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

This Web page has been archived on the Web

Part Three: The Multiculturalism Program 2010-2011

"Tecumseh – War of 1812"

Lexi Hilderman
Calgary Arts Academy, Calgary, Alberta
Winner: Mathieu Da Costa Challenge, Best Artwork 2010–2011, Ages 9–12 category

Description: The artist used black pen to create a representation of Tecumseh and the War of 1812. Tecumseh looks over his right shoulder in the centre of the maple leaf in the middle of the drawing, with leaves blowing around him. In the top left corner, the artist drew a picture of Sir Isaac Brock riding a horse, and in the top right corner, there is a drawing of William Harrison.

As the diversity of Canada has changed, so has the implementation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. The Department of Citizenship and Immigration provides strategic direction for implementing the Act and its Multiculturalism Program focuses on the following policy objectives:

• Building an integrated, socially cohesive society;
• Making institutions more responsive to the needs of Canada’s diverse population; and
• Engaging in international discussions on multiculturalism and diversity.

This part of the report highlights the Department’s activities during the 2010–2011 reporting period, organized under three broad themes: promoting economic, social and cultural integration; supporting public and federal institutions; and complementary initiatives undertaken by the Department to promote integration.

Promoting Economic, Social and Cultural Integration

The Multiculturalism Program uses a range of tools and strategies to promote intercultural understanding and social and cultural inclusion. This includes supporting projects that address the specific needs of communities across the country, raising awareness of and informing the public discourse on multiculturalism through targeted initiatives, and giving guidance to federal institutions that provide services to Canadians.

Winners of the "Racism. Stop It!" National Video Competition (Ottawa), March 2011. Photo courtesy of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

Inter-Action Grants and Contributions Program

Inter-Action, Canada’s multiculturalism grants and contributions program, was relaunched in June 2010 with new terms and conditions. Funding is provided to support initiatives that contribute directly to the program’s objectives through two streams: the Projects Stream and the Events Stream.

The Inter-Action Projects Stream provides funding for multi-year community development or engagement projects to promote integration. In June 2010, the Department launched the first Inter-Action Call for Proposals (CFP), for which approximately 750 proposals were received. With this CFP, priority was given to projects in which youths, youths-at-risk, faith communities and organizations or immigrants were the primary beneficiaries. Priority was also given to projects that addressed citizenship rights and responsibilities or that facilitated positive interaction among different cultural, ethnic and religious communities in Canada.

By the end of 2010–2011, the Multiculturalism Program had approved $13,177,592 in funding for 46 projects undertaken by a broad range of organizations and institutions that address the needs of communities across the country.

The Inter-Action Events Stream provides funding for community-based events that foster one or more of the following: intercultural or interfaith understanding, civic memory and pride, and respect for core democratic values. The primary goal of this stream is to create concrete opportunities for interaction among cultural and faith communities. Events funded through this stream are intended for and open to all Canadians. By the end of 2010–2011, the Multiculturalism Program had provided $901,753 to support 94 events across Canada.

Immigration Celebration: 20 Years of Changing the Face of Manitoba (Winnipeg), 2011.

Public Education and Outreach

The Paul Yuzyk Award for Multiculturalism recognizes individuals and groups in communities across Canada that have made exceptional contributions to multiculturalism and diversity. Throughout his life, the late Senator Yuzyk worked tirelessly to call attention to the importance of multiculturalism and emphasized “unity in diversity” as a foundational concept in the continuing evolution of Canada. This award commemorates his achievements.

The year 2010 was the second year the award was given, but was the first year that nominations of candidates were solicited from the general public. The Department used social media to promote the award, reaching out to target audiences through YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia and blogs. As a result, the Department was pleased to receive 88 nominations from across Canada.

The award recipient for 2010 was Paul Nguyen in the Outstanding Achievement category. The Outstanding Achievement award is given to an individual or a group that has demonstrated a significant contribution to Canadian multiculturalism.

The Honourable Jason Kenney (right) with Paul Nguyen, recepient of the 2010 Paul Yuzyk Award for Multiculturalism (Toronto), June 2010. Photo courtesy of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

The Mathieu Da Costa Challenge (MDC) is a national writing and artwork competition for youths that promotes cultural diversity in Canada. A total of 698 entries were received for 2010–2011.

