Canadian Heritage Committee on Nov. 19th, 2009

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Okay.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

Mr. Pomerleau, please.

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Chair, I am going to ask a quick question.

Unfortunately, it is not specifically related to the topic you are dealing with. If you prefer not to answer, no problem, especially if it is not your area. At the moment, many post offices and postal counters are closing, including the one at Peggy's Cove, which closed last week, I believe. My question is—

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Mr. Pomerleau, I think that is going a little outside the realm of the bill. If you'd like to talk to Mr. Waite afterwards, I would suggest that.

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Okay.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

He wants a commemorative stamp, though, for all those closed post offices.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I'd like to stick to the bill, please.

Madame Lavallée.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

With your permission, I am going to use the time allotted to the Bloc Québécois.

Going back to the issuing of commemorative stamps, is the provision in the bill in line with Canada Post's normal policy? Can it fit with the way your committee works?

[Robert Waite]

No.

To answer your question, it doesn't conform with policies and procedures for either the stamp committee or our board of directors. As I said, it would be an unprecedented mandated issuance of a stamp.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

I am sorry for interrupting you, but the precedent is that we have a bill that basically orders you to issue this commemorative stamp. However, if a group made that suggestion, could that fit with your policy?

[Robert Waite]

As I understand it, if a group comes and suggests it, that would be normal. That would be the way we operate normally. As I say, we even get letters from the Prime Minister, but the letters are all treated the same, whether they're from a member of Parliament or a child. There are actually stamps that we've produced that have been suggested by Canadian children.

I'm not trying to be disrespectful with regard to the passage of this bill. If this bill were to pass, we would have to look at it and consider how to move forward. But I just want to stress that it's highly unusual to be directed to do something like this. It will lead to some consequences for us. The Japanese community, the German community, the Ukrainian community...it would be hard to argue that they don't have similar types of interest.

What we've tried to do with the program over the decades, as most countries do, is highlight positive aspects of life in the country, including communities that live within the country. We've produced many stamps with Italian Canadian themes over the years—I have a list, but I won't use the valuable time—but we tend to try to honour various communities in that way.

As I say, we'd have to think about it.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

So, to be more in line with what you are telling us, perhaps we need an amendment to the bill that, instead of saying: “the Minister of National Revenue shall instruct [...]”, would say: “[...] the minister could suggest that the Canada Post Corporation [...]”.

If I understand correctly, the topic also causes a problem. Instead of saying: “[...] to commemorate the internment of persons of Italian origin [...]”, it could say: “[...] to recognize and pay tribute to the Italian community in Canada [...]”. Would that be more in line with what you are able to do?

[Robert Waite]

Absolutely. That would conform much more closely to the way the committee operates and receives information. I think that would be a very positive amendment from our perspective. I'm not a legislator—that's your job—but I can tell you as someone who would be on the receiving end of this that it would be much easier for us to deal with.

Again, one of the things I said in my opening statement is that we endeavour wherever possible, because these stamps are seen internationally, to present all Canadian people and the country of Canada in a positive light. Now, I don't mean to say that we want to hide things either, but in a way, this is our public face going out on letters and other items around the world.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Angus, please.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much for coming here today.

I'm very, very interested in this subject. As somewhat of an amateur historian, I spent a fair amount of time researching the treatment of the Italian community in my area, which is a mining town, and the so-called Moneta riot, which wasn't a riot at all: the local regiment decided to go and beat up the Italians, try to pull them out of the mines, and have them fired. It's something that nobody ever wanted to speak about. Even within the community there is a sense of shame. I think commemoration is very important.

I preface this with those remarks because I also think the role of a Canadian stamp is very important and I'd like to find out how this advisory committee works.

[Robert Waite]

Sure. The committee meets three or four times a year; typically, it's three times a year. Staff work is done in advance of that. Every single suggestion made to the committee is presented to the committee and research typically is done from a historic standpoint, particularly around historical accuracy.

There are also views as to whether or not the subject would make some commercial sense, because we try to run a program that is of interest to collectors and to others. There is lengthy discussion of the topic, typically at more than one meeting. Those that are selected are then sent for further research. In terms of design, two or three firms typically are asked to submit designs.

It's actually quite a complex process. I chair the committee. I don't actually vote unless there is a tie. There's a vote within the committee and then the topics, if they're approved, go on to the Canada Post board.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

So you say you get 500 suggestions a year and 20 are chosen.

Now I'll put my cards on the table. I've already written you about a commemorative stamp because of my interest in history. It's about Jack Munroe, who fought for the heavyweight championship of the world against Jim Jeffries. He fought Jack Johnson—

[Robert Waite]

I'm aware of that request.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

He was a professional football player, professional vaudeville actor, and gold rush hero who founded Elk Lake. He was the hero of the Porcupine fire. He was the first soldier to set foot in France with the Princess Pats. To me, he was an all around Canadian hero who we should know about and celebrate.

So I would bring that to you, you would squeeze the Charmin and test whether I was just feeding you a bunch of lines here or whether everything I said is actually true, which it all is, and then you would take that to your committee and decide on it, alongside all the other potential Canadian heroes or Canadian stories.

[Robert Waite]

Absolutely. I have to tell you that I'm personally aware of your request, as I am of all of them, but that is one that has moved to the stage.... Our proceedings are supposed to be kept somewhat under wraps, but I will tell you that it has moved to the second stage. The individual is a very interesting subject. We'll see how it goes.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I'm not doing shameless self-promotion here, I just want to be very clear. If I have to mention anything else on Jack, I will, but I'm interested in the process because I believe that, along with the great Canadian hero I'm promoting, there are many out there. I'm concerned if I would have another avenue, like bringing a private member's bill to instruct you.

My only concern here is whether we are interfering with the legitimate role of an arm's-length organization that does justifiable history without any detriment to any of the claims out there.... Did you say there is no precedent for this in terms of instructing your committee?

[Robert Waite]

No, certainly not in the period since 1969. As I said, we do get requests and we always respond to them and thank people for the request. Ultimately when we issue our stamp program, we actually write to every single person, giving them a copy of this and letting them know how things ended up.

Mr. Angus, you will get a letter, one way or the other, along with everyone else.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

But then I can go to private members' business.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!