In The Lion's Cub, her 2018 Symons Medal address, eminent Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan examines the impact of the First War World on Canadian Confederation. With her characteristic flair and gift for telling detail, Margaret MacMillan shows the paradox of Canada's experience in the First World War. On the one hand, the Great War, as it was originally known, brought Canada closer to nationhood and gave many Canadians a greater sense of identity. On the other hand, the Great War also marked a time when Confederation was shaken and very nearly came apart. Its divisive impact continued to be felt throughout the twentieth century. And can still be felt today, in Canada's national political life, and in the relationship between Quebec and the rest of the country. Yet Canada survived, and continues to survive. And Margaret MacMillan concludes that this is the great strength of Confederation. The Lion's Cub suggests Canada's endurance should be recognized for the achievement it is. In a world where political boundaries are often as artificial as Canada's, the ability of our "improbable country" to survive and prosper may be an example of hope for a wider world. The Symons Medal is one of Canada's most prestigious honours. It is presented annually by the Confederation Centre of the Arts to honour persons who have made an exceptional contribution to Canadian life. Bilingual Edition - Historienne et ecrivaine canadienne de reputation internationale, Margaret MacMmillan aborde la Premiere Guerre mondiale et ses repercussions paradoxales sur le Canada dans son discours prononce en 2018 lors de la remise de la medaille Symons et intitule Le lionceau. Avec son style caracteristique et son talent inne de narratrice, Margaret MacMillan a revele le paradoxe saisissant de l'experience canadienne durant la Premiere Guerre mondiale. En effet, si la Grande Guerre, comme on l'appelait a l'epoque, a sensibilise le Canada a l'idee de nation et a confere a bon nombre de Canadiens un sentiment accru d'identite, elle a aussi symbolise une epoque ou la Confederation canadienne fut fortement ebranlee et faillit meme se desagreger. De plus, les risques de fracture resultant de la Grande Guerre perdurerent durant tout le XXe siecle. Et aujourd'hui encore, ses effets continuent de se faire sentir dans la vie politique nationale canadienne, particulierement dans les relations entre le Quebec et le reste du pays. Pourtant, le Canada a survecu et continue de survivre. Selon Margaret MacMillan, c'est d'ailleurs la plus grande force de la Confederation canadienne. Dans son ouvrage intitule Le lionceau, elle suggere que l'endurance et la resilience du Canada devraient etre imperativement reconnues a leur juste valeur. Dans un monde ou les frontieres politiques sont souvent aussi artificielles que celles du Canada, la capacite a survivre et a prosperer de notre " pays improbable " est un brillant exemple d'espoir pour un monde plus vaste et plus divers. La medaille Symons est une des recompenses honorifiques les plus prestigieuses du Canada. Chaque annee, elle est remise par le Centre des arts de la Confederation a une personne distinguee en reconnaissance de sa contribution exceptionnelle a la vie canadienne. Edition bilingue

A veritable artist, Maillet becomes a "creator of sounds, of colours, of forms and words." As she speaks, she paints a vast landscape of mountains and oceans, history and story, using the tools on her palette: blending the colours of myths and those of contemporary issues, creating an epic poem in a profoundly personal voice. This country she portrays is both young and old, speaks two languages, has a rich subconscious, and aspirations. She ends her lecture by re-telling a story originally written by Rabelais- which, incidentally, was penned the same year as the discovery of America. The grande dame of storytelling uses her art to make an appeal for solidarity, in favour of the protection of cultures and the preservation of languages. Will her country, she asks, the one made "of many faces" and paradoxes, "be able to give nations of diverse origins their rightful place?" Renowned, notably, for her iconic play La Sagouine, Antonine Maillet received the prestigious Prix Goncourt for her novel Pelagie-la-Charette, thereby becoming the first non-European laureate of the most prestigious award in France. Since then, she has published over twenty novels and many plays, and also translated several celebrated authors such as Shakespeare. She is the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Governor General Literary Award, the Royal Society of Canada's Lorne Pierce Medal, and the Prix Goncourt.