Filed under: Issues | Tags: asian canadian, discrimination, ethnic, fishing, harassment, Ontario, violence
So, north of Toronto there have been instances of racism against Asian Canadians. It’s unfortunate that, hear in Ontario, this issue has not had a lot of press in the media. We like to assume only happens in the United States of America. Racism is something we must face and deal with. As far as I am concerned there is no excuse for targeting any ethnic community. We are all Canadian, and the accounts of racism are greatly disturbing and must be taken seriously at all levels. Fishing is not a right only to be bestowed upon certain Canadians. Asian Canadians should be able to enjoy fishing like everyone else, without fear of discrimination, harassment or violence.
Filed under: Issues | Tags: anti-Semitic, asian, Asian Canadian anglers, B'nai Brith Canada, canadian, Chinese Canadian National Council, Georgina, homophobic, Lake Simcoe, Ontario, racism, vandalism
Mayor apologizes for assaults on Asian Canadian anglers, anti-Semitic and homophobic vandalism. The mayor of Georgina has denounced recent attacks on Asian Canadian fishermen, as well as anti-Semitic and homophobic vandalism, and has apologized on behalf of his community.
“The people that I have the privilege of representing are shamed and embarrassed that this would have happened in our community,” Robert Grossi said yesterday after meeting with leaders of B’nai Brith Canada and the Chinese Canadian National Council.
Grossi’s comments came after swastikas and anti-Semitic and homophobic slurs were painted on nine vehicles in Keswick, while York Region police investigate a series of attacks on Asian Canadian anglers at Lake Simcoe.
“From what we’ve heard so far, they’re isolated incidents,” said the mayor of the lakeshore community of 40,000 north of Toronto.
Grossi was praised for meeting with local faith groups and educators about the attacks.
“We see leadership from the mayor on this,” said Victor Wong, executive director of the Chinese Canadian National Council. “We’re quite appreciative of it.”
Grossi noted that police are investigating the attacks, and have stepped up patrols around the lake.
“York Regional Police have been very responsive, very respectful.”
Immediately after reports of the incidents last week, Grossi’s office issued a public statement saying that “broad-stroke painting of our community as a place that is unwelcoming to some groups or nationalities is unjustified.”
Yesterday, he said he still considers his community to be tolerant.
“We are a very welcoming community,” Grossi said.
In one of the recent incidents, a man was left in a coma after a violent confrontation between anglers and community members.
In other recent incidents, a man and a boy were pushed into the water while fishing.
Two related cases are before the courts, including one involving a high-speed chase that began when youths approached anglers fishing off a pier, and demanded to see their fishing licences.
The youths began shouting racial slurs and then chased the anglers as they fled, ramming their car from behind with a pickup truck.
Meanwhile, in the town of Westport on Big Rideau Lake, police are investigating at least two incidents in which locals have allegedly attacked Asian-Canadian anglers in the past two months.
In one incident, a man who was fishing with his 73-year-old father-in-law on a bridge at midnight was beaten up and thrown off the bridge by a group of young men.
In another incident, men wielding baseball bats and an axe forced some Asian-Canadians to give up their fishing spot on a local bridge.
In both cases, the victims were said to be from Toronto.
Residents of this hamlet say while they are fed up with people poaching fish from local reservoirs, they deny the incidents have anything to do with racism.
“People are really angry and I’m afraid sooner or later someone is going to get seriously hurt,” said Charlie Jones, who heads a local group of conservationists.
Filed under: Issues, Politics | Tags: Anglo-Saxon, canada, canadian, Chart of Rights, Conservative, freedom, Immigration, Liberal, Multiculturalism, Pierre Trudeau, Trudeau
Why do many Conservatives, not all, hate the Charter of Rights, Multiculturalism and Immigration in Canada? Why does the Charter of Rights make them feel that it is a flawed justice system? Why does the world multiculturalism ante up thoughts of destroying “their” culture? What is the fear about immigration? However, I had to take a look at history to realize that what they actually hated was the loss of power to control the lives of others; using discrimination, prejudice and ignorance as a way to dominate.
In essence, in Canada the courts aren’t above parliament. This is generally, a lie being pushed by people who think Canadians are not bright enough to know better. Parliament makes laws and those laws are limited by the constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If somebody believes that a law exceeds the limits put in place by the Constitution and Charter, they can challenge it in court. The Supreme Court of Canada has the final word on whether a law actually breaks the Charter or not, but most laws are struck down at the provincial level and the government doesn’t challenge the provincial courts on it. If the courts strike down a law, the government then has the option of rewriting the law so that it abides by the Charter.
