Multiculturalism In Canada

Canada’s transformation into a bilingual and bicultural nation is largely because of the large number of Francophones who believed that their French Canadian population was being unfairly treated. For instance, Lord Durham’s Report of 1839 and the Union Act of 1841 were two attempts in assimilating the French culture; although Manitoba was a bilingual province when it entered confederation in 1870, this soon changed as its legislature prohibited the French language in the provincial government and court system. It was because of this mistreatment, that Francophones protested loudly for bilingualism and biculturalism, this resulted in a number of changes. In 1969, Pierre Trudeau’s government passed the Official Languages Act which made French

The Multiculturalism Directorate - an agency of the government of Canada - supported the preservation of ethnic group’s cultures, aided ethnic minorities in overcoming cultural barriers and assisted immigrants in learning Canada’s official languages. However, these changes did not come without controversy, for Francophones believed that the position of French as one of the official Canadian languages was weakened and others thought “Canada would be reduced to some kind of ethnic zoo where the function of the zookeeper is to collect as many varieties as possible”, both criticisms were unfounded as the French still have their place in government and business. Others targeted visible-minority affirmative action programs arguing that requiring employers to hire employees based on ethnic origin would lead to the hiring or promotion of less-qualified candidates. The Multiculturalism Act had a significant effects on Canada as it divided the Ontario population. On the positive side, the increase in different cultures led to growth in multicultural entertainment and writing through the rise in authors such as Japanese Canadian Joy Kogawa and Indian Rohinton Mistry, both of whom have demonstrated the positive impact a multiculturalist society can have in

The maple leaf for example, remains a quintessential Canadian symbol as it replaced the Union Jack British flag and once again, helped cement Canada’s independence from Great Britain. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was created in 1968, and remains significant for it helped differentiate Canadian programming from that of the United States as it required that radio stations broadcast a minimum of 30 percent Canadian programming. The CRTC made way for Canadian performers such as Bryan Adams, Celine Dion and Nelly Furtado, further contributing to Canadian identity. Five years later, the Foreign Investment Review Agency was born due to the growing complaints regarding foreign ownership of the Canadian industry; FIRA was given the power to approve or deny foreign takeover of Canadian businesses which helped preserve a sense of Canadian identity. Some may argue that “Hockey Night in Canada” - Canada’s longest-running television program - is the definition of Canadian culture and identity as it brings thousands together in support of a common sport and national team. In terms of public movements, the FLQ, Front de Liberation du Quebec, a separatist organization was largely involved in a number of terrorist acts, some of them using mailbox bombs, symbolizing the Government of Canada.On October 5, 1970, a