Canadian Histo

Dominion InstitTHE

2002-2003 REPORT

Championing the Cause of Canadian History

Dominion Institute

Murray Campbell,

The Globe & Mail

“The Dominion

Institute has

emerged as one

of the dominant

players in what is

shaping up to be

something

of a resurgence

of interest in

Canada’s history.”

John Fraser,

The National Post

"The Dominion

Institute…

transformed

[war veterans]

into emblematic

talismans of a

revived national

sense of gratitude

and historical

recovery."

Janice Kennedy,

The Ottawa Citizen

“…the laudable

introduction

of increased

history instruction

to the [Ontario]

elementary

curriculum was

thanks to the

acknowledged

participation

of the Dominion

Institute…”

Rudyard Griffiths,

Globe & Mail op-ed

"History teachers

want to focus not

on what separates

us as Canadians,

but to figure out

what can hold us

together….

History is truly a

tie that binds."

Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien,

‘97 Throne Speech

“I was very

troubled to read

a [Dominion

Institute] survey

this summer

suggesting that

young Canadians

knew too little

about each other

and what we have

done together…”

Media Quotes

The Dominion Institute was established in 1997 by a group of young

people concerned about the erosion of a common memory in Canada.

Motivated by the disappearance of mandatory history courses from provincial curriculaand by the public perception of the country's past as academic and boring, the DominionInstitute's founders saw an urgent need for a new organisation dedicated to championingCanadian history in schools and society at large.

In the space of five short years, the Dominion Institute has had a far-reaching impact onCanadians' perceptions of their history and shared citizenship. Through ground-breakingpublic opinion research, high-profile Internet and television programming, book publications,and meaningful curriculum reform, the Dominion Institute has delivered on its mission of:

"building active and informed citizens through greater knowledge and appreciationof the Canadian story."

Introduction

32% of Canadian youth are unable to name thecentury within which Confederation occurred.

Youth and History Survey

Only 54% of Canadians could identify Canada's firstPrime Minister, as opposed to 90% of Americanswho could name their first President.

2001 Canada Day Survey

POLICY RESEARCH

The Dominion Institute rose to prominence through its timely andthought-provoking research into Canadians’ knowledge of thecountry’s past. Quoted in more than two thousand print andelectronic media stories, the Institute’s public policy research hasbeen instrumental in quantifying Canadians’ historical and civicknowledge and keeping the issue of cultural literacy on the publicagenda.

The Institute’s robust research agenda continues to challenge thestatus quo by exploring the assumptions and values ofthe heritage community and by gauging the effectivenessof history education policies and programming.

The Dominion Institute has pursued its mandate to broaden

Canadians’ knowledge and appreciation of their history in two

priority areas: public policy research and educational resources.

By creating links between these priority areas, the Institute has

won a reputation as a source of bold ideas and practical solutions

for promoting Canadian history and citizenship.

“...it is our common citizenship that makes it possible for all of

us to be different. It's the identity that sustains all our identities.”

Richard Gwyn, Citizenship Policy Paper

Priority Areas

48% of Canadians consider Terry Fox Canada'sgreatest all-time hero and role model.

Heroes Internet Poll

76% of Canadian teachers are embarrassed by the lackof knowledge that Canadians have about their history.

History in Schools Research Study

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

The Dominion Institute has a straight-forward philosophy:to help Canadians share stories that define who we are and whatwe have accomplished as a nation. Through bilingual educationalWeb sites, television series, newspaper editorial campaigns,public lectures, and school programmes, the Institute provideseducators and Canadians with innovative treatments of thecountry's political, military, and cultural history.

The Memory Project - Peace and Warwww.thememoryproject.com www.leprojetmemoire.com

Using print, video, Internet, and face-to-face dialogue, TheMemory Project - Peace and War honours the sacrifice andachievement of Canadian veterans, and educates youth andthe general public about Canada's proud military heritage.

Each year, the Institute prepares hundreds of veterans acrossthe country on how best to relate their personal experiencesof WWII, the Korean War, or modern peacekeeping missionsto Canadian youth. Educators use curriculum-based materialsand online resources to prepare students for a face-to-facediscussion with a veteran. Students who participate in theprogramme are then encouraged to record for posterity thestories of Canada's service men and women in an onlinedatabase.

