Strength in Diversity: The Government of Canada Invests More than $3.5 Million in British Columbia for Multiculturalism, Anti-Racism Initiatives and Youth Programs

The Government of Canada is committed to creating lasting social change that supports diversity, inclusion, respect and equality in communities across British Columbia

SURREY, BC, Sept. 6, 2019 /CNW/ - Diversity is at the heart of our national identity. The Government of Canada is not only committed to celebrating the invaluable contributions that Canadians of all backgrounds make to our country, but also to working hard to remove barriers that still prevent many Canadians from fully participating in society.

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament (Vancouver South), today announced investments totalling $3,523,229 in support of multiculturalism, community activities and events, youth programs and anti-racism initiatives throughout British Columbia. Minister Sajjan made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.

This funding, provided through the Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program (CSMARI), will benefit 47 organizations across the province, including the Whistler Multicultural Network, the Arts Council of Surrey, the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society of Prince George, and the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria.

The Indus Media Foundation will create a series of short films about the little-known story of Punjabi-Canadians' contributions in the First World War. The Foundation's project, Duty, Honour & Izzat, will facilitate the development of partnerships with the heritage sector on creating inclusive programming, while seeing the films delivered across a spectrum of digital platforms that specifically engage children and youth from the South Asian community about their history and heritage. Community workshops and opportunities for dialogue will also be organized to discuss issues of racism, discrimination, equity and media stereotyping.

In June 2019, Minister Rodriguez unveiled Building a Foundation for Change: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022, which helps advance the Government of Canada's vision of fostering and promoting a more inclusive and equitable country for all Canadians. The strategy, with an investment of $45 million, is building on current efforts to create long-term changes in supporting communities and for improved policies, initiatives and practices in our federal institutions. These investments are meant to be the first step of a longer-term commitment and a foundation for change in addressing racism and discrimination in Canada. Applications for new funding opportunities became available on September 3, 2019.

Quotes

"The opportunity to take part in enriching experiences that celebrate our rich multicultural heritage not only bolsters our community spirit, it breaks down barriers—building a Canada that promotes respect, equity, equality and dignity. Our government is proud to support these projects that support our youth, and promote diversity and inclusion, while addressing issues of racism and discrimination in communities."

—The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism

"Our government is committed to promoting multiculturalism and celebrating the unique cultural diversity of British Columbia by investing in these important anti-racism projects. It is through increasing the understanding of British Columbia's diverse communities and their contributions in building our province and country that we can fight intolerance and discrimination. This funding will benefit many organizations, supporting them in the important work they carry out across the province building a more accepting British Columbia."

—The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament (Vancouver South)

"The Arts Council of Surrey is grateful to the Government of Canada for their generous support of Surrey Fusion Festival. Surrey Fusion Festival is British Columbia's largest multicultural event, and is known as the ultimate celebration of food, music, culture, and the literary, performing and visual arts. Working in partnership with the City of Surrey, the Arts Council of Surrey is able to utilize this important funding to continue celebrating our creative diversity."

—Carol Girardi, President, Arts Council of Surrey

"We are grateful for the Department of Canadian Heritage's support in shining a light on the significant contributions of the Punjabi community in defence of the Crown and to Canada's military history. Punjabis can now see themselves reflected positively in the Canadian World War I story—a pivotal moment in the nation-building saga. The story of the unsung heroes of the Punjab (Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims) is likely one of the most unifying and Canadian stories we can tell: it is an untold story of diverse communities coming together with a common goal; it is a dialogue around the ties that bind, and the shared values of courage, integrity and selfless sacrifice. This is a common heritage that establishes belonging and confronts divisive voices to promote a shared future within a multicultural Canada."

—Steven Purewal, Managing Director, Indus Media Foundation

"As an organization serving Canada's newest citizens, the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming community. We are delighted to partner with Indigenous leaders on this learning journey to integrate the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations into our organization. Many newcomers share similar stories and histories of displacement, colonization, dispossession and oppression. New immigrants, when educated on the reality of life in Canada and history, are logical allies and can understand their settlement in Canada in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. We hope introducing newcomers to the richness of the local Indigenous history and culture will strengthen relationships between newcomers and Indigenous Peoples. We look forward to sharing our learnings with settlement-serving organizations and our community partners, thanks to this support from the Government of Canada."

—Jean McRae, CEO, Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria

Quick Facts

The goal of the Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program is to build an integrated, socially cohesive society by building bridges to promote intercultural understanding; to promote equal opportunity for individuals of all origins; and to promote citizenship, civic engagement and a healthy democracy.

