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Library and GLAM Sector Submissions to 2022 Pre-Budget Consultations

January 9, 2022

In December 2021, the the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance resumed its Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2022 Federal Budget.

Prior to the dissolution of the 43rd Parliament in August and the calling of the 44th General Election, the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC)—the national voices for Canada’s research libraries and major public library systems—had published their recommendations for consideration in the next federal budget.

The new Standing Committee published the briefs submitted by other associations and organizations representing Canada’s GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) sector as well as other sectors in December 2021.

Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL)

Recommendation 1:
That the Government of Canada increase Library and Archives Canada’s base budget by 5% (approximately $7M) to support fulfillment of its ATI responsibility and accelerated transition to digital government record-keeping.

Recommendation 2:
That the Government of Canada provide funding in the amount of $10M to Canada’s three research granting agencies, administered through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, for a pilot program supporting the production of Canadian Open Education Resources in both official languages.

Recommendation 3:
That the Government of Canada maintain ongoing annual funding in the amount of $3M for the Centre for Equitable Library Access and $1M for the National Network for Equitable Library Services.

Recommendation 4:
That the Government of Canada introduce legislation to ensure that Canada’s public and academic libraries and users have access on reasonable terms to e-content from multinational publishers.

(Full submission from the Canadian Association of Research Libraries)

Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA)

Summary of Recommendations

  1. CFLA-FCAB recommends that the Government of Canada introduce legislation to ensure that Canada’s libraries and users have access on reasonable terms to e-content from multinational publishers.
  2. CFLA-FCAB recommends that the Government of Canada restore ongoing sustained funding in Budget 2022 for the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) and the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) to support an equitable reading landscape in Canada for people with print disabilities and to ensure that inclusive reading options exist across Canada.
  3. CFLA-FCAB recommends that the government commit to $200 million over the next four years to help implement efficient and cost-effective green infrastructure in vital community hubs from coast to coast to coast. Investment in a targeted library upgrade investment fund supports the circular economy and Canada’s Federal Sustainable Development Strategies.
  4. CFLA-FCAB recommends that the Government of Canada increase the budget allotted to Library and Archives Canada in order to support an appropriate level of response to Access to Information requests.

(Full submission from the Canadian Federation of Library Associations)

Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC)

Recommendation 1: That the Government of Canada introduce legislation to ensure that Canada’s public libraries and users have access on reasonable terms to e-content from multinational publishers.

Recommendation 2: That the Government of Canada recognize the role public libraries are playing in delivering on federal priorities in communities across Canada and provide funding to further support libraries performing these critical services.

Recommendation 3: That the Government of Canada restore ongoing sustained funding in Budget 2022 for the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) to support an equitable reading landscape in Canada for people with print disabilities and to ensure that inclusive reading options exist across Canada.

(Full submission from the Canadian Urban Libraries Council)

Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) / National Network for Equitable Library Services (NNELS)

Recommendation 1: That the government of Canada establish the Equitable Access to Reading Fund: a dedicated fund to support issues of equitable access to reading materials in Budget 2022.

Recommendation 2: That the Government of Canada ensure funding for the Equitable Access to Reading Fund include annual funding of at least $6 million and that funding growth be tied to the consumer price index.

Recommendation 3: That the government of Canada ensure that funding be restored to CELA and NNELS for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 to the previous funding level of $4 million for CELA ($3 million annually) and NNELS ($1 million annually) to ensure services for those with print disabilities can be provided during a transition to an Equitable Access to Reading Fund.

(Full joint submission from the Centre for Equitable Library Access and the National Network for Equitable Library Services)

Ontario Galleries

Recommendation 1: Recovery / Stabilization for two years for Art Galleries and Museums

Recommendation 2: Federal basic income guarantee for all Canadians

Recommendation 3: Establish a Digital Assets Fund

(Full submission from Ontario Galleries)

Ontario Museum Association

Recommendation 1: That through the 2022 Federal Budget, the government continues to prioritize an investment of resources toward the review of the national museum policy;

Recommendation 2: That the 2022 Federal Budget extends and increases funding support for museums to reopen;

Recommendation 3: That the 2022 Federal Budget increases funding to Canada’s museums towards $60 million annually;

Recommendation 4: That the government fund initiatives for digital transformation in museums;

Recommendation 5: That the government expand the Endowment Incentives of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund to include museums and heritage organizations; and

Recommendation 6: That the Federal Budget includes sufficient financial resources to recognize the tremendous benefits of museums to the economy and society.

(Full submission from the Ontario Museum Association)


In addition to briefs from the GLAM sector, a number of other organizations submitted briefs with recommendations of interest to the library and information community, including on the topics of book selling, broadband, copyright, digital infrastructure, literacy, online learning, and publishing.

