Question Period Note: Systemic Racism in Canada

Systemic Racism in Canada

• The Government condemns racism in all its forms

• We recognize and understand the importance of combating systemic racism and discrimination in Canada and have taken concrete steps over the past years to address these issues.

• Since 2019, the Government of Canada has committed close to $100M through Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy, including $70M to support community organizations across Canada addressing issues of anti-racism and multiculturalism.

• In Budget 2021, the Government committed billions of dollars in unprecedented funding ($19.4B) to support Indigenous Peoples, Black, Asian, Muslim, Jewish, and other racialized and religious minority communities in the struggle against the impact of systemic racism, discrimination, and inequities.

• Census 2016 showed approximately 27% of Canada’s population identified as either “visible minority’’ or Indigenous.

• Systemic racism consists of organizational culture, policies, directives, practices or procedures that exclude, displace or marginalize racialized groups, create unfair barriers for them to access valuable benefits and opportunities, and which have the effect of privileging non-racialized groups and disadvantaging others.

• The pandemic further exacerbated pre-existing issues of systemic racism and discrimination. Racialized groups were among the hardest hit from the pandemic in 2020. Several groups had rates of joblessness significantly above average, including Arab (17.9%), Black (17.6%), Southeast Asian (16.6% and South Asian (14.9%) Canadians compared to 9.4% for those not designated as racialized or Indigenous (August 2020).

• Since its creation in October 2019, the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat (ARSEC) has engaged directly with thousands of racialized, Indigenous and religious minority community members, and established interdepartmental working groups designed to increase awareness of issues facing these communities in an effort to provide better informed services.

• 2021 also saw the Government of Canada taking steps to mark key commemorative dates for the first time in our history including:

o On August 1, 2021, Canada celebrated Emancipation Day for the first time, marking the end of slavery in British colonies, including in Canada.

o September 30, 2021, marked the first-ever National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, dedicated to the public commemoration of the missing children and survivors of residential schools, while acknowledging this system's painful and intergenerational impact and legacy.

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