REGINA - Plans are afoot by the government to bring in legislation to make it easier to recognize different heritage weeks or months for various cultural communities in the province.
Minister of Parks Culture and Sports Alana Ross signalled that they want to do consultations with cultural groups and communities throughout the province and develop all-encompassing legislation that would automatically recognize different weeks or months.
“We have a number of cultural communities that make up the fabric of Saskatchewan, and it’s important that we celebrate and recognize all of them because that’s who makes us Saskatchewan,” said Ross to reporters at the legislature May 15.
The intention would be for that legislation to be introduced during the next session of the Legislature, which is set to return Oct. 22. Ross also told reporters that the title of the legislation will be “from many people’s strengths,” their provincial motto.
Ross that up to now, cultural organizations have to go through a process of having a month proclaimed. Under the proposed legislation, organizations will automatically have a month or week recognized, instead of having to make a request for a proclamation every year.
News of the government’s plans comes following the end of the current session, which saw some private member’s bills fail to pass in time for the end of the sitting.
One of those was a bill from NDP MLA for Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood Keith Jorgenson, which would have formally recognized in legislation the month of September as Ukrainian Heritage Month.
That bill failed to pass in time, but Ukrainian Heritage Month could still be included among those to be recognized under what is being proposed. In the meantime, Ross said Ukrainian Heritage Month will again be proclaimed by the province under the current process, as usual.
Also earlier this year, another NDP private members bill to recognize the month of
April as Sikh Heritage Month passed unanimously in the Legislature. That was another situation where the month needed to be proclaimed every year.
Opposition MLA for Regina Coronation Park Noor Burki indicated the NDP would be supportive of an all-encompassing bill in the fall. But he did believe the private member’s bill for Ukrainian Heritage Month was worth supporting and wants to make sure their contributions are recognized.
“When we moved this motion, we moved this motion in good faith to make sure we recognize its contribution as well,” Burki said. “… If they really want to stand with Ukrainians back home with what is going on, I think that’s will be one of the healing things for the Ukrainian community.”
