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Canada / Canada’s Great Moments / Drawing 30

Canadian history · Drawing 30 of 37

Sharing our cultures

1971

Colouring illustration: Sharing our cultures
An imagined early-1970s neighbourhood picnic; clothing and food are deliberately ordinary, with no costumes or stereotypes.© Atlasmio · All rights reserved

In 1971, Canada became the first country in the world to adopt a multiculturalism policy. It recognized that Canadians come from many cultures, and that all of them have value.

Look together

Which family dish would you like to share?

An idea to try

Ask a friend or neighbour to teach you a song, game or word from their family, then teach them one from yours.

For the adult reading along

A little more to discover

On October 8, 1971, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau announced in the House of Commons a policy of multiculturalism “within a bilingual framework.” Based on the final report of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, it promised to help cultural groups, fight discriminatory barriers, encourage exchanges between groups and help immigrants learn French or English. At first the policy was mostly symbolic and received few resources; some critics said it celebrated folklore instead of fighting discrimination, and Québec opposed it. The Multiculturalism Act followed in 1988.

With your child, talk about what each family brings: a language, a recipe, a song. Sharing your own culture does not stop you from discovering others.

Sources and context (2)

These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.

  • Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 — Canadian Multiculturalism Policy, 1971Statement to the House of Commons on 8 October 1971; multiculturalism within a bilingual framework; based on the Royal Commission’s recommendations; four commitments; largely symbolic, few resources, criticism of its folkloric emphasis; Québec’s opposition.
  • The Canadian Encyclopedia — MulticulturalismCanada was the first country in the world to adopt a multiculturalism policy; all cultures have intrinsic value; Multiculturalism Act (Bill C-93) passed in 1988. The article dates the speech to April 1971: we use October 8, the date Pier 21 gives from the Commons Debates.

Source review: 2026-09-24. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.