VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 10, 2026 /CNW/ -- In an increasingly turbulent world, Canada is determining its future. Budget 2026 aims to make Canadians masters of their own destiny, build our sovereignty and give us the freedom to live our lives as we choose. Being sovereign means building a country where Canadian culture thrives in all its diversity and creativity.

Today, the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, highlighted  key investments from Budget 2026: Masters of our destiny to support Canadian culture, strengthen creative industries and improve access to arts and heritage across the country.

Budget 2026 proposes nearly $4 billion over five years to protect and celebrate what makes us Canadian. This includes unprecedented support for creators, cultural institutions, Canadian stories and the communities that bring them to life.

Key investment areas include:

• Helping artists build sustainable careers—exploring a new Canada Creative Credit to support artistic production and cultural entrepreneurship, removing the $1,000 cap on deductible work expenses for employed artists and introducing an Artist's Resale Right
• Supporting Canadian creators and artists—strengthening support for Canadian producers, broadcasters, visual artists, writers, musicians, actors and other creators to help them tell our stories and build sustainable careers
• Making it easier to explore Canada—bringing back and expanding the Canada Strong Pass for summer 2027 and introducing permanent, year-round free admission to national museums for children and youth under 25
• Bringing communities together—supporting festivals, national celebrations and community-driven cultural events that give Canadians more opportunities to connect and take part in the cultural life of their communities
• Celebrating Canada 160—helping Canadians celebrate Canada's 160th anniversary through local festivals, performing arts events, and arts, culture and heritage activities
• Celebrating Canada's Francophonie—supporting Canada's Francophonie leadership objectives and hosting the 2028 Francophonie Summit
• Preserving our cultural heritage—upgrading our national museums and heritage institutions to ensure that they can stand the test of time and that we can pass this legacy on to future generations
• Making Canadian books more accessible—creating a free national digital collection of Canadian books, which will make it easier for Canadians to discover and borrow works by Canadian authors, and making the Canada Book Fund permanent
• Strengthening Canadian stories and journalism—providing greater support for Canadian stories, creators and trusted local journalism and strengthening CBC/Radio-Canada
• Boosting creative industries—introducing the new Productivity Mega Deduction to help Canadian producers and storytellers invest in the equipment and technologies needed to create Canadian content

It is an ambitious plan to meet this moment and shape Canada's future. Budget 2026 provides unprecedented support for Canadian culture and recreation—more than five times last budget's record levels.

Quotes

"Being masters of our destiny is about having the confidence to build on our strengths and shape our own future. Canada has the resources, talent and ambition to succeed. Budget 2026 builds on those strengths by unlocking investment, building more at home, strengthening our energy and natural resource advantage, and helping Canadian businesses grow and compete on the world stage. That's how we will create good jobs, make life more affordable, and build a stronger, more resilient and more united Canada for generations to come."
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue

"Budget 2026 is investing in Canadian creators who tell our stories and show the world who we are. It is investing in the artists and cultural institutions that bring those stories to life, helping more Canadians build careers here at home and more Canadian stories reach audiences here and around the world. That is an investment in our culture, our economy and the Canada we are building together."
– The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Quick facts

• Budget 2026 proposes exploring the creation of the Canada Creative Credit—a new non-refundable personal income tax credit that would provide tax relief on up to $45,000 in annual qualifying net business income derived from original creative artistic works.
• Budget 2026 confirms a $600 million investment to support Canada's audio and audiovisual sectors, providing greater stability for creators, producers and broadcasters.
• Budget 2026 proposes $76 million in 2027–2028 for the renewal and expansion of the Canada Strong Pass and $46.3 million over five years, starting in 2026–2027, to make national museums permanently free for children and youth under 25.
• Budget 2026 proposes a new $300 million flagship initiative, the Canada 160 Fund, to celebrate Canada's 160th anniversary, as well as $10 million for the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program and $15 million for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund to support local festivals and performing arts events.
• Budget 2026 proposes to provide $393.2 million over three years to advance Canada's Francophonie leadership objectives and host the 2028 Francophonie Summit.
• Budget 2026 proposes $843 million over five years, on a cash basis, to help repair and renew Canada's national museums and heritage institutions.
• Budget 2026 proposes $300 million over two years to strengthen CBC/Radio-Canada.
• Budget 2026 proposes to provide $32.2 million over four years to establish a free national digital collection of Canadian books and $20 million over four years to renew and make permanent the Canada Book Fund.
• Budget 2026 proposes $20 million over three years for the Canada Council for the Arts.
• Budget 2026 proposes $134 million to support independent local journalism through the Local Journalism Initiative, while expanding the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit to include qualifying audio and audiovisual news organizations.
• Budget 2026 proposes major tax policy changes, including the new Productivity Mega Deduction, to help Canada's producers and storytellers invest in the equipment and technologies they use to create.

Associated links

• Budget 2026: Masters of our destiny

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada