Basic Info

Name:: Ordinary Canadians DO SUPPORT the Arts, Mr. Harper. You are dead wrong.
Category:: Entertainment & Arts -
Description:: The September 24, 2008 Toronto Star carried a story saying that Prime Minister Stephen Harper believes that ordinary Canadians do not support nor care about art or artists in this country (ergo, he cut funding drastically). I, and thousands of other Canadians think his is dead wrong on this issue. What is a country, a people, without a vibrant arts community?

We are a small country by population. Government helps underwrite arts. Rich patrons help continue the arts. But it is the great masses of ordinary folk who put their bums in seats and attend events and buy art and music and books and more who make art real and accepted.

We attend the museums and galleries. We attend the folk festivals, film fests, music fests, theatre companies (large and small), and small town craft fairs. We are watching more Canadian films and television shows. We are the ones who buy CDs, DVDs, paintings, sculpture, pottery, posters, and everything else. Those all generate tax revenues that help fund the arts we are supporting with our own wallets. It's cyclical and a good investment.

Want to help? Join this group and raise your voice. If you can vote, VOTE! Want to read more? Pick up the latest issue of Existere Journal of Arts and Literature and read my editorial. Also, read, read, read. Become an informed voter. Don't just take it from me. Read the newspapers and sites from coast to coast.

Mr. Harper is wrong on arts funding and he must be made to understand that real people - ordinary Canadians - really do support the arts.

Regardless of your political stripe. Send Mr. Harper a message through this site AND through your local candidates that you want arts funding restored.

Thanks! -- Pass it on...!

*******************

Les Canadiens Ordinaires SONT en faveur des Arts, M. Harper. Vous vous êtes trompé.

Le Toronto Star du 24 septembre 2008 contenait un article qui disait que le Premier Ministre, Stephen Harper, croit que les Canadiens ordinaires ne supportent et ne s’intéressent ni aux arts ni aux artistes de ce pays (il a donc diminué de façon drastique le financement). Moi-même et des milliers d'autres Canadiens pensons qu’il s’est trompé. Qu’est-ce qu’un pays, un peuple, sans une communauté artistique vibrante?

La population du Canada est petite par rapport à la taille de son territoire. Le gouvernement subventionne les arts. Des mécènes contribuent aux développement des arts. Mais, ce sont les grandes masses ordinaires qui se déplacent pour assister aux évènements culturels, qui achètent de l’art, de la musique, des livres. Plus important encore, ce sont eux qui font que l'art est réel et reconnu.

Nous fréquentons les musées, les théâtres (grands ou petits), les galeries d’art, les festivals folkloriques ou de musique et les foires locales et provinciales. Ce sont nous qui achetons les CD, les DVD, les tableaux, les sculptures, la poterie, les affiches et tous les autres produits artistiques. Ceci génère des revenus sous forme de taxes. Nous soutenons les arts avec l'argent de nos bourses en fait. C'est de l'argent qui roule, c'est un bon investissement.

Souhaitez-vous aider? Joignez-vous à ce groupe et faites entendre vos voix. Si vous le pouvez, votez. VOTEZ! Vous souhaitez lire plus à ce sujet? Consultez le dernier numéro de EXISTERE Journal of the Arts and Literature et lisez mon éditorial (en anglais). Lisez, lisez, lisez. Soyez des électeurs informés. Ne vous informez pas qu'auprès de moi. Lisez la presse et consultez les sites internet de tout le pays.

Quelque soit votre affiliation politique, envoyez à Monsieur Harper un message par l'entremise de ce site ET par l'intermédiaire de vos élus locaux et faites lui savoir que vous souhaitez qu'il rétablisse les fonds attribués aux Arts.

Merci! Faites circuler!

(Merci to member Andrea Sales, Charles Turgeon, and Remi Caudron for the translation and corrections.)

*******************

UPDATE (Sept 25, 2pm, Toronto): Thanks everyone! Your support is very encouraging. Lost of discussion and postings of other kinds. This is great! This group has existed for 30 hours and it already has over 7,000 members from coast to coast and a few beyond our borders. Keep spreading the word!

UPDATE (Sept 25, Toronto): We are at 11,000 members. If this group cracks 17,100 members, it will have more than all four national parties' official FB sites combined. There is strength in numbers!
Con = 5333
Lib = 3068
NDP = 3069
Green = 5626

UPDATE (Sept 25, 9pm, Toronto): We are at 15,000+ in just over 48 hours - that's 15,000 people who think the PM is dead wrong on his arts policies.

