I totally agree with you. I would like us to do more. We're constantly striving to do more. The Memory Project was launched in 2001 with the assistance of 12 veterans. Today, there are 1,500 veterans involved in the program. The numbers continue to increase. In fact, it is during the six to eight weeks before Remembrance Day that we receive between 75% and 80% of all requests from teachers for classroom visits. Part of this has to do with Remembrance Day, and another part with the way in which school curriculums are structured in Canada. That is the time of the year when classes study World War II or World War I. Certainly, we're trying to diversify the activities, to ensure that discussions of military history and Canada's history are not limited to once a year.
I completely agree with you. I can tell you that we have many visits scheduled for this year in late May or early June, to mark the 65th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, or D-Day. Next year, 2010 will be a special commemorative year. I can't guarantee that ceremonies will be held every evening, but we will be doing our part. In my opinion, it's not enough to set aside only one day or one week per year to commemorate Canada's military history and the service and sacrifices of veterans. The Memory Project is not merely an initiative to help people recall our history. It was also designed as an educational tool that allows people who experienced these events firsthand and who wrote about them to educate others about Canada's role on the world stage. The Memory Project is a worthwhile initiative that can help educate students year round, whether the classroom curriculum focuses on World War II, the Cold War, peacekeeping operations or current events.
You compared what happens in Canada to events that are staged in other world countries. I can only say that in Canada, we need to do a better job teaching people about our country's history. Our organization is small. It has five full-time employees who endeavour to expand people's knowledge and appreciation of history. History is a degree pre-requisite in only four Canadian provinces. Students in Quebec must take two history classes in order to graduate. History is also a pre-requisite in Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. In the other provinces,students can attend school from grades 9 through 12 without having to take a single Canadian history course. This is not the direct cause of the problem you identified, but in my opinion, this situation is partly to blame.