Canadian Heritage Committee on March 26th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Good morning, everyone.

Welcome to meeting number 29 of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

I would ask all in-person participants to read the guidelines written on the updated cards on the table. These measures are in place to help prevent feedback incidents and protect the health and safety of all participants, including and especially our interpreters. You will notice there's a QR code, which links to a short awareness video.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before you speak. All comments should be addressed through the chair.

Pursuant to the order of reference of February 10, 2026, the committee is meeting to study Bill S-227, an act respecting Arab heritage month. Subsequently, we will deal with Bill S-210, an act respecting Ukrainian heritage month.

I'd like to provide members of the committee with a few comments on how committees proceed with clause-by-clause consideration of a bill.

As the name indicates, this is an examination of all clauses in the order in which they appear in the bill. I'll call each clause successively, and each clause is subject to debate and a vote. If there are amendments to the clause in question, I'll recognize the member proposing it, who may explain it.

Since this is the first exercise for many new members, the chair will go slowly to allow all members to follow the proceedings properly. If during the process the committee decides not to vote on a clause, that clause can be put aside by the committee so we can revisit it later in the process.

Once every clause has been voted on, the committee will vote on the title and the bill itself. An order to reprint the bill may be required if amendments are adopted so that the House has a proper copy for use at report stage.

I thank members for their attention and wish everyone a productive clause-by-clause consideration of Bill S-227 and Bill S-210.

We'll begin with Bill S-227.

We have with us today the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, the MP who is sponsoring this bill in the House of Commons.

Sir, you have five minutes for an opening statement, and then I'll turn to members. We'll just do one six-minute round, and then we'll proceed with clause-by-clause consideration. If a member wishes to use all six minutes for their party, that's fine. If you want to share time with another member, that's also fine. I think six minutes is probably enough to get through this very short and uncontroversial bill.

We will begin with Mr. Hussen's opening statement.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair and honourable members of the committee, for the opportunity to appear before you today to speak in support of Bill S-227, an act respecting Arab heritage month.

I'm pleased to appear before you as the sponsor of this legislation in the House of Commons following its adoption in the Senate, where it was championed with dedication and care by Senator Mohammad Al Zaibak.

This bill is straightforward in its drafting but meaningful in its purpose. It seeks to formally designate the month of April as Arab heritage month.

Members of the committee will recall that this initiative is not new to our Parliament. In fact, in the previous Parliament, the Honourable David McGuinty, member of Parliament for Ottawa South, introduced Bill C-232, which was adopted unanimously by the House of Commons. It advanced to third reading in the Senate before unfortunately dying on the Order Paper following the dissolution of Parliament.

Bill S-227 builds directly on that prior consensus and momentum. It reflects work that had already united members across party lines and across regions of this country.

Arab Canadians have been part of Canada's story for more than 140 years, from the earliest immigrants arriving from what was then known as greater Syria in the late 19th century to the vibrant and diverse communities we see today in cities and towns from coast to coast to coast.

Arab Canadians are making, have made and continue to make contributions in every aspect of Canadian life. They've built businesses and community organizations. They've served as health care workers, teachers, entrepreneurs, artists, academics and public servants. They have strengthened neighbourhoods and contributed immensely to our economy. Arab Canadians have enriched our cuisine, our literature, our music, our civic institutions and our strength as a country.

Designating April as Arab heritage month would provide Canadians with an annual opportunity to learn about these contributions, to reflect on them and to celebrate the role that Arab Canadians play in shaping our shared future. Recognition matters, visibility matters and belonging matters.

Bill S-227 is also measured and responsible. It does not appropriate funds. It does not create new regulatory burdens. It does not duplicate existing legislation. It is declaratory in nature, but its symbolic impact is quite significant.

Canada already recognizes several heritage months that celebrate the histories and contributions of diverse communities. Arab heritage month would join that tradition, reinforcing the principles of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act and the spirit of inclusion that defines our country.

If I may, I'd like to add a personal reflection. When I served as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and later as Minister of Diversity and Inclusion, I had the privilege of engaging regularly with stakeholders from Arab Canadian communities from coast to coast to coast. Community leaders, youth advocates, cultural organizations and business associations all raised the importance of designating and establishing an official Arab heritage month. They spoke about how such recognition would help young Arab Canadians see themselves reflected in our national story. They spoke about the challenges of anti-Arab racism and misperceptions, and they spoke about how formal recognition by Parliament would send a clear message that Arab Canadians are not on the margins of our country but are integral to Canada. Those conversations left a lasting impression on me. This bill responds directly to those voices.

