Mr. Speaker, this week in British Columbia we celebrate multicultural week. Multicultural week started in 1984 to celebrate our cultures and traditions. In British Columbia, where multiculturalism has played such an important role, all people come together to share and understand each other. Cross-cultural education has destroyed many barriers and is helping in the fight against racism. Multiculturalism teaches us about people and helps us all understand and appreciate each other.
Lectures, meetings and cross-cultural events will take place during the week, giving all people a chance to dismiss our biases and myths and to immerse in a wonderful world of differences and similarities.
Multiculturalism applies to all of us. We all have a culture, we all have ethnicity. Let us all celebrate in the spirit of understanding that permeates this week-long event and that will unite all people in British Columbia.
Happy multicultural week to our British Columbians and a vote of thanks to all those who have spent hours of volunteer work to promote and keep all cultures of Canada alive.