Canadian arts and culture organizations will soon be required to commit in writing to providing a workplace free of harassment and sexual misconduct in order to receive federal funding. Respectful Workplaces in the Arts is the gateway to CHRC’s national anti-harassment initiatives and resources such as “Workplace Harassment and Violence” and the CHRC’s comprehensive HR Management Toolkit.

Calgary Arts Development have updated the deadline for their OG+ program applications to June 28, 2019 at 4:30 pm MDT. Due to the deadline change, results will be announced in September so organizations are able to receive their funding sooner.

Now hiring!

The Association of Canadian Publishers has announced the honorees for their 2019 AGM. Dr. Gregory Younging will be posthumously awarded with the President's Award, and Catherine Mitchell will receive an honorary lifetime membership. Publishing Perspectives has since released an article regarding the announcement, which further details Dr. Gregory Younging's impact on the Canadian Publishing industry.

Quill & Quire recently released the results of their industry sexual harassment survey, which found that over 50% of respondents have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace. The full report and some suggestions for combating the issue can be found on the Quill & Quire website.

The results of the recent report, MakingItWork: Pathways Toward Sustainable Cultural Careers have been released. The report was commissioned to profile today's Culture Sector labour market, identify the challenges and opportunities the sector is facing, and recommend ways to move forward. Read the full report and executive summary here.

The Kobzar™ $25,000 Book Award is now accepting submissions, closing May 31, 2019. The award is presented biennially to Canadian authors whose narratives involve a tangible connection to the Ukrainian Canadian experience. Shortlisted authors receive $1,500, and winners will be announced in March 2020. More information is available on their website.

The Alberta Media Fund Cultural Industry Grants are open for submissions, through June 1, 2019. Grants are divided into the following 3 streams to help organizations cover operating or project expenses: Organization Operating Grant, Organization Project Grant, and Support Organization Operating Grant. Information about eligibility and application requirements is available here.

Advertise in the Association of Book Publishers of BC’s school catalogues: BC Books for BC Schools and Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools! The early-bird deadline is June 3, 2019, and ad space booking deadline is June 21, 2019. Artwork must be submitted by July 31, 2019. Full details and registration is available here.

Registration is now open for the Literary Press Group AGM, Association of Canadian Publishers AGM, and Book Summit! The events will be held from June 17-20, 2019, in Toronto. Full details and tentative schedules are available on the ACP website.

The Dave Greber Freelance Writers Book and Magazine Awards for Social Justice Writing are now seeking submissions. The closing date is Friday, June 28, 2019 at 5 PM PST. Canadian freelance writers in the process of completing a book or magazine article for publication are eligible and the awards give special regard to those writing in the area of social justice. Information about the awards can be found on the website, along with detailed eligibility requirements.  

The Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) and The Conference Board of Canada (CBoC) are pleased to announce the launch of a national survey of the Canadian cultural sector labour force - the first of its kind since 2010 and the only current national research on the sector’s employers and workers. Click here for more information and to fill out the survey.

The Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Shifting Paradigms, has been released, which recognizes the negative impacts of the Copyright Modernization Act of 2012 on the publishing and writing industries. Access Copyright has since published a media release about the new recommendations, stating that if adopted, they "will foster positive, sustainable conditions for Canada’s writers, artists and publishers."

Access Copyright has released a letter template for rights holders in response to the unauthorized posting of copyrighted works on websites like ebook.bike. The letter was adapted for Canadian authors and publishers by the Writers' Union of Canada (WUC), from a template originally written by the US Author's Guild.

In the most recent video from Access Copyright's I Value Canadian Stories campaign, Sylvia McNicoll outlines the ways that the Copyright Modernization Act has impacted the livelihoods of authors and other creators, calling for action from the ministers in charge of the Statutory Review. Other videos in the series feature Christine Fischer Guy, Diana Stevan, Susan Stromberg-Stein, Sky Gilbert, David Chariandy, David Robertson, Jennifer Mook-Sang, Bill Horne, Scott White, Amy Stuart, and Andrew Pyper.