On Tuesday, the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) and its members sent a letter to the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Canadian Economic Union, and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages. In the letter, they reiterated a clear and unequivocal message: Canadian culture, in all its richness and diversity, must remain off the table in the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.

As the federal government engages in high-stakes talks with its main trading partner, the CDCE stresses the importance of upholding the commitments made during the last election campaign. On April 1, 2025, in an op-ed published in The Globe and Mail, the Prime Minister stated that he had drawn firm red lines in the context of these talks. He notably emphasized that “The French language and Canadian culture, including Quebec culture, and supply management will never be on the table”.

The CDCE and its members welcome this position and remain committed to defending Canada’s cultural sovereignty.

View the letter