In February 2011, the Department worked in partnership with the Halifax 2011 Canada Games Host Society to host the MDC awards. The awards ceremony was held outdoors in downtown Halifax and was open to the public.

The winners participated in a number of educational and cultural activities, including Acadian entertainment, a visit to the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia, a bus tour of Halifax, a tour of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and an interpretative presentation on the MS St. Louis, and a tour of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

In 2010–2011, together with the Canadian Library Association, the Department created a travelling exhibit that displayed a number of MDC winning and semi-finalist entries in both the artwork and written categories. The exhibit travelled to eight major Canadian cities (Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax) and was posted for approximately one month in a library branch in each city.

The “Racism. Stop It!” National Video Competition (NVC) is a wide-reaching program for youths between the ages of 12 and 20, inviting them to submit short videos expressing their thoughts on eliminating racism. A total of 293 videos were submitted from across Canada during 2010–2011. Often humorous and poignant, the videos provided commentary on the themes of unity in diversity and our common ties, creating a public dialogue about fighting racism by celebrating who we are.

Winners of the Mathieu Da Costa Challenge at the Award Ceremony with the 2011 Canada Winter Games Mascots (Halifax), February 2011. Photo courtesy of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

The semi-finalist videos were posted on YouTube for two weeks in early February 2011 for online voting. The video “Together” from the Junior Youth Group in Vancouver received the most “thumbs up” on YouTube’s voting system and was selected as the Public Choice Award winner. The 11 winning videos were edited from their original versions to 30-second public service announcements (PSAs). Citizenship and Immigration Canada branding was included in each video. The PSAs were distributed to Vrak.TV, Omni and Access for broadcast.

The NVC partners were Omni, Access, the Canadian Libraries Association, the Canadian Commission for Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the United Nations Association in Canada, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Panasonic and the National Film Board. The National Capital Commission, Corel and Carleton University also contributed to the initiative.

During Black History Month, held every year in February, Canadians take time to reflect on the rich history and important contributions of black Canadians in the continuing evolution of our country. The 2011 Black History Month was launched nationally in Ottawa on February 2, with a special ceremony hosted by Minister Kenney, and attended by more than 200 guests.

In 2010–2011, the Department continued to expand on the theme Proud of Our History, and three new celebratory initiatives were unveiled: a new poster honouring the accomplishments of prominent black Canadians John Ware, Carrie Best, Ferguson Jenkins and Jarome Iginla; a new online black museum entitled Canadian Black History: An Interactive Experience; and the release of Ferguson Jenkins and Carrie Best commemorative stamps by Canada Post.

The Honourable Jason Kenney (left) and Dr. Leslie Olivier, President of the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia (Ottawa), February 2011. Photo courtesy of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

Canadian Black History: An Interactive Experience, an educational online tool on the Department’s “Teachers and Youth Web Corner” Web page, is a virtual museum treasure hunt, highlighting prominent black Canadians past and present, key locations and other factors of Canadian black history. The virtual museum can be accessed at www.cic.gc.ca/english/games/museum.

In communities across Canada, Asian Heritage Month (AHM) is celebrated every year in May. Asian Canadians: A Proud History, a Promising Future was the theme for Asian Heritage Month 2010. On April 29, 2010, Minister Kenney hosted a successful AHM launch on Parliament Hill, attended by nearly 275 guests from various cultural organizations and community groups. The 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War was recognized during the launch.

For the first time, an AHM poster was developed to further promote and educate Canadians on the Month. The AHM poster featured Kim Thúy Ly and the Honourable Norman L. Kwong.

Dance performance by Crazy Smooth and Bboyizm Dance Company at the "Racism. Stop It!" award ceremony (Ottawa), March 2011. Photo courtesy of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

Overall, the Department participated in 27 AHM-related activities across the country between late April and early May 2010. The activities included various presentations and performances, receptions, a regional e-quilt poster featuring photographs of AHM events, an AHM-related tour bus, art displays, youth-focused forums and lectures, and meetings with well-known Asian writers. The activities fostered intercultural collaboration, networking and engagement.

