Published plans and annual reports 2024–2025: Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism

Ministry overview

Ministry’s vision

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism vision is to build a stronger, more prosperous and inclusive Ontario where individuals from every background can succeed and feel like they belong. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism does this by leading the government’s anti-racism and anti-hate initiatives, promoting equitable economic growth and opportunity, recognizing the achievements and contributions of exemplary Ontarians, celebrating the province’s diverse communities and working to conserve and steward Ontario’s heritage.

Ministry programs

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism contributes to government priorities through the delivery of public services in 2 key areas of responsibility: the Anti-Racism Directorate (ARD) and the Citizenship, Inclusion and Heritage Division (CIHD).

ARD works to eliminate racism and advance racial equity for Indigenous, Black and other racialized populations in Ontario. ARD is committed to building a more inclusive and responsive Ontario government to ensure all people are served equitably, with a plan that is grounded in evidence and research.

CIHD promotes economic growth, equitable opportunities and community inclusion to ensure everyone can fully participate and prosper in Ontario. CIHD also fosters inclusive and vibrant communities by formally recognizing exceptional individuals who are making a difference locally, provincially and around the world. Finally, CIHD supports municipalities and the heritage sector in administering the Ontario Heritage Act, including regulating the practice of archaeology, to conserve and protect cultural heritage resources that reflect the diverse communities and histories of Ontario.

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism strategic initiatives support government priorities of building a strong Ontario by supporting people and businesses today while laying a strong foundation for the future.

Additionally, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism is accountable for the oversight of the Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT), which is dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario’s heritage for people to enjoy now and for others to experience in the future.

2023–2024 Strategic plan

In 2024–2025, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism will continue to support communities and provide a solid foundation for the province’s long-term economic growth.

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism will help build a better tomorrow by prioritizing programs that address systemic racism and hate, empower youth, families and communities, conserve cultural and natural heritage, celebrate diversity, drive community inclusion, and support employers and entrepreneurs to create equitable opportunities for all. These programs and services will help to anticipate and meet the changing needs of a diverse population, workforce and province.

Building a stronger province through anti-racism and inclusion

Racism creates barriers and disparities for Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities in society. Eliminating systemic racism and advancing racial equity supports the social, economic and cultural development of society as a whole. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism provides anti-racism leadership and expertise to create more opportunities for people and greater prosperity for the province.

Key priorities in 2024–2025 include implementing Building a Stronger and More Inclusive Ontario, Ontario’s strategic plan to combat systemic racism and racially-motivated hate, building anti-racism capacity in public sector organizations, and strengthening supports for local businesses and community-led programs.

The Anti-Racism Strategic Plan

• Following consultations with community leaders, partner organizations and the public, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism released Building a Stronger and More Inclusive Ontario in August 2023. This plan which includes a new vision with 49 initiatives from 14 ministries under four areas of action: Economic Empowerment, Supporting Children and Youth, Population-Specific Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Initiatives and Policy and Accountability, will inform the province’s anti-racism initiatives in the coming months and years. As provisioned by the Anti-Racism Act, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism will report on the progress made annually, in September of each year.

Anti-racism support and advisory services

• The new Anti-racism support and advisory services portal, recently launched by ARD, was primarily developed to support the 14 ministry partners with initiatives included in the anti-racism plan. It is now available to ministry partners and takes a one-window approach to providing services and supports backed by the expertise of ARD's respective areas. In 2024–2025, portal users will have access to tools that support the advancement of their equity work in areas such as policy, program delivery and evaluation, race-based data collection, anti-racism impact assessments and anti-Indigenous racism considerations. Additionally, it is available to all ministries, regardless of where they are on their equity journey.

The Anti-Hate Security and Prevention (AHSP) Grant

• As part of the province’s efforts to combat hate in Ontario, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism is investing $25.5 million over 2 years starting in 2023–2024, to help protect faith-based and cultural organizations by funding safety and security measures.
• The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism is investing $12.75 million into the AHSP Grant in 2024–2025, to help address the rise of hate incidents against religious and minority groups.
• The new funding, prioritizing Jewish and Muslim communities, will expand the province’s AHSP Grant, helping faith-based and cultural organizations implement measures to ensure community spaces remain safe and secure.

