Wake Up Mr. Harper

In conjunction with other arts groups, The Writers’ Union of Canada is holding an Awakening in Ottawa, on April 16, to open the eyes of the Harper government to the cultural and economic contribution the arts make to Canada.

“Canada’s cultural health depends upon the constant flow and consumption of art and artistic ideas,” said Deborah Windsor, executive director for the Union. “The arts, like our lakes and rivers, are a vital natural resource.”

Ron Brown, chair of the Union, pointed out that the Arts tell us who we are. It is through the creations of Canadian artists that Canadians learn about Canada and themselves and the world has a better understanding of us as a sovereign nation. Brown added that the cultural sector enriches Canadian society and showcases Canada abroad and contributed $40 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2002 more than agriculture, logging, forestry, mining and oil and gas combined.

Writers and filmmakers and playwrights and visual artists are holding a press conference in the Centre Block pressroom on Parliament Hill at 1:30 pm. After the press conference, we will gather in front of Centre Block for an awakening event.

Vice chair Susan Swan explained that younger writers are the ones who will suffer most from Harper's cuts to cultural programs abroad, ending a thirty year tradition of the Canadian government supporting its artists and writers with foreign distribution of films and foreign publications of their work.

The Writers' Union of Canada is our country's national organization representing professional authors of books. Founded in 1973, the Union is dedicated to fostering writing in Canada, and promoting the rights, freedoms, and economic well being of all writers. For more information, please visit www.writersunion.ca.