The municipal cultural investments included in this study are operating, grant and capital expenditures related to the performing arts, visual and media arts, crafts, design, museums, heritage, special events, multidisciplinary activities, creative and cultural industries, city-owned cultural facilities, cultural districts, public art, and other art purchases. The net investment figures reported in this summary exclude funds transferred from other levels of government as well as other sources of revenue. The net investment figures therefore provide estimates of what was spent from the municipal tax base. The full report contains more information about gross investment figures.

In each city, the net cultural investment in 2009 was:

• $27.4 million in Vancouver (population 578,000)
• $22.4 million in Ottawa (population 812,100)
• $41.9 million in Calgary (population 988,200)
• $89.0 million in Montréal (population 1,620,700)
• $47.5 million in Toronto (population 2,503,300)

In the five cities combined, the average total net cultural investment amounted to $35 per resident in 2009. In each of the five cities:

• Montréal’s cultural investment of $55 per capita ranked first in 2009.
• Vancouver ranked second, with a net amount of $47 per person invested in the cultural sector in 2009.
• Calgary’s net cultural investment was $42 per capita in 2009, ranking the city third among the five cities.
• The City of Ottawa’s net cultural investment of $28 per capita in 2009 ranked fourth.
• Toronto’s net cultural investment of $19 per person in 2009 ranked last among the five cities.

View the full report at the Hill Strategies Research website.