In conclusion, Canada's strength lies in its ability to weave diverse experiences into a common fabric. Arab heritage month is not about separating communities; it is about integrating stories and acknowledging that the Arab Canadian experience is part of the larger Canadian experience. This bill offers Parliament the opportunity to reaffirm the simple but powerful message that every community belongs to our country and every contribution, past, present and future, counts.

I respectfully encourage the committee and my honourable colleagues to support Bill S-227 and advance it for a timely message.

I look forward to your questions.

Thank you, meegwetch and shukran.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

That was elegant and eloquent, as always, sir. Thank you very much.

Mr. Aboultaif, welcome to the heritage committee. I understand you'll be taking the six minutes for the Conservatives.

Go ahead. You have the floor.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Good morning, Mr. Hussen. Congratulations on Bill S-227, and thank you for putting it forward.

I was one of the seconders of the first bill, which was presented by Minister McGuinty in the last Parliament. I'm also one of over a million Canadians of Arab origin. Now, as a proud Canadian, I refuse to be shaped by the hyphenated term “Arab-Canadian”.

How do you foresee this bill celebrating Arab culture but still preserving our national pride as Canadians?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

When you look at the history of Arab Canadians in Canada, at the presence of Arab Canadians and at the contributions they have made and continue to make in many provinces and municipalities right across this country, it is important to follow what local communities have already done. Many provinces, municipalities and community organizations, as you said, have already recognized and designated Arab heritage month in various forms, but what's missing is a federal designation providing national coherence and permanence.

A formal recognition by Parliament ensures consistency across the country. It signals that we, in the federal legislature, recognize, reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Arab Canadians. As part of Canada's official historical narrative, recognition at the federal level carries a symbolic and unifying weight that informal observances cannot.

I share with you the belief that we are all Canadians, but I also believe that recognizing the contributions of various communities to the larger national project doesn't take away from their belonging to Canada. In fact, it enhances it.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

One of the intentions of this bill is to raise awareness about Arab culture and history and the community. What other benefits do you believe this bill would bring to the culture, introduction and awareness of the Arab community?

I believe that when we put forward Lebanese Heritage Month, it was an opportunity to do the same thing. I thought it was a fantastic idea. We're thankful for the passing of this bill through the House and the Senate.

What benefits do you believe this bill will bring to Canadian society?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

I think the main one, in addition to the recognition piece, is education. Whenever an opportunity is made available to Canadians to learn about each other and their history and about the contributions that various communities have made and continue to make in Canada, the dissemination of that knowledge is a plus. It's an advantage.

The more we can learn about each other, the more we can reflect on the history of various communities and their journey to Canada. The more we can celebrate their successes and contributions, the better it is for our social cohesion, our national unity and our ability to not only live together, but actually work together and make a stronger Canada.

In my opinion, I see this as an opportunity for all other non-Arab Canadians to learn about this great and diverse community, which is, in many ways, reflective of different journeys—from folks who arrived here in the 19th century to recent immigrants who are now proud Canadians and everyone in between. The key takeaway is that the education piece will be enhanced by this bill and the recognition of this month as Arab heritage month, but there's also the social cohesion that will come from appreciation and knowledge. This recognition enables Canadians to learn about each other and appreciate each other more.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

This is my final question.

In a multicultural society such as Canada's, we celebrate that a lot. How do you see this bill helping to explain some of the differences as seen by other communities? I refuse to say “other”—we're all Canadians—but there are also cultural differences, because that's the nature of our country. How does this bill help to answer some of the unknown questions about the community or some of the misunderstandings of our culture and our history?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

You're absolutely right.

Again, it gives us an opportunity to open the door to more awareness about the history and contributions of Arab Canadians. When you designate a heritage month and it is disseminated across the country, as I said, it enhances the education piece, which reduces the ignorance, misperceptions and misconceptions about the community.

The first thing that it will do is introduce people to the rich and diverse culture of Arab Canadians. It will introduce them to the contributions that Arab Canadians have made and continue to make to Canada by different waves of Arab Canadians immigrating to Canada. It will also introduce people to the various faiths and cultural backgrounds of Arab Canadians. Arab Canadians are very diverse. They come from different parts of the world. They encompass a diversity that is very rich and dynamic.

I believe this heritage month will help introduce people to that complex, diverse and dynamic heritage, which inevitably will reduce ignorance and misconceptions about the community.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Thank you.

Mr. Al Soud, you now have six minutes. The floor is yours.

