Immigration Watch Group Criticizes Canada’s Mass Immigration

Richmond Canada
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Canada, the nation with the highest per capita immigration intake per year — adding 1 million immigrants every four years to her now-35 million population, is suffering because of an abnormal and unnecessary mass immigration policy, according to the immigration-focused group Immigration Watch Canada.

“Since 1991, Canada has had a mass immigration policy,” Dan Murray of Immigration Watch Canada told The Speaker.

“The term ‘mass immigration’ means that Canada has had a continued high immigration intake since 1991. This is an abnormality in Canada’s immigration history. It means that Canada has taken over 6 million people since 1991 and that Canada did not need most of those people.”

Murray said the rates were unnecessary and even detrimental to Canadians. The source of the policy of prolonged high rates of immigration originated, according to Murray, in a Conservative Party move to gain a new voting segment — the immigrant vote — in 1990.

He cited several government studies as evidence that the immigration numbers would not reduce Canada’s average age, would not produce any significant economic benefit, and would be beyond the optimal population based on Canada’s cold, mostly rock and desert land – some of the major benefits of immigration claimed by high immigration proponents.

Murray also cited the costs of bringing in an average 250,000 immigrants per year for 25 years, most of whom settle in the major cities. The cost of immigration for taxpayers — in the hundreds of million of dollars per year – is only part of the burden placed on the Canadian-born population, Murray stated. Two of the most easily quantifiable effects of mass immigration, he said, were in increased labor competition and housing affordability.

“The best friend of any worker is a tight labor market. When high  immigration intake floods the labor market, wages stagnate or even decline and unnecessary competition occurs.”

The extra workers, Murray said, are not needed, and are sometimes given place in front of Canadian-born workers though programs like the Employment Equity Act, which enforces proactive employment practices when it comes to minority groups.

Murray noted the increase in ethnic enclaves in Canadian cities over the past decades as well. A handful 30 years ago has become about 300 today and is increasing, he said.

Richmond demographicsHe cited cities like Richmond, British Columbia, where white Canadians made up 80 percent of the population in 1981. The remainder was a mix including less than 10 percent Chinese. Today, Chinese are the majority in the city, and white residents have left Richmond in the thousands. The same trend exists over all of Vancouver, where nine out of 10 of the population’s additional 30,000 new residents every year are immigrants.

He referred to Canada’s current majority population as “the new First Nations” whose interests are being betrayed by their political parties.

“Even a quick look at a graph that shows Canada’s immigration history will demonstrate that,” stated Murray. “No sane country allows its majority population to be overwhelmed. No sane country forces its majority population to compete unnecessarily for a limited number of jobs or grants new immigrants preference to those jobs. No sane country allows its population to grow indefinitely, particularly when the population growth occurs on its best agricultural land — yet Canada has done this.”

Canada Gears Up For Most Heated Election In Over A Decade

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Canada is gearing up to vote in what many believe will be the most heated election in over a decade. This will be the longest campaign in Canada since 1872, spanning 11 weeks.

The election date was announced by Prime Minister Steven Harper at the beginning of August, propelling Canadians to engage in political conversations in grocery stores, on neighbors’ porches, at parties, and above all — as is normal in our time — on various online platforms. We saw the four main candidates duke it out in the Maclean’s National Leaders Debate on August 6th, only to see more confounding rhetoric come forth from the mouths of political analysts, or those people who fancy themselves to be political analysts. We need to look beyond the same old political rhetoric, such as the issues of economy, foreign policy, education and so on, and try to understand party policies in their more important details.

The truth is that we have four exceptionally strong candidates, something which has not happened for a long time in Canadian politics. Still this nation is not about electing prime ministers; rather it is about electing MP’s in the house. Although I forget this occasionally, I am sure that many others do as well. The next few months will be paramount to the future of Canada, as many remain adamant in their support of the Conservative party, many are also starting to feel that Harper has been in office far too long. It is obvious that it will be a tight race between the Liberals and Conservatives, but it also seems like the NDP is making headway, according to recent polling.

At the end of the day the main issue comes down to the fact that the economy — in other words to Canada’s almost technical recession during the past five months. While the dollar is falling and the economy is contracting, all fingers are of course pointed at Harper’s government. In the recent debate, Trudeau, Mulcair, and May all used this to levy against Harper, while the prime minister himself attacked the other three on their major platform plans for raising taxes across all sectors of Canada in order to strengthen the social safety net. For a moment it was like watching Friedman, although a not so eloquent or educated version, debating ‘Kenesyan’ economists.

