Federal culture minister vows to ‘fight’ for funding amid Ottawa cutbacks

News  Mar 5, 2026 – 8:30 am EST Federal culture minister vows to ‘fight’ for funding amid Ottawa cutbacks Marc Miller meets with Iqaluit organizations that received past funding from his departments Marc Miller. the federal minister for Canadian identity and culture, right, holds a plate of beluga meat with soy sauce while chatting with Qaggiavuut Society executive director Looee Arreak during a tour of the arts organization’s Iqaluit location Wednesday (Photo by Daron Letts) By Daron Letts Canada’s culture minister says federal funding for organizations like Iqaluit’s Qaggiavuut Society “must continue,” but acknowledged the Liberal government is clamping down on spending. “I don’t like to entertain false hope,” said Marc Miller, the minister of Canadian identity and culture as well as the minister responsible for official languages, following a tour of the non-profit Inuit arts organization. “It’s no secret that the government is facing calls to rein in some of its spending and my job in government is to fight for this spending.” Miller is in Iqaluit this week, meeting with some of the organizations that received funding from his departments in the past. Qaggiavuut, whose mandate is to strengthen, promote, advocate for and create space for Nunavut performing artists with a focus on Inuit, received $1.4 million from 2018 to 2023 through four federal funding streams. Also, since 2020-21, Qaggiavuut has received close to $1.8 million in federal funding for its Qaggiq School of Performing Arts and currently receives $400,000 annually to train Inuit artists and strengthen Inuit culture. “It must continue,” Miller said in an interview after visiting the organization’s Paunna Road location. Cabinet ministers often make government funding announcements whenever they travel to communities across Canada. But Miller didn’t bring any fresh money to leave behind in Nunavut this trip. “The idea was not to come up here and do a funding announcement and then leave,” he said. He said the visit was an important opportunity to ensure federal arts, culture and language support continues as the government faces the prospect of having to tighten its purse. The federal Liberals are in the midst of eliminating up to 40,000 public service jobs across the country by 2029. Miller, who was previously minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, wore a white, orange-trimmed atigi given to him by Aluki Kotierk, the former president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., on a previous trip. “His visit was an important opportunity for our organization to showcase the work we do at Qaggiavuut and, most importantly, to strengthen and continue our collaboration with the federal government,” said Looee Arreak, Qaggiavuut’s executive director. “It was a privilege and an honour to host him and his colleagues.” Miller’s other stops in Iqaluit included a meeting with the Association des francophones, the Pirurvik Centre, and the Inuit Broadcasting Corp. Miller said he plans to meet volunteers with the Nunavut Black History Society, members of the Iqaluit Masjid Mosque, and cast and production crew of the North of North TV show who are shooting season 2 of the series in Iqaluit. A stop at the Beavertails counter at the Arctic Winter Games arena is pencilled in as well, time permitting, his staff added. Share This Story