Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee members, for the opportunity to appear before the committee this morning as you embark on your study in preparation for the 150th, also known as the sesquicentennial.
I am pleased to be here this morning to make remarks about lessons learned from the 1967 centennial celebrations.
As you've heard from some of the other speakers, Canadians marked the 100th anniversary of Confederation with extraordinary enthusiasm and pride. They participated in great numbers in the official pan-Canadian events.
For example, it's estimated that two and half million Canadians visited the Canadian train that, I suppose like the torch relay, wove its way across Canada, visiting 63 communities. Hundreds of young Canadians across the country took advantage of travel exchange programs. People attended cultural performances organized through the Festival Canada program, or turned out to watch the ever-popular RCMP musical ride or the armed forces military tattoo.
However, even more Canadians participated in local grassroots activities. They were encouraged to celebrate the centennial in their own particular fashion and express a sense of national pride. They did express that national pride in astonishing and, I would say, very creative ways.
They participated in neighbourhood beautification projects. They knitted centennial toques. They planned dances. They sponsored sports tournaments, hosted youth exchanges, organized parades, and participated in such events as the voyageur canoe pageant, where nine provinces and the Yukon territory fielded pageant crews and paddled 3,283 miles over a four-month period, arriving at Expo '67 in September. The Manitoba team won the purse.
Everyone was invited to the centennial.
As you appreciate, the 1960s was a decade of considerable social change, as evidenced by a growing youth culture and women's movement. New voices surfaced. There was a shifting national dialogue. During this period of social transition--and political transition--the centennial afforded an opportunity for Canadians to join together collectively and redefine their membership in a larger group.
Marvelling at the extraordinary level of public involvement, one participant remarked that “...something intangible happened. All sorts of barriers between people--social, religious, and so on--seemed to break down when people started working...on Centennial projects.” As we've heard from Dr. Neuman, the centennial continues to endure in the minds of Canadians.
Large-scale events like the centennial and the 2010 Olympics can serve as powerful tools of symbol and spectacle as they help focus public attention and generate positive excitement as people join together to celebrate collectively. However, there is not always consensus as to the what, the why, or the how of celebration. Organizers of large events like the centennial sometimes opt to move away from overly prescriptive models, choosing instead to instill a sense of shared values and common bonds, which I think is reflected in some of what you were hearing in your survey.
For example, centennial organizers worked to promote a vision of a unified, strong nation during a period of social change. They also succeeded in creating a space for dialogue and a consideration of difference.
However, not wanting to simply promote what one senior official referred to as a “formless jumble of individual events”, they did recognize the value of articulating some themes. They were also cognizant of the view that the year-long celebration should not focus solely on the past or the political act of Confederation. It was about moving into a new future.
Also, there was a sense that “the official side of the Centennial programme should not dominate to the point where grass-roots participation [was] hampered...”. Success depended on the ability to plan events and create an atmosphere that invited a broad range of interpretations and created opportunity for involvement.
Rather than impose one vision of the “what” and “how” of celebration and commemoration, organizers supported an array of perspectives. Whether it was designing a UFO landing pad in St. Paul, in northern Alberta, to welcome unexpected guests, or racing bathtubs from Nanaimo to Vancouver, was actually of little consequence; the centennial commission simply asked one thing of Canadians--to get involved and to do something to commemorate the centennial.
These milestone moments afford important opportunities for reflection, reconnection, and rededication to a greater sense of purpose. However, organizers acknowledge that they couldn't control every aspect of the celebration. They did decentralize the actual execution of many of the projects, leaving local centennial committees, service groups, businesses, and more often than not individual citizens to plan events in their respective communities.
This was unsettling for some, as there was concern that this approach could serve to intensify regional loyalties and undermine a primary goal of the centennial, which was to use it as a mechanism to reinforce a sense of shared identity and national unity. There were occasions during the centennial when Canadians disagreed, or at least held different perspectives and opinions. However, in retrospect, worries over any perceived risks were not borne out, and it could be argued that the differences of opinion served to enrich the centennial experience, as they generated a national dialogue.
The federal government played a key leadership role—as we've heard, that's the expectation of Canadians—in developing and managing a pan-Canadian framework that focused attention on disseminating and promoting ideals and values, like national unity and patriotism. In support of the framework, staff organized an ambitious public relations campaign that made full use of the print press, film, documentaries, radio, television, as well as those key anchor events that you've heard referenced—Expo 67--which for some is synonymous with the centennial, but they are distinct events. Then there were the centennial caravans and trains that, like the torch, wove their way across the country.
The centennial served as a platform for Canadians to better understand that there was not one singular authentic Canadian experience. Rather, there were many stories and experiences to share. As I talk to people and get a sense of those endearing memories, that was a very rich element of the centennial experience: this sharing and connection was a key outcome of the celebration. An inclusive planning process that builds on a national framework and incorporates the creativity of non-governmental actors, combined with a genuine effort to support and balance numerous interests and a willingness to support local grassroots activities, are lessons we can take away from the centennial.
By not designing an overly prescripted event, the centennial organizers found a path forward that in many instances served to strengthen existing relationships and forge new ones. Canadians took time to celebrate their own personal and collective stories, painting a picture of a vibrant, dynamic country coming of age.
On hand to officiate at an official Christmas of Light ceremony in Simcoe, Ontario, one official thanked members of the community for all their hard work and said, “It is one thing for governments to organize programs, even for people to respond to programs...”, and he noted that “...the real measure of 1967 goes well beyond that to the thousands of projects undertaken by the people themselves.” In his view, people celebrated “not because they had to but because they wanted to”.
The centennial continues to evoke proud memories, with participants speaking genuinely and compellingly about what was evidently an important and defining moment for them. Many who were children at the time remember Bobby Gimby's song—I won't sing it—Ca-na-da. It's on the record now; I'm singing. They recall a family visit to Expo 67 or the train and caravan exhibit.
When a friend found out I was doing my dissertation on the centennial, he proudly dug away in a cupboard and found a centennial medal he was given as a child at school. One woman, who is now middle-aged, spoke fondly about participating in a travel exchange, where she traveled from northern Alberta to Newfoundland. She said it was a transformative experience.
It's evident that the centennial had a lasting impact. There's value in reflecting on this accomplishment as this committee starts the planning for the sesquicentennial, the 150th.
Thanks for your time.