Great work everybody. Keep the chatter up and keep it clean and civil please. Keep spreading the word.

Note to racists and extremists: Your posts will be removed upon discovery. Take your slurs elsewhere. You are not welcome here. This is a place for open discourse and I'll give a lot of leeway, but I will not condone racist postings, postings suggesting violence, postings that harass, or postings portraying the PM as Satan or Hitler - that's going too far. Mr. Harper IS the PM and may be so again. If you don't like him, vote against him. If you are too young to vote, then volunteer for a party of your choice and help out that way. Spreading hate is not an option.

UPDATE (Sept 26, 1:30pm, Toronto): In only 54 hours of existence, this group now has MORE members than official Facebook sites for ALL FOUR major Canadian political parties COMBINED. Congrats everyone. Now start posting this site everywhere you can so we can try to double that over the weekend. Start contacting your local media, too. Don't forget to ask your candidates where they stand on arts support (plus other important issues important to you).

Sept 28: KEEP THE DISCOURSE CIVIL, PLEASE. Name calling and insults are not only rude, they are not necessary. Passions can run high both for and against this issue but let's respect our differences and stick to the issues at hand. This group is NOT meant to be an anti-Harper or anti-CPC group. It IS meant to be a pro-arts site with room for dissent and chatter from any political stripe. I want free and open debate here, not a mud-slinging pit. Keep it real folks. There are a lot of really good discussions, posts, and so forth. PERSONAL ATTACKS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Attack the argument, not the person. Those violating my simple rules of conduct and/or Facebook's Terms of Use policies will be asked to stop. Those who do not will be reported to Facebook and/or banned from this site. Keep it civil or take it elsewhere.

UPDATE (Sept 30, 10:30pm, Toronto): Yesterday, we passed 40,000 members in only five days. Obviously, Canadians feel passionately about arts in Canada. Keep the discussions going. Feel free to post your art or art that is related to the issue at hand. I'll give a lot of leeway, but this is NOT a place to post advertising for commercial ventures, dating sites, or material on George W. Bush, the U.S. election, etc. Voting day is only two weeks away. If you can't make that date, make your vote count at an advance poll. Cheers and keep supporting the arts.

UPDATE (October 01, 2008): Racist garbage and propaganda in text or visual posts will not be tolerated. They will be removed. Visual posts of dozens upon dozens of images not remotely related to the issues this site is supporting will be removed - particularly if it is by one person jamming any given section(s).

UPDATE (Oct 02, 10:00 pm, Toronto): We passed 50,000 members in only 10 days. Truly, this is a much greater response than I could have anticipated. There is a lot of excellent discussions going on. Keep it up.

UPDATE (Oct 10, 6:00 am, Toronto): Fifteen days ago, when I started this site, I thought I'd get a few hundred interested persons discussing the arts issue. I'm pleased, surprised, and amazed at the incredible response. We are now at 60,000 members and growing. Thank you all for your support.

**********

http://www.elections.ca

http://www.conservative.ca/
http://www.greenparty.ca/
http://www.liberal.ca
http://www.ndp.ca/
http://www.presentpourlequebec.org

**********

With just 7 days to go, the Conservatives FINALLY released their platform. To compare them, go here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080929.wplatformsfeature0929/BNStory/Front

To read them each in detail, go here:

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/2008-election-campaign-political-party-platforms

http://www3.thestar.com/static/election/quiz/index.html <--- QUIZ

********************

Edward Fenner discussed the new issue of Existere and this facebook site and the political arts issue with Myna Wallin on Ryerson Radio's "In Other Words" program Tuesday, October 14 at 2pm on CKLM FM (88.1 FM) http://www.CKLN.fm on the Internet.

*******************

Since we have two camps that don't get along AND we seem to discuss more than just arts, I created two new sites. Not to worry, this arts site will remain for those interested.

The new sites are:

The Great Canadian Political Cage Match
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=83193865537
This site is for HARDCORE Canadian political junkies wanting a more Wild West environment.

The Great Canadian Political Coffee House of Parliament
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=30239542973
This group is a FAMILY-FRIENDLY site for talking Canadian politics and issues.

******************** (read less)
The September 24, 2008 Toronto Star carried a story saying that Prime Minister Stephen Harper believes that ordinary Canadians do not support nor care about art or artists in this country (ergo, he cut funding drastically). I, and thousands of other Canadians think his is dead wrong on this issue. What is a country, a people, without a vibrant arts community?

