Dick Proctor, MP (Palliser) - Co-Chair

Nycole Turmel, Vice-President, Public Service Alliance of Canada - Co-Chair

Bill Blaikie, MP (Winnipeg-Transcona)

Alexa McDonough, MP (Halifax) and Leader, New Democratic Party of Canada

Marianne Roy, social activist (Montréal, Québec)

Maya Roy, social activist and journalist (Newmarket, Ontario)

Charles Taylor, Professor of Philosophy, McGill University

Ed Tchorzewski, former MLA of Regina Dewdney and former Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan

George Watts, Acting Chief, Tseshaht Band (BC)

The Social Democratic Forum on Canada’s Future was launched by a 1997 resolution of the New Democratic Party of Canada, which acknowledged a need to develop a clear vision of the future of the country that would resonate with all Canadians. New Democrats recognized that this vision could only be achieved through dialogue between a range of groups and individuals within the broader progressive community, including Aboriginal Peoples and social democrats in Québec. This was done in the belief that a majority of Canadians are social democrats by nature, and that finding a unified and uniting vision of social democracy will allow Canada to move forward into the new millennium.

In early 1998, the Party assembled a panel of nine distinguished Canadians to conduct the Social Democratic Forum on Canada’s Future. The Forum’s mandate was to enter into a dialogue with Canadians in all regions to create a vision for the future of the federation, one that is firmly rooted in progressive principles.

At the panel’s first meeting in March 1998, it decided to undertake a process of quiet reflection and outreach to the social democratic communities, to determine priorities and begin the process of building a common vision of the future of Canada. The panel members approved a 10-page discussion paper and a series of questions. The questions covered a broad range of issues, from the big picture - "How do you define Canada?" - to specific questions, like "How do we get the mix of cooperative federalism and country-wide standards right - to ensure the equality of Canadians?"

The Forum’s consultation was multifaceted and flexible. The discussion paper and questions were distributed to a wide range of groups and individuals within the NDP and the broader progressive community, including over 80 national, Québécois and provincial social movement groups, several national Aboriginal organizations, the Canadian Labour Congress, and all provincial/territorial federations of labour. Dozens of meetings, workshops, discussions, and events took place in every province as well as the Yukon. The Forum received written submissions from many individuals and from several riding associations which held their own workshops.

The outcome of this dialogue was a preliminary report presented to Federal Council on January 30, 1999. The report was sent to the groups and individuals that received the initial discussion package, as well as those that submitted written comments. Feedback was solicited from visitors to the NDP’s World Wide Web site. The panel met in April to consider the response and to draft its final report and recommendations. This report will be discussed at the National Convention of the New Democratic Party, August 27-29, 1999, where delegates will debate and vote on the Forum’s recommendations.

The Social Democratic Forum on Canada’s Future brought together progressive Canadians from all parts of the country: New Democrats, trade unionists, social activists, Aboriginal Peoples, and Canadians from many different social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Their voices reflected the diverse and dynamic reality that distinguishes Canada from all other countries. Yet they all shared one fundamental goal: to build a caring, compassionate society which recognizes and embraces its diversity and realizes the social, economic, cultural and democratic rights of all its inhabitants. What made the Forum so remarkable was the dedication of all who participated to finding constructive, progressive ways of making our federation work better for all Canadians.

The panel wishes to thank all of the individuals and organizations that have helped produce this document and helped make the Social Democratic Forum on Canada’s Future a success. They demonstrated that, through dialogue and cooperation, progressive Canadians can find proactive solutions to our collective challenges. Let us now begin the process of building a stronger, more responsive federation.