Ministry of Tourism and Culture (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Tourism and Culture was created on January 18, 2010 when the Ministry of Culture
and the Ministry of Tourism were combined under one minister. It is responsible for the development of policies and programs and the operation of programs related to tourism, arts
, cultural industries
, heritage sectors and libraries, in Ontario. The Ministry works in partnership with its agencies, attractions, boards and commissions and the private sector to maximize the economic, cultural and social contributions of its agencies and attractions, while promoting the tourism industry and preserving Ontario's culture and heritage.
. The current Parliamentary Assistant is Laura Albanese
, M.P.P. for York South-Weston.
Tourism agencies and attractions overseen by the ministry include:
Ministry of Culture (Ontario)
The Ministry of Culture in the Canadian province of Ontario was responsible for the development of policies and programs and the operation of programs related to arts, cultural industries, heritage sectors and libraries, in Ontario...
and the Ministry of Tourism were combined under one minister. It is responsible for the development of policies and programs and the operation of programs related to tourism, arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
, cultural industries
Cultural industry
According to international organizations such as UNESCO and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , cultural industries combine the creation, production, and distribution of goods and services that are cultural in nature and usually protected by intellectual property rights.-The concept:The...
, heritage sectors and libraries, in Ontario. The Ministry works in partnership with its agencies, attractions, boards and commissions and the private sector to maximize the economic, cultural and social contributions of its agencies and attractions, while promoting the tourism industry and preserving Ontario's culture and heritage.
Current Minister and Parliamentary Assistant
The current Minister of Tourism and Culture is the Honourable Michael ChanMichael Chan (Canadian politician)
Michael Chan is a Canadian politician. He is the Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament for the Ontario provincial riding of Markham-Unionville and Minister of Tourism and Culture in the provincial Liberal government headed by Dalton McGuinty...
. The current Parliamentary Assistant is Laura Albanese
Laura Albanese
Laura Albanese is a Canadian politician, formerly a news anchor for Italian language news programming on Omni Television. She is the Member of Provincial Parliament in the Ontario Legislative Assembly for the riding of York South—Weston which is situated in the northwest part of Toronto...
, M.P.P. for York South-Weston.
Organization
The ministry structure includes:- Minister's Office
- Deputy Minister's Office
- Communications Branch
- Regional and Corporate Services Division (shared with the Ministry of Citizenship and ImmigrationMinistry of Citizenship and Immigration (Ontario)The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration is responsible for citizenship and immigration issues in the Canadian province of Ontario. Overall immigration and citizenship policy is still held by the federal government....
) - Culture Division
- Assistant Deputy Minister's Office
- Culture Agencies Branch
- Culture Agencies Unit - manages the ministry's relationship with its agencies to achieve shared cultural objectives, including infrastructure renewal and cultural tourism promotion.
- Culture Policy Branch
- Culture Policy Unit - leads the development of cultural policy, sector or industry specific strategies, legislation and regulations for Ontario's arts, heritage, libraries and cultural industries.
- Strategic Policy and Planning Unit - leads the development of strategic policy and multi-year plans, assess research on best practices across jurisdictions and coordinate policy development with other ministries and levels of government.
- Culture Program and Services Branch
- Culture Programs Unit - coordinates and manages all ministry programs and grants for the full range of stakeholder organizations, providing our cultural sector partners with one-window customer service.
- Culture Services Unit - develops and coordinates guidelines and tools for service delivery, provides advice and interpretation of relevant legislation and conducts stakeholder education, training and outreach on key cultural initiatives.
- Tourism Planning and Operations Division
- Tourism Agencies Branch - responsible for policy, financial and program liaison with the ministry's tourism agencies and attractions. In addition, it establishes and maintains an effective accountability relationship between each agency and the ministry within its scope of broader government policy.
- Tourism Policy and Development Division
- Investment and Development Office - works to increase Ontario's competitiveness by supporting destination and experience development in Ontario's tourism sector. In addition, IDO administers the Sport, Culture and Tourism Partnership Program.
- Tourism Policy and Research Branch
- Resource-Based Tourism - works to protect, diversify and enhance resource-based tourism business potential on Ontario's Crown lands and waters. The unit provides strategic policy planning advice, analysis, and facilities alliances with key stakeholders to stimulate tourism business opportunities. It issues Resource-Based Tourism Establishment Licenses under the Tourism Act and Regulation 1037, and supports the development of Resource Stewardship Agreements between the resource-based tourism and forest industries.
