THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND MUSEUMS

The museums of Canada open a door on to our rich heritage and are a reflection of our cultural diversity. Over 2,000 museums offer a multitude of experiences, presenting our exploits and hopes. They are themselves an open book on our country and on the world. Museums tell our stories in a thousand and one ways and teach us more about ourselves.

The Government of Canada, through the Department of Canadian Heritage, supports Canadian museums in various ways in their efforts to remain vital and influential.

The federal government is responsible for four national museums:

• Canadian Museum of Nature
• Canada Science and Technology Museum and its associate museums
  • Canada Agriculture Museum
  • Canada Aviation Museum
• Canadian Museum of Civilization and its associate museum
  • Canadian War Museum
• National Gallery of Canada and its associate museum
  • Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography

The Museums Assistance Program (MAP) provides financial support to Canadian museums and related institutions for projects that foster excellence in museum activities and that facilitate access to the treasures of our collective heritage. This $9.4-million program helps almost two hundred museums each year.

Through the Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program the federal government assumes financial liability for loss or damage to objects that are part of an eligible travelling exhibition. The purpose of this program is to increase access for Canadians to Canadian and world heritage.

Under the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, the Movable Cultural Property Directorate assists heritage institutions to acquire significant cultural objects that are threatened with export or that are located outside of Canada. The Department of Canadian Heritage awards movable cultural property grants worth an estimated total of $1.16 million a year.

The Cultural Property Export and Import Act also provides for special tax incentives to encourage Canadians to donate or sell nationally significant objects to public heritage institutions in Canada. The Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board certifies and thus assists public institutions in acquiring cultural objects of outstanding significance and national importance worth a total of some $100 million every year.

The Young Canada Works Program gives hundreds of young people the opportunity to acquire enriching and relevant experience in museums, archives, libraries and other heritage institutions.

The Canada-France Agreement on Museums each year allows some French and Canadian museums to benefit from collaborative projects designed to increase understanding of the culture and history of the two countries.

The Canadian Conservation Institute, created in 1972, has nationally and internationally recognized expertise. The Institute conducts research as part of projects on the conservation process and environmental degradation, conducts analyses and scientific tests, and puts its knowledge at the disposal of any interested parties. It has played a significant role in various projects, such as the restoration of Parliament Hill, the Notre Dame Basilica in Ottawa, and the McCrae medals.

But the preservation and accessibility of Canadian Heritage also rely on a solid network of documentation and information on Canadian museums' collections. The Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) fulfils this role by serving as a central repository of information on museums, arts galleries and other sources of heritage information. Its Internet site offers a host of information on artefacts and where they are to be found. CHIN launched the Virtual Museum of Canada, which brings together hundreds of museums and allows people to explore virtual exhibitions. CHIN is also working with museums and other heritage institutions on various projects to digitize their collections.

Cultural Spaces Canada seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and innovation. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays. The Program supports the improvement, renovation and construction of arts and heritage facilities.

The Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program helps arts and heritage organizations improve their management and develop greater financial stability.

By offering these programs and by working alongside museums, the federal government provides Canadians with greater access to their heritage, no matter where in Canada they live.