Actor Wayne Robson was one of about 250 artists who staged a noisy and rained-upon rally in Toronto on Wednesday to urge Canadians to vote in favor of culture when they head to the polls next week.

‘I’ve been doing this for 42 years… and I’m struggling,’ Robson — a veteran thesp whose credits range from The Red Green Show to The Incredible Hulk — told Playback Daily during the rally, which was organized by ACTRA and the Writers Guild of Canada.

‘There’s no guarantees in this business, there’s no unemployment insurance… we are all rogues,’ he said, referring to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s still controversial remarks from two weeks ago that painted the arts community as government-subsidized elitists.

The rally was staged a day after Harper promised to drop his effort in the much-criticized Bill C-10 to deny funding for film and television projects deemed offensive by Ottawa. Arts and culture remain a hotter-than-usual issue in this election, now entering its final stretch ahead of the Oct. 14 vote.

The rally outside CBC headquarters was, at least officially, non-partisan, though the Tories came under frequent attack.

‘I’m glad to see Bill C-10 go. It makes me feel better because [Harper] was putting out very bad information about the industry here in Canada,’ said Paul, a local film technician and member of the NABET 700 CEP union, who did not want to give his full name.

He says he’s worried about continuing to work in an industry that has faced tough times because of the rising loonie and recent culture cuts by the Tories.

‘We’re in the fight for our lives here,’ agreed Denis McGrath, writer and coproducer on CBC’s The Border, and a well-known blogger on the TV business. He added that arts and culture have seen ‘nothing short of contempt’ from the Conservatives even though they create jobs and millions in revenues.

McGrath is also worried that Harper has remained mute on whether the Canadian Television Fund will be renewed. ‘When the Conservatives don’t mention something, that’s never good news,’ he says. ‘Their silence is deafening.’

Others at the rally included Less Than Kind showrunner Mark McKinney, thesp Eric Peterson of Corner Gas and playwright Linda Griffiths.

Also on Wednesday, organizations including ACTRA, CEP and Friends of Canadian Broadcasting launched a ‘Keep it Canadian’ ad campaign, urging voters to support candidates who are in favor of maintaining domestic control of Canuck broadcasting and communications entities.

‘If we lose control of our media, we lose control of the messaging of our national identity and democratic debate,’ commented Peter Murdoch of the CEP.