Is Immigration destroying Canada?

I read this whole 14 page thread through, skimmed it.

I have taken an interest in immigration issues for 17 years now and recently completed a book on the topic. It's unpublished so far. It's 201 pages with 20 pages on the economics of immigration, which is not well understood, and 180 pages on the population's reaction to the economics of immigration.

To be an immigration country you have to have family appropriate jobs available at the bottom. Otherwise you are begetting poverty. Most Canadians think immigration is a fine tradition, a birthright, but in fact in the last 30 years there's been immigration in the face of poverty. This thread was almost 100% about multiculturalism, which is really secondary to the issue are people immigrating into prosperity.

I agree with grainfed - and someone else who wrote in basic that when they settle, they won't convert to canadian ways or otherwise.
When a Canadian moves from one province to another, they must inform themselves of the new provincial laws and status that they must follow - "but where I come from (let's say Ontario), they did things like this" and they'll get told that they aren't in Ontario anymore, they are in (let's say) Alberta and things are different - so why is it any different for someone coming from abroad?
We've had to change rules with the most sacred of Canadian foundations like the Royal CANADIAN Mounted Police and the Royal CANADIAN Legion - due to outbreaks of "predjudice" outcries -
Bottom line, you want to be an RCMP - this is the rule - there is no discretion of religion or otherwise - If that be the case, then Canadian Women who join the RCMP, should be allowed to wear skirts - it's just as ridiculous....
Canadian children can no longer celebrate Halloween in some eastern schools because - immigrants don't celebrate these things and in some areas, the Canadian children are out numbered in the classrooms!
They want to change the wording of "Christmas Tree" to "Holiday Tree" because - immigrants from some countries do not celebrate Christmas - they've even discussed removing christmas celebrations from schools - and the list goes on and on...
When people come to Canada, what are they thinking? That they are still in their country? It appears so.
I have nothing against people following their own religions, their beliefs, their traditions - as long as they aren't trying to CHANGE ours!
I have nothing against their choice of clothing, as long as they aren't condemning ours.
But when people come to OUR country, they must follow the same rules. If they don't celebrate OUR holidays, they have no right to outbursts of discimination against OUR traditions and scream for change! If they are tax payers, great, it still doesn't give them a right to change anything that is CANADIAN.
We don't expect anyone to close their chapels and worship in the privacy of their own homes (sometimes I think that "priveledge" should be taken away so that they appreciate what CANADA has offered them)
If they think that we have to alter and change our traditions and aren't happy with Canadian traditions, perhaps going back to where they came from - would suit them better.
We are very fortunate here in Canada - very and if that is not suiting to them, if they can't appreciate their jobs, education, homes, new found lifestyle, go home!
Everyone works hard to attain what they have - no matter who they are or where they come from - but to change things that are of Canadian tradition - no one has the right - not even Canadians have ventured that far.
I'm all for helping those who suffer, those from war torn countries or poverty, which is all the more reason to "appreciate" what they have received rather than "demand" changes.
If someone coming to Canada, manages to build themselves up to President of a corporation - hey, all the power to them - but it still doesn't give them a right to change any of our Canadian traditions.

How many people coming to Canada, actually claim themselves to be "Canadian"? Not many and if so, it's only second or third generation that does so.
Tritium says:

Wow... I just joined this site because I like to occasionally play computer games and doing it in a team working together is more enjoyable then playing alone. So I'm gonna jump right into an acrimonious debate.

I do think Canada Kicks Ass, but I think it rocks for all the reasons that most people are slagging in this thread.

As much as I like to get the full story before posting a reply, three pages of insensitive hate mongering was enough.

I am a little shocked at the open hostility towards immigration. Especially since virtually every one of us is a descendant of immigrants in search of a better life. and to be fair many first generation immigrants, especially those who lived and worked in the home (mostly women) often don't assimilate to the local languages regardless of their background (European, Asian or other).

The insults being thrown out at everything from how people talk, to how they dress, to what they eat. is quite frankly disgraceful and should have no part in serious discussions. Go onto springer or stern and be done with it. Go watch White Lies or American History X to get an idea where those kinds of attitudes take us.

SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE WRITTEN HERE NEED TO LEARN ONE SIMPLE LESSON: We are citizens first and tax payers second. This lessons has been lost on too many people in the past 20 years and its why Canada is no longer ranked as the #1 place in the world to live in.

Immigration is and always has been a cash cow for Canada. It is a source of inexpensive labour(labour most Canadians think is beneath them), It is a source of foreign capital and expertise and has time and time again helped to populate this country coast to coast letting it grow and mature to the fine place that it is today. Why so many of you would seek to destroy this is beyond me and would indicate to me the worst kind of nimby'ism imaginable. If the cost of continuing to grow and to maximize our opportunities as a country is letting in a few seniors who need more care then they make us money or the cost of a few medical procedures, ESL programs, FSL programs and changes to foreign accreditation rules (including ensuring that standards are met and kept[including additional training where required]) is what it takes to do that then I am all for it.

If you're hell bent on destroying that, then I'll be fighting you every inch of the way. A few parting shots.

To Clogeroo, your signature says "any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both", this is exactly what you're advocating for in your comments...

Someone mentioned 'lazy south asians' who don't shovel their snow... Did you ever stop to think that maybe its because he's working 2 or 3 menial jobs and she might be at home taking care of 2 or 3 small children(what most us white folk aren't doing) that the snow doesn't shoveled?

Did you ever once decide to be a friendly neighbour and go have a nice chat with them about the fact that you don't want them to get into trouble and that the law says snow has to be cleared in 24hrs? That the sidewalks need to be cleared so some little old lady doesn't fall and break her hip and require all kinds of expensive medical care (ooohhh the taxes) or that if the sidewalk doesn't get cleared people can't walk and they will all drvie and global warming will destroy the planet?

Did you stop to think maybe they don't know the law because of a language barrier? Wonder why they haven't gotten a multilingual flyer telling them where and when to get ESL? or why after learning the language they don't get a flyer explaining their civic duties (we could all use a refresher, cause the people on my block who don't shovel their snow are all white, have lived here forever and think its the cities responsibility to clear their snow...since they pay taxes afterall)

I think that'll be enough for my first website post. Happy New Year

Dan

Only immigration is not a cash cow. Low wages are highly subsidized in the nanny state, generally skills should be the target of training the younger generation, and the money rich immigrants bring generally could be raised from the capital markets.

Huge difference between immigration 50 years ago or more - and now! HUGE! PEople were proud to come here, people were grateful to have a new start and THEY are the ones who made this country what it is today - those who come today, feel they have more rights than we do and most "expect" it to be like they want it to be or they scream bloody blue murder. As for the job market - jobs are a matter of choice and an Accountant's Degree from China is not quite what an Accountants Degree is here. Irrelevant of level of the degree - if it doesn't meet our market standards and can't be used, then what good is it? We put on a program in Mtl years ago, that assisted immigrants with their rights, the laws of this country, right down to what the traffic signals were - and most still carried on in their own fashion because habits are hard to change.
Anyone that targets coming here to "start a new life" is usually grateful, eager to find out what the laws are and they inform themselves of the dos and don'ts - I agree, it is all new to them as it would be to us, even with a move to the states - everything is different, yet the same, it is up to the individual to find out - out of common respect. Those with a lower education level, don't really care and they are usually the ones who seek out factory jobs or manufacturing jobs - if they seek a better life, some take part of their earnings and better their education like any normal person would...
At any rate, I feel what I feel because of what I have witnessed over the years and hey, even moving from one province to the other, laws change over shoveling snow, it's up to the individual to find out what is required of him/her, as a citizen.... now if they don't really care what it is to be a citizen of canada, then they don't ask questions and carry on with their normal habits, as if they were back home.
Lots to be said about how much our country has changed, especially in the past 10-15 yrs... This is Canada and we have our own traditions, education system, currency and laws - anyone coming here that carries respect, will be self informed and not make demands for our traditions to be changed. By learning we grow, by growing we "should" be better off but such is not the case.

Oh, in addition, trades with less then13 years of education gives you 15 points or something, while a 1 year university degree gives you 22.

In Holland, we start school at 4. Guess which system they use to count points?? Exactly, Canadian ;-)

Which means, if you finished school with an apprenticeship, or equivalent, at 17, you are being short of points ;-)