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Shaking Hands Online

In a nation as large and as diverse as Canada, the evolution of electronic media—radio, television and the Internet—has greatly advanced our ability to connect with one another and the world.

Since the first radio broadcast in 1906, broadcasting has come to play a critical role in our understanding of what it means to be Canadian. As early as 1936, Canada’s public broadcaster was reaching into even the remotest corners of our country. Today, Canada’s broadcasting system offers more than 600 private radio and television stations, a strong public broadcaster in CBC/Radio-Canada, educational channels, Aboriginal services, services for official-language minorities, multicultural and third-language channels, community services, and a wide range of foreign offerings. We have built a uniquely Canadian broadcast system that informs, enlightens and entertains Canadians of all ages, one that enriches our cultural, political, social and economic fabric and enhances our sense of national identity. As communications and broadcasting technology continue to evolve rapidly and to change the very notions of “content” and “choice,” the Government of Canada remains committed to ensuring that Canadians have access to the best the world has to offer, while providing a space for uniquely Canadian voices, talent and ideas.

Canadians are also now among the world’s forerunners in the use of the Internet. Indeed, more than two-thirds of Canadians report using the Internet every day, and over a quarter say they have more than one computer in their home. The Government of Canada is committed to cultivating a strong Canadian cultural presence in cyberspace. Through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy, the Canadian Heritage portfolio is actively stimulating the development and accessibility of quality Canadian digital content in both official languages. It is helping Canada’s cultural industries, institutions, creators, and communities produce and showcase their creative works to Canadians and to the rest of the world. The Canada New Media Fund, for example, supports production of new cultural works, devoting one-third of its resources to French-language projects. As well, Canadian cultural collections and treasures are being digitized for online presentation with the help of programs such as the Canadian Memory Fund and the Partnership Fund. The New Media Research Networks Fund and Applied Research in Interactive Media further support Canadian innovation in new media.

“During the mechanical ages we had extended our bodies in space. Today, after more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system itself in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned.” Marshall McLuhan, Canadian professor, author and communications theorist

The results of these efforts have been nothing short of astounding.

Canadian creators are benefiting from the proliferation of exciting new platforms for their works. Many are taking risks, pushing artistic and technological boundaries, and being recognized internationally for their achievements.

	John Brebner, Communications Research Centre Canada, Industry Canada

The Internet is also being used to bring Canadian history and culture to life in the form of exciting new learning products, virtual tours, information and entertainment products. Today, Canadian youth can discover the history of music, theatre and dance in Canada through the National Arts Centre’s ArtsAlive.ca. They can learn about Canada’s colourful history through Library and Archives Canada’s Confederation for Kids Web site. Canadians of all ages can relive their shared history with Canadian radio and television over the past 70 years through the online CBC Archives. They can look in on Canadian museum sites, projects and exhibitions through the Virtual Museum of Canada portal. They can learn about the history of Aboriginal peoples in Canada through the Aboriginal Canada Portal. They can also gain a new appreciation for Canada’s ethnic and cultural diversity through a broad range of new online sources, such as the Caribbean Tales Site and the Acadian Historical Village. Canadians can also discover more about culture and make their views known on this topic by visiting Culture.ca, which features more than 13,000 links to quality Web sites on Canadian culture.

Launched in March 2001, the Virtual Museum of Canada (www.virtualmuseum.ca) is a one-of-a-kind portal featuring countless stories and treasures from 1,200 museums across Canada. It receives more than eight million visitors per year.

In these and many other ways, the Canadian Heritage portfolio is helping to:

• promote greater understanding of Canada and its rich diversity;
• facilitate communication among the communities that make us so diverse;
• strengthen Canada as a learning society; and
• broaden and deepen the capacity of our cultural industries, institutions and creators.

As the pace of change and progress in the world marches on, Canadians can confidently rely on their nation’s television, radio and Internet services to keep them connected to one another and the rest of the world.