Home | Cultural Capitals of Canada | General Historical Overview

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General Historical Overview

On 31 March 2002, the Government of Canada unveiled the creation of the Cultural Capitals of Canada Program. It is a nationwide multifaceted program, to an extent styled on the Cultural Capital of Europe Program (introduced on 13 June 1985 by the Council of Ministers of the then European Community), the purpose of which is the recognition and support of culturally minded and active Canadian municipalities.

The overall focus of the Cultural Capitals of Canada Program is the promotion of arts and culture in an urban setting. In many ways, it is a celebration of a given municipality's existing commitment to the recognition of the fundamental value of arts and culture (as evidenced by the municipality's ongoing cultural programs and policies) to its overall social fabric. It is the program's ultimate hope that the awarding of the Cultural Capital of Canada designation will enable the honoured municipalities to increase investment in arts and culture, increase the level of integration between their respective cultural sectors and their overall communities, increase and improve the existing cultural services, and increase and improve multilateral relations between Canadian municipalities.

In order to be considered for the Cultural Capital of Canada designation, a municipality must first apply to the Department of Canadian Heritage—Cultural Capitals of Canada Program. Municipalities may apply individually or submit joint applications with other municipalities. Normally, each year, four Cultural Capital of Canada designations are awarded in three distinct categories. However, from time to time, five municipalities are designated as Capitals. To elaborate, the Cultural Capitals of Canada Program, in addition to designating Canada's Cultural Capitals, also bestows the Innovative Cultural Bridges prize on worthy applicant municipalities each year (if possible). The Innovative Cultural Bridges prize is jointly awarded to a group of no less than two co-applicant municipalities (at least two provinces and/or territories have to be represented by the applicant municipalities), which, through cultural activities, reciprocal cultural exchanges, existing cultural projects, and proposed llegacy projects, have demonstrated a commitment to long-distance community building and cooperation through an investment in arts and culture. Since the inception of the Cultural Capitals of Canada Program the Innovative Cultural Bridges prize was awarded only once (in 2004).

Occasionally, when the applicants for the Innovative Cultural Bridges prize are judged unworthy (or there are no applicants at all) in a given year, the resources earmarked for the prize may be used to award an extra Cultural Capital of Canada, at the third category level (population under 50,000) to a deserving applicant municipality(s) who placed third out of all of the third category level applicants in the initial application process. The categories are determined by overall population size:

Category Level One:

• Awarded to one municipality with a population in excess of 125,000.

Category Level Two:

• Awarded to one municipality with a population of 50,000 to 125,000.

Category Level Three:

• Awarded to two or three municipalities with a population of 50,000 or less.

The following are the designated Cultural Capitals of Canada since the program's inception:

Category Level One (population in excess of 125,000):

• Year 2003: Vancouver, British Columbia
• Year 2004: Regina, Saskatchewan
• Year 2005: Toronto, Ontario
• Year 2006: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• Year 2007: Edmonton, Alberta
• Year 2008: Surrey, British Columbia

Category Level Two (population of 50,000 to 125,000):

• Year 2003: Red Deer, Alberta
• Year 2004: Kelowna, British Columbia
• Year 2005: Victoria, British Columbia
• Year 2006: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
• Year 2007: Comox Valley, British Columbia
• Year 2008: Nanaimo, British Columbia

Category Level Three (population under 50,000):

• Year 2003
  • Thunder Bay, Ontario
  • Caraquet, New Brunswick
  • Rivière-du-Loup, Québec
• Year 2004
  • Owen Sound, Ontario
  • Powell River, British Columbia
• Year 2005
  • Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn, Ontario
  • Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Québec
  • Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
• Year 2006
  • District of West Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Québec
  • Wikwemikong, Ontario
• Year 2007
  • Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
  • Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec
  • Wendake, Québec
• Year 2008
  • Morden, Manitoba
  • Sackville, New Brunswick

Innovative Cultural Bridges Prize:

• Year 2003
  • Prize not awarded (third level three Cultural Capital awarded)
• Year 2004
  • Lethbridge, Alberta
  • Canmore, Alberta
  • Drumheller, Alberta
  • Crowsnest Pass, Alberta
  • Fernie, British Columbia
• Year 2005
  • Prize not awarded (third level three Cultural Capital awarded)
• Year 2006
  • Prize not awarded (third level three Cultural Capital awarded)
• Year 2007
  • Prize not awarded (third level three Cultural Capital awarded)
• Year 2008
  • Prize not awarded