As Canada marks its 150th birthday this year, President Timmons spoke at the Spring 2017 Convocation about how universities in Canada have changed during that time. Here is what she shared with the audience. Our annual spring convocation is particularly noteworthy this year, because 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation. Of course, the country we now call Canada existed long before 1867. For thousands of years it was the traditional home of First Nations people. In the centuries just before Confederation, it became a new land of opportunity for British and French settlers. And it also became home to the Metis people, as well as settlers from other parts of the world.