Access Copyright

Recommendation 1: That the government amend the Copyright Act so that fair dealing for education only applies to educational institutions where a work is not commercially available under licence by the owner or a collective.

Recommendation 2: That the government amend the Copyright Act to clarify that tariffs approved by the Copyright Board of Canada are enforceable against infringers of copyright protected works subject to a tariff.

Recommendation 3: That the government amend the Copyright Act so that statutory damages are available to all collectives.

(Full submission from Access Copyright)

Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL)

Recommendation 1: That the government provide additional assistance to publishers so that they can remain competitive in the wake of COVID-19 by increasing the annual budget of the Canada Book Fund’s (CBF) regular programs over the next two years with a $15M investment in 2022–2023 and a $20M one in 2023–2024.

Recommendation 2: That the government implement commercialization solutions that encourage equitable remuneration to rights holders for the use of copyright protected works through a reform of the Copyright Act.

Recommendation 3: That the government introduce policies or mechanisms that encourage people to buy books that are published by Canadian publishers.

(Full submission from l’Association nationale des éditeurs de livres)

Association of Canadian Publishers

Recommendations

  1. Increase Canadian publishers’ competitiveness and support their recovery from COVID19 by enhancing the Canada Book Fund’s permanent programs for two years starting in 2022-23. We recommend additional investment of $15M in 2022-23 and $20M in 2023-24.
  2. Implement market-based solutions that encourage fair remuneration of rightsholders for use of copyright protected work through reform of the Copyright Act.
  3. Keep our book industry Canadian and put Canadian-owned publishers first.

(Full submission from the Association of Canadian Publishers)

Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT)

Recommendation 1
That the government create a national post-secondary education strategy in cooperation with provinces and territories, and commit, in support of this strategy, an additional $3 billion through transparent transfer payments to provinces and territories.

Recommendation 2
That the government provide funding in the amount of $20 million over 5 years, with $4.3 million per year ongoing for a Federal Secretariat on Post-Secondary Education, Research and Training to bring governments, experts and stakeholders together to collaborate in designing and implementing a vision for public post-secondary education in Canada. The Secretariat will build capacity within the government and engage stakeholders to provide policy analysis in support of an affordable, accessible, and high-quality post-secondary system.

Recommendation 3
That the government increase investments in basic science by $600 million and commit an additional $185 million to base funding per year ongoing, and increase graduate scholarships by $350 million over four years, with $140 million per year ongoing, to fully implement the recommendations to enhance investments to fundamental science and research in relation to the findings of the 2017 report of the Advisory Panel on Federal Support for Fundamental Science.

Recommendation 4
That the government invest in making post-secondary education more affordable by permanently doubling the value of the student grant; moving to a 50:50 funding model for grants and loans; and, providing funding in the amount of $8 million to the federal granting agencies to pilot a granting program to develop Open Education Resources.

Recommendation 5
That the government increase funding in the amount of $5 million to Statistics Canada to improve data collection and analysis on tuition, finances, salaries, equity and precarious work in public universities, colleges, and polytechnics.

Recommendation 6
That the government provide funding in the amount of $650 million annually to support closing the gap in Indigenous post-secondary educational attainment.

(Full submission from the Canadian Association of University Teachers)

Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

Recommendation 1: The government should dedicate $20 million annually to the development and operation of a ‘Canadian Internet Observatory’ – an independent, broadband policy think tank dedicated to mapping and promoting domestic internet infrastructure resiliency.

Recommendation 2: The government should allocate a portion of funding from the newly established ‘Canadian Internet Observatory’ to conduct independent, third-party audits of all publicly funded broadband projects to ensure they meet the minimum standards set out in the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission’s universal service objective.

Recommendation 3: The government should fund the development of a national cyber security training certification program to train and certify Canada’s workforce with baseline cybersecurity skills.

Recommendation 4: The costs of adopting cyber security services or technologies should be eligible expenses under any loan or granting program that emerges from the government’s recently announced Canada Digital Adoption Program.

Recommendation 5: The government should promote online trust in public institutions by mandating the use of .CA domains for all federal government websites, and fund the transition of non-.CA government websites to .CA domains.

(Full submission from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority)

Canadian Private Copying Collective

Recommendation: That the government amend the Copyright Act to make the private copying regime technologically neutral; the focus of these amendments would be to allow the regime to apply to both audio recording media and devices.

(Full submission from the Canadian Private Copying Collective)

CNIB

Recommendation 1: CNIB recommends the federal government enhance multi-year funding for employment programs supporting Canadians with disabilities, in the wake of an imminent post-pandemic employment crisis. Government funding must prioritize funding existing, successful employment programs and ensure flexible eligibility and reporting.

Recommendation 2: CNIB recommends that the Government of Canada regulate the production and distribution of accessible books, requiring publishers to make a percentage of all books produced in alternate formats for Canadians with print disabilities. This regulatory requirement can follow the format of existing Canadian Content requirements for broadcasters.

