ARCHIVED – Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act 2010-2011

This Web page has been archived on the Web

Foreword from the Minister

As Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, I am proud to introduce this 23rd Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. It highlights the initiatives undertaken in 2010–2011 by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and other Government of Canada institutions.

The Government of Canada updated the federal Multiculturalism Program to focus on intercultural and interfaith understanding, shared liberal values and the promotion of enhanced civic pride, and institutional responsiveness to the needs of a pluralistic society. It is also why, in March 2011, we updated Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship – our popular citizenship study guide – to further strengthen its content on core Canadian values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and the equality of men and women.

This past February, as part of Black History Month, I was pleased to announce the launch of a new, online black history museum. Canadian Black History: An Interactive Experience was developed by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration in partnership with black cultural institutions and historical sites across the country. Visitors to the virtual museum can view photos, exhibits and videos, hear musicians and explore 360-degree views of significant locations.

Through the Community Historical Recognition Program, we continued in 2010–2011 to fulfil our commitment to support projects that acknowledge, commemorate, and educate Canadians about historic immigration-related issues – like the internment of Italian Canadians and others during the Second World War, the Komagata Maru incident affecting South Asian immigrants, and the Chinese Exclusion Act and head tax. We must never forget the dark chapters in our immigration story. When we in Canada talk about multiculturalism, we envision pluralism, intercultural understanding and equality of opportunity. We must acknowledge the mistakes in our past so that we can ensure that those mistakes are never repeated and draw lessons to build a society defined by respect for Canadian values and traditions.

Another example is the voyage of the MS St. Louis, carrying Jewish passengers escaping the Holocaust during the Second World War. To commemorate this chapter in our history, I joined in the January 2011 unveiling of the “Wheel of Conscience” monument at Pier 21 in Halifax. The monument, designed by famed architect Daniel Libeskind, symbolizes the connection between hatred, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

Canada has been leading efforts to combat anti-Semitism through active involvement in the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education Remembrance and Research (ITF). In December 2011, the ITF confirmed Canada as its Chair for 2013. Our leadership is also represented through our participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA). In November 2010, Canada hosted the second conference of the ICCA, which brought together parliamentarians from over 50 countries and concluded with the ratification of the Ottawa Protocol, signalling a coordinated global effort to fight anti-Semitism. On September 19, 2011, I signed the Ottawa Protocol on behalf of our country, making Canada the first signatory to the protocol.

These and other initiatives are outlined in the pages that follow, as are the many ways in which the federal government has worked to meet its responsibilities under the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. I support such efforts and encourage the members of all communities to participate fully in Canadian society, and to promote integration, pluralism, and civic engagement.

The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

| Contents | Next >>