Ontario
government celebrates Citizenship Week
Ontario's Diversity Is One Of Its Greatest Strengths
QUEEN'S PARK, ON, Oct. 16 /CNW/ - The Ontario government is encouraging
Ontarians to celebrate the diversity and opportunities the province has to
offer during Citizenship Week, October 17 to 23, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Mike Colle announced today.
"People are Ontario's greatest asset, and one of Ontario's greatest strengths is the diversity of our people," said Colle. "Diversity is our
window to talent, to potential, to building bridges instead of walls – to making Ontario the place to be now and into the future."
Ontario receives about 125,000 immigrants each year - over half of the newcomers to Canada. The province is made up of people from approximately 200 countries, who speak about 130 languages.
"In Ontario, we not only value our differences, we embrace them," said Colle. "The Ontario government is committed to making sure newcomers have every opportunity to get the skills and language training they need to
integrate, do well in their communities, and to participate fully in Ontario's society and economy."
Last May, Premier McGuinty fought successfully to make sure Ontario's
newcomers get their fair share of federal funding. Ottawa's spending on newcomers in Ontario will quadruple over the next five years from $819 per immigrant to approximately $3,400 per immigrant.
Celebrated across Canada, Citizenship Week is an opportunity to recognize the value of citizenship and immigration, and focus on the privileges, rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
