Colin Miles urges audience to write to BC government

Colin Miles, regional director of the Canadian Music Centre (CMC), gave a marvelous speech at the Turning Point Ensemble concert at Ryerson United Church in Vancouver on Sunday night, giving a history of the CMC's creation in 1959 and its rapid expansion over the past two decades, which saw a 10-fold increase in the number of active composers living and working in British Columbia.

Then he informed the audience that this wonderful ensemble's funding for next year has not been renewed and asked audience members to stand if they would agree to write a letter to the BC government demanding that the funding be restored. Though the audience was clearly taken by surprise by such a "stand-up-and-be-counted" request, more than 3/4 of the audience rose to their feet.

I urge everyone reading this blog to talk to anyone and everyone you know about the theft by the provincial government of the gaming money that was specifically set aside to benefit charities and non-profits, including all sorts of social services, amateur sports, and arts and culture organisations. Read this article for a backgrounder on why we say the government has "stolen" the money.