Canadian Live Music Association Welcomes New Minister of Canadian Heritage

The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) is pleased to welcome The Honourable Pascale St-Onge as the new Minister of Canadian Heritage. The CLMA also sincerely thanks outgoing minister, Pablo Rodriguez and his team, for their years of leadership—in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our live music industry remains grateful to Minister Rodriguez and the Federal government for the emergency support provided during our time of greatest need. That support helped in two vital ways: it ensured the survival of many businesses (essential to live performance touring infrastructure), and it signalled that the government believes live music companies, organizations and entrepreneurs matter. Emergency support was a historic first step in harnessing the potential for impact that can be found within Canada’s extraordinary and diverse live music sector. The CLMA is excited to work together with Minister St-Onge, who is a former musician herself, to foster a thriving ecosystem that benefits Canadian quality of life, culture, the industry, and artists.

“The economic and cultural value of live music in Canada is enormous,” says President & CEO Erin Benjamin, “but our industry’s true potential can only be fully realized through policy and investment that embraces live music entrepreneurs as stakeholders by leveraging their direct impact on an artist’s ability to succeed. We are eager work with the Minister in the weeks and months ahead, to harness live music activity and its unique ability to drive job creation, economic impact, tourism development, city brand building and artistic growth from coast to coast to coast.”