Canada’s biggest city of Toronto is celebrating Christian Heritage Month for the first time this December, and the entire country could soon follow suit.
Toronto was once known as the “City of Churches” with 90 church buildings listed at the end of the 19th century.
Today, less than half the city’s population identifies as Christian.
But councillors overwhelmingly supported this month’s celebration.
They noted that God is mentioned in the very first sentence of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
They also pointed out that other religions and heritages are given recognition in Canada, but there is a lack of dedicated commemorations for Christianity in the country.
“Christian faith groups utilise literature, art, music, gastronomy, and architecture to tell the stories of Jesus and his compassion, love, acceptance and the good news of the gospel he brought,” they said in a statement.
“December is associated with the tradition of gift giving and gathering of family, friends, and people of all faiths. Christian organizations and places of worship offer religious services, unique events, and initiatives that highlight a strong Christian heritage during the month of December.”
“As proud citizens of this diverse and culturally rich nation, we believe it is important to recognize and celebrate the contributions of all religious and cultural groups,” the councillors added.
The vote to officially mark December as Christian Heritage Month in Toronto has been hailed a “significant milestone” by TV Talk Show host Molly Banerjei, who came up with the idea six months ago alongside her husband Jay and volunteers from Christian Music Festival.
She celebrated that the momentum for Christian Heritage Month has seen it recognised by 35 other Canadian municipalities this year including the capital Ottawa and western cities like Regina, Saskatoon and Prince George as well as the ski resort of Whistler.
Molly Banerjei would like to see other major cities like Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Quebec City join in the celebration.
A year ago, the Canadian Human Rights Commission was attracting scorn for a discussion paper, declaring that statutory holidays such as Christmas are a manifestation of the “discrimination against religious minorities in Canada” and “grounded in Canada’s history of colonialism.”
But in a sign of a change, even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has seemingly given his support to a parliamentary motion to declare December as Christian Heritage Month right across the nation, pending approval by MPs.
He reportedly told a parliamentary event: “It is the kind of recognition, we ought to celebrate.”
