by Carolyn Tytler

Created on: November 13, 2008

There's no two ways about it, Canada needs immigrants. Our population is ageing, today's parents are opting to have fewer children, and the work force is shrinking. We need more workers to maintain the tax base and to contribute to the medical system, the Canada Pension Plan, unemployment insurance, and the other social benefits which we, as Canadians, enjoy.

We have vast expanses of uninhabited land where newcomers could settle and take advantage of the freedom and opportunities this country offers. While it's true that the winter season in many regions of the country is harsh, some people thrive on the challenges of cold weather and enjoy the many activities and sporting events it offers.

Where are these immigrants coming from? Most of the European countries seem to have reached an equilibrium of sorts. There are very few requests for citizenship from the countries which supplied our immigrant populations in the past: the British Isles, Italy, Germany, Holland, Hungary, the Ukraine and other European nations.

Today's immigrants come from the Middle and Far East, from lands of warm temperatures, various languages, different cultures and lifestyles. Often, there are problems on both sides as the host country and the newcomers strive to adjust to each other.

Many feel our government has been too accommodating in its willingness to change distinct Canadian customs and tradition to placate the newcomers. For instance, we now have some Mounties wearing turbans, instead of the traditional bearskin headdresses. Some schoolboys in Toronto and other large cities sport daggers in their socks, because their families claim their religion demands it. Some schools have set up prayer rooms for Moslems who must pray at certain times during the day. Some lifetime Canadian citizens wonder whether these concessions are necessary or even wise.

No one objects to the fact that the immigrants are given comfortable living quarters, meals and other amenities until they get settled. It must be difficult for them too, coming to a new land with such a different climate, where people dress differently, speak another language, and eat food which probably seems strange to them.

Imagine for a moment, being a North American, and landing in a bustling city in India or Pakistan. Would you be able to immediately adjust and take up your life as if you'd always lived there? Most of us agree that would be impossible. Time would be needed to absorb the culture, the new environment, to learn the language

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