[Fares Al Soud, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hussen, for joining us today.

I've said this before and I will say it countless times more: I am the proud son of parents who never had a country of their own until they became Canadian. I am proudly of Palestinian origin, and that identity is a core part of my story.

Of course, that story is not unique to me. In my community of Mississauga Centre, home to one of the largest Arab communities in Canada, I feel those contributions every single day: in small businesses that drive our local economy, in doctors and health care workers who care for our families, in educators shaping the next generation and in artists, innovators and public servants who are helping define what Canada looks like today and what it will look like tomorrow.

My parents came to this country at the age of 16, leaving behind their families, their sense of familiarity and the lives they knew. They chose Canada. My father arrived as a refugee with no one but his older brother. They had no road map and no guarantees, just the opportunity and the willingness to work for it, and they did. They worked. They studied. They supported family back home. They built small businesses. They built stability, and they built a life for themselves and for their families. Just as importantly, they made a conscious decision not to lose who they were in the process.

Growing up in Montreal, I went to school in French and watched TV in English, but at home my parents would always say, [Member spoke in Arabic], which is, “At home, we speak Arabic”—no exceptions. Saturdays were for Arabic school, whether I liked it or not, and I'll admit that at the time I did not. Today, I am nothing but grateful for it every single day, because what they were really doing was ensuring that we didn't have to choose between identities, that we could be fully Canadian and Arab at the same time.

That's a story you see across this country, whether it's from first-generation newcomers or families like those I met in Edmonton last week with roots going back several generations. There's a shared pride in being Canadian and a shared commitment to holding on to where you come from. That is not a contradiction. That is the Canadian mosaic at its best.

Designating April as Arab heritage month is not just symbolic. It tells a community that their story, their contributions and their presence in this country are seen and valued. It acknowledges the sacrifices that were made, the risks that were taken and the challenges that were overcome. It acknowledges the giants before me and the giants whose shoulders I stand on today.

It matters to the next generation because this is about young Arab Canadians growing up and seeing themselves reflected not just as Canadians but also in the fullness of who they are: their language, their culture, their story and their identity. It's about telling them that they don't have to compartmentalize who they are, but that they can carry all of it with pride. Long after this bill is passed, there will be young people in communities like mine who feel a stronger sense of belonging because of it, and that intrinsically matters.

Mr. Hussen, I want to sincerely thank you for your leadership in bringing this forward and for allowing me to rant a bit.

I know Senator Al Zaibak couldn't be with us today, but I'd also like to thank him for his tireless work. I know how much went into this, and I know it will have a lasting impact.

I know that through your work, you've heard countless stories, stories like my father's, like my family's and like those of so many others across this country. I'd like to give you the opportunity to share some of the stories that have impacted you most, acknowledging those people in this bill.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

Thank you very much.

I think your remarks reflect the importance of initiatives like this. You spoke about the fact that Canada doesn't make you choose between obtaining new citizenship and abandoning your heritage. Many countries do that, but this is a very special place. This is a country that allows you to join the larger Canadian family and adopt Canadian values while keeping your rich culture and heritage. That's one of the things that make this country the best country in the world. It makes us stronger; it doesn't make us weaker. Diversity and the embracing of differences actually make us stronger, in my opinion.

My understanding of the importance of this initiative and the reason I joined Senator Al Zaibak in sponsoring this bill in the House is what you said about the impact it will have on young Arab Canadians. They will see themselves in the national fabric. They will see this formal recognition for what it is, which is an embrace by the rest of Canada of their community, their story and their contributions to Canada.

This bill will allow for deeper public education about the community. It will allow for cultural appreciation while reinforcing national unity. This is about building bridges, making sure people's stories are heard and making sure we strengthen social cohesion by increasing education about each other and by learning about each other's histories.

I was so proud to learn one of the amazing Canadian stories and discover that in Edmonton we had early Lebanese Canadian immigrants who connected with Ukrainian Canadians to use their church for worship. This was in the 1800s.

Just outside of Windsor, Ontario, I went to Leamington and discovered a very well-established Lebanese Canadian family—a married couple—who had settled there and started a restaurant in the 1950s. They're still going strong, and they're proud to be Arab Canadians.

You see these stories all the time. I remember Mr. Mansour, up in Sudbury, who came from Lebanon with virtually nothing. Today, he runs 10 businesses and employs thousands of people. He's creating jobs and prosperity for all of us every day, and so on and so forth.

