Canadian Heritage Committee on Nov. 15th, 2011

[Anita Gaffney]

Thank you.

I used the example of what they're doing in London, just as a template of an idea that galvanized the country.

I would go back to the concept of Canada 150 and letting cultural organizations express that, how they think, how it's relevant to them, so that you capture what that means in Ontario, in Quebec, in British Columbia, and in the Territories. We need to spend some time, I think, packaging what that big idea is about Canada 150.

I think there are a lot of stories in Canada at the age of 150. Reflecting on those stories, reflecting on those artists who have given us stories over the last 150 years and on those who will give us the stories for the future, and empowering them to tell their stories is going to be the legacy of Canada 150. And I think it's how it unites the country.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

What do you think, Ms. Price?

[Janice Price]

I think the regionalism and the distinctiveness of the provinces and the regions will just intrinsically reflect itself in the work and the participation that ends up growing out of a national call to celebrate Canada at 150. In my remarks I talked about forward looking and the future and what Canada reaching this milestone means in terms of our future place on the world stage as artists, as business people, as a global government.

I look at the Quebec 400 celebration--I participated in many events--as just an impressive way that there was a more singular celebration around a city, a province, a culture, and a history. I think some of that will naturally evolve out of the different regions.

My hope would be, though, that it really is about looking at our future together as a country, a bicultural and multicultural country, as you said. I think our artists and our populations are able to do that. I think we will have a thrilling celebration and exciting examples of how people find their own way to bring that forward.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you.

My next question is for Ms. Iley from the Banff Centre.

You mentioned that the centre was important for the first nations, because of its geographic location, I suppose. You also spoke about partnerships. I was wondering if you have established any partnerships with the Assembly of First Nations or with specific groups. What have you been doing to get works from the first nations?

[Sarah Iley]

Thank you.

We don't have an official relationship with the Assembly of First Nations, but we are on Blackfoot territory, and we have very strong relationships with, as I mentioned, Siksika, which is a first nation just outside Calgary.

We also have both an aboriginal arts department and an aboriginal leadership and management department. Those departments are very plugged in to the 150 first nations across the country. We have people who come here from the territories, from Nunavut; there are Mi'kmaq from the east all the way across the country. In our aboriginal arts program in particular we try to enable them through our different programs. One is in voice, one is in dance, one is in writing, and we enable them to tell their stories and we support them in the telling of those stories. We co-produce work they've created. I mentioned the dance program. We do a number of different dance productions every year. We just did one this past summer. We have a program for aboriginal writers and we help them to produce the work that then forms books and magazine articles, etc.

We work with a whole variety of artists from within the first nations, and we have particular relationships, obviously, with some of the first nations based in Alberta that feel a particular bond with this territory.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Moore]

Thank you, Madam Sweet.

Thank you to all our witnesses for getting up early to present to us and answer our questions. It was very informative and helpful.

With that, I'm going to suspend the meeting for a minute so we can go in camera for our discussion of committee business.

Thank you and have a good day.

[Proceedings continue in camera]