Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 6th, 2011

[Yasmine Mingay]

Our client services group and the individuals working with schools across the country, curriculum-based, push out quite a bit of material. We also have group rates for students and discounts for student groups that arrive. All of this is with the idea of facilitating any travel to the museum from outside the region, as well as in the region.

We see an enormous number of groups that come from usually within a two- or three-hour driving range. As you can imagine, it's not always feasible for schools to organize other than that. We provide them with the material and offer them the discounted rates because we are Canada's national museum of military history and the need for the educational component of what we do is very important. We are very proactive within those communities, inviting school groups in.

We also work with a number of educational tour groups that exist in the country. There are a number of them that work out of the population centres--Toronto, Montreal, Calgary. They are specific private organizations that exist for the creation of educational tours. We work with them, they work with the schools in their areas, and then they bring people to the museum as well.

[James Whitham]

I would also add that we have two key documents. One is online, which allows teachers to go online and plan their school trips and plan what information they would like. We also have a printed document that is sent out to a lot of the schools across Canada, which highlights the school programs we have and allows them to contact us in order to set up a specific program they would like to see for their students.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much.

That brings round one to an end. We'll go into the second round, a four-minute round.

We'll start with Mr. Genest, who I think is ready to go.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

You talked about the War of 1812. I, personally, know nothing about it. Does it have to do with the fact that Quebec culture is completely different? Might it be called something else in our culture? Is some sort of conflict with older Canadians to blame? If so, any War of 1812-themed advertising will be tricky. You must be sure not to offend Quebeckers. There was some sort of revolt at one point. Is it the war between Canada and the United States?

[Yasmine Mingay]

The War of 1812 is one of the first battles in which francophones, anglophones and first peoples came together to defend what we now call Canada.

Quebec played a pivotal role. As our program shows, we will be looking at the war from the perspective of each of the four central actors. Quebec will be especially highlighted in two of those four perspectives.

The British felt that Quebec had the strongest and most dangerous fortifications when they tried to cross the border. The exhibit will show reproductions of Quebec's fortifications at the time. This may be an excellent chance for Quebeckers to learn something new about an event they may not be familiar with.

We have found that there is a genuine need to educate people around the country when it comes to this war, and that is what we plan to do.

In the portion of the exhibit dedicated to the Canadian perspective, once again, Quebec is given special attention. The battles at Châteauguay, for instance, and the history surrounding Salaberry will have a prominent role in the exhibit.

Francophones will obviously be a very significant part of this exhibit. We are hopeful that Quebeckers will be interested in learning a bit about their own specific heritage related to this war.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

A lot of education is necessary. Personally, I know absolutely nothing about the War of 1812. I see it as an excellent opportunity to rally Quebeckers in Canada. It is, to some extent, part of our job to tell Quebeckers that they are part of Canada.

[Yasmine Mingay]

We will send you an invitation in the hope that you will be able to attend the opening.

What we are trying to do with all these projects is to create smaller exhibits that reflect the main exhibition on display at the Canadian War Museum, and to send them all over the country.

We are hopeful that we will be able to show them in Quebec and to shine a new light on the region's history.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Is that war the reason why there are forts scattered across Canada?

[Yasmine Mingay]

Yes.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Were they built before or after?

[Yasmine Mingay]

Construction began at that time. Obviously, other conflicts arose afterwards, and those defence installations were later fortified. The fortifications in Quebec were extremely significant and even frightening, if you will, to the British. That is clear from all the historical records.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much. Your time is up.

We're going to now go to Mr. Daniel for four minutes.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

I'll just be following up on some things. Are you actually working with other museums around the world for special exhibits--for example, with Britain or other countries--so that you can bring some change and excitement to what you're displaying?

[James Whitham]

Yes. We work with international partners and partners across Canada all the time. On the First World War, there are a number of larger committees and groups that are working together. England, Australia, New Zealand, and Belgium are all participating in programs and discussions about what they are planning to do during that period.

The museum works with partners all the time to make sure that the product is sound, to do partnerships on exhibitions, both nationally and internationally.... For example, with respect to a couple of the exhibitions we mentioned, the one on John McCrae would hopefully be done in conjunction with the Guelph museum. The exhibition on Sam Steele will be done with the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. We have discussions for international exhibitions as well.

So yes, we do a fair amount of that.

[Yasmine Mingay]

We have an exhibition currently that is with international partners. “War and Medicine” examines 150 years of the relationship between war and medicine. It comes to us from the Wellcome Foundation and the Dresden museum. That exhibition comes to us, it's adapted, and Canadian stories are added to it. It gives a wider view of a particular subject matter, but it includes Canadian stories. We do that now and will continue to do so.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Obviously it's a war museum, but Canada has a big role in peacekeeping, so is there anything there to do with peacekeeping missions that Canada has around the world?

[James Whitham]

In terms of partnerships and temporary exhibitions upcoming...?

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Or permanent exhibitions.

[James Whitham]

We do have a large section that looks chronologically at Canada's participation after the Second World War, which includes peacekeeping through various different...right up until Afghanistan. We're now looking to expand a section on Afghanistan. We're looking at--hopefully in the next little bit--a permanent placement for Bosnia and these kinds of conflicts.

We have a proposal right now for a temporary exhibition about the subject of Bosnia that we hope to look at. We're always adding, expanding, and looking for partnerships and new topics.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

I look forward to visiting the museum. Do you have anything about the Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded to Canadian...?

[James Whitham]

Yes, we do. We have Pearson's medallion on display, actually, in a certain section. When you do come to the museum, by all means give me a call, and I'll take you personally to see it.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much.

Just before we wrap up, you're probably aware that there's going to be a bell. We're going to continue until that time, but when the bell is called, it automatically cancels the rest of the meeting.

I'll just use the chair's prerogative and say that if I get enough consensus, I'm going to suggest at the end of the meeting that I really think this is a worthwhile visit for the whole committee, particularly for anyone who hasn't been there.

If you've been there, you'll want to go back. There's no question about it. What I would suggest, if the committee agrees, is that we go there and take our two hours. That definitely is not enough. It will just whet your appetite. If you're in agreement, perhaps we could focus on those things that are the upcoming celebrations and that fit in with the commemorative study that's going on. If that's agreed, we'll find a date and work it through. Is there consensus that we do that as one of our meetings?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Okay. We have a little time left to go to the NDP for a brief moment, and then to Ms. Block to wrap it up.