Canada/Québec increases cultural funding to the Municipalité des Îles
The Ministère de la Culture et des Communications increases funding to the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine for the organization of cultural activities, two days after the situation was denounced by elected municipal officials.
Québec has increased its annual contribution to the Entente de développement culturel (EDC) from $44,000 to $62,000 over the next three years.
While the Municipality contributes $53,000 per year, the ministerial contribution once again becomes the majority, accounting for 54% of the total.
By e-mail, a ministry spokesperson explained that this increase in funding is linked to the insularity decree.
On Tuesday evening, the Magdalen Islands municipal council had decried the reduction in funding, arguing in particular that the special status of the Islands had not been taken into account.
Îles-de-la-Madeleine mayor Antonin Valiquette points out that the increased amount is still less than the $80,000 granted last year.
Of course, it's a shame to have less money in the Cultural Development Agreement than we had last year, but the decrease is much [less] than what was presented to us.
A quote from Antonin Valiquette, Mayor of Îles-de-la-Madeleine
For its part, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications maintains that the annual payment of $62,000 corresponds to the amount that the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine received between 2021 and 2023.
A spokesperson for the Ministry points out that 2024 was a transition year between two three-year agreements, and that the sum paid was exceptional.
The Ministère de la Culture emphasizes that the overall EDC envelope across Quebec has not been cut, but is now shared among more municipalities.
According to the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, the Entente de développement culturel almost entirely subsidizes the cultural and heritage initiatives it implements. In particular, it gives the most vulnerable groups access to a diversified and free cultural offering.
The mayor of Les Îles asserts that the municipal administration will have to be creative to compensate for the loss of funding in relation to 2024.
The municipality already intends to apply for funding from other programs of the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
