Investing in Culture and Heritage in Ontario

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 8, 2016) - Department of Canadian Heritage

Marco Mendicino, Member of Parliament (Eglinton-Lawrence), on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, today announced $184,929 in funding over three fiscal years for the Multicultural History Society of Ontario's project, "Utilizing New Technologies to Create Revenue Streams for Ethnocultural Organizations with Archives."

In partnership with the Canadian Polish Research Institute and the Canadian Macedonian Historical Society, the Multicultural History Society of Ontario will design, develop and launch an online infrastructure designed to host digital archives for ethno-cultural organizations. The infrastructure, based on a paid subscription and licensing system, will benefit participating organizations by helping them with archival holdings while allowing them to generate revenues from their respective archives.

The Government of Canada is providing this funding through the Strategic Initiatives component of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund. This component provides funding for projects that are supported by multiple partners and will benefit many organizations. These initiatives help arts and heritage organizations diversify their revenue streams and improve their business practices.

Quick Facts

• The Multicultural History Society of Ontario (MHSO) is the creator of an extensive assemblage in Canada of archival materials documenting immigrant and ethnic experiences. Over 50 ethno-cultural communities and First Nations and some 240 municipalities are represented in the MHSO's archival holdings.
• Since 2010, 64 partnership-based projects have received close to $18 million through the Strategic Initiatives component of the Canada Cultural Investment Fund.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada is proud to contribute to our cultural and heritage sector. This initiative will benefit us all by making important archives related to ethno-cultural and First Nations communities accessible to the public while creating new revenue streams for ethno-cultural organizations. These archives reflect our unique Canadian identity and strengthen the social vitality of our communities."

-The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"We are pleased to provide the Multicultural History Society of Ontario with funding for this collaborative project. The MHSO has collected an impressive and diverse archive of Canadian stories. Our funding will help preserve and make accessible the stories of how our ancestors came to Canada. All Canadians-from university researchers to families searching their genealogies-will benefit from this growing online resource."

- Marco Mendicino, Member of Parliament (Eglinton-Lawrence)

"The Department of Canadian Heritage is to be highly commended on assisting small and medium-sized institutions in their efforts to make unique archival resources more broadly available. Educators and community researchers across the country will now have increased access to resources related to immigration to Ontario, as well as ethnic diversity and multiculturalism in Canada."

- Carl Thorpe, Executive Director, Multicultural History Society of Ontario

Associated Links

Strategic Initiatives

Multicultural History Society of Ontario

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