The CSMARI Program has three funding components: Events, Projects and Community Capacity Building. It also includes two separate initiatives, Community Support for Black Canadian Youth initiative and the Paul Yuzyk Youth Initiative for Multiculturalism.

The Events component provides funding to community-based events that foster one or more of the following: intercultural or interfaith understanding; civic memory and pride; respect for a healthy democracy; and celebrations of a community's history and culture.

The Projects component provides funding for community development, anti-racism initiatives, and engagement projects that promote diversity and inclusion through projects that promote the expression of Canadians' multiple identities and encourage positive interaction between cultural, religious and ethnic communities in Canada.

The Community Capacity Building component provides funding for capacity-building projects that will contribute to the recipient's ability to promote diversity and inclusion, and help achieve one or more of the following objectives: strengthening governance and building partnerships (building the capacity of organizations, and promoting collaboration between service providers); e-capacity (building and strengthening the online and social media presence of eligible organizations); establishing an overall external communication strategy; and recruitment and training of volunteers.

The Community Support for Black Canadian Youth initiative provides funding for projects that address the unique challenges faced by Black Canadian Youth by combating discrimination through awareness raising and digital literacy; providing opportunities for Black Canadian Youth and empowering them through the promotion of Black history, culture and identity; and developing leadership skills and promoting civic engagement.

In June 2019, the Government of Canada unveiled Building a Foundation for Change: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2019-2022 to help advance the vision of fostering and promoting a more inclusive and equitable country for all Canadians. Budget 2019 announced an investment of $45 million to support the Strategy.

Related Products

Minister Rodriguez Announces Building a Foundation for Change: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022

Associated Links

Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program

Indus Media Foundation

Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria

Building a Foundation for Change: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022

