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Veterans Frank Cauley and Sylvio Lemire are interviewed by Minister James Moore at the June 4th launch of The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War in Ottawa.

Welcome to the latest installment of the semiannual Dominion Institute Newsletter. The past six months have seen the Institute publish a report card on Canadian history education, involve Canadians in discussing policy issues, and launch a nationwide project to create a definitive record of Canada's participation in the Second World War through the eyes of veterans.

Launch of The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War
On June 4, The Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister Responsible for Official Languages, joined local veterans, students and The Dominion Institute in Ottawa to help launch The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War. Over the next twenty months this nationwide project will create a definitive record of Canada's participation in the Second World War through the first-hand accounts of thousands of veterans. The Institute will provide every living Second World War veteran with the opportunity to share their memories through oral interviews and digitized artefacts and memorabilia. More

The Canadian History Report Card
In June, The Dominion Institute Published The Canadian History Report Card, a study of Canadian history curriculum across the provinces and territories. A letter grade was assigned to each province and territory based on the quality of its Canadian history curriculum at the high school level. Four provinces failed the study. None received an A. The findings show that we are failing students when it comes to educating them about the story of Canada. More

Canadian Icons
The Canadian Icons Survey, realeased in advance of Canada Day, revealed that many Canadians cannot identify ten iconic Canadians, both past and present. The Survey found that Terry Fox was the most recognizable Canadian but that only a minority of Canadians could identify Sir John A. Macdonald and Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean. More Do you think you can do better? Take the Canadian Icons Quiz

The Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge
We received more than 265 entries to this year’s Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge. Grand Prize winners Howard Adler of Ottawa, (19-29 age category) and Trevor Jang of Telkwa, BC (14-18 age category) were celebrated on July 22 in Calgary at a special awards reception. Read the winning stories here

Passages to Canada
Passages to Canada celebrated two important events this past Spring. On April 8, a panel of 4 generations of immigrants to Canada marked Toronto’s 175th Anniversary by sharing their stories. Mayor David Miller was on hand. More

Passages to Canada also visited West Vancouver’s Mulgrave School in May for an Asian Heritage Month presentation by Nick Noorani, Publisher of Canadian Immigrant Magazine and Alice Wong, MP,Richmond and Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism.

LaFontaine-Baldwin Lecture
Iqaluit, Nunavut played host to the 9th annual LaFontaine-Baldwin Lecture on May 29, co-organized by the Dominion Institute. This marked the first time that one of Canada’s most important national lectures was held in the North. The Dominion Institute also co-hosted a reception in Ottawa the week before the reception to kick off the occasion. More

Public Policy Wiki
The Dominion Institute and The Globe and Mail partnered on a new project that applies the wiki principle to public policy development in Canada. Participants are asked to think like a policy maker and propose solutions to four of the most serious challenges we face as a country: the recession, the conflict in Afghanistan, climate change and immigration reform. Tell us you think the government should do! More

The Great Canadian Questions Essay Competition
had a very successful year as we received over 250 entries from across the country. This year’s Grand Prize Winner is Tim Mak from West Vancouver BC and is a student at McGill University in Montreal, QC.

The Memory Project will be heading to Calgary on August 8 to commemorate National Peacekeepers Day with an orientation session and reception with Peacekeepers and veterans in the Calgary Area. This will be an opportunity to introduce The Memory Project to veterans and currently serving personnel and allow students to hear the stories of service and sacrifice from Canada’s proud military history.

Look for Veteran Appreciation Days in the following communities: Meaford, North Bay, London, Guelph, Ottawa-Vanier, Quinte-West, Hamilton. For more information please visit: www.thememoryproject.com/veteranappreciationdays/

Be sure to book a Memory Project speaker in advance of Remembrance Week (November 5-11) and a Passages to Canada speaker for Citizenship Week (October 19-25)

The Dominion Institute is pleased to thank the following new and return sponsors (and in kind supports) for contributions made between January 1 and July 1, 2009:

Department of Canadian Heritage
TD Bank Financial Group
Province of Ontario
Veterans Affairs Canada
Trillium Foundation
De Beers Canada Inc.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
The Aurea Foundation
Canada Council for the Arts
Enbridge Inc.
Pfizer
CreeWest
APTN (Aboriginal People’s Television Network)
Groundlayer Captial
Canadian Medical Association
Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association

Visit dominion.ca/programs for a summary of all Dominion Institute programs.
Our mission is to build active and informed citizens through greater knowledge and appreciation of the Canadian story