During class we discussed what do the Canadian heritage minutes tell us about Canada? The Heritage Minutes were produced by the privately owned Historica Foundation, created by Charles R. Bronfman and the CRB Foundation to “enhance Canadianism”. The use of satire in these commercials portrays multiculturalism with no conflicts, they show Canada is politically progressive, and also show Canadian pride and the importance of our Military. The Canadian heritage minutes show important events and figures in Canadian history and inspire Canadians to learn more about their history and nationalism. There is also a use of “Canadian comedy” in some of the heritage minutes which are used to address historical things about the country that become traditional. The Canadian identity is often combined of ideological effects of Canada that are presented in the Canadian heritage minutes such as; that it is generous, that public health care and education are valued, and that it is a safe country to live in. This is how nationalism is presented in the Canadian heritage minutes and they present how the nation has been historically defined. There are also symbols which the heritage minutes presented that show elements of nationalism such as how the Canadian flag was brought about with the maple leaf and the color red. Canadian nationalism is also featured in the heritage minutes through our ability to communicate with one another despite the bilingual barrier; this is demonstrated in the heritage minute video about two politicians from Upper and Lower Canada who demonstrate French/English cooperation when LaFontaine seeks election in Toronto and goes on to help shape democratic reforms for all of Canada. Another factor is the survival of Canadian victims such as women struggling against female discrimination to practice medicine in Canada; this is demonstrated in the heritage minute video about Jennie Trout's struggle against prejudice to become the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Canada. In the heritage minutes series they present the role of important figures in Canada who have an impact on the development of the Canadian nation. Hockey is a huge sport in Canada that brought its citizen together and captured the heart of the nation. An example from the heritage minute’s video is about the legendary hockey star Maurice "Rocket" Richard, who scored 8 points after spending 8 hours moving his family from one end of Montreal to the other:
http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10217
The heritage minutes succeeded to encourage the growth of one type of national interpretation by establishing a “community of discourse” for Canadians.
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