We are a small country by population. Government helps underwrite arts. Rich patrons help continue the arts. But it is the great masses... (read more)
Privacy Type:: Open: All content is public.

Contact Info

Email:
Website:: http://www.yorku.ca/existere
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5...
Office:: Existere Journal of Arts and Literature, York University
Location:: 101E Vanier College, 4700 Keele Street, M3J 1P3
Toronto, ON

Recent News

News:: Read The Star article that stirred me to start this FB group: http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/504811

Google search of sites commenting on or linking to this group:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=%22Ordinary+Canadians+DO+SUPPORT+the+Arts%2C+Mr.+Harper.+You+are+dead+wrong.%22&btnG=Search&meta=

More:

We got a mention in the Vancouver Sun: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastlife/story.html?id=d79c9337-fcc0-45c6-b8b4-6b2b28a89e4e

http://www.thestar.com/federalelection/article/419595 <--- Poll tracker

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a-friend/1882782 <--- Petition

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081007.wcocoalition08/BNStory/politics/home <--- Call for a coalition gov't

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081007.welxnpoll1007/BNStory/politics/home

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/2008-election-campaign-political-party-platforms

http://www.macleans.ca/columnists/article.jsp?content=20081001_9537_9537&id=8&page=1

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/10/02/atwood-blasts-harper-s-dismissal-of-arts-community-he-s-supposed-to-be-good-on-the-economy.aspx

http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/videoplayer2.html

http://www.dwatch.ca/camp/RelsOct0108.html

http://www.liberal.ca/story_14850_e.aspx

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080930.wvharperhowardspeech0930/VideoStory/politics/home?pid=RTGAM.20080930.welexnplagiarism0930

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/508742

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080929/election2008_ignatieff_attack_080929/20080929?s_name=election2008

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/507391

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/507392

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/507988

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080928.WConservativeplatform29/BNStory/politics/home

http://www.cfrb.com/node/796876

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/09/26/john-moore-a-working-man-s-case-for-arts-funding.aspx

http://federalelection2008.scena.org

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080926.wearts26/BNStory/politics/home

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080925.WBTaber20080925184759/WBStory/WBTaber/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080925.wdoyle25/BNStory/Entertainment

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/505531

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080924.wcoarts25/EmailBNStory/politics/home

http://robmclennan.blogspot.com/2008/09/open-letter-to-stephen-harper.html

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=q3zBPnIYavI

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67705440222&ref=mf

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/24/artist-protests.html?ref=rss

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=b8147cac-db8a-4a48-a282-916f28a002db

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=08d83220-14ab-4e33-9084-9e4363e029f3

http://www.winnipegsun.com/canadavotes/news/2008/09/24/6857986-sun.html

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZc66PcGe9k6Enn-Ys8o-MNWjxig

RALLY in Peterborough on Thursday, October 2nd at 5 PM at the Peterborough Lift Locks. Wear black and white. No link at present. Details forthcoming.

EVENT & RALLY in Kingston on October 5

http://artisyourstory.wordpress.com/
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26240074825&ref=share

EVENT in Toronto on October 5

http://artisyourstory.wordpress.com/

RALLY in Hamilton on October 7

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=33927746497&ref=mf

RALLY in Toronto on October 8

http://www.new.facebook.com/inbox/#/event.php?eid=39927359816

RALLY in Waterloo, ON region in support of the arts October 11:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=29350307771

VOTE SWAP site and application:

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25808609138

OTHER sites of interest:

http://www.ivoteforculture.com

http://www.box.net/shared/static/heqvkr3vf4.mp3 <--- SONG "You Have a Choice" also on http://avaaz.ca/

http://www.perfectthewayweare.ca/

http://www.canadianartscoalition.ca/en/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhaXsa4Czcs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j37sePKTZlM

http://www.voteforenvironment.com

**********

We got picked up by blogger Charlie Greenberg. Have a look and post fair and intelligent rebuttal:

http://charliegreenberg.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/government-funding-of-the-arts/

We also made York U's Newspaper, The Excalibur:
http://www.excal.on.ca/cms2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6327

Google search of sites commenting on or linking to this group:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=%22Ordinary+Canadians+DO+SUPPORT+the+Arts%2C+Mr.+Harper.+You+are+dead+wrong.%22&btnG=Search&meta=

***************

Here's an activist heads up from member Kristalline Kraus...

