Harper Government Congratulates Recipients of Governor General's History Awards

OTTAWA, Dec. 10, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today applauded the recipients of the 2012 Governor General's History Awards for their leadership in promoting Canada's history and heritage, as they were gathered in Ottawa for a celebration dinner held in their honour.

Every year, the Governor General's History Awards celebrate Canadian achievements in the field of history and heritage in six categories: Excellence in Teaching, Student Achievement, Scholarly Research, Popular Media, Museums, and Community Programming.

"Our Government wants to give Canadians the opportunity to better understand our history and to examine the defining chapters of our country's identity," said Minister Moore. "Canadians from across the country can be proud of these outstanding individuals who promote our history and heritage. I would like to commend the organization Canada's History, which presents these annual awards, on its commitment to ensuring that our collective past has a vibrant presence in Canada today."

"It takes a thousand voices to tell a story, according to an Aboriginal saying—so true in the context of Canada's history. Our role at Canada's History is to create opportunities for these voices to be heard," said Deborah Morrison, CEO and President of Canada's History. "We are grateful for the federal government's support for this initiative. It is a powerful investment that brings together Canada's historians, educators, community leaders, and media producers to learn from each other's exemplary efforts and to develop new partnerships that will ensure more history stories are told for generations to come."

On October 16, 2012, Minister Moore unveiled the Harper Government's plans to create the Canadian Museum of History. A $25-million, one-time investment—funded within the existing budget for Canadian Heritage—will allow the Canadian Museum of Civilization to begin its transformation into the Canadian Museum of History. The creation of the new museum will provide today's citizens and future generations with the opportunity to appreciate how Canada's identity has been shaped over the course of our history. The transformation is expected to be complete before Canada's 150^th birthday in 2017.

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $510,000 over two years to Canada's History for its community initiatives. This amount includes funding through Canadian Heritage's Canadian Studies Program for the Governor General's History Awards. This program encourages Canadians to learn about Canada's history, civic life, and public policy.

For more information about the recipients of the Governor General's History Awards, visit http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14880&lan=eng.

SOURCE: Canadian Heritage