91̽»¨app

Since 2004, Canada has celebrated April as “Celebrate Diversity Month.”  This month is about helping people understand and appreciate each other’s differences and similarities.  It’s a time to learn more about our country’s many cultures and to show support for a more inclusive and welcoming Canada. The Government of Canada, along with many community organizations, help promote this important month.

Canada has always taken pride in being a multicultural country. In 1988, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act made Canada the first country in the world to adopt a policy of multiculturalism at the national level. Diversity Month reminds us of the values we share as a country—acceptance, respect, and inclusion. It also supports our rights under the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

When we look back at Canada’s history, we see that people from many cultures helped build this country. Some examples include:

• Mathieu Da Costa was the first Black person known to arrive in Canada in 1605 with explorers.
• Many Chinese and Japanese immigrants who settled in Vancouver in the mid to late 1800s and helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway.
• The first Punjabi Sikh settlers arrived in 1902 in Golden, British Columbia, to work at the Lumber Company. 
• Ben Flores was the first known Filipino to migrate to Canada in 1929 and settle in Bowen Island.

These are just a few of the many settlers of diverse backgrounds, races, religions, languages, and cultural traditions who stepped onto Turtle Island a long time ago.

The latest census shows Canada’s birth rate is only 19 per cent. Immigration is key to Canada’s future— especially as our population gets older. According to Statistics Canada, immigrants contribute to every sector of Canada’s economy. As of May 2021, immigrants from ages 25 – 54 represented:

• Over 36 per cent of people working in accommodation and food services
• Nearly 38 per cent are working in the transportation and warehousing sector
• Over 34 per cent are working in professional, scientific and technical services
• Over 20 per cent are working in construction
• More than 1.9 million work in the healthcare sector & many more are needed now
• Nearly 34 per cent of all transportation sector workers who deliver essential products & services across Canada

Learning about Canada’s history and the contributions of the many different cultural groups also promotes equity, meaning all individuals, regardless of their background, have equal access to opportunities and can participate fully in society. Diversity Month can also be a time for more education and to bring light to the mistakes and harms of the past towards ethnic groups so we don’t repeat them.

Ways You Can Celebrate Diversity Month:

• Learn about cultures beyond  food and music
• Support minority-owned local businesses 
• Volunteer with groups that promote diversity and inclusion
• Attend cultural events
• Visit museums and art galleries to learn about different worldviews
• Organize cultural events at your place of work where folks can share their stories
• Check out and share 91̽»¨app’s Celebrate Everything Calendar
• Invite guest speakers from different cultural groups to your workplaces and schools
• Celebrate the achievements of cultural groups that have contributed to the growth of Canada
• Foster a culture of belonging in your home, community, and workplace: understand the meaning behind the Ethic of Hospitality by taking belonging one step further to ensure that attachments are developed
• Engage in open and respectful conversations: talk to people from different backgrounds and learn from their experiences because listening and sharing life stories is crucial in gaining greater empathy and compassion
• Read books about different cultures and authors
• Listen to Elders’ stories
• Stand Up, speak up and advocate for diversity

Diversity Month is a time to learn, celebrate, and connect. We know all too well that this is important now more than ever. But it should not end on April 30. Let’s make inclusion, equity, and anti-racism part of our daily lives. When we celebrate diversity all year, we help build a stronger, more united Canada—one where everyone belongs.