The federal government put out a Friday night press release announcing that plans to build a National Portrait Gallery of Canada have been “put on ice”, to quote the spokesperson for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. This news made the front pages of several papers today including:
Wasted arts bid angers Calgary
Calgarians expressed disappointment and puzzlement Friday at the federal government’s decision to scrap the process of finding a permanent home for the Portrait Gallery of Canada after the city spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a bid to host the institution.
Local reaction to the federal government’s decision came fast and mostly furious Friday. Civic leaders decried the decision as a waste of money at a time when the city is contemplating a 25 per cent property tax increase on residents.
“The city expended lots of money to prepare a bid that met all the criteria that the federal government asked for,” said Ald. Bob Hawkesworth. “It’s a lost investment and a big disappointment.” Mayor Dave Bronconnier said the city was notified of the decision when the federal government sent out a news release Friday afternoon.
“It’s puzzling,” he said. “It’s a very less-than-respectful way to communicate a decision.
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Tories scrap portrait gallery plan
After seven years and millions of dollars spent, the dream to build a home in Ottawa for the national portrait gallery is dead — again. The Conservative government announced late yesterday that it was abandoning plans to choose a city for the Portrait Gallery of Canada.
In a release, Heritage Minister James Moore said the decision was based on “global economic instability” and on bids that fell short of the government’s requirements.
Deirdra McCracken, the minister’s director of communications, said the project is now “on ice.”
“The selection process failed to meet the best interests of both the portrait gallery and taxpayers,” the release said.
Critics of the government’s handling of the file, however, say the process was doomed from the outset and only succeeded in wasting a lot of time and money.
“The idea was ridiculous from the beginning and it shows a federal government that has no vision of a national capital,” said Somerset Councillor Diane Holmes. “It’s prepared to sell off components of the national capital to the highest bidder.”
PORTRAIT GALLERY BACKERS BAFFLED
Late Friday afternoon, the federal government provided the only excuse it could muster: It would be too expensive to build the National Portrait Gallery now. The two Edmonton bids for the gallery, by Qualico and Gene Dub, would have drained precious financial resources.
“In this time of global economic instability,” new federal Heritage Minister James Moore said in a prepared statement, “it is important that the federal government continue to manage its affairs prudently and pragmatically.”
Prepared statements issued and disseminated late on Friday afternoons, when offices in Ottawa are closed, are either slimy, ridiculous or mendacious. This one was all three. “I’m not sure what astronomical sum they thought they might be saving here,” Mayor Stephen Mandel said late Friday afternoon, describing his feelings as incredibly frustrated and sad.
“Both bids were led by the private sector, which was the only qualification, as we understood it. We had the provincial support to build the gallery. Beautiful plans. The federal government’s role was to send the art across the country where people might see it. How much does that cost? How, exactly, is this going to save Canada from the global financial crisis?”
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Ottawa nixes plans for portrait gallery
The government has cancelled plans to build a permanent home for the Portrait Gallery of Canada, a move that is likely to anger members of the arts community who slammed the federal Tories during the recent election campaign over cuts to cultural programs.
Citing the uncertain economic conditions, James Moore, newly appointed Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, announced yesterday evening that after years of stops and starts and squabbles, the selection process to grant the new gallery to one of three competing cities has been cancelled.
“A number of developers submitted proposals to house the public programming and exhibitions of the Portrait Gallery of Canada,” Mr. Moore said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, none of these proposals met the government's requirements, and we are therefore terminating the selection process.
“In this time of global economic instability, it is important that the federal government continue to manage its own affairs prudently and pragmatically.”
He refused to say what was wrong with the proposals due to “confidentiality requirements.”
Mr. Moore's statement was released after 5 p.m. yesterday to the ire of NDP MP Paul Dewar, who for years has spearheaded efforts to build the gallery a home in Ottawa.
“Here it is, the classic a-quarter-to-six release on Friday. Obviously they're not too proud of this decision,” Mr. Dewar said.
Many in the cultural community fear the Conservative government is targeting the arts since nearly $45-million in cuts to cultural programs were revealed in August.
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