Hon. Marty Klyne: Minister, thank you for your ongoing service and for taking the time to join us to field a few questions.

My question for you is regarding the RCMP Heritage Centre, located adjacent to the elite RCMP training academy in Regina, where every Mountie has trained since 1885.

The RCMP Heritage Centre is a majestic, 65,000-square-foot facility and houses 18,000 square feet of exhibits.

In 2019, both the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party committed to establishing the RCMP Heritage Centre as a national museum. In its Fall Economic Statement last December, the Government of Canada proposed $12 million for the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the RCMP Heritage Centre, and they reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming it into a national museum.

Minister, given the RCMP’s national significance, please update the Senate on progress and next steps toward officially transforming it into a national museum.

Hon. Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P., Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages: Thank you, senator, for your question. I was in Regina recently, in fact, where I had the chance to meet with the leadership team for the RCMP museum. They have done impressive work. Currently, the collection and land are being managed by the RCMP.

We are in active discussion with the RCMP Heritage Centre to move forward on making this happen. We’re working together on a path forward for its creation.