ANNUAL REPORT TO PARLIAMENT
2004
REPORT of the PRESIDENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Canada's Place in the World
Government of Canada outcome: A prosperous and sovereign Canada in a safe and secure North America
Government of Canada outcome: A Canada committed to multilateral cooperation
Government of Canada outcome: A world where Canada has a positive influence and profile
III. Society, Culture and Democracy
Government of Canada Outcome: Diversity as a fundamental Canadian value
Government of Canada outcome: Safe communities
Government of Canada outcome: Vibrant Canadian culture and heritage
Government of Canada outcome: An informed and engaged Canadian public
V. The Health of Canadians
Government of Canada outcome: A healthy population
VI. The Canadian Environment
Government of Canada outcome: The risk of climate change is minimized
I. Canada's Place in the World
Supplemental Information
Exports of Goods and Services
Exports of goods and services were equivalent to 37.7 per cent of GDP in
2003, representing an increase of 12.2 percentage points over the 1989
exports-to-GDP ratio. The level of imports was equivalent to 33.9 per cent of
GDP in 2003, an increase of 12.2 percentage points over the 1989 imports-to-GDP
ratio. Canadian exports as a percentage of GDP have ranked the highest among the
G-8 countries (G-7 plus Russia), with the exception of 1999, when Canada's
percentage was second to Russia. (Source: International Trade Canada, The
State of Trade, 2003)
Supplemental Information
Perception of United Nations
According to the Global Issues Monitor 2003, 63 per cent of Canadians agreed
that the U.N. is capable of dealing with world challenges.
Belief among Canadians on whether the U.N. serves its purpose to maintain
world peace and stability has increased since 1980. In 2003, 80 per cent of
Canadians believed that the United Nations contributed a great deal to world
peace - this was up from 69 per cent in 1980. While 61 per cent of Americans
thought the U.N. is capable of dealing with current challenges - 58 per cent
agreed that this organization contributes to world peace. (Source: CRIC,
International Affairs Survey, 2003)
Canada also makes a significant contribution to the development of
multilateral disarmament norms and institutions. Its leadership role in the
Ottawa Process that led to the Ottawa Convention banning antipersonnel landmines
(APMs) is an example.
Canadian international leadership is also felt in the world of sports. For
example, Canada has played a leading role in the fight against doping in sport.
In 2003, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) adopted a resolution giving UNESCO a major role in the preparation of
an international convention against doping in sport.
Since 1999 the Government of Canada has been a leader in international
efforts to build support for an international convention on cultural diversity.
In 2003, UNESCO began drafting an international convention on diversity of
cultural content and artistic expression. According to the 2004 Speech from the
Throne, Canada will continue working with UNESCO to establish clear ground rules
that enable Canada and other countries to maintain policies that support and
promote cultural diversity, while respecting the rules of the international
trading system and ensuring markets for cultural exports.
Supplemental Information
Canadian Cultural Exports
The Canadian cultural sector has flourished over the past decade. Between
1990 and 2002, growth in employment in the culture sector was 31 per cent. In
2002, Canadian exports of cultural goods were valued at $2.3 billion, up from
$1.3 billion in 1996, an increase of 80 per cent in seven years. The annual
growth rate for exports of cultural goods between 1996 and 2002 averaged
approximately 10.25 per cent per year.
The top three cultural goods exported in 2002 were: publishing and printing
products ($1.2 million), advertising products ($527,000) and printed materials
($489,000). Canada's top four export markets for cultural goods in 2002 were:
the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. (Source: Statistics
Canada, 2003)
Imports of cultural goods went from $3.0 billion in 1996 to $3.6 billion in
2002, a rise of 17 per cent in seven years.
III. Society, Culture and Democracy
Supplemental Information
According to the 2003 Ethnic Diversity Survey, almost nine out of ten
Canadians aged 15 years and older (86 per cent) stated that they did not feel
they had experienced discrimination or unfair treatment in Canada because of
their ethno-cultural background during the previous five years. A total of 7 per
cent of the population or 1.6 million people, indicated that they felt they had
been discriminated against or treated unfairly, sometimes or often because of
their ethno-cultural background.
This figure increased for visible minorities since one in five visible
minorities, or 20 per cent of the population said they had experienced
discrimination or unfair treatment sometimes or often in the past five years. Of
those who had experienced discrimination or unfair treatment sometimes or often,
56 per cent said that they had experienced such treatment at work or when
applying for a job.
Views on Multiculturalism
According to the 2004 Ipsos World Monitor, Canada is one of the most
accepting of diversity among Western countries. After hearing "It is better
for a country if almost everyone shares the same customs and traditions,"
59 per cent of Canadians disagreed with this statement; 71 per cent of Americans
and 57 per cent of Japanese also disagreed.
In terms of Canadian identity and societal-level problem-solving, in 2003
four out of five Canadians (85 per cent) agreed that multiculturalism is
important to Canadian identity, up from 74 per cent in 1997 and 49 per cent of
Canadians believed that a variety of cultures helped society to tackle new
problems as they occurred, up from 47 per cent in 1991.
