MINUTES – PUBLIC – ARTS, CULTURE, LETTERS AND HERITAGE COMMISSION (CACLP)

6. Revision of event support programs – Prioritization exercise for desired outcomes – Information and discussion

The revision of event support programs, in the form of a prioritization exercise for desired outcomes, is presented by Rémi Bérubé, coordinator at the Bureau des événements (BDE), to the SACL. The presence of Mr. Éric Boily, service head at the BDE for the SACL, is also noted. The presentation is informative in nature. It is a matter of informing the members of the Commission of this upcoming prioritization exercise concerning the impacts targeted by hosting events supported by the City. The exercise, carried out cyclically with members of the Table de concertation des événements (TCE), is an evaluation of the value of desired impacts. For the first time, members of the CACLP, those of the Commission des loisirs, des sports et du développement des communautés (CLSDC), as well as all members of the municipal council are invited to take part in this process. Soon, a questionnaire, in the form of an opinion survey with closed-ended questions, will be sent to the targeted individuals to collect their points of view and reflections.

Marie Roy joins the meeting at 1:39 p.m.

Exchange period

General comments Thanks are addressed to Rémi Bérubé as well as the entire BDE and SACL team for the presentation and the integrated consultative approach. Following a question on this subject, the presenter further clarifies the context, the objective sought, and the expectations of the Commission members. The impact prioritization activity is part of a set of measures useful for reflection concerning the relevance and prioritization of municipal support for events. The question is to define the reasons why the City should support an event offering intended for citizens on its territory in relation to social, economic, and outreach impacts. As explained during the presentation, the objective of the exercise is to allow the BDE to update the eligibility and assessment criteria of the programs, the variables to be measured, and the weighting of these in the analysis grids. The role of the CACLP is to support the TCE in a consultative manner, to facilitate the exercise of prioritizing desired impacts. CACLP members will be invited to participate in the survey to highlight the cultural point of view. The presenter specifies that more cultural than sporting events are currently supported and that the point of view of CACLP members is important. The analysis and production of final results will be the responsibility of the TCE.

In response to a member's question concerning the link to be made with the Commission's current work plan and this presentation, the Service specifies that it is a joint process in support of a consultation table handling the file, whose process is worked on in a transversal approach. More and more alignments between the subjects of the commissions and committees will be proposed to members in the future. This project is a means added to the work plan in coherence with the ongoing files being processed and in connection with the mandate of the CACLP.

Equity and host site A member wishes to verify if external support is planned to ensure the equity of this process. The Service explains that an evaluation committee is already in place to ensure this oversight. An administrative committee will also accompany the process. This will be composed of different actors.

Cultural infrastructure Clarification is requested regarding the lack of infrastructure or dedicated venues for certain events and how this situation is treated in the context of ongoing reflections. How can we host these projects that could be part of the event vision, but are excluded due to this situation? The Service explains that there are currently no exclusion criteria related to these events. It is even mentioned that many events currently supported do not have access to dedicated sites and that the needs analysis by the BDE team is done upstream by proposing alternatives to adequately support the promoter in choosing a site corresponding to the needs.

Survey Some members of the Commission propose adding, if possible, response options formulated openly and not in a closed manner (yes-no), as part of this questionnaire. This would allow members to well explain their choices, reasons, and justifications so that the team that will analyze the forms better understands the point of view and explanations of the survey participants. The BDE takes good note of this and will follow up appropriately. Discussions take place regarding the status of members and their participation in the exercise in connection with the subject presented. Mélanie Rivet declares a potential conflict of interest in connection with the subject discussed.

Criteria A member wishes to highlight the fact that the exercise does not allow for guiding the identified criteria, even if it allows for participating in the survey. From their point of view, even if the three criteria named previously during the presentation are all necessary, two of them are more so: the economic criterion and the cultural one.