Canada currently finds itself at a multiple crossroad, and whichever way the nation chooses to take the future is somewhat precarious. Whether the people choose another four years of Harper, Mulcair’s potential steady leadership, or Justin’s refreshing ways, I think the real issue here is what do Canadians believe would be a better Canada? One that maintains a Conservative foothold or one that moves towards the left? Rather, a Canada with Harper or without him?

I have not mentioned May, as although she was a strong presence in the debate, she is still the leader of a one-issue-party that has no room in the moderate Canadian landscape that we all envision. The truth is, regardless of whether we like it or not, the thing that is on most people’s minds as of this moment is not the environment, but the economy. More precisely, not the fact that Canada has not met emission standards in years, but why the Canadian dollar is plummeting. 

Canada needs a strong leader that can face issues head on, but it also needs a strong party. As our national safety is being debated amid all governmental institutions down to twitter discussions, Bill C-51 is a big concern in this campaign. Mulcair and May are heavily against the bill. Trudeau believes that the bill is a good idea, yet he still has made it clear that he wants to change some of its amendments and policies. The question is, if Mulcair or May do become PM’s in December, will they be able to do something about it?

All of this is mere politics, and what I mean by “mere” is that we hear the same old rhetoric, and the same old lines on the most prevalent issues of our time, with no real candor. The very fact that the debate was not pugnacious, is only a determiner of the fact that all four candidates were scared to hit the nails on the head. It would be exceptionally interesting to see therefore what the candidates’ opinion on more specific issues such as the recent Iran nuclear deal is. In a recent article by Bob Rae, he has made the case that Canada needs to be wholly clear on its stance over the Iran nuclear deal. We all know that Harper is rightly an important ally of Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu, but the truth is that Canada’s relations with the United States are at an “historic low,” one of the reasons being its unyielding support for Israel.

The issue of Israel is another important point of contention, and one which will probably cost Mulcair. Although they all have expressed support for Israel-some more than others- Mulcair has pushed the idea of supporting Palestine as well which is a position that the current government has not taken and might not be too popular. Last year the Forum Poll posted a small poll that suggests that on average Canadians are split on the Israel-Palestine issue, but a majority of them choose not to “pick sides.” It is obvious that the elections in October will show us how the Canadian public feels.

The truth is that politics are distressingly perplexing, but amid all of the rhetoric there is another level that affects the way voters actually vote, one which is far more simple, and that is the case of image. Ben Shapiro, the political commentator, makes the case in his book Project President that in the U.S. the issue of image has always been important to the way voters learn to trust candidates. The same is easily applied to Canadian politics as well. When we look at Justin and his youthful demeanor it is easy to see that there is an ideal energetic outlook to the way he presents himself. On the other hand, Harper although aging, has a different cool, collected, calm to him that shows him off to be a leader that knows what he is doing. Mulcair and May seem to have a more empathetic and approachable vibe to them. Although we hate to admit it, as Ben Shapiro suggests, the truth is that things like how candidates are dressed, how they look, and how they act are crucial to voters simply due to the fact that it is a part of human nature.

Despite the obvious problem of image, as well as vague opinions on national and international issues, we need to place our trust as voters in the ideas of the parties that we feel appeals most to us, and not necessarily in the leadership, however hard that may be. This is a country whose political system has been built on representation, therefore when one votes in their own riding it is essential they choose a party that represents them the most, and not just simply how they feel about the party’s leader. Regardless of whether one is anti-Harper, or anti-Trudeau, the important thing remains that the Canadian populace votes in October.

Analysis by Milad Doroudian

Photo by Saffron Blaze

Canadian government tables bill to stem “geographic price discrimination” between the US and Canada with “name and shame” law

Canadian government tables bill to stem "geographic price discrimination" between the US and Canada with "name and shame" law
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Canadians have long paid higher prices for goods than they would south of the border, but now the Canadian government is proposing a new “name and shame” law in order to stem unfair “country pricing.” The federal government wants to give new powers to the Competition Bureau to enable it to investigate the price differences for products sold in Canada and the United States and expose companies who take advantage of Canadian consumers by charging them unfair prices.

“This legislation will not set or regulate prices in Canada,” Industry Minister James Moore said told reporters at a news conference Tuesday.

