The 150th anniversary of Canada is going to be a coast-to-coast celebration of who we are, but also a celebration of how we became the greatest country in the world. We have a lot to be thankful for. As I think today about the fact that we are remembering those who sacrificed so much, as we think of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I and the 75th anniversary of the beginning of World War II, we need to thank our men and women in uniform who fought valiantly for our freedom, and we would not be the Canada today without them.
So 150 years ago, many of these men and women fought so that we could have what we have today. It's important that we celebrate that and we're going to do that in the 150th, but aside from the past and the present, we have a bright future, and the 150th is going to focus on our youth who have a desire to participate in these celebrations, so that they can foresee a future where they, too, will be able to remember how we became the Canadians that we are.
I am looking so forward to it, not only to the festivals and the theatre that will take place, I'm sure there are books that will be written. I didn't get to see them all, but we've received some 12,000 submissions from Canadians online. We had 20 round tables across the country, ministerial round tables, and several MPs did their own consultations. Canadians are excited about the 150th and it is going to be a tremendous opportunity. We will remember this for generations to come, and I'm just so proud that we're a part of it.
I hope that all sides of the House of Commons will actively encourage Canadians to participate and submit their ideas for their communities. This is about a celebration that will touch both large communities and small communities. I want everyone in Canada to have the opportunity to celebrate where we came from, who we are, and where we're going.
I hope everyone here has a plan and will actively help their municipalities and their ridings to submit those as we progress.