Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly told a gathering at the TAIBU community health centre  in Toronto on Thursday that Canada’s strength  is founded on ” our respect for rights and freedoms, on our  welcoming open society and our diverse multicultural character.”

And she said there is no better time to reflect and build on this than this month and this year – “this month being Black History Month and this year being the 150th anniversary of  Confederation. ”

“Diversity is our strength,”  she noted , and ” we must do everything in our power to continue to fight discrimination and racism.”

The Heritage Minister who  is also the Minister responsible for Multiculturalism, was speaking at the launch of  the $5.5-million  Canada Inter-Action grants and contribution program.

Inter-Action offers funding for community engagement and development projects that promote intercultural  understanding and equal opportunities for peoples of all cultures

Joly  announced that the TAIBU  health centre will receive $49,950  through the  Canada 150 Fund to support its “Crossroads of dialogue and multicultural exchanges” project.

The Canada 150 Fund was established by the Government of Canada to allow Canadians across the country to participate in local, regional and national celebrations for the 150^th anniversary of Confederation.

The main themes of the Government of Canada’s vision for Canada 150 are diversity and inclusion, national reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, youth and the environment.

Through its “Crossroads of dialogue and multicultural exchanges” project , the TAIBU health centre will carry out various community activities, including bilingual information and reflection workshops, an exhibition and an evening to celebrate ” our multicultural communities.”

The health centre is a non-profit organization whose mission is to contribute to the maintenance and improvement of the health and well-being of the Black population in the Greater Toronto Area.(See Focus On Health on Page 16 )

The Canadian Heritage Minister also announced ” a call- for -applications” for long-term, multi-year projects for the Inter-Action program.

Funding priority will be given to projects that  work toward the elimination of discrimination, racism and prejudice, provide opportunities for youth community engagement and bring people together through art, culture or sport.

An “events component” of Inter-Action provides grants to support and promote community based events and accepts applications year-round.

More information about the Canada’s Inter-Action program is available on the Canadian Heritage website.