At home and abroad: 75th anniversary of CBC/Radio-Canada
August 30, 2011
Today’s TV, radio and Internet news reports will figure among tomorrow’s most accessible sources of historical information. Day by day, history is being written by the men and women who are reporting on current events. In commemoration of CBC/Radio-Canada’s 75th anniversary, the Canadian War Museum will host two conferences that bring together experts and prominent figures from both the Museum and from Canada’s public broadcaster to explore these historic themes and answer questions.
Tales of war
Imagine what it’s like to experience, first-hand, the armed conflicts unfolding on the planet…to work under perilous conditions…to be at the heart of the action and the suffering – armed with nothing more than a camera, a microphone and a notepad.
On Thursday, September 29, 2011, Andrew Burtch, Canadian War Museum Historian, will join two well-known foreign correspondents from CBC/Radio-Canada, Raymond Saint-Pierre and Nahlah Ayed, to discuss topics such as the changing role of war reporters; their relations with the military; their access to strategically sensitive information; their influence in shaping public opinion surrounding armed conflicts; and the ensuing socio-political responses. The work of the media, reporting and transmitting news from the front to audiences at home, comprises an essential chapter in Canada’s military history.
Abroad, but mostly at home
Given the extensive coverage of Canada’s military role in Afghanistan, the public may sometimes forget that an equally important mandate of the Canadian Forces is to protect Canada and defend its sovereignty.
In fact, only a small proportion of Canadian military personnel take part in missions abroad, while more than 9,000 members remain at home and are on hand to ensure the peace and security of Canada. The War of 1812, the Cold War, the war on terror, espionage – these are but a few instances of the armed forces’ historic role in providing national security in peace and war.
The Canadian Forces also respond to emergency situations that beset Canadian communities. From the 1998 Ice Storm, to floods in Manitoba, to the recent plane crash in Resolute Bay, we have seen military personnel deliver assistance to disaster victims and ensure the security of civilians.
As such dramas unfold, they are invariably observed by CBC/Radio-Canada reporters who, for 75 years, have covered all the major events that have marked our national history. On Thursday, October 13, 2011, the Canadian War Museum invites you to hear its Director of Research and Exhibitions, Dean Oliver, and a pair of respected CBC/Radio-Canada journalists, Bruno Bonamigo and James Cudmore, in a discussion surrounding the role of the armed forces within Canada.