ABSTRACT
The Canadian Cultural Observatory project is a new initiative being developed within the Cultural Development (broadcasting and cultural industries) area of Canadian Heritage. Terry Cheney's recommendation was that Canadian Heritage should move toward the creation of a Canadian Cultural Observatory that would take over the data collection, analysis, and dissemination function on a coordinated basis. This recommendation echoed a recommendation that had been made by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and seemed almost inevitable given the proliferation of so-called cultural observatories in other countries and regions. The Assistant Deputy Minister of Cultural Development at Canadian Heritage took the lead and seconded one of his staff members, Michel Normandeau, to work full-time on designing the cultural observatory initiative. Canadian Heritage has participated in a number of areas, looking at historical trends, making predictions a few years into the future, and conducting literature reviews.
