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The Moose Jaw Multicultural Council is wrapping up its TXHVWLRQ DQG DQVZHU VHULHV ZLWK RQH ¿QDO FROOHFWLRQ RI UHVSRQVHV ZKLOH RUJDQL]HUV DUH UHÀHFWLQJ RQ KRZ ZHOO WKH project turned out.
.DOHLJK 3RXVHWW FRPPXQLW\ FRQQHFWLRQV FR RUGLnator, thanked residents who submitted questions to the Q&A project and those who took the time to read the articles.
“This Q&A project was very eye-opening for myself and my colleagues and I hope it was illuminating for you as well,” she said. “It gave us insight into common questions as well as misconceptions people hold in our own community about newcomers.
“I did a lot of research for this, so I also learned a lot in the process. The classic cliché, ‘Don’t believe everyWKLQJ \RX KHDU ¶ UHDOO\ ULQJV WUXH KHUH ´ 3RXVHWW FRQWLQXHG “Although we can learn so much through the internet, it’s a good reminder to be careful and not believe everything you hear.
3RXVHWW HQFRXUDJHG SHRSOH WR IDFW FKHFN UHDG GHHSO\ DQG EURDGO\ FRQGXFW LQGHSHQGHQW UHVHDUFK ¿QG GLIIHUHQW news sources, and learn to know new immigrant residents.
“It’s amazing what we can learn simply by making a new friend,” she added.
Week 4 of Q&A series
7KH ¿QDO ZHHN RI WKH PXOWLFXOWXUDO FRXQFLO¶V 4 $ series focuses on background checks and exposure to new cultures.
Why is the government not doing proper background checks on people who are coming to live in Canada? My family back in the 1900s had to stay at Ellis Island for three months before being allowed into Canada. Now it seems that our government does not care who they let in, criminals and all. The crime rate has FOLPEHG VLJQL¿FDQWO\ LQ WKH ODVW WKUHH GHFDGHV &KHFN the Corrections Canada information site.
It is a common assumption that immigrants- especially refugees- are allowed to come to Canada no matter who they are. But this is false. Although security screening has FKDQJHG VLJQL¿FDQWO\ VLQFH \RXU DQFHVWRUV DUULYHG LW LV QR less thorough.
5DWKHU WKDQ PRQWKV LQGLYLGXDOV DQG IDPLOLHV FDQ wait up to several years to come to Canada, and they undergo a rigorous series of checks before arriving. The difference is that now we have technology and communication systems that allow us to start this process in advance, rather than waiting until they arrive.
7KHVH FKHFNV LQFOXGH EDFNJURXQG FKHFNV ¿QJHUprinting, interviews, and document authentication. The Canadian government works with the Canadian Border Services Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence SerYLFH WKH 5&03 DQG IRUHLJQ ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW ZKHQ SRVsible) to carry out these checks.
If there is reason to believe that individuals are a danger to the Canadian public, they are denied entry. In addition, they undergo medical examinations before and after arriving in Canada.
8QIRUWXQDWHO\ , 3RXVHWW ZDV XQDEOH WR ¿QG WKH LQformation you cited about rising crime rates. I asked a ORFDO SROLFH RI¿FHU DERXW \RXU TXHVWLRQ ZKR LQIRUPHG PH that tracking crime rates are complicated. Types of crimes KDYH FKDQJHG RYHU WKH SDVW \HDUV DV KDV QHZV DQG SRlice coverage on crimes.
&ULPH KDV ÀXFWXDWHG GXH WR PDQ\ YDULDEOHV EXW WKHUH is no statistical evidence that newcomers are contributing to higher crime rates in Canada.
When minority ethnic groups are over-represented in crime, this correlates with vulnerability and poverty rather than immigration and past criminal behaviour. The security checks do their best at preventing dangerous individuals from immigrating to Canada, but this cannot prevent people from becoming involved in crime once they get here.
It is possible that people entering Canada are often vulnerable and, once arriving here, are more susceptible to become involved in organized crime.
Remember, everyone: fact check! Fact check these responses, even. There are lots of myths circulating out there.
As a relative newcomer — but having had the chance to live in different countries and societies — my perception is that Moose Jaw still has to amplify the exposure to new cultures in the community. Am I correct?
Yes, we still have lots of work to do in Moose Jaw regarding cultural exposure. Racism and cultural isolation DUH VWLOO SUHYDOHQW DQG PLQRULWLHV FDQ KDYH D YHU\ GLI¿cult time here. This should not be excused, but a tiny bit of context might be helpful in understanding from where we’ve come.
The pioneers who came to southern Saskatchewan were largely of European descent, and many came here to IDUP $JULFXOWXUH JUHZ DV DQ LQGXVWU\ RYHU WKH WK FHQtury, and is still a driving economic force in our region. Because of this, Moose Jaw exists amongst many rural, agricultural communities made up predominantly of people with European descent.
This, combined with its small population, means that people living here long-term have had less opportunity to interact with immigrants from places such as the Middle East, Africa, or Asia. The demographics have shifted VLJQL¿FDQWO\ LQ WKH ODVW \HDUV DQG WKHUH LV D UDSLGO\ growing multicultural community here now.
But the opportunities to interact cross-culturally are still fewer than they would be in a large urban centre, and SHRSOH FDQ EH UHVLVWDQW WR WKLV GHPRJUDSKLF FKDQJH 3HRple often fear unfamiliarity. It is a slow process.
That being said, there is good change happening in our city. Committees, initiatives, and events in Moose Jaw are actively pursuing greater cultural exposure and integration.
These include the City of Moose Jaw’s Cultural DiYHUVLW\ $GYLVRU\ &RPPLWWHH 3UDLULH 6NLHV¶ ,PPLJUDQW Advisory Table, the Welcoming Francophone CommuniWLHV LQLWLDWLYH 0RWLI 0XOWLFXOWXUDO )HVWLYDO WKH 1HZFRPHU Welcome Centre’s monthly Community Café, and others.
If you are interested in working towards communiW\ QHZFRPHU LQWHJUDWLRQ LQ 0RRVH -DZ 3UDLULH 6NLHV ,QWHJUDWLRQ 1HWZRUN LV D JRRG SODFH WR VWDUW 7KHUH LV D SODFH for everyone to engage in this work. If you are looking for other ways to connect with newcomers, you are welcome to reach out to Kaleigh at MJMC by emailing community. connections@mjmcinc.ca.