Backgrounder

Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program

City	Component	Organization	Project	Fiscal Year	Amount
Abbotsford	Events	Heritage Abbotsford Society	Aboriginal Arts and Culture Day	2019–2020	$9,000
Burnaby	Project	Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia	Framing Indigeneity in BC's Immigration Sector	2019–2021	$120,000
Burnaby	Community Capacity Building	Judith Marcuse Projects Society	Futures Forward	2019–2020	$45,000
Burnaby	Events	Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre	Nikkei Matsuri	2019–2020	$5,000
Burnaby	Project	Culture Chats BC Association	Community Reporting and Action Research	2019–2020	$6,000
Creston	Events	Creston and District Historical and Museum Society	Multiculturalism Day in Creston – An Opportunity to Build Awareness and Recognition	2019–2020	$1,750
Delta	Events	Sher Vancouver LGBTQ Friends Society	Screening and Discussion of My Name Was January with Panel	2019–2020	$2,560
Duncan	Community Capacity Building	Inclusive Leadership Co-operative	Strengthening Bridges of Inclusion for Addressing All Forms of Discrimination	2019–2020	$28,940
Fort Nelson	Events	Fort Nelson Community Literacy Society	Culturefest 2019	2019–2020	$6,357
Harrison Hot Springs	Events	Harrison Festival Society	Workshops and Children's Day at the 41^st Harrison Festival of the Arts	2019–2020	$10,220
Kelowna	Events	Okanagan Chinese Canadian Association	Asian Heritage Month Celebrations in the Okanagan 2019	2019–2020	$15,500
Powell River	Events	Powell River Employment Program Society	Powell River Centre for Diversity, Peace and Justice	2019–2020	$73,025
Prince George	Events	Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society of Prince George	Heatwave – Celebrate Cultures	2019–2020	$75,000
Surrey	Events	African Stages Association	Africanada Storytelling Symposium	2019–2020	$6,797
Surrey	Events	Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association	An Indigenous Perspective of Racism in Surrey	2019–2020	$26,800
Surrey	Events	Arts Council of Surrey	Surrey Fusion Festival	2019–2020	$42,950
Surrey	Events	Royal Academy of Bhangra Society	Folk Lok Live: This is Punjab	2019–2020	$25,000
Surrey	Project	Indus Media Foundation	Duty, Honour & Izzat	2019–2021	$366,000
Toronto	Events	Aboriginal Curatorial Collective	Great Ocean Dialogues (Vancouver Forum)	2019–2020	$14,375
Vancouver	Community Capacity Building	M.O.S.A.I.C. Multi-Lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities	Social & Civic Engagement For Newcomers Project (SCENE)	2019–2020	$84,900
Vancouver	Events	Italian Cultural Centre Society	Italian Heritage Month in Vancouver	2019–2020	$44,270
Vancouver	Community Capacity Building	The Laurier Institution	Capacity Building	2019–2020	$55,000
Vancouver	Project	Association of Neighbourhood Houses of British Columbia	Tuyulshayn't (Prepare the Path for the Future) Welcome Hub	2019–2021	$522,230
Vancouver	Events	Downtown South Gathering Place Community Centre Association	Festival of Hallows	2019–2020	$6,300
Vancouver	Events	Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society	Explorasian Festival 2019	2019–2020	$35,900
Vancouver	Community Capacity Building	Latincouver Cultural & Business Society	Building Latincouver's Capacity	2019–2020	$37,000
Vancouver	Events	Latincouver Cultural & Business Society	Latin American & Canadian Indigenous Art Exhibition - Similitud	2019–2020	$20,100
Vancouver	Events	Latincouver Cultural & Business Society	Travelling Back to Afro-Latin Roots	2019–2020	$10,400
Vancouver	Events	Latincouver Cultural & Business Society	Latin American Heritage Month	2019–2020	$20,000
Vancouver	Events	Indian Summer Arts Society	Indian Summer Festival	2019–2020	$40,000
Vancouver	Community Capacity Building	Check Your Head:  The Youth Global Education Network	Expanding the Reach, Building Community	2019–2020	$30,000
Vancouver	Events	Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret Society	Summer Solstice	2019–2020	$21,725
Vancouver	Events	Great Lakes Networking Society of BC	Pan African Carnival and Multicultural Festival 2019	2019–2020	$17,500
Vancouver	Events	African Descent Society British Columbia	African Descent Festival 2019	2019–2020	$18,932
Vancouver	Project	Asian Environmental Association	Hua Foundation's Race Equity Project	2019–2021	$196,500
Vancouver	Project	Vancouver Native Health Society	International Urban Indigenous Health Conference 2019	2019–2020	$180,000
Vancouver	Community Capacity Building	Vantage Point Strategies Society	Non-Profit Organization Capacity Lab	2019–2020	$98,300
Vancouver	Community Support For Black Canadian Youth	Solid State Community Society	Ethós Lab	2019–2021	$154,054
Vancouver	Community Capacity Building	Visceral Visions Society	Culturebrew.Art	2019–2020	$54,447
Victoria	Project	Victoria Native Friendship Centre	Victoria Urban Reconciliation Dialogue Engagement Strategy	2019–2021	$108,397
Victoria	Events	Victoria Native Friendship Centre	Victoria Native Friendship Centre's 50^th Anniversary Celebration	2019–2020	$30,000
Victoria	Events	Victoria Native Friendship Centre	Two Spirit Gathering	2019–2020	$8,500
Victoria	Project	Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria	Organizational Indigenous Journey	2019–2021	$176,000
Victoria	Community Capacity Building	Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria	Expanding Community Support for Immigrants and Refugees	2019–2020	$37,050
Victoria	Project	Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society	Racialized Immigrant Volunteer Integration Experiences Project	2019–2020	$60,000
Victoria	Project	Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society	VIRCS Welcome Gardens Shared Garden Network	2019–2020	$60,000
Victoria	Project	Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society	Together	2019–2020	$59,000
Victoria	Events	Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society	Youth Strides Summer Camp 2019	2019–2020	$10,000
Victoria	Project	Royal British Columbia Museum	Living Cultures	2019–2021	$150,904
Victoria	Project	University of Victoria	Being and Becoming Métis	2019–2021	$200,000
Victoria	Events	Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Colour	Black Joy: Photography and Visual Arts Exhibition	2019–2020	$4,784
Victoria	Events	Bramble Ink	OUT LOUD: The Living Magazine Project	2019–2020	$32,250
Victoria	Events	IAS Integrate Art Society	Integrate: Rethinking Artistic Knowledge and Criticism	2019–2020	$8,500
Victoria	Events	Pacific Peoples' Partnership Association	One Wave Gathering 2019	2019–2020	$35,000
Victoria	Events	Afro Latin Cultural Exchange Society	Victoria International Kizomba Festival	2019–2020	$9,752
Whistler	Events	Whistler Multicultural Network	Whistler Multicultural Festival 2019	2019–2020	$5,260
TOTAL:					$3,523,229

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

Simon Ross, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, 819-997-7788; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]

Related Links

www.pch.gc.ca