ARCHIVED – Annual Report on the Operation of The Canadian Multiculturalism Act 2006–2007

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Executive Summary

Diversity is a source of strength in our country and during 2006–07, the Government of Canada continued to demonstrate its commitment to multiculturalism.

On June 22, 2006, the Government of Canada offered a full apology for the Head Tax imposed on Chinese–Canadians and further announced the implementation of ex–gratia symbolic payments to recognize the stigma and hardship endured as a result of the Chinese Head Tax. The Canadian Government considered the Head Tax imposed on Chinese–Canadians to be inconsistent with the values that Canadians hold today.

Furthermore, Canada is a source of knowledge and experience in fostering pluralism through laws, institutions and federal policies that promote the equal participation of all people in society while encouraging them to retain their cultural, linguistic and religious heritage. In October 2006, the Government of Canada signed an agreement with the Aga Khan Development Network to establish the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa. The mission of the Centre is to promote pluralism as a fundamental value and cornerstone of peace, stability and human development.

With federal policies that encourage diversity, Canada is considered a world leader in supporting pluralism. In this 2006–07 reporting period, federal institutions undertook significant initiatives to advance the principles and requirements of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.

More institutions are demonstrating support for the Act in their corporate culture, starting with embedding references to multiculturalism and diversity in their vision, mission, values, and mandate statements. Federal institutions are increasingly expecting senior management to be accountable for implementing multiculturalism and progressively, more institutions are establishing multiculturalism and diversity committees to undertake initiatives in support of multiculturalism.

Federal institutions recognize and support a wider range of multicultural events both in their workplaces and with the general public. They continue to establish partnerships and consult ethnocultural and other groups to make meaningful improvements to programs and services so that they are more accessible and responsive to a diverse Canadian public. Organizations are regularly examining both internal and external policies to ensure they reflect Canada’s diversity, and they continue to implement comprehensive programs to serve the needs of all Canadians from all backgrounds.

Many have taken steps to promote diversity. Institutions continue to work toward bridging potential representation gaps to make their workforces reflective of a diverse Canadian society.

Federal institutions are increasingly recognizing the benefits of having a diverse workforce, including multilingual skills and cultural understanding that help to enhance services to Canadians both at home and abroad, in addition to bringing fresh ideas and diverse perspectives to the workplace.

Federal organizations are increasingly incorporating multiculturalism and diversity in their research undertakings with the ultimate goal of making internal decision–making processes more informed and capable of meeting the needs of Canada’s diverse society.

Despite these accomplishments, work remains to be done to fully realize the ideals of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act in all federal policies, programs and activities. Multiculturalism goes beyond celebrating the rich heritage of the many cultures in Canada, it is an important component of the broader concept of pluralism, which requires making meaningful efforts to create an inclusive society in which Canadians of all backgrounds can participate and meaningfully contribute to the ongoing evolution of a multicultural Canada.

The institutions profiled in this report are models, having demonstrated progress and continue to adapt to the changing nature of diversity.

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