Indigenous relationship building

• In 2024–2025 ARD's is continuing to provide funding to Indigenous partners to support anti-Indigenous racism efforts, engagements and projects within First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across Ontario.

Ontario Public Service anti-racism policy

• As one of the province’s largest employers, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) has a responsibility to lead by example, while driving innovation and excellence in public policy development and service delivery. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism will continue to support Treasury Board Secretariat in advancing anti-racism efforts within the OPS.

Expanding economic opportunity to all

Ontario will be better positioned to navigate global economic uncertainty if all Ontarians can access economic opportunity and fully participate in the workforce. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism is working to create equitable opportunities for youth, small businesses and organizations across the province, especially for marginalized groups facing barriers to success.

The Black Youth Action Plan (BYAP)

• BYAP builds on existing government investments in upstream programs that connect Black children, youth and families to culturally relevant supports in their communities.
• The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism is investing $16.5 million in the BYAP'S economic empowerment program in 2024–2025, to continue supporting more than 30 community-based and culturally focused initiatives that have been empowering Black children and families.
  • The funding will help Black youth and young professionals develop skills to help launch their careers in high-demand sectors such as the skilled trades, information technology, automotive, health, film and the arts.

Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE)

• Starting in 2023–2024, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism is investing an additional $15 million over 3 years into the RAISE grant program to help more Indigenous, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs with a one-time $10,000 grant, culturally responsive support services, and access to business development training and coaching.
• Additionally, the government invested $5 million over 2 years (2021–2022 and 2022–2023) through the (RAISE) pilot program.

Strengthening partnerships with communities

Community organizations and groups can bring people together, create a sense of belonging, help people succeed, provide support in times of crisis and advocate for positive change. In 2024–2025, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism will continue to engage community partners to ensure its programs, policies and services reflect the experiences and needs of our diverse province.

Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity (PCEO)

• The PCEO is an advisory group that champions community voices and provides advice to government on how to help young people succeed in Ontario’s changing economy. The PCEO continues to work with the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism to share actions the government can take to:
  • Build a diverse, skilled, future-oriented workforce
  • Decrease youth unemployment rates
  • Grow innovation, entrepreneurship and talent within Ontario

The Advocate for Community Opportunities (ACO)

• The ACO works with marginalized communities to advise the government on actions it can take to improve the health, well-being and economic opportunities of people impacted by poverty, violence and discrimination.
• The ACO helps to inform the design of programs and services in areas such as economic growth and opportunities, education, anti-racism and anti-hate with a view of advancing change to support marginalized communities.

Student and Family Advocates (SFA)

• The SFA initiative provides funding to Black-led/focused organizations to develop and implement community-based and culturally relevant advocacy supports tailored to the experiences and needs of Black students (ages 6-25) and families.
• The program provides Black students and families with culturally relevant school system navigation supports to meet their educational, career and life goals. The SFA program enables students to successfully complete high school, enroll in postsecondary education and apply for meaningful jobs upon graduation.

Recognizing the Achievements and Contributions of Exemplary Ontarians

Civic engagement and pride are building blocks for a strong, socially cohesive and inclusive province. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism celebrates and recognizes the outstanding achievements of Ontarians who have left a legacy in the community, the province and the world, while encouraging civic participation, community leadership and volunteerism.

Key priorities for 2024–2025 include administering and delivering the province’s annual 6 honours programs and 14 awards programs that celebrate outstanding accomplishments of Ontarians.

Honours programs

• The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism will celebrate and honour the outstanding achievements of Ontarians through the:
  • Order of Ontario
  • Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship
  • Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers
  • Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery
  • Ontario Medal for Police Bravery
  • Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery

Awards Programs

• The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism will celebrate and recognize the outstanding achievements of Ontarians through the:
  • Champion of Diversity Award
  • Amethyst Award for Outstanding Achievements by Public Servants
  • David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility
  • Hilary M. Weston Scholarship
  • James Bartleman Indigenous Youth Creative Writing Award
  • Lincoln M. Alexander Award
  • Volunteer Service Awards
  • June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism
  • Lieutenant Governor’s Community Volunteer Award for Students
  • Ontario Senior Achievement Award
  • Ontario Senior of the Year Award
  • King’s Coronation Medal
  • Murray Whetung Community Service Award for Cadets
  • Lieutenant Governor's Medal of Distinction in Public Administration

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism is working to embed inclusion, diversity and equity into program delivery, while promoting programs to encourage more Ontarians from all backgrounds and all parts of the province to apply for and have the potential to receive provincial recognition.

