Quebec Culture Minister Christine St-Pierre, shown at CRTC hearings in June, joins Ontario counterpart Aileen Carroll in criticizing federal arts cuts. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

The culture ministers of Quebec and Ontario have written an open letter to the federal government questioning its decision to cut arts and culture programs.

Ontario Culture Minister Aileen Carroll and Quebec Culture Minister Christine St-Pierre express their "disappointment" with recent cuts to seven federal arts programs, calling the move "ill-advised."

"This is not the time for the federal government to reduce support for culture," they say in a letter published Friday in the Toronto Star. "Governments need to invest in the people and businesses that make up our cultural industries so that Canada's economy will reap the benefits."

The ministers say both provinces have targeted the cultural sector for investment to generate future economic growth. Provincial initiatives for industries such as film, video and new media are designed to complement federal programs, they say.

"By cutting these federal programs, without any notice or consultation, the federal government has put the future of organizations and initiatives across the country at serious risk," the ministers say in their letter.

Among the institutions threatened are the Society for Arts and Technology, the Institut national de l'image et du son, Hot Docs and the Canadian Film Centre, they say in the letter.

The ministers defend spending on the arts as a good investment with spin-off benefits to tourism and local economies.

"Equally vital, culture helps us define who we are, describes where we have been and signals where we are going. Culture is an essential ingredient to the cohesiveness of our society and to the promotion of our identity," they say.

Quebec and Ontario are disproportionately hurt by the federal cuts, as the cultural sector contributes close to $30 billion to their GDP and employs 616,000 people, the letter says.

Carroll and St-Pierre pledge to raise the issue at the Sept. 25-26 meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers for culture and heritage in Quebec City, and they urge provincial culture ministers across Canada to join a lobby against the cuts.

The letter comes as Quebec arts groups plan for a day of protest against federal cuts.

Artists are being invited to converge on Montreal next Tuesday for a demonstration that will "send a message to the Harper government to reverse cuts to arts and culture programs."

Artists are invited to bring their awards and other honours to the event, to show that they have earned recognition for the work they do.

Among the most prominent cuts so far are programs that help artists tour abroad or develop international markets for their work.

La Presse reports that the Tories are planning further cuts, totalling $48.5 million, before 2010.