Mr. Speaker, the heritage of our country traces its roots to our First Nations peoples and thereafter to the French and English people who came as the earliest settlers and, even later thereafter, to peoples from all over the world who chose to immigrate and make Canada their home.
I am therefore pleased to stand in the House today to speak about Bill C-53, the Department of Canadian Heritage Act. The objective of the bill is designed to give legal status to the amalgamation of five predecessor organizations, namely the Secretary of State, the Department of Multiculturalism and Citizenship, the Department of Fitness and Amateur Sport, the Parks Canada component of Environment Canada, and the cultural broadcasting and heritage components of the Department of Communications.
This extensive reorganization reflects the government's commitment to more efficient and effective government. Under the new structure, one department with one minister and one deputy minister is given responsibility for delivering an important mandate. The Department of Canadian Heritage is a blend of the various elements that define us as a diverse and vibrant nation with a rich and abundant cultural and natural heritage.
The department's activities are the product of its broad range of responsibilities in the fields of cultural development, arts, broadcasting, national parks, historic sites, amateur sport and multiculturalism. The department also administers official languages, Canadian studies, and state ceremonial and native programs, all of which contribute in a very significant way to our sense of Canadian identity and pride.
As international barriers disappear and evolving technology stretches the world's boundaries, the development of our identity as a nation becomes increasingly vital to our country's prosperity and élan vital. It is only natural that the federal government would have an instrument such as the Department of Canadian Heritage to enable it to continue promoting development and a sense of Canadian identity.
The department has three principal areas of responsibility. Through Parks Canada, the department is the chief custodian of the natural and physical heritage found in our national parks, national historic sites and historic canals. Parks Canada commemorates, protects and presents both directly and indirectly places of significance to Canada's cultural and natural heritage in ways that encourage public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment.
The economic activity and tourism generated by the department's operations are of significance to many local economies not only in Canada but throughout the world. The parks service has been at the forefront of efforts for innovative partnership arrangements with private and not for profit enterprises in carrying out its mandated responsibilities.
Another principal area of the department's activities involves the enhancement of cultural development through policies and programs to support our cultural industries and our national cultural and heritage institutions such as the Canada Council, the National Gallery, the National Arts Centre and the National Archives, to name but a few.
In the area of arts and broadcasting, the Department of Canadian Heritage recognizes the importance of new technologies and is working to ensure that the impact of the information highway on Canadian artists will be a positive one.
Through the citizenship and Canadian identity sector of the Department of Canadian Heritage the government devotes many of its efforts to promoting a greater understanding of our diversity, to increasing the involvement of all citizens in Canadian society and to promoting our two official languages.
Canada's linguistic duality is deeply rooted in our country's very nature. Official language policies introduced by the federal government in the early 1970s reflect a generous and creative vision. The Department of Canadian Heritage has the unique responsibility of ensuring that English speaking and French speaking Canadians, irrespective of ethnocultural origins, feel at home wherever they choose to live in Canada.
This department places a key role in the enhancement and development of English and French linguistic minority communities; respect for Canada's two official languages, together with respect for the traditions and contributions of our First Nations people; respect for our cultural diversity; and respect for basic human rights, making Canada a unique country and one of the most highly regarded and respected in the world.
The Department of Canadian Heritage greatly affects all Canadians economically, socially and culturally. The economic activity and tourism generated by the department's operations are of great importance to many local economies.
The policies and programs of the department are aimed at fostering greater awareness of our cultural and natural riches. These are heavy responsibilities but the department is up to the task. It is apparent to me that the mission of Canadian Heritage is closely linked to the major issues facing our nation today. The
department has a full agenda and its mission extends into many sectors of Canadian society.
Clearly the Department of Canadian Heritage has a key role to play and, with the legislation in place, will be able to forge ahead to meet the challenges of the 21st century and the future beyond.