Explore Our November 2024 Diversity Calendar

Download the November Diversity Calendar

In November, we celebrate and remember:

• Indigenous Disability Awareness Month (IDAM) – Indigenous peoples of Canada experience a disability rate significantly higher than that of the general population. IDAM brings awareness of these barriers and the issues that Indigenous peoples living with disabilities and their families face every day. It is also a month to recognize the significant and valuable contributions they make to our communities socially, economically, and culturally every day.
• National Domestic Violence Awareness Month – Domestic violence (also called intimate partner violence, domestic abuse, or relationship abuse) can happen to anyone at any point in a relationship. Domestic violence includes behaviors that physically harm, cause fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish, or force them to behave in ways they do not want. During this month, victim advocates, allied professionals, survivors of abuse, their loved ones, and the surrounding community come together to mourn the lives lost to domestic violence, celebrate the progress that has been made to end this epidemic, and connect with others working to create change.
• Movember Men’s Health Awareness Month – A time when the Movember Foundation raises awareness of and support for those tackling prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide. The campaign is putting a fun twist on this serious issue. Using the moustache as a catalyst, the idea is to bring change and give men the opportunity and confidence to learn and talk about their health and take action when needed.
• All Saints‘ Day & All Souls‘ Day on November 1: All Saint’s Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, Feast of All Saints, or Solemnity of All Saints, is a Christian festival celebrated in honour of all the saints, known and unknown. In Christianity, All Souls’ Day commemorates All Souls, the Holy Souls, or the Faithful Departed; that is, the souls of Christians who have died. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead (or Día de los Muertos) is an opportunity for family and friends to honour and remember deceased loved ones.
• Indigenous Veteran’s Day on November 8: A day to honour the story of Indigenous service in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and later Canadian Armed Forces efforts. While exact numbers are elusive, it has been estimated that as many as 12,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit people served in the great conflicts of the 20th century. We respect and honour the contributions of Indigenous Veterans!
• Remembrance Day on November 11: Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace. Poppies are worn as the symbol of remembrance, a reminder of the blood-red flower that still grows on the former battlefields of France and Belgium.
• World Kindness Day on November 13: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” The goal of this international celebration is simple: make kindness the standard instead of the exception. Take the opportunity to reflect on one of the most important and unifying human principles – empathy, compassion and kindness!
• World Diabetes Day on November 14: This annual observance, celebrated on the birthday of Canadian surgeon, Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best at the University of Toronto in 1922. Millions of people with diabetes face daily challenges managing their condition at home, work, and school. They must be resilient, organised, and responsible, impacting both their physical and mental well-being.
• Trans Day of Remembrance on November 20: A day to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia and to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community.
• National Housing Day on November 22: A day to recognize the important work done by housing partners across Canada to improve access to housing for everyone. Housing helps us stay employed, do better in school and participate more fully in society. In Canada, 1.4M households live in unsuitable, inadequate homes and can’t afford an alternative; including accessible/affordable housing for people with disabilities.
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25 : The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”. Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace as well as to the fulfillment of women and girls’ human rights, but remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.
• Guru Nanak Gurpurab on November 27: One of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism, Gurpurab celebrates the birth of the first (highly revered) Sikh gurus Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Sikhs gather at the gurdwara for hymn-singing
  (kirtan) and to hear kathas (homilies) and share the langar (free meal).