Leaving a mark

What were we up to in the arts in 2006? 

The fifth iteration of the Music PEI awards saw Catherine MacLennan lauded for Church Bell Blues and the Lifetime Achievement Award went to Haywire. Beatle Paul McCartney visited the Island—but to protest the seal hunt, not to sing to us. The very first PEI Book Award went to Catherine Edward for the poetic memoir The Brow of Dawn. The PEI Council of the Arts was still active with a mission “to make the arts integral to the lives of all Prince Edward Islanders.” I’ve never been fashion-forward but am relieved I missed the trend of “oven mitt” vests inspired by that year’s Canadian Winter Olympic team garb. (In 2006, I was spared by needing maternity wear.)

Data from the 2006 Census showed that there were 140,000 artists in Canada who spent more time at their art than at any other occupation, but Hill Strategies found 62% of artists earned less than $20,000 a year, compared with 41% of the overall labour force. While there were more women artists than men (and the census was not capturing other genders), women artists averaged 28% less than the average earnings of men artists, and Indigenous artists earned 30% less than the average for all artists. Oof. 

Into that climate of creatives’ working conditions, on March 31, 2026, CreativePEI was incorporated as the PEI Cultural Human Resources Council. The first annual report by the first executive director, Julia Pike, said that compared to the general labour market population growth of 12% in the 1990s, the cultural sector increased by 32%. There were no work shortages in the arts and culture sector, because creative workers “create their own work.” However, the challenges included skills-training needs, work instability, and lack of access to consistent adequate income or benefits of any kind. Another Hill Strategies study found that artists in small and rural communities in Canada were contributing “to the quality of life and social and economic vitality” of those communities and significantly enhancing community well-being. Plus ça change.

On the founding board, a name appears as vice-chairperson, representing the film and television sector: Mark Sandiford. Twenty years (and several organizational nicknames) later, Mark is only now stepping away from the organization he stepped up for as a board member and chairperson, then executive director for 13 years, and finally as program coordinator of the creative well-being project.

In the words of current CreativePEI chairperson Megan Stewart, “Mark lovingly and unwaveringly tended to PEI’s creative ecosystem. He illuminated pathways toward sustainable artistic work for hundreds of emerging creatives. He advocated for the arts on PEI, championed their social and economic value, and fought for better representation, collaboration, and opportunities for artists. He made PEI a better place to be an artist and arts worker.” 

In 2026, as Mark retires and CreativePEI celebrates its twentieth anniversary, the arts and culture sector continues to grow in Canada, nearly 8% over the three years leading into 2026, roughly double the 4% growth of Canada’s overall economy.  

We wish Mark a retirement of joy-filled creativity and community-building, while we all get to benefit from the twenty years he ensured CreativePEI never stopped working bringing cultural-sector people and opportunities together, for better incomes and better outcomes for creatives in PEI. Congratulations and thank you, Mark. What a legacy!

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, CreativePEI is a sector catalyst and connector that empowers PEI’s arts, culture, and creative professionals. Jane Ledwell has been the Executive Director since November 2025. Learn more at creativepei.ca.