The Dominion Institute

The Dominion Institute is a national charitable organization in Canada dedicated to creating active and informed citizens through greater knowledge and appreciation of Canadian history. The Institute was formed in 1997 by a group of young professionals, led by Rudyard Griffiths, who were concerned about the erosion of a common memory and civic identity. The Institute uses public opinion research and television, new media, print and in-school programmes, to helps Canadians learn about the country's history, shared citizenship and democratic institutions and values.

The Institute's mission is encapsulated in three simple words: "Memory, Identity, Democracy."

The Dominion Institute operates with a full-time staff of 7 and annual revenues of $1.6 million. Revenues are generated from government, foundation and corporate grants.

The Dominion Institute runs a number of educational program. These include:

The Memory Project

Through the Memory Project, 1500 World War II, Korean War and Canadian Forces veterans visit local schools and community groups to share their stories of service and sacrifice. Its speakers bureau operates in every province and reaches more than 175,000 youth each year. [ [http://www.thememoryproject.com/index.asp The Memory Project.] Retrieved 2007-08-10.]

The Memory Project Digital Archive

The Memory Project Digital Archive is an extensive online collection of the oral histories and personal memorabilia of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Archive provides more than 1000 firsthand stories and 1,500 original artifacts (photos, letters and memorabilia) that chronicle 85 years of Canada's military heritage. [ [http://thememoryproject.com/digital-archive//index.cfm The Memory Project Digital Archive.] Retrieved 2007-08-10.]

Great Questions of Canada

Great Questions of Canada brings together twelve prominent Canadians including Michael Ignatieff, Jack Granatstein and Naomi Klein to debate six essential questions from Canada's history. Video, print and online resources are provided to encourage critical thinking about how different interpretations of Canadian history shape debate of contemporary public policy issues. Each May, The Great Questions Essay Contest provides high school and university students the opportunity to participate in this ongoing dialogue and to win a cash prize. [ [http://www.greatquestions.com/ Great Questions of Canada.] Retrieved 2007-08-10.]

Our Story

Our Story is a joint project of the Dominion Institute and Doubleday Canada. Our Story is a short story compilation that brings together nine leading Aboriginal authors including Thomas King, Tomson Highway and Tantoo Cardinal. The Canadian Aboriginal Youth Writing Challenge provides an opportunity for Aboriginal youth (ages 14-18 and 19-29) to have their voices heard by writing a short story (800-1,200 words) based on an event in Canada's past. [ [http://www.our-story.ca/ Our Story.] Retrieved 2007-08-10.]

Passages to Canada Speakers' Bureau

Passages to Canada is a national storytelling initiative that provides Canadians with a greater understanding and appreciation of the contributions that immigrants and refugees make to Canada. The Passages to Canada Speakers' Bureau is comprised of over 600 immigrants and refugees. These speakers visit schools and community groups across the country to share their stories of coming to Canada. [ [http://www.passagestocanada.com/index.asp Passages to Canada.] Retrieved 2007-08-10.]

Passages to Canada Digital Archive

The Passages to Canada Digital Archive presents a portrait of the life experience of the members of the Passages to Canada Speakers' Bureau through multilingual interviews and original artifacts (photos, letters and memorabilia) that recount their personal journeys to Canada. The Digital Archive is a collaboration between the Dominion Institute and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. [ [http://www.passagestocanada.com/da/splashpage.asp Passages to Canada Digital Archive.] Retrieved 2007-08-10.]

LaFontaine-Baldwin

The LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium is a national forum for exploring the future of Canadian democracy. Each year, in a different Canadian city, a public thinker leads a two-day discussion on the historical antecedents and future trajectory of our democratic institutions and culture. The Symposium is co-hosted by John Ralston Saul and the Dominion Institute. It is made available to wider audience by the Symposium's media partners. [ [http://www.lafontaine-baldwin.com/ LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium.] Retrieved 2007-08-10.]

TV programming

The Dominion Institute has formed an alliance with National Dream Productions, a documentary film production company, to produce television documentaries about Canadian history, including:

*"American Myths" (Canadian Learning Television, 2005)
*"Foreign Fields" (Global Television, 2003)
*"The Memory Project" (Discovery Civilization, 2003)
*"The Retrial of Louis Riel" (CBC Newsworld, 2002)
*"Facing the Century" (Global Television, 2002)

Books

The Dominion Institute has co-ordinated the publication of a series of essay and short-story collections of Canada's leading authors, public thinkers and historians, such as Margaret Atwood, Timothy Findley, Thomas King, J.L. Granatstein, Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae, Andrew Cohen, Ovide Mercredi, Andrew Coyne, Tom Flanagan, Neil Reynolds and Naomi Klein.

*"American Myths - What Canadians Think They Know About the United States" (Key Porter Books, 2008)
*"Great Questions of Canada" (Key Porter Books, 2007)
*"Radical Tories" (Anansi, 2006)
*"Nouveau dialogue sur la démocratie au Canada" (Boréal, 2006)
*"LaFontaine-Baldwin Lectures, Vol. II" (Penguin, 2006)
*"Rare Courage" (McClelland and Stewart, 2005)
*"Our Story" (Doubleday, 2004)
*"Story of a Nation" (Doubleday, 2002)
*"The LaFontaine-Baldwin Lectures" (Penguin, 2002)
*"Passages to Canada" (Doubleday, 2001)
*"Great Questions of Canada" (Stoddart, 2000)

Public opinion research

The Dominion Institute has sponsored research into quantifying Canadians' historical and civic knowledge and keeping the issue of cultural literacy on the public agenda.

ee also

*History of Canada

External links

* [http://www.dominion.ca The Dominion Institute website]
* [http://www.thememoryproject.com The Memory Project]
* [http://www.greatquestions.com/ Great Questions of Canada]
* [http://www.our-story.ca/ Our Story]
* [http://www.passagestocanada.com Passages to Canada]
* [http://www.lafontaine-baldwin.com LaFontaine-Baldwin]
* [http://ns1763.ca/dominion.html Historical Errors in The Dominion Institute's Great Questions series]

Notes