Tamil Heritage Month

Tamil Heritage Months is legislatively approved in the Provincial Parliament in Ontario and became law in Ontario March 25, 2014, and Bill-105 an act to proclaim the month of January. Here are some Ontario and Federal speech summaries in Canada.

https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-40/session-2/bill-156

 "Tamils began migrating to Ontario as early as the 1940s.  Since that time, Tamil Canadians have overcome tremendous obstacles and have made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of Ontario. January is an important month for Tamil Canadians.  The Tamil Harvest Festival, Thai Pongal, as well as other Tamil artistic and cultural events, take place in January."

https://openparliament.ca/debates/2016/5/20/gary-anandasangaree-1/?page=9

"We would not be here today had it not been for the municipalities of Markham, Stouffville, Ajax, Pickering, Oshawa, Whitby, Brampton, Toronto, Ottawa, York Region, and school boards such as the Toronto District School Board, that took the lead in entrenching Tamil heritage month in their respective jurisdictions. I want to particularly acknowledge the Province of Ontario for recognizing Tamil heritage month in 2014." 

"The first recorded Tamil cultural organization in Canada was the Bharathi Kala Manram, established in 1969. This was followed by the Tamil Eelam Society of Canada in 1978. The community took shape in many urban centres, including the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, Ottawa, Windsor, Halifax, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver. By 1983, 3,000 Tamils were living across the country. The most significant arrival of Tamils in Canada began in 1983, as refugees from Sri Lanka sought safety from persecution. As a response to the anti-Tamil pogroms on the island of Sri Lanka and due to the hard work of the community at that time, Canada opened its doors to refugees by establishing a special measures program." MP. Gary Anandasangaree

https://openparliament.ca/debates/2016/5/20/kellie-leitch-3/

"As part of the last Conservative government, I fully supported and applauded our government's decision to condemn Sri Lanka, boycott the Commonwealth Summit, cut off funding to the Commonwealth for its refusal to change the venue, while denouncing the human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, and the release of the statement on the genocide in Sri Lanka, denouncing these atrocities. Tamil Canadians are one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada, boasting thousands of successful professionals in academia, lawyers, doctors, and engineers, just to name a few."

"Most came to our country after atrocious experiences of genocide and oppression in their own country. They deeply understand the value and importance of freedom and justice, and stand firm with our Canadian identity and our Canadian values. As the member opposite also mentioned earlier, they advocated for human rights, freedom, tolerance, and generosity." MP Kellie Leitch

"Tamil verses and epithets, both in their oral and written traditions, have been maintained and preserved for over 2,600 years. They worship nature and treat the environment as the place of their worship. They follow their traditions and patronize their art and culture without causing any hindrance to others, because they believe that the earth belongs to all." MP. Bob Saroya 

https://openparliament.ca/debates/2016/5/20/kellie-leitch-3/

"The motion also calls for recognition of the contributions that Tamil-Canadians have made to Canadian society, the richness of the Tamil language and culture, and the importance of educating and reflecting upon Tamil heritage for future generations." 

" The motion also calls for recognition of the contributions that Tamil-Canadians have made to Canadian society, the richness of the Tamil language and culture, and the importance of educating and reflecting upon Tamil heritage for future generations. This is something the NDP can and will support. It is something the NDP has supported consistently over the years. In fact, the wording in this motion is almost identical to the wording of a private member's bill that was introduced by then-NDP member for Scarborough—Rouge Park and Canada's first Tamil member of Parliament in 2013." MP Scott Duvall

https://openparliament.ca/debates/2016/5/20/gary-anandasangaree-1/?page=10

"In 2011, the national household survey indicated that approximately 49,000 people in Canada reported their ethnic origin as Tamil, but, perhaps much more significantly, 180,000 reported that they speak Tamil. Tamil heritage month would provide an opportunity for all Canadians to get to know more about this important community and how much it has contributed to Canada." 

"This acknowledgement is a personal one for me. In 2009, when tens of thousands of Tamil Canadians took to the street in demonstrations, it was a challenge to our pluralism and our values of embracing our diversity. Together, my friends and neighbours who are Tamil Canadians from Scarborough and Toronto worked with all of us to help us understand the importance of those values. The Tamil heritage has made an enormous contribution to Canadian heritage, and it needs to be recognized." MP. Bill Blair 

https://openparliament.ca/debates/2016/5/20/gary-anandasangaree-1/?page=10

"As I pointed out in the House before, I am also someone who understands how important it is to maintain that connection to our heritage. That is really what today's motion is about, the need to recognize that whether it is for Tamil-Canadians who immigrated to Canada, or their children or their grandchildren who were born and raised in Canada, the recognition that our Parliament would give a time to honour who they are, to honour their language, their culture, is obviously an important message." MP. Niki Ashton 

https://ottawatamilassociation.ca/gala2019/recap/recap.html