Choirs Ontario has become aware of planned budget cuts to the Ontario Arts Council (up to 15% of the total budget, down $55 million), to be announced by the end of March.
Choirs, composers, conductors and the greater choral community rely heavily on government support funding and cannot survive on fundraising efforts, program and/or membership fees alone. Other streams of government funding are smaller, geared towards smaller scale and individual short-term projects. The arts and culture sector rely on funding from the Ontario Arts Council, the provinces largest public granting agency.
The Ontario budget will be announced on March 23. Please take the time to write a letter to Finance Minister Bethlenfalvy or reach out to your local MPP.
Choirs Ontario is happy to both share and support advocacy efforts, and has provided templates for writing to the Minster of Finance. Greater conversations about funding reforms are also crucial to the support of the arts sector. Imagine Canada has created and provided a toolkit on how to talk to your MP. Choirs Ontario is asking our members and the greater choral community to please share this information across your membership base, with colleagues, and greater audience.
Choirs Ontario is also a member of Provincial Arts Service Organizations/Organisations Provinciale de Services aux Arts de l’Ontario (PASO-OPSA). PASO is a coalition of Ontario Arts Service Organizations that, collectively, acts as a conduit to over 272,000 creative workers, and artists across the province, as well as to thousands of organizations, large and small, that create and support artistic expression in Ontario. GOG and PASO members are aligned that the OAC budget of $65M be sustained in the 2023 provincial budget.
Templates & Resources
MPP – Letter to Minister Bethlenfalvy
Imagine Canada: MP Meeting Toolkit
Choirs Ontario Statement on Public Health Protocol- January 2022
Choirs Ontario seeks to offer the best insight as possible to our membership on the Government of Ontario’s COVID-19 gathering restrictions. The following are taken from passages in Government of Ontario press releases and regulations: please consult the requisite regulations and legislation for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Please note that Choirs Ontario assumes no responsibility for the policies and practices of organisations. This note serves solely the purpose of information sharing, and does not act as advice, interpretation, or counsel. Organisations should consult the most up-to-date regulations to ensure their compliance.
Choirs Ontario strongly urges all in the choral music community to take all prudent steps to ensure the safety and security of all those within the choral music community. We urge all to get vaccinated as we continue the fight against COVID-19.
Latest Public Health Restrictions: January 5, 2022
As of January 5, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. the following measures will be in place for at least 21 days (until January 27) subject to trends in public health and our health system.
Concert venues, theatres, cinemas, museums, galleries, zoos, science centres , landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, amusement parks, waterparks, tour and guide services including boat tours, fairs, rural exhibitions and festivals must operate under the following conditions:
- outdoor open with restrictions (such as masking on rides)
- spectators at seated events at 50 per cent capacity
- outdoor tours and boat tours at 50 per cent capacity
- drive-in and drive through events permitted with restrictions, such as distancing between cars, only permitted to leave a vehicle in limited circumstances, etc.
- indoor areas of concert venues, theatres and cinemas closed except for rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted performance, artistic event or performance, with restrictions
Social gatherings are permitted under the following conditions:
-
indoor gatherings limited to five people or fewer
-
outdoor gatherings limited to 10 people or fewer
Organized public events are permitted under the following conditions:
-
indoor events limited to five people or fewer
-
outdoor events have no limits on number of attendees, but face coverings and/or masks must be worn when distancing (two metres or more) cannot be maintained
Weddings, funerals, religious services, rites and ceremonies are permitted under the following conditions:
- indoor services are limited to 50 per cent the capacity of the room
- outdoor services are limited to the number of people who can maintain two metres distance
- drive-in (motor vehicle) services permitted
- social gatherings associated with these services must adhere to the social gathering limits
Indoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas
- Indoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance if they comply with the following conditions:
- No spectators may be permitted in the concert venue, theatre or cinema.
- Every performer and other person who provides work for the concert venue, theatre or cinema must maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person, except,
- if it is necessary for the purposes of the performance or rehearsal that the performers or persons who provide work for the concert venue, theatre or cinema must be closer to each other, or
- where necessary for the purposes of health and safety.
- The person responsible for the concert venue, theatre or cinema must,
- record the name and contact information of every performer and other person who provides work for the concert venue, theatre or cinema who enters an indoor area of the facility,
- maintain the records for a period of at least one month, and
iii. only disclose the records to a medical officer of health or an inspector under the Health Protection and Promotion Act on request for a purpose specified in section 2 of that Act or as otherwise required by law.
Outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas
- (1) Outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas may open if they comply with the following conditions:
- Spectators must be seated at all times while watching the concert, event, performance or film.
