Canada Day celebration in Chile highlights diversity and inclusion

Canada in Chile
Diversity and inclusion | July 1, 2018

Over 400 guests attended the event, including Minister of Mines, Baldo Prokurica; Vice Minister of Mines, Pablo Terrazas; Vice Minister of Telecommunications, Pamela Gidi; Vice Minister of Human Rights, Lorena Recabarren, and members of the business community, civil society, and Diplomatic Corps.

Vice Secretary of Mining, Pablo Terrazas; Ambassador of Canada to Chile, Patricia Peña; Minister of Mining, Baldo Prokurica; President of Sonami, Diego Hernández

Canada’s Ambassador Patricia Peña highlighted in her remarks how the relationship between Canada and Chile has grown in strength “thanks to our shared values of diversity, inclusion, gender equality, democracy, protection of the environment and building sustainable economies”.

Ambassador Peña highlighted some of the milestones which testify to the strength of our bilateral relations with Chile: “We celebrated twentieth anniversary of our Canada-Chile free trade agreement in 2017, which we also modernized to include, among other things, a chapter on gender and trade. Canadian companies have invested in several of Chile’s key sectors—financial services, infrastructure, engineering, forestry, aquaculture, and mining. There is also a strong connection between our citizens. More than one hundred thousand Canadians visited Chile last year (...) and more and more Chileans choose to visit, work or study in Canada to learn French or English, participate in the International Experience Canada program, or to continue their university studies.

At the international level, we cooperate in the United Nations, as well as in other multilateral institutions. Currently, Chile and Canada chair the Equal Rights Coalition. We support one another in the OAS and in other forums, such as the Lima Group on Venezuela. Canada is a signatory to the Comprehensive and Progressive Treaty of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and also seeks to become an associate member of the Pacific Alliance. Both are important mechanisms to guarantee a rules-based international order. Our common goal is clear—to ensure sustainable growth and prosperity for today and tomorrow's generation.”

The guests were also entertained by the incredible performances of Cirque du Soleil’s show Amaluna which was presented in Santiago in June, and by Canadian singer Mia Praught who presented a selection of iconic Canadian songs. They also had the opportunity to taste some typical Canadian products available in Chile, such as Canadian beer, beef and maple syrup, and were offered a special gift: a beautifully hand-painted bag made by people with disabilities from the Fundación Laboratorio Inclusivo—to contribute to greater inclusion in Chile and care of the environment by reducing the use of plastic bags.

Cirque du Soleil show “Amaluna”

The event was sponsored by Canadian companies established in Chile: Chile-Canada Chamber of Commerce, Cooke Aquaculture Chile, Lundin Mining, Scotiabank, Teck Resources Chile, and Transelec, as well as Air Canada, Barrick, Deloitte, Finning Sudamérica, Goldcorp, Kinross Minera Chile, Methanex Chile, NuevaUnión, OMERS, SNC-Lavalin, Stantec, WSP, and Yamana Gold.