They urged that a new model of citizen participation in a larger society be adopted- one that adressed all the ethnic groups that were part of Canada They even offered a blueprint for a Canadian identity based on the public acceptance of difference and support of cultural pluralism. Unlike the melting pot model of the United States, they preferred the idea of a 'cultural mosiac'-unique parts fitting together into a unified whole. They argued that ethnicity did not determine Canadian identity but rather the identity of the people did.
To the surprise of many the Commission agreed. The Royal Commission presented the government with this idea and recommendations which would acknowledge the value of cultural pluralism to Canadian identity and encourage Canadian institutions to reflect this pluralism in their policies and programs. The policy was accepted in 1971 while Pierre Elliot Trudeau was Prime Minister. When the policy was first announced, it was one of multiculturalism within a bilingual framework. Multiculturalism affirmed English and French as the two official languages of Canada. But ethnic pluralism was declared to be a a positive feature of Canadian society worthy of preservation and development. Many other provinces follwed the federal lead by introducing multiculturalism policies in their areas of authority. In 1982 it became a law and later in 1988 Bill-C-93 was passed as the Multicultural Act. This broke the final barriers of any racial laws and any ethnic problems.(www.pch.gc.ca/csp-pec/englsih)
As stated by Pierre Trudeau, " The government will support and encourage the various cultures and ethnice groups that give structure and vitatity to our society. They will be encouraged to share their cultural expressions and values with other Canadians and so contribute to a richer life for us all.''(20 Years Of Multiculturalism)
The 1988 bill states that:
a) recogniize and promote the understand that multiculturalism reflects the cultural and racial diversity of Canadian society and acknowledges the freedom of all members of Canadian society to preserve, enhance and share their cultural heritage;
b) recognize and promote the understanding that multiculturalism is a fundamental characteristic of the Canadian heritage and identity and that provides an invaluable resource in the shaping of Canada's future;
c)promote the full and equitable participation or individuals and communities of all origins in the continuing evolution and shaping of all aspects of Canadian Society and assist them in the elimination of any barrier to such participation;
d)recognize the exsistence of communities whose members share a common origin and their historic contribution to Canadian Society, and enhance their development;
e)ensure that all individuals recieve recieve equal treatment and equal protection under the law, while respecting and valuing thier diversity;
f)encourages and assist the social, cultural, economic and political insitutions of Canada to be respectful and inclusive of Canada's multicultal character;
g)promote the understanding and creativity that arise from the interaction between individuals and communities of different origins;
h)foster the recognition and apprecitaion of the diverse cultures of the diverse cultures of Canadian society and promote the reflection and the evolving expressions of those cultures;
i)preserve and enhance the use of language other then English and French, while strengthening the status and use of the offical languages of canada; and
j)advance multiculturalsim throughout Canada in harmony with the national commitment to teh official language of Canada. (www.cpa.ca/cjbsnew/1996/ful_edito.html)