Recommendation 3: CNIB recommends that the Government of Canada modernize ISED’s Connecting Families initiative to include eligibility for Canadians with sight loss for this program, regardless of their qualification to receive the Canada Child Benefit. Further, CNIB recommends that the Government of Canada include mobile data in the updated Connecting Families program, so Canadians with sight loss have access to life-changing wayfinding and virtual assistance applications outside the home.

Recommendation 4: CNIB recommends that the Government of Canada consult with CNIB to set up a pool of individuals who can test digital services, platforms, and apps to ensure their usability and accessibility. This pool of testers must be compensated for their time and expertise, in a similar way to external contractors hired by the federal government.

(Full submission from the CNIB)

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)

Supporting a recovery-ready workforce

Recommendation 1: Increase employment opportunities and address skills shortages by accelerating reskilling and upskilling through an investment of $40M to develop national micro-credentials for key labour market sectors and support industries that will serve Canada’s economic, social and environmental leadership.

Recommendation 2: Strengthen Canada’s technical/trades training capacity by investing $50M to develop over 1,000 shared online resources for college technical/trades programs available on a national collaborative platform.

Recommendation 3: Boost Canada’s talent pool through the development and implementation of permanent residency streams for international students graduating from colleges and equip colleges to improve labour market outcomes of international students by providing additional support throughout their transition to Canada.

Mobilizing for inclusive innovation

Recommendation 4: Accelerate recovery, growth and competitiveness by expanding participation in Canada’s research and development ecosystem through an additional and permanent investment of $40M per year in college applied research capacity and the delivery of innovation solutions.

Advancing reconciliation

Recommendation 5: Deliver on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, including those directed to postsecondary institutions by supporting the development of:

  • Indigenous language revitalization and diploma/degree programs in Indigenous languages in partnership with Indigenous institutions and communities;
  • Open Educational Resources to train all students, faculty and staff on the history of Indigenous peoples and the legacy of residential schools, Indigenous rights, legal and health issues;
  • Skills-based training for all students, faculty and staff in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.

Building net zero, inclusive and digitally accessible infrastructure

Recommendation 6: Support a green and inclusive recovery by ensuring that college physical and digital infrastructure is included within the scope of national infrastructure investments and contributing up to:

  • $5B to make college campuses more sustainable, accessible, advance innovation and improve learning spaces for Indigenous students; and
  • $1.4B to upgrade colleges’ digital infrastructure, technology and cybersecurity systems; integrate simulation and virtual/augmented reality in hands-on courses; provide digital support services for student success.

Accelerating a green recovery in Canada and globally

Recommendation 7: Accelerate sustainability initiatives at colleges and in communities by investing $100M over 5 years in a new network of 50 College Sustainability Centres across Canada to leverage college assets including campus infrastructure, industry, and community partnerships to meet Canada’s net zero goals.

Recommendation 8: Increase Canada’s commitment to international development to support skills training and applied research for the transition to a net zero world.

(Full submission from Colleges and Institutes Canada)

Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC)

That the government:

  1. Secure adoption of the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework by businesses and governments.
  2. Act on the Finance Committee’s 2021 Pre-Budget Consultation Recommendations 128, Implement a digital identity system that empowers Canadians to control their data that is held by the federal government, and 129, Create a national data strategy.
  3. Work with provincial and territorial partners and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to ensure that all Canadians have access to an ISOcompliant government-issued digital ID credential with economy-wide utility by December 2022.
  4. Make digital identity-enabled services available to all Canadians by December 2022.
  5. Prioritizes funding and integration of digital ID as part of the Digital Technology Supercluster Initiative.

(Full submission from the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada)

Evidence for Democracy

Recommendation 1: That the government commit funds to develop a National Science Strategy based on the pillars of investment, infrastructure and information.

(Full submission from Evidence for Democracy)

Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Recommendation 1: That the government engage in deep, meaningful collaboration with municipalities and all orders of government to address national challenges.

Recommendation 2: That the government work with municipalities to drive economic growth by empowering local expertise and prioritizing smart investments in infrastructure and public transit.

Recommendation 3: That the government work with municipalities to promote inclusivity and community well-being by addressing housing affordability, prioritizing access to digital infrastructure, and ensuring a rural lens on federal policies and programs.

Recommendation 4: That the government work with municipalities to build more resilient communities by scaling up local climate mitigation and adaptation efforts and building municipal capacity to assess and respond to climate risks.

(Full submission from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities)

Magazines Canada

Recommendation 1: That the Government of Canada permanently broaden the eligibility for the Aid to Publishers component of the Canada Periodical Fund (Canadian Heritage) to include magazines that were eligible to receive support through the Special Measures for Journalism component of the Canada Periodical Fund in 2020-21 and the Recovery Fund for Arts, Culture, Heritage and Sport Sectors, also delivered via the Canada Periodical Fund, in 2021-22. Budget: $31.5 million

Recommendation 2: That the Government of Canada include Canadian magazine publishers in its forthcoming legislation to compensate Canadian media companies for the use of their online news content by Google, Facebook and other platforms.

