Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you for that suggestion, Mr. Vincent. I just want to point out that most of the medals have been given to a museum. That has been our experience with the people in the country who have medals: most of the medals are always given to a museum. Every Canadian understands the

Veterans Affairs committee  I understand.

Veterans Affairs committee  I would imagine, Mr. Oliphant, it would come from both parties. To be a little more precise, the museum is able to use a charitable tax regime to issue tax receipts.

Veterans Affairs committee  The other process, though, is that if objects are certified as cultural property, a tax certificate is issued by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes. There are two different processes and different criteria are involved.

Veterans Affairs committee  Again, it's difficult for me to comment on that for a number of reasons. One is that we simply can't predict what a market might look like. There doesn't appear to be a disincentive now. There are already incentives for people to either donate or sell objects that many donors and

Veterans Affairs committee  We don't. Museums are very careful to make potential donors aware that there can't be strings attached to a donation. In other words, they can't say, “We will give you this object but you must do the following with it and you must exhibit it in a certain way”. Generally speaki

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  I don't know. I really can't comment on that. There's always a market for these kinds of medals.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, that is correct.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm careful to comment on that, Mr. Storseth... I guess I'll answer the question by saying to you that if those medals were made available to the Canadian War Museum, we would be greatly pleased to have them. They would be acquired into the national collection of the country. W

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, Mr. Mayes. The Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, of which the War Museum is an affiliate, has only recently established what we call a national collection fund, and I think that's what you're referring to. It may not be that explicit in the document that you have

Veterans Affairs committee  Both museums in the corporation have their own acquisition committees, so there is indeed an established policy and practice. Collections managers work with historians or curators in terms of the kinds of acquisitions they would like to have. I don't foresee anything in the bill,

Veterans Affairs committee  Which is the Victoria Cross, Jim, where the school raised money across the country and there was a great deal of community interest?

Veterans Affairs committee  We're just commenting about the Robert Shankland medal, Shankland being one of the three from Valour Road in Winnipeg. There was a very interesting movement of groups and individuals across the country that came together to raise money to help purchase a medal. There was a school