Canada's Multiculturalism, Indigenous Voices, and Arctic Cultural Identity

The Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters, and Sciences released its findings in 1951 — a document that came to be known as the Massey Report — cautioning that Canadian culture had become almost indistinguishable from that of the United States after years of what it described as an 'American invasion by film, radio, and periodical.' The government responded by requiring Canada's mass media to promote Canadian content, including books, television programs, magazines, and other locally produced cultural works. By most accounts, the policy achieved considerable success, though that success has been driven largely by individual rather than federal effort.

A 1951 royal commission report warned that Canadian culture had grown nearly indistinguishable from that of the United States due to decades of American influence through film, radio, and print, prompting the government to mandate Canadian content across mass media.

A Mosaic of Cultural Influences

In its widest sense, Canadian culture draws from British, French, and American influences, which blend and at times compete across every dimension of cultural life, from filmmaking and writing to food and sport. Contributions from other communities have added further distinct elements. Toronto's Yonge Street, for instance, reflects the country's large foreign-born population through a diverse and notable restaurant scene, with South Asian establishments among the most prominent. Vancouver's Chinese community has established a tradition of folk opera and puppetry that rivals equivalents found in China, Italian is widely spoken in Montreal's coffeehouses, and Canada's Indigenous peoples are gaining an expanding presence through a wide range of fine and folk arts.

In 1971, two decades after the Massey Report, Canada formally adopted multiculturalism as official national policy. The federal government now provides support to various ethnic groups and assistance to help individuals participate fully in Canadian society.

Arts Funding and Literary Recognition

Since the middle of the 20th century, economic growth has given Canadians greater capacity to engage with and support the arts. Most provincial governments offer some form of financial assistance for the arts and for cultural organizations within their jurisdictions, and many maintain advisory and funding councils dedicated to the arts. At the national level, the Canada Council for the Arts, headquartered in Ottawa, was established in 1957. It receives funding through an endowment, an annual federal government grant, donations, and bequests.

The annual Governor General's Literary Awards stand as Canada's foremost literary prizes. They are presented to books — one in French and one in English — across the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, children's literature (text), and translation.