Consultative approach to commissions The presenter recalls that for the first time, this opportunity for reflection is open to members of the two identified commissions (CACLP and CLSDC). The exercise will also be done with elected officials and is carried by the TCE. The chair emphasizes that the City is more attentive to the citizen experience.

7. Redesign of the Support Program for Cultural Organizations – Progress report - Information

For information purposes, Sonia Bisson presents to the members of the CACLP the progress of the work concerning the redesign of the Programme de soutien aux organismes culturels (PSOC). Since the last meeting of the Commission, validation sessions with partners in the field have taken place (February). Ms. Bisson informs the Commission of the highlights of this stage and presents the adjusted schedule. It is also planned that, during the next meeting, on April 30, a more complete presentation will be made in order to receive a recommendation from the CACLP in anticipation of the municipal council of June 10. The presentation document that was projected in support of the information point will be transmitted to the members following the meeting. As part of the program redesign process, individual meetings were organized, briefs and other correspondence were received, an exchange on transition processes was carried out with the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) and the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles du Québec (SODEC), and a survey on the contribution of the cultural sector to the community and culture took place (March).

Exchange period

General comments Thanks and congratulations are addressed to the SACL in connection with the work accomplished to date. The positive listening of the team, the welcome, and the inclusion are highlighted.

Feedback In order to highlight an effective feedback method, a member of the Commission explains having recently received from the Canada Council for the Arts, a clear and concise summary sheet summarizing the situation of their organization. It is visually possible to know where the organization stands in relation to the requests made according to the criteria of the funder. This suggestion is noted.

Organization portal One wonders if challenges and issues are to be expected with the closing of the portal during the spring, summer, and fall. Will the accountability of the organizations be affected? The Service explains that depending on the intensity of the work to be done, it is sometimes easier to close the portal if it is short-term. However, a version that is not online could be used if needed. Verifications will be made and the operation can be communicated in due course.

MCC involvement and available funds It is planned that the MCC will support and contribute to the evaluation of projects in order to validate their eligibility and compliance with the criteria for which the Entente de développement culturel (EDC) grants funds. One wonders if the new program is associated with new budgets. The Service explains that it is working on developing a financial argument aimed at making a financial request to the municipal council for the PSOC in order to obtain additional funds. The decision will be made only at the end of the year when studying the budget. One of the elements to be included in this argument is at the level of the economic impact of cultural organizations (accommodation, catering, employment, etc.). The Service recalls the impact of presenters in their environment and the importance of documenting this. Data is accessible on this subject.

Follow-up elements and next steps A member wonders why more detailed information is not presented in the meeting today and if it is possible to receive an adjusted schedule. The Service explains that the presentation initially planned was moved to the April meeting in order to continue the analysis in progress. An information point concerning the progress of the file was therefore planned. In April, without going into operational details, the main orientations will be presented to the members of the CACLP, in connection with its role and mandate. The high-level schedule can be shared in due course.

Pause from 2:25 p.m. to 2:35 p.m.

8. Arts Council in Gatineau – Presentation of the analysis mandate - Information

The analysis mandate aimed at evaluating the relevance of implementing an Arts Council in Gatineau (CA) is presented by Sonia Bisson, coordinator at the SACL, as part of an information point. This mandate will allow for an in-depth analysis of the question and provide an objective look to the SACL concerning the relevance of implementing a CA in Gatineau. The study will cover governance and financial aspects. The final report and the presentation to the CACLP are planned for the fall of 2025, subject to change. The team of consultants is composed of Émilie Chazelas, Nathalie Courville, and Hugo Dufour. The presentation having been subject to minor adjustments, it will be transmitted again to the members.

Exchange period

General comments We highlight the quality of the approach, the well-established strategic process, and the choice of consultants.

