Candidates paint bleak picture of Winnipeg arts funding
Mayoral hopefuls debate present, future state of funding Winnipeg arts and culture scene
All seven mayoral hopefuls participated in a forum Friday on the importance of arts and culture in Winnipeg, and the picture they painted wasn't always pretty.
The event was organized by the advocacy organization Manitobans for the Arts.
The City of Winnipeg spends seven times less than the national average on arts funding, according to Manitobans for the Arts.
"We as Winnipeggers, we're very proud of our arts and culture, rightfully so," said Randy Joynt, one of the group's founding members.
"The truth is, we're doing incredible things with limited investment from our municipal government and with more, we could do so much more.”
Candidates divided over arts funding
"It is about time we make arts and culture the fourth pillar of economic and social planning for the city," said Judy Wasyslicia-Leis.
But Wasyslicia-Leis, who has often championed the arts, would not commit to any extra funding.
Gord Steeves explicitly stated he wouldn't be in a position to raise arts funding as mayor.
"I am not in a position to tell you, regrettably, that I am in a position to raise arts funding," said Steeves.
Robert-Falcon Ouellette estimated Winnipeg's funding deficit for arts and culture at nearly $25 million a year. He intimated that with other funding challenges facing the city, that gap might be hard to close.
"We are having difficulty finding $20 million dollars finishing the BRT line ... so that's the perspective," said Ouellette.
Brian Bowman turned out to be the lone candidate willing to commit to extra spending, promising to raise the city's per capita spending from $5 to $7 on the arts in the next two years.
That would still leave Winnipeg a whopping $28 per person below the national average, which has left people like Sophia Kachor with the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre in shock.
"It's surprising because Winnipeg cultural life is very vibrant and if you didn't know those figures, you would never believe it was so underfunded."