Prime Minister Harper EVENT in Toronto OCT 10:

This Friday evening at 5:00pm at the Toronto Congress Centre (650 Dixon Road)

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Toronto&state=ON&address=650+Dixon+Road

Please note you will need actual security clearance to attend the inside rally by contacting a Tory candidate/ Please RSVP before Thursday at 6:00pm.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=28486709379&ref=mf

The September 24, 2008 Toronto Star carried a story saying that Prime Minister Stephen Harper believes that ordinary Canadians do not support nor care about art or artists in this country (ergo, he cut funding drastically). I, and thousands of other Canadians think his is dead wrong on this issue. What is a country, a people, without a vibrant arts community?

We are a small country by population. Government helps underwrite arts. Rich patrons help continue the arts. But it is the great masses of ordinary folk who put their bums in seats and attend events and buy art and music and books and more who make art real and accepted.

We attend the museums and galleries. We attend the folk festivals, film fests, music fests, theatre companies (large and small), and small town craft fairs. We are watching more Canadian films and television shows. We are the ones who buy CDs, DVDs, paintings, sculpture, pottery, posters, and everything else. Those all generate tax revenues that help fund the arts we are supporting with our own wallets. It's cyclical and a good investment.

Want to help? Join this group and raise your voice. If you can vote, VOTE! Want to read more? Pick up the latest issue of Existere Journal of Arts and Literature and read my editorial. Also, read, read, read. Become an informed voter. Don't just take it from me. Read the newspapers and sites from coast to coast.

Mr. Harper is wrong on arts funding and he must be made to understand that real people - ordinary Canadians - really do support the arts.

Regardless of your political stripe. Send Mr. Harper a message through this site AND through your local candidates that you want arts funding restored.

Thanks! -- Pass it on...!

*******************

Les Canadiens Ordinaires SONT en faveur des Arts, M. Harper. Vous vous êtes trompé.

Le Toronto Star du 24 septembre 2008 contenait un article qui disait que le Premier Ministre, Stephen Harper, croit que les Canadiens ordinaires ne supportent et ne s’intéressent ni aux arts ni aux artistes de ce pays (il a donc diminué de façon drastique le financement). Moi-même et des milliers d'autres Canadiens pensons qu’il s’est trompé. Qu’est-ce qu’un pays, un peuple, sans une communauté artistique vibrante?

La population du Canada est petite par rapport à la taille de son territoire. Le gouvernement subventionne les arts. Des mécènes contribuent aux développement des arts. Mais, ce sont les grandes masses ordinaires qui se déplacent pour assister aux évènements culturels, qui achètent de l’art, de la musique, des livres. Plus important encore, ce sont eux qui font que l'art est réel et reconnu.

Nous fréquentons les musées, les théâtres (grands ou petits), les galeries d’art, les festivals folkloriques ou de musique et les foires locales et provinciales. Ce sont nous qui achetons les CD, les DVD, les tableaux, les sculptures, la poterie, les affiches et tous les autres produits artistiques. Ceci génère des revenus sous forme de taxes. Nous soutenons les arts avec l'argent de nos bourses en fait. C'est de l'argent qui roule, c'est un bon investissement.

Souhaitez-vous aider? Joignez-vous à ce groupe et faites entendre vos voix. Si vous le pouvez, votez. VOTEZ! Vous souhaitez lire plus à ce sujet? Consultez le dernier numéro de EXISTERE Journal of the Arts and Literature et lisez mon éditorial (en anglais). Lisez, lisez, lisez. Soyez des électeurs informés. Ne vous informez pas qu'auprès de moi. Lisez la presse et consultez les sites internet de tout le pays.

Quelque soit votre affiliation politique, envoyez à Monsieur Harper un message par l'entremise de ce site ET par l'intermédiaire de vos élus locaux et faites lui savoir que vous souhaitez qu'il rétablisse les fonds attribués aux Arts.

Merci! Faites circuler!

(Merci to member Andrea Sales, Charles Turgeon, and Remi Caudron for the translation and corrections.)

*******************

UPDATE (Sept 25, 2pm, Toronto): Thanks everyone! Your support is very encouraging. Lost of discussion and postings of other kinds. This is great! This group has existed for 30 hours and it already has over 7,000 members from coast to coast and a few beyond our borders. Keep spreading the word!

UPDATE (Sept 25, Toronto): We are at 11,000 members. If this group cracks 17,100 members, it will have more than all four national parties' official FB sites combined. There is strength in numbers!
Con = 5333
Lib = 3068
NDP = 3069
Green = 5626

UPDATE (Sept 25, 9pm, Toronto): We are at 15,000+ in just over 48 hours - that's 15,000 people who think the PM is dead wrong on his arts policies.

