The Conservative government has re-written the book on what it means to be Canadian.
No longer will prospective immigrants learn that Canada is a peaceful nation, respected for its work in conflict zones around the world. Instead there will be a greater emphasis on Canada’s military history and on the poppy as a symbol of remembrance and of Canada’s sacrifice in the First World War.
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney will reveal a major overhaul Thursday of the booklet given to all citizenship applicants. The current booklet, A Look at Canada , was written under a Liberal government in 1997. In the past Mr. Kenney has said he can’t believe the booklet, intended to help applicants study for their citizenship tests, includes a lengthy section on protection of the environment but barely makes mention of the Canadian Forces.
The 45-page booklet also includes a two-page discussion of Canada’s aboriginal peoples and fails to discuss the history of tensions between Quebec and the rest of Canada.
“Since becoming Minister, I have often remarked on how the citizenship education materials the Government of Canada provides to newcomers are inadequate. They fail to provide newcomers with a solid grasp of our country’s history, symbols, values and institutions,” Mr. Kenney says in a statement set to be released Tuesday afternoon.
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Thank some border guard in BC for keeping a potential immigrant out. Syrian muslem, car searched, found numerous 9/11 videos, 900,000 canadian funds in coin and bills, a hezzie ring, and can’t remember what else. (Lethbridge Herald, Nov 10), and he was a licenced pilot and computer savy, and he was coming to take a job as an instructor at a flying school in BC. He is in jail without bail, and of course some lawyer says he is a great guy. This happened Oct 6, 2009.
Great work, by the guard.
Good for Kenney!
According to the newsrag today, the UN authored a report which called for Western nations to loosen our immigration laws. According to the UN, some 45 million adults wish to immigrate to Canada and some 175 million wish to immigrate to the USA.
All things tolled, I would suggest we’re in a good position to pick and choose who we allow in…
If only they’d overhaul the immigration laws! The guide can come later.
I think it would be just a heap of fun to administer this test to average Canadian citizens on the street and see how many could answer enough questions to be citizens – please let there be a set of practice questions somewhere…… I’ve got access to a video camera and would love to make a few YouTube videos.
Then again, maybe I could just send an email to the Rick Mercer Report and see if they’ve thought of it yet.
Perhaps you’re right SG and that says something about our schools, doesn’t it?
Few know how this country came to be — it’s a deep, dark secret. And so we see our kids raised unaware of our history.
Not one chance in a million that any teacher will stress the story of Tecumseh and the part he played in helping Canada become a nation. We don’t even know where he lies this day.
Point: While all remember the Boer War, WW1 &2, Korea…we forget the troops that died alongside Tecumseh and Issac Brock who, long before we were a country, set the stage. They matter also and I will not forget.
Canada has a magic history. To bad nobody cares anymore.
My view — we should remember them all this day.
There are lots of histories of Canada Jack. The history I know includes (in addition to the standard stuff taught when I was in school) things like the Plains of Abraham, “The Great Upheaval”, and concentration camps for Japanese Canadians.
The history my children know (in addition to what I have told them and the standard stuff taught when they were in school) includes dog slaughters, forced Aboriginal relocations, suppression of culture/language/beliefs, residential school abuse, smallpox infected blankets, and generations long fights for recognition of personal and human rights.
My grandchildren will learn yet another history that will include some elements of all of the above, and probably a few more as it unfolds around us.
The trick we’ve yet to figure out as a nation is how to embrace and include all of our respective histories and make them relevant to Canadians as a whole – and until we do figure out how to do that the history that each generation learns will be different.