Statistics Canada is out with its latest data on cultural spending by governments. New Brunswick is second last in Canada in total spending (adjusted for population size). The feds spend more here than in the past but still well below our provincial neighbours in Atlantic Canada and Quebec/Ontario. Provincial spending on culture is average at $105/per person in 2008/2009. Municipal governments in New Brunswick spend less than all other provinces except NL but it is very important to point out that nearly 40% of New Brunswickers do not live in municipalities (with local government) – I think this is the highest percentage by a wide margin in Canada. So the local spending numbers are problematic.
Cultural Spending Per Capita (2008/2009) – by Level of Government
| Total | Federal | Provincial | Municipal | |
| Yukon | $1,136.62 | $575.52 | $539.02 | $22.08 |
| Northwest Territories | 1,075.26 | 821.46 | 199.45 | 54.35 |
| Nunavut | 604.60 | 355.78 | 237.27 | 11.55 |
| Quebec | 370.18 | 177.96 | 120.30 | 71.93 |
| Prince Edward Island | 302.90 | 148.37 | 121.47 | 33.06 |
| Saskatchewan | 276.34 | 55.76 | 130.15 | 90.43 |
| Ontario | 268.05 | 111.23 | 67.87 | 88.95 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 262.12 | 93.82 | 138.53 | 29.78 |
| Nova Scotia | 261.39 | 116.86 | 97.97 | 46.56 |
| Alberta | 242.55 | 58.43 | 101.73 | 82.39 |
| Manitoba | 239.02 | 74.09 | 114.90 | 50.03 |
| New Brunswick | 219.82 | 83.62 | 105.61 | 30.60 |
| British Columbia | 207.56 | 50.31 | 61.00 | 96.25 |
Source: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/87f0001x/2011001/t011-eng.htm – I transformed these numbers per capita using Stats Canada population estimates for 2009.
The lower level of federal spending compared to our neighbouring jurisdictions is perhaps symptomatic of the fact that we tend not to exert our muscle in that arena. Interesting that we hold our own provincially, on a per capita basis, but maybe that’s not the right comparison. If Ontario puts a dollar into the AGO and NB puts a dollar into the BAG, the effect is more or less the same regardless of the population size.