People on the Move

Canada’s identity is formed by the movement of people. When someone moves to another country or within a country, they take their cultures and ways of life with them. Canada has a heritage of different ways of life and welcoming immigrants from different countries.

There are many theories regarding how humans began inhabiting Canada. One theory is that people in the Americas migrated here sometime between and years ago. It is thought that they traveled over a land bridge between Asia and North America where the Bering Strait is now.

After crossing the land bridge, they then made their way along a corridor, free of ice along the west coast of the continent and they eventually made it to South America. They then spread out and formed many civilizations.

Land-bridge theory video Land-bridge theory video Recently there has been evidence discovered that disputes the land bridge theory. One view is that the first people in NA came across the Pacific Ocean and spread out to the North and East. A third theory is that they arrived by crossing the Atlantic from Europe.

All theories have merit and support but none is without questions. Many Inuit and First Nations believe that their civilization began in North America and it is said that they have lived here from time immemorial- As long as anyone can remember.

Push factors and pull factors are the main reasons that people move or migrate. Migrate- To move to a new location. See pages Are these examples of push factors or pull factors?

Multiculturalism- The preservation of distinct cultural identities among varied groups within a unified society. Ethnocentric- Believing one’s own culture is superior to others. Prejudice- Unfavourable judgment or ignorant bias often based on factors such as race, ethnicity, or gender. Discrimination- Unfair treatment based on race, language, religion, culture, or other factors.

Canada has a policy that promotes identity in terms of peace, justice, human rights and multiculturalism. In the past Canada was more ethnocentric than we are today. People felt that our way of life in Canada was better than in other places, which led to prejudice and treating others unfairly.

Today, Canada is very welcoming to immigrants, but that was not always the case. The government now controls who can come, and how many people can come. Our policy on immigration allows Canada to be multicultural.

People whose culture was similar to that of Canada were considered the best immigrants for Canada. Those from Britain, the U.S.A and Northern and Western Europe were preferred immigrants.

People from Asia, Southern and Eastern Europe and Africa were discriminated against because their government policies were based on race, language, religion or culture. Immigration was restricted to the above groups.

There are many examples of racist immigration policies: African-American farmers were turned away because they were said to not be suitable for our climate. It was not until 1947 that the Chinese were permitted in to Canada. Canada would not accept Jewish people fleeing Nazi Germany.

Before the first world war, immigration into Canada was quite high. After confederation, the government moved First Nations out of the West and to reserves. Canadian government wanted to populate the West with European farmers on the land previously owned by the First Nations. The government offered free land to immigrants to attract them to Canada.

At that time, Canada was so desperate for immigrants that it even accepted immigrants from non-preferred areas. By the 1920’s there were less people immigrating into Canada. From , 1.3 million people immigrated to Canada. Most of the land on the Prairies was already occupied by 1920, so immigrants were moving to cities for jobs in growing industries or they went to the North for jobs in mining or the railway.

In the 1930’s, Canada experienced the Great Depression. High unemployment rate. Canada began discouraging immigration because there were already not enough jobs for our current population. Canadians opposed immigration because of competition for available jobs. watch?v=Yi1bF-MRF50 watch?v=Yi1bF-MRF50

WW2 ( ) caused many changes in Canada. The traumatic experiences during the war allowed Canadians to become more sensitive to the suffering of others and therefore more readily accepted refugees fleeing from war-torn countries and from other hardships. In 1947 we began taking in refugees for humanitarian reasons.

See page 66 for examples of refugees accepted by Canada. The Walnut is a refugee ship that was originally a naval ship. It carried 348 refugees fleeing Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in December 1948 and brought them to Sydney Nova Scotia.

Today’s immigration policies were founded in The new policy aimed to eliminate discrimination and make immigration rules more equitable. By 1976 there was a system established that is very similar to that of today.

/watch?v=FGAsyrYtQQ 0 /watch?v=FGAsyrYtQQ 0 Immigrants were divided into three classes: Family class: A close family member that lives in Canada can sponsor a family member. Humanitarian or refugee class: Canada allowed people in to Canada that were escaping from “great personal danger”. Independent class: These applicants are accepted based on a point system that determines if their move to Canada will benefit both the individual and the country. Points are giving for language, education, training, etc.

Refugees immigrating into Canada is a debated topic. Some people feel it helps our country while others believe it leads to social issues and high rates of unemployment. Currently, Canada is accepting about immigrants a year of those have been refugees. See page 70 for views for and against accepting refugees. watch?v=AmPG_8_598I watch?v=AmPG_8_598I

Immigrants as well as those migrating within the Country are often attracted to the same areas, usually due to economic factors. Jobs/ prospects for the future. In the Maritimes, out- migration began shortly after confederation. Out-migration- Migration from one area of a country to another or to other countries.

During the Great Depression, many Maritimers left their home to move to the US because they felt that had no choice in order to find work. By the 1950s, many people from Atlantic Canada were moving to Ontario, Alberta and BC because immigration to the States had become difficult. First Nations, however, could immigrate freely because of a treaty known at the Jay Treaty allowing them to cross the border at will and work in the US without undergoing the immigration application process. Canada does not recognize the treaty so while Canadian born First Nations can go to the US freely, the opposite is not possible.

The movement of people out of Atlantic Canada is part of the movement from rural to urban areas. Technology has made it so that less people are required for jobs because machines have now taken over so people who once worked in farming or forestry now find jobs in manufacturing or in the service industry. First Nations have been affected by urbanization as well. 45% of Canadian First Nations live in cities such as Winnipeg which houses First Nations people.

Those who choose to leave Canada are called Emigrants. Every year about Canadians emigrate. Most of those that leave Canada move to the US. Many people fear we are losing our best-educated people to emigration. See page 74 for statistics on Canadian emigration.