Canadian Multiculturalism Day
Canadian Multiculturalism Day, established in 2002, is a day to celebrate Canada’s diversity and to recognize the contributions of the ethnocultural groups that make up Canadian society. In 1971 Canada became the first country in the world to adopt a policy of multiculturalism. This policy was further integrated into Canadian law with its inclusion in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) and the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988)
Many early settlers in Manitoba Scottish. William Brown (resident and owner of the 1856 Red River Frame House) was living in his hometown of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland when he was recruited by the Hudson Bay Company in 1830. He worked as a labourer, middleman, and cook at several forts in the Northwest Territories and in the district of Red River. After his retirement to the Red River Settlement, Brown married Charlotte Omand who had Scottish and Ojibwe heritage.
Manitoba’s official tartan was designed by Hugh Kirkwood Rankine, a second-generation Scottish immigrant born in Winnipeg. The coloured threads tell the story of early immigration to Manitoba and the province’s ethnocultural diversity.
Red squares: For the Red River Settlement, the stone forts, and fur trade posts
Green squares: For the rich farmlands, forests, minerals, fisheries, and waterpower
Blue lines: For Thomas Douglas, Fifth Earl of Selkirk, founder of the Red River Settlement
Dark green lines: For the people of many cultures and ethnicities that enrich Manitoba
Golden lines: For Manitoba’s bountiful harvests
White squares (in the “Dress” tartan): For Manitoba’s winter snows
Make your own official Manitoba Tartan!
Colour or paint the downloadable template or get creative with your materials and use construction paper or fabric! Once you’ve made a Manitoba Tartan, try designing your own tartan with colours that represent things that are important to you.
