startwin

Finally found something I can agree with you on! The thought of anyone at City Hall being able to plan that well, that far ahead, is a too funny. But what do I know, I've only lived here 32 years. Still a newcomer.

babycart

I think you have missed the point- I am not white- My kids are very lucky to go to a school where at front of the school the flags of all the various countries they come from fly, which incidentally is over 50 different nations. That is diversity, albeit paid for by private school fees.

The white Canadians can be racist- it’s a fact, but I don't live my life as some type of victim. I sure you don't need me to tell you that racisms needs to overt & in your face to exist. If you are white then you are unlikely to experience this in most of your lifetime. A councillor for Maple Ridge expressed how he felt about the wave of immigration into Vancouver & said to me that they don't want the same thing happening in Maple Ridge. That was a real conversation, not a second hand experience from someone else. It was not a threatening argument, but just one said in normal conversation to me as we talked about the city.

The inability for the previous members to add something without always having to add sarcasm to the post show a lack of really want to engage, maybe they really think they are that hilarious that someone might even laugh.

dbd33

It doesn't sound as if you include yourself among the immigrants the councillor, and apparently the Green Party, don't want. Is that because you can pay the fees for the private school or because they, in your view, object to immigrants of another ethnicity than yours?

dingbat

I did not miss the point Babycart. Meadowridge is only as diverse as the money that funds it, money which buys liked minded, income related tolerance of many different creeds or colours. In a public school in Vancouver or MR, whilst the kids don't wear $500 uniforms and the annual school trip is to the crappy Aquarium, rather than Japan, they demonstrate the diversity of real life. You don't need flags outside those schools for reinforcement. I lived in PoCo/MR for six years and know how much the "locals" hated the "wave" of Chinese people in Coquitlam and PoCo. Many Coquitlam residents moved to MR, openly stating that they were "getting away" from the influx of Chinese. My kids also went to Meadowridge for a short while, so I have direct experience of the school and the area. It is a great school for high academic standards. I know two of the 2007 Grads who are struggling at UBC, not academically, but because they do not fit in with the other students. It does not matter what ethnicity you are; I am astonished that you would say nothing to a councillor who expressed those types of views. Being white does not preclude you from being a victim of racism, by the way. I have been physically attacked and spat on, just because I am white and British.

startwin

What a palaver this discussion turned into. For what it's worth, I am usually walking past Meadowridge every day when school is finished. It seems to be pretty much a mix of lots of races, white included. It is deemed to be an excellent school, and the kids always seem polite and courteous.

It is true we have less Chinese here than in PoCo, Coquitlam, Vancouver, Burnaby. Not sure the reason for it, but does it matter? People settle all over. The biggest influx lately seems to be Mexican and Iranian, I can't imagine which councillor made that remark, but it shows how idiotic some of them are.

babycart

Canada sells itself as being culturally & racial diverse. I uphold that principle. Whether people judge me because I pay for private schools fees is an irrelevant point, as they say that's their problem not mine. You don't know under what circumstances we pay for our kids’ education and the short-sighted view is that these parents are elitist rather than hard working.

dbd33

Those parents are certainly elitist, most parents are. That doesn't contradict being hard working.

What I'm not understanding here is what it is that you think differentiates you, an acceptable immigrant of colour from them, the unacceptable immigrants of colour.

fledermaus

One of the things about being white is that you hear white people making racist comments that they wouldn't say to a non white person.

RubyRose

More so their level of ignorance and not understanding reality.

Ruby for what it's worth

dboy

I personally hate MR - the downtown is very run down - there are a number of very down trodden people walking around. There is a drug problem.

Having said that though house prices are a lot cheaper and some of the new developments up on the mountain are spectacular.

Golden ears park is also nice.

Getting to vancouver is not easy - it can take a good hour and half.

Summers are great - winters are wet

live to ski

I have experienced racism in Vancouver by a Canadian, but not a white Canadian. But what shocked me even more was the attitude of the other people who witnessed this and somehow felt it is acceptable to discriminate against whites because we aren't a minority.

Note...actually....just thinking about it whites are a minority in my office.