Once a month, we partner up with LobbyIQ to update our readers on recent movements in the federal lobbying landscape in Ottawa. We provide separate coverage for each channel, defined by the most relevant industries, organizations, institutions, and subject matters.

Key Takeaways — Arts & Culture

• Lobbying activity totalled 121 meetings in February 2026, up from a 12-month average of 94.4.
• The biggest moves were in Francophone advocacy organizations and Grantmaking foundations.
• Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, RDEE Canada were more active than usual.

Section A: The Themes Hidden in February 2026 Data

Francophone Advocacy Ramps Up as Canada Launches Official Languages Consultations

A surge in lobbying by Francophone advocacy organizations, including Canadian Parents for French in meetings with Canadian Heritage (PCH) and the Senate of Canada, aligns with the federal government's launch of cross-Canada consultations on official languages policy. These consultations, running through late 2026, invite sector groups such as the Confederation Centre of the Arts to influence future federal strategies for bilingualism, cultural duality, and second-language education.

📎 Minister Miller launches the 2026 Cross-Canada Consultations on Official Languages

Federal Investment in French-Language Research and Youth Programs Reflects Lobbying Pressures

New federal investments, including $1 million for French-language research and $8.5 million for Francophone community projects, arrive as regional groups such as Canadian Parents for French intensify lobbying for educational and cultural funding in meetings with Canadian Heritage (PCH). The measures come amid increased appeals for greater support for minority-language postsecondary education and youth employment initiatives.

📎 Government of Canada continues support for research in French · Government of Canada invests more than $8.5 million to help five organizations carry out key projects for the French fact and the vitality of official languages

Online News Act Funding and Journalism Policy Spark Heightened Broadcast and News Sector Advocacy

Lobbying activity among news and broadcast organizations, including News Media Canada and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, intensified as $100 million in annual Google funding for Canadian news, approved under the Online News Act, began shaping policy talks with Canadian Heritage (PCH) and the House of Commons. Groups are pushing for fair distribution rules, expanded journalism tax credits, and clarity on platform obligations amid continued regulatory uncertainty.

📎 C-18 Online News Act | CRTC · How we’re moving forward with the Canadian news ecosystem

Official Languages Action Plans Trigger Sector Lobbying on Bilingual Services and Funding

Recent updates to federal institutions’ Official Languages action plans coincide with an uptick in advocacy from Canadian Parents for French and News Media Canada around French second-language education, linguistic duality, and equitable access to arts funding for Francophone cultural groups through Canadian Heritage (PCH) and the Senate of Canada. These policy reviews come in the wake of recent legislative changes and sector calls for improved service delivery.

📎 Departmental Action Plan for Official Languages 2025–2028

Section B: Lobbying Activity by Industry

This section compares, by NAICS industry, the lobbying activity in Ottawa last month to its historical average.

Lobbying activity across this channel totalled 121 meetings in February 2026, up from a 12-month average of 94. The most active industry was Francophone advocacy organizations, while Grantmaking foundations rose above its recent baseline.

The industries with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include Broadcast media production and distribution logged 15 meetings, up from an average of 8, Parks, museums and cultural institutions logged 17 meetings, up from an average of 13, Arts and theatre schools logged 6 meetings, up from an average of 1, Grantmaking foundations logged 19 meetings, up from an average of 9, and Francophone advocacy organizations logged 37 meetings, up from an average of 15.

On the quieter side, Motion picture and video industries had 8 meetings, down from an average of 10, Sound recording industries had 2 meetings, down from an average of 11, and Performing and visual arts had 4 meetings, down from an average of 12.

Section C: Lobbying by Industry for the Past Year

To contextualize, we show each industry's lobbying activity over the past 12 months. The combined view from Section B and C shows you whether recent differences are persistent trends or a break from the norm.

Top Industry Residual Trends for 2026-02

↳ Performing and visual arts displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Francophone advocacy organizations has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Francophone advocacy organizations displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Sound recording industries displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

↳ Broadcast media production and distribution has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Motion picture and video industries has been on a broadly upward trajectory in lobbying over the past year.

↳ Motion picture and video industries displayed high volatility, suggesting irregular or event-driven engagement.

Section D: Lobbying Activity by Organization

In this section, we see the organizations with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity.

The organizations with the most notable increases in lobbying this month include Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, RDEE Canada, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo, and News Media Canada.

Section E: Lobbying of Government Institutions in the Past Month

Every time an organization lobbies, there is a government official representing a government institution at the other side of the table. This section shows the industry-institutions pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity. Below that, we show the corresponding organization-institution pairs.

Industries → Government Institutions

Organizations → Government Institutions

The busiest industry → institution corridors this month:

↳ Francophone advocacy organizations → House of Commons: 20 meetings (avg 7, +170%).

↳ Francophone advocacy organizations → Senate of Canada: 12 meetings (avg 3, +311%).

↳ Francophone advocacy organizations → Canadian Heritage (PCH): 11 meetings (avg 4, +175%).

The busiest organization → institution corridors this month:

↳ Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada → House of Commons: 12 meetings (avg 4, +172%).

↳ Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne → Senate of Canada: 8 meetings (avg 1, +1100%).

↳ News Media Canada → Canadian Heritage (PCH): 6 meetings (avg 2, +140%).

Section F: Industry and Organization Lobbying by Subject in the Past Month

All lobbying activity is tagged with a "subject matter". This section shows the industry-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month, defined by either unusually high or unusually low lobbying activity, and below it the organization-subject pairs with the most unusual lobbying behavior last month.

Industries → Subjects

Organizations → Subjects

The busiest industry → subject corridors this month:

↳ Francophone advocacy organizations → Bilingualism/Official Languages: 57 meetings (avg 19, +203%).

↳ Social advocacy organizations → Broadcasting: 17 meetings (avg 2, +685%).

↳ Francophone advocacy organizations → Employment and Training: 15 meetings (avg 6, +150%).

The busiest organization → subject corridors this month:

↳ Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada → Bilingualism/Official Languages: 24 meetings (avg 10, +140%).

↳ Tourism Industry Association of Canada → Arts and Culture: 11 meetings (avg 2, +500%).

↳ RDEE Canada → Regional Development: 10 meetings (avg 2, +314%).

Section G: Last Month's Most Lobbied Politicians and Civil Servants

This section presents a list of the politicians and civil servants who took the most meetings with key industry players last month.

Most Lobbied Individuals by Sector

Most Lobbied Individuals by Organization

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by sector) this month were Francophone advocacy organizations → Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault (House of Commons), Motion picture and video industries → Brian MacKay (Canadian Heritage (PCH)) and Broadcast media production and distribution → Brian MacKay (Canadian Heritage (PCH)).

Among the individuals with the most notable meeting activity (by organization) this month were Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada → Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault (House of Commons), News Media Canada → Brian MacKay (Canadian Heritage (PCH)) and Marineland of Canada Inc. → Neil Macisaac (Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)).