Government of Canada Survey Reveals Diversity Trends in Canadian Society
OTTAWA, September 29, 2003 -- Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women) Jean Augustine today welcomed the results of the Ethnic Diversity Survey (EDS), a study that reveals important information on how people's ethnic backgrounds affect their participation in society, and how Canadians of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds interpret and report their ethnicity. The EDS is co-sponsored by the Department of Canadian Heritage and Statistics Canada."There are real people behind these numbers, with real stories to tell," said Secretary of State Augustine. "These stories will be revealed in the years to come, as we use the data to conduct studies and research that will enhance our understanding about how people's ethnic and racial backgrounds affect their participation in society. We will use this to inform our policies, programs, and services that will help promote respect for our ethnic and racial diversity."
Preliminary Survey results show:
- Canadians have a strong sense of belonging to their ethnic background (50 percent).
- Participation in Canadian society increases the longer people live in Canada; the longer people live in Canada, the more likely they are to participate in groups or organizations and the more likely they are to vote in elections.
- The vast majority of the population, and the majority of visible minorities, have not perceived themselves to be discriminated against or unfairly treated (86 percent). However, discrimination continues to be a problem for some groups of Canadians.
"What is significant is that the Survey results tell me we are going in the right direction with our Multiculturalism Policy and Program," added Secretary of State Augustine. "Their key objectives are to make sure all Canadians feel at home and ensure that differences are respected by everyone."
A preliminary analysis of the data from the Ethnic Diversity Survey is available on The Daily on the Statistics Canada Web site: http://www.statcan.ca/english/dai-quo/
Canada's Multiculturalism Policy promotes full and equitable participation in Canadian society for people of all origins, and encourages interaction between communities of different ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. It also encourages public institutions to be respectful and inclusive of Canada's multicultural character.
Information:
Carole Nesbeth
Office of the Secretary of State
(Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)
(819) 997-9900
Backgrounder
About the Ethnic Diversity Survey
- The EDS is a joint initiative of Statistics Canada and Canadian Heritage.
- The objectives of the Survey were to better understand how people's backgrounds affect their participation in the social, economic, and cultural life of Canada, and to know how Canadians of different ethnic backgrounds interpret and report their ethnicity.
- The studies and research that use the data will result in an improved understanding of diversity issues, which will assist the Government of Canada to develop policies and practices that better meet the needs of all Canadians.
- The survey was conducted from April 2002 to August 2002.
- Some 42 500 respondents were selected from the 2001 Census.
- Interviews were conducted in nine languages: English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Italian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
- A preliminary analysis of the data is available on The Daily on the Statistics Canada Web site: http://www.statcan.ca/english/dai-quo/
- The EDS is a collection of data that will fuel analysis and research for many years. One of the ways Canadian Heritage is encouraging such research is through the Multiculturalism Issues in Canadian Society Strategic Grants Program, a research grant partnership between the Multiculturalism Program and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The grant makes funding available to researchers to explore multicultural issues. Research that uses data from the EDS is encouraged.
Some Preliminary Results
- Canadians have a strong sense of belonging to their ethnic background (50 percent).
- Participation in Canadian society increases the longer people live in Canada; the longer people live in Canada, the more likely they are to participate in groups or organizations and the more likely they are to vote in elections.
- The vast majority of the population, and the majority of visible minorities, have not perceived themselves to have been discriminated against or unfairly treated (86 percent).
- However, the results of the Survey do show that discrimination continues to be a problem for certain groups, and that work still needs to be done. For example, many visible minorities, notably Black Canadians, 32 percent reported perceptions of having been discriminated against or unfairly treated often or sometimes, while 17 percent reported rarely.
The Government's Multiculturalism Policy and Program
- Canada is one of the world's most multicultural countries, claiming more than 200 ethnic origins. More than 13 percent are visible minorities - a figure that is expected to rise to 20 percent by 2016.
- Canada has a long and distinguished history of promoting human rights and understanding among its people. It was the first country to adopt a Multiculturalism Policy in 1971, which became law in 1988 when Parliament passed the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.
- Multiculturalism supports the belief that all citizens are equal, that they all have the right to participate in society, and that ethnic, racial and religious differences contribute to a strong and vibrant country.
- The Multiculturalism Program falls under the Department of Canadian Heritage. Its mandate is to strengthen Canada by fostering an inclusive society. This is achieved through four activity areas:
- Research
- Community Action
- Institutional Development
- Public Education and Promotion
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