What is Canadian Multiculturalism Day?

Canadian Multiculturalism Day is the federal observance held each year on June 27 to recognise and celebrate the multicultural heritage of Canadians and to honour the contributions of cultural communities to Canadian society. The Day was proclaimed by the federal government on November 13, 2002 by an Order in Council (P.C. 2002-1937). It is observed by federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, municipalities, schools, community organisations, and cultural festivals across Canada.

The Day was created against the backdrop of a long lineage of federal multicultural-heritage initiatives. Canada became the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as official government policy on October 8, 1971 under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, in response to Volume IV of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act, which received Royal Assent on July 21, 1988 under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, gave statutory force to the policy. Section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (in force since 1982) directs Charter interpretation consistent with Canada's multicultural heritage.

Canadian Multiculturalism Day complements two other major federal heritage observances. National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 (proclaimed in 1996) recognises the heritage and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples. Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24 (a statutory holiday in Quebec since 1925) celebrates French-Canadian heritage. Together with Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27 and Canada Day on July 1, these observances form a national heritage week (Canada History Week) that runs from June 21 to July 1 each year.

Federal observance of Canadian Multiculturalism Day is coordinated by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Activities include multicultural festivals (the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, the Folkfest in Saskatoon, Folklorama in Winnipeg, the Calgary Stampede Multicultural Heritage Day, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, and many smaller community events), educational programmes in schools and libraries, cultural-organisation receptions at federal facilities, and proclamations from provincial premiers and city mayors. The Day reflects the broader multicultural-heritage framework set out in the Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988 and supported by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation since 1996.