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Every three or four years, we add about a million people to our population. We're told that's a good thing. I'm not so sure.

Full article @

http://www.canada.com/news/immigration% ... story.html

   

I guess we'll have to disagree then, because I support immigration fully.

I only wish there was some way to get immigrants dispersed across the entire country instead of most of them going to just Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

   

We see it on this forum, where I'm called a racist because I'm for drastically reducing immigration. This from people who live in mostly white areas and are very much against any immigration to their own neck of the woods.

Personally I'm more worried about the economic impacts - lowering of wages, lack of jobs, than the cultural thing, but yes, if we swamp ourselves with people of vastly different values that can be a problem too. Vancouver has gone from 2 (Japantown, Chinatown) to 30 ethinic enclaves in the last few decades. We get the premier saluting floats in a parade that glorify terrorists.

   

That would at least be a start. But there is no such way, so cut the numbers back. Vancouver is bursting at the seams, with no money to pay for the infrastructure needed and skyhigh housing costs with a low median wage.

   

   

Theoretically, market forces should get them to move once rent gets to high and/or jobs are scarce. Alberta has tons of work and fairly cheap (when compared to Vancouver) real estate. Saskatchewan has lots of work too and even more affordable housing in Regina and Saskatoon.

No, we don't need to turn off the tap or even slow it down, just give incentives for people to move to other parts of the country.

   

It's going to take a lot to get them to do that. Immigrants naturally find it easier to settle where they have connections and support - that's in established immigrant communities. So they just keep moving here even if they could possibly do better finacially somewhere else, in part because it's a greater risk to go to a place with less supports.

I like the CPC greater emphasis on immigrants having a job lined up before they ever come here. If we made that a requirement, it would naturally match up the immigration numbers with what's actually needed. But the Cons won't move too far in that direction, because they want those immigrant votes, same as any other party.

   

Assuming that we can absorb/assimilate millions of people when most of them are from cultures vastly different from ours could be characterized as arrogant, as well as unmindful of the possible consequences.

   

How so?

We've already assimilated millions of people from all over the world - it's not like immigration is a new thing, it's benn occurring for centuries in Canada. From Germans to Italians to Greeks to Ukrainians to Chinese to Japanese, we've had literally of millions of immigrants that were very different from our French & English ancestors.

First generation immigrants almost nevet fully assimilate, but their kids usually do. This is much ado about nothing...

   

I like it when people complain about the lack of space for more people in this country. Everyone should drive across this country, Vancouver to Halifax, at least once in their lifetime. Would silence most, especially if you break down or otherwise get caught up in the middle of nowhere.

   

And your point in regard to this topic is? Everyone should drive around Vancouver, TO or Montreal and then talk about all the space there is. But I don't really recall lack of space in the hinterland as being one of the points of discussion about immigration.

   

That's true most of the time. The U.S. which has a high rate of assimilation amungst immigrants, still has pockets of 2nd and even 3rd generation immigrants which have not assimilated. The melting pot approach fails in certain areas. For instance, while I lived in southern Arizona I noticed that many of the citizens there were not able to speak English. These were adults who were American citizens. In the southern U.S., many illegal immigrant families move there temporarily to work, and of course many of them have kids. When they eventually get deported, or move back to Mexico, the kids will often move back to the U.S. when they become adults as they are American citizens and can legally reside in the U.S. They often settle in ghettos as there is a language barrier for many of these citizens.

   

Up until I'd say about the 1960's the majority of our immigration came from countries not so much unlike ours. Recently, as I said, immigration has come from countries and cultures vastly different from ours. And it's been coming in huge numbers, year after year.

You think assimilation will take care of it all; that our country will absorb all it takes in without the nature of the country and society changing. I'm not quite as sanguine about it. You might very well be right. But I'm uneasy. I don't see immigration in the 2010's being the same as immigration in the 1890's or the 1950's.



It has never been a question of space. But it is a question of concentration in big cities. Outside the big cities, you would think that little has changed. But take a walk in downtown Toronto, say around Yonge and Dundas, and you see a whole different picture.

   

I agree with Boots that second generation peeps embrace Canada. Mostly.

Unfortunately we have encouraged ethnic silos in Canada. Especially in places like the GTA. Some cultures that define themselves with their religion prove very resistant to integration. That includes second and third generation ‘new Canadians’.

My experience is purely anecdotal but it is a result of being here for a couple of decades and interacting with a diverse population daily.

Those who have travelled past the vacation destinations of the Canadian masses cannot help but notice how great we have it here in Canada. We should be much pickier than we have been and are.

We can afford to be more selective.

There are plenty of people worldwide that have the educational and communication skills that will add to Canada.

Immigration shouldn’t be at the expense of our social well-being. Immigration should be to our advantage.

Saying that the ‘next generation will be ok’ is a bit of a cop out.

We have enough domestic social issues without bringing in gang members from across the globe to try out Toronto for size.

Immigrant criminals should be booted out quickly and those from cultures that are diametrically opposed to our mainstream values shouldn’t be encouraged to come here.

The whole refugee process is rotten to the core.

We take in dubious claims when millions fester in UN refugee camps across Africa and the Middle East.

We can be more selective and still get 300,000 + a year.

   

It does when people start to complain about "overpopulation," which inevitably is the result of immigration.

   

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