Equality and Multiculturalism / Égalité et multiculturalisme

On November 8, 1946, while travelling on business, Viola Desmond decided to see a movie at the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. After buying a balcony ticket, she challenged the theatre's segregation by sitting downstairs in the whites-only section, and she was arrested for it. Outraged, the Black Nova Scotian community organized and fought the injustice in a case that came to represent a turning point in the struggle for rights in Canada. Since then, respect for diversity has emerged more strongly in the minds of Canadians. In 1971, Canada launched a policy of multiculturalism that recognized the many ethno-cultural communities making up the fabric of the country. Initially symbolic, the policy promoted respect for diversity through the decades and contributed to preserving many cultural identities in Canada. Although barriers still existed 50 years later, multiculturalism became embedded in the civic identity of many Canadians.

Ontario · Canada