You can use your smart phone to browse stories in the comfort of your hand. Simply browse this site on your smart phone.

    Using an RSS Reader you can access most recent stories and other feeds posted on this network.

    SNetwork Recent Stories

Canada 150: A Year of Coming Together

by aanationtalk on January 2, 2018291 Views

News Release
From Canadian Heritage

OTTAWA, ON, December 30, 2017

As we move into the final hours of Canada 150, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage reflected on this past year that saw Canadians come together and celebrate what it means to be Canadian.

Canadians were invited to participate, celebrate and explore their country, their citizenship and their history. They responded with enthusiasm and vision: whether it was pan-Canadian Signature projects or small grass-roots community events. By the end of 2017, an anticipated 87 percent of Canadians got involved in ways that were meaningful to them.

The Government of Canada supported community infrastructure projects, free access to Parks Canada sites, and celebrations and community initiatives from coast to coast to coast. Some 5,800 Canada 150 projects and events were supported, not to mention 1,000 events led by 120 of our diplomatic missions abroad.

Each Canadian made Canada 150 their own, and the progress made in key areas is ours to share: better opportunities for youth, a healthy natural environment, newcomers better equipped to contribute to our society, equality for all Canadians, and a way forward in our dialogue with Indigenous Peoples.

Canadians can be proud of the legacy of this anniversary—a time when we came together as citizens, creating a sense of belonging, knowing that we can forge a bright future together.

Quotes

“Today, I want to thank each and every Canadian who participated in this wonderful anniversary. A legacy can be a building, a memory, a relationship or a new way of thinking, but for me, the legacy of Canada 150 will be the connections we forged together. The investments made this year will increase our sense of belonging and citizenship. As we reflect on Canada 150’s legacy and the future, I want to highlight our continued obligation to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples: a commitment to make it right and get it right. There is no relationship more important.”

—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Quick Facts

  • Participate: An estimated 31 million people participated, with over 6 million youth across the country actively engaged in Canada 150 events and programs throughout the year. Here are a few examples:– Around 50,000 people participated in the Walk for Reconciliation in Vancouver as part of Reconciliation Canada’s initiative to explore and celebrate reconciliation and encourage future action.– National Acadian Day was the biggest in history! 59 projects across the Atlantic provinces in communities both large and small received support through the Canada 150 Fund; reaching 56 official-language minority communities.– MosaïCanada 150 in Gatineau welcomed 1.3 million visitors.– Many community projects are leaving lasting legacies, such as Tree Canada’s 150 tree-planting initiatives in communities in every province and territory.Explore: Canadians took the opportunity this anniversary provided to explore their history and majestic environment. We travelled the country with our fellow Canadians and international visitors. Over 27.3 million people visited our national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas. Others journeyed into the past by attending exhibits, museums and other cultural activities.
  • Celebrate: Keynote celebrations for Canada 150 included December 2016 New Year’s Eve, Winterlude, the Celebrate Canada days that include Canada Day on July 1.These celebrations were enjoyed in over 1,700 communities across the country, with many millions watching online and on television. The Celebrate Canada events were mirrored in 19 cities across the country that drove the celebrations and acted as focal points for shared Canada 150 experiences.
  • – For Canada 150, Toronto was selected to host the 2017 Invictus Games, welcoming more than 550 athletes from 17 nations to take part in 12 adaptive sports during 8 days of transformative competition.
  • – The Canada Games Festival in Winnipeg featured over 150 cultural performances and showcased artists from different provinces and territories. It had over 232,000 visitors and 2,820 volunteers.
  • – As part of the Rendez-vous 2017, more than 40 tall ships stopped at host ports in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes; 1,379,533 people attended, including 415,090 in Québec City alone.
  • – Dozens of volunteers organized the Inummariit Festival in Arviat in August, in which 2,200 people took part. It included concerts, a writing contest, a gospel show and lip sync contest.

Associated Links

Contacts

Simon Ross
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
819-997-7788

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca

NT5

Send To Friend Email Print Story

Comments are closed.

NationTalk Partners & Sponsors Learn More