Canada, 12th March: Increasing foreign-born population will be giving a new shape to Canada in the coming times, a report from Statistics Canada has revealed.
In Metro Vancouver, visible minorities will exceed white Canadian residents three-to-two in the coming two decades. This will happen due to a large number of immigrants from India and Asia.
While the majority of newcomers in Canada are from South Asia and China, among them are increasing number of children and grandchildren of immigrants in Canada, the Statistics Canada report reveals.
In 2006, nearly one in ten residents (44 percent of population) in Canada was part of visible minority; however, by the year 2031, this will become one in six (or 59 percent). Hence, Canada will see a significantly diverse population in the coming times.
Seeing the high rate of immigration into Canada as well as high birth rates in Canada, nearly 50 percent of population growth in 2031 will be contributed by visible minorities. And the largest increase will be from Chinese people. Meanwhile, the fastest growth rate of immigrants in Canada will be seen in Latin American and black populations, the report affirms.
Certainly, all this calls for an understanding of what these changes will mean and what sort of preparation is needed by Canada for facing this change.
First, Benefits of this imminent changing face of Canada—-
• Having a diverse population in Canada means an opportunity to strengthen economic and political ties with other nations, especially the fast growing economies near the Pacific Rim since Canada will see an almost 50 percent rise in its population with roots in such nations by the year 2036.
• Diverse Canadian population means rich amalgamation of various cultures into Canada’s economy. Not just cultures, it will also bring in different perspectives as well as experiences to deal with Canada’s problems.
What preparations are needed—–
• We need to analyze in detail regarding the effects of these changes at schools, communities and places of work in Canada.
• How to strike a balance between different religious beliefs and values of Canadian society?
• What should be done to bring mutual respect and an element of inclusiveness among Canadians?
These are the questions that need our attention to help build a stronger Canada.