That law is there to protect minorities against what is known as the tyranny of the majority. If the Charter of Rights did not exist, then I guess it would be fine for the majority of Anglo-Saxon Canadians to continue to discriminate against any one group of individuals. There is a need to limit the powers of majority in order to keep democracy from becoming something it should not be.
Multiculturalism is a way to recognition of the many, vast cultures that built, and continue to build, this country. It is amazing that so-called Canadians love to say that other cultures are eroding the Canadian culture. Please tell me, what is the Canadian culture anyway? Are Anglo-Saxons so much better than other cultures? Have we forgotten all of the groups that made of Canada anyway? Have we forgotten the history of Canada, which is based on a group of people that came to a place that was not their own? Also, remember that many things that we call Canadian are actually the essence of other cultures.
Lastly, check out the last names in your area and the meals you eat. All sorts of groups brought their foods and customs with them; slowly integrating them into Canada’s greater culture. There is nothing wrong with immigration; since it made the country we now call Canada. Those against it essentially live in a world of ignorance and fear. Somehow, they were better than any other culture that comes to Canada. There is so much unwarranted fear around the issues of immigration. In the end, many immigrants today still thank Pierre E. Trudeau for their chance to enjoy Canada. So it is no wonder why there is such a move for immigrants to vote for Liberals or NDP candidates during elections. Not to say that there are not minority groups that vote for conservatives. Those who do are generally either fiscal or religious conservatives. I am generally fiscally conservative myself, but I guess I would be labelled progressive. The problem is the baggage that comes along with conservative style parties. In addition, the Conservatives like to play to the religious side on issues to morality, albeit history has shown that many conservative types themselves were prejudice and immoral, in that fashion, themselves.
Canada will go on and change for the better. There is nothing anyone can do to stop that change. Learn and adapt. Learn about others, as they come and are forced to learn about you. Just because someone does not look like you, eat your food and think like you does not mean we cannot live together. We can all be Canadian, from different strips. We do not have to live in fear. This is one planet, and we are all in it together.
By: Torontomatic
Filed under: Issues | Tags: black, canada, ethnic, fear, intolerance, racism
Fear and intolerance, in some ways, is still true today in Canada. We are not as tolerance as we think? We claim that we are tolerant; however I bet that we are actually driven by fear. Let’s not get bent out of shape now! We get so ‘defensive’ when someone says “you are ignorant” or maybe “intolerant”. However, maybe we should just ask “are you scared”? We are a great multicultural society that tolerates all backgrounds. What we really see is a community, like many others, that is changing. People tend to fear change. We label what we ‘think’ we know and actually know nothing about it. Canada is a free and democratic country, but “are we afraid”? There is no shame in it. At least it’s a start to the discussion. If we value freedom, then let’s talk. However, if we value ‘fear’ then by all means only allow everything that only looks and feel like Canada, whatever that might be.
We do not have to look too far back to a time when African-Canadians were looked upon as a ‘lower classes’ or even ‘in-human’, to some. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s true! How about how Canadian Sikhs and the discrimination they faced? How about Chinese-Canadians and their treatment in Canadian society, from our past? How about the Irish? And let’s not forget Jewish Canadians, along with others who have and still face discrimination today. We must endeavour to not be ignorant of other cultures that come to enrich Canada. On the same foot, immigrants must try to assimilate to Canadian society. Personally I never really liked the various enclaves of ethnic groups in the G.T.A; however, that problem is more linked to multiculturalism. We will leave that talk for another day, because there are pros and cons to this type of setup. I believe in integration and education, so that no one group is marginalized.
If we continue down this path I fear that we will tear apart, as a country. Just because someone, who does not look like us, moves into a community, it does not mean we have to move out. We are Canadians of many colours. We can learn from one another and discuss our opinions freely; not in fear.
By: Torontomatic
Filed under: Issues | Tags: Afro-Canadian, American, canada, Chinese-Canadian, ethnic, GTA, racism, South-Asian, Toronto
I think I am still lamenting over the fact that Ontario, or shall I say the outskirts of Toronto, is a bit more prejudice then I thought. What am I referring to you ask? Well, it’s the comments I have heard lately and from others during this provincial election. It seems that the faith-based funding issue and the amount of “ethnic” candidates are bringing out the worst in people. Or should I say that it really has always been there? Imagine why would an Afro-Canadian, Chinese-Canadian, South-Asian or any other so called ethnic minority even think that they are allowed to run for office. This is not my Canada and it does not look like me. Our for-fathers built….Shall I go on? I have always thought that Canada is a bit more racist and intolerant then we like to believe. We like to say that Canada is not like the American experience, however I wonder who is more racist, prejudice and intolerant?
