Culture in the Balance: Analyses of the 2014-2015 Provincial and Territorial Budgets from the Perspective of Arts, Culture and Heritage

Abstract

When the Budgets were pronounced in early 2014, several provinces and territories – most notably Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories were predicting substantial budget surpluses. With the collapse of oil and commodity prices that occurred at the end of 2014, these optimistic outlooks were being recalibrated. The change in fiscal fortunes of the oil- producing provinces and territories brought them more in line with other Canadian jurisdictions, particularly Ontario and Québec, which were already facing substantial deficits at the beginning of 2014 and had already begun the hunt for savings. By the end of 2014, cost-cutting and restraint became the norm in most provinces and territories, and in many cases, cherished cultural programs or tax credits “hung in the balance” in both senses of the phrase. They were both in a precarious position and also risked being caught up in the general effort to restore fiscal balance.