ORLÉANS, Ontario – Participating in Ontario Pop 2009 on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament (Ottawa–Orléans), today announced the implementation of the Music Showcases Initiative for Artists from Minority Official Language Communities.

The Music Showcases Initiative was announced as part of the Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008–2013: Acting for the Future. The Government of Canada has allocated $4.5 million over five years to this initiative through the Collective Initiatives Component (CIC) of the Canada Music Fund. This component is administered by the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR) for the English-language sector of the music industry and Musicaction for the French-language sector.

“Music showcases are smart, strategic investments for the Government. Attended by both the general public and members of the industry, these events often yield long term returns for our artists—whether through increased notoriety, performance bookings, or album production contracts,” said Minister Moore.

“Our Government created a new program to support events like Ontario Pop in order to give minority official language communities more opportunities to enjoy musical performances in their own language while helping artists from these communities reach larger audiences locally, nationally, and internationally,” said Mr. Galipeau.

“It is good news for the French music industry and, in particular, for the development of our artists,” said Jean Michel Ouimet, President of the Association des professionnels de la chanson de la musique (APCM). “For two years, APCM has organized these types of activities. Little by little, our team is implementing promotional strategies based on artist showcases, in order to increase their potential market. This new program will certainly help ensure the growth of our industry and marketing on a much larger scale for member artists of APCM.”

The Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008–2013 is an unprecedented government-wide commitment with a budget of $1.1 billion divided among 14 departments and federal agencies. The Roadmap is directed at strengthening the vitality of minority official language communities and offering all Canadians the benefits that the country’s two official languages give them.

For more information:

o Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008–2013
www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/slo-ols/strat-eng.cfm
o Canada Music Fund
www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/fmusc-cmusf
o FACTOR
www.factor.ca
o Musicaction
www.musicaction.ca

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For more information, please contact:

Kyle Simunovic
Office of Royal Galipeau, MP
613-608-0289
kyle@royalgalipeau.ca