Valued Diversity In Canada

553 Words3 Pages
Canada is a nation of newcomers. Originally inhabited by Aboriginal peoples, immigration to Canada began with the French and British colonization in the 17th century. The trend continued through the 18th and 19th centuries with United Empire loyalists who fled the United States during the American Civil War. A subsequent wave of immigration from Europe after the two World Wars brought many new cultures, languages and religious groups to Canada, resulting in many changes in government policy and the first laws to protect diversity. During the last 60 years, immigration has continued to flourish, with newcomers arriving from every corner of the globe. In 1971, Canada became the first country in the world to enact an official policy of multiculturalism, showing how valued diversity is in Canada’s political and social landscape. The Canadian constitution, implemented by Prime Minister Trudeau in 1982 contained a Charter of Rights and Freedoms that protected multiculturalism. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act was introduced in 1988 and federal funds began to be distributed to ethnic groups to assist them in preserving their cultures. Many of the cultural community centres that exist today were established during this time as a result of this funding. Diversity by the Numbers Today, immigrants represent over 20 percent of the total…show more content…
Although Canada has two official languages (English and French), more than 200 languages were reported in the 2011 Census of Population as a home language or mother tongue. 17.5 percent reported speaking at least two languages at home, compared to 14.2 percent in 2006. In 2011, 80 percent of the population who reported speaking a language other than English, French or an Aboriginal language lived in one of Canada’s six largest census metropolitan areas (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and

More about Valued Diversity In Canada

Open Document