Country in jeopardy if Canadians don’t know their history, says minister

OTTAWA – Heritage Minister James Moore says the country is in jeopardy if Canadians don’t understand their history.

Moore made the comments as he announced $12 million in funding for a variety of history projects.

Moore laments the lack of focus on history education in schools, saying Canadians have lost their connection to the country’s past over the last generation.

New awards honouring high school history teachers and students will be introduced, as well as increased funding for the Heritage Minutes vignettes that appear on TV.

The Conservative government slashed funding for Parks Canada in last year’s budget, meaning many federal historical sites replaced guides with cellphone apps.

Moore says he and Environment Minister Peter Kent are conscious of the challenges at Parks Canada and will examine how to best balance the needs of the sites against budgetary constraints.