The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, made the following statement:
"Today marks the beginning of Lebanese Heritage Month. On this occasion, we honour the remarkable contributions of Lebanese communities across our country.
Since the arrival of the first Lebanese immigrants in 1882, Lebanese Canadians have enriched our country through their expertise in many fields, including cuisine, research, medicine, arts, education and science, helping build the Canada we know and cherish today.
We are proud that Canada is home to one of the largest Lebanese diasporas in the world, a community whose values of family, hard work and generosity resonate deeply with our own.
Strong communities are built on mutual respect, shared values and a commitment to supporting one another. That is why the government launched Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028 and Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate to give communities the resources they need to identify and prevent hate and intolerance and to build a fairer and more equitable country for everyone.
