Government Multicultural Policy in Canada in the Period of 1970-2000-s

The growth of ethnic and cultural diversity, the occurrence of the associated problems and the growing importance of ethnic diversity has led the states to understanding of the need of multicultural education policy. National approaches to the political solution of the problems of cultural and ethnic diversity are different. Canada is an increasingly culturally and ethnically diverse nation. One of the key policy responses to this diversity has been official multiculturalism, first introduced in the early 1970s. While multiculturalism is 40 years old in Canada, it nevertheless remains a highly controversial and debated issue. This article provides an introduction to multiculturalism in Canada at the federal level. This includes an overview of contemporary diversity in the Canadian population, a look at the history of federal policy towards ethnic groups, an examination of the values and structure of modern Canadian multicultural policy and a summary of key debates on this topic.