Canadians Are Rejecting the ‘Cultural Mosaic’ in Favour of the ‘Melting Pot’

People cross a street in downtown Toronto during the morning commute on Aug. 22, 2024. The Canadian Press/Paige Taylor White

Commentary

The conception of Canada as a “cultural mosaic” where immigrants are encouraged to keep the cultural identities of their countries of origin has been dominant since the early 1970s, when Pierre Trudeau’s government brought in official multiculturalism. Now, data is showing that Canadians are becoming wary of the mosaic, and are beginning to embrace the more assimilationist “melting pot.”