The Department continued to partner with key cultural organizations to further provide Canadians with educational and promotional events. Some of the key organizations and community groups that the Department supported include the Ottawa Asian Heritage Society, the Asian Heritage Month Festival Society in Vancouver, the Asian Heritage Foundation, Asian Heritage Manitoba, the Canadian Multicultural Council – Asians in Ontario, the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, the Ismaili Council for Ontario and the Asian Heritage Society of New Brunswick.

"Carrie Best" Black History Month Commemorative Stamp (2011). Photo courtesy of Canada Post Corporation.

Historical Recognition Programs

Historical Recognition Programs respond to the Government of Canada’s commitment to recognize and commemorate the experiences of communities affected by wartime measures or historical immigration restrictions or prohibitions, and to educate Canadians about these experiences and the contributions these communities have made to building Canada. The programs – the Community Historical Recognition Program and the National Historical Recognition Program – involve the affected communities in promoting reconciliation and supporting full engagement in Canadian society.

In 2008, the Government of Canada launched the four-year Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP) to acknowledge, commemorate and educate Canadians about the historical experiences and contributions of communities affected by wartime measures and immigration restrictions.

In 2010–2011, 34 projects worth more than $4.6 million were approved for funding. Eleven projects were completed in 2010–2011. Chinese-, Jewish-, Italian- and Indo-Canadian community groups received funding for a wide range of projects, including the following:

• A website to house a permanent repository of information about the Chinese Head Tax, including stories and testimonials collected through CHRP projects;
• A documentary film focusing on Chinese-Canadian war veterans;
• A monument in Vancouver’s Harbour Green Park dedicated to the Komagata Maru incident;
• An historical centre in Toronto and an online exhibit recognizing and commemorating the internment of Italian-Canadians during the Second World War; and
• A permanent exhibit with a sculptural mural and wall-mounted photographs, a children’s book and a bilingual booklet commemorating the story of the MS St. Louis.

For more information on historical recognition programs, visit www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/programs.

Captain Jung-Kwon Seo delivers a speech during Asian Heritage Month (Ottawa), May 2010. Photo courtesy of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

Yadong Guan, a pipa player, performs during Asian Heritage Month (Ottawa), May 2010. Photo courtesy of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

Other Initiatives

In January 2010, Minister Kenney announced that the Government of Canada had designated 2010 as the Year of the British Home Child in Canada to commemorate the over 100,000 children brought from Britain to Canada under the United Kingdom’s Child Migration Scheme from 1869 through to the late 1940s. Sent to live with Canadian families, many of these children endured great hardship as they were frequently employed as domestic servants or farm labourers.

The British Home Child evening reception at Library and Archives Canada held on September 9, 2010, was successful with over 200 people in attendance. As well, a new section was created on the Department’s website for the British Home Child initiative containing background information on the British Home Child scheme and citizenship for former home children, as well as resources.

Supporting Federal and Public Institutions

To help federal and other public institutions respond to and meet their obligations under the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration provides support, resources and guidance.

Working with Federal Institutions

The Department of Citizenship and Immigration operates as the secretariat for the Multiculturalism Champions Network (MCN). The key objective of the MCN is to further the implementation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. The MCN provides a forum for the discussion of shared challenges, best practices and lessons learned among federal institutions.

The network is made up of multiculturalism champions from federal institutions across the Government of Canada. Champions work to advance initiatives to help their institutions better meet their obligations under the Act, and to build awareness of the importance of multiculturalism in Canada.

In 2010–2011, this network of over 90 members identified and prioritized areas for further analysis and action. The priority themes in the short to medium term are applying multiculturalism, federal institution challenges, research and statistics, MCN administration and human resources practices.

The Department also provided assistance to federal institutions by offering three Annual Report Writing Workshops. Held in early spring 2011, the workshops assisted federal institutions in preparing their submissions
to the annual report. In addition, the Department also responded to over 370 inquiries from federal institutions.

