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“Something as significant as the 150th anniversary of a country is really something that should transcend political parties,” he said.

The medals, he said, are “a simple yet dignified and honourable way for the country, for the government, to say thank you.”

A source close to the project described the favoured design, as of last September, as a circular silver medal with a Maple Leaf on the front and a royal cypher in the middle of the leaf. Surrounding the Maple Leaf was the text, “Confederation CANADA Confédération.”

The back of the medal featured the Canadian coat of arms and the dates 1867-2017. An attached ribbon would feature thick red stripes on the edges, with thin red stripes on white in the middle.

Designs for medal certificates were ready, too, as were draft regulations that would oversee the program and Letters Patent to be signed by the prime minister and the Queen.

Asked why plans were cancelled haven’t been approved, Joly was tight-lipped.

“We will be making sure to celebrate the hard-working Canadians that are in every community,” she said last week, and “we have a very new way of celebrating.”

During question period Wednesday, Conservative MP Peter Van Loan accused the government of jumping at “every chance to kill a proud tradition.”

“Why this ongoing Liberal war on history and tradition?” he said. Joly replied, “Canada 150 will be a great year, and we will celebrate, of course, history.”

A Canadian Heritage spokesman said there were no plans for a medal program.