Canada, the land of imported ethnic conflicts

Immigration built Canada: does it now risk tearing our country apart? That is the troubling takeaway from a Leger report published this weekend in the National Post. The research firm asked 1,500 Canadians their opinions about protests in Canada related to the Hamas-Israel War, as well as the recent spike in hate crimes. Their answers reveal great concern about these issues and the way ethnocultural diversity has shaped our response, as well as that of our politicians.The research repudiates the oft-repeated mantra of the current government: “Diversity is our strength.” Fifty-six per cent of Canadians believe that while some elements of diversity can provide strength, some elements of diversity can cause problems and conflict. In addition, 21 per cent say diversity is definitely causing problems and conflict.And lest you think that this is just the view of old white men with a high school education in rural Canada, the research found that an equal number of white (55 per cent) and BIPOC (56 per cent) respondents believe diversity is both a strength and a problem. An equal number of Quebecers (55 per cent) and people in the “rest of Canada” (56 per cent) share that view. More women (60 per cent) than men (51 per cent), and more university graduates (61 per cent) than high school or college-educated Canadians (52 per cent) also agree.This shouldn’t be surprising.Read the full column on the National Post website