ACTRA asks Ottawa to invest in culture

TORONTO – The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is urging the government to give Canada's cultural industries a leading role in stimulating the economy when it delivers its budget later this month. ACTRA's national president Richard Hardacre made an appeal on Tuesday in Ottawa at an economic pre-budget consultation of Conservative MPs who will provide recommendations to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. "Investment in cultural industries is an efficient and effective way of stimulating Canada's economy, creating jobs, and contributing to the development of new technologies," Hardacre said. "Cultural industries are not only a big part of...