Mixed Unions
Mixed unions are comprised of one visible minority and one non-visible
minority or two different visible minority group members. Of the 14.1 million
people in couples in Canada in 2001, 452,000 people were in mixed unions
(marriages and common-law unions) or 3.2 per cent of the total of all persons in
couples, up from 335,035 in 1991 or 2.6 per cent of all couples. This represents
a 35 per cent increase in mixed unions in ten years compared with an increase of
10 per cent for all people in couples. (Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian
Social Trends , 2004)
In terms of attitudes towards inter-racial marriage, both Canada and the U.S.
have a similar approval rating - 63 per cent in Canada and 65 per cent in the
U.S. (Source: CRIC 2003, National Conference for Community and Justice,
2002)
Supplemental Information
Hate Crimes
Twelve of Canada's largest police agencies across the country reported 928
incidences of hate crime in 2001 and 2002, including the period just after
September 11, 2001, when police agencies observed heightened levels of hate
crime, with 15 per cent of incidences following September 11, directly
attributed to those events. For the total number of hate crimes tracked
in 2001-02, more than half (57 per cent) were motivated by racial and ethnic
origins, 43 per cent involved religious motivations, and issues of sexual
orientation motivated 10 per cent. During the period of tracking, Jewish people
and establishments were the most frequently targeted as a single group,
accounting for one quarter of the incidences of hate crime.
Members of visible minorities report fearing victimization of hate crime at a
percentage rate more than twice that of Canadians generally, and fears of
victimization are also heightened for members of Hindu, Jewish and Muslim
religions. (Source: Statistics Canada, 2004)
Supplemental Information
Participation in Cultural Events: Provincial Differences
The provincial variations in performing arts attendance rates across the
country were considerable, ranging from a low of 23 per cent of adults in New
Brunswick and 24 per cent in both Newfoundland and Saskatchewan, to a high of 38
per cent in Quebec. Quebec and Nova Scotia at 32 per cent each were both avid
supporters of festivals, which is much higher than the national average of 20
per cent. Prince Edward Island and Quebec reported the highest attendance for
other stage performances such as circuses or ice shows, both at 20 per cent. (Source:
Statistics Canada, General Social Survey , 1992 and 1998)
According to a 2004 Decima survey, 82 per cent of Canadians (aged 15 and
over) attended an artistic performance or exhibit in 2003; the most popular
types were live performances (theatre, music, dance, opera), followed by visual
art exhibits. In 2003, festivals were attended by 54 per cent of Canadians. In
addition, 14 per cent of Canadians attended an artistic performance in the
minority official language of their region, and almost half (44 per cent) of
Canadians attended a live performance or art exhibit featuring diverse cultures
and traditions.
Household Entertainment Spending
One significant trend in cultural/entertainment consumption patterns is the
continued shift toward "cocooning" where Canadians continue to spend
more on entertainment inside the home than outside the home. For example, the
percentage of household entertainment spending that went to the rental of
cablevision and satellite services increased from 48 per cent in 1997 to 53 per
cent in 2001. (Source: Statistics Canada, Focus on Culture , 2002)
Supplemental Information
Confidence in the Electoral Process
Canadians' confidence in the fairness of the electoral system has declined
over the last decade. The proportion of Canadians who were "fairly
satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the way federal elections
work was lower in 2000 (30 per cent) than in 1990 (41 per cent). (Source: The
Institute for Research on Public Policy, 2001) The same research
indicates that Canadians see themselves as having less influence over government
decisions—those who agreed with the statement "People like me do not have
much say over what the government does" increased from 59 per cent in 1990
to 64 per cent in 2000.
V. The Health of Canadians
Supplemental Information
Non-Smoking Population
Smoking has declined substantially over the past decade. In 1994, 29.3
per cent of the Canadian population aged 12 and over smoked either
daily or occasionally. By 2003, this had declined to 22.9 per cent.
Some of the biggest declines in daily smoking were among teenagers and young
adults, the target of numerous federal, provincial and municipal anti-smoking
campaigns in recent years. These declines have accelerated in the past two
years. For example, 13.6 per cent of teen girls aged 15 to 19 smoked
daily in 2003, down from 18.9 per cent in 2000/01, and 20.9
per cent in 1994.
One-third (33.2 per cent) of young adults aged 20 to 24 smoked
either daily or occasionally in 2003, the highest rate of any age group. (Source:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, The Daily , June
15 th 2004)
VI. The Canadian Environment
Supplemental Information
Weather-Related Hazards
While weather-related hazards are part of a normal weather pattern, the
occurrence of extreme weather events is expected to increase with climate
change. Weather-related hazards affect the health and safety of Canadians,
businesses, the economy, and the environment. The Government of Canada provides
information to Canadians on weather, monitors and conducts research on climate
and atmospheric science to enhance our ability to predict weather and the
occurrences of hazardous and severe weather events, and provides warnings of
extreme weather in order to reduce the risks to Canadians, so that they can take
appropriate actions.
The number of weather-related disasters in Canada is one measure of the
Government of Canada's efforts to minimize the risk of weather-related hazards.
The change in Canadian and global temperatures are measures of the status of
climate change. For more information, please see the Environmental
Signals report published by Environment Canada.
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