LATEST NEWS

October 12 2011

Adrienne Clarkson Receiving Honorary Doctorate of Letters Degree from Thorneloe University at 7:30 p.m. (Sudbury, Ontario)

October 17 2011

ICC Citizenship Ceremony at Rideau Hall (1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa)

October 17 2011

Book Launch Event For Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation at the Ottawa Writers' Festival, Southminster Church at 9:30pm (15 Aylmer Avenue, Ottawa) 

October 18 2011

ICC Citizenship Ceremony at Queen Victoria Public School at 10am (100 Close Avenue, Toronto)

October 18 2011

Book Launch Event For Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation at Toronto Public Library at 7:00pm (TPL Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto) 

October 19 2011

Book Launch Event For Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation at the Edmonton LitFest, Edmonton Public Library, Stanley Milner Branch at 7:00pm (7 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton) 

October 21 2011

Adrienne Clarkson Receiving Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from Royal Roads University at 9:30am (Royal Theatre, 3 Centennial Square, Victoria)

October 23 2011

Book Launch Event For Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation at the Vancouver International Writers' Festival, Granville Island Waterfront Theatre at 1:30pm (1412 Cartwright Street, Vancouver) 

October 26 2011

Book Launch Event For Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation at Concordia University, D.B. Clarke Theatre at 7:30pm (1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal) 

November 1 2011

Book Launch Event For Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation at Wordfest, Calgary Public Library, John Dutton Theatre at 7:00pm (616 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary) 

November 6 2011

Book Launch Event For Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation at The West End Cultural Centre at 2:00pm (586 Ellice Avenue at Sherbrook, Winnipeg)

INSTITUTE FOR CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP'S CULTURAL ACCESS PASS PROGRAM LAUNCHES IN CALGARY AND SOUTHERN ALBERTA
Calgary (AB), September 28, 2011

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) announces today the expansion of its Cultural Access Pass (CAP) program to Calgary and southern Alberta. The CAP program is a national initiative of the ICC with more than 600 museums, galleries, discovery centres, and natural parks across Canada offering new Canadian citizens complimentary access to these attractions for one year after becoming Canadian citizens.

At a special event this evening attended by Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, ICC Executive Director and CEO Gillian Hewitt Smith will announce the ICC's new partnerships with more than twenty distinguished cultural and historical attractions in Calgary and southern Alberta:

• Calgary: Aerospace Museum of Calgary, Art Gallery of Calgary, Cantos Music Foundation, Fort Calgary, Glenbow Museum, Heritage Park Historical Village, The Military Museums, the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts, Youthlink Calgary, The Calgary Police Interpretive Centre
• Banff: Walter Phillips Gallery
• Crowsnest Pass: Frank Slide Interpretive Centre Drumheller: Royal Tyrrell Museum
• Lethbridge: Southern Alberta Art Gallery, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery
• Red Deer Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery
• Sundre: Sundre & District Pioneer Village Museum

"The cultural communities of Calgary and southern Alberta have welcomed the Cultural Access Pass with open arms," said Hewitt Smith. "The CAP program helps to connect the thousands of people who become new citizens in Alberta each year to the region's thriving arts community. Through the CAP program, cultural attractions are able to develop a new membership base drawn from a brand-new audience, and build patron loyalty, thereby enhancing long-term sustainability. In effect, the CAP program offers the cultural sector an audience development opportunity on a national scale."

The CAP program has been operating successfully in the Edmonton and Fort McMurray regions for the past year, with more than 20 cultural attractions in the program. Alberta Parks is also a partner in the CAP program, with more than 500 provincial parks welcoming new Canadian citizens.

Discussions are ongoing with several other attractions in Alberta and across Canada seeking to join the CAP program. Added Hewitt Smith, "The ICC anticipates several new partners over the coming months, all in an effort to open doors for our newest citizens to experience the Canadian cultural landscape and make it their own. Our goal is to encourage all Canadians to connect with, engage in, and celebrate our citizenship."

In a recent survey of CAP program members, one new Canadian citizen said, "CAP is the fastest route to knowing the country." Not alone, 98% of survey respondents agreed that visiting cultural attractions helped them learn about and experience Canadian culture.

For further information on the Cultural Access Pass including the Calgary launch, CAP attractions and partnership opportunities, visit www.culturalaccesspass.ca or contact cap@culturalaccesspass.ca.

About the Institute for Canadian Citizenship
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship is a national, non-profit organization that engages Canadians in citizenship through innovative programs, campaigns and partnerships designed to ensure new citizens are welcomed and included as equals, to create meaningful connections among all Canadian citizens, to foster a culture of active, engaged citizens and to celebrate what it means to be Canadian. Our Building Citizenship program brings together new and established Canadians at community citizenship ceremonies; our Cultural Access Pass (CAP), generously supported by the Canadian Museums Association and the RBC Foundation, offers new citizens the chance to visit more than 600 attractions across Canada for free for a full year from the time they're sworn in; and our annual LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium fosters a debate on the future of Canada's civic culture. The ICC was founded and is co-chaired by the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul. The ICC is supported by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). For more information, visit www.icc-icc.ca.

For more information:
M. Daniel Roukema
Director, Communications
Institute for Canadian Citizenship
416.593.6998 ext: 225; droukema@icc-icc.ca