Mississauga declares December Christian Heritage Month, urges Ontario to follow
By Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
Mississauga, Ont.’s City Council has declared December Christian Heritage Month and urges Premier Doug Ford to do the same for the rest of the province.
City Councilors unanimously passed a motion forwarded by City Councilor Brad Butt, Thursday to “recognize” the month of December as “Christian Heritage Month” As part of the motion, a copy of the resolution was sent to Ford and all of Mississauga’s MPPs to follow suit.
“Christianity is among the diverse faiths followed by Mississauga residents and one of the most followed religions in Canada and Mississauga,” the motion reads. “Christians have made valuable contributions to the cultural, social, religious, and humanitarian fabric of our City and have played an important role in shaping our diverse community.”
It says December is already among the holiest months for Christians, “commencing with the observance of Advent and culminating in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas.”
The motion said the month is marked by several celebrations in the Christian calendar and celebrations that various Christian groups in Mississauga hold open to the public.
“Recognizing the month of December, which is a significant month in the Christian calendar, as ‘Christian Heritage Month’ provides an opportunity for all residents to celebrate the history, traditions, and teachings of the Christian faith, promoting understanding and appreciation of the diverse religious and cultural heritage of our City,” the motion said.
Butt, the city councillor who put forward the motion, told True North in an interview that he thought it was about time to add Christian heritage to the city’s extensive list of recognized cultural and religious celebrations.
“We did in Mississauga because we believe it’s important to recognize the Christian faith as being one that is important to many,” he said. “The people who live in our city, and equally as important to people who live in the province of Ontario and throughout Canada as well.”
He said Mississauga is one of Canada’s most diverse cities, with a large population of people from various denominations who practice the Christian faith.
According to 2021 census data, nearly half, 355,735, of the city’s 712,825 residents identified as Christian.
“I recognized through speaking to a number of different people in Mississauga and beyond, that this was one of the religious groups that we had not previously recognized in our city,” Butt said. “I thought it was time that we bring something forward to recognize December as Christian Heritage Month in the city of Mississauga.”
He said there are “dozens and dozens” of celebrations and flag raisings at the civic centre to recognize many different faith and cultural groups that call Mississauga their home.
“We light our clock tower different colours on a regular basis to recognize many different things that we should be celebrating as a municipality, depending on the day or the month,” he said. “We do a very good job in Mississauga, celebrating and embracing diversity. The motion passed unanimously. The mayor and all members of the council believe it’s appropriate that we also recognize Christian Heritage Month