[BCMA MBEN] Student Program Funding & Call to Action
Jim Harding
JHarding@MuseumsAssn.bc.ca
Fri, 18 May 2007 13:18:51 -0700
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Members & Subscribers;</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">The current student employment program situation has obviously
exploded, not only on our own listservs, but as evidenced by almost all
national newscasts. This may help. </span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Thanks to everyone for keeping BCMA-L updated, not
only on
application outcomes, but also about your follow-ups to program
officers, letters to MP's, etc., in response to the volume of denied
applications; and also for comments earlier today about more
fundamental issues already facing museum operations that create
dependencies on such programs, and about measures needed to
address these issues in the longterm.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">In the immediate, however, BCMA has attempted to
track the impact of
these cuts, but the notifications have come all at once and on such a
scale that has been overwhelming.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">BCMA participated in CMA's national teleconference
yesterday with
peer provincial museums associations (PMA's) and this situation is as
drastic nation-wide. The CMA also subscribes to BCMA-L and has
been monitoring your posts.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">We have also given a series of media interviews
(all yesterday
afternoon). I have also passed on contact information for some of you
as examples and some of you may have already been contacted and
interviewed.</span></font></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><br/>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">We will also be meeting with Tourism BC later today
and will try and
get a picture of whether tourism associations that utilize these
programs for information booths, etc, have similarly been affected.
(Our sector's alignment with the tourism industry also helps enable
more of an economic argument).</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Despite the need for longterm solutions, there is
still an urgent need to
voice, loudly, the case for museums, AT LEAST in this regard,
because it is clear that a major educational effort on the federal level, is
needed.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Actions being taken and recommended by the CMA,
and endorsed by
the BCMA, are:</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">- PMA's will be copied on CMA's "strong letter"
to federal Minister
Solberg (today);</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">- PMA's have been urged to adapt this for their
provincial situations &
forward to Minister Solberg and provincial MP's (BCMA's adding our
MLA's to this distribution);</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">- PMA's are encouraged to highlight those projects
turned down,
especially in "vulnarable Conservative ridings";</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">- A statement will be issued (today) by CMA for
distribution to
Canadian museums;</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">- CMA expects an additional $5 million will be added
to the Young
Canada Works (YCW) program administered by the CMA, currently
awaiting Treasury Board approval (expected June 5);</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">- CMA recommends that museums complete and submit
their YCW
applications now, in anticipation of Treasury Board approval. You may
have to contact the CMA directly for forms.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">In the immediate, institutions must remain in contact
with their
Services(?) Canada office or program officer; monitor news stories
(Minister Solberg said in the House yesterday--paraphrasing--that he
would "be instructing his staff to investigate declined projects"); and to
contact your MP, by phone and in writing, with your letter directed to
Minister Solberg cc'd to your MP. Please copy the BCMA on all
correspondence:</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=12mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Honourable Monte Solberg</span></font></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left=12mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
Canada</span></font></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left=12mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Room 107, Confederation Building <br/>
House of Commons <br/>
Ottawa, ON   K1A 0A6</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Any possible amendment to the current status of
your application, as
may be directed by the Minister in response to the national outcry, or
by your MP (as they have traditionally been required to sign-off on
approved grants), will only happen as a result from sustained efforts to
convey the importance of student programs, not only to your museum,
but to these students as well.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Some will recall that two years ago we faced an
issue of museums
being considered "B" level applications; MP's were subsequently
contacted and informed, and some decisions reversed, or approved
with amended numbers and lengths of projects.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Please watch for further updates on BCMA-L.</span></font></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Please keep us informed of responses you receive
from program
officers and elected officials, and certainly any indications of re-
evaluations.</span></font></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">--Jim</span></font></div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"> _______________________________</span></font></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Jim Harding, ED</span></font></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">BC Museums Association</span></font></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left=6mm; margin-right=0mm; text-indent=0mm"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">(250) 356-5694</span></font></div>
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