Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm Steve McLellan. I'm the volunteer board chair of the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan.
I'm speaking to you proudly from Treaty No. 4 territory and homeland of the Métis people.
Heroes and incredible efforts by our veterans deserve recognition and remembrance, and I congratulate this committee for initiating this important conversation.
New media, new media versions of our news, and greater, diverse audiences, and the ever-growing length of time from at least some of our greater-known times of war and peacekeeping make the next few years critical before memories fade and new heroes with much less national significance are raised onto the shoulders of Canadians. Sports, music and entertainment heroes are much better known these days, and while that has always to some extent been the case, it makes your task today even more important. In fact, without the efforts and sacrifices of our veterans over the past 175 years and of yesterday, the new heroes might not have been able to do what they're free to do today in Canada and abroad.
The role of the RCMP is clearly important to all Canadians, and we, too, at the RCMP Heritage Centre see the importance of commemorating our women and men often and with great pride. The military and the police services are going through some difficult times these days. We should help people who read just the headlines learn of the great work done for well over a century by these same forces and the important role they play today and will continue to play tomorrow.
We look forward to learning more from you, sharing ideas and then playing our role as the RCMP Heritage Centre to learn and to help celebrate and properly commemorate their people and their actions. Although we're focused on the RCMP as an entity, we could play an important role to share the broader stories of our veterans of all forces, as we're located in Regina and therefore can be an easier reach to the western audiences and the students and the adults of our western provinces.
We are in the process now of transitioning to become a national museum and I look forward to a day, and future conversations, with my colleagues from the other national museums on the calls today. I see the stories they tell each and every day that are of great interest to our audiences as well, and our shared exhibit options will not only improve the communications, but improve the commemoration and recognize much more broadly than we have been able to the great things that our citizens have done before us.
In 2023, the RCMP will be celebrating their 150th anniversary. As we proceed as a national force to have our national museum put in place and the celebration activities for that 150th anniversary recognized and implemented, there's a great opportunity for us to involve the conversations that you're embarking on today to be part of that. We need to pay respect to those who have fallen and those who have served and to make sure that our young people, and people of all ages, and newcomers to this country don't forget, and that we make sure we share those stories with them.
I'm well under five minutes. I hope you appreciate that, and I look forward to any questions or conversations that we will have.
Once again, I thank you for having me.