Good morning.
I am very proud to introduce you to Encounters Canada, which is the largest youth forum in Canada.
It was created in 1982 and was acquired by Historica in 2006.
Our program lasts 26 weeks per year. We run the program like a school. Our program coincides with school calendars, from September to November, then from January to May. I spoke with several of you earlier, about young people who visit you. Every week, youths participate in Encounters with Canada. They phone their members of Parliament and ask to meet with them.
I'm very proud that our kids call most of you and ask to meet with you, because they come from your ridings. Every week we have a mini-Canada representation, so every week we're fortunate enough to have kids invited to come to Parliament, and some of you have come to our office to meet the kids and have lunch with them. I thank you for that.
We're very honoured to have three themes that are sponsored.
One is the Vimy Foundation, which is sponsored by the TD Bank. It is a brand new theme for us that we will have from April 4 to April 10, 2010. It's called “Canada's Coming of Age”. The Vimy Foundation was created in 2006 to raise awareness of the importance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge to Canada's coming of age. The foundation initiatives include sharing the remarkable story of Vimy with youth through the establishment of the prestigious Vimy Prize scholarship for high school students. We already have over 130 kids who have asked to participate in that week. It's in April, so already it's a week that is very well sold throughout Canada.
We also have Canada Remembers week. Since 2002 we have partnered with Veterans Affairs and this week is funded by them. This year it's from November 8 to November 14. I have to admit that this is the week that is the most emotional at the centre. The kids who come for this week are the kids who want to be part of remembrance. We have 138 beds, and already 141 kids have applied. I don't know how I'm going to do this one, but we'll have cots there. It just goes to show how important this week is to the kids of Canada.
The Canada Remembers program of Veterans Affairs welcomes youth to learn more about the sacrifices and achievements of Canada's veterans as well as those who died during service and those on the home front who supported their efforts. Youth are encouraged to become involved in remembrance activities that will help to preserve the legacy for future generations of Canadians.
One way in which the program does this is by providing a variety of learning resources and projects that are designed to support learning activities linked to Canada's military history. The program focuses on a core group of activities, which include developing innovative learning materials, providing commemorative information to the general public, research, and providing and presenting learning opportunities for youth and educators.
The program targets Canadian youth as its primary audience and stresses a quality of excellence in all its activities. In carrying out the effort, the department often partners with Canadian educators, veterans' organizations, community groups, and other interested parties from across the country in the development and delivery of learning resources and projects that may be used in a variety of learning environments.
We also have the peace module. The peace module is done every week for an hour and a half. Major Wayne MacCulloch comes to the Terry Fox Canadian Youth Centre to make a multimedia presentation to Encounters with Canada participants. Afterward they go to the Beechwood Cemetery, where they have a candlelight ceremony and they pass the torch to one another. This is very moving for the kids.
To have 138 kids who are from 14 to 17 years old at the centre makes for a very active centre, but when they come back from this candlelight ceremony at Beechwood Cemetery, you can hear a pin drop in the centre. Not a word is said. We give them time to reflect afterward because that's how moving it is for them to be doing this.
These are the three programs relating to Veterans Affairs and the Vimy Foundation that we present to the kids every year.
Thank you.