| |
©Gregory James, July 2006 Canada just had its 139th birthday. There is little that better underlines our multicultural nature than seeing the crowd of kids at a wading pool at a Canada Day celebration in one of our local parks, or the dress and accents of the adults celebrating. Canadians welcome immigration like no other people. Only in Canada do a majority of people believe that immigration has a good influence on our society. The Pew Global Project reports that 77 percent of Canadians have a positive view of immigration. The next most supportive country is the United States where less than half (49 percent) have a positive attitude to immigration. But in the US the anti-immigration sentiment is almost just as strong: a large minority (43 percent) believe immigration has a bad influence. In Canada only 18 per cent feel this way. In all other western countries more people believe immigration has a bad influence than a good one. In France 50 percent believe immigration has a bad influence, while only 46 percent believe it has a good influence. In Great Britain the numbers are 50 percent against and only 37 per cent for. In Germany 50 per cent are against, and 35 percent for. Only in Canada is there a consensus that immigration is good. This Canadian consensus is not always reflected in government policies or priorities, where processing of applications can drag on forever, priorities can be skewed, and targets are never reached. But it does explain the comparatively civilized level of discussion on the issue. This consensus is a major factor why Canada should be a prime destination for immigrants. There was much else to celebrate on Canada Day. And many other reasons why Canada is an attractive place to immigrate to. Most immigrants migrate to benefit their children. In Canada it is much more likely our children will be better off financially than their parents, unlike most other countries (including the US) where a child’s opportunities are often limited by their parents’ financial status. Our education system is excellent and ranks among the best in world. Our adult literacy rate is 99 per cent. More than half of us are university educated. We have the highest percentage of university degrees and college diplomas among major industrialized countries. Canada is the only big industrialized country to have consistent surpluses in its budget and its trade and current accounts. For five years it has had the G8’s fastest growth. Unemployment is at its lowest level in three decades. And the boom is affecting all regions of Canada, from the Pacific to the Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean. Canada has the lowest business costs in the G8. Canada has the fewest obstacles to starting a business. Canada ranks second in the global business environment rankings forecast Canada is remarkably well governed. Our governments’ finances are in good shape and they are investing in education, job training, health care, power generation, culture, and many other things. Corruption is very low. Violence is still very low – that it makes big headlines shows that it still shocks us (in many places in the United States murders barely get noticed by the media). Canada ranks second among large countries, first in the G-8, for a fairly administered justice system. The list can go on and on and on. No one should suggest that life here is perfect. But we do have much to celebrate.
|
|
|
Home | Contact Us | Assessments and Consultations | Sponsorship
© Gregory James 2004-2007
|
||