New media will unite us for our 150th: Johnston
OTTAWA – Cultural and language exchanges sound like something from back in the heady days of Canada’s 1967 centennial year. Gov. Gen. David Johnston thinks Canada’s 150th birthday, in 2017, is a good time to recommit to them.
School and family exchanges, particularly those between French and English-speaking communities, were key parts of how Canada marked its centennial celebrations, and Johnston, 71, said he hopes to see a lot more of that when Canada marks its 150th.
“But I also hope that we’ll use the new media which (are) with us, which (are) transforming how we relate to one another and provide wonderful opportunities to overcome distances, to celebrate the coming together of Canadians in new ways,” he said in an exclusive interview with Postmedia News.
Speaking recently with a group of Toronto youth about ways to improve their community, the longtime educator and proponent of volunteerism heard that while his generation looked to make changes by “strengthening institutions,” today’s youth want to create movements.
“Social media is so helpful there,” he said. “I think that that will be an important difference for us at 150.”
Johnston is inspired by a Calgary-based citizens’ group dubbed imagiNation 150.
The group already has a website and handbook encouraging Canadians to actively participate in the 150th anniversary festivities through civic involvement — framing its initiative in the context of “birthday gifts to Canada.”
The group is creating a “gift registry” on its website to honour Canada 150 commitments made by individuals and organizations — whether it’s inventing a wheelchair that’s “up to the challenge of Canada’s winters,” or helping restore a neglected historical site in one’s community.
“Their theme is when you have a birthday and you have a party and people bring gifts, what are the gifts that each of us as Canadians are going to bring?” he said.
“And if it’s going to be a gift that’s sort of lasting beyond the day or beyond the year, it should be a gift that involves some degree of planning and some degree of inclusiveness and some degree of co-ordination with others who may be doing similar things.”
As for his gift to Canada, that’s easy.
It’s his commitment to creating a “smart and caring nation” by promoting philanthropy and volunteerism, learning and education and youth and family — the themes of his governor-generalship.
By 2017, he’s hopeful the “notion of giving” will be something all Canadians see as “an essential feature of their citizenship” and that when other countries look at Canada, they won’t just see a beautiful nation ruled by law and order, but a country that “takes seriously (the idea of) helping others.”
The Office of the Governor General has historically played a key role in celebrating national milestones.
The Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour, issued by the Governor General on behalf of the Queen for “outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation,” was established during the centennial year, for example.
Then-Gov. Gen. Roland Michener was made the very first “companion” of the order.
Ramon Hnatyshyn unveiled his Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards in 1992, the year Canada turned 125. David Johnston at a glance: ❚ Canada’s 28th governor general began his five-year term in October 2010. ❚ Former president of the University of Waterloo and onetime Harvard University hockey star. ❚ His 150 idea: Thinks youth exchanges are the bees knees, but also believes new media will play a key role in bringing Canadians together.