Instead, the new act–called the Price Transparency Act–which was also tabled Tuesday, will “name and shame” manufacturers and distributors who set prices higher in Canada than the U.S. for the same goods, Moore said.

“It’s called geographic price discrimination. A more blunt way of putting it is to call it … price gouging of Canadian consumers because of where Canadians live.”

Moore announced the filing of the bill in a children’s toy store in Etobicoke, Ontario. He took the opportunity to justify the legislation by what he called “geographic price discrimination.”

He said Canadians pay nearly 15 percent more for products than they would for the same products in the United States.

The minister gave four examples of price differentials to illustrate his point.

A 1.5 liter bottle of shampoo retails for about 30 percent more in Canada than in the U.S.; a 46-inch LED TV is around 13 percent more expensive in Canada; you pay almost double in Canada for an 81 milligrams bottle of aspirin; sports shoes, also, are much cheaper in Buffalo, New York than at the Eaton Center in Toronto. 

The minister said that he recognized that some differences in prices were justified.

It was clear that the prices of certain products sold in Canada were based on legitimate operating costs in force on this side of the border, Moore said. These factors contribute in part to price differences, but they are not the only considerations to be taken into account.

Diane Brisebois, head of the Retail Council of Canada, commented on the proposed bill.

“I can assure you, for the thousands of Canadian retailers we represent . . . [the proposed legislation] is a step in the right direction,” said Brisebois.

However, some observers are sceptical that the bill can make much of an impact.

“No retailer in their right mind would want to have a higher price than their competitor. It’s a highly competitive landscape out there,” said Duncan Fulton, senior vice-president at Canadian Tire Corp.

Tires are among the items most frequently cited as overpriced in Canada.

Fulton said that around 10 percent of the difference in prices could be accounted for by factoring in tariffs, duties, labour prices, and shipping costs.

BMO Capital Markets chief economist Doug Porter was also skeptical in his comments, who commented that the strength of the Canadian dollar would play more of a role in U.S.-Canada buying power than “name and shame” policies.

“With the currency back to 87 cents, a very quick calculation finds that prices are, on balance, about the same between the two countries when you take the exchange rate into account,” said Porter.

By Sid Douglas

Water Ban Announced Near Williams Lake, Canada: Tailings Pond Breached

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The Mount Polley Mine tailings pond, near Williams Lake, British Columbia, has been breached, and regional authorities have issued a complete water ban.

The ban regards all water use in the area, and will be in place until further notice. Drinking, cooking and bathing are prohibited.

The ban was enacted by the Cariboo Regional District (CRD). The CRD is currently working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Emergency Management BC, Central Cariboo Search and Rescue, Mount Polley, Interior Health and other associated agencies.

The breach took place around 3:00 AM. The 4km square tailings pond broached, contaminated water entered Polley Lake, then Quesnel Lake.

The extent and possible impacts of the breach are not yet known.

Residents and visitors are advised to use only bottled water until further information is available.

For further information, the CRD advises visiting their Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/CRDEmergencyOperations, or their website, at cariboord.ca. A public information line has been set up, which can be reached by dialing 250-398-5581.

Mount Polly is an open pit copper and gold mine located in south-central British Columbia, Canada. The mine reaped nearly 40 million pounds of copper in 2013, 45,000 pounds of gold and 125,000 pounds of silver.

Tailings are waste material left over after separating the valuable part of an ore. Modern mining usually takes adequate steps to ensure tailings disposal is environmentally safe. One method of containing tailings is tailings dams, which are often the most significant environmental liability involved in a mining project.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Imperial Metals

Small First Nations Tribe Evicts TransCanada Pipeline Crew From Land

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The Unist’ot’en tribe, which has taken an uncompromising stance to industrial development on its land, has evicted a TransCanada pipeline crew from its land.

Small First Nations Tribe Evicts TransCanada Pipeline Crew From Land (4)“We’re not willing to sit down at any table with them because our firm answer is no,” said Freda Huson, Unist’ot’en camp leader. “An official letter with the clan’s letter heading and the chief’s signature will go to the company and mention that they were evicted off our territory and that they’re not permitted back, and that if they come back it’s trespass.”

The crew was found in a section of Unist’ot’en land where several fracked gas and tar sands pipelines had been planned without tribal consent, and were evicted peacefully. The TransCanada Coastal GasLink pipeline crew were conducting preliminary work for a project to carry gas from Northeastern British Columbia to the West Coast.

