll-free in ON: 1-866-662-8672
Phone: 416-348-8672
Fax: 416-348-0438
 
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