Immigration is too important not to talk about
We live in a time bars are moving all over the place - some raised, some lowered and it is getting harder to figure out when we should show righteous indignation or just timid acquiescence. Without any clear understanding of consequence, many people these days fall silent rather than air concerns.
When it comes to immigration and the future of Atlantic Canada, this subject is too important not to talk about.
There are people who are uncomfortable with immigration. They are not sure why we need to attract people here when cousin Jane’s daughter just left for Toronto. They have concerns about how different cultures will engage. They hearken back to the good old days when everyone knew everyone. This, by the way, is not just a small town thing. I once attended a meeting in Moncton where coincidentally a handful of folks were roughly the same age and all born in the area. They all either knew each other directly or quickly collapsed the one degree of separation - my cousin went to your school and played on that team, etc. That’s a little harder to do when the group is made up of folks from Minto, Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Sackville and Algiers - although it would be fun to try!
Will immigration just keep wages low? Will immigrants stay here or are is this just an updated version of the ‘drive thru province’? How much will it cost to the education system or the health care system? Why don’t they want to stay in their home countries? Will we become Toronto? How will it impact the Acadian minority in New Brunswick?
All of these questions and more need to see the light of day. If people just suppress their questions or move them to online forums that are hostile to immigration, we won’t get the broad-based support we need. This is a democracy.
That’s not to say there are not outright racists but don’t be too quick to dismiss people with questions as racists.
If a person doesn’t want ‘other’ people to move here because of the colour of their skin or their religion or culture, that’s not acceptable.
Questions about how Atlantic Canadians will properly evolve to a more multicultural society and the role we all must play are very acceptable.
So bring on the questions. There are answers. We need to dialog. On this issue don’t hold back because you fear reprisals. It’s too important for the future of our region.