Media Advisory: His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond to Be Keynote Speaker at Annual Conference of the Canadian Arts Presenting Association in Calgary

Entitled, "In Canada, 'Culture' Has Acquired a New Meaning," His Excellency's address will focus on the importance of the arts and creativity in our living environments.

"Culture must not be regarded as an unproductive expense or a necessary luxury, but rather as a force in the economic life of Canada as a whole that gives 'value added' to our national heritage," stated Mr. Lafond.

The annual conference of the Canadian Arts Presenting Association, the theme of which will be 'Culture in Control', will take place from November 6 to 9, 2009, at the Westin Calgary Hotel, in Alberta. For more information about CAPACOA, please visit www.capacoa.ca.

Furthermore, for the third consecutive year, His Excellency will be the honorary patron of the One Yellow Rabbit theatre company's High Performance Rodeo, Calgary's International Festival of the Arts, which will take place from January 7 to 31, 2010. As honorary patron, Mr. Lafond will help launch the festival's program at the Big Secret Theatre in the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts, on Friday, November 6, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., in Calgary, Alberta. Note that His Excellency will also host an Art Matters forum in Calgary once the festival is in full swing in January. For more information about the High Performance Rodeo, please visit www.hprodeo.ca.

Here is an itinerary of the public events planned:

                        Friday, November 6
1:00 p.m.
Launch of the High Performance Rodeo festival program
Big Secret Theatre, EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts
21-225 8th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta
His Excellency will help launch the High Performance Rodeo festival program
as honorary patron of the festival for the third consecutive year.
OPEN TO MEDIA

                       Saturday, November 7
9:30 a.m.
Opening address of the 22nd annual conference of the Canadian Arts
Presenting Association (CAPACOA)
Eau Claire Room, Westin Calgary Hotel
320 4th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta
His Excellency will deliver the opening address.
OPEN TO MEDIA