Pluralism

Pluralism (also known as multiculturalism) is an important value in Canada. It is based on the idea that there can be unity and strength through diversity and that each individual is equal and has a right to participate as a full member of society. Throughout the country’s history, the accommodation of regional, ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity has been a priority, and values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights have been addressed through an ongoing dialogue among different cultures and communities.     

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Canada: A Pluralist Society

It can be said that Canada has always been a pluralist society; even before the arrival of Europeans, many different cultural and linguistic Aboriginal groups inhabited the country. European settlers added to this diversity, as did the many cultural groups that immigrated to Canada on a large scale after the Second World War. From the beginning, it has been difficult to define Canada based on a national identity, since diversity is what truly characterizes it. Canada is not a cultural melting pot; people are encouraged to retain their cultural, linguistic, and religious heritage.

Québec Separatist Movement

Beginning in the 1960s, Québec was at the centre of a movement attempting to separate Québec from the rest of Canada and establish a French-speaking nation. As a result, in 1969, French and English were both declared the official languages of Canada, where previously Canada had one official language, English.

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A referendum in 1980 to become an independent country was overwhelmingly rejected by the Québec voters. In the 1995 referendum to separate from Canada again, Québec voters declined by a narrow margin of 50.58% "No" to 49.42% "Yes." The premier of Québec, Jacques Parizeau, blamed the no vote on minorities and immigrants. Many people who live in the province of Québec continue to push to separate from Canada and become their own independent, French-speaking nation.

Indigenous Self-Government

Long, long before European contact, Indigenous peoples had their own established political systems and institutions — they were self-governing. And Indigenous peoples have been trying to get back the right to govern themselves and preserve their cultural identities since the British North America Act in 1867. Now known as the Constitution Act, it gave the federal government the authority to make laws about "Indians and lands reserved for the Indians" — or, in other words, apply Euro-Canadian ideals, policies, and laws on Indigenous societies.

For Indigenous peoples, the return to self-government is seen as foundational to nation building. Agreements are critical to communities that want to contribute to and participate in the decisions that affect their lives. In August 1995, the Government of Canada formally recognized the inherent right of self-government for Canada’s Indigenous peoples. While self-government is not a quick fix for the deeply rooted social, health, and economic issues that plague Indigenous communities, it is a step toward empowering communities to rebuild and heal from the intergenerational effects of residential schools.

Click on the Play button below to watch a video on how Yukon was the first territory in Canada to map the way for Indigenous self-government.

North American Integration

North American integration refers to the process of economic and political integration in North America — particularly the integration of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The globalist plan to slowly merge the USA, Canada, and Mexico into a North American Union has been ongoing for years.

While at times, the agenda appears to have seemingly stalled, current efforts to expand the trilateral partnership show that it is alive and once again gaining steam. With NAFTA as the foundation, the renewed push for deeper North American integration continues on many different fronts.

Individuals and groups in Canada have tried to promote and implement diverse models to shape a Canadian national identity. These models may encourage policies of pluralism, separatism, Indigenous self-government, or North American integration. Each of these models presents opportunities and challenges to the citizenship and identities of Canadians. These models may respond to the future needs of Canada and resolve issues of unity. At the same time, these models may lead to the exclusion of some Canadians because of the promotion of a particular identity.

The identity of Canada is evolving as much as the diversity of national identities within Canada. Will future visions of Canada support a merging of the diverse models for national identity, or will they evolve to the disappearance of a national identity in favour of embracing a global identity? Only time will tell what the future vision of Canada will really look like!