Immigration 1910 -2010

Immigrant 1910.

The Canadian newsmedia is reporting that Canada is experiencing a wave of immigration, the biggest in 40 years.

84,200 people came to Canada from other countries this summer, July 1 to October 1st.

16,800 people came to Quebec. About 250,000 immigrants are expected in Canada this year.

There appears to be Federal Skilled Worker Program – and it is skilled workers who are in demand. But it is the provinces who ultimately decide what workers are needed. I can’t see any breakdown for Quebec, but in BC apparently, Filipino immigrants outnumbered Mainland Chinese for the first time.

(Hmm. I can’t help but think of the charming Filipino woman who worked at the rest home where my mother was dying of bone cancer. One morning, my mother had spent 4 hours waiting to get dressed and the young woman finally arrived, complaining in a sweet way, that she had 12 debilitated old folk to wash and dress. That’s why she was so late. Overworked and underpaid (and working only part-time) in an corporate establishment that was charging us 8,000 a month for care.)

This is in response to the Federal Government’s 2010 Immigration Plan. The October 2009 press release claimed:

“While other countries have cut back immigration levels as a short-term response to the global economic downturn, our government is actually maintaining its immigration levels to meet the country’s medium- to long-term economic needs,” said Minister Kenney.”

(It’s funny, because I am certain I have read that it is immigrants who are suffering the most from this downturn.)

The Tighsolas era, the 1910 era, was when the greatest proportion of immigrants ever came to Canada. This Flo in the City blog has covered the issue extensively, describing the 1906 immigration act and the subsequent 1910 adjustment (where they came down on illegal trafficking of immigrants.)

Today, the Governments appears to be doing the same thing, allowing immigrants in and cracking down on illegal trafficking and refugees.

There’s a lot to be learned from the 1910 era to apply to today..

Oddly, Americans are immigrant shy, these days. They have just refused to allow the children of illegal immigrants to become citizens.

In 1910, Canada felt their immigration policies were superior to the Americans’.