GATINEAU, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - May 5, 2016) - Department of Canadian Heritage

Residents and visitors in the National Capital Region will have the chance to enjoy a colourful experience during the celebrations for the 150^th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, thanks to Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal and its MOSAICANADA 150/2017 project.

Greg Fergus, Member of Parliament (Hull-Aylmer), today announced a $5-million contribution to this project, on which all provinces, territories and Indigenous communities are invited to work together. He took part in this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

For the Government of Canada, the 150^th anniversary of Confederation is an opportunity to come together to celebrate our shared values, our achievements, the treasures of our environment and our place in the world. It is also an opportunity for Canadians to get involved in the life of their community.

The vision of the Government of Canada for the 150^th aims to bring people together and inspire them. It will feature themes focusing on diversity and inclusion, reconciliation with Indigenous people, youth 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.

Quick Facts

- Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal, created in 1998, is a non-profit organization with a mandate to create and organize international mosaiculture competitions.

- The MOSAICANADA 150/2017 project includes two components:

• organizing a mosaiculture exhibition at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau; and
• developing spaces to highlight the 150^th anniversary of Confederation in the capital city of every province and territory in the country. Works representing each province and territory presented at Jacques-Cartier Park in 2017 will be installed in the 150^th anniversary location in 2018.

- The MOSAICANADA 150/2017 exhibition will be presented for 100 days, from July 1 to October 9, 2017, at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau. More than 500,000 visitors are expected.

- The MOSAICANADA 150/2017 project seeks to illustrate and communicate some key elements in the history of our country. It will highlight the different cultures that have contributed to Canada's identity.

- The project will make the most of government investments and will bring economic benefits to the National Capital Region.

- The Government of Canada is providing this financial support through the Canada 150 Fund. This fund was created in April 2015 and has a total budget of $210 million.

Quotes

"MOSAICANADA 150/2017 will allow Canadians and visitors to the region to discover the beauty of garden art as it examines defining moments in our history. This horticultural exhibition is sure to amaze everyone and pique our curiosity. I invite you all to seize this opportunity to take part in the activities being organized across Canada to highlight the 150^th anniversary of Confederation."

-The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"Thanks to the magic of Mosaïcultures Internationales, Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau will welcome members of the public with an experience of urban and horticultural art that's out of the ordinary. I invite all Canadians and visitors to the region to come admire the work of creators who will be using their talents to add a unique and colourful component to the celebrations of the 150^th anniversary of Confederation. This is an event you won't want to miss in 2017!"

-Greg Fergus, Member of Parliament (Hull-Aylmer)

"MOSAICANADA 150/2017 is a mosaiculture exhibition that will demonstrate Canadian savoir-faire and the creativity of the team at Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal, as well as of the representatives of the provinces, territories and our country's Indigenous peoples. It is sure to amaze the hundreds of thousands of expected visitors. For the 150^th anniversary of Canada's Confederation, we want to offer it a spectacular, one-of-a-kind bouquet-a bouquet like Canada itself!"

-Lise Cormier, Executive Vice-President and General Manager, Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal.

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Backgrounder

The 150^th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017

Our strength: our diversity. Our pride: our sense of the future.

Canadians throughout the country, as well as those living abroad, will proudly take part in the celebrations marking the 150^th anniversary of Confederation. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all that it means to be Canadian. The Government of Canada is proud to be part of this anniversary of national and historic importance. It plans to:

• promote and celebrate our Canadian identity; our ethnic, linguistic, cultural and regional diversity; and our rich history and heritage;
• encourage Canadians to invest in our country's future by bringing about significant changes and leaving a lasting legacy for coming generations;
• create opportunities for Canadians to participate and celebrate together our shared values, our Canadian identity, our achievements, our majestic environment and our place in the world; and
• maximize government investments and generate economic benefits for the country's communities.

The main themes of the Government of Canada's vision for the 150th anniversary of Confederation are:

• Diversity and inclusion - We want to continue building a welcoming Canada where there is a place for everyone, a Canada where everyone can reach his or her full potential.
• Reconciliation with Indigenous people - We want to support reconciliation efforts with Indigenous people and make use of the 150^th anniversary to reaffirm our intent to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
• Youth - We want to continue to engage young people and give them the means to contribute to our society, because they are the ones who will shape tomorrow's Canada.
• Environment - We want to be the custodians of our environment, because it is a source of our country's wealth and pride. We want to bring Canadians closer to nature in order to strengthen their environmental awareness.

The Canada 150 Fund

- The Canada 150 Fund was established in April 2015. It has an overall budget of $210 million.

The Canada 150 logo and typeface

- The Canada 150 logo and the Canada 150 typeface are available to all Canadians, as well as to organizations and businesses that would like to use them on their products.

Federal partners

Federal departments and agencies will prepare activities to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Confederation under their own programs-such as issuing commemorative coins or postage stamps, or other activities to be announced in the coming months.

In 2017, we will commemorate several other important events that will add to the celebration of the 150^th anniversary of Confederation. These include the centennial of the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele; the 125^th anniversary of the Stanley Cup; the centennial of the National Hockey League; the 75^th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid; and the 50^th anniversary of the Canada Games.