The Canadian Heritage Festival is an annual multicultural performing arts festival co-sponsored by the federal government. The first festival was held in 1974.
SOURCES
Manitoba. ‘82 Canadian Heritage Festival for Manitoba (1982, March 26). Retrieved from http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/archives/1982/03/1982-03-26-%2782_canadian_heritage_festival_for_manitoba.pdf
Sawyer, D. (2009) . Festivals. In The Canadian Encyclopedia (2011 ed.). Retrieved from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/festivals/
Jean Augustine discusses the Canadian Heritage button.
TRANSCRIPT
And again, this was another celebration. Canadian Heritage Festival where community groups would come out, your artists, your media people, your music, your dance, a special day of festival, foods, different things would happen. I know in the city of Toronto we have different festivals now that are occurring, but this again supported by Canadian heritage.
The first Caribana (1967) festival was a week-long celebration of Caribbean culture organized by Toronto’s Caribbean community as part of Canada’s centennial celebrations (1867-1967). Charles Roach was a founding member of the group. The first parade started at Varsity stadium on the University of Toronto campus (downtown Toronto). These buttons were given to participants to remind them of the location of the parade. Other events (such as a cricket match, music and comedic performances, fashion show) were located on Centre Island. Admission to the 1967 festival was 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children.
SOURCES
Gallaugher, A. R. Caribana. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. (2006 ed). Retrieved from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/caribana-emc/.
Things to do and see during the weekend (1967, August 4). The Globe and Mail (1936-Current).
Phillip, L. (2007). Reading Caribana 1997: Black youth, Puff Daddy, style, and diaspora transformations. In G.L. Green & P.W. Scher (Eds.), Trinidad carnival: the cultural politics of a transnational festival (pp. 102-35). Bloomington, IN: Indiana Univ. Press.
Jean Augustine discusses the Caribana at Varsity button.
TRANSCRIPT
Caribana At Varsity, this is an interesting one. This was 1967, because as you know Caribana started as a result of the community’s enthusiasm to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canada, the constitution of Canada in 1967. And the parade started at Varsity Stadium and then we went from Varsity stadium to University, down at University Avenue, etc. So these were buttons that we had prior to get people to assemble at Varsity. So this is where it’s going to be, be part of this new thing, this Caribana thing, be at Varsity. And Varsity is really the stadium [at] University of Toronto on Bloor Street and University.
Carrousel of the Nations is a multicultural festival hosted by the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County. It was first held in 1974, celebrating its 39th year in 2014. The three-day festival comprises of villages representing a particular country or ethno-cultural group. World class music and food are featured at each village.
SOURCES
Carrousel of the Nations. How Carrousel began. Retrieved from http://www.carrouselofnations.ca/
Jean Augustine discusses the Carrousel of the Nations button.
TRANSCRIPT
This is all multiculturalism. A big festival that is held in Windsor, again around the whole issue of-- in those early days we spent a lot of time kind of defining who we were; that we came from here, we came from there, we came from the other and we need to bring all of our talents and skills together and we need to respect each other and we need to recognize diversity as a strength and we need to work as community of nations. And so this was-- I used to go to this on an annual basis. And actually, I was very much engaged with the Caribbean groups in Windsor as they formed a group called Windsor Women Working with Immigrant Women, but that carousel still happens on an annual basis. It's like a big Caribbean festival.
Since 1973, the Heritage Canada Foundation has advocated for a national Heritage Day holiday (3rd Monday in February). In 1976 the Liberal government under Pierre Elliott Trudeau introduced a bill to make Heritage Day an official national holiday, however the bill did not pass. Despite this some Heritage Canada Foundation organizations celebrate Heritage Day in February.
SOURCES
Douglas Franklin, R. Heritage Canada Foundation. In The Canadian Encyclopedia (2006 ed.). Retrieved from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/heritage-canada-foundation/
Gordon, C. (1991, February 19). We'll need a holiday after all that debate over heritage day. The Ottawa Citizen.
Heritage day bill would create holiday. (1987, May 18). Toronto Star.
MacGregor, R. (1987, February 3). If you can't enjoin 'em, beat 'em to winter break. The Ottawa Citizen.
Jean Augustine discusses the Heritage has its day button.
TRANSCRIPT
Over the years, I think those people who study what and how communities have evolved, you know, the different things that have happened in the communities that brought us together, we know the heritage. There was the department of Canadian heritage and Canadian heritage funded and supported a lot of activities in the community. And there were special efforts that were made under the whole theme of multiculturalism, multiethnic, multiracial, you now, recognizing who we are. And so Heritage— there would be special opportunities for department of Heritage to support efforts. And sometimes many—the community organizations would do things around heritage and I think this was a program, I don’t even remember what group may have gotten funding to do some heritage stuff. But these programs that were supported at the federal level, these programs are gone.