Ontario’s Family Day:
Celebrating the Diversity of Families

In 2008, Premier Dalton McGuinty proclaimed the third Monday in February as Family Day, an official civic holiday in Ontario (joining Alberta and Saskatchewan). Since then, several organizations in the Greater Toronto Area, including the LGBTQ Parenting Connection, have taken up this civic holiday as an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of families in Canada, including LGBTQ-led families.

Family Day 2008

MY FAMILY MATTERS! Schools Project.

To celebrate the inaugural Ontario Family Day in 2008, families from all over Ontario joined the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, the 519 Community Centre, the Sherbourne Health Centre, and EGALE for a rompus take over of Toronto’s City Hall Rotunda. Kids and parents enjoyed family portrait-making, face painting and dress up before marching out into Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square to proclaim their intent to make schools safe and welcoming to ALL families. The event, coordinated by artist and community organizer, Shira Spector, also included the first distribution of LGBTQ-friendly Valentines (see below).

Family Day 2009

In 2009, the LGBTQ Parenting Network combined efforts with Family Service Toronto to celebrate the diversity of Ontario families. Family Day was officially launched at a press conference at Queen’s Park, with the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, the Jewish Family and Child Service of Toronto and the LGBTQ Parenting Network in attendance. The Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Children and Youth Services, the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education and Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission, were also present to mark the occasion and commend this special day.

In the spirit of celebrating all families, the Family Service Toronto’s Family Day website (www.familydaytoronto.org) offered an opportunity for browsers to endorse a definition of family as: “Two or more people, related by blood, marriage, adoption or commitment to care for one another.” In the interests of promoting a broader definition of “family,” visitors to the site were also encouraged to contribute their stories and family photos to an online gallery, which can still be viewed on their website (www.familyservicetoronto.org).

(All Valentines displayed here are copyright Shira Spector)

Spread the Love with LGBTQ-friendly Valentines!

As part of its celebration of Family Day, which falls in close proximity to February 14th, from 2008 - 2009 the LGBTQ Parenting Network distributed special LGBTQ-friendly Valentines.

Illustrated by Toronto artist Shira Spector, with design by Sue Goldman and Pam Sloan, these cards were celebrated the love of families of all shapes and sizes. Colourful sets of “My Family Matters” Valentines cards were handed out in classrooms in elementary and high schools across Ontario, and distributed through local stores, community centres, and organizations, including the Sherbourne Health Centre, The 519 Community Centre, Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, the Toronto Public Library, and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.

Upcoming! Family Day 2010

This year the LGBTQ Parenting Network plans to create and distribute a new line of materials for LGBTQ families. Stay tuned for more information.