June is full of national and heritage celebrations. Canada identifies the prominence of such occasions & commemorates cultural diversity, along with contributing to the cultural tapestry, & fostering unity in the country.
The month of June celebrates:
- National Indigenous History Month
- Italian Heritage Month
- Filipino Heritage Month
- The Launch Of Pride Season
- Portuguese Heritage Month
In addition, several diversity & inclusion events are celebrated in recognition of the following:
- National Indigenous People’s Day
- Saint-Jean Baptiste Day
If you visit Canada, you’ll see that the country values recognizing the diverse heritage that has made the nation what it is today! However, none of the days mentioned above are recognized as federal statutory holidays. Still, they are critical to creating conversations that help create understanding as well as inclusivity.
National Indigenous People Month & Heritage Month
National Indigenous History Month recognizes the history of First Nations, Metis, & Inuit people in the country. It offers citizens the opportunities to celebrate indigenous people & to learn about their unique traditions, cultures, & experiences. In addition, it is the time to honor the achievements, stories, & resilience of people who have constantly lived & whose presence continues to impact the country.
With diversity & inclusion events, Canada remembers the children who were taken from their families & were put into residential schools, especially after the remnants of 215 indigenous children were found in BC’s unmarked graves.
In addition, reconciliation is a term used in the country to describe the goal as well as the process of healing the wounds of the past, thus making reparations for these wounds. The process has just started in Canada and will continue for a long time.
Each & every week of this year is dedicated to a unique theme to highlight specific aspects of the history, cultures, & perspectives of Indigenous people:
- June 1 – 6: Women, Girls, & 2SLGBTQI+
- June 5 – 11: Environment, Territory, & Traditional Knowledge
- June 10 – 18: Children & Youth
- June 19 – 25: Arts, Culture, & Languages
- June 26 – 30: Reconciliation
In response to the diversity & inclusion events, the Canadian government website offers numerous ways in which you can get engaged & show your support.
In addition, June 21 is the National Indigenous Peoples Day. Very much like Heritage Day, it is a day of recognizing & celebrating the cultures & spiritual beliefs of First Nations, Metis, & Inuit people. Moreover, this day is mainly chosen because it is the beginning of the summer solstice. For generations, indigenous people have celebrated their heritage around this time just because of its prominence as the longest day of the year!
Italian Heritage Month
Canada has almost over 1.5 million people of Italian heritage. Moreover, the country is home to the most prominent Italian diasporas. June celebrates the Italian community’s contribution to building a robust, dynamic, & inclusive country.
In the year 2010, Ontario passed the Italian Heritage Month Act, thus identifying the significant contribution of Italian immigrants. The act commemorates how the immigrants have made to create Ontario communities & the economic, political, cultural, & social achievements of Italian candidates in the province.
Big cities in Canada, like Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, etc., have what we call ‘Little Italy’. These are the numerous sections of the city packed with Italian Canadian businesses & restaurants.
Filipino Heritage Month
Another one of the renowned diversity & inclusion events in Canada is Filipino Heritage Month. It celebrates the Filipino culture, languages, & traditions, along with the numerous contributions that this community has made to the country.
The Filipino community is the largest & fastest-growing diaspora in Canada. In addition, it has an optimistic impact on politics, healthcare, sports, business, arts, etc. For instance, a very high percentage of Filipino Canadians work in the healthcare industry & the social assistance industry as compared to other visible minorities.
In a census conducted in 2021, there were 957,355 over Filipino people, thus making up about 2.58% of the total population of Canada.
Portuguese Heritage Month
Portuguese Heritage Month celebrates Canada’s half-a-million Luso-Canadians. Moreover, it is the time to celebrate the vibrant & dynamic culture of the Portuguese Canadian Community. Portugal Day is celebrated on June 10, thus marking the death of Luis De Camoes, a soldier considered a great writer & poet.
Moreover, the Portuguese Canadian community has immensely contributed towards Canada’s growth & development since the 1500s. They continue contributing to society through its rich history, culture, & language!
Pride Season
In addition to the diversity & inclusion events, Pride events also take place in Canada to recognize gender & sexual diversity & equality. Canada acknowledges the 2SLGBTQI+ community & celebrates the resilience, talent, & contributions of people.
Historically, Pride gatherings emerged from protests for 2SLGBTQI+ rights in Canada. Now, Pride events are held in numerous cities, including Montreal, Vancouver, Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Toronto, & Winnipeg.
Moreover, Toronto Pride Weekend in June is one of the largest Pride events that occur in North America. Furthermore, the Pride Parade takes place on June 25 every year.
Saint-Jean Baptiste Day
Saint Jean Baptiste Day is another patriotic celebration that happens on June 24. The day is celebrated in Quebec & by French Canadians across the country. In Quebec, the day has been a statutory holiday since 1925, with publicly funded events.
In addition, the holiday dates back to the feast day of Saint Jean Baptiste. This was a popular event in the Old Regime in France. However, this tradition was brought to the country by the French colonists in the 1600s.