What was the federal multiculturalism policy of 1971?

The federal multiculturalism policy of 1971 was a federal policy announced by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the House of Commons on October 8, 1971. The policy recognised cultural pluralism as a fundamental characteristic of Canadian society and promised federal support for the cultural development of all Canadian ethnic groups within a bilingual framework. Canada was the first country in the world to adopt official multiculturalism as a national policy. The policy responded directly to Volume IV of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (1970), which had documented the contributions of non-French, non-English ethnic groups.

Trudeau's October 8 statement set out four principles. First, the federal government would assist all Canadian cultural groups that have demonstrated a desire and effort to continue to develop. Second, the federal government would assist members of all cultural groups to overcome cultural barriers to full participation in Canadian society. Third, the federal government would promote creative encounters and interchange among all Canadian cultural groups. Fourth, the federal government would assist immigrants to acquire at least one of Canada's official languages. The policy reframed Canada from a 'biculturalism' to a 'multiculturalism within a bilingual framework' (Trudeau's specific phrasing).

Implementation began with the Multiculturalism Directorate, established in the Department of the Secretary of State in October 1972. Initial federal multiculturalism programmes included grants to cultural organisations, research grants for ethnic-history projects, language and integration programmes, and support for ethnic festivals and publications. Federal funding for multiculturalism was about 4 million dollars in 1972, growing to about 25 million dollars by the mid-1980s.

The policy was strengthened over time. The Multiculturalism Act of 1971 was a Cabinet policy statement; statutory expression came with the Canadian Multiculturalism Act of July 21, 1988 under the Mulroney Conservative government. Section 27 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) explicitly preserved the multicultural heritage of Canadians. The 1971 policy was contested. Some Quebec nationalists viewed it as diminishing the special status of French Canadians by treating them as just one ethnic group among many. Some Indigenous groups objected to being categorised as another multicultural group rather than as the original peoples of Canada. Despite these criticisms, multiculturalism has become deeply embedded in Canadian identity, with about 80 per cent of Canadians supporting multiculturalism in ongoing polls. The federal Department of Canadian Heritage administers multiculturalism policy today, and Multiculturalism Day is celebrated annually on June 27.