Thank you very much.
Good afternoon.
In anticipation of this consultation on the events surrounding the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, the CMA and its board of directors organized a series of consultations with members and museum directors across Canada. The ongoing consultation process has generated some excellent ideas and suggestions, which we would like to present to you today.
From all the ideas shared by our members, there are three major recommendations that I would like to share with you, after which, my colleague Audrey Vermette will present more detailed program suggestions.
First, in 1967 Canada celebrated its centennial year in a very opulent manner, from Expo 67 in Montreal to small community projects. Virtually every community participated in a way, and we saw the emergence of hundreds of new museums. Major new museum buildings were opened across Canada, such as Nova Scotia Museum, the Ontario Science Centre, The Manitoba Museum, and many others across this land. Small community museums were also built as legacy gifts.
For 2017 we do not recommend large-scale capital projects of this magnitude. Given the economic climate, we believe it is just not appropriate to create new museums; however, many of the existing museum buildings do require upgrades or expansions. Some are housed in inappropriate facilities and do not properly house our national collections, nor do they welcome our visitors very well. These should be considered priorities for any capital funds available.
Second, we recommend the establishment of a formal, multi-year grants program to begin the development and implementation of these celebratory projects as soon as possible. This grants program could be coordinated by a federal commission similar to the Centennial Commission, established in 1963 for the 1967 celebrations, which administered centennial projects for the federal government and joint projects with the provinces and territories.
Additional funding from the private sector should and will be sought. Some projects can be fully funded from private sources, while others will require federal investments. A multi-year grant program will ensure that the tight timelines are met and will take into consideration the ancillary anniversaries leading up to the 150th anniversary of Canada.
Third, we wish to ensure that these celebrations are inclusive for all Canadians, with special recognition of our Canadian diversity and our aboriginal roots. Museums should celebrate with the presentation of artifacts and our intangible cultural heritage—the people, stories, songs, and traditions that continue to shape this country. The celebrations should not only be about looking back, but should also be about moving forward, innovating, and building Canada's cultural and heritage sector. A legacy project like the matching donations program will make that possible.
We would like to applaud you for your early start on this planning process so as to ensure that the results will be significant and meaningful for all Canadians.
Thank you.