January 21st, Lincoln Alexander Day, recognizes Lincoln MacCauley Alexander, a Canadian lawyer who became the first black Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, and the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Alexander
February is Black History Month, a time to recognize the valuable contributions that Black people have made to Ontario and Canada's economic, social, political and cultural fabric. https://blackhistorysociety.ca/
March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. https://www.iwdtoronto.ca
March 21st, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. On this day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid pass laws used to oppress Black people. https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-racism-day
April is Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario. Sikh Canadians have made significant contributions to our society. In April, Sikh Canadians celebrate Vaisakhi, which marks the creation of the Khalsa and the Sikh articles of faith. https://www.worldsikh.org/
April 17th, National Law Day, marks the day in 1982 when Queen Elizabeth II and then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau signed the Constitution Proclamation, bringing the Constitution home and enacting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. https://www.cba.org/For-The-Public/Law-Day
April 22nd, Earth Day, marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. www.earthday.ca
April 28th, National Day of Mourning recognizes workers injured or killed on the job. The Canadian Labour Congress first declared the Day in 1984. More than 100 countries now observe the Day. https://www.whsc.on.ca/Events/Day-of-Mourning
May 1st, May Day, International Workers Day commemorates the struggles of workers around the world through the labour movements. The first of May is a national, public holiday in many countries across the world but not in Canada - yet. www.canadianlabour.ca
Red Dress Day, observed each year on May 5 in Canada, is the National Day of Awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people (MMIWG2S). It honours those who have been lost and draws attention to the ongoing violence faced by Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people—violence rooted in the lasting impacts […]
