MINUTES – PUBLIC – ARTS, CULTURE, LETTERS AND HERITAGE COMMISSION

5. Public question period

Two members of the public are attending the meeting virtually as observers. The Chair invites the members of the CACLP to discuss with people from the cultural community and members of the public about the Commission and the possibility of participating in meetings, among other things during the public question period, as much to ask questions as to propose ideas or projects, for example.

Julien Morissette, "Artist of the Year" at the last Gala des Culturiades, co-founder of the Festival de la radio numérique and Transistor Média, as well as Clara Lagacé, Director General of Transistor Média and co-chair of Culture Outaouais, joined the meeting in person to ask a question during the public question period. The question from these two members of the public is as follows: In connection with the discussions surrounding the development of the Cultural Policy, what is the progress of the reflections regarding the establishment of an Arts Council at the Ville de Gatineau?

The request consists of knowing a little more about this subject and reiterating the importance and their expectations regarding the creation of such an entity for the cultural community. The citizens present also wish to know, if possible, the planned timeline for the reflection process on this subject.

The SACL team first informs the members of the CACLP and the members of the public that it is today, after the Commission meeting, that the first monitoring committee for the Cultural Policy will take place. It is explained that the establishment of an Arts Council requires a broad reflection, a transversal look where challenges, feasibility, and issues are taken into account. The department has already begun the inventory of information shared in connection with the establishment of an Arts Council, which was raised during the public consultations of the Cultural Policy in Gatineau. Preliminary exchanges have also taken place with two of the three municipalities that have an Arts Council, namely Saguenay and Longueuil. It is planned to also exchange with Montreal eventually on this subject. Discussions are also underway to soon offer a professional services mandate to a consultant resource person with the goal of evaluating the question of establishing an Arts Council in Gatineau, in a spirit of analysis, reflection, and neutrality. A portrait of the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities in this regard could eventually be the subject of a presentation to the CACLP, subject to all reservations.

The department explains that it is important to verify, beforehand, if the model of an Arts Council is the tool needed in Gatineau, in the cultural environment, at this moment. The evaluation of the need and feasibility of setting up an entity of this type requires time, analysis, and, obviously, guidelines and parameters in connection with sound governance. The process therefore focuses on the relevance of the model and the evaluation of the means and resources necessary for its implementation and deployment, if applicable. The timeline for this reflection will take into consideration that of the revision of the Programme de soutien aux organismes culturels (PSOC), which is a priority project for the deployment of the actions of the Cultural Policy, although the results of the analysis will only be available after the program revision process.

A clarification is provided in connection with the PSOC. The program, which is being revised, concerns professional organizations, cultural leisure organizations, and heritage organizations. In the context of previous discussions in connection with the Cultural Policy committee, the notion of support for professional artists and that of support for individual practices had been named and put forward. In this regard, it is noted that the 2024-2027 action plan of the Cultural Policy has identified as a priority action the enhancement of the territorial agreement with the collectivité de l’Outaouais (agreement with the CALQ). Thus, the City has tripled its support for professional artists and Gatineau professional artistic organizations within the framework of this agreement for the years 2024 to 2027 (going from $25,000 to $75,000 per year). This enhancement has led to an increase in the CALQ's share for artists and organizations in Gatineau, which has also tripled its support (from $25,000 to $75,000 per year for 2024-2027). These actions are a first concrete gesture of support for professional artists and individual practice.

The SACL and the Chair indicate that in the event of future discussions, if the CACLP is in favor of the creation of an Arts Council, it will be able to propose a recommendation to the municipal council. However, the final decision will return to the municipal council and not to the Commission, which has a role of recommendation in the progression of this type of file/subject.

6. Presentation by Andrée Poulin: Library Readings

Andrée Poulin, youth author and guest, presents the "Lectures en bibliothèque" (Library Readings) project to the members of the Commission. Congratulations are first addressed to the SACL service teams and the CACLP for their efforts in developing and adopting the Cultural Policy, processes in which the author participated. The result and the process impressed her greatly. A PowerPoint presentation is shared on the spot with the Commission.

The guest youth author, who has already carried out some operational steps with the goal of evaluating the feasibility of the project with the SACL library team, wishes, through the presentation of the project, to receive symbolic support from the members of the CACLP to facilitate the next steps and invite a minimum of 11 elected officials to participate in the reading of a story, in one of the 11 libraries of the Ville de Gatineau, during Valentine's Day. The family activity (no age limit) would be enhanced in part by the support of the library animation team, subject to all reservations, and a "treasure hunt" type activity with chocolate. The goal of the project is to invite citizens to read and allow elected officials to be leaders by setting an example to make Gatineau a city of readers. The author offers her availability to exchange and set an example for elected officials who wish to know how to present a tale/story orally to a family audience. She also reiterates the importance of valuing reading and literacy, in connection with this project and the Cultural Policy (commitment 1.2). Regional authors could be highlighted during this activity.

