The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Honourable David Anderson, Minister of the Environment and Colin Maxwell, Executive Vice President of the Canadian Wildlife Federation, have unveiled the next generation of the Hinterland Who's Who public service announcements and a new Web site. "Hinterland Who's Who is an icon of Canadian culture and was for many Canadians their first connection to wildlife," said Minister Anderson. "This new series will help to broaden that connection, and at the same time, build our understanding of the importance of conserving and protecting Canada's rich natural heritage." "Our goal is to reach as many Canadians as possible and encourage them to take action," said Colin Maxwell. "The important thing to remember is that each of us can make a difference when it comes to preserving our natural heritage." A total of eight Hinterland Who's Who public service announcements have been produced in both official languages. They are composed of 30-second segments that build on the classic theme of the original Hinterland Who's Who public service announcements, and 60-second segments for younger audiences. The first four species being highlighted are: the Polar Bear, the Common Loon, the Leatherback Seaturtle and the Monarch Butterfly. The new Hinterland Who's Who Web site provides an abundance of in-depth information on a variety of wildlife species in Canada and their habitat. It also offers teaching material for educators and tips for the public to take action to protect Canada's natural environment. Hinterland Who's Who was created in the early 1960s by the Canadian Wildlife Service to use the new medium of television, and was introduced by the haunting flute melody familiar to millions of Canadians. Behind the public service announcements lay a series of printed fact sheets that provided in-depth descriptions of a variety of species. The television announcements encouraged viewers to contact the Canadian Wildlife Service to obtain these fact sheets - and hundreds did every week. Hinterland Who's Who is the longest-running series of 60-second educational public service announcements in Canada today. Taking a cue from its successful past Ð including the familiar theme music Ð the new series of announcements is set to connect the next generation of Canadians with their wildlife heritage. Combined together, the public service announcements and the Web site will serve to maintain the link millions of viewers made with wildlife through the original series and, by expressing the importance of protecting our natural legacy, to help ensure that wildlife continues to be an essential part of what it means to be Canadian. The next generation of Hinterland's Who's Who is a collaboration between Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Federation, a national non-profit conservation organization.
