Multiple Identities

Race and Religion
Changes to Canadian immigration policy in the 1960s, which prioritized economic needs and skills rather than profiling based on race or ethnicity, have transformed the demographic makeup of Canadian society. This, along with the official adoption of multiculturalism in 1971 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, has helped to lessen prejudice and discrimination based on racial or religious grounds. The question of religious and racial diversity continues to shape discussions of Canadian identity today.