WATERLOO — The Honourable James Moore, federal Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, visited Laurier Friday to announce funding for Wilfrid Laurier University Press and the Association of Canadian Publishers.

The three investments announced Friday were provided through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Wilfrid Laurier University Press received $76,714 from the Aid to Publishers component of the BPIDP to support the production and promotion of Canadian-authored books. The WLU Press also received $13,948 from the BPIDP’s Supply Chain Initiative to support an 18-week full-time internship.

The Association of Canadian Publishers received $109,906 from the Supply Chain Initiative for an industry-wide project to increase the visibility of Canadian titles in the online marketplace.

“Our government is proud to have renewed its investment in the Canadian book industry for the next five years,” Moore told a large gathering on the main floor of the Laurier library. “The funding we are announcing today for Wilfrid Laurier University Press and the Association of Canadian Publishers is a good example of the sound and significant investment in Canadian content we are making throughout the country.”

Moore praised Wilfrid Laurier University Press for the innovation it has shown over its 35-year history, and he congratulated director Brian Henderson for the ongoing success of the WLU Press.

“Funding from the Government of Canada is essential to Canadian publishers, helping to enable their participation in the digital revolution while at the same time to continue to produce the highest-quality books for Canadian and international audiences from Canadian writers in a market dominated by
imported books,” said Henderson. “These contributions will allow us to enhance the availability of Canadian scholarship not only within institutions of highe learning around the world, but also to interested readers in general.”

The federal government recently renewed the $39.5 million invested annually by BPIDP in Canadian books for five years. As part of this renewal, BPIDP will be renamed the Canada Book Fund to reflect the evolution of its role from being the supporter of a developing industry to reinforcing a mature industry that brings Canadian books to readers everywhere.