The Unist’ot’en community is functioning as a watchdog for the land, ensuring that Unist’ot’en law is enforced. Unist’ot’en land has only one entry point, which includes a bridge that displays the words “NO PIPELINES.”

Anyone entering Unist’ot’en land is expected to answer questions about their stay and how it will benefit the Unist’ot’en.

The TransCanada crew flew in by helicopter over the bridge and landed without permission in a low mountain valley. According to Unist’ot’en representatives, the helicopter flew over the bridge several times and should have been able to read the sign.

Huson spoke of the action and the Unist’ot’en camp in an interview recently with Vice News’ Michael Toledano, saying that she encouraged people to come and see the land they were protecting for themselves.

Small First Nations Tribe Evicts TransCanada Pipeline Crew From Land (1)“The number one thing when people take away from here is they drink water, fresh from the river, still got the minerals intact, and it’s still pure compared to what they get out of the tap back home,” Huson said, speaking of the Widzin Kwah river, the last river within Unist’ot’ten land from which it is safe to drink. “And they see everything around—the animals, the beauty, the mountains, and all the plants.

“They see all that and see what it is that we’re protecting here and see that we’re human, we’re not militant as the media would try to portray us, but we’re actually human like everybody else. We got educated, we got jobs, walked away from jobs because we felt it was important to try and protect the remaining lands that we still have left, which is a very small amount.”

There’s probably ten percent that’s pristine like this area here, and we’re trying to hang onto that ten percent for our future generations,” said Huson, referring to the extensive British Columbia mining and logging industry.

“This place has been in the hands of the Unist’ot’en people for thousands of years. They’ve managed it,” said Freda’s husband, hereditary chief of a neighboring clan, Toghestiy. “Governments and corporations moved in, forced us onto reservations, and came out and mismanaged it. Now the Unist’ot’en are back out here and they’re going to manage it again. They’re going to manage it properly.”

A TransCanada representative said of the eviction, “While we believed we had permission to do this work, our crew decided to safely leave the area after being confronted by people wearing masks.”

Huson was firm on the Unist’ot’en stance.

“No means no, and we have the final jurisdiction on our own territory,” said Huson. “This is not Crown land, this does not belong to Indian bands… this is my peoples’ territory and we never gave up our decision making power to anybody. Tell them to produce their papers, or anything, that say we gave them the power to decide for us. Our governing system is our hereditary chiefs system and its members.”

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Canada’s Second Helicopter Prison Break – Three Hell’s Angels Received Loosened Security Measures One Day Before Escape

 

Orsainville Detention Centre
Orsainville Detention Centre

Three Hell’s Angels who escaped from a Canadian prison by helicopter–Canada’s second such helicopter prison escape–received relaxed security benefits in their prison just one day before the escape. The three convicts are the subject of a massive manhunt in the province of Quebec.

The three men–in prison on charges of murder and drug offenses–were not confined to handcuffs when they made their break. Questions have also been raised as to how three men could escape from a prison within the space of a minute by helicopter and remain missing.

Quebec Public Security minister Lise Thériault stated that the suspects had requested a loosening of their imprisonment conditions prior to the escape. The request was handled by an unnamed judge on Friday.

“The judge accepted the prisoners’ request,” Ms. Thériault said. “There will certainly be legitimate questions to ask ourselves about that.”

The helicopter is said to have been able to evade radar easily by flying into mountains nearby Quebec City and right beside the prison. “It wouldn’t take much to hide inside a valley,”  said the base manager of a helicopter flight school near the prison, Guy Dupont.

Canada's Second Helicopter Prison Break - Three Hell's Angels Received Loosened Security Measures One Day Before Escape (4)The SQ was largely silent about the search, but a former agent did comment. “If they’re in a forested area, locating them is like finding a needle in a haystack,” stated retired Sûreté du Québec lieutenant François Doré. “They could be in a chalet waiting to be picked up, keeping a low profile.”

The three men are Yves Denis, Denis Lefebvre and Serge Pomerleau, and are considered by Sûreté du Québec to be dangerous. 

A previous helicopter escape took place only 15 months earlier also in Quebec, prompting questions about Quebec’s prison security. “Prison directors have received orders to implement plans everywhere,” Ms. Thériault said. “I’m not going to make the plans public. That would be like telling the crooks that I’m giving them the keys so they free themselves.”

By James Haleavy