Thank you for the question.
Well, there are two things. I mentioned it in my speech, but it really needs to be underlined because I know there were a couple—not many—of editorials that brought doubt to the purpose of our celebration and commemoration of the War of 1812.
There are very few moments pre-Confederation, pre-1867, that are pan-Canadian in consequence. and that in my judgment Canadians really have not been taught about in our classrooms. Did you know that, sadly, in only three of Canada's ten provinces is it mandatory to take a history class in order to graduate from high school? The three are Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Even that history is a bit shaky in terms of how one might think of a history class.
Very few Canadians really are taught about the importance of the War of 1812. I think that as a foundational moment going into 1867, it seemed only appropriate to talk about the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 as we head into 2017, so we highlighted that.
There are core aspects of the War of 1812 that I think are not well enough understood and that we hope will just.... The things I'm about to say I hope just trip off the tongue when Canadians are asked why the War of 1812 matters. It matters because it defined Canada's territorial integrity and our independence from the United States. The War of 1812 was important because without the War of 1812 the French fact is not protected in North America. Without the War of 1812, aboriginal Canadians would have probably suffered the same future as the American Indians did. So without the War of 1812, you don't get the defining moment of Canada's territorial and political integrity, where we're independent from the United States, independent from Europe, and set on a course toward Confederation in 1867. It is a seminal moment in the development of Canada and not very many Canadians, especially young Canadians, are taught that in school. I think that's a shame.