- Strategic and Corporate Policy Unit - works with Ontario's tourism industry to implement Ontario's Tourism Strategy; creating and reviewing tourism policy by working with tourism industry associations, and by working with other provincial ministries and the federal government to ensure the needs of Ontario's tourism industry are considered in all areas of policy development. The unit acts as the primary Ministry liaison with Cabinet Office and provides the Minister and Deputy Minister with policy advice on Cabinet/Cabinet committees and Deputy Ministers' committee agenda items. The unit works with ministry staff to develop policy submissions and coordinate their passage through the government decision-making process.
- Tourism Research Unit - guides marketing, policy and product development decisions by providing strategic information and analysis. The section responsibilities include monitoring domestic and international tourism trends and determining their impact on Ontario's tourism industry; forecasting; tourism statistics, e.g., visitation; product research; economic impact analyses; designing and conducting relevant research initiatives (supply-side and demand-side) to increase competitiveness.
- War of 1812 Commemoration Planning
Agencies
Cultural agencies overseen by the ministry include:- Art Gallery of OntarioArt Gallery of OntarioUnder the direction of its CEO Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO embarked on a $254 million redevelopment plan by architect Frank Gehry in 2004, called Transformation AGO. The new addition would require demolition of the 1992 Post-Modernist wing by Barton Myers and Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg...
- Conservation Review Board
- McMichael Canadian Art CollectionMcMichael Canadian Art CollectionThe McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an art gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto. It houses an extensive collection of paintings by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, and First Nations and Inuit artists....
- Ontario Arts CouncilOntario Arts CouncilThe Ontario Arts Council is a publicly-funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to promote and assist the development of the arts for the enjoyment and benefit of all Ontarians...
- Ontario Heritage TrustOntario Heritage TrustThe Ontario Heritage Trust is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture, responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural heritage of Canada's most populous province. It was initially known as the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board...
- Ontario Media Development Corporation
- Ontario Science CentreOntario Science CentreOntario Science Centre is a science museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near the Don Valley Parkway about northeast of downtown on Don Mills Road just south of Eglinton Avenue East...
- Ontario Trillium FoundationOntario Trillium FoundationThe Ontario Trillium Foundation , is an agency of the government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading grantmaking foundations. It was created in 1982...
- Royal Botanical GardensRoyal Botanical Gardens, OntarioRoyal Botanical Gardens is headquartered in Burlington and also include lands in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the major tourist attractions between Niagara Falls and Toronto, as well as a significant local and regional horticultural, education, conservation and scientific resource...
- Royal Ontario MuseumRoyal Ontario MuseumThe Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto...
- Science NorthScience NorthScience North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.The complex, which is Northern Ontario's most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Lake Ramsey, just south of the city's downtown core, as well as a...
- Trillium Book AwardTrillium Book AwardThe Trillium Award is given annually by the government of the Province of Ontario and is open to books in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, drama, children's books, and poetry. Anthologies, new editions, re-issues and translations are not eligible. Three jury members per language judge the...
- Southern Ontario Library Service (see Ontario Public Libraries)
- Ontario Library Service North (see Ontario Public Libraries)
Tourism agencies and attractions overseen by the ministry include:
- Fort William Historical ParkFort William Historical ParkFort William Historical Park is a Canadian historical site located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that contains a reconstruction of the Fort William fur trade post as it existed in 1815. It officially opened on July 3, 1973...
- Huronia Historical Parks: Sainte-Marie among the HuronsSainte-Marie among the HuronsSainte-Marie among the Hurons was a French Jesuit settlement in Wendake, the land of the Wendat, near modern Midland, Ontario, from 1639 to 1649. It was the first European settlement in what is now the province of Ontario. Eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie were martyred, and were canonized by...
and Discovery Harbour - Metro Toronto Convention CentreMetro Toronto Convention CentreMetro Toronto Convention Centre , located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario at 255 Front Street West, has of space. The convention centre was completed in October 1984 and is home to the 1330-seat John Bassett Theatre...
- Niagara Parks CommissionNiagara Parks CommissionThe Niagara Parks Commission, or Niagara Parks for short, is an agency of government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario shoreline of the Niagara River.- History :...
- Ontario Place CorporationOntario PlaceOntario Place is a multiple use entertainment and seasonal waterfront park attraction located in Toronto, Ontario, and owned by the Crown in Right of Ontario. It is administered as an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of...
- Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation
- Ottawa Convention CentreOttawa Convention CentreThe Ottawa Convention Centre is a convention centre in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada which opened in April 2011. The Centre replaces the Ottawa Congress Centre, which opened in 1985. The new centre is built on the site of the Congress Centre building, which was demolished in 2008-2009. The...
- St. Lawrence Parks CommissionSt. Lawrence Parks CommissionThe St. Lawrence Parks Commission is an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture that manages parks and conservation areas along the St. Lawrence River, in Southeastern Ontario. It functions similar to a Conservation Authority....