ARCHIVED – Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act 2008-2009

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Mathieu Da Costa Challenge
National Writing and Artwork Contest
2009 Winner: 9 to 12 years of age category

ADITYA MOHAN
Title: Mathieu Da Costa
John Young Elementary School
Ottawa, Ontario

A painting featuring Mathieu Da Costa (centre) acting as an intermediary between an Aboriginal man standing by a lake in front of a mountain range and a French settler standing in front of a ship. The left side of the painting features the Canadian flag while the right side features the flag of France

Introduction

Canada’s immigration policies continue to change the social fabric of our country. Today, Canada welcomes approximately 250,000 new permanent residents each year from around the world. Evidence of the increasing diversity of the Canadian population is illustrated by the top ten places of birth of immigrants to Canada from 2001 to 2006.

The 2006 census revealed that people from more than 200 ethnic origins make Canada their home, with visible minorities accounting for 16.2 percent of the total population, rising from 11.2 percent in 1996. These changing demographics demonstrate a significant recent growth in the country’s ethnic and religious diversity, a trend that will continue for the foreseeable future.

The Government of Canada is committed to helping new and established Canadians succeed and build together a strong, socially integrated society within a framework of shared values, citizenship, civic pride and memory. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act, which includes the Multiculturalism Policy of Canada, provides a legal policy framework to guide federal responsibilities and activities with regard to the advancement of multiculturalism in Canada.

Accordingly, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act:

• Reaffirms multiculturalism as a fundamental value of Canadian society;
• Encourages federal institutions to uphold longstanding values of respect, fairness and equality of opportunity with respect to members of diverse groups;
• Helps protect the rights of all Canadians, foster the full participation of all members of society, celebrate Canada’s diverse heritage, and recognize the vast contributions of all Canadians regardless of their ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic background; and
• Encourages federal institutions to carry out their activities in a manner that is sensitive and responsive to the multicultural reality of Canada.

Each year, the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism is required to table a report in Parliament detailing the activities and achievements of the Canadian government and federal institutions in implementing the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.

The 2008–2009 Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act marks the 21^st year this report has been tabled in Parliament.

When the Honourable Jason Kenney was appointed Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism in the fall of 2008, the Multiculturalism Program was transferred from the Department of Canadian Heritage to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). This transfer allows for greater coordination between the government’s programs for the short-term and long-term integration of newcomers and the development of an integrated, socially cohesive society for all Canadians.

This year’s annual report highlights the activities carried out by the CIC Multiculturalism Program, and the activities, challenges and successes of more than 120 federal institutions between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009.

The report is divided into two sections. Part One highlights the key achievements of CIC’s Multiculturalism Program. The Multiculturalism Program promotes the full and equitable participation of individuals and communities of all origins in the continuing evolution and shaping of all aspects of Canadian society, and helps identify and eliminate barriers to that participation. The new policy objectives of the Multiculturalism Program are also outlined in this section.

Part Two shifts the focus to other federal institutions, and the opportunities and challenges they faced in 2008‑2009 while meeting their obligations under the Act. These obligations include ensuring that Canadians of all origins have an equal opportunity for employment and advancement in their respective institution; promoting policies, programs, services and practices that enhance understanding of, and respect for, the growing diversity of Canadian society; and carrying out activities in a way that is sensitive and responsive to Canada’s multicultural reality.

This year, 122 federal institutions provided submissions for the report. The size and scope of the institutions range from large federal departments such as Human Resources and Skills Development Canada with 28,000 employees, to smaller institutions such as the Cape Breton Development Corporation with 15 employees. While space would not allow for a full account of the submissions received from all federal institutions, a detailed list of institutions that provided submissions can be found at the end of this report.

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