Alignment between an Arts Council (CA) and the Support Program (PSOC) We wish to understand how a CA, which would be put in place at the end of the PSOC revision process, could be coherent and aligned with it and with the needs, knowing that a CA will likely bring new budgetary requests. This question is very relevant for the Service, which explains to the members of the Commission the schedules and steps in connection with these two processes as well as the choices and constraints. The need to revise the PSOC and apply it as soon as possible is a priority for the SACL, as is that of improving the territorial agreement with the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) in order to support the environment as much as possible according to current capacities and in coherence with the action plan of the cultural policy. As for the schedule for the deployment of such an Arts Council (CA), the team of consultants has already advised the Service that it would normally take about 24 additional months, following a decision by a municipal council and after the analysis and recommendation stages, before such an organization is actually active, subject to change. In the meantime, the Service's wish remains to remain as relevant as possible in the various forms of support. The PSOC makes it possible to reach cultural and professional leisure organizations. Both processes will coexist. A review of the current documentation will be done and a workshop will be organized on June 20 on this subject. It is explained that even in the presence of an instance such as a CA, it is possible that some professional organizations prefer to make requests to the City. The Service adds that the City remains accountable and must operate by decree. Mandates remain with the City for cultural leisure, for the granting of premises, support for cultural and heritage organizations, etc. The City remains responsible for the budgets. In additional information, the MCC specifies that the management of cultural development agreements cannot be delegated to a third party. A tightening has been done at this level, moreover.

9. Cultural Development Agreement (EDC) 2025-2027 – Information and discussion

This presentation, provided by the director of the SACL, Sonia Blouin, allows for informing the members of the main lines of the funding of the Entente de développement culturel (EDC). The City is very proud of it. Two categories are included in this: regular credits and capital assets. This agreement corresponds well to the priorities of the 2024-2027 action plan. The SACL will count on the support of a coordinator in cultural infrastructure at the City of Gatineau. A notice of motion was made in March at the CM regarding the Loan By-law. The granting of the first financial aid could take place by the end of the summer.

Exchange period

General comments The news of the hiring of a cultural infrastructure coordinator is received favorably by the members. One asks if the addition of this resource will also make it possible to support the organizations. The Service explains that the support of this coordinator is at the municipal level, but that the latter will be able to help the organizations at certain levels during the progress of major projects in cultural infrastructure. The MCC specifies that its PQI program ends on March 31, 2025, and that a new program will be put in place as of April 1, 2025. Communications will be sent to this effect shortly. With regard to the sums set aside for organizations for small cultural equipment, one also asks if two calls for projects can be put in place to facilitate the preparation of organizations to submit a request. The Service notes this interesting proposal. It is specified that the City's share for the sum in capital assets is largely made up of budgets already associated with existing projects. This serves as a lever to obtain financial counterpart from the MCC and this is a big step. This will improve the citizen offer and this approach is welcomed by the members. Thanks are addressed to the administration for their steps having taken place within the framework of tight schedules. A follow-up is requested concerning the question of the redevelopment of the Espace René-Provost.

10. Statutory item: Cultural infrastructure – Information

A presentation is shared on the spot to summarize the progress status concerning cultural infrastructure as part of a statutory point. This will be transmitted to the members following the meeting. It is high-level information, more strategic.

Exchange period

General comments Thanks are addressed for the quality of this statutory point. Clarification is requested concerning the sums envisaged for the implementation of certain projects. The Service explains that the amounts identified to carry out these projects are committed in other budgets, if applicable. The amounts do not come from the agreement with the MCC. The EDC will bring new budgets in support. For example, if studies or additional steps to the identified projects are to be expected, funds from the EDC could be used to help them progress. We wish to validate the involvement of organizations in the context of the development of these infrastructure projects. The Service confirms that these projects must meet the need in the environment and receive the support of the community. The vice-chair explains that the money coming from the municipal fund named "block D" is not dedicated specifically to the SACL. The requests are in competition with any other project of the City of Gatineau for the next 10 years. There remains about 30 million dollars in this fund. A member suggests exploring innovative models with private partners or any other business model. Another person would like a color to be added to follow the progression of actions from one meeting to the next.