Canadian Immigration Policy and Multiculturalism After 1945
Short Answer Section
White Paper of 1969
Anti-assimilation has been a central goal of First Nations political movements for the latter part of the 20th century. They also advocated for an Indian claims commission to address the growing number of land claims.
In contrast, the Trudeau administration’s 1969 “White Paper” on Indian Policy, under Minister of Indian Affairs Jean Chrétien, proposed complete assimilation. It aimed to sever the special relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the government, fully integrating First Nations into mainstream society. Trudeau’s strong belief in liberal values and individualism led him to oppose special treatment for First Nations. Following significant protests and the release of a “Red Paper” by First Nations, the Liberal government withdrew the White Paper in 1971. A 1973 Supreme Court of Canada decision further supported Native peoples by upholding the legitimacy of Aboriginal rights, including those related to land claims.
Bill C-31
In 1985, Bill C-31 reversed the policy that stripped status Indian women of their rights (e.g., free medical care, housing subsidies, tax exemptions on reserve income) if they married non-status individuals.
Defining Aboriginal rights and pursuing self-government became key constitutional issues for Native peoples in the 1980s and 1990s. The 1982 Canadian Constitution recognized existing treaty and Aboriginal rights, but no agreement was reached on the definition of “Aboriginal rights” or “Native self-government.”
Native peoples campaigned against the proposed Meech Lake Accord in June 1990 and played a significant role in the failed Charlottetown Accord (1992).
Indian Act
The Indian Act of 1951 granted band councils new authority, gave women the right to vote in band council elections, and lifted bans on the potlatch and Sun Dance. However, its underlying goal remained the assimilation of status Indians.
Impacts of Oka Crisis
The government’s 1997 response, Gathering Strength: Canada’s Aboriginal Action Plan, included an apology for decades of abuse and mistreatment. Many Aboriginal groups found this ‘Statement of Reconciliation’ insincere as it was not issued in Parliament and did not involve the Prime Minister. A $350 million healing fund was established to address the abuse in residential schools. Other initiatives included:
Policies to strengthen Aboriginal governance
A new fiscal arrangement emphasizing financial stability, self-reliance, and accountability
Improvement of social conditions to build strong communities
National and international human rights organizations felt the government’s response was inadequate. In 1999, the Canadian Human Rights Commission criticized the slow implementation. In 1998 and 1999, United Nations committees expressed concerns about Canada’s handling of Aboriginal issues and the lack of response to the Royal Commission findings.
Quebec
Quebec After World War II
Maurice Duplessis and his conservative Union Nationale party governed Quebec from 1936-1939 and 1944-1960.
Duplessis’ repressive and corrupt rule emphasized religious values and respect for established order. His government was anti-labour, often using provincial police to protect strikebreakers and suppress demonstrations. Political extortion, election day abuses, and vendettas against opposition groups were common, often comparing them to communists and using the 1937 “padlock law” to shut down their meetings.
Many consider the Duplessis era the “Dark Ages” before the 1960 Quiet Revolution.
By the 1960s, traditional ideas and values began to shift. Religious practice, especially in Montreal, declined. As one historian noted, “Television brought the world, no longer filtered by press, priest, or politician, into Quebec’s kitchens and living rooms.”
Even in the late 1950s, Duplessis’ opponents, including political rivals, union leaders, some clergy members, the newspaper Le Devoir, and intellectuals like Pierre Trudeau and Gerard Pelletier, became increasingly vocal.
The October Crisis
Shortly after taking power in 1970, the Liberal government of young Robert Bourassa faced the “October Crisis.”
Since 1963, a revolutionary fringe group, the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), had been involved in numerous bank robberies, dynamite thefts, and bombings. The peak of the FLQ’s terrorism occurred in October 1970 when they kidnapped James Cross, a British trade representative in Montreal, and five days later, Pierre Laporte, a Quebec cabinet minister. Laporte was later found murdered in a car trunk.
At Bourassa’s request, the federal government invoked the “War Measures Act,” deploying Canadian troops in Montreal and allowing police to arrest over 500 “suspects” on suspicion of connection to the revolutionaries. Nearly all were later released without charges.
