"Heroville," Canada

Thank god somebody in Canada (a lot of somebodies!) finally found the courage to stand up for this country! What we are currently experiencing is not immigration it's a silent invasion! I am a person of colour, I was raised in Canada and strongly beleive that quelling immigration has absolutely nothing to do with corporate generated myth that anti-immigration activists are basing their view upon racism. Anti-immigration activists are likely basing such opinion upon the devastation thati s occuring to Canadian culture (yes, there is a culture here that needs to be protected), no jobs, envioronmental degradation and destruction and outsourcing -- If we are outsourcing so many jobs to China/ India etc ... why do we still need to bring in immigrants from those countries when thehy are enjoying our long lost jobs? Does it makes sense to bring in immigrants to take jobs and then outsource the jobs we have here? It only makes sense if coporate agendas are at work to make the utmost profit possible for themselves at the expense turning North America into an ecological and cultural wasteland! Protectionism and common sense are required to quell immigration levels --

Dan Murray

Dear Ms. Le Font:

Thank you for your supportive comments.

You make a number of very interesting points:

(1) Regarding "a silent invasion": I agree with you. What is happening in Canada and a number of other major immigrant-receiving countries has been described in the U.K. as "reverse colonialism". In the U.K.,it is a case of some former colonized countries going to the country (U.K) that colonized them;in Canada, it is a case of third world countries such as China and India doing to us what first world countries did during the colonial period. Old-style colonialism benefitted the countries that did the colonizing, but it exploited the countries that it colonized. The same can be said today. Mass immigration benefits the people coming into Canada, but it does little good for Canada's host population. The big question remains: Who should immigration serve? A number of politicians who rely on the recent immigrant vote to get elected and Canada's immigration industry which profits financially from immigration think it should serve immigrants. The question might be re-phrased as follows: What sane country would turn its future over to a number of politicians and an immigration industry who would gladly sell them out? Canadians have to re-claim control of their country.

(2) Regarding the fact that you are a person of colour: Bravo for saying something. Everyone who lives here (whether they trace their ancestry to aboriginal stock, to very early colonial stock or even to immigrants of the past 15 + years) should be concerned
about mass immigration. Until 1990, Canada's immigration levels rose and fell--depending on its labour needs. Since 1990, Canada's immigration levels have remained consistently high. The plan is to make them even higher in perpetuity. Anyone who lives in Canada's three main immigrant-receiving areas can testify to the reality that this high inflow of people is destroying the living spaces of those areas. People in other areas will soon be saying the same thing. The big question remains: Why are we bringing in all of these people? Our federal government has never provided a sensible answer. Some MP's like to say that bringing large numbers promotes multiculturalism and diversity, but when you place reverse cultural colonialism and environmental destruction beside these two notions, you can easily see that promoting M & D is about as senseless a reason as can be dredged up.

(3) Regarding bringing in people from China and India vs. simultaneously outsourcing jobs to these countries: I agree with you. I'll have something to say in an upcoming article about this issue.

Dan, I am an immigrant to this country. I can assure you that my intention is not to devastate or destroy Canadian culture (however you may define it). One thing I know for certain is the concept the British call "reverse colonialism" is nothing like the brand of British colonialism that I experienced growing up in Kenya.

Firstly, I didn't come here armed to the teeth to tell Canadians how to behave. I have no intention of imposing my way of life upon Canadian people, rather I've been asked to assimilate into this culture which I have done. I am fluent in both official languages. I didn't create segregation here where one can use a "coloured only" washroom etc. and moreover, I haven't come here to indulge in the wholesale theft of your natural resources or to enslave Canadians to work for zero material reward to the benefit of my imperial homeland.

In my experience, immigrants contribute vastly to the Canadian economy no matter what type of visa they arrived here with. Those that had the means have employed Canadians and worked very hard to build their businesses that benefit all Canadians as they contribute to taxes, cultural diversity etc. etc.

Those that arrived as refugees have also contributed immensely to this country. Whether you know it or not, immigration serves Canadians handily. Yes, they benefit from the cheap labour, the hard work and from a group of people too scared to complain of their conditions for fear that they might be considered inconsiderate of their new host nation. For the most part these immigrants make an enormous contribution to this country. They are amongst the most law abiding and hard working people that I know.

