Federal minister Moore acknowledges "devastating" nature of BC arts cuts

Federal heritage minister James Moore feels your pain, BC arts organizations, he really does. During the latest in a series of funding announcements, Moore said that the arts funding cuts by the BC (Liberal) government are potentially "devastating", he said according to a report in The Tyee.

But after the press conference, the MP for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam stopped short of directly criticizing the provincial government, saying he respects other governments' jurisdictions. "My job isn't to beat up on Kevin Krueger," he said of B.C.'s minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. "The province of British Columbia has made its own decisions and they will, politically, live with them."

Moore was told by several BC arts groups about the impact of 90% cuts to their provincial funding. This impact is felt across the sector, including by a number of arts and culture periodicals. Core funding in BC -- most of which comes through the BC Arts Council -- is expected to fall 88% over two years, from $19.5 million last year to $2.25 million in 2010-11.

When asked if cuts to provincial funding might limit federal funding for B.C. arts groups, Moore said his government is trying to compensate for funding that may be cut or absent in other Canadian jurisdictions.

He also said while the Canada Council operates at arm's length from government, its administrators are quite cognizant of the impact that the disappearance of provincial funding in B.C could have.