Conserving Cultural Heritage Resources

Ontario’s cultural heritage supports Ontarians’ sense of place and community and contributes to strong economic growth, social well-being and lifelong learning. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism works to conserve and promote cultural heritage resources, including archaeological resources, built heritage resources and cultural heritage landscapes to make Ontario a place where people want to live, work and visit.

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism provides core operating grants along with advice and outreach to support heritage organizations in promoting the stories of Ontario’s communities. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism regulates archaeologists and sets standards of practice to ensure that archaeological resources are conserved. The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism also provides advice and support to municipalities, partner ministries, and Indigenous communities on the Ontario Heritage Act and matters related to cultural heritage.

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism will continue to support the government’s efforts to increase housing supply and advance provincial priority infrastructure projects such as transit and long-term care while conserving and promoting cultural heritage. This includes undertaking the first phase of a modernization initiative to improve efficiency, quality and accessibility of heritage regulatory programs and advisory and data services.

Table 1: Ministry planned expenditures 2024–2025 ($M)

Note: Ministry Planned Expenditures includes Statutory Appropriations and Consolidations. Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Detailed financial information

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote

Further information on the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism’s programs and initiatives can be found on the Ministry website.

Other information about Ontario’s Finances can be found at:

• Expenditure estimates
• Public accounts
• Ontario Budget

Agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs)

Agencies

Ontario Heritage Trust: The Trust serves as the heritage trustee and steward for the people of Ontario by conserving provincially significant cultural and natural, tangible and intangible heritage. In this role, the Trust interprets Ontario’s history, educates Ontarians of its importance in our society and celebrates the diversity of place, experience, language, customs and perspectives of our province.

Boards and Commissions

The Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity: An advisory group that champions community voices and provides advice to the government on how to help young people succeed in Ontario’s changing economy and improve outcomes in marginalized communities.

Advocate for Community Opportunities: An appointed Special Advisor who works with underrepresented communities to advise the Premier and the government on actions it can take to improve the health, well-being and economic opportunities of people impacted by poverty, violence and discrimination.

Ontario Honours Advisory Council: Provides advisory services through which it considers all nominations received and selects recipients who have the greatest merit for the honours of The Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship, The Ontario Medal for Police Bravery, The Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery, The Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery and The Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers.

Advisory Council to The Order of Ontario: Provides advisory services through which it reviews and evaluates nominations received for The Order of Ontario and makes its recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor in Council of those who, in its opinion, merit an appointment to The Order of Ontario.

Note: There are no actual expenditures in 2022–2023 or interim actual expenditures in 2023–2024 for the Ontario Honours Advisory Council and Advisory Council to the Order of Ontario as they moved to a virtual meeting format. The amount specified in 2024–2025 Estimates is for in-person meetings should they choose to revert to that format.

Ministry organization chart

• Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism
• Deputy Minister
  • Director, Communications Branch
  • Executive Advisor
  • Legal Services Branch (shared with MTCS and MSAA )
  • CIO, Community Services I&IT Cluster (shared with MCU , MMAH , MTCS and MCM )
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Anti-Racism Directorate
    • Policy and Partnerships
    • Program and Evaluation
    • Capacity and Transformation
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Citizenship, Inclusion and Heritage Division
    • Ontario Honours and Awards Secretariat
    • Heritage
    • Community Inclusion and Youth Strategies
  • Chief Administrative Officer, Regional and Corporate Services (shared with MTCS )
    • Strategic Corporate Support
  • Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Heritage Trust
    • Corporate Businesses and Services
    • Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre
    • Heritage Programs and Operations

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism organization chart as of April 15, 2024.

Annual report

In 2023–2024, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism continued to deliver on its mandate to lead the government’s efforts to build an equitable Ontario and promote a sense of belonging through informed policies, programs and services.

