Story by Jay Sunni
Photo from the Facebook page of Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo
Although many Canadians don’t know this, Multiculturalism Day exists in Canada. Sixteen years ago, in November 2002, “the Government of Canada, by Royal Proclamation, designated June 27 of each year as Canadian Multiculturalism Day.” Unfortunately, because many Canadians do not know that this day exists, it is not as widely celebrated through out Canada as many other Canadian cultural celebrations.
In Alberta though, it was somewhat celebrated. For example, Premier Rachel Notley issued a statement on June 27 saying, “Today, we celebrate multiculturalism,…Along with First Nations and Inuit people who originally inhabited the land, Alberta was built by wave after wave of immigrants and refugees – all from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds…Diversity is, and always has been, our strength.”
Likewise, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), which includes employees from different and diverse backgrounds, celebrated the Canadian Multiculturalism Day. The AUPE Vice President, Karen Weiers stated on their website, “Canada is a mosaic, rich with history, and our union is no different,… On Canadian Multiculturalism Day, we recognize and proudly embrace the diversity of our members.” Additionally, the Multicultural Society of Wood Buffalo also celebrated Multiculturalism Day by using a social media campaign in which multicultural Albertans (mainly those in the Fort McMurray region) were asked to dress up in their cultural attires, post it onto social media and follow it with the hashtag, #MultiDayYMM.
