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Bill 135, Swahili Heritage Month Act, 2026

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

Gilmour, Alexa

Rakocevic, Tom

Lennox, Robin

Current status:

First Reading Ordered for Second Reading

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Bill 135 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill enacts the Swahili Heritage Month Act, 2026 .

The Act proclaims the month of July in each year as Swahili Heritage Month.

Bill 135 2026

Act to proclaim the month of July as Swahili Heritage Month

Preamble

Swahili,

or Kiswahili, is a beautiful Bantu language spoken throughout eastern and

central Africa and across the global African diaspora, including in Ontario.

Ontario’s thousands of Swahili speakers and their families, many of whom have

called this province home since the 1960s, deserve to be celebrated and

honoured for the cultural, artistic and economic richness that they bring to Ontario’s

neighbourhoods.

Swahili

can be heard every day in Ontario, spoken by fluent speakers as well as those

who unknowingly speak the language through increasingly popular phrases.

Expressions such as “Hakuna Matata” (no worries), “Rafiki” (friend) and “Udugu”

(brotherhood) are all Swahili. Similarly, the African-American and

African-Canadian holiday Kwanzaa received its name from the Swahili word

meaning “first harvest”.

proclaiming July as Swahili Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognizes Swahili’s

increasing role in Ontario’s linguistic and cultural landscape and celebrates

the unique culture, traditions and history of Swahili speakers in Ontario and

around the world. The month of July is a perfect time to honour Swahili

heritage as it aligns with UNESCO’s World Swahili Language Day, celebrated each

year on July 7.

Therefore,

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Swahili

Heritage Month

1 The month of July in

each year is proclaimed as Swahili Heritage Month.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Swahili Heritage Month Act, 2026 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

June 2, 2026

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

June 2, 2026

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

June 2, 2026

Carried

Ordered for Second Reading

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