During the presentation, the guest youth author provides context, among other things regarding statistics concerning literacy, illiteracy, the importance of acting early in reading, the impact of not knowing how to read or reading little, school dropout, etc. She mentions that the year 2025, in Quebec, was supposed to be the year of reading, which has been postponed. Some examples of projects promoting reading are put forward, including the "quarter hour of reading" project in France. It is also brought to the attention of the members that Maude Marquis-Bissonnette has committed to reading a Christmas tale on December 19 at the Maison du citoyen and that this is a very beautiful initiative demonstrating leadership and the importance of reading for the citizens of Gatineau.

Main exchanges

The main exchanges focus on the enthusiasm of the members in connection with the project presented. They are confident that 11 elected officials (11 libraries) will want to join the project and do a reading, as part of Valentine's Day, especially since the teams concerned are already attached to the project and will facilitate its realization. The questions of operational feasibility having already been validated with the SACL team, some ideas in this regard are exchanged. These concern the appropriation of the project, the invitation of key actors, and the eventual promotion of the project. Andrée Poulin is invited to continue her efforts with the municipal teams concerned, but also to formalize the invitation to the elected officials in order to identify the date and the activity on their agenda. Ideas for partnerships are named such as bookstores, community centers, the Outaouais, etc. It is specified that to begin with, the initiative, for the first year, can focus on Gatineau and that its reach could extend in subsequent years. For other years, the Réseau biblio could be in support of the project. This does not prevent communicating the project to the key people named, for their information. There is an interest in thinking about the project in a way to create an annual tradition and demonstrate that Gatineau is a dynamic and innovative city. In the context of the project presented, more than one elected official could do the reading in the same library, if there is enthusiasm. The question of potentially doing the reading in a community center for those who do not have a library will be analyzed. The members find the initiative very interesting and will be able to share the information eventually in their networks. This being part of one of their roles, that of dissemination and promotion of cultural initiatives in connection with their work.

Mélanie Rivet proposes symbolic support for the project presented. Gilles Parent supports this proposal. The CACLP supports the initiative presented, named Lecture en bibliothèque. Note that the elected officials of the Commission express their intention to inform their colleagues of this project in order to invite them to participate as well.

7. Motion on intellectual freedom in public libraries

The motion for intellectual freedom in public libraries, proposed by the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec to their members, was presented by the SACL to the members of the CACLP, for recommendation, with a view to adoption by the municipal council. The reading of the motion is done just like the proposal of a recommendation in this regard.

Whereas the UNESCO Manifesto on the public library stipulates that the public library is a local information center; Whereas the Public Library makes a great diversity of knowledge and information available to its users; Whereas the Public Library offers works and documents reflecting different points of view which are themselves a reflection of the moment in History to which they belong; Whereas the Public Library is an essential component of knowledge societies, which constantly adapts to new means of communication to fulfill its missions: to provide universal access to information and to promote its appropriation by all; Whereas the Public Library offers the public an accessible space for the production of knowledge, the sharing and exchange of information and culture, and the promotion of citizen engagement;

The library is a collective good and a place where a relationship with knowledge is developed, made of exploration, exchange, knowledge, culture, and enrichment. By providing the place, the resources, and the staff capable of supporting them, the library allows all individuals, throughout their lives and regardless of their age, social status, and origin, to train and meet their needs for knowledge, information, and improvement. The library is at the heart of people's lives. Whether it is public, in a professional or educational environment, the library occupies a fundamental place in its community and it acts as a driving force for social, economic, and cultural development. It is that door always accessible and open to the world. As proclaimed by UNESCO as well as the Table permanente de concertation des bibliothèques québécoises in the Declaration of Quebec Libraries, the purpose of the library is to ensure "free and unlimited access to knowledge, thought, culture, and information", notably thanks to free access.

Whereas the same UNESCO Manifesto declares that collections and services must not be subject to any form of ideological, political, or religious censorship, nor to any commercial pressure; Whereas several situations, all over the world, give cause for concern for the fundamental role of libraries to disseminate diversified content while respecting intellectual and expression freedom;

Recommendation CACLP-2024-05

In order to guarantee access to knowledge and culture for the population, the Commission des arts, de la culture, des lettres et du patrimoine, during its regular meeting of December 4, 2024, recommends to the municipal council to officially recognize:

• public libraries as places reflecting the diversity of points of view; • the expertise of public library staff to manage the selection and dissemination of collections; • the need to support and back public library staff in the choice of works composing their collections and not to yield to the pressure of censorship and withdrawal requests that could target these institutions.

It is proposed by Gilles Parent Seconded by Mélanie Rivet Adopted