Canada Council : The Canada Council came into being with the passage of An Act for the Establishment of a Canada Council for the Encouragement of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (5-6 Elizabeth II, Chap.3, assented to 28 March 1957), commonly known as the Canada Council Act, and by the appointment by order-in-council (P.C. 1957-561, 15 April 1957) of the first members to the Council . As the title of the 1957 legislation indicates, the Canada Council initially had a mandate that included not only the arts but also the humanities and social sciences. However, under the terms of An Act respecting the organization of certain scientific activities of the Government of Canada (25-26 Elizabeth II, Chap. 24, assented to 29 June 1977) a separate corporation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, was created, effective 1 April 1978. The same legislation repealed An Act for the Establishment of a Canada Council for the Encouragement of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and replaced it with An Act for the Establishment of a Canada Council for the Encouragement of the Arts. It is this latter legislation (commonly called the Canada Council Act ), as amended, under which the Council operates today (1997).
The objectives of the Council, as set out in the Canada Council Act, are to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. To further these objectives, the Corporation may provide for grants, scholarships or loans for study or research in the arts; make awards to persons in Canada for outstanding accomplishment in the arts; make grants to universities and similar institutions of higher learning by way of capital assistance in respect of building construction projects; exchange with other countries or organizations or persons therein knowledge and information respecting the arts; arrange for the representation and interpretation of Canadian arts in other countries; and assist, cooperate with and enlist the aid of organizations the objects of which are similar to any of the objects of the Council.
The Council provides a wide range of grants and services to: professional Canadian artists including musicians, writers, dance artists, theatre artists, visual artists, media artists, and artists who work in an interdisciplinary manner; presenters in music, theatre and dance; and arts organizations in music, writing, publishing, dance, theatre, visual arts and media arts. The Council administers the Killam program of scholarly fellowships and prizes and offers a number of other prestigious awards (the Governor General's Literary Awards and the Molson Prizes, to name but two of more than 70). The Public Lending Right Commission, established in 1986 to administer a program of payments to Canadian authors for their eligible books catalogued in libraries across Canada, operates under the administrative aegis of the Council. Since its inception, the Canada Council has been assigned responsibility for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). This Commission, created in 1957, advises the government on its relations with UNESCO and fosters cooperation between Canadian organizations and UNESCO.
Annual grants from Parliament are the Council's main source of funds. These grants are supplemented by income from an Endowment Fund which was established in 1957. A University Capital Grants Fund was also established in that year. Over the years the Council has received a number of private donations and bequests and the income from these is devoted to the purposes established by the deeds of gift.
The Corporation, with its head office located in Ottawa, consists of a Board headed by a Chairperson and which includes a Vice-Chairperson and not more than 9 other members, all appointed by the Governor in Council for fixed periods as set out in the Canada Council Act. Currently, the Council reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage although earlier in its history it had reported through, first, the Prime Minister, then the Secretary of State and, later, the Minister of Communications. The Board is responsible for all policy and financial decisions, the implementation of which is carried out by a staff headed by a Director who is also appointed by the Governor in Council. The current Director, recently appointed and expected to take up her duties early in 1998, is Dr. Shirley Thomson. Predecessors in this post include: Dr. A. W. Trueman (1957-1965); Jean Boucher (1965-1969); Peter M. Dwyer (1969-1971); André Fortier (1971-1975); Charles Lussier (1976-1982); Timothy Porteous (1982-1985); Peter Roberts (1985-1988); Joyce Zemans (1989-1992); Dr. Paule Leduc (1992-1994); and Roch Carrier (1994-1997).
