Public Services and Procurement Canada employees celebrating Canada’s big year

Whether it be assembling a time capsule on Parliament Hill or participating in contests and quizzes, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) employees are taking part in a variety of activities across the country in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary. With a focus on diversity and inclusion, youth, the environment, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, the activities organized by our department reflect the 4 themes chosen for Canada’s big year.

Diversity and inclusion

Dressed in Canada’s national colours and with flags in hand, PSPC employees showed their Canadian pride and excitement for this year’s Canada Day celebrations by wishing Canada a happy birthday in 18 different languages. Though most of these languages are foreign to us, they all deliver the same message: happy birthday, Canada! Discover the diversity that exists within our department by watching this video.

Youth

Vanguard: PSPC’s Young Professionals Network strives to build a community of young professionals by providing them with learning, professional development and networking opportunities, to help them reach their full potential. On June 7, the network hosted its ninth annual forum, Together Towards the Future. The full-day event brought together young professionals from across Canada to immerse themselves in interactive workshops and informative presentations. This official Canada 150 event looked to the future of the public service by engaging the next generation of change makers.

“If no one is listening, don’t shout. Change the message. If it’s hard, it’s because what you are doing is important.” Keynote speaker Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder of War Child Canada and War Child USA

2 employees from our Atlantic Region, Cindy O’Driscoll and Derek AuCoin, are accompanied by a representative from the Sackville Rivers Association. 150 tree saplings were donated to the association.

Environment

In the Atlantic Region, PSPC employees donated and sold more than 1,000 tree saplings as part of Canadian Environment Week. The trees varied from red spruce, to white spruce, to white pine. The profits made from the tree sale were used to fund other green activities throughout the week. One of them involved purchasing and donating 150 trees to the Sackville Rivers Association in honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary. The tree saplings were handed over to the association to support its river restoration project, an effort to preserve and restore the Sackville River Watershed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Initiatives like this one took place not only in PSPC’s Atlantic Region, but also in its offices across Canada. PSPC employees took action to build a cleaner and more sustainable world for future generations of Canadians through clean-ups, recycling, educational talks, planting and waste-free activities.

Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples

Along with all Government of Canada departments, PSPC supports National Aboriginal Day through various activities across the country each year. This year, on June 21, PSPC employees came together to celebrate both National Aboriginal Day and Canada’s 150th anniversary during the Aboriginal Day Live telecast at the Halifax Waterfront. Many events, including a sunrise ceremony, lighting of the sacred fire, telling of traditional stories, a canoe building demonstration and Mi’kmaq culinary demonstrations, took place throughout the day to celebrate the diversity and culture of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

During the event, the crowd gathered into 3 large circles to perform Canada’s largest round dance. The round dance is a form of celebration that requires participants to join hands and side-step to the beat of the drum. The union of hands symbolizes the equality of all people in the circle.

Dedicated and proud to serve Canadians, the 12,000 employees who make up our department are celebrating Canada’s past as well as looking forward to Canada’s future. For the next 150 years, they will continue to care for the environment, to celebrate diversity, to engage with youth and to renew their relationship with Indigenous peoples.

Photo gallery

Check out these photos showcasing some of the other Canada 150-themed activities that took place across our regional offices.

PSPC staff from the Atlantic Region shared what Canada means to them by creating an “images of Canada” mosaic using blank puzzle pieces and a touch of creativity!

Adam Trowsdale, from the Bedford Row office, is proudly exploring our wonderful country through a 150-kilometre walk around Halifax Regional Municipality.

With 2 seeds, a cup of dirt, and 3 weeks to nurture their flowers, employees from our Edmonton office showed off their gardening skills during a sunflower growing competition as part of Canadian Environment Week. Madison Lalonde won for “best Canada 150 themed.” She is posing with her colleague Jamie Brown.

Since 1841, PSPC and its public servants have helped build Canada into what it is today. To help celebrate over 150 years of building our country, our Western Region hosted a Lego building competition. Creativity flowed as a motorcade, canoe portage and Canadian symbols were built.
From left to right: Corey Chang, Karey Martin, Sara Kelly, Heather Treichel, Kathleen Power, Chris Vandermeer and Cheryl Striker.

More information

• Sackville Rivers Association website
• Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada website
• More about National Aboriginal Day