Building a stronger province through anti-racism and inclusion

Understanding that much-needed solutions against racism and hate cannot come from government alone, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism partnered with community organizations to co-design and lead effective programs. The Ministry initiated consultations with stakeholders and the public to ensure new anti-racism initiatives met the needs of Ontario’s diverse population.

The Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate (ARAH) Grant

• The government invested almost $5 million in the ARAH grant program to support 82 community-led initiatives to increase public education and awareness of racism and hate, including anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Asian racism.
• Through 3 completed rounds, funding has been distributed as follows:
  • round 1 (2021–2023): $1.6 million disbursed to 32 organizations
  • round 2 (2022–2024): $1.6 million disbursed to 26 organizations
  • round 3 (2022–2023): $1.7 million disbursed to 24 organizations

Indigenous Relationship Building

• In 2023–2024, ARD provided $500,000 in funding to Indigenous partners to support anti-Indigenous racism efforts, engagements and projects within First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across Ontario.

The Anti-Racism Strategic Plan

• The Anti-Racism Act, 2017 requires the government to maintain an anti-racism strategy that is reviewed at least every 5 years
• On March 7, 2022, Ontario launched a review of the province’s Anti-Racism Strategic Plan to seek feedback on the current strategy and asses emerging priorities (including economic empowerment, supporting children and youth and addressing racially motivated hate)
• Public consultations included an online survey, community-led engagements (with Indigenous, Black, Muslim, Jewish and other racialized communities) and an assessment of the progress of the 2017 strategy
• Findings from the review helped inform the province’s latest anti-racism strategic plan, Building a Stronger and More Inclusive Ontario: Ontario’s Anti-Racism Strategic Plan, which was released in August 2023
• Our government continues to find innovative solutions as we work to remove barriers, advance racial equity and promote economic inclusion, so that all Ontarians have opportunities to participate, contribute and succeed

Grants awarded and grant funding disbursed

The AHSP Grant [formerly Ontario Grant to Support Anti-Hate Security Measures for Faith-Based and Cultural Organizations (OGFBCO)]

• In May 2023, the government announced an investment of $25.5 million over 2 years (fiscal year 2023–2024 and 2024–2025) for an expanded and rebranded Ontario AHSP Grant program to help eligible religious groups, Indigenous communities and cultural communities better protect and secure their facilities from hate-motivated incidents, graffiti, vandalism or other damage.
• The rebranded AHSP Grant Program launched 2 rounds; fall and winter round in fiscal year 2023–2024.
• The winter round of AHSP was launched due to the recent spike in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate incidents. The program was relaunched and revamped to make it more flexible and responsive to community needs.
• In the fall 2023–2024 round, a $12.5 million investment was made to the program. The application portal was open for a total of 15.5 weeks from July 20, 2023–November 7, 2023 (including 2 extensions).
• In the winter 2023–2024 round, an additional $20.5 million investment was made. The application portal was open for 5.5 weeks (December 14, 2023–January 22, 2024).

Expanding economic opportunity to all

To support an inclusive economy, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism works to support, empower and equip Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities to reach their full potential.

The Black Youth Action Plan (BYAP) — economic empowerment

• The BYAP's Economic Empowerment program, introduced in 2020, enables community organizations, employers and business leaders to create local projects that support career pathways for Black youth and young professionals.
• Within the program, 3 initiatives (career Launch, career advance and sector innovation networks) fund projects led by community organizations that improve access to good jobs, skills development, training, work placements and professional networks in high-growth sectors.
• The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism invested $16.5 million in the BYAP's Economic Empowerment initiatives in 2023–2024 to continue supporting Black youth and young professionals develop skills to help launch their careers in high-demand sectors such as the skilled trades, information technology, automotive, health, film and the arts.

Strengthening partnerships with communities

The Ministry worked to ensure community voices and organizations were reflected in government decision making for better programs and services.

The Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity (PCEO)

• In 2023–2024, the PCEO contributed to social and economic priorities across government for youth facing complex barriers, including Black, Indigenous and racialized youth and youth living in rural and remote areas, including the Anti-Racism Strategic Plan Review.

The Advocate for Community Opportunities (ACO)

• Mohamed Firin is the ACO. As a special advisor to the Premier, the ACO engages with marginalized communities to identify barriers and provides strategic advice, as well as policy design and delivery recommendations on a number of priorities.

