Annapolis Royal mayor exploring video options after CBC snub, federal funding rejection
CBC’S attempts April 11 to assuage negative feelings toward its docu-drama mini series about Canadian history does nothing to set the record straight about Port-royal’s place in the story of Canada, says the mayor of Annapolis Royal.
Bill Macdonald has criticized the March 26 first episode of the 10-part series for identifying Quebec City in 1608 as the first permanent European settlement in what is now Canada. In fact, Port-royal in Annapolis County, N.S., was built three years earlier and Macdonald contends that it was permanent.
The CBC appears to have ignored a request from Nova Scotia to produce a prequel episode in the series Canada: The Story of Us to tell the story of the Mi’kmaq, Port-royal, and the birth of the Acadians – and all that went before Quebec – but on April 11 announced a “digital conversation” with Canadians after future episodes of the show.
“After the first two episodes, some people felt misrepresented and for that, we apologize,” said Chuck Thompson, CBC’S head of public affairs in a media release. “We fully recognize that not everyone will agree with every perspective presented. Our intention was never to offend anyone or any group, nor diminish the importance of any of the stories that were not included.”
Thompson said CBC is listening to those who have already expressed views about the series and will continue to listen.
“So, in the spirit of encouraging this important dialogue about Canada’s history, on Tuesday, April 18, after the next episode goes to air, we will host the first in a series of live digital conversations,” Thompson said. “The goal is to foster discussion and debate – in English and in French – about the series, its stories and generally, what’s on the minds of Canadians when it comes to Canada’s history.”
Each digital conversation will be archived online and form a repository that will be available at http://www.cbc.ca/2017/canadathestoryofus.
Story omitted
The Annapolis Royal mayor isn’t buying it.
“CBC’S proposed digital conversations following future episodes of Canada: The Story of Us, does nothing to address the concerns expressed in the joint letter (to CBC president Hubert Lacroix) issued by myself, Premier (Stephen) Mcneil, Warden (Timothy) Habinski, and our MP Colin Fraser – since the dialogue will be regarding future episodes,” said Macdonald. “Our story was omitted, leaving the only remedy to be to tell the story ourselves. There was an attempt to do so, but there wasn’t funding support from Ottawa.”
The “attempt” to tell the Portroyal story and the story of the entire region was based on a suggestion by former Heritage Minister Shelly Glover at a gala dinner at Cornwallis Park several years ago hosted by then West Nova MP Greg Kerr. Glover encouraged local political and business leaders to tell the story of Port-royal and to apply for federal Canada 150 funding – of which she was in charge.
The plan, agreed to by 11 municipalities, was for 15 vignettes of 10 minutes each that would have told various aspects of local history of the region that all believed was the birthplace of modern Canada. Under a new federal government the funding was denied and the legacy committee was told they could revise their plans and reapply under a different funding stream where some money would have been available to them. They re-applied but with the same proposal and were again rejected because it was deemed too large a financial request.
The group later presented a revised plan of three sevenminute vignettes to MP Fraser who attempted to approach Canadian Heritage with the proposal to no avail. By that point all Canada 150 funding had been allocated to other projects across the country.
Too late
The group had set a deadline of January to hear back from that federal funding source. Any later than that and the production company would not be able to complete the videos in time for Canada 150 celebrations.
The group waited until midjanuary of this year and informed Fraser’s office they would no longer be pursuing the project when the deadline passed.
The rejection of funding for the local vignette series, combined with federally funded CBC’S perceived misinformed version of history in Canada: The Story of Us, has Macdonald fuming.
Macdonald, Mcneil, Fraser and Habinski all signed a letter to CBC president Hubert Lacroix April 2 requesting a prequel to the broadcaster’s mini series and suggested an apology to the people of Nova Scotia.
In his reply, Lacroix didn’t refer to the prequel request and didn’t apologize. Rather he explained how the mini series was made and the intent behind the 50-story format.
“We regret that some people felt misrepresented,” Lacroix said in his response.
Macdonald is currently consulting again with the premier, warden and MP to see what support there is to seek funds and produce its own video – hiring the same production company that was eager to produce the original 15 vignettes.