“Discover Canada”: A new guide for prospective citizens

Yesterday Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney released a new study guide for prospective Canadian citizens. Entitled Discover Canada: The rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship, the guide is much more extensive regarding Canadian history, and the forming of our country than the old guide.

Much of the historical emphasis, especially pre-Confederation history, is on the role of Aboriginal peoples, as well as the various English and French groups. But the expanding diversity and ethnic and cultural backgrounds among many of the more recent immigrants is also mentioned as well as the role of such immigrants in shaping Canada.

There is a heavy emphasis on the role of the military in Canada’s history and today as well. Canada’s efforts during the First and Second World Wars in particular are cited in this report as defining moments of national character and pride. Military service was also listed as a noble way to serve Canada.

But absent from the guide is a detailed description of Canada’s peacekeeping role during the Cold War, especially considering the work of then Minister of External Affairs, Lester Pearson and the Suez crisis of 1956.

In addition there was no mention of Canada’s significant role in the development of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine that was adopted at the United Nations. Canada’s role in shaping international human rights norms, and the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is also absent from the guide.

In terms of domestic policy, the guide does a good job of including some of the more solemn and even appalling moments within Canada. These included the residential schools for Aboriginal children, the internment of Canadians of Japanese decent during the Second World War, and the Head Tax on Chinese immigrants of the nineteenth and early twentieth century.

It is important to understand these struggles and, at times, outright failures within our history. But it is also important to understand the continuing problems within our society, such as lack of progress in poverty reduction and equitable treatment of all Canadians in this regard.

The continuation of child poverty is an example of this, despite the consensus made twenty years ago to bring an end to child poverty. Other concerns include the issue of affordable housing, employment insurance, livable wages and more. Some of these programs are mentioned in the guide, such as the creation of employment insurance in the 1940s, but little is mentioned as to the state of these services today.

Overall, the guide provides much more information to prospective immigrants and citizens (and is a good resource for people born in Canada as well!) than the previous guide. But, as with many documents like this, sometimes they need to be taken with a grain of salt.