Recognizing the achievements and contributions of exemplary Ontarians

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism recognized the exceptional contributions of volunteers and civic leaders for their impact, whether local or global, by administering 20 public-facing honours and awards programs and providing support to each of the selection bodies and Advisory Councils.

Honours and awards program highlights:

• In 2023–2024, the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism delivered a total of 45 ceremonies. The Honours and Awards Secretariat also delivered 11 in-person ceremonies honouring and recognizing over 460 individuals.
• The Volunteer Service Awards returned to in-person delivery in 2023 recognizing more than 3,400 individuals in 34 ceremonies across the province.
• The Honours and Awards Secretariat worked with the Governor General’s office to present a plan to redesignate the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship to honour the late Queen Elizabeth. As a result, the Order in Council to rename the honour to the Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship was approved and ordered on June 29, 2023.

Conserving cultural heritage resources

The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism administers the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA) which sets out a framework for municipalities and the province to identify, protect and conserve properties of cultural heritage value or interest.

Efforts in 2023–2024 included:

• Proposing legislative amendments to the OHA through the Less Red Tape, More Common Sense Act, 2023, as part of the government’s Fall 2023 Red Tape Reduction package. The changes introduced a new provision that, once in force, would require that municipalities consent, without terms and conditions, to proposed alterations to buildings on municipally designated heritage properties primarily used for religious practices if the heritage attributes to be altered are connected to religious practices, the alterations are required for religious practices and all other conditions of the provision are met.
  • These changes, which the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism proposes to bring into force later in 2024, would enable members of religious groups to continue their religious practices with limited interruptions or complications should they need to alter a property designated under the OHA.
• Provided grants to more than 170 organizations through the Provincial Heritage Organization Grant and the Heritage Organization Development Grants.

Table 3: Ministry interim actual expenditures 2023 –2024

Acts administered by the Ministry: 2023–2024

• Albanian Heritage Month Act, 2016
• Anti-Asian Racism Education Month Act, 2021
• Anti-Racism Act, 2017
• Armenian Heritage Month Act, 2022
• Asian Heritage Act, 2005
• Bangladeshi Heritage Month Act, 2016
• Black History Month Act, 2016
• Celebration of Portuguese Heritage Act, 2001
• Dutch Heritage Month Act, 2011
• Egyptian Heritage Month Act, 2019
• Emancipation Day Act, 2008
• Emancipation Month Act, 2021
• Filipino Heritage Month Act, 2021
• German Pioneers Day Act, 2000
• Hellenic Heritage Month Act, 2019
• Hindu Heritage Month Act, 2016
• Hispanic Heritage Month Act, 2015
• Holocaust Memorial Day Act, 1998
• Holodomor Memorial Day Act, 2009
• Islamic Heritage Month Act, 2016
• Irish Heritage Day Act, 2004
• Italian Heritage Month Act, 2010
• Jewish Heritage Month Act, 2012
• Korean Heritage Month Act, 2017
• Lebanese Heritage Month Act, 2017
• Lincoln Alexander Day Act, 2013
• Major-General Sir Isaac Brock Day Act, 2012
• Ministry of Citizenship and Culture Act, in respect of citizenship matters
• Ontario Day Act, 2021
• Ontario Flag Day Act, 2015
• Ontario Heritage Act, except in respect of clauses 70(1)(a) and (e) as they relate to museums
• Persian Heritage Month Act, 2021
• Polish Heritage Month Act, 2021
• Pope John Paul II Day Act, 2014
• Provincial Day of Service Act, 2022
• Remembrance Week Act, 2016
• Scottish Heritage Day Act, 2021
• Sikh Heritage Month Act, 2013
• Somali Heritage Week Act, 2020
• South Asian Heritage Act, 2001
• Tamil Genocide Education Week Act, 2021
• Tamil Heritage Month Act, 2014
• Tartan Act, 2000
• Tibetan Heritage Month Act, 2020
• Trans Day of Remembrance Act, 2017
• Ukrainian Heritage Day Act, 2011
• United Empire Loyalists’ Day Act, 1997
• Vimy Ridge Day Act, 2010