HomeNational commemorations are a powerful means of expressing our enduring values, our connections to the past and our aspirations for the future. Representing Canadians and Canadian history in the Capital, monuments of national symbolic importance help the NCC address its mission “to make the Capital a symbolic meeting place for Canadians.”
The NCC is the lead federal agency responsible for approving the subject, location and design of new commemorations on federal lands in Canada’s Capital Region. In June 2006, the NCC approved Canada’s Capital Commemoration Strategic Plan, which will help guide decisions related to commemorations over the next 20 years, and safeguard high-profile sites for future generations.
To obtain a copy of the plan, please contact us or download the pdf file below.
Priority Themes
Canada’s Capital Commemoration Strategic Plan provides direction regarding the subject of new commemorations. The plan identifies six major themes, each with a broad set of subject possibilities. In order to better reflect the identity and diversity of Canada, the plan has also established a goal of increasing the number of commemorations in certain under-represented themes listed below.
- Political life (Governing Canada)
- Peace and security (Governing Canada)
- Canada and the world (Governing Canada) — under-represented theme
- Cultural and intellectual life — under-represented theme
- Social and community life — under-represented theme
- Developing economies — under-represented theme
Additional priorities within all of the above include the following:
- Aboriginal peoples
- Ethnocultural communities
- Women
- Environment
Site Selection
A successful commemoration not only effectively communicates the importance of the subject, it also enhances the physical setting and helps create a sense of place. Canada’s Capital Commemoration Strategic Plan identifies guidelines to ensure that a commemoration is appropriate to the nature, significance and environment of its site. In concert with the development of the plan, the NCC established an inventory of potential commemoration sites. The NCC will identify appropriate sites from this inventory in consultation with the project sponsor.
Related Links
- Mandate and Mission
- Canada’s Capital Commemoration Strategic Plan (pdf – 2.2 Mb)