Heritage Minutes(1991)

Heritage Minutes is a Canadian television series of sixty-second shorts, each capturing a pivotal moment in the nation's history. Launched in March 1991 as part of a quiz show hosted by Rex Murphy, the series quickly became a fixture on CBC Television and CTV Network, airing between programs and before cinema screenings. Developed by the CRB Foundation, Canada Post Power Broadcasting, and the National Film Board, the shorts were devised and narrated by broadcaster Patrick Watson, with producer Robert Guy Scully overseeing the series. The foundation made the Minutes freely available to networks, and initially funded theatrical distribution across Canada. In 2009, Historica merged with The Dominion Institute to form The Historica-Dominion Institute. Regulatory bodies recognized Heritage Minutes as dramatic programming, allowing each sixty-second segment to count toward Canadian broadcast content requirements. The series remains a distinctive part of Canadian media culture.