What would this country be without them? Consider that for a moment the next time you go out for a curry, or sushi, or Mexican food, or go to a yoga class or the next time you flag a taxi or have cranberries at your Thanksgiving dinner. I think Canadian culture would be quite one dimensional without immigrants.

Dan Murray

Aftaab,

Remember that I am talking about "mass immigration", not "immigration in general". Neither I nor most Canadians (including those in Herouxville) have any problem with some immigration. The problem that many of us see is that the levels are far too high. Our federal government began this policy around 1990 without thinking too much about what it was doing. It continues the policy today because of the momentum the policy has gathered. It has never provided a sensible explanation for its high levels.

At various times, it has tried to justify the policy by saying immigration benefits Canada economically. Its own study, delegated to the Economic Council of Canada around 1990, contradicted that notion, pointing out that immigrants use up virtually all of the economic positives they generate.

Regarding your comments about the economic contributions immigrants make: recent studies have shown that around half of the people, who have arrived since the mass immigration policy began in 1990, are living below the poverty line. I and other immigration critics agree with you that some immigrants do very well, but large numbers have been doing poorly for much longer than it has taken immigrants to adjust in the past. What I and many other critics point out is that Canada, like all countries, has cultural, economic and environmental limits. The limits have clearly been exceeded.

Our federal government has also said Canada needed high immigration levels to compensate for Canada's aging population. Again, the federal government's own research (done in the late 1980's by about 200 researchers working for Health and Welfare Canada) contradicted that notion. That major study said that encouraging a higher birth rate, having more women enter the work force, and employing 45+ year old unemployed males was statistically superior to using immigration to deal with the aging population issue.

Finally, our federal government has also claimed that
Canada has a declining population. The Health and Welfare study showed that with an immigration level half of what we have today, Canada's population would continue to grow for 36 years. Here's a quote from a summary of the research:

"Canada's population would continue to increase until 2026 to 29 million. In 2026, a slow decline would begin. In 2086 (100 years from the beginning of the study) , Canada's population would be 25 million, a 4 million decline over (the) 60 years: 2026 to 2086." (See the www.ImmigrationWatchCanada.org web site (Research Section) for more details.)

My general point is that immigration numbers make a difference. I am not sure where you live, but there is no doubt that the immigration inflow into many parts of Canada, particularly into its urban areas, has been culturally overwhelming to the host populations there.
Talking about "vile" behaviour, when were they ever asked if they wanted these high numbers?

There is also absolutely no doubt that this inflow has had very negative environmental effects. A major UBC study done in the late 1990's made that observation and pointed out that Canada's Department of Immigration and its Department of the Environment were working at cross purposes. Something higher, such as the sustainability of the ecosystems these people were pouring into, had to be considered.

The November, 2005 Ontario Environment Commissioner's Report questioned the country's obsession with growth. It also said that the planned inflow of people (most of whom will be immigrants) into southern Ontario would destroy the ecosystem of the entire area.

Regarding your comments about ethnic food: If Canada had wanted to give its citizens more exposure to ethnic food, why didn't it run competitions in China, India and other countries for top chefs to come to Canada? It could have offered these top chefs money to start their restaurants. Then it could have saved itself the enormous cost (well into several billion dollars a year for the past 18 years) of bringing in all of the several million others.

Regarding your comments about refugees: most Canadians have no problem accepting genuine refugees, but we do have problems accepting all of the fraudulent refugees who have made claims here, who have cheated Canada, and who have subsequently brought in many relatives.
Since around 1990, well over 500,000 refugee claims have been made. The former Head of Canada's Immigration Service has said that most of those 500,000 claims have been fraudulent.

Once again, the issue is reduction of immigration numbers, not abolition of immigration. Neither I nor most Canadians are saying that immigrants don't make contributions and don't add a dimension to the country.

We are pointing out that there are legitimate reasons for objecting to Canada's historically high and completely unjustified high immigration levels. We'll continue to say that despite the intimidation we get from Canada's immigration industry, its propaganda arm (the CBC) and others.

You seem to have made a genuine effort to integrate.
If you would like to get together sometime to discuss this matter further, I would be glad to meet you.

In the meantime, Pax Vobiscum.