Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - November 2009
This week the Conservative Government released its revamped citizenship study guide for newcomers to Canada.
The guide, titled Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, will replace the old version from the 1997 Liberal Government. It is being touted by the Conservatives as a much more comprehensive information reference on our nation’s history – with particular emphasis on our military history.
“Over the past century, over 110,000 Canadians have made the ultimate sacrifice for the defence of our country and its values here and abroad,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. “You can’t understand Canada without understanding our defining moments at Dieppe, at Juno Beach, at Vimy, at Passchendaele, and the contributions we've made to international peace and security since the Second World War."
The new guide will also inform newcomers as to Canadian behavioural codes, and specifically states that immigrants to the country are not allowed to engage in “barbaric” customs like “honour killings” and genital mutilation.
"Multiculturalism doesn't mean that anything goes. Multiculturalism means that we celebrate what's best about our backgrounds, but we do so on the basis of common Canadian values and respect for our laws," said Kenney.
Despite some concerns that such statements could cause outrage and conflict in communities that are already dealing with the contentious issues of cultural accommodation, many political and cultural experts applaud the step away from “polite” tradition in Canadian Government literature. The Conservatives obviously agree.
"When you become a citizen, you're not just getting a travel document into hotel Canada," said Kenney. "You are inheriting a set of responsibilities, of obligations, as a citizen. And we will expect you to fulfil certain responsibilities, as a citizen. And I think to a certain extent that wasn't sufficiently emphasized in the old guide."
Sources: The Calgary Herald
The National Post
