In an increasingly turbulent world, Canada is determining its future. The federal Budget 2026 aims to make Canadians masters of their own destiny, build our sovereignty, and give us the freedom to live our lives as we choose. Being sovereign means building a country where Canadian culture thrives in all its diversity and creativity.
Today, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for CanNor, the Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, along with Member of Parliament for Nunavut Lori Idlout, met with representatives of Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit to highlight key investments from Budget 2026: Masters of our destiny to support Canadian culture, strengthen creative industries, and improve access to arts and heritage across the country.
Budget 2026 proposes nearly $4 billion over five years to protect and celebrate what makes us Canadian. This includes unprecedented support for creators, cultural institutions, Canadian stories, and the communities that bring them to life.
Key investments include:
- Helping artists build sustainable careers: Exploring a new Canada Creative Credit to support artistic production and cultural entrepreneurship, removing the $1,000 cap on deductible work expenses for employed artists, and introducing an Artist's Resale Right.
- Supporting Canadian creators and artists: Strengthening support for Canadian producers, broadcasters, visual artists, writers, musicians, actors, and other creators to help them tell our stories and build sustainable careers.
- Making it easier to explore Canada: Bringing back and expanding the Canada Strong Pass for summer 2027, and introducing permanent, year-round free admission to national museums for children and youth under 25.
- Bringing communities together: Supporting festivals, national celebrations, and community-driven cultural events that give Canadians more opportunities to connect and part in the cultural life of their communities.
- Celebrating Canada 160: Helping Canadians celebrate Canada's 160th anniversary through local festivals; performing arts events; and arts, cultural and heritage activities.
- Celebrating Canada's Francophonie: Supporting Canada's Francophonie leadership objectives and hosting the 2028 Francophonie Summit.
- Preserving our cultural heritage: Upgrading our national museums and heritage institutions to ensure they can stand the test of time and that we can pass this legacy on to future generations.
- Making Canadian books more accessible: Creating a free national digital collection of Canadian books, making it easier for Canadians to discover and borrow works by Canadian authors, and making the Canada Book Fund permanent.
- Strengthening Canadian stories and journalism: Providing greater support for Canadian stories, creators, and trusted local journalism, and strengthening CBC/Radio-Canada.
- Boosting creative industries: Introducing new Productivity Mega Deduction to help Canadian producers and storytellers invest in the equipment and technologies needed to create Canadian content.
It is an ambitious plan to meet this moment and shape Canada's future. Budget 2026 provides unprecedented support to Canadian culture and recreation-more than five times the last budget's record levels.
