Happy Canadian Multiculturalism Day 2017!
June 27, 2017. OTTAWA. The Ukrainian Canadian community joins all Canadians in celebrating Canadian Multiculturalism Day.
Multiculturalism stands as one of the key values that define the Canadian nation.. It is through multiculturalism that we celebrate and preserve both our unity as Canadians and our diverse traditions and backgrounds. Ukrainian Canadians have been enriching the fabric of Canadian society for over 125 years – like many peoples we have found freedom here, we have nurtured and developed our language and our culture, and we have contributed to Canada’s success as one of the greatest countries in the world.
“On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community, I wish everyone a happy Canadian Multiculturalism Day,” stated Paul Grod, National President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. “As Ukrainian Canadians, we feel very proud of the significant role our community, and leaders such as the late Senator Paul Yuzyk, made in the development and adoption of the policy of multiculturalism.”
Ukrainian Canadians were at the forefront of the movement supporting the adoption of the policy of multiculturalism. A Ukrainian Canadian, the late Senator Paul Yuzyk, is widely recognized as the “father of multiculturalism.” Canada’s policy of multiculturalism was announced at the Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians by Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau in 1971.
On June 24, 2017, at the Together in Canada – Ensemble au Canada Dinner Gala and Award Event, the Canadian Ethnocultural Council (CEC) posthumously awarded Senator Yuzyk the CEC Award for Multiculturalism. “The work of the late Senator Yuzyk, Ukrainian Canadians, and all ethnocultural communities, is instrumental in defining our shared values and the celebration of our cultural richness and diversity,” stated Dominic Campione, President of the Canadian Ethnocultural Council.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently stated, “Canada’s greatest strength is in its diversity, and I’m proud to see multiculturalism flourish in communities right across this great country, as shown time and time again by the extraordinary strength of Ukrainian Canadians who see no contradiction in being proud Ukrainians and proud Canadians at the same time.”
This year’s Canadian Multiculturalism Day takes on a special significance – in 2017, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. As we celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial, we recognize that our country’s strength lies in the fact that though we come from different parts of the world, we are all Canadians – and equal citizens of our great country.
Canada’s 150th – Celebrate With Us!
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) invites all Canadians to join us in celebrating the 150th anniversary of Confederation through the Project Celebrating the Strength of Canada’s Diversity: Youth Engaging Youth.
The UCC, together with its member organizations across the country, is organizing youth-led and driven Canada 150 celebratory events in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. A community animator has been brought on in each province to work on the project.
For more information, please visit http://150.ucc.ca/
