Thank you for your question.
Creativity and youth do go hand in hand. It is a positive stereotype. However, I work in the legal field so creativity is not really my area of expertise.
For the past little while, we have been talking about an independent organization. I believe that such an organization should have the mandate to define the vision of the celebration. When we at least have a framework or a certain context within which to work, then different partners at different levels can determine how the experience is delivered and how to participate. The important thing is that, when it comes to implementing the ideas on the ground, the things that will directly affect Canadians, we do not ask an officer from Canadian Heritage to come to our communities and emcee a banquet. This would not be very well received, unless it was a truly exceptional officer. We must therefore rely on our communities, institutions and organizations that are already working on the ground.
Furthermore, as you mentioned, the new technologies will allow us to communicate and share ideas much more quickly than 50 years ago. I have a hard time imagining what it will be like 50 years from now.
In this context, we must create the opportunity using certain resources. We can use material freely and then change it, adapt it, reinterpret it and disseminate it. It will be interesting to see the sharing and communication portals, for example. Forums are already outdated. This tool does not even really exist any more. We are now on Twitter and social media sites where we can initiate and direct discussions.
Finally, we should not hesitate to think big in terms of creativity. I think that one of the most interesting ideas in terms of creativity is to bring people together who do not know each other and who do not necessarily have a common understanding, and tell them to have fun.
It is easy to imagine a first nations representative from Alberta talking to someone of Scottish descent from Cape Breton and creating an artistic or cultural project together. I think that initiatives like this could produce extraordinary results for a low cost.
You are probably familiar with the Grand-Pré national historic site, which was designated a UNESCO world heritage site this summer. A few years ago a large landmark tree at Grand-Pré fell. Three artists used the wood to create a 360 degree, three-dimensional sculpture. Part of the sculpture was carved by an anglophone artist from the region, another by an Acadian artist and another by a first nations artist. The merging of these three cultures created something phenomenal and unimaginable. I think that we could create something similar for the 150th anniversary of Confederation.