June 01, 2012
Heritage Canada Invests in Brant
Brantford, ON - Phil McColeman, Member of Parliament for Brant, on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage, gathered a diverse group of organizations, cultural institutions and representatives from the City of Brantford at his constituency office this morning to announce a series of Heritage Canada investments in the Brant riding.
“2012 is an exciting year for Canada, and I am excited that this riding will play host to such a variety of events and projects that celebrate our Canadian heritage, including commemorative projects marking the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and celebrations for Canada's 145th birthday”, said Brant MP Phil McColeman.
The St. George Firefighters and the City of Brantford will both receive funding through the Celebrate Canada program which supports Canada’s annual eleven-day national celebration, beginning on June 21 with National Aboriginal Day, continuing with Saint Jean Baptiste Day (June 24) and Canadian Multiculturalism Day (June 27), and culminating with a spectacular finish on Canada Day (July 1).
The St. George Firefighters will receive $6, 750 for their Oh Canada project to celebrate Canada Day from June 29, 2012 to July 1, 2012 in St. George with activities for residents and visitors of all ages and walks of life.
The City of Brantford is receiving $12, 000 in Celebrate Canada funding to support local Canada Day celebrations on July 1 that will reach families, youth, older adults, the general public, Aboriginals and ethnic groups in the city.
These events together will create opportunities for a projected 32, 000 attendees to participate in celebrations that create a sense of pride and belonging to Canada.
McColeman also announced a funding for local projects to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, a defining moment in our history, and honour the memory of those who joined forces to defend the Canada that we now know today.
Southern Ontario was the scene of much military action during the War and the Grand River area was the location of many battles, which is why local organizations have put together exciting projects that give Brant residents the opportunity to experience this history and learn about many of our heroes who fought bravely against enormous odds.
The Adelaide Hunter Hoodless Homestead Museum, a National Historic Site, will receive $12, 500 through the 1812 Commemoration Fund for a project that will allow visitors to explore the real life story of an important 1812 Veteran.
The Homestead was first built in 1812 by Veteran John Bray before becoming home to Adelaide Hunter Hoodless, founder of the Women’s Institute. Working with local partners, the Homestead will build an exhibition this summer about local 1812 Veteran John Bray.
The exhibition will be built in multiple components covering various phases of Bray's life, with a number of partner museums exhibiting a different component. Two of these components will explore John Bray's experience in the War of 1812: the first looks at his arrival in Port Dover, Upper Canada, to the start of the War of 1812. The second looks at his participation in the War and its aftermath. Visitors will have the opportunity to travel from museum to museum to experience the full exhibition. Bray's tombstone will also be restored and marked as part of the project.
The Six Nations Legacy Consortium (SNLC); a First Nations non-profit consortium created by Six Nations Council to coordinate its War of 1812 Bicentennial commemoration activities; will receive $120, 000 through the 1812 Commemoration Fund to ensure that the important role played by the Six Nations in the War of 1812 is commemorated and recognized.
This funding will support the development of educational materials on the significant role of the Six Nations/Haudenosaunee and their allies in the War for integration within the Ontario grades 7 and 8 history curriculum and the SNLC website. Funding will also support the creation of a War of 1812 research archive to reside in the Six Nations public library, and research and planning for a War of 1812 monument to Six Nations participation to replace an existing deteriorated memorial located in Six Nations Veterans Park.
Brantford’s Living History Multimedia Association (LHMA); a not-for-profit association that seeks to preserve and promote history by providing multimedia educational resources to schools, historical organizations, libraries, the tourism sector, and the general public; will also receive funding through the 1812 Commemoration Fund totalling $49, 950.
With this funding, the LHMA will film and edit a three-part documentary series titled “A Desert Between Us and Them – Southwestern Ontario and the War of 1812”. The series will involve hundreds of local historians, re-enactors, and students in a collaborative effort across the region to bring the little-known stories of the War of 1812 in this area to light.
The series will be distributed free to over 900 schools, be launched and screened in eight partner municipalities, and will likely be broadcast on TV Ontario and other local stations.
McColeman also announced an investment to support the 39th edition of the Brantford International Villages Festival through the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage Program; a program created to provide Canadians with more opportunities to take part in local activities that present arts and culture and celebrate local history and heritage.
The International Villages will receive $9, 400 for the event which promotes cultural diversity in Brantford. This year, the Festival will run from July 4th to 9th and will involve 2, 624 volunteers who will dedicate 113, 500 hours to the planning, managing, implementation and evaluation of the event. The festival will also feature the work of 1310 local artists, artisans, and performers of historical heritage.
Finally, McColeman announced that Heritage Canada will be granting the Woodland Cultural Centre $75, 000 through the Canada Arts Presentation Fund for to support the third Planet IndegenUs Festival of Aboriginal Arts from August 11 to 19, 2012.
The Festival will include approximately 25 events that will take place both at the Cultural Centre, and in various other locations in Brantford and Six Nations. Aboriginal artists from across Canada and five other countries will take part in programming that will include music, dance, theatre, literature, media arts and visual arts.
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