The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1974, Side 43

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
41
THE FIRST CANADIAN CONFERENCE ON
MULTI CULTURALISM
by W. Kristjanson
In October, 1971, the Prime Min-
ister the Right Hon. Pierre Elliot Tru-
deau, announced in the Elouse of
Commons a new policy of “Multicul-
turalism”
The objective of the policy of multi-
culturalism i.s set forth in the follow-
ing paragraph.
Programmes are designed to en-
courage cultural groups to share their
heritage with all other Canadians . .
to make them aware of their cultural
diversity.
A multicultural grants program was
designed to assist second and third
generation ethnic minorities to main-
tain and develop a sense of their own
cultural identity, to assist new im-
migrants adjust to Canadian life, and
to increase the sensitivity of the Bri-
tish and French Canadians to the ad-
vantages of a multicultural society.
The federal government was spending
approximately ten million dollars on
multicultural programs in 1973. Pro-
jects funded have included festivals,
television programs, Saturday schools,
summer camps, literary clubs, archives,
art exhibits, dance and mu.sic, travel,
history, and translations, etc., Upwards
of 500 groups have been funnded. The
National Ethnic Archives has been
created as a distinct unit of the Public
Archives of Canada.
An important step in implementing
the government’s multicultural policy
was the establishment of a Canadian
Consultative Council on Multicultur-
alism, May 17, 1973. This counoil,
consists of members appointed by the
Governor-in-Council for a term of
three years, with the possibility of
only one successive renewal. Its es-
sential function is to provide a source
of consultation to the Minister in the
implementation of the multicultural
policy.
Approximately 80 per cent of the
councils membership is drawn from
Canada’s minority “ethno-cultural”
groups. The remainder represent na-
tive, English and French communities.
Dr. P. H. T. Thorlakson, of Win-
nipeg, has been appointed a member
of this council. There are yearly na-
tional and regional conferences.
A further development of the gov-
ernment’s multicultural policy was
the holding of the first Canadian con-
ference on multiculturalism at Ottawa,
October 15 and 16. In conjuction with
this gathering was a meeting of the
Consultative Council. Including Con-
ference and Council members, resource