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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-10-20, Page 5THE CITIZEN. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1999. PAGE 5. Give us your poor ... We Canucks are a quiet, mannerly bunch. We don’t like to raise our voices or make an unseemly fuss. Until someone or something pushes our buttons. It can be a tiny thing. A hockey championship. A referendum. Or a rustbucket ship full of illegal Chinese immigrants. The way talk show loudmouths have run with this puppy, you’d think we’d been invaded by teeming hordes of Asian terrorists bent on blowing up the Peace Tower, ravishing our womenfolk and using the Grey Cup for a urinal. Tain’t that big a deal, folks - just a few hundred desperately poor people, weak from bad food and seasickness who want to change their luck. And it’s not like they’re the first uninvited guests we've had to deal with. Illegal aliens have been flitting across Canada’s porous borders for years. Not that they’re always good at it. Last year, a Sri Lankan human smuggling ring was uncovered through the cheat sheets’ they’d given their clients. The would-be immigrants were told to refer knowingly to “Block leader The brain drain - another view There has been a lot of comment recently about the alleged brain drain which sees highly qualified Canadians in a number of specialized fields leaving for greener pastures in the United States with the word “green” referring to the amount of money paid in salaries. The word “crisis” has been used on a number of occasions. That word, however, seems to be used more than it should when it comes to describing a situation which many see in a negative light. While I admit that a considerable number of our bright people do head for the United States, as they have in the past, I do not see the situation as anything approaching a crisis. The reasons for this are simple. Very little comment is made about the large number of people who are not Canadian bom but through the years have come to Canada and given our country the benefit of their talents. Surely this must be taken into account in any balance sheet of the exporting and importing of talent. In addition, nothing is ever mentioned about all those Canadians who come back, as many of them do after a stint in the U.S. I can speak about this with a certain amount of conviction since I am one of those people who chose to live in Canada even though I was not born here and my entire knowledge of economics was gained in foreign countries. I have, in fact, never taken a course on that Lucian Bushart...; Prime Minister John Charafiean”; * and not to forget “Ontario Premair Mr. Mick Harries.” A Guyanese migrant was intercepted when she tried to finesse her way into the U.S. professing to be a Canadian citizen, she airily informed the border agents that she lived in a town “in the Province of Montreal.” Oh, really? Then she would know the capital of that ah, province? “Certainly,” she snapped. “The capital is Ontario.” One group of Chinese snakeheads assured its clients that they would easily slip through Canadian customs if they just adopted the ‘Singapore look’. These gate crashers pretended to be prosperous Singapoie business honchos. They flew into Vancouver first-class, wearing Tommy Hilfiger duds, Nike running shoes and toting glossy copies of Vanity Fair under their arms. One thing they couldn’t fake was the fluency in English most Singapore businesspeople possess. As a matter of fact, these folks didn’t speak a word of English - and their French was equally non-existent. The most audacious attempt to crash our border? That honour probably goes to a flock of prostitutes from the Dominican Republic who showed up at the customs office in Port au Prince...dressed as nuns. subject in English. But there are many such as I who have chosen to live in Canada and who have tried to make our contribution to the well-being of this nation. But this does not extend only to professipnal people. When I drive by some of the neat and prosperous farms owned by Swiss and Dutch immigrants who have made farming their career and who have certainly contributed to efficient food production in Canada, I am convinced that they and similar immigrants must be included in the balance sheet. In short, while the country has lost some of its talented people, it has gained many others. Looking at one side of the picture only does a disservice to those who have brought an imported talent with them. Since the vast majority of our drain goes to the United States, let’s look at the situation from the American point of view. It soon becomes evident that in their realm of things, the number of Canadians who go to the U.S. do not even rate an honourable mention in that country. The biggest sufferers of a drain are Britain and Germany in Europe and China and India in Asia. Canada and all these other countries have a lower rate of investment than does the U.S. However, government spending for research etc. is falling in all major industrial countries A Final Thought True greatness consists of being great in little things. - Charles Simmons Maybe it was the perfume, or perhaps the tell-tale clickety clack of spiked heels under