Historica Canada is the country's largest organization dedicated to enhancing awareness of Canadian history and citizenship. All of its programs are offered bilingually and reach more than eight million Canadians annually.
A registered national charitable organization, Historica Canada is the product of a 2009 merger of two existing groups – the Historica Foundation of Canada and The Dominion Institute.
Following the merger, the organization was known as The Historica-Dominion Institute until it changed to its present name in September 2013. While Historica Canada’s headquarters are in Toronto, it also operates the Ottawa-based Encounters with Canada youth program, and staff regularly travel across the country to meet participants and facilitate programming. At present, the Chair of the organization is Toronto businessman Stephen Smith, while Anthony Wilson-Smith has been President and Chief Executive Officer since September, 2012. Other members of the Board of Directors include some of Canada's most prominent citizens, such as Chair Emeritus Avie Bennett – a Companion of the Order of Canada; businessman and philanthropist Charles Bronfman; and comedian and social commentator Rick Mercer.
Some of the organizations best-known programs include its collection of more than 80 Heritage Minutes – 60 second vignettes re-enacting important and remarkable incidents in Canada's history – and The Canadian Encyclopedia, the only known national encyclopedia of its nature in the Western world.
Aboriginal Arts & Stories invites First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists aged 11 to 29 to interpret an aspect of their culture and heritage through literary and visual arts. 2010-2011 is the first year the contest expanded to accept arts submissions, after six years as exclusively a writing competition.
A jury of accomplished Aboriginal authors, artists, and community leaders select the winning submissions, including Drew Hayden Taylor, Kent Monkman and Lee Maracle. Honorary Patrons of the program include Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Terry Audla, and Métis National Council President Clément Chartier.