e-4567 (Culture and heritage)

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled

• Canada is home to more than 1.2+ million people whose first language is Spanish. As Spanish speaking immigrants who have settled in this country, our language is an important part of our cultural and ethnic diversity, identity, and traditions;
• An annual celebration, of Spanish Language Day promotes multilingualism and recognizes the history, culture, traditions, and contribution of the Spanish-speaking communities in Canada;
• This language day was established by the UN in 2010 to promote the Spanish language while celebrating cultural diversity. Celebrating and proclaiming the Spanish Language Day will increase awareness of the importance of languages and the respect for the history, cultures, and achievements of all the Spanish-speaking communities. Coincidentally, Spanish Language Day and English Language Day are recognized and celebrated on April 23 around the world;
• Celebrating and proclaiming the Spanish Language Day aligns with Canada’s strategies to celebrate multiculturalism, inclusion, and diversity. According to Statistics Canada, Spanish is the third most spoken language after the official languages;
• The cities of Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, and Toronto have proclaimed Spanish language day. In addition, a greeting from the Premier of Ontario was provided; and
• Promoting multilingualism allows people to conect and understand each other, collaborate and continue to foster identity and community.