Great work everybody. Keep the chatter up and keep it clean and civil please. Keep spreading the word.

Note to racists and extremists: Your posts will be removed upon discovery. Take your slurs elsewhere. You are not welcome here. This is a place for open discourse and I'll give a lot of leeway, but I will not condone racist postings, postings suggesting violence, postings that harass, or postings portraying the PM as Satan or Hitler - that's going too far. Mr. Harper IS the PM and may be so again. If you don't like him, vote against him. If you are too young to vote, then volunteer for a party of your choice and help out that way. Spreading hate is not an option.

UPDATE (Sept 26, 1:30pm, Toronto): In only 54 hours of existence, this group now has MORE members than official Facebook sites for ALL FOUR major Canadian political parties COMBINED. Congrats everyone. Now start posting this site everywhere you can so we can try to double that over the weekend. Start contacting your local media, too. Don't forget to ask your candidates where they stand on arts support (plus other important issues important to you).

Sept 28: KEEP THE DISCOURSE CIVIL, PLEASE. Name calling and insults are not only rude, they are not necessary. Passions can run high both for and against this issue but let's respect our differences and stick to the issues at hand. This group is NOT meant to be an anti-Harper or anti-CPC group. It IS meant to be a pro-arts site with room for dissent and chatter from any political stripe. I want free and open debate here, not a mud-slinging pit. Keep it real folks. There are a lot of really good discussions, posts, and so forth. PERSONAL ATTACKS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Attack the argument, not the person. Those violating my simple rules of conduct and/or Facebook's Terms of Use policies will be asked to stop. Those who do not will be reported to Facebook and/or banned from this site. Keep it civil or take it elsewhere.

UPDATE (Sept 30, 10:30pm, Toronto): Yesterday, we passed 40,000 members in only five days. Obviously, Canadians feel passionately about arts in Canada. Keep the discussions going. Feel free to post your art or art that is related to the issue at hand. I'll give a lot of leeway, but this is NOT a place to post advertising for commercial ventures, dating sites, or material on George W. Bush, the U.S. election, etc. Voting day is only two weeks away. If you can't make that date, make your vote count at an advance poll. Cheers and keep supporting the arts.

UPDATE (October 01, 2008): Racist garbage and propaganda in text or visual posts will not be tolerated. They will be removed. Visual posts of dozens upon dozens of images not remotely related to the issues this site is supporting will be removed - particularly if it is by one person jamming any given section(s).

UPDATE (Oct 02, 10:00 pm, Toronto): We passed 50,000 members in only 10 days. Truly, this is a much greater response than I could have anticipated. There is a lot of excellent discussions going on. Keep it up.

UPDATE (Oct 10, 6:00 am, Toronto): Fifteen days ago, when I started this site, I thought I'd get a few hundred interested persons discussing the arts issue. I'm pleased, surprised, and amazed at the incredible response. We are now at 60,000 members and growing. Thank you all for your support.

**********

http://www.elections.ca

http://www.conservative.ca/
http://www.greenparty.ca/
http://www.liberal.ca
http://www.ndp.ca/
http://www.presentpourlequebec.org

**********

With just 7 days to go, the Conservatives FINALLY released their platform. To compare them, go here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080929.wplatformsfeature0929/BNStory/Front

To read them each in detail, go here:

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/2008-election-campaign-political-party-platforms

http://www3.thestar.com/static/election/quiz/index.html <--- QUIZ

********************

Edward Fenner discussed the new issue of Existere and this facebook site and the political arts issue with Myna Wallin on Ryerson Radio's "In Other Words" program Tuesday, October 14 at 2pm on CKLM FM (88.1 FM) http://www.CKLN.fm on the Internet.

*******************

Since we have two camps that don't get along AND we seem to discuss more than just arts, I created two new sites. Not to worry, this arts site will remain for those interested.

The new sites are:

The Great Canadian Political Cage Match
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=83193865537
This site is for HARDCORE Canadian political junkies wanting a more Wild West environment.

The Great Canadian Political Coffee House of Parliament
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=30239542973
This group is a FAMILY-FRIENDLY site for talking Canadian politics and issues.

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PRESS RELEASE #1 - December 01, 2008

http://www.yorku.ca/existere/PRESS_RELEASE_Dec_01_2008_EFenner.doc

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