Ministers Kamal Khera and Harjit S.
Sajjan visit the Gurdwara Sahib Paldi in Duncan, B.C. to highlight Budget 2024
investments supporting Sikh heritage across Canada.
DUNCAN,
BC, Sept. 8, 2024 /CNW/ - The story of
Canada is made up of countless
diverse histories. Canada's
cultural fabric, shaped by the contributions of so many different
communities, is richer and stronger because of this. When we share
these stories, we build bridges, create understanding, and bring
communities together.
For more than a hundred years, Sikh Canadians have made
significant contributions that have helped shape the Canada we know and love and they continue to
play a key role in the growth and prosperity of their
communities.
Today, the Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity,
Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, and the Honourable Harjit
S. Sajjan, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness
and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development
Agency of Canada, visited the
Gurdwara Sahib Paldi in Duncan to
highlight Budget 2024 investments supporting Sikh heritage and
culture across Canada.
Through Budget 2024, the government will invest $1.8 million 2024-25 in the Indus Media
Foundation in Surrey, B.C. for the
completion of a short film highlighting the shared military
heritage of Canadian and Indian soldiers in the First and Second
World Wars. Starting in 2024–25, the government will also invest
$11 million over two years to build
new museums and cultural centres, including $6 million in support for the Sikh Arts &
Culture Foundation and the Royal Ontario Museum's project to create
a space in Toronto dedicated to
Sikh arts, culture and heritage.
With this budget, the government is highlighting the immense
contributions that Sikh Canadians have made to our country while
also making critical investments to build a stronger and fairer
Canada for generations to
come.
Quotes
"Sikh history is Canadian history. It is a history filled with
immense resilience, compassion, determination, and strength. The
investments in Budget 2024 will ensure that the story of Sikhs in
Canada, and the many incredible
contributions that Sikhs have made to our country, are known now
and for generations to come."
—The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion
and Persons with Disabilities
"This project marks a crucial step in restoring the stories and
dignity of Canadian communities whose sacrifices for our democracy
and freedom have gone unrecognized. The Department of Canadian
Heritage's funding announced today honours the shared military
heritage of Sikh and Canadian soldiers who fought together as
British subjects in two world wars. In the early 20th century, Sikh
veterans, like those who built communities such as Paldi in
British Columbia, faced
significant hardships. This project will address the stigma of
discrimination by restoring and commemorating their legacy of a
shared patriotic Canadian identity."
—Steve Purewal, Director, Indus Media Foundation
"The Royal Ontario Museum is tremendously grateful for the
$6 million commitment to the Gallery
of Global Sikh Art and Culture in the 2024 federal budget.
Developed with the support of the Sikh Arts and Culture Foundation
of Canada and the broader Sikh
community, this future gallery will be an important expansion of
the museum's suite of galleries devoted to South Asia, which was the first of its kind in
Canada."
—Josh Basseches, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Royal
Ontario Museum
Quick Facts
The Government of Canada's
investment in the Royal Ontario Museum is part of a $11-million package proposed in Budget 2024,
which will also support the operations of the Hellenic Community of
Vancouver.
The Indus Media Foundation is a registered non-profit society
based in the Lower Mainland of British
Columbia. The foundation promotes appreciation for Punjabi
culture.
Canada's new anti-racism
Strategy, Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024–2028,
represents a $110.4 million
investment, including over $70
million to support local initiatives across the country. The
new Strategy builds on the foundation set with the first Strategy
in 2019–2022. It covers over 70 federal initiatives and takes a
more comprehensive approach to eliminating systemic racism and
discrimination in Canada.
Budget 2022 provided $85 million
over four years, starting in 2022–2023, to the Department of
Canadian Heritage to support the work to launch the new Anti-Racism
Strategy and a national action plan on combatting hate. Of this
$85 million, approximately
$70 million was allocated over three
fiscal years (2023–2026) in grants and contributions. This funding
supports community projects that ensure that, Indigenous peoples
and Black, racialized and religious minority communities have
access to resources that support their full participation in
Canadian society and the economy, while also raising awareness of
issues related to racism and hate in Canada.
Budget 2023 provided an additional $25.4
million over five years, starting in 2023–2024, and
$0.6 million ongoing to the
Department of Canadian Heritage to continue to support Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy and fight all
forms of racism, including but not limited to anti-Indigenous
racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism and
Islamophobia.
Associated Links
Budget 2024: Chapter 5.2 – Vibrant and Inclusive Communities
Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation
SOURCE Canadian Heritage