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Let immigrants live where they please: Canada

by Barry ORegan | March 21, 2009 at 07:24 am

304 views | 8 Recommendations | 4 comments

Barry Artiste Op/Ed

I must say British Columbia has without a doubt has some of the largest cultural ghettos I have ever seen, where many immigrants fear to tread to smaller towns. Many immigrants should take a page from the East Indian community whose back to the land strategy from their old country have them producing our food, with the exception that in Canada they own and operate large farms, not possible back in their own countries, reminiscent of the original settlers to the Canadian Prairies like the East Indian Canadian Farmer who works the land and continues to make Canada what it is today through their drive, sweat and determination ensuring we have Canadian grown food on the table instead of importing it from other countries. Nice to see these immigrants carrying on a centuries old tradition that is fast disappearing when youth look to the big city lights for better opportunities to the detriment of their farmer families.

Are immigrants to Canada displaying a new tendency to skip past their traditional first stops in the heart of big cities? New data from the Canadian Federation of Municipalities (CFM) suggests they might be.

The CFM measures social indicators in 24 of Canada's largest communities, ranging in size from Toronto and Montreal down to Regina and Sudbury.

These urban centres took in 90% of all immigrants in 2002. In 2006, the figure was 83%.

Most of the change was ascribable to economic-class immigrants, who make up around half of Canada's intake; the flow of refugees and family-class immigrants into the cities remained largely unchanged over the period.

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tikun

at 07:46 on March 21st, 2009

I think that it is really sweet of you to take in everyone that wants to come to Canada. Good for you.

Barry ORegan

at 07:52 on March 21st, 2009

Well we dont just take everyone, I would like to think we take in the ones who wish to contribute to Canada, but when the ethnic vote is the Politicians desire, it seems anyone can come here.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 07:47 on March 21st, 2009

Barray a good story. Unfortunately many of our new immigrants are drawn to centres like Toronto and Montreal and rural communities see very little of the multicultural make up of our country. A lot of this has to do with the harsh climate in the prairies. As you know Alberta was settle by Ukranians about 100 years ago and they have developed this harsh land into good productive farmland. Thank you for your story.

Fred Miller

at 19:21 on March 21st, 2009

...'the East Indian Canadian Farmer... ensuring we have Canadian grown food on the table instead of importing it from other countries. '

This is true for the American table as well. The majority of the Indian food stores in Texas provide folks with Canadian-produced Rice, Flour, Lentils, Indian Cookies, Frozen Indian meals and many more items that would otherwise be imported at much higher cost from India via New York. This means fresher supplies in abundance for the U.S. instead of the wait for Indian imports. Houston Texas has the climate to grow all those same items, but aside from Rice, leaves it up to the Canadians and Mexicans to provide fresh Indian Bread (Roti, etc.) and the other staples mentioned.

So I am certainly thankful for the U.S.-Canadian agreements regarding Indian Foods, which gives me a taste of the old Country at a moment's notice.

Thanks, Barry, good reporting !

Barry ORegan

at 05:06 on March 25th, 2009

Thanks Eastvan and Fred, you're right Eastvan many farmers starting out today would be hard pressed to buy land in the lower mainland with agricultural going to housing. Most East Indian farmers though have been in Canada for decades if not a century, who bought when land was affordable.You have to give Canadian farmers credit, many refuse to sell their farmland for housing, nice to see they have their passion and priorities straight. As for your comments Fred, our produce as well goes through government health inspection ensuring for the most part it is clean and disease free, though like most government agencies here and in the USA, they are not perfect, but more perfect than any produce coming out of Asia.