Photo by Naheed Nenshi
“Canada is like a beautiful painting made up of different colours,” says Farid Rohani, a life member of the Laurier Institution in Vancouver.
Tolerance, inclusiveness and openness are just a few examples of the values that always distinguished Canadian society in the world. But with immigration policy changes under the last government, giving more importance to economic growth, some citizens feel there may be negative consequences for the local society.
The image of a painting, as described by Rohani, symbolizes the harmony of a country that has increased its ethnic and cultural diversity over the years. Rohani explains that it is a blend of the values that old and new Canadians follow that creates such a “great picture.”
Threat to Canadian values?
A series of experts were interviewed to see if they feel the cultural challenges that accompany multiculturalism are changing traditional Canadian values.
According to Richard Johnston, Canada research chair in Public Opinion, Elections, and Representation at UBC, Canada is still a great model of integration in the world.
“While many countries, especially in Europe, are struggling to drive the changes brought by multiculturalism into their societies, we managed it better than others,” says Johnston.
All the experts interviewed agreed on the fact that this result was possible because of one of the most important values that has always distinguished Canada in the world: inclusion.
“In Europe when you are an immigrant and you become a citizen, you will always feel and be treated as an immigrant. Here, when you become a Canadian citizen, you are just like the others,” says Rohani.
Johnston, however, feels that some recent immigration policies may undermine this “framework of inclusion.” When asked whether immigration has shifted from a nation-building goal to one of economic growth, Johsnton had this to say:
“In the case of temporary workers who emigrate for a limited time and don’t get to participate in the political and social life of the country, it would be harder to accept and follow the Canadian system of values.”
According to Johnston, this could even be a source of worry.
“The uptake for citizenship, so far, has been very high. It gave to a large body of the population the possibility to participate in the decision-making process, which is quite a big thing,” he says. “It created a lot of leaders within the different ethnic communities and that helped them to feel as active parts of the society.”
Gregory Millard, chair and faculty member of the Department of Political Science at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, feels that the concern about Canadian values is exaggerated.
“These values aren’t changing so much and the challenges that Canada is facing today aren’t so different from the ones faced during the 70s,” he says.
Shaping identity through public policies
A Canadian citizenship ceremony
Millard explains that debates and the struggle to find general consensus on sensitive topics like gender parity, sexual habits or religious issues are normal in every country. He feels, however, that Canada today is divided by a bigger debate: liberal versus intolerants. Reeflecting on how Canadian society was divided during the golden age of Liberalism, referring to Pierre Trudeau’s time in office during the late 1960s to the early 1980s, Millard says:
“We often romanticize those years, but even then there was an exclusive Canada opposed to a more open and welcoming country,” says Millard.
According to the Rohani, Millard and Johnston, what seems to be changing is the way Canadians identify themselves as a nation, with institutions playing a major role in balancing the lack of cultural and religious homogeneity that less diverse countries seem to have.
“All the values that our liberal democracy expresses – freedom of speech, choice and movement –
are at the basis of our multicultural society,” says Rohani.
“Public policies are also a way of defining Canadian character,” says Millard, “[For example], the health care system makes us feel Canadian.”
National symbols and unity
Johnston adds that symbols are also becoming increasingly important for first and second-generation immigrants.
“We are a kind of supermarket. We have symbols for everyone. Aside from the flag, which was a great political success, every ethnic community finds here something familiar with their country of origin. An example comes from the last Remembrance day,” says Johnston.
On Remembrance Day, Victory Square in Downtown Vancouver was full of people, young and old and of different origins. Together, they celebrated an event that had much to do with Canada’s association with the British Empire.
“For people who come from ex-British colonies, it is easy to recognize themselves. The police uniform here is similar to the British ones. The architecture of some of the public buildings can look familiar. All of these things helps us to feel united,” Johnston says.
Johnston also says we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of sports in bringing Canadians together as a cohesive unit and keeping traditions alive.
“Think about hockey, which is very Canadian,” he says. “If you go to a hockey game today you’ll see a great diversity of parents with their children on the ice. It is quite something. Some sports are better than others in achieving these results, and our hockey is becoming one of them.”