In 1971, Bourassa withdrew from the “Victoria Charter,” a package of constitutional proposals from the federal government that included an amending formula and a bill of rights. Bourassa feared he couldn’t gain support for it in Quebec, diminishing hopes for renewed federalism.
The Bourassa regime did, however, implement the multibillion-dollar James Bay hydroelectric project, including a substantial financial award to the Cree communities of Northern Quebec as compensation for lost livelihood.
Meech Lake Accord (1987-1990)
The Meech Lake Accord recognized Quebec as a “distinct society” and granted it greater powers over immigration.
In June 1987, Prime Minister Mulroney and the ten provincial premiers unanimously agreed to it after arduous negotiations, and it seemed poised to become a constitutional amendment.
However, cracks began to appear. Eight provinces, including Quebec, ratified the accord, but the premiers of New Brunswick and Manitoba argued they weren’t bound by their predecessors’ signatures. Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells rescinded his province’s approval. As the three-year approval period neared its end, dissenting premiers agreed to submit the accord to their legislatures. However, a Cree NDP member of the Manitoba legislature, supported by Native leaders across Canada, planned to use parliamentary procedure to kill the accord due to its disregard for Aboriginal rights.
The Meech Lake Accord failed on June 23, 1990, as the deadline for approval expired. Independence now seemed the only option for those Québécois who couldn’t accept the status quo. Several federal Members of Parliament from Quebec left their parties to join a new group, the Bloc Québécois, led by Lucien Bouchard.
The Charlottetown Accord (1992), which involved Native peoples but offered Quebec less than the Meech Lake Accord, also failed.
Multiculturalism/Immigration
Immigration Policy 2013
The Expression of Interest System allows employers to select potential candidates from a pool of pre-screened skilled workers. It also makes it easier for Ottawa to deport permanent residents sentenced to six months or more for a crime, without the right to appeal.
Foreign spouses sponsored to enter Canada must remain in the relationship for two years before gaining permanent residency, or face deportation, as a measure against marriage fraud.
The point system for skilled-immigrant applications was changed to emphasize language skills and professional credentials equivalent to Canada’s. Language proficiency became a more important factor in applicant approval.
Specific refugees are designated as “irregular arrivals,” allowing for mandatory arrest and detention for up to a year. This law was prompted by two boatloads of Tamil refugees arriving in British Columbia in 2009 and 2010.
Irregular arrivals are banned from applying for permanent residency, sponsoring family members, and acquiring refugee travel documents for five years, even if their refugee claims are accepted.
Health benefits for refugee claimants were reduced.
Fingerprints and photos are collected from applicants in 29 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.
Pros and Cons of Multiculturalism
Pros
Unifying and heritage-preserving
Response to ongoing situation
Comfort with dual identities
Increased awareness among established Canadians
Acceptance of a nation of immigrants
Part of Canada’s self-definition
Cons
Political motives
Difficulty reconciling equality and integration with separate identities
Gap between expectations and realities
‘Self-contained’ ghettos
Essay
Describe three major changes to Canada’s immigration policy (including multiculturalism) after 1945 and explain their significance to the country.
Changes to Immigration Act – Canada 2011
Increased minimum points for language from 16 to 20
Increased points for applicants aged 25-34 from 10 to 12, and reduced education requirements for trades
Reduced maximum points for work experience from 21 to 15
Assessment of job offers to prevent fraud
Elimination of the federal skilled workers program backlog and creation of a new pool of immigrant skilled workers, leading to a legal challenge in Federal Court in January 2013
Expression of Interest System allows employers to choose from pre-screened skilled workers, similar to programs in New Zealand and Australia.
Changes to Immigration Policy 2013 (cont.)
Designation of specific refugees as “irregular arrivals” with mandatory arrest and detention
Restrictions on irregular arrivals’ access to permanent residency, family sponsorship, and travel documents
Reduced health benefits for refugee claimants
Collection of fingerprints and photos from applicants in 29 countries
Mandatory language proficiency proof for citizenship applications
Creation of an immigration fraud tip line
Employers can pay temporary high-skilled foreign workers up to 15% less than the prevailing local wage