We need to recognize this new Canada

To the editor,

A Dalhousie University student has unleashed a torrent of comment regarding discriminatory practices in Canada. Dalhousie’s handling of the situation may have given the issue its greatest boost.

The social media outburst that unleashed this storm of controversy was directed at the Canada 150 celebrations. She questioned why she, and others in visible minorities, should champion events that were the results of colonization and repression by the ancestors of people who still fail to recognize them as equals. While the student’s use of language was probably not helpful, her concerns are understandable.

As a member of a visible minority (from our “white” perspective) she lives with several levels of discrimination on a daily basis. Whether that arises from differences in skin tone, language, religion, or choice of clothing, there is a constant impression among the predominantly white community that she belongs to the “other” segment of our society.

From the time our European ancestors took control of the North American continent the population has been predominantly white. That, naturally, led to virtually all positions of authority being filled by white people, mostly white men. Despite tremendous changes in the makeup of our population, that has changed only slightly.

In relatively few years our population has grown in diversity. Just 25 years ago visible minorities made up less than five per cent of our population. Now that number is over 20 per cent. In another 20 years it is expected that one in three Canadians will be visibly non-white.

While younger Canadians seem to be adapting better to the new realities, many of those in positions of authority still come from that segment of the population that grew up in a different Canada. Their viewpoints have frequently not kept up with changes in demographics.

Canada’s largest urban area, the Greater Toronto Area, contains over 20 per cent of our total population. The GTA now has 50 per cent visible minorities from across the world. Other major cities are growing toward those numbers.

It seems obvious that we will have to alter our perspectives and bring greater consideration of numerous cultural identities into our society. Failure to do that can only lead to greater tensions and less fulfilling lives for a large sector of our citizenry.

We need better leadership from government, business, and higher education in order to make the necessary changes in attitude that all Canadians deserve. Since they are already in the midst of this current controversy, Dalhousie should take the lead in addressing the new realities that define Canada.

Orland Kennedy

Brookfield