OTTAWA, November 4, 2021 Today, Hindu, Jain and Buddhist communities in Canada and around the world celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. This joyous festival is a time of reflection, inspired by love, compassion and a better understanding of the world around us. Celebrations traditionally include lighting diyas (lamps), praying, sharing a meal as well…

OTTAWA, November 4, 2021 Today, Sikh communities in Canada and around the world celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas. This day commemorates the sixth guru or spiritual leader Hargobind Sahib’s release from prison in the 17th century, when he refused to be released unless 52 innocent kings and princes were also freed. Bandi Chhor Divas reminds us of the importance…

OTTAWA, November 5, 2021 We recognize that this statement comes at a time that is difficult for many and that our efforts to honour survivors and families may serve as an unwelcome reminder to those who have suffered and those who are suffering from hardships from generations of past government policies that were harmful to…

OTTAWA, November 8, 2021 Seventy-five years ago today, African-Nova Scotian businesswoman Viola Desmond refused to leave a whites-only seating area of the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. She was forcibly removed from the theatre by police, arrested and charged. She later refused to accept the charges against her and took her case to…

OTTAWA, November 15, 2021 The Canadian and international arts and design community has stepped forward with five proposals for the LGBTQ2+ National Monument. Today, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, along with project proponent the LGBT Purge Fund, revealed the…

GATINEAU, November 18, 2021 The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, unveiled this year’s Christmas Lights Across Canada programming today, allowing people across the country to celebrate the Canadian winter. From December 8 to January 7, a new multimedia projection will illuminate Parliament Hill and a national television show will unite Canadians for an evening. People in Canada’s Capital Region…