Collaborating with Provinces and Territories

The Federal-Provincial-Territorial Network of Officials Responsible for Multiculturalism Issues provides an ongoing forum for federal, provincial and territorial government representatives to share information and engage in policy dialogue on programs, research and other issues concerning multiculturalism, diversity and anti-racism. In early 2011, a forward agenda was developed for guiding its future work. The priority areas identified for action included carrying out a comparative analysis of each jurisdiction’s legislation and obligations, reviewing how legislation is implemented, sharing research and other data, and tracking trends and issues. These activities will assist in providing a clearer picture of multiculturalism activities across Canada.

Research and Mobilization

The Metropolis Project has two main objectives: to build a national and international network of researchers working on migration and diversity, and to ensure mobilization of the research and knowledge transfer to federal policy makers and other end users.

A considerable amount of research on multiculturalism and the integration and well-being of ethnocultural groups and visible minorities was conducted at the five Metropolis Centres of Excellence across Canada. Over 45 research projects were funded in the 2010–2011 period, covering six priority areas. The papers for these research projects are available on the centre websites, which can be viewed at www.canada.metropolis.net.

Metropolis implements its knowledge transfer and mobilization initiatives through face-to-face events and publications. During the 2010–2011 period, Metropolis collaborated with a number of partner agencies to organize the following events:

• October 2010, The Hague, Netherlands: 15th International Metropolis Conference on Justice and Migration: Paradoxes of Belonging, attended by over 900 delegates who participated in eight plenary sessions and 91 workshops.
• March 2011, Vancouver: 13th National Metropolis Conference on Immigration: Bringing the World to Canada, attended by approximately 1,200 delegates who participated in six plenary sessions on topics such as “Building an Integrated Society” and “Diaspora Politics and Imported Conflicts,” in addition to 80 workshops and 30 round tables.

The Metropolis Project produced a number of publications in 2010–2011. Our Diverse Cities: British Columbia included articles on community-based actions of ethnocultural communities in British Columbia, strategies to help integrate ethnic minority groups and communities, and analyses of diversity in residential areas of Vancouver and British Columbia at large. Canadian Issues: Temporary Foreign Workers involved a comprehensive collection of articles that analyse Canada’s policies and programs for temporary foreign workers. The Canadian Issues: Immigrant Mental Health publication brought together articles on the intersection of migration and mental health.

Studies

In 2010–2011, the Department’s Strategic Research Program pursued a number of research projects with a focus on particular aspects of multiculturalism, including research on religious diversity, Canadian attitudes toward multiculturalism and immigration, and association with collective identities.

Work was also completed on research studies that investigate various aspects of the economic and social integration of immigrants and visible minority groups. One project investigated the health status and social capital of recent immigrants to Canada using evidence from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada. It showed that the ethnic diversity of friendship networks had a significant and positive effect on immigrants’ self-reported health status. As well, a study exploring minority enclave areas in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver was released during the reporting period. This research examined changes in the residential geography of visible minorities. The reports are available at www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/research.

The Department’s Multiculturalism Program undertook policy research projects to better understand the role of faith and religion in Canada, such as a review of the perspectives on citizenship by various faith groups, how these faith groups are portrayed in the media, and developing a review of the link between radicalization and social cohesion. Furthermore, the Department hosted panels and contributed to conferences and seminars related to ethnic youth gangs and diversity in France; the similarities and differences between multiculturalism and the model of interculturalism; and the impact of virtual enclaves.

Promoting Integration: Complementary Initiatives

The Department of Citizenship and Immigration is also responsible for complementary policies, programs and services that assist the socio-economic integration of individuals in Canada.

In 2010–2011, the Department continued to promote the integration of individuals and communities into Canadian society by supporting a number of key initiatives that contribute to an integrated and socially cohesive society.

Foreign Qualifications

The Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) provides services and tools in Canada and overseas to help internationally trained individuals (ITI) put their skills to work in Canada more quickly. The removal of foreign credential recognition barriers faced by these individuals, who come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, improves their ability to integrate into the Canadian labour market and participate fully in Canadian society.

