By Neil Armstrong
 |
| Photo contributed Michael Coteau, MPP for Don Valley East, with a flyer for Caribbean Heritage Month |
Ontario could declare October as
Caribbean Heritage Month if the Progressive Conservative-led government
endorses a private member’s bill introduced by Michael Coteau, Liberal MPP for
Don Valley East, on October 28.
A similar bill, tabled by New Democrats
MPP for Brampton Centre and deputy leader, Sara Singh, on November 6 is calling
for the month of August to have that designation.
“Canada is home to a large and vibrant
Caribbean-Canadian community of 800,000, with more than half of us residing in
Ontario,” said Coteau, whose father immigrated to Canada from Grenada.
“I am proud of our community’s
incredible vibrancy and the important contributions we make to Canadian
society. By proclaiming October as Caribbean Heritage Month, we will celebrate
the unique and beautiful Caribbean culture.”
Coteau was approached by the Caribbean
Women’s Society earlier in the year to support its initiative to have the month
recognized as such by the legislature.
He said the group had received funding
from Citizenship and Immigration to do the consultation with community groups
and got 600 signatures on a petition, Singh’s support for the bill.
“October
is a significant month for the Caribbean-Canadian community. Improvements to
the Immigration Act (Canada) in October 1967 and the
introduction of the Multiculturalism Policy in October 1971 opened new doors,
allowing Caribbean people to see Canada as a place to establish roots, raise their
children and become a part of Canada’s mosaic,” notes the preamble of the Act
to proclaim the month of October, Caribbean Heritage Month introduced by Coteau.
It
further notes that, “Caribbean-Canadians continue to make important
contributions to Ontario’s social, economic, political and cultural fabric.
Caribbean-Canadians have helped build Ontario into the multicultural success
story that it is and have helped to build this province into the best place to
live, work and raise families. They continue to help foster growth, prosperity
and innovation throughout Ontario.”
It says the
Caribbean is a region and a culture made up of 42 distinct nations. “In spite
of their brutal history of colonialism, slavery and indentured servitude,
today’s Caribbean peoples manifest a beautiful and complex mosaic of
ancestries, including Amerindian, African, Asian, South American and European,
and a multitude of languages including the six official languages: English,
French, Dutch, Spanish, Creole and Papiamento. This remarkably unique region is
proudly represented in the newly designed Caribbean Heritage Month symbol and
flag.”
The
bill notes that despite their rich diversity, Caribbean peoples hold, in
common, a long-standing connection to Canada.
“Since
the first Caribbeans arrived in Canada in the late 1700s, Caribbean-Canadians
from across Ontario have made significant contributions across all fields and
industries, including science, education, information technology, medicine,
health and wellness, trades, agriculture, food, academia, broadcasting, law,
politics, business, sports, philanthropy and arts and culture.”
Coteau
said he told the Caribbean Women’s Society that “if they want to get this
passed it’s really up to Doug Ford and that they have to go meet Conservative
members.”
Providing an
update on Bill 139, An Act to Proclaim August as Caribbean Heritage Month,
Singh said that since August her office has connected with approximately 45
different organizations across the province and got important feedback.
“Based on
those focus groups, on November 6, I tabled Bill 139, An Act to proclaim August
as Caribbean Heritage Month,” she said.
Singh noted
that in the consultations and online survey the majority of respondents indicated
that the month should celebrate the history, accomplishments and contributions
of Caribbean Canadians to Ontario and Canada.
They also said a summer month, predominantly,
the month of August resonated
most and noted that Emancipation Day,
harvest season, and existing festivals in
Ontario with Caribbean roots were all causes
for celebration.
She thanked the
Caribbean Women's Society and its subsidiary organizations for their input on
the month of October.
The group
and its members indicated the month of October was significant due to the
points system incorporated into the Immigration Regulations in October 1967.
“Yet through
the consultation process, it became clear that many felt the policies in the
Immigration Act, should not be the basis for a bill celebrating Caribbean
history and culture in Ontario. Many highlight that the points system continues
to have detrimental impacts to those immigrating to Canada – the continued lack
of foreign credentials recognition of new immigrants was one example,” she
said.
Singh noted
that in the midst of her ongoing consultation process, Coteau tabled Bill 134,
An Act to proclaim October as Caribbean Heritage Month.
“Since the
bills are inherently different, we will continue
to work with the community on
developing Bill 139 to proclaim August as Caribbean Heritage Month before we
move to second reading,” she said.
The process
towards getting the bill to royal assent requires the government to call it to
second reading in the legislature for it to go to debate.
Coteau says
the Caribbean Women’s Society chose October as well because “they want to bring
some sunshine into a cold part of the year and look for ways to really bring
some Caribbean warmth to the country.”
A grassroots, membership-based, volunteer-run nonprofit built on
diversity, inclusion and innovation, the group aims to improve the quality of
life for the Caribbean-Canadian community.
[An edited version of this story was published in the North American Weekly Gleaner, December 5-11, 2019.]
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