Passages to Canadawww.passagestocanada.com www.passagesverslecanada.com

The Passages to Canada Web site, print resources, and video,provide educators and community groups with the tools toexplore the human dimension of immigration. Through thefirst-person stories of six leading authors who have immigratedto Canada, this programme challenges Canadians, especiallyyouth, to go beyond the history and geography of immigrationand reflect on the immigrant experience as a personal searchfor identity and belonging.

At www.passagestocanada.comand www.passagesverslecanada.com, visitors can share andread personal stories of immigration posted by Canadians fromcoast to coast or arrange for a presenter from the Speakers'Bureau to visit a school or community organisation.

www.thememoryproject.comwww.leprojetmemoire.com

www.passagestocanada.comwww.passagesverslecanada.com

Priority Areas

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Heroes and Heroismwww.ourheroes.ca www.nosheros.ca

Explore the results of our online heroes survey or download thebiographies of the Top 20 heroes as selected by Canadians.The Heroes and Heroism online educational resources and storyarchive provide educators and students with the opportunity tonominate a personal hero and the tools to learn more about thepeople who have made a difference in our nation's history.

Great Canadian Questionswww.greatquestions.com www.grandesquestions.com

Great Canadian Questions sees twelve prominent Canadianhistorians, politicians, and authors come together to debate sixessential questions in Canadian history. Video, print, and onlineresources encourage students and history enthusiasts to thinkcritically about how different interpretations of Canadian historyshape debate of contemporary public policy issues. Each June,the Great Questions Essay Contest provides high school anduniversity students with the opportunity to participate in thisongoing dialogue and the chance to win a $2000 cash prize.

LaFontaine-Baldwinwww.operation-dialogue.com/lafontaine-baldwin/

The LaFontaine-Baldwin symposium is an annual lectureand roundtable discussion co-hosted by His Excellency JohnRalston Saul and the Dominion Institute. Each year in a differentcity, the symposium provides a public thinker with a venue toexplore the interplay of Canadian history with our present-daydemocratic institutions and values. The LaFontaine-Baldwinlecture is published annually in the Globe and Mail and La Presseand broadcast on CBC Newsworld. The 2000, 2001, and 2002lectures are also published as a collection of essays by PenguinCanada.

Media partners:

www.ourheroes.cawww.nosheros.ca

www.greatquestions.comwww.grandesquestions.com

Priority Areas

74% of Canadians think not enough historyis being taught in schools.

Citizenship Survey

81% of Canadian history teachers support nationalstandards for teaching history.

2001 Teachers' Survey

Long-term Planning

The Dominion Institute has reached a critical point in its evolution.

Having established a reputation in policy circles, the arena of public

opinion, and with classroom educators, the Institute is making the

transition from a groundbreaking to an established, nationally

representative organisation. This evolution will require new resources

and new partnerships with corporations, the media, government, and

community groups across Canada.

Programmes

Toward the end of its second three-yearprogramme cycle, Institute programmingwill focus on the sharing and preservationof the personal stories of Canadians whohave contributed to our national story;specifically, veterans, peacekeepers, andimmigrants. This commitment will seethe Institute establish a Speakers' Bureauthat helps veterans, peacekeepers, andimmigrants share their stories in Frenchand English in communities across Canada.

Other programmes in development include:

• an annual programme of re-enacting greatlegal trials in Canadian history

• a campaign for a national commemorativeday to celebrate Canadian political history

• a memoirs initiative to assist notedCanadians in writing their autobiographies

Policy

Having documented what Canadians knowabout their history and surveyed educatorsand the public on the teaching of historyin schools, the Institute’s priority is toencourage a pan-Canadian discussion ofnational guidelines for history education.

Through history and social studies teachers’associations, academics, and provincialministries of education, the Institute willlobby the Canadian history and heritagecommunity to adopt national historyguidelines. The Institute’s hope is thatsuch guidelines will become a vehiclefor pan-Canadian textbooks, curricula,and educational resources

Fully 44% of Canadians think D-Day marks thebombing of Pearl Harbour.

Remembrance Day Survey

Teachers named Confederation and Canada'sinvolvement in war as the two most important historicalevents to teach students.

2001 Teachers’ Survey

Executive Team The Dominion Institute is the product of the combined energies of a dedicatedgroup of young people who feel passionately about Canadian history.

The Institute’s treasurerand a founding member,Michael Chong, is aninformation technologyexecutive. Michael servedas CIO with the NationalHockey League Players’Association beforestarting his own fullservice IT company, theNichol Solutions Group.Michael studied Canadianpolitical science at TrinityCollege, Toronto.

Erik Penz is theInstitute’s chair and afounding member. Anintellectual property andcommercial law barristerat the national firm ofLang Michener, Erik tookfirst-class honours BAfrom King’s College,Dalhousie University,specialising in Canadianand British politicalhistory, and a LL B fromQueen’s University.

Rudyard Griffiths is theCEO and governing mind.The creativity of theInstitute’s programmingand the widespreadcommunication of itsmandate are the result ofhis vision and advocacy.He holds an honours BAin history and politicalscience from TrinityCollege, Toronto and aM.Phil. from EmmanuelCollege, Cambridge.

Jessica Humphreysis the manager of TheMemory Project, theInstitute's flagship educa-tional programme. Priorto joining the Institute,Jessica worked with theUnited Nations and withvarious Canadian educa-tional organisations. Sheholds an honours BA fromthe University of Toronto,and a Master's degreefrom Queen's University.

Alison Faulknor isdirector of programmes,responsible for managingthe Institute’s educationalInternet, print and in-classinitiatives. Alison hasworked as an educatorand a project managerat the McMicheal and theArt Gallery of Hamilton.She holds an honours BAfrom McMaster and anMMst from the Universityof Toronto.

The Dominion Institute functions with a full-time staff of six, a yearlyoperational budget of $250,000, and yearly programming expendituresof $1,000,000. A portion of the costs of keeping the Institute operatingon a day-to-day basis is defrayed by the delivery of programmes andservices. Work in the areas of policy development is undertaken withinthe operational budget.

To ensure a continuing and prominent voice in the heritage community,the Institute has set itself a goal of funding two-thirds of its operationalcosts through a Corporate Council of prominent Canadian foundationsand organisations.

The Dominion Institute would like to thank the following organisations forjoining the Corporate Council and making a multi-year contribution to theInstitute’s operating costs.

Historica FoundationBell CanadaMagna International Operation Dialogue Random House

The Institute is a nationally-registered charity #87396 8176 RR 0001.

FOUNDATIONS 25%

GOVERNMENT 46%

CORPORATIONS 29%

REVENUE SOURCES

SALARIES 14%

OVERHEAD 7%

POLICY RESEARCH 21%

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS 40%

CURRICULUM REFORM 18%

EXPENDITURES

OPERATIONS

Advisory Board and Patrons

Contact Us

Honorary Patron

His ExcellencyJohn Ralston Saul, C.C.

Patrons

Rt. Hon. John TurnerMiller Thomson

Hon. H.N.R. JackmanE-L Financial

Advisory Board

Michael BlissUniversity of Toronto

Alister CampbellZurich Canada

William ChristianUniversity of Guelph

Jack Granatstein, O.C.

Richard GwynThe Toronto Star

Mel Hurtig, O.C.

Patrick LucianiDonner Canadian Foundation

Warren J. KinsellaMcMillan Binch

Anne MedinaBroadcaster

Jamie WattNavigator Ltd.

Peter WhiteHollinger Inc.

Kenneth WhyteNational Post

John WrightIpsos-Reid

Phyllis YaffeAlliance-Atlantis Broadcasting

January, 2002

The Dominion Institute183 Bathurst St., Suite 401

Toronto, OntarioM5T 2R7

www.dominion.ca

Telephone: 416-368-9627Facsimile: 416-368-2111Email: staff@dominion.ca

For long distance, call 1-866-701-1867

French text of this brochure is available on request