The 150th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017: Celebrating Our Environment!

FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK--(Marketwired - Aug. 9, 2016) - Department of Canadian Heritage

Randy Boissonnault, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament (Edmonton Centre), on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, today announced $550,000 in funding for the St. John River Society for its pan-Canadian project, "Eau Canada - celebrating 150 years of our rivers' Canadian heritage." Mr. Boissonnault was accompanied by Matt DeCourcey, Member of Parliament (Fredericton).

Thanks to this funding, provided through the Canada 150 Fund, the St. John River Society will offer a coordinated approach to highlight the role of Canadian rivers in the development of our nation and to promote the sustainable management of waterways as one of Canada's most important environmental resources. Community celebrations across Canada will highlight the importance of rivers for Indigenous peoples, the economy, communities and the environment.

To make 2017 a memorable year of celebrations for all Canadians, the Government of Canada will continue to invest in Canada-wide, regional and local projects to increase Canadians' awareness and invite them to participate in the many events taking place throughout the year.

The 150^th anniversary of Confederation gives Canadians the opportunity to get involved in their communities and to celebrate together our shared values, our achievements, our majestic environment and our country's place in the world.

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Quick Facts

• The St. John River Society is an incorporated non-profit organization that is acting as national coordinator for Canada 150 festivities on behalf of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System.
• The Canadian Heritage Rivers System is a federal-provincial-territorial government program that works with community-level river stewardship groups to promote and conserve Canadian rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values.
• The Government of Canada's vision for the 150^th anniversary of Confederation includes four major themes: diversity and inclusiveness, the environment, youth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Celebrations that bring people together and inspire them will be held to highlight these themes.
• The Canada 150 Fund, established in April 2015, has an overall budget of $210 million.
• The countdown has begun-there are less than 150 days left until the official launch of celebrations for the 150^th anniversary of Confederation.
• We invite all Canadians to take part in countdown activities in person and on social media with the hashtag #Canada150.

Quotes

"The celebration of the 150^th anniversary of Confederation is a unique opportunity for all Canadians to not only mark this important milestone in our nation's history, but also to celebrate the wealth of our environment, a great source of national pride. With the Eau Canada project, we will highlight the essential role of rivers in our country's development. In 2017, let's become the protectors of our waterways-an important natural resource for Canada."

-The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"I invite all Canadians to discover the wealth of our rivers through the Eau Canada project. The environment is at the heart of our lives. In 2017, I encourage you to take concrete action to preserve our rivers, creating a lasting legacy for future generations."

-Randy Boissonnault, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament (Edmonton Centre)

"The St. John River Society is very grateful to the Canada 150 Fund to help us celebrate rivers as part of Canada's 150^th birthday in 2017. As stewards of Canada's 38^th designated heritage river, we are excited to be leading this project and looking forward to working with our river partners across the country. Rivers connect us: physically, historically and spiritually. They were our highways for millennia, and we need to manage this sacred resource into the future."

-Molly Demma, Executive Director of The St. John River Society

Associated Links

Canada 150

Canada 150 Fund

St. John River Society

Canadian Heritage Rivers System

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