- The number of members of the public at a concert, event, performance or movie within the concert venue, theatre or cinema at any one time must not exceed 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity for the concert, event, performance or movie.
- No member of the public may attend a seated concert, event, performance or movie within the concert venue, theatre or cinema unless they have made a reservation to do so.
- No member of the public may be permitted to enter the indoor premises of the concert venue, theatre or cinema, except,
- to access a washroom,
- to access an outdoor area that can only be accessed through an indoor route,
iii. to engage in retail sales, or
- as may be necessary for the purposes of health and safety.
- The person responsible for the concert venue, theatre or cinema must post a sign in a conspicuous location visible to the public that states the capacity limits under which the concert venue, theatre or cinema is permitted to operate.
5.1 Every member of the public who is outdoors at a concert, event, performance or movie must wear a mask or face covering in a manner that covers their mouth, nose and chin, unless they are entitled to any of the exceptions set out in subsection 2 (4) of Schedule 1, or are seated with members of their own household only, and every member of the household is seated at least two metres from every person outside their household.
- The person responsible for the concert venue, theatre or cinema must prepare a safety plan in accordance with section 3.3 of Schedule 1.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph 5.1 of subsection (1), the references to “indoor area” in clauses 2 (4) (i) and (l) of Schedule 1 shall be read as “outdoor area” and, for greater certainty, members of the public are permitted to remove a mask or face covering temporarily to consume food or drink, or as may be necessary for the purposes of health and safety
4) Where there is any requirement … that a person wear a mask or face covering, the requirement does not apply to a person who,
(f) is performing or rehearsing in a film or television production or in a concert, artistic event, theatrical performance or other performance;
As of September 22, 2021, Ontarians will need to be fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) and provide their proof of vaccination along with photo ID to access certain public settings and facilities. This approach focuses on higher-risk indoor public settings where face coverings cannot always be worn and includes:
- Restaurants and bars (excluding outdoor patios, as well as delivery and takeout);
- Nightclubs (including outdoor areas of the establishment);
- Meeting and event spaces, such as banquet halls and conference/convention centres;
- Facilities used for sports and fitness activities and personal fitness training, such as gyms, fitness and recreational facilities with the exception of youth recreational sport;
- Sporting events; and
- Concerts, music festivals, theatres and cinemas.
Statement on Public Health- October 2021
To access the links in a PDF version of the statement below, please click below:
Statement on Public Health Protocol- October 2021
Chantons en toute sécurité – LETTRE OUVERTE DE CANADA CHORAL
Cliquez ici pour lire ou télécharger la lettre officielle en PDF.
Canada Choral est l’organisme national de service artistique pour la communauté chorale canadienne et le secteur professionnel des arts choraux.
Dix pour cent de la population canadienne chante dans un chœur, selon le Recensement national du monde choral de 2017. Cela représente environ 3,5 millions de choristes.1 Le chant choral est sans conteste le passe-temps national du Canada.
En tant que promoteurs de l’art choral, notre priorité absolue est la sécurité et le bien-être des choristes et des différents acteurs de l’industrie et du secteur choral.
Nous travaillons à l’établissement de canaux de communication constructifs entre la communauté chorale canadienne, les responsables de la santé et les décideurs politiques afin de pouvoir transmettre des directives unifiées à l’ensemble de la communauté chorale. Nous sommes convaincus qu’une approche réfléchie, informée et collaborative demeure la meilleure voie à suivre.
Nous cherchons à travailler avec les responsables de la santé et les décideurs politiques afin d’apporter des changements à nos façons de faire et d’établir des directives applicables pour chanter en toute sécurité. Ces directives doivent être fondées sur la science. Nous cherchons à formuler des lignes directrices sanitaires, à la fois raisonnables et harmonisées avec celles d’autres secteurs, comme le hockey récréatif pour adultes, les centres de conditionnement physique, les studios de danse, les camps de soccer pour enfants, etc. En fait, certaines provinces ont déjà formulé des recommandations pour la pratique du chant en toute sécurité.
Nous sommes reconnaissants envers les médias, qui s’efforcent de mettre en lumière les façons dont les chœurs innovent et tentent de survivre pendant cette période. Cependant, certaines manchettes sensationnalistes causent de nouveaux dégâts dans notre secteur artistique déjà dévasté. Elles ont des répercussions sur des professionnels et des industries connexes qui dépendent fortement des revenus de l’art choral. L’enjeu est de taille. Nous ne devons pas sous-estimer les dommages financiers, émotionnels, culturels et physiques que les articles et commentaires négatifs et mal informés causent à l’ensemble du secteur choral. Les récentes manchettes négatives, qui visaient directement le secteur choral, ne s’appuyaient guère sur autre chose que des anecdotes.