those habits, but they were denied entry. The fake nuns disappeared into a washroom and. as the customs report dryly notes: “reappeared shortly thereafter dressed in their normal work clothes that amply advertised their actual profession.” I can’t get too angry at people willing to risk their lives and mortgage a decade or so of their futures for a chance at a new life on this side of the waters. It’s not as if it’s a new story. Heck, if we could go back about a hundred and twenty years or so, I’d take you belowdecks on a tatter-sailed, clapped out frigate listing at anchor in Montreal harbour. If you could stand the stink, I’d lead you to a couple of scurvy-looking bums lying under a filthy blanket near the back of the hold. Look at them. Them and their rag-tag family - two squalling brats - and the sunken­ cheeked wife looks like she’s about to whelp again. They’re dirty, malnourished, probably lice- ridden. Five’ll get you 10 they both sign their names with an X. Haven’t got a halfpenny to their name. Spent it all on passage to Canada. Is Canada Customs going to let these losers in? Sure hope so. They’re my great- grandparents. and is being replaced by spending in the private sector. Perhaps that is where we should look for part of the wherewithal in keeping our minds here and not dump the whole responsibility solely on the shoulders of the government. Furthermore, with this embarrassing quantity of foreign talent, are not an increasing number of Americans competing with foreigners for higher salaries, etc.? It is possible that there will eventually be a backlash from American professionals who are losing out to all this foreign talent. In the meantime, let's not get overly worked up about the coming and going of talent. There are certainly several moves that the government, for its part, might do to make working here more attractive but, in the meantime, we can count on most Canadians staying home while many immigrants plus the homecoming Canadians make a positive contribution to the level of our well-being. Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise. All I could ask I like stuff. Once an anti-materialistic, anti­ establishment child of the 1960s, I am somewhat shamefaced to acknowledge that I have become a material girl. One of my weaknesses for which I am less apologetic, however, is books. I don’t just enjoy reading them, I like the look of them, the feel of them. A bone of contention at our home has been the bookcase to line my den wall, for which I have waited with extreme patience these past several years. There is something deferential about a book-filled room, a warm, but distinguished aura, rather like that of a loving grandparent’s home. You are very welcome, but maintain respect. One of my favourite memories of childhood was my weekly visit to the local library. Too young to recognize what attracted me, I knew only that I enjoyed spending time there. In retrospect I see I was enchanted by the warmth of lots of old wood, rooms divided by a veritable treasure trove of the written word, secluded alcoves and quiet sanctuaries. I was invited to enter, browse and take my time. And I see that in the middle of life, where activity resounds, there was an oasis of calm. For this reason, I was not one of those ecstatic about the idea of computers being placed in the libraries. While looking at the situation practically, one might have to admit the combination is a good fit that improves the viability of the smaller branches. But for sentimentalists like myself technology’s arrival has been a little sad. To me the library has always been about the best of this world — simple pleasure with words, enlightenment and knowledge. Computers give us the words, enlightenment and knowledge, but in a cold, emotionless way. They are as incongruous in a library’s old-world warmth as a metal table in a Victorian dining room. And, so, though I accept the inevitability of their intrusion I cannot help but harbour a mild resentment. I have found a new haven, however. These days, a much anticipated outing for my daughter and myself is a trip to a Chapters book store. Walk in the door and the first thing you notice is the quiet. The retail area is off to the side, barely noticeable as you enter a cornucopia of literature. Computers to track down information on books are placed discreetly, their existence easily ignored. As it is in a library, no staff is looking over your shoulder and you are welcome to stay as long as you like. Soft chairs beckon you to pick up a book and envelop yourself in cozy comfort. Or if you prefer you can nestle up to a table with a steamy de-caff mocha. Though people are chattering it is with a mannerly regard for those seated off in a corner, reading. Granted, the store symbolizes the arguable concept that bigger is better. But ironically, as much as it illustrates modem thinking, it is also a fitting example of what was good about the past. The chain has managed, while clearly thinking about making money, to keep the intimate feeling of a library. For the material girl with the sentimental heart, who wants to sift through books, savour then: and own them, that’s all I could ask. Well, that and a bookshelf to put them on.