Conférence 150!Canada - rapport final

Le rapport final de notre Conférence 150!Canada est maintenant disponible sur notre site web. La conférence qui s'est tenue au Centre national des Arts à Ottawa et a réuni 300 délégués de partout au pays pour entendre plus de 25 conférenciers de marque et pour développer un plan d'action pour célébrer le 150e anniversaire du Canada en 2017.
Je pense que vous trouverez le rapport plein d'idées sur la façon dont nous devrions aborder cette occasion mémorable. Comme dans
le cas des présentations des conférenciers, certains thèmes récurrents sont ressortis des tables rondes :
 

• Le sesquicentenaire devrait inclure tous les Canadiens et les Canadiennes. Les célébrations du 150e anniversaire devraient inviter tous les citoyens à apprendre les uns des autres et à prendre part aux traditions des autres. Nous pouvons célébrer le Canada de nombreuses manières, qui ont toutes leur place. Quelle que soit la façon choisie de célébrer, la population entière devrait se sentir invitée à participer.
• Cette célébration doit avoir une dimension internationale. Nous sommes une nation d’immigrants, mais nous sommes aussi une nation d’émigrants. Le Canada est le pays du G8 qui a la plus grande proportion de sa population vivant à l’étranger. Pour inclure tous les Canadiens et les Canadiennes, nous devons faire en sorte que cette célébration ait une dimension internationale.
• Inciter la communication nationale. Nous devons communiquer avec nos voisins d’autres secteurs et régions, et encourager la communication entre le gouvernement et les citoyens. Le sesquicentenaire représente une occasion pour toute la population canadienne de se parler et de partager cette expérience.
• Bâtir le Canada que nous voulons avoir. Le sesquicentenaire sera l’occasion de célébrer ce que nous avons accompli. Ce sera l’occasion d’honorer le Canada en réalisant nos aspirations pour notre pays. Cet anniversaire devrait être un catalyseur pour s’attaquer aux grands problèmes et mettre en branle des projets ambitieux qui créeront des changements positifs pour l’avenir.
• Commencer maintenant. Une réflexion sur le Canada et une discussion sur le sesquicentenaire constitue une démarche excitante. Nous n’avons pas besoin d’attendre qu’on nous donne la permission. Personne n’a à nous dire quoi faire. L’année 2017 approche et nous devons commencer à organiser sa célébration dès maintenant.

 Le rapport fournit des recommandations concrètes pour nous tous sur la façon dont nous pouvons aller de l'avant. N'oubliez pas que la  Conférence 150!Canada n'était que le début de notre voyage incroyable à 2017.

150!Canada Conference - Final Report

The final report of our 150!Canada conference is now available on our website.  The conference which was held at the National Art Centre in Ottawa and brought together 300 delegates from across the country to hear from over 25 distinguished speakers and develop a plan of action to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday in 2017.

I think that you will find the report chock full of ideas on how we should be approaching this momentous occasion.  There were several recurring themes that came out of the roundtables that were held on the second day of the conference:

• The Sesquicentennial should include all Canadians. Sesquicentennial celebrations should encourage all Canadians to learn from one another and share their traditions. There are many different and important ways to celebrate Canada. However we celebrate, all Canadians should feel welcome.

• This needs to be a global celebration. We are a nation of immigrants, but we’re also a nation of emigrants. 2.8 million Canadians live abroad — more than the population of Atlantic Canada, or the Praries. To include all Canadians, we need to take this celebration to the world.

• Open channels for communication. We should use the Sesquicentennial to reach out to one another and create new ways to connect. Let’s promote dialogue between communities, and different sectors.

• Build the Canada we want. The Sesquicentennial is an occasion to celebrate our accomplishments, and look ahead. It’s time to start punching above our weight. If we’re honest about our challenges, we can make 2017 a catalyst for change.

• Start now. Our 150th anniversary excites Canadians. People want to talk about the country and its future, but there isn’t time to waste. Organizers spent a decade preparing for the Centennial. The time to get started is now.

The report provides concrete recommendations for all of us on how we can move forward.  Remember that the 150!Canada conference was but the start of our incredible journey to 2017.

150!Canada

In just a few short years – on July 1, 2017 – Canada will turn 150 years old. It will be our sesquicentennial (trying saying that 3 times in a row quickly) – 150 years since that great experiment of Canadian Confederation was started. Why should you care you may ask. Especially, why start talking about it now in 2009??

Did you know that planning for the 1967 events – our Centennial year – started in 1958 and were at first led by Canadian Association of Adult Education? By that measure we are starting one year late.

1967 marked a period of rejuvenation and renewal for Canada – a time when anything was possible. In that time period, Canada grew up as a nation – a new flag in 1965, the start of many of our most cherished social programs (Medicare for example), and of course a year of celebration that included Expo ’67 in Montréal. I remember that time well. We had just moved from Montréal to Beloeil on the south shore. I remember taking the Metro and visiting many pavilions - I still have my Expo passport with stamps from the Canadian, US, USSR, French, etc pavilions. I also remember that year because the Canadiens were beaten in the Stanley Cup finals by the Maple Leafs (it is the last time that Toronto won the Cup, and of course my beloved Canadiens won many more times after 1967).

It was an exciting time when the potential of Canada seemed limitless and optimism was in the air – or are we looking back at that time with rose coloured glasses? We were all much younger then, so forgive the rose coloured glasses.

I think it is time once again to imagine the possibilities that the future can bring. That is why IPAC in conjunction with MASS LBP is organizing the 150!Canada conference that will be held in March 2010 in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre (The NAC was built in 1967).

We hope that this conference acts as a catalyst to the 2017 celebrations and we plan to bring together community leaders from across Canada to celebrate Canada and to develop a 150!Canada Declaration and Framework that will set out the principles and guide further planning of the Sesquicentennial.

Check out our 150!Canada website and add in your suggestions for 2017 as well as your memories and pictures from 1967. Stay tuned for more information on this important initiative including the exciting conference program, guest speakers and performers.