texts linked with Canada

Multiculturalism's Positive Impacts on CanadaRifaa Ahmed

In 1971, under the leadership of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Canada became the first country in the world to adopt an official policy of multiculturalism. This policy has played a major part in reaching the goal that Canada had been aiming for over the past several years: the creation of a country in which people of varied languages and cultures could live together in harmony. The positive impacts of multiculturalism on the Canadian society, economy, and international standing from a policy of multiculturalism have changed Canada forever.
Multiculturalism has affected Canadian individuals in a profound way by changing their values for the better. With a policy of multiculturalism, Canadians are forced to live in a society made up of people of contrasting cultures, values, and beliefs. This interaction results in toleration between these groups. With Canadians’ toleration of other culturally diverse groups comes a changing perspective, and increased respect of differing lifestyles. As a result, more Canadians feel that everyone has the right to think and behave in a manner according to their conscience. Furthermore, the effects of multiculturalism on Canadian individuals have had a positive effect on Canada’s future and migratory desirability.

Multiculturalism has impacted Canada in a financially beneficial way. Businesses and employers have found that cultural diversity in the workplace promotes innovation, stimulates teamwork and creativity, and helps to expand the markets for goods and services; especially since Canada’s exports account for more than 40% of its Gross Domestic Product. As such, it is highly important that Canada has the assets it needs in order to compete as a knowledge-based economy in an increasingly global marketplace. Diversity in cultures among the Canadian people helps greatly to meet this need, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated, “Your values of hard work, community support and strong families are making Canada even stronger. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said, “…Canadians have learned that their two international languages and their diversity are a comparative advantage and a source of continuing creativity and innovation.” In a survey of Canadians, 73% felt that Canadian immigrants contributed to the country’s international competitiveness and 65% felt that Canadian immigrants were linked to a better system of health care and public pensions. It is clear that Canada’s policy of multiculturalism has exhibited a large impact on the Canadian economy.

Multiculturalism has also affected Canada’s international standing. Developing nations and newly emerging democracies regularly ask for Canada’s help in providing them with advice and assistance. This is in a great part, because of Canada’s well-known peacekeeping abilities, which are a result of Canada’s success in dealing with its own highly diverse people. People who have immigrated to Canada have done so in order to find a better way of life for themselves. They see Canada as a country that will respond to their needs as newcomers and tolerate their customs and beliefs. Former Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien, stated that: “…Canadians are, by virtue of history and necessity, open to the world.” The evidence of the desirability of Canada as a multicultural society is clear considering that Canada has been ranked the “first country in the world in which to live”, nine times from the year 1990 to the year 2000.
Canada, as the first country in the world to have an official policy of multiculturalism, stands as a model for all countries in that it is possible for different people to live together in harmony, and in the process, learn, and therefore, benefit, from each other. Multiculturalism in Canada has changed the face of its people, economy, and international standing forever. Canadian individuals are more tolerant and accepting of different people. The Canadian economy has benefited greatly due to the increased market for goods as a result of diversity in both culture and experience among the Canadian employees in the workplace. Canada’s international standing among other countries has improved because of its peacekeeping abilities, and acceptance of immigrants. Of all Canada’s greatest accomplishments it is Canada’s multiculturalism that has proved itself to be a very important aspect of Canadian society.

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Demographics
Main articles: Demography of Canada, List of cities in Canada, List of Canadians by ethnicity, and Immigration to Canada

Toronto, Ontario skyline with the CN tower. Toronto is Canada's most populous metropolitan area with 5,113,149 people.[55][56]
Canada's 2006 census counted 31,612,897, an increase of 5.4% since 2001.[57] Population growth is from immigration and, to a lesser extent, natural growth. About three-quarters of Canada's population lives within 150 kilometres (90 mi) of the US border.[58] A similar proportion live in urban areas concentrated in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor (notably: the Greater Golden Horseshoe anchored around Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and their environs), the BC Lower Mainland (Vancouver and environs), and the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor in Alberta.[59]
According to the 2001 census, it has 34 ethnic groups with at least one hundred thousand members each, with 83% of the total population claiming they are white.[60] The largest ethnic group is English (20.2%), followed by French (15.8%), Scottish (14.0%), Irish (12.9%), German (9.3%), Italian (4.3%), Chinese (3.7%), Ukrainian (3.6%), and First Nations (3.4%); 40% of respondents identified their ethnicity as "Canadian."[61] Canada's aboriginal population is growing almost twice as fast as the Canadian average. In 2001, 13.4% of the population belonged to non-aboriginal visible minorities.[62]
In 2001, 49% of the Vancouver population and 42.8% of Toronto's population were visible minorities. In March 2005, Statistics Canada projected that people of non-European origins will constitute a majority in both Toronto and Vancouver by 2012.[63] According to Statistics Canada's forecasts, the number of visible minorities in Canada is expected to double by 2017. Roughly one out of every five people in Canada could be a member of a visible minority by 2017.[64]

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