The “Fight for Canada” images depicting Canadian and military heroes from the war sparked by a U.S. invasion of Canada 200 years ago have appeared frequently through CTV coverage of the Olympics, including the gritty soccer match between U.S. and Canadian women’s teams that sparked a storm of controversy and Canadian anger at disputed referee calls.
Liberal and NDP MPs said the ads, which invite viewers to visit a special government website also marking the 200th anniversary of an often vicious and bloody colonial and expansionist war, 1812.gc.ca, are inappropriately slotted in the coverage of a sporting event that was founded to bring nations together.
“It’s counter to the Olympic spirit, where sport was going to unite the world, right, in this relationship building,” Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s, Ont.) said in an interview with The Hill Times.
New Democrat MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, Man.) also described the Olympics as an inappropriate choice to broadcast a war anniversary, despite its early role in a series of turbulent events that led to the establishment of Canada as an independent dominion under the British North America Act of 1867.
“They must have spent a fortune on this Olympic advertising blitz,” Mr. Martin said. “Those high production levels don't come cheap and buying all that premium commercial space during the Olympics must have been a huge expense. It’s an odd spending priority in a time of restraint.”
Mr. Martin said there are probably better ways to show off Canadian identity during the Olympics. “Plus, the ads smack of a militaristic jingoism that is sort of contrary to the spirit of the Olympics. Is it the right time to celebrate military victories over your Olympic competitors?”
The government has come under criticism previously for its decision to spend at least $28-million on a range of War of 1812 anniversary celebrations—including a July 1 stage presentation of war scenes at Canada Day events on Parliament Hill.
Ms. Bennett, who last June protested the government’s failure to provide financial support to repair a crumbling monument to a famous First Nation leader who led a coalition of aboriginal warriors to fight with the British against the American invaders, Shawnee chief and battle general Tecumseh, said the government had other choices to mark the anniversary.
“Obviously in preparing for this year, a lot was made that it should be a celebration of 200 years of peace and it should be a real celebration of the role aboriginal people played,” she said. “We just don’t think that replaying these little short ads is the proper way of going about it, at the same time as cutting [funding for] the National Film Board.”
Ms. Bennett noted the government film board sponsored a widely praised series on the war of 1812. “Why aren’t they promoting that, getting that into schools? There are so many things you could use as a teachable moment, other than a little short extraordinarily expensive clip in primetime Olympic TV coverage.”
Shawnee leader Tecumseh is one of several War of 1812 heroes depicted in the Olympic advertisements. He died at the hands of U.S. militia from Kentucky on the Niagara Peninsula after overwhelmed regular British troops surrendered and the First Nation warriors continued to fight until they were overwhelmed. An authoritative 2007 history of the war by Jon Latimer quotes a letter written by a U.S. militia soldier who claimed he helped to "skin" Tecumseh.
The Canadian Heritage department did not respond by late Wednesday to questions about the television ads and why they were placed on Olympics coverage.
Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore (Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, B.C.) last June defended the War of 1812 anniversary expenses in an interview with the CBC. He told CBC the bicentennial is an opportunity to teach Canadians their own history, and said his government fully supports the anniversary expenditures.
“The Prime Minister is very keen on these kinds of projects that celebrate our past and unite us,” Mr. Moore said.
Original Article
Source: hill times
Author: Tim Naumetz
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