Aucune étude scientifique définitive n’a encore été publiée sur les risques de transmission de la COVID-19 par le chant comparativement à d’autres activités comme le fait de parler fort, de crier, ou de pratiquer des activités aérobiques.
Le gouvernement de l’Alberta a reconnu le manque de preuves scientifiques crédibles sur ce sujet dans son rapport sur les preuves rapides du groupe consultatif scientifique Covid-19, en déclarant
Il y a une lacune dans les connaissances scientifiques concernant l’aérosolisation de COVID-19 en particulier pour de telles activités [le chant]. Les preuves que COVID-19 est transmis par le chant se limitent en grande partie aux rapports des médias, et il n’est pas certain que la transmission qui s’est produite dans ces contextes soit liée à l’aérosolisation par le chant, ou à la transmission par gouttelettes ou par contact… Le comité a convenu qu’il n’est pas clair si le risque de transmission du virus du SRAS-CoV- 2 par le chant peut être causé par l’aérosolisation de particules respiratoires, ou l’expulsion de grosses gouttelettes, ou une combinaison, ou plutôt par des comportements sociaux associés à des rassemblements sans distanciation (contact étroit, se serrer la main, câlins, etc.).2
Ce rapport a été rédigé par un groupe de chercheurs très équilibré, dont un médecin spécialiste des maladies infectieuses reconnu pour son travail dans la transmission des virus par voie aérienne.
Nous suivons actuellement des études qui tentent de répondre aux questions de manière scientifique. Menées entre autres dans les laboratoires de dynamique des fluides et les facultés de médecine des universités d’Allemagne, des États-Unis et du Canada, ces recherches indispensables contribueront à informer les décideurs sur ce qui se passe réellement avec les gouttelettes et les aérosols lorsque les gens chantent. Des études préliminaires, encore non publiées, réalisées en Europe et portant spécifiquement sur le comportement des gouttelettes et des aérosols pendant l’acte de chanter, montrent que le chant n’a pas un effet aussi néfaste que ce qui est signalé régulièrement dans les médias.3 Nous attendons des preuves plus définitives de ces études.
Nous encourageons la prise de décisions et la mise en œuvre de politiques fondées sur la science, par opposition à des scénarios non prouvés, anecdotiques ou comparatifs. Nous continuerons à plaider pour une communication scientifique claire de la part de nos dirigeants et nous insisterons pour que les politiques soient élaborées avec intégrité, à partir des meilleures données scientifiques disponibles.
On compte près de 28 000 chœurs au Canada. Ces chœurs sont aussi diversifiés que notre pays est vaste. Il est donc possible qu’une approche universelle ne soit pas envisageable. Nous sommes impatients de collaborer avec les décideurs politiques afin de trouver des solutions innovantes qui permettront éventuellement à tous ces groupes choraux diversifiés de pratiquer leur art en toute sécurité.
Canada Choral
1 Sondage pour Canada Choral, janvier 2017, sondage et analyse de Hill Strategies Research
2 Alberta Health Services, Covid-19 Scientific Advisory Group Rapid Evidence Report, May 22, 2020, p.2
3 Christian Kähler, et al. https://www.unibw.de/lrt7-en/making-music-in-times-of-pandemic.
Let’s Sing Safely – AN OPEN LETTER FROM CHORAL CANADA
Click here to read and download the official PDF version of this letter.
Choral Canada is the national arts service organization for the Canadian choral community and professional choral arts sector.
10% of the Canadian population sings in a choir in almost 28,000 choirs of all kinds according to the 2017 national choral census.That is approximately 3.5 million choristers.1 Choral singing truly is Canada’s national pastime!
As stewards of the choral artform, our #1 priority is the safety and well-being of choristers and the choral industry/sector.
We are seeking constructive avenues of communication among the Canadian Choral community, health officials and policy makers so that we can provide unified guidelines for the choral community. We feel strongly that a thoughtful, informed and collaborative approach is the best way forward.
We are looking to work with health officials and policy makers to find modifications and practical guidelines for safe singing, guidelines that are rooted in scientific research. We seek to create sensible safety guidelines that align with other sectors, such as adult rec hockey, gyms, dance studios, children’s soccer camps, etc. In fact, some provinces have already made recommendations for safe singing.
We appreciate the recent intention of the media to highlight how choirs are innovating and trying to survive during this time, but sensationalist headlines do even more damage to this already devastated arts sector including the professionals and associated industries who rely heavily on the choral arts for income. There is a lot at stake here. We cannot overstate the financial, emotional, cultural and physical damage of negative news articles and comments to the entire choral sector. These recent negative headlines have been pointed directly at the choral sector based on little more than anecdotal evidence.
