Senators' Statements

Honourable senators, today I want to join my voice to that of many Canadians who continue to speak out against the historical choices that were made when producing the content for "Canada: The Story of Us", the docudrama that our public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada, commissioned from Bristow Global Media to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary.

I first want to thank all those who agreed to sign the letter that we are sending to the president of CBC/Radio-Canada, so that we might get some answers about the future content, broadcast, and distribution of this documentary.

While we recognize that producing a docudrama capturing great Canadian history was an enormous challenge due to Canada's cultural, linguistic and historical diversity and complexity, we do believe that some of the information, facts and events represented or left out of the docudrama may very well mislead Canadians from coast to coast to coast from truly enjoying the wealth of their heritage.

It is my strong belief that it is in our public broadcaster's very mandate and moral responsibility to provide an accurate representation of the history and the diversity of our Canada, the very emblem of "The Story of Us."

As noted by many Canadian historians, citizens, and community leaders, some of the information represented in or left out of the docudrama may very well mislead television viewers on the history of Canada.

Despite the apology from the head of the CBC, we believe that our public broadcaster must provide further explanation to Canadians about the content, broadcast, and distribution of this docudrama.

Furthermore, considering the fact that this series is meant to be used as a teaching tool in Canadian schools and at our tourist centres to share our common history;

Considering the fact that this series ignores the fact that indigenous peoples were on this land for a thousand years and leaves out one of the key events that shaped our country, the deportation of the Acadians;

Considering the very fact that the contribution of the First Nations and the Inuit people, Metis, Québécois, Acadians, francophones and other cultural minority groups in our great history has been minimized and at times omitted from the docudrama;

Considering the fact that the 1991 Broadcasting Act states that CBC/Radio-Canada must reflect Canada and the country's regional diversity in its national and regional programming, we are asking the President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, Hubert Lacroix, to provide more information about funding allocated to this production and our public broadcaster's intentions with respect to the future use and distribution of this controversial series;

As we celebrate the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of Confederation, we must ensure that our next generations understand and remember that Canada's history started millennia before Confederation with the First Nations and that significant events occurred centuries before Confederation with the Vikings and great explorers such as Cabot and Cartier. Our history must also be remembered for its dark periods of land expropriation from the First Nations, the great deportation of the Acadians, the residential schools and the treatment of minority groups well before and after Confederation.

Honourable senators, I want to assure you that, by taking this step, we are in no way questioning the existence of our public broadcaster. Indeed, we believe that CBC/Radio-Canada is essential to the maintenance, development, and expression of Canadian identity.