I think turning 150 is a time to get back to our roots and to highlight who we are, fundamentally.
At the end of the day, our country was built by three founding peoples: the first nations, francophones and anglophones. I think we need to build on those roots as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. We need to remind people of them so they never forget; we need to shine a spotlight on that aspect of our history. We need to show that it is important, not just for us, as Canadians, but also for the world.
These celebrations are an excellent opportunity to do just that, and I believe our proposals are in line with that objective. The idea is not for people to celebrate separately in their own little part of the country, but for everyone to come together, to share stories and to engage with one another.