OTTAWA – In preparation for Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada, VIA Rail Canada and Community Foundations of Canada, in collaboration with a number of leading organizations across the country, have announced cities and dates for its Canada 150/2017 Starts Now conference series.
The Canada 150/2017 Starts Now conferences will inform, inspire and incubate local and regional projects to mark the milestone, and will leverage new ways to connect Canadians to national initiatives. The events will be accessible to participants in both official languages and will bring together citizens and leaders from communities across every region of the country, representing many facets of the nation’s diverse society.
The conference series will roll out across the country from April through June 2013, with a conference in each province, an event in Yellowknife that will connect other communities in Northern Canada through technology, and a summary event in Ottawa, where the organizers will present highlights of the entire series.
Canada 150/2017 Starts Now cities and dates*:
– Vancouver, Friday, April 5
– Calgary, Friday, April 12
– Toronto, Friday, April 26
– Saskatoon, Wednesday, May 1
– Winnipeg, Friday, May 3
– Montreal, Wednesday, May 8
– Charlottetown, Tuesday, May 21
– Moncton, Thursday, May 23
– St. John's, Monday, June 3
– Halifax, Tuesday, June 4
– Yellowknife & the North, Thursday, June 20
– Ottawa – Summary Event, Thursday, June 27 (*Dates subject to change.)
An interactive digital platform is in development that will allow Canadians, irrespective of where they live, to join the Canada 150/2017 Starts Now conversation. It will be launched soon, along with venue and programming details.
"Canadians have lots stories to tell and no shortage of ideas to share as we head towards Canada's 150th. We want to start hearing about them now," said Hubert T. Lacroix, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada. "We're proud that we can work together with a huge number of community partners and organizations to play a key role in instigating projects, much like we did in 1967 for the Centennial."
"We are proud to partner with CBC/Radio-Canada and Community Foundations of Canada on this important initiative, along with our national collaborators," says Marc Laliberté, President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada. "One thing that we all have in common is our ability to connect Canadians in one way or another, and our country's 150th birthday presents us with a promising opportunity."
"Together we can harness this moment in time to make a significant contribution to our communities and our country," says Ian Bird, President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Foundations of Canada. "We're mobilizing the entire community foundation network so our country can build a legacy for Canada's 150th that is as meaningful and as powerful as Canada's Centennial was 50 years ago."
CBC/Radio-Canada, VIA Rail and Community Foundations of Canada are presenting the series in collaboration with the following Canadian organizations: Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada Museums of Science and Technology, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation / Arts Nation, Historica-Dominion Institute, imagiNation150 Calgary, Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Institute for the Public Administration of Canada, Luminato, Manifesto Community Projects, National Arts Centre, National Association of Friendship Centres, National Capital Commission, Prince Edward Island 2014, The Walrus Foundation, Trans Canada Trail, United Way of Canada and YMCA Canada.
