[Sebastien Gauthier]

I'd like to thank everybody who have contributed to this thread so far. I've read all of your comments with great interest. I will comment on a few of your comments:

1) Cambridgite: Well, in truth, Canada did have non-English/French immigrants before the multiculturalism act. But they were expected to assimilate to a WASP/French host culture. This never destroyed the culture of the Ukranians, Dutch, Germans, etc, but it allowed them to compete successfully in the host culture and become fully Canadian (non-hyphenated). Imagine if those immigrant groups were let in under multiculturalism. We'd have a lot more Quebec-like situations around.

I fully agree with that. Former Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow of Ukrainian origin is a very good example.

2) Cambridgite )I think the key here is that we need do define "Canadian values". What do the majority of Canadians (throughout different ethnic origins) value? What do we want to keep and what doesn't matter so much to us? It'd be nice if a public survey of Canadian attitudes was taken so we could determine this. But that will never happen under a multiculturalist government structure.

Once again I agree. That's basically my whole point. It's possible to live in a fully multi-racial, pluralistic society only and only if we share common values. Right now, there is many people in this country who disagree with something as basic ans fundamental as men-women equality.

3) theman23: Any culture is a constantly evolving, organic thing. Allowing this to happen is simply the natural way of things, not cultural genocide. In any case, the change is self-induced so I'm not sure why you see this to be so reprehensible.

I find it reprehensible because it doesn't take into account the historic role of old-stock Canadians as a founding people of this country. I will never agree to a concept that reduce the founding people of a country to an ethnic group among many others. As it stands now, old-stock Canadians in Toronto have become a minority in the country of their ancestors and I can't accept that. Less and less people in a city like Toronto identify as a Canadian and I do find it reprehensible. It's either you're Canadian or your not. You can't be Canadian only at 20%.

4) theman23: African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Indian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans don't exist? Yeah, right.

Of course they exist. Afro-American have been in the USA since the beginning. They are not immigrants. As such they are more or less a co-founding people in my opinion. As for Hispanic, Indian and Asian-Americans, they obviously exists as well. However, they do consider themselves as American first and foremost. That's the difference with Canada.

5) josh white : Integration is de facto for second generation immigrants. They are born into this dominant Canadian or Western society just like any 4th or 5th generation Irish, English, German, French or any other citizen. Some will learn the language, practice some of the customs or religion of their backgrounds, but will be essentially just as "mainstream" as anyone else.

I agree in theory. However, in a city like Toronto in which old-stock Canadians have become a minority, how can these immigrants integrate even in the 3rd or 4th generation if there is no longer a critical mass of old-stock Canadian to integrate them ? Therefore, new immigrants will integrate to their own community and won't become mainstream. We've got to remeber that after WW II, we received a lot of Europeeans immigrants but the quantity of these immigrants was nowhere near as close as what we see now with massive immigration. Also, as Europeeans, these immigrants because of cultural proximity were much more easier to integrate.

6) MTL skyline: I more openly support multiculturalism in Canada and the United States because these countries were built by people from all places. I don't find it to be a shame if one day old-stock English-Canadian constitute a small portion of the population. However I do find it would be a shame if the English in England are no longer a majority in their own country.

I think it would be a shame and a tragedy in both cases. Why do we think it's worth to protect endangered species like the great blue whale or bengali tigers but we don't think it's worth to protect the great english canadian culture and society ? I just don't get it. It's worth nothing that it's only in the western world that we have to deal with these questions. Aren't western caucasian civilizations worth protecting just like African and Asian civilizations ?

7) ReginaGuy: For example, things like Sharia law have no place in western civilization.

Right on. Those muslims who disagree with that should stay in their country as they are undesirable elements in a western society. Same is true for any other religion. Sikhs who wants their kids to wear the kirpan at school should also be send packing. This is exactly the kind of things we don't need in Canada. Heck, even a muslim country like Turkey doesn't tolerate things like Sharia, headscarfs and burkas so there is no reason why we should tolerate it here.