Calendar Events

January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Throughout his life, Martin Luther King Jr. was commited to bring justice and combat racism through non-violent change. He encouraged society to have more acceptance of diversity and directed all people to take on a leadership role to eliminate racism. January 16 honours his memory.

January 31
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February: Black History Month
Black History Month is an opportunity to honour the cultural heritage of people of African descent. It was first recognized in Canada in 1995. Each year, events are planned to pay tribute to the contributions of African-Canadians and promote more equality in society.

March 8: International Women's Day
International Women's Day was first proclaimed in 1977 to mark the deaths of 145 women who were killed at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York; most of the women killed were poor immigrants. March 8 is an opportunity to celebrate womens' achievements and reflect on the challenges that women continue to face in society.

March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racism
The International Day for the Elimination of Racism, marked annually on March 21, is an opportunity for Canada to renew its commitment to ending racism and discrimination both nationally and internationally. On that day in 1960, police shot and killed 69 people at a peaceful, anti-apartheid demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa. The day was first proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization in 1966.

April 4: Refugee Rights Day
The Refugee Rights Day commemorates the 1985 Singh decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. The Singh case recognizes that refugees to Canada are entitled to fundamental justice and have rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

April 7: International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda
The International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda is a day to remember the estimated 800 000 Tutsis and Hutus murdered during the 100 day genocide that began on April 7, 1994. It is a time of reflection and commitment to fight against genocide by the international community. The decision to mark the day was the result of a recommendation made by the Executive Council of the African Union and was adopted by the United Nations Organization.

Nissan 27: Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day
Yom Hashoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, marks the deaths of millions of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust of World War II. Note that the date of Yom Hashoah, Nissan 27, is based on the Hebrew calendar and thus varies from year to year; for example, Yom Hashoah is on April 15 in 2007 and May 2 in 2008.

April 17: Equality Day
April 17 marks the date when Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force in 1985. Section 15 is the equality rights section of the Charter and is important because it had a significant impact on the promotion of human rights in Canada. It protects every individual against discrimination based on race, religion, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age or mental or physical disability. It also authorizes the creation of affirmitive actions policies for people who belong to disadvantaged groups.

May: Asian Heritage Month
This month has a special signification for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation which was created as part of the Redress Agreement signed in 1988 between the federal government and the National Association of Japanese Canadians. The agreement acknowledged that the treatment of Japanese Canadians during and after World War II was unjust and violated principles of human rights. May is also South Asian Heritage Month.

June 21: National Aboriginal Day
In 1996, the federal government declared June 21 as National Aboriginal Day. The declaration had been sought by the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) since 1982. According to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, "today, Canada is proud to recognize the rich cultural diversity and unique achievements of Aboriginal peoples with a national day of celebration. National Aboriginal Day is for all Canadians - so share in the celebration!"

June 27: Canadian Multiculturalism Day
In 2002, the Government of Canada designated June 27 to be recognized as Candian Multiculturalism Day. It is an opportunity to celebrate the country's ethnocultural diversity and commitment to democracy, equality and mutual respect. Canada was the first country in the world to officially adopt a policy of multiculturalism in 1971. June 27 was selected to be the date of Canadian Multiculturalism Day because Section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the “multicultural heritage” of Canadians.

July 1: Canada Day
Canada Day is a celebration of the anniversary of Confederation in 1867. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien stated, “cultural diversity is both a fact of life in Canada and a vital Canadian value. Through generation upon generation, Canadians have built a nation on the principles of democracy, opportunity, fairness, co-operation and mutual respect. Those principles have made the country the envy of the world. Canada's cultural diversity is founded in a noble ideal. The advantages of that diversity are, however, very real and very practical. Canadians have connections of culture, language, custom and family with all parts of the globe.”

August 1: Emancipation Day
The Emancipation Day recognizes the date that slavery was abolished in the British Empire: August 1, 1834. It is a day to recognize the struggle for human rights and the history of those African-Canadians whose ancestors arrived to Canada by the Underground Railroad and/or were impacted by slavery.

November 16: Louis Riel Day
Louis Riel Day commemorates the the life of Louis Riel. In his attempts to gain more rights for Métis people, he helped to establish a framework for minority rights and cultural cooperation. Riel was the leader of the 1869 Red River Resistence and took part in the 1885 Northwest Rebellion; he was later hanged for treason. While his achievements were not recognized during his lifetime, his efforts provide a model of how to live in a multicultural society.

December 10: International Human Rights Day
December 10 is the commemoration of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed in 1948. Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, "everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty."