Official Languages committee  We did, Mr. Labelle. We also made the recommendation to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. We were not concerned about establishing a new museum, because some of our museums are in difficulty at the moment. If there is money for infrastructure, we recommended that it be put into existing museums.

Official Languages committee  In terms of money, the projects to be undertaken still have to be decided. We have large national projects to propose for the years leading up to the anniversary in 2017. So, as we have said, it is important to secure partnerships with a lot of agencies and organizations across Canada, because the museums need the help and the financial support.

Official Languages committee  That is a very good question. That is why we mentioned a multi-year program in our presentation. Mr. Dion is right in that 2017 is just one year. But, for museums, a lot of events leading up to 2017 are all just as important because they define our nation. While 2017 is the anniversary of Confederation, it is also the centennial of Vimy and the 375th anniversary of Montreal.

Official Languages committee  In terms of the Canadian Museums Association, the museums obviously play a very important role in the celebrations. We must also not forget the role museums play in preserving our heritage. We started thinking about this last year. As to the process, we are directly consulting with our museum professionals in regions across the country and in all the provinces and territories to find out what they think about the role of the museums in the celebrations and to see what their programming ideas are.

Official Languages committee  We have received a great number of programming concepts around the 150th anniversary from members and directors, some of which we would like to share with you today. These ideas can be grouped in two overarching approaches: projects of national scope, which are implemented on a collective basis, and projects that each museum and gallery would undertake on their own or in collaboration with others in their areas.