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Moose Jaw Weather

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
2007 Eleventh Anniversary Saskatchewan Festival of Words
Dedicated to Canada Council for the Arts

Who could envision the magnificent things that would be accomplished in Canadian arts when in 1951 the Massey Commission published its report recommending an arts council for Canada?  By 1957-58 grants and awards totalling $1.4 million were awarded to nine orchestras, three professional theatre companies, three dance companies and two periodicals.  Thirty-five years after its founding, the Council's assistance had expanded to include 33 orchestras, 197 theatre groups, 35 dance companies and about 100 periodicals.

This investment by the Canada Council now generates over $39 million dollars in economic activity across Canada.  Part of that economic activity happens right here as the Festival brings over $350,000 in spending to this city, showing that the arts and business make a dynamic mix.

Since the 1960's, the Canada Council has introduced the Book Purchase Program to promote Canada literature, added Cinema and Photography to the disciplines acknowledged, and established awards for Translation, for Children's Literature and for published Drama.  Within the last twenty years, other initiatives included a Barcelona residency introduced as part of the Architecture program, The Flying Squad, a new program to assist theatres in organizational development and a pilot program Spoken and Electronic Words.

The Council has always been active in supporting writers and publishers and has been the largest financial supporter of the Festival of Words, a major reason we have grown over the years into a nationally-recognized event.  This generous and constant support of the arts in Canada, including many other literary events and festivals across the land, is why the 2007 Festival is dedicated to the Council.  Each and every year since 1997, funding has been provided that enables the festival to make this special occasion and ensure that we would be in a position to continue the following year.

Through the generosity of the Council, the Festival of Words is pleased to foster Canadian identify by presenting each year some talented individuals from this country's tremendous pool of imaginative users of language.  What is more, the support of the Council has enabled us to provide access to these artists at affordable prices.

As Senator Viola Leger, so aptly phrased it "...art expresses the individual's soul, but culture expresses the soul of the people.  Art and culture are two concentric realities.  If art represents hope for humanity, culture is the vehicle for that hope."  The Canada Council of the Arts has certainly nurtured that soul, both individually and collectively.  We applaud the Council and say, "Bravo!  Well done!"