The latest
statistics from the National Household Survey indicate that one out of five
Canadians was born outside of the country.
The report states that "Canada is a nation with an ethnocultural
mosaic as indicated by its immigrant population, the ethnocultural backgrounds
of its people, the visible minority population, linguistic characteristics and
religious diversity.”So, given this demographic trend, the question that needs to be asked is how long are we going to hold onto a system of governance anchored in our days as a Dominion?
Our head of state, Queen Elizabeth, is, for an ever increasing percentage of the population, a foreign monarch. As the Canadian population becomes more and more diverse, does there come a point in time when the continued cultural grounding of the nation’s identity in one particular group identity become antiquated?
Related Posts
So, what happens when, in the near future, Queen Elizabeth’s reign comes to an end? This is the twenty-first century. The Commonwealth brings about little if any stirrings of patriotic sentiments. As a result, wouldn’t it seem rather odd that Prince Charles would become our new head of state?
Oh Canada,
our home on native land.
"The latest statistics from the National Household Survey indicate that one out of five Canadians was born outside of the country."
ReplyDelete-Another interesting fact is that 9% of Canadians choose to live outside of Canada (presumably without being called foreigners).
"Our head of state, Queen Elizabeth, is, for an ever increasing percentage of the population, a foreign monarch."
-Yes, I too think both history and civics are poorly taught in school. But going back to those 9% of Canadians who live outside of Canada. Do you consider them foreigners? I'd hazard to guess the Queen spends more time in Canada (because this seems to be the measure of 'Canadianess' these days) than at least some of them. And yet, we celebrate their contributions whilst denigrating the monarch?
"the question that needs to be asked is how long are we going to hold onto a system of governance anchored in our days as a Dominion?"
-The question itself is flawed and based in a certain misconception; dominion is not a synonym for colony. In its original meaning it is simply another way of saying kingdom. 'Dominion' also came to describe a monarchy in which sovereignty is split between two levels of government (a new innovation at the time). So in effect we are still a dominion thus revealing the question to be rather nonsensical.
"As the Canadian population becomes more and more diverse, does there come a point in time when the continued cultural grounding of the nation’s identity in one particular group identity become antiquated?"
-As our population becomes more diverse it is essential the position of head of state not become mired in racial politics as it has in the US. The second part of the quote reveals an ignorance about the French monarchy, the various hereditary chief traditions of Canada's First Nations, and monarchy's worldwide familiarity. We have at the core of our system an institution that is profoundly multicultural.
"Times have changed."
-Considering God Save The Queen is essential a prayer for the monarch's safety I will agree times have changed. Not for the better though. Fun fact: God Save The Queen is only Great Britain's unofficial anthem while in several other countries it is the official anthem.
"This is the twenty-first century."
-This is irrelevant. There is nothing inherently more modern about republics.
"The Commonwealth brings about little if any stirrings of patriotic sentiments. As a result, wouldn’t it seem rather odd that Prince Charles would become our new head of state?"
-This is a non-sequitur.