Related: WHO HAS SHAPED OUR COUNTRY?
Would you tell the story of Canada through its personalities? How else would you do it?
Copyright © 2013 · Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation · Follow us: 
Copyright © 2013 · Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation · Follow us:
Yes! What a wonderful idea! Ernie Lyle needs to be added to this list. One of the most straightforward and simple narratives of the north!
Telling the story of Canada in a Museum of a multicultural society could lead to unexpected challenges and divisiveness if at the top of this project there is no unify “compass” on what is its purpose: telling the story of Canada should educate, inform and lead to unification and strenghth of
Canadians and not lead towards resentment and divisiveness. That is not to say that there will be themes that will be prohibited. The most difficult themes should lead to harmony, pride of achievement.
Telling the story of Canada could become a real challenge and source of trouble and divisiveness. Before thinking of telling it, one has to have a unified compass at a higher level than the practical side of it. That is: why do we want to tell the story, to unify or to divide, or to find common grounds of growth and progress or dig in trouble, unless it is to learn from it. Aside from focusing in personalities, we should focus on the struggles and achivements of different communities.
I believe that Canadian-style humour has contributed greatly in shaping and expressing the Canadian personae. The very fact that it has been adopted by so many other countries, would declare it to be a great success story. In the modern age, we have been delighted (and educated) by the likes of Johnny Wayne & Frank Shuster… which have led to many of the new age comics.
Through our public institutions. Medicare. CBC/RC. Public universities and public education. Multiculturalism. Just a few suggestions.
I believe that Terry Fox single handedly shaped canada.
I believe that it should be told through the eyes of the common people.
I would tell the story through the eyes of our Métis literary champions – through “ourstories” our voices, our prose, our poems, our words, our art, our imagery, our motifs, our pattterns (geographic, soc-economic-political).
Tell the story from a First Nations, Metis, Inuit perspective – events in history shown in a positive light with the very real contributions that Canada’s first people’s have made & which have not been shared with any significance in the past. Portray Louis Riel as the hero he was to Canadas Metis people etc. etc.
Through the eyes of our artists – visual, prose and poetry
Only in part, and a relatively small part at that. To do so smacks of the great man theory of history that is so passe I thought it was long ago dead and buried.
What would work, and has proven to be very effective and popular elsewhere, is a National Portrait Gallery that could be part of the renewed museum now that it has been scrapped by our government.
As for the story of Canada my suggestion is that the core can be a time-line around which the museum can weave complementary stories.
Through landscape features
Ask Canadians to contribute stories, letters, artifacts from their family no matter how long they have been here. All of us have been newcomers at some point in our family history & each experience will be unique whether from the pre-Confederation era or right up to the present day.
I think the story of Canada should be told through the descendants of the famous personalies.
Through the stories of lesser known people who have made a considerable impact.