A Changing Society: Immigration, Multiculturalism, Families and Advocacy

Look around your classroom

If you could compare a typical Ontario high school classroom in 1982 with one today, you would notice big differences: in the countries students' families came from, the languages spoken at home, the shapes of families, and the expectations of girls and boys. These changes did not just happen. They came from government policies, court decisions, the choices of millions of families, and people who organized to demand change.

In this lesson you will use evidence, especially census data, to describe how Canadian society changed after 1982, and you will meet some of the people and groups who shaped those changes.

New Canadians, new sources

Before the 1960s, most immigrants to Canada came from Britain and other parts of Europe. After the points system ended most racial barriers in immigration, more immigrants came from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. By the 2021 census:

• about 23% of people in Canada were immigrants, the highest share since Confederation;
• about 26.5% of people were racialized;
• India was the top country of birth of recent immigrants (2016–2021), followed by the Philippines and China.

Canada also welcomed refugees from many crises. Between November 2015 and February 2016, Canada resettled more than 25 000 Syrian refugees, many sponsored by private groups such as churches, mosques, synagogues and neighbourhood groups. Later, Canada accepted many people fleeing Afghanistan (2021) and Ukraine (after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022).

Population growth hit a record in 2023, mostly because of temporary residents such as international students and temporary workers. In 2024, the federal government began cutting immigration and temporary resident targets, citing pressure on housing and services.

Multiculturalism becomes law

The Charter (1982) says in section 27 that it must be interpreted in a way that preserves and enhances Canada's multicultural heritage. In 1988, Brian Mulroney's government passed the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, making Canada one of the first countries with a national multiculturalism law. It commits the federal government to recognize diversity, promote equal participation, and help remove barriers.

The Employment Equity Act (1986) required federally regulated employers to remove barriers for women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and racialized people.

Multiculturalism has always been debated:

• Supporters say it helps newcomers keep their heritage while belonging fully to Canada, and that it has made Canada more open and successful.
• Some critics, such as Trinidad-born Canadian writer Neil Bissoondath in his book Selling Illusions (1994), argued it could keep groups separate rather than bringing people together.
• Quebec prefers a model called interculturalism, which emphasizes integration into a French-speaking society. Its debate over "reasonable accommodation" of religious minorities led to the Bouchard–Taylor Commission (2007–2008).
• Racism did not disappear. Racialized and Indigenous Canadians continued to face discrimination in policing, housing and jobs, which led to new advocacy (next lesson).

Families and gender roles

• Divorce: the Divorce Act of 1985 allowed divorce after one year of separation, and divorce became more common.
• Common-law couples, blended families and single-parent families became more common; families became smaller and people married later.
• Women's work: most women, including mothers of young children, now work for pay. Ontario's Pay Equity Act (1987) required equal pay for work of equal value in the public sector and larger private employers. A gap between women's and men's average pay still exists.
• Same-sex marriage: after court rulings in Ontario (2003) and other provinces found that banning same-sex marriage violated the Charter's equality rights, Parliament passed the Civil Marriage Act on July 20, 2005. Canada became one of the first countries in the world to allow same-sex marriage nationwide.
• An ageing population: with fewer births and longer lives, the share of Canadians aged 65 and over grew steadily.

Black Canadians shaping Canada since 1982

The revised 2026 course gives special attention to the contributions of Black individuals and communities. Some examples since 1982:

• Lincoln Alexander, the first Black MP (1968), became Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (1985–1991), the first Black person in a vice-regal role in Canada.
• Jean Augustine, born in Grenada, became the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons (1993). Her motion led the House to officially recognize February as Black History Month in 1995; the Senate followed in 2008 with a motion by Senator Donald Oliver.
• Zanana Akande became the first Black woman elected to Ontario's legislature in 1990 and served in its cabinet.
• Michaëlle Jean, born in Haiti, served as Governor General (2005–2010).
• Greg Fergus was elected the first Black Speaker of the House of Commons in 2023.
• In culture and sport: sprinter Donovan Bailey (Olympic 100 m gold, 1996), novelist Lawrence Hill (The Book of Negroes, 2007), poets Dionne Brand and George Elliott Clarke, musicians Drake and The Weeknd (Lesson 15).
• Community organizations, such as the Black Action Defence Committee (founded in Toronto in 1988), challenged racism in policing, and Black Lives Matter Toronto (2014 onward) raised similar issues for a new generation. Festivals such as Toronto's Caribbean Carnival (originally Caribana, first held in 1967) celebrate Caribbean culture.

Advocacy groups

One trend of this period is the growth of advocacy groups: organizations that push for change outside political parties. Examples:

• the Assembly of First Nations (1982), Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Métis National Council, national Indigenous organizations;
• the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, led in the early 1990s by Judy Rebick;
• Egale Canada (1986), for 2SLGBTQ+ rights;
• the Council of Canadians (1985), led for many years by Maude Barlow, which opposed free trade and campaigned on water rights;
• environmental groups and foundations, such as the David Suzuki Foundation (1990).

Advocacy groups use lawsuits, protests, lobbying and the media. Many of the Charter cases you studied in Lesson 1 were supported by advocacy groups.