The Quebec Council for Intangible Heritage (Conseil québécois du patrimoine vivant, CQPV) has undertaken the task of measuring ICH in the corollary Canadian province. The CQPV created and collected data from various sources in order to analyse the main ICH actors and their socio-economic environment and published a 104-page report, including recommendations for public authorities. The aim of the initiative is to better administrate ICH and enhance the support provided towards it. It can be an interesting alternative or complement to national ICH inventories.

"This presentation paints a broad portrait of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in Canada. In the first section, I examine the political and legal situations of a country that has not signed the 2003 UNESCO Convention. My focus rests more specifically on the recent legislative recognition of ICH in the Canadian province of Quebec, which adopted the Cultural Heritage Act on 19 October 2011. I explain the safeguarding mechanisms prescribed in this act and describe how the legislation will be put into practice. In the second section, I examine safeguarding initiatives that support ICH directly and indirectly at the federal and provincial levels. The presentation analyses more specifically the inventories undertaken in Quebec since 2003 and 2004, revealing their benefits and drawbacks. I conclude by demonstrating how international cooperation has strengthened efforts to develop ICH in Canada and abroad. Important aspects of these efforts include the exchange of expertise, political legitimacy conferred by external recognition, and professional networking."