Canada’s Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly praised the Tamil community in a message released to mark the country’s first ever Tamil Heritage Month celebrations.
“The Tamil-Canadian community is a shining example of how Canada is made stronger through its cultural diversity,” said Ms Joly. “The Tamil language is one of the oldest living languages in the world, and we are enriched by Tamil-Canadian contributions to every aspect of our society—arts and culture in particular.”
The Canadian parliament passed a motion officially recognising January as Tamil Heritage Month last year, with support from all parties across the political spectrum. The move was planned so that celebrations coincides with the Thai Pongal harvest festival.
“As Minister of Canadian Heritage, I encourage all Canadians to learn more about the rich history of Canada’s Tamil community and to celebrate the inspirational role that Tamil Canadians have played, and continue to play, in this country,” commented Ms Joly.
“I encourage you to celebrate Tamil Heritage Month for the first time in 2017 and to take part in the broader Canada 150 celebrations taking place around our country.”
