Caribbean Women’s Society (CWS) has proclaimed October as Caribbean Heritage Month; to be observed in October of each year.
Caribbean Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Caribbean-Canadians and the important and inspirational role that they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario.
To mark the occasion, the general public and media are invited to attend the second annual flag-raising ceremony and official proclamation at Ken Whillans Square in Brampton, Ontario, on October 1, 2019, from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM. CWS and their partners, Caribbean-Canadian Parents United and Caribbean-Canadian Chamber of Commerce & Community will be hosting and live streaming several cultural events for the general public, throughout the month of October.
Caribbean Women’s Society is inviting the general public, in solidarity with their partners, supporters and Caribbean-Canadian community, to petition their Members of Provincial Parliament and Members of Parliament, to represent the concerns of their Caribbean-Canadian constituents by sponsoring a private member’s bill to have Caribbean Heritage Month passed in Parliament.
“We are a richly diverse and distinct collective of Caribbean nations; with a shared, long-standing connection to Canada. Caribbean people have been a part of Canada’s history since the late 1700’s; and have been contributing to Canadian society ever since. It’s time our story is finally told. See us for who we are as a people; and call us by our rightful name, ‘Caribbean-Canadian’,” stated Camille Kerr, Founder & President of Caribbean Women’s Society.
– Canada is home to a large and vibrant Caribbean-Canadian community; a diverse group representing forty-two Caribbean nations, regions and territories; a uniquely, wide range of ancestries, such as Indigenous, African, South American, South Asian, European and Asian; and a multitude of languages including the six official languages: English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Creole and Papiamento.
October signifies an important time in history for Caribbean-Canadians. With the improvements made to the Immigration Act, October 1967, and the introduction of the Multiculturalism Policy, October 1971, came a historically significant increase in Caribbean immigration.