In 2010–2011, advancements were made in the implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications (the Framework). The Department, in conjunction with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Health Canada and provincial and territorial partners, implemented the one-year commitment to timely service with the initial eight target occupations under the Framework. ITIs working in these occupations will either have their credentials recognized, or know exactly what they need to have their credentials recognized, within one year.

The FCRO also advanced the following initiatives aimed at facilitating the removal of barriers faced by ITIs.

• The Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program provides eligible newcomers with opportunities to gain valuable Canadian work experience in the federal public service that aligns with their skills, training and experience. The FIN Program expanded to 11 participating departments and agencies in October 2010. In total, 71 work placements were provided over 2010–2011, more than tripling the number of placements provided in the previous year.
• The FCRO’s Employer’s Roadmap to Hiring and Retaining Internationally Trained Workers encourages employers to understand how their cultural expectations may affect their human resources practices. The Roadmap was updated to include video testimonials of employers’ positive experiences with hiring ITIs. In addition, the development of sector-specific roadmaps advanced in 2010–2011 with the creation of a construction sector-specific roadmap available online at the Construction Sector Council website. For more information, visit www.csc-ca.org.

Local Immigration Partnerships

Local Immigration Partnerships (LIP) represent a new form of multi-level governance involving municipal, provincial and federal partners – and a new form of community collaboration for newcomer settlement and integration. LIPs actively engage many stakeholders to encourage a locally driven strategic planning process to assess needs, coordinate services and improve outcomes for immigrants and refugees.

Representation on the partnership councils includes schools, health centres, ethnocultural groups, police services, libraries, employers and business councils, social services, various levels of government, newcomers and many other stakeholders.

In 2010, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration recognized LIP as a best practice and recommended that the model be expanded. Other regions are expressing interest in the LIP model, and many cities across Canada are actively developing community plans.

Settlement Program

The Settlement Program funds projects to assist newcomers in making linkages with Canadians and their local community and fosters welcoming and inclusive communities in support of an integrated society. The range of applications received for funding highlighted settlement challenges in an environment where both host communities and newcomers themselves are increasingly diverse. In addition, newcomers are choosing to settle in a wider range of Canadian communities.

Under the Community Connections stream, the Department continues to encourage locally based approaches that support settlement and integration by addressing barriers, including the following:

• Working with mainstream organizations to address newcomer needs (e.g., Settlement Workers in Schools, Library Settlement Partnerships);
• Supporting welcoming, safe and inclusive spaces where newcomers can access information and services (e.g., welcome centres);
• Enabling local stakeholders to collaboratively develop plans, strategies and tools (e.g., Local Immigration Partnerships, Toolkit for Smaller Centres);
• Communicating best practices and sharing information and expertise; and
• Connecting vulnerable groups with their Canadian-born counterparts and established support networks (e.g., mentoring services, early childhood development networks, seniors’ networks, business networks).

Citizenship Program

The purpose of the Citizenship Program is to administer citizenship legislation and promote the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. As a key part of its citizenship efforts, the Citizenship Action Plan aims to improve the integrity of the Citizenship Program and strengthen the value and meaning of Canadian citizenship by promoting increased civic memory, civic participation and a sense of belonging in Canada.

In March 2011, the Department revised Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. The updated version strengthens the content on common Canadian values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and the equality of men and women.

During the same period, an advertisement campaign on citizenship was launched which emphasized the meaning of being Canadian and the importance of Canada’s values, symbols, institutions and history. In addition, an audio version of Discover Canada was developed to better assist newcomers in their preparation for the citizenship test.

Between April 2010 and March 2011, approximately 353,000 printed copies of Discover Canada were distributed. The website received more than 726,000 visits, resulting in more than 4,117,000 downloads of the electronic version of the guide. The audio version was downloaded approximately 486,000 times.

The citizenship Regulations were amended to provide greater flexibility in testing applicants on their knowledge of the characteristics of Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. As a result, a new citizenship test was introduced in 2010.

The ability to communicate in one of Canada’s official languages is important for newcomers to integrate. A new language screening tool was launched in the fall of 2010 to help determine whether a person had an adequate knowledge of one of the official languages of Canada, which is a requirement for obtaining citizenship.

<< Previous | Contents | Next >>