(Full submission from Magazines Canada – submitted jointly with L’Association québécoise des éditeurs de magazines (AQEM), the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA), and the Magazine Association of BC (MagsBC))

Music Publishers Canada

Recommendation 1:
Prioritize copyright reform as a part of the sector’s long-term recovery, including implementing term extension immediately and ensuring the private copying regime is technologically neutral.

Recommendation 2:
Establish a whole-of-government industrial strategy for the creative industries to ensure sector growth and maintain global competitiveness.

Recommendation 3:
Develop incentives targeted at increasing the profile and usage of Canadian songs and composers within audio-visual productions.

Recommendation 4:
Make the Budget 2021 increase to the Canada Music Fund permanent and ensure that a small business lens is used in funding decisions.

Recommendation 5:
Ensure cultural and trade funding programs continue to take into account activities that allow Canadian companies in the creative sector to grow and export, including Canadian Heritage’s Creative Export Strategy as well as supports offered by Global Affairs Canada (access to consular services in key markets, and the Global Opportunities for Associations fund).

(Full submission from Music Publishers Canada)

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR)

Recommendation 1: A multi-year funding commitment of $25 million over five years to provide sustained financial support for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s (NCTR) core operations. The NCTR is mandated to play a central role in implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action. Renewed core funding is essential to fulfilling this mandate.

Recommendation 2: Funding of $7.5 million over five years to continue the work of the Missing Children and Unmarked Graves Project, which responds to Call to Action 76. With the recent highly publicized identification of unmarked graves in Kamloops and Cowessess First Nation residential schools, among others, there is urgent need for sustained funding for the NCTR to work in partnership with the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNA) to ensure that the missing children and unmarked graves project is completed. Conversations about this work is currently underway between CIRNA and the NCTR.

Recommendation 3: Funding of $60 million for a permanent home for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, serving as a national learning and educational site as well as a memorial site. The NCTR is a national centre worthy of a home that expresses the meaning and purpose of the work to commemorate what happened in the residential school system. The NCTR educates Canadians on the profound injustices inflicted on First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation by the forced removal of their children to attend residential schools and the widespread abuse suffered by the children in those schools. It combats the gap in knowledge that has a profoundly negative impact on perpetuating negative stereotypes of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The NCTR’s new home will be a permanent memorial space for all the children who attended the schools, including those who did not return home.

(Full submission from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation)

Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)

Recommendation 1: Continued COVID-19 financial support
That the Government continues to provide COVID-19 financial supports to those who have been adversely affected by the pandemic, particularly music creators who will continue experiencing financial difficulties despite the reopening of the economy.

Recommendation 2: Regulate digital media
That the Government implement regulations on digital media so that they have obligations towards discoverability and promotion of Canadian music and so that they participate, as do their traditional equivalents, in the financial support programs and funds that help foster the creation of Canadian music.

Recommendation 3: Clarify the exemption at section 32.2(3) in the Copyright Act
That the Government amend the language of the exemption at section 32.2(3) of the Copyright Act to clarify that the exemption only applies where an organization acts “without motive of gain.”

Recommendation 4: Modernize private copying
That the Government, through the budget implementation process, clarify section 82 of the Copyright Act to make the private copying regime technologically-neutral and confirm the ability of the Copyright Board to set levies for private copies made on audio recording media and audio recording devices.

Recommendation 5: Clarify enforceability of copyright tariffs
That the Government amend the Copyright Act to clarify that tariffs approved by the Copyright Board of Canada are enforceable against users of copyright-protected works for uses that fall within the ambit of an approved tariff unless the user has already obtained a valid licence for the use.

(Full submission from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada)

Universities Canada

Recommendation 1:
Invest in diverse talent, both undergraduate and graduate, domestic and international, to respond to an increasingly competitive global environment.

Recommendation 2:
Expand investments in Canadian research to globally competitive levels, including support for fundamental research through federal granting agencies, knowledge mobilization and international research collaboration.

Recommendation 3:
Invest in green, digital, accessible and cyber infrastructure to build safe, digitally enabled and environmentally sustainable university campuses and learning environments.

(Full submission from Universities Canada)

Writers’ Union of Canada

Recommendation 1: That the government immediately amend the Copyright Act in order to repair the damage to the cultural economy from unregulated educational copying of published works.

Recommendation 2: That the government provide additional annual funding in the amount of $15 million for the Public Lending Right program, bringing the program’s budget to $30 million annually.

(Full submission from the Writers’ Union of Canada)

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