The Saskatchewan Arts Alliance (SAA) has created this petition to allow the arts and cultural community, as well as the general public, audience members and patrons to voice concern about the recent addition of PST to admissions, entertainment and recreation effective October 1, 2022.

The timing of the introduction of this additional tax could not be worse. The continuing disruption of COVID-19 to the arts sector has been life-altering. Facing a continued loss of sponsorship dollars, the reluctance of audience members to return to live events and the pressure of accumulated deficits, the arts sector is struggling. The increased cost for the public to participate in the arts due to the addition of PST on expenses such as concert tickets, theatrical performances and art gallery attendance severely impacts the prospects of the arts, culture, tourism and hospitality sectors’ "building back" capacity and recovering from the devastating impact of the pandemic. Restaurants and bars feed off of arts, culture and sport and taxing the hardest-hit industries as they begin to rebuild is bad for the economy and bad for Saskatchewan. 

Saskatchewan is the only province in Canada that has not provided dedicated provincial COVID-19 relief funding to the arts and culture sector. Instead, the provincial government relied on federal relief to help Saskatchewan arts and cultural organizations. Many were not eligible for those supports and have fallen through the cracks. The addition of PST on admissions, entertainment and recreation, coupled with a lack of any provincial pandemic relief for the arts, is damaging to an important economic sector of the province that has had little or no opportunity for earned revenue over the past two years, with many companies losing over 90% of normal revenues from tickets. 

Arts and culture add value to our province – economically and socially. Arts and culture contributed almost $1 billion dollars to the province’s GDP in 2019.  The sector builds stronger and healthier communities, provides a sense of belonging and civic pride, improves mental health, and increases innovative thinking in our students. As mentioned in the Government of Saskatchewan's 2010 report on culture prepared by the Honourable Dustin Duncan: "for every $1.00 invested directly or indirectly in cultural activities, $3.20 is generated in economic activity. Culture is an engine for the economy." Taxing this sector at this moment is taxing the growth of Saskatchewan's economy.

The people of Saskatchewan are being negatively affected by the rising cost of living – we understand quality of life matters to your government. With an increase in costs to admissions and entertainment, there will not be as many family outings to the galleries, concerts, or Roughrider games that contribute to a good quality of life in our province. Please support the arts and culture sector in rebuilding audiences and patrons after what has been the most devastating and unprecedented disruption of our lifetime.

THIS PETITION IS FROM THE SASKATCHEWAN ARTS ALLIANCE.

OUR PURPOSE IS TO STOP THE SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT'S TAX ON ADMISSIONS, RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT.