Investing in Arts and Culture in the Okanagan Valley - Government of Canada provides funding to six arts and culture organizations

KELOWNA, BC, Jan. 20, 2014 /CNW/ - Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament (Delta-Richmond East) was in Kelowna today, on behalf of Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, to announce support for seven arts and culture projects in the Okanagan region.

This investment of $274,980 will enable six organizations in the Okanagan region to deliver programming, organize festivals, strengthen official-language minority communities, and support local publications.

Funding is being provided under the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program, the Endowment Incentives component of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund, the Community Life component of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program, and the Aid to Publishers component of the Canada Periodical Fund. A complete list of the projects is included in the backgrounder.

Quick Facts

• Arts, culture, and heritage represent $49.9 billion in the Canadian economy and over 630,000 jobs across the country.

Quotes

"Today's announcement demonstrates our commitment to supporting arts and culture organizations that contribute to the diverse and vibrant cultural life in the Okanagan Valley."

• Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

"Each and every one of these organizations being supported today plays an important role in uniting our country and creating a thriving arts scene here in the Okanagan Valley for all to enjoy."

• Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament (Delta-Richmond East)

"The Canadian Heritage Endowment Initiatives program offers the Okanagan Symphony a key tool in the critically important ongoing effort to build our Endowment Funds."

• -Scott Wilson, Executive Director, Okanagan Symphony Society

Additional Links

• Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program
• Canada Cultural Investment Fund: Endowment Incentives Component
• Development of Official-Language Communities Program
• Canada Periodical Fund: Aid to Publishers Component
• Centre culturel francophone de l'Okanagan
• Global Citizen Kelowna
• Community Foundation of the South Okanagan
• Okanagan Symphony
• ZAMOOF! magazine
• 4WD magazine

BACKGROUNDER

Today's announcement includes the following projects:

Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage This program provides Canadians with more opportunities to take part in activities that present local arts and culture and celebrate local history and heritage.
City	Organization	Project	Funding and Year
Kelowna	Centre culturel francophone de l'Okanagan	Festival de l'érable 2014	$14,900 (2013-2014)
Kelowna	Intercultural Society of the Central Okanagan	Global Citizen Kelowna	$20,300 (2013-2014)
			TOTAL: $35,200
Development of Official-Language Communities Program: Community Life Component This component aims to enable the federal government to work with partners to offer official-language minority communities access to services in their own language, as well as the infrastructure necessary to ensure their growth and development.
City	Organization	Project	Funding and Year
Kelowna	Centre culturel francophone de l'Okanagan	2013-2015 Programming	$130,000 (2013-2015)
			TOTAL: $130,000
Canada Cultural Investment Fund: Endowment Incentives Component This component encourages Canadians to donate to professional arts organizations so that they can prosper and ensure their long-term stability. Through this component, the Government of Canada provides funds to match those raised by private donors.
City	Organization	Project	Funding and Year
Penticton	Community Foundation of the South Okanagan	Okanagan Symphony Society	$22,000 (2012-2013)
Kelowna	Central Okanagan Foundation	Okanagan Symphony Society	$6,000 (2012-2013)
			TOTAL: $28,000
Canada Periodical Fund: Aid to Publishers Component This component is designed to provide Canadian publishers of paid or verified request circulation magazines and paid circulation non-daily newspapers with the financial assistance they need to produce and distribute high-quality Canadian content for Canadian readers.
City	Organization	Project	Funding and Year
Kelowna	Dream Wave Publishing	ZAMOOF! magazine	$47,650 (2013-2014)
Kelowna	SunCruiser Publishing	4WD magazine	$34,130 (2013-2014)
			TOTAL: $81,780
GRAND TOTAL, ALL PROGRAMS:			$274,890

SOURCE: Canadian Heritage

Contacts

Marisa Monnin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
819-997-7788

Anna Gravelle
A/Regional Manager
Communications
Western Region
Canadian Heritage
604-666-6504

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
[email protected]