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Write to your Member of Parliament

    It is time to write to your Member of Parliament.

    MPs want to hear what matters to their local constituents, and a personal letter is an
    effective way to educate them about your support for the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR).
    They pay more attention to an issue when they receive more letters on the same issue.
    When it comes time for the MP to vote on ARR in Parliament, your letter provides them
    with an opportunity to learn about it ahead of time on a personal level and they may feel
    inspired to speak on this issue. Your insight and personal experience can make a real
    difference.

    It's also important for the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Minister of Industry,
    Science and Economic Development to hear from artists, because they are considering
    adding the ARR to the Copyright Act. You can put this important issue on their radar by
    including them in your letter. Therefore, copies of your letter should also be sent to
    Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge; Minister of Industry, Science and
    Economic Development François-Philippe Champagne; and MPs Joël Lightbound and
    Hedy Fry - the respective chairs of the Industry and Heritage committees.

    The template letter below outlines some of the main reasons why the ARR matters, and
    we encourage you to add a short personal message about how it matters to you.

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Your City/Town

    Your MP's Name (required)

    Your MP's Email (required) - Find your MP's email address

    Add a personal message
    **A salutation will automatically be added at the beginning of the letter and your name as a signature at the end.**

    Hello [Member of Parliament's Name],

    As a member of the visual arts community and one of your constituents, I ask you to support the inclusion of the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) in upcoming copyright reform. The ARR is a royalty that enables artists to share in the wealth they create.

    The Artist’s Resale Right, currently under consideration by the Federal Government in an amended Copyright Act, would entitle visual artists to receive a 5% royalty payment each time their work is resold by an auctioneer or commercial gallery. This is important because it common for art to grow in value over time, as the reputation of the artist grows. For example, Inuit artist, Kenojuak Ashevak, first sold her famous artwork, Enchanted Owl in the 1960s for $24. It has been resold a few times, and in 2018 it was sold for $185,500. Ashevak has received no payment for these additional sales.

    The Artist’s Resale Right aligns Canada with our trading partners. Once established here, artists would be able to benefit from reciprocal arrangements with over 90 other countries where the law exists. Canada’s European partners specifically requested that Canada adopt the ARR during negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, and we expect the UK and others to do the same.

    While all Canadian visual artists have the potential to benefit from an ARR, Indigenous artists may have the most to gain, as First Nations, Inuit, and Métis artists are often among the most exploited in the secondary art market. In 2010, an economic impact study of Nunavut arts and crafts estimated that $52 million is spent each year on Inuit art from the territory. The ARR has had a tremendous impact on Indigenous artists in
    Australia, where they have had an ARR since 2010. As of September 2022, over $12 Million AUD has been paid to over 2,450 artists.

    The ARR would provide greater financial security for senior artists. It is often taken for granted that artists thrive once they become established, but even award-winning senior artists struggle to earn a living from their art. However, because most artists are self-employed with variable income levels over their careers, it is difficult to save for retirement or access support from income supplements and benefits offered by the government.

    [your message]

    Support for the Artist’s Resale Right is building across all parties, and it is one of many ways you can help visual artists recover from the Pandemic. Best of all, it is an economic benefit for artists that doesn’t cost the government anything. In accordance with the Prime Minister’s Mandate Letters to Minister Rodriguez and Minister Champagne, I urge you to support the addition of the Artist’s Resale Right in the Copyright Act as soon as possible. For details about how the ARR would work, visit: carfac.ca

    Thank you,

    [Your name]

    [Your City]