My parents are immigrants, but I grew up in Canada from birth. So am I Canadian? I think so, just as much as the person who somehow believes that it is theirs. In my experience ignorant and bigoted individuals in Toronto tend to “smile” with you and say that they like you. They may even pat you on the back and say “you are so great, you are a good person”. They would never say a mean thing to you directly; however behind your back they say some of the most awful things. I cannot use that language on this blog, but in such a diverse area such as Toronto, I am sure you can imagine it. I have even heard of individuals not voting for particular candidates because of their colour or ethnic background. So how tolerant are we? As tolerant as the peameal bacon on our plate for breakfast! I guess we are tolerant because we do not hang people from trees. So that makes us so much better then everyone else, especially American right? We can hold our heads high and say “everyone should be like us”. But I wonder are the people that make racist and ignorant remarks simply afraid? Do they now feel “threatened” because they are now considered the minority? Ironic isn’t it!
We are all shaped by our environment. Hatred is something that we learn and it is only education that can change and reshape us into a better society. We need to learn about other cultures, if we are to become a better Canada. We are all not born racists. However, when a group of people feel that they are better then others, what happens? I guess over the years these individuals have become so used to their ways that they cannot see out of the box. They feel that the immigrant should somehow conform to the Canadian way, whatever that is. We are Canadians of many colours and we can learn from one another. Maybe we can spread a little Canada to the rest of the world? “Canada does not only belong to those who sailed here first. It actually belongs to those who were here first”. Better yet, I think colorless cans of paint are on sale this weekend. We should all pick up some!
By: Torontomatic
Filed under: Issues | Tags: development, greenbelt, growth, GTA, Hazel, McCallion, Miller, Mississauga, roads, Sprawl, Toronto
All my life I have lived in the GTA and not much has changed, in terms of urban planning. I am not an expert by any means. But can someone tell me what the experts have done? Sure, probably a whole lot for the city of Toronto and beyond. I am just the average GTA resident that has to live with those wonderful decisions. Please don’t tell me that I should simply “consume less” and live downtown in an 800 sq. ft. condo for half a million (I’m exaggerating here). Not that anything is wrong with a smaller condo. I used to live in one, but that’s not the point. With our patchwork of cities and “Band-Aid” solutions it’s a miracle that I can get from point A to point B in 1 1/2 hours. But I digress! We still continue to build without true planning amongst GTA towns and cities. We still continue to think that we have a lot of time to solve our urban issues. It’s another example of much “precious little time” we have for the GTA.
In some ways I wonder if the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is a victim of its own design. We essentially have one large city surrounded by a lot of “wanna-be” cities. Okay, I’m just kidding! I’m not against these towns and cities, since I live in one of them. We have Pickering, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Brampton and many others. No, I did not forget “THE blessed state of Mississauga“, run by her worship Hazel McCallion. Also, less we forget all of the other wonderful towns and cities that spread from the city of Toronto, like weeds! However I wonder, is this a great layout? Is this the way it should be?
We cannot change anything now, unless someone decides that it is a good idea to “amalgamate” again. Now that was a great idea? Toronto city council is still complaining about a lack of funds and money. In some ways I cannot blame the “little rulers of their kingdoms”. By design, we zone more land for development, which of course brings in more “TAXES” to the coffers of municipal governments. More people, more cars, small vision and more problems. We are our own victims! Years ago people should have demanded proper planning, however little was done to prevent sprawl. Some would say that sprawl is fine, as long as public transit goes along with it. However, lets be practical here, this is not the case. Especially for all of those people stuck on the 401 trying to get to work and pay their bills.
The Government of Ontario has come up with the “Greenbelt”, which it hopes over the next few decades will curb our urban sprawl. But they continue to loose the point on transit, which should be a precursor to development anyway. I have to spend an entire article on the Greenbelt alone, at a later date. The “Town of Markham” has come up with the idea of a “mixed-used” development called the new Downtown Markham. But I have to wonder? Is it too little to late? Only time will tell!
