What's wrong with Canada?
Mar 17th 2009 | 6:45 am
#377
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,695
From: Vancouver, BC
Re: What's wrong with Canada?
Secondly, there isn't cultural segregation, at least not in Toronto, there are distinct ethnic and cultural neighbourhoods but, very often, children born here have parents who are of two different backgrounds. For example, I know some Indo-Swedish-Canadians and, unfortunately for their physical features, some Ukranian-Filipino-Canadians. It may be that there are taboos among some cultures about intermingling but, over time, the force of penistry drives men to break down those barriers.
thank you for making me laugh. Too true. I know of lots of mixed race couples and mixed race babies 
It's one of the things I love about Van.My friend's new husband is Pakistani, he commented one day that his cousin spent some time hanging about Metrotown mall in burnaby and saw every race, every culture, from women in burkas to the tiniest of clothes, he was blown away by the diversity, and decided he had to move to Canada where it was okay to be yourself. Which is slightly nauseatingly woo! Canada! but that's what he said.
Can only speak for my own limited experience, but I've found multiculturalism in Canada works very well. Where I live there are large italian and chinese communities, and I've never felt any tension or had any trouble. I shop at Chinese run and italian stores. The kids in my kid's preschool class are of all different races and cultures and that'll continue onto school. Overall, it all seems pretty peacable to me. Unlike Melbourne, Australia which is my only other real experience of a multicultural society, or Paris, which, um, yeah. Not.
I agree with Jonboy that it'll take generations for everyone to truly integrate.
Mar 17th 2009 | 11:54 pm
#378
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,830
From: Perth
Re: What's wrong with Canada?
thank you for making me laugh. Too true. I know of lots of mixed race couples and mixed race babies It's one of the things I love about Van.My friend's new husband is Pakistani, he commented one day that his cousin spent some time hanging about Metrotown mall in burnaby and saw every race, every culture, from women in burkas to the tiniest of clothes, he was blown away by the diversity, and decided he had to move to Canada where it was okay to be yourself. Which is slightly nauseatingly woo! Canada! but that's what he said.
Can only speak for my own limited experience, but I've found multiculturalism in Canada works very well. Where I live there are large italian and chinese communities, and I've never felt any tension or had any trouble. I shop at Chinese run and italian stores. The kids in my kid's preschool class are of all different races and cultures and that'll continue onto school. Overall, it all seems pretty peacable to me. Unlike Melbourne, Australia which is my only other real experience of a multicultural society, or Paris, which, um, yeah. Not.
I agree with Jonboy that it'll take generations for everyone to truly integrate.
Melbourne is a pretty cool place.
Mar 17th 2009 | 11:56 pm
#379
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,830
From: Perth
Re: What's wrong with Canada?
Firstly because immigrants, wherever they go, retain their languages and customs for, at least, a generation. Thus, in Brooklyn, there are Russians who arrived before WW2 and who have not yet adopted English as the language of their community. Similarly, in Stamford Hill, one can live in Hebrew. This is the same all over the world.
Secondly, because the various levels of government in Canada encourage the use of languages other than English and French and the retention of the manners and customs of immigrants, e.g.:
"Diversity of race, religion and lifestyle help define and set Toronto apart from other world cities. Toronto is home to virtually all of the world's culture groups and is the city where more than 100 languages and dialects are spoken" http://www.toronto.ca/quality_of_life/diversity.htm
It is this multi-culturalism, this lack of requirement to conform to any local standard, that attracts immigrants to Canada. I think it a neat trick to have made the cultural void here a marketing feature and it has worked; I watched hundreds of people shuffle past a sugar shack on the weekend, all of them yammering to their children, without hearing any English or French.
Rather than struggling to impose your way of life on the great mass of Canadians, why not try celebrating diversity, learn a little Cantonese or Punjabi, eat the foods these New Canadians have brought with them. Embrace Canada for what it is rather than regreting that it's not America.
Secondly, because the various levels of government in Canada encourage the use of languages other than English and French and the retention of the manners and customs of immigrants, e.g.:
"Diversity of race, religion and lifestyle help define and set Toronto apart from other world cities. Toronto is home to virtually all of the world's culture groups and is the city where more than 100 languages and dialects are spoken" http://www.toronto.ca/quality_of_life/diversity.htm
It is this multi-culturalism, this lack of requirement to conform to any local standard, that attracts immigrants to Canada. I think it a neat trick to have made the cultural void here a marketing feature and it has worked; I watched hundreds of people shuffle past a sugar shack on the weekend, all of them yammering to their children, without hearing any English or French.
Rather than struggling to impose your way of life on the great mass of Canadians, why not try celebrating diversity, learn a little Cantonese or Punjabi, eat the foods these New Canadians have brought with them. Embrace Canada for what it is rather than regreting that it's not America.
Mar 18th 2009 | 1:52 am
#381
Thread Starter
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,830
From: UK
Re: What's wrong with Canada?
Mar 18th 2009 | 4:48 am
#382
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 30,259
From: Europe (to be specified).
Re: What's wrong with Canada?
Originally Posted by act1980;
I agree!!
I think it would make goods in Canada cheaper too as no import taxes and charges for transferring money due to different currencies etc...
I think it would make goods in Canada cheaper too as no import taxes and charges for transferring money due to different currencies etc...
Mar 18th 2009 | 4:54 am
#383
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: What's wrong with Canada?
If we're getting into acronyms and dodgy names, I saw a great one at the weekend, in Home Depot. It was on a label for a rather nasty wrecking bar/crowbar. It was called the "Fubar". I found that rather apt.
Mar 18th 2009 | 5:51 am
#385
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 2,062
From: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Mar 18th 2009 | 6:51 am
#386
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,695
From: Vancouver, BC
Re: What's wrong with Canada?
Yep, overall, it's way more in your face in Melbourne than here. Never ever been abused here for dressing like a western woman. And in your face use of racial slurs as part of normal conversation - I don't here that here.
My favourite (sarc) was the engineer and manager of a large project who said that abbos had interbred with apes on their way to australia. yes, really. in public. in front of all the staff.
I temped a lot around Melbourne and I came across attitudes like that regularly.
Last edited by ExKiwilass; Mar 18th 2009 at 6:53 am.
Mar 18th 2009 | 7:26 am
#387
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 882
From: Off moaning somewhere...
Re: What's wrong with Canada?
Got dragged into Swizz Chalet for lunch today which has led me to another gripe.
Paying extra for white meat...
Paying extra for white meat...
Mar 18th 2009 | 7:28 am
#388
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Posts: 882
From: Off moaning somewhere...
Mar 18th 2009 | 7:50 am
#390
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From: Off moaning somewhere...
