Massey Commission

Massey Commission
Name	Massey Commission
Type	Royal Commission
Established	1949
Country	Canada
Chair	Vincent Massey
Jurisdiction	Canada
Outcome	Report on cultural policy; recommendations for funding and institutions

Contents

Massey Commission.

The Massey Commission was a 1949 Canadian royal commission chaired by Vincent Massey that examined cultural life across Canada and produced a report influencing arts policy, broadcasting, and heritage conservation. It convened inquiries, hearings, and studies that engaged numerous figures and institutions including John Diefenbaker, Lester B. Pearson, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and National Gallery of Canada advocates. The commission’s work intersected with debates involving CBC Television, Canadian Press, Library and Archives Canada, and provincial cultural agencies.

Background and Establishment

The commission was created in the context of post‑war discussions among leaders such as William Lyon Mackenzie King, Louis St. Laurent, and cultural advocates tied to National Film Board of Canada. Debates drew on precedents like the Royal Commission on Dominion–Provincial Relations and inquiries into Canadian Centennial planning, reflecting tensions within Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. Influential institutions including McGill University, University of Toronto, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and the Vancouver Art Gallery lobbied ministers such as Humphrey Mitchell and ministers linked to the Department of National Health and Welfare. The commission’s establishment responded to proposals from cultural figures like John S. Ewart and administrators at Canadian National Railway who had earlier supported patronage networks.

Charged by Prime Minister of Canada, the commission’s mandate encompassed investigation into cultural institutions, support mechanisms, and comparisons with countries such as United Kingdom, United States, France, and Australia. The commission was chaired by Vincent Massey and included members drawn from cultural, academic, and legal circles connected to Bank of Montreal, Canadian Institute of International Affairs, Royal Society of Canada, and provincial cultural ministries. It consulted with officials from Department of External Affairs, Department of Trade and Commerce, and municipal authorities in cities like Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Halifax. Experts from organizations such as the Canadian Authors Association, Guild of Canadian Playwrights, Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations, and conservatories including The Royal Conservatory of Music contributed briefs.

The commission held public hearings and received briefs from stakeholders including Harold Innis, Marshall McLuhan, E. K. Brown, and representatives of the Canadian Authors Association, Actors’ Equity Association, and the Canadian Federation of Musicians. Testimony addressed institutions like the National Film Board, CBC Radio, CBC Television, National Ballet of Canada, and museums such as the Canadian War Museum and Canadian Museum of History. The commission examined cultural infrastructure in provinces represented by premiers such as Maurice Duplessis and George Drew, and considered foreign models including reports from the Arts Council of Great Britain, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution. Submissions from publishers like Macmillan Publishers and newspapers including The Globe and Mail and Montreal Gazette factored into proceedings.

The commission recommended a framework for federal support resulting in the establishment and strengthening of institutions such as the Canada Council for the Arts, enhanced funding models for the National Film Board, and expanded mandates for the National Library of Canada and the National Archives of Canada. It called for sustaining the CBC while preserving Canadian content vis‑à‑vis importation from the United States, and encouraged cultural diplomacy through Department of External Affairs exchanges and funding for touring by ensembles like the National Ballet of Canada and orchestras including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Recommendations touched on copyright law reform related to publishers such as Oxford University Press and McClelland & Stewart, and proposed support for provincial arts councils similar to initiatives in British Columbia and Alberta.

Reactions ranged from praise by intellectuals such as Marshall McLuhan and institutions like the Royal Society of Canada to criticism from political figures including Maurice Duplessis and media proprietors at Southam Inc.. Debates involved unions like the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association and questions raised by journalists at Toronto Star and broadcasters within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation about federal intervention and cultural autonomy. Controversy also emerged over perceived centralization in Ottawa versus provincial jurisdiction claimed by governments in Quebec and Saskatchewan, and over artistic freedom argued by playwrights associated with Tyrone Guthrie and directors at the Stratford Festival. International commentators from institutions such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Ford Foundation weighed in on comparative cultural policy.

The commission’s legacy includes the creation of the Canada Council for the Arts, expansion of federal support for institutions like the National Gallery of Canada, and influence on broadcast regulation affecting the Canadian Radio‑television and Telecommunications Commission. Its report shaped cultural diplomacy initiatives involving the National Film Board and touring ensembles, informed development of cultural sections within the Department of External Affairs, and inspired provincial arts funding models in Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. The commission influenced subsequent inquiries including the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism and policy debates involving political leaders such as Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney. Its recommendations continue to inform institutions like Library and Archives Canada and legacy programs at the Banff Centre and the Canada Council.