Canada's heritage minister says his own department will be cut first and perhaps deepest in order to give more money to arts groups during the next budget.

"One commitment I will make is that, percentage wise, the largest reduction of funding that people will see will be to my own department, because my department is too bureaucratic, and the reason why I am getting most aggressive with my own shop is to preserve as much funding as possible for arts and culture groups across the country," James Moore said in Kelowna, B.C., on Thursday.

Moore also spoke about new investments Ottawa is making in British Columbia's arts and culture sectors, including $700,000 for 11 projects.

Moore has been travelling across Canada — which he says he does when the House is not sitting — to meet with various organizations that may not be able to afford a trip to Ottawa for their lobbying efforts.

The budget is expected to be handed down in early March.