Mark McKinney, a Kids in the Hall comedian and TV producer, urged Stephen Harper to look to Arnold Schwarzenegger, a conservative politician who supports local industry. (ACTRA)

About 250 Canadian actors, writers and other artists gathered in a downtown Toronto park Wednesday to hear the message that voters should consider culture when they go to the polls.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's comments in Saskatchewan that "ordinary Canadians" don't care about cultural issues has rankled people in the creative communities, following on $45 million in cuts to cultural programs announced in August.

The Toronto rally endorsed no specific candidate or party, but multiple speakers urged voters to choose a candidate who promises to restore funding to the arts.

Actor Eric Peterson recalled making an episode of Corner Gas with Harper, and the picture he has of the cast and Harper together "relaxing after doing cultural work making Canadian TV."

He said Harper's characterization of artists as a privileged elite with their hands in the public purse was a "shock."

Harper "characterized me and my kind as whining snivellers producing nothing of interest to ordinary Canadians," Peterson said, pointing out that 1.1 million Canadians watch Corner Gas.

Since the announcement that the series will soon be wrapping up, many viewers, especially those in Saskatchewan, have expressed their gratitude, he said.

"They say how grateful they are to us for putting Saskatchewan on the map," he said. "They say 'thanks for making me visible to me, to the rest of the country and to the world.' … That's what culture does for people — makes them visible."

Artists are particularly concerned about deep cuts to programs that allowed Canadian symphonies, dance and theatre troupes to tour.

Actor and dancer Johnny Wright, currently starring in Dirty Dancing in Toronto, said the 1,500 ordinary Canadians who come to see him perform every night are proof Canadians care about the arts.

He recalled the touring he did during his decade as a dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, some of it underwritten with government funding.

"We performed the same repertoire in small communities as we did in large international cities," Wright said. "We did it because everyone should have the opportunity to be exposed to Canadian culture."

As an artist, it's rewarding to "make a connection with small audiences when you least expect it," he said, adding that smaller audiences are often the most appreciative.

In an interview with Peter Mansbridge on Tuesday, Harper said he had moved the money for international touring into other arts programs.

"The government has a responsibility for management of taxpayers' funds," he said. "We have to make sure we are shifting spending to programs that are most effective."

He denied the Conservative government has cut funding for the arts. He held up as an example the $25 million the Conservative platform promises to international French-language broadcaster TV5, saying that is a more effective platform to reach international audiences.

Richard Hardacre, president of ACTRA, said the prime minister has "stuck a scalpel into the nerve bundle that is culture."

He pointed to figures from a Conference Board of Canada study that show cultural industries generate $85 billion in economic activity.

“Sorry, Mr. Harper, $85 billion in a time of economic uncertainty is a major mainstream issue,” he said.

Harper's decision to abandon his controversial plan to rescind tax credits from films that are deemed "unsuitable" by the government has been welcomed in the arts community, but his references to artists as a spoiled elite continue to work against him.

"Harper has decided not to impose censorship — but that's not anything we should be grateful for," Kids in the Hall comedian Mark McKinney told a rally in Toronto on Wednesday.

"He's like the guy who steals your wallet and kicks you in the face, then says sorry for kicking you in the face."

Some people at the rally carried signs that said "Vote culture, eh?" and "Workers, not whiners," at the rally, organized by actors' union ACTRA and the Writers Guild of Canada.

McKinney argued that TV and filmmaking in Canada are vital industries that are growing because of arts funding from past governments.

"We have had arts funding that allows young people to train in their profession and has brought us to a cusp of being a world leader in TV and film," said McKinney, who is now a producer and screenwriter.

He pointed to another conservative politician who has supported cultural industries — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who has brought in laws to enforce filmmaking close to home.

"This is a good business. Don't ruin it," he urged.