Definitive scientific studies about COVID-19 transmission in relation to singing versus other forms of activities such as loud talking or cheering and other aerobic activity, have yet to be published. The Government of Alberta recognized the lack of credible, scientific evidence surrounding this subject in its Covid-19 Scientific Advisory Group Rapid Evidence Report, stating:
There is a gap in the scientific knowledge regarding the aerosolization of COVID-19 in particular for such activities [singing]. The evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted through singing is largely limited to media reports, and it is uncertain whether the transmission that occurred in these settings was related to aerosolization through singing, or through droplet or contact transmission… The committee agreed it is unclear whether the risk of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus via singing may be caused by aerosolizing of respiratory particles, or large droplets being expelled, or a combination, or social behaviors associated with close groups (close contact, handshaking, hugging etc.)2
This report was written by a very balanced group of researchers, including a published Infectious Disease physician specializing in the airborne transmission of viruses.
We are presently following studies that are trying to answer questions scientifically. Taking place in Fluid Dynamics labs and Faculties of Medicine at universities in Germany, the United States and Canada among others, this much-needed research will help to inform decision makers on what actually happens with droplets and aerosols when people sing. Preliminary, yet unpublished studies coming out of Europe that are dealing specifically with the behaviour of droplets and aerosols during the act of singing are showing that singing does not have as adverse an effect as is being reported.3 We await more definitive evidence from these studies.
We encourage decision making and policy implementation rooted in science, as opposed to unproven, anecdotal or comparative scenarios. We will continue to advocate for clear scientific communication from our leaders and insist that policy be created with integrity from the best available science.
Because there are nearly 28,000 choirs throughout Canada, representing a diversity as vast as this land, a “one size fits all” approach may not be practical. We are eager to work with policy makers to find innovative solutions for safe singing for a variety of choral groups in a variety of scenarios.
Choral Canada
1 January 2017 survey and analysis by Hill Strategies Research for Choral Canada
2 Alberta Health Services, Covid-19 Scientific Advisory Group Rapid Evidence Report, May 22, 2020, p.2
3 Christian Kähler, et al. https://www.unibw.de/lrt7-en/making-music-in-times-of-pandemic.
Open Letter From Choirs Ontario
June 22, 2020
An Open Letter from Choirs Ontario
Choirs Ontario is the provincial arts service organization representing thousands of choirs and tens of thousands of choristers across this province. As has been the case in almost every other sector, choirs have been forced to cease operations and have been silent during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are writing this letter in response to several recent government regulations (City of Toronto regulation for re-opening places of worship, and Province of Ontario laws governing phase 2 of the reopening) and news media articles made over the course of the last several weeks. Most recently CBC News has published articles on Tuesday June 16, No singing or dancing allowed, even as Ontario patios, places of worship open and on Friday June 19, Who would have thought that singing could be dangerous, or deadly?
Scientific study on the transmission of COVID-19 as it relates to singing is in its infancy. To date, there is no body of scientific research that definitively links choral singing with a higher risk of infection in comparison to other group activities. As such, it is of great concern to choral communities that the development of Ontario public health policy around the safety of singing could be based on anecdotal evidence of a few choirs whose membership has become sick, rather than being firmly based on scientific evidence.
To be clear, our advocacy is not for choirs to re-open and go back to “business as usual” at this time. We would never put any of our singers or members of the public in increased danger of contracting the COVID 19 virus by returning to choral activities before it is safe to do so. We are simply drawing attention to the need for evidence-based research to drive decision-making as it relates to choral singing.
In the absence of this evidence, we are compelled to highlight the unfair and unfounded focus the media has placed on choral singing as an area of – at best – heightened risk and at worst, grave danger. We are asking for Public Health departments to help the tens of thousands of choristers in this Province by providing clear and actionable guidelines for choral singing that are guided by science.
Over the last three months, choirs have proven their resiliency through many physically distanced and ‘virtual’ projects. We are innovating, we are staying connected and we are learning together. As a singing community, we will continue to advocate for the benefits of choral singing for social, mental, and emotional well-being. Guided by evidence-based best practices, the activities of choirs should not fall under the mantle of a blanket condemnation. Rather they should be resumed safely and responsibly, commensurate with other group activities in Ontario.
On behalf of choirs across our province,
Choirs Ontario, Board of Directors
Dr. Mark Vuorinen, President
Associate Professor and Chair of Music
Conrad Grebel University College/University of Waterloo
(for media interviews, please contact: mvuorinen@uwaterloo.ca)
Click here to view or download a PDF version of this letter.