I could continue talking about those contributions, but I think the point is made. This is about fostering understanding. It's about increasing education. It's about reflecting and celebrating contributions. It's about harnessing this initiative to contribute to more inclusion and appreciation for our country and what it has done for all of us, including, of course, Arab Canadians.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Thank you very much, Mr. Al Soud. It's lovely to hear a bit more about your background. That was very beautifully told.

Mr. Champoux, you may go ahead for six minutes.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hussen, for being with us this morning to speak to Bill S‑227.

What I like about the idea of creating a heritage month is that it provides an opportunity to hear people's stories. I really like stories. I like hearing people's and individuals' stories. Whether those stories are heroic or commonplace, they are all important to each and every person they affected and to the families who share them.

Mr. Al Soud talked about his family's story, when his father came to Canada. Those are the stories I like to hear.

I also like to hear stories about Ukrainian people who have come to Canada under different circumstances over the decades. I like to hear about Irish people, whose stories overlap with my roots, and about Italian people. Basically, if properly used, heritage months provide an opportunity to hear people's stories and to better understand where our fellow citizens come from. Knowing where we come from helps us to know and understand one another better, to understand each other's realities better, and to make the society we live in better.

I think the idea of creating an Arab heritage month is especially useful because, in the minds of many Quebeckers and Canadians, Arab culture and the Islamic faith are interconnected, and we know that can give rise to misconceptions. However, I know and believe that Arab culture is extremely rich and that there is much to gain from knowing and sharing it.

Mr. Hussen, how do you see Arab heritage month being used properly, to share everything that Arab Canadians and Quebeckers have done to enrich the social and cultural fabric of our nations? If all goes well, April will likely be designated as Arab heritage month. I don't think we'll be holding our breath as to how the vote on Bill S‑227 will turn out.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

I believe that just like other heritage months that have been designated by our federal Parliament, Arab heritage month would serve the same purpose. It would be used by local schools, community organizations, business associations, provincial governments and others to really focus our attention every year on April as the month to reflect on and celebrate the contributions that Arab Canadians have made and continue to make to Canada.

It also gives us an opportunity to use this month to show the diversity of the Arab Canadian community. As you said, there's a lot of confusion, and for a lot of people, the term “Arab” is synonymous with Muslim. We know that the Arab Canadian community has different faiths and different backgrounds. They come from different parts of the world. We have Arab Canadians who come from northern Africa. We have Arab Canadians who come from the Middle East. We have Arab Canadians who come from other parts of the world. There's a diversity and there are differences in how Arab Canadians got here, through different generations and different waves of immigration, and how they settled in different parts of the country to make their home. All of that is incredibly interesting and fascinating.

I think Arab heritage month would allow more Canadians to discover that, as I have just by working on this bill. I was able to learn even more than what I already knew about the community.

It's quite fascinating but also quite encouraging to see the level of entrepreneurship of Arab Canadians and the level of contributions they have made and continue to make from every part of Canada in every aspect of Canadian life. I think more people learning that would be a good thing. This Arab heritage month designation would focus the mind on highlighting that. Just like when federal Parliament passed Black History Month or Latin American Heritage Month, it would help focus our attention on that for a moment, in April of every year.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

I think we can all agree that providing that window into the community and giving people the opportunity to look past first impressions will make a real difference in addressing certain types of racism and intolerance. It's clear that having a heritage month is a positive thing, again, if it's properly used.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

Absolutely. Everything you've said is true. The more people know about each other, the less they're susceptible to ignorant perceptions about the “other”. That also, of course, contributes to stronger social cohesion. As you're very well aware, the presence of Arab Canadians in Quebec has strengthened Quebec and has contributed not only to its economic prosperity but also to strong civic pride in being a Quebecker.

I have been spending a bit more time in Quebec than normal because of French-language training. By virtue of being in Quebec more, I've had the opportunity to get to know and interact with Arab Canadians from the Maghrib region and hear their different journey of immigration to Canada, which is different from, for example, those in the Lebanese community or the Syrian community. It reminded me again of the diversity of Arab Canadians and the contributions they've made and continue to make in Canada.

I believe the designation of April as Arab heritage month is long overdue, and I believe we should do everything we can to support this bill.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

That concludes our question rounds, unless somebody has something urgent to add.

We'll move forward with clause-by-clause consideration of this bill.

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of clause 1, the short title, and of the preamble is postponed.

Shall clause 2 carry?

(Clause 2 agreed to)

Shall the short title carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Shall the preamble carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Shall the title carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Shall the bill carry?