This "Unofficial" Canada 150 Project Gave Us a Glimpse at the Future of Citizenship

Author Vinod Rajasekaran
The 151st is about to close. What did we do differently this year?

Why It Matters

We speak to Peter MacLeod — of MASS LBP, Canada’s home for democratic innovation — about how milestones like the 150th can teach us not-so-obvious things that help us unleash our social imagination in order to address some of the country's most pressing challenges.

The year after 150th feels like the year after my graduation. There was a lot of pressure. Folks said, “He spent a lot of money on that degree. How did he use it?” Now, how do you see the year after 150th?

Maybe this torches your analogy a bit, but I don’t think we graduated. I don’t think the 150th was, in any meaningful way, a success. In fact, I think many people would say it was a bit of a non-event. It certainly didn’t leave the kind of mark on the country that the Centennial did. As two major milestones, they are miles apart.

Why was that?

Part of the reason is context. It was the ‘60s, we were in the midst of the Baby Boom. Canada’s population was growing and our economy was roaring. Canadians asked themselves, “What should a self-respecting coun

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