The Canadian Multiculturalism Act

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The Canadian Multiculturalism Act (multiculturalism policy within) has contributed significantly to forming the Canadian identity, has given Canada a competitive advantage in the global economy and enforces the concept of human rights. The emergence of multiculturalism in Canada dates back to the 1960s, a period of growing independence and self-expression in the province of Quebec. To address this change in thought and behaviour, the federal government created the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. The following year Ukrainian-Canadians and other ethnic groups (making up 25 percent of the national population at the time) began demanding increased support for non-Anglo/Francophone citizens. It was only until 1971 that Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau decided to modify the bicultural assimilation model, previously used by the Royal Commission, to better suit the growing variety of cultures in Canada. This subsequently led to the establishment of multiculturalism as official government policy, and 17 years later to the institutionalisation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. The enactment of this policy would forever change the face of Canada’s identity and culture. This paper will also touch upon the implications of multiculturalism on the economy and how it allowed Canada to attract skilled and intelligent people from all over the world, literally making it a “global talent magnet”. Another topic that will be discussed is how our government’s multiculturalism policy has revolutionized the idea of human rights thus ameliorating the quality of life in Canada. Multiculturalism is undoubtedly a fundamental characteristic of Canadian heritage. The multiculturalism policy aims to preserve this identity, a particular section in the document states that the Government of Canada is to foster the recognition and appreciation of the diverse cultures of

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