Lower Canadian Dollar=Job Loss

I am no economist. I have a layman's knowledge of the stock market so will admit that I know absolutely nothing about what can and cannot help Canada grow.

But I notice that every time the Canadian Government and big banks allow the Canadian Dollar to drop so much lower than the American Dollar we see massive job loss, box store closures,  everything from a loaf of bread to fuel cost rise, and the cost of a barrel of oil drops.

In other words, we see recession.

We need to keep our dollar strong and obviously the Harper government no longer wants to do this. 

BUT...

Before you vote this next federal election inform yourself. Make sure that you know the parties, make sure you know their values. People believe that there is only one party for them, that you are either Liberal, Conservative, Socialist, Green, etc. 

It does not work that way. 

Your beliefs are your own, you may have some beliefs that are liberal and some that are conservative and maybe even one or two that are socialist or green.

What each person has to figure out for themselves is which Party best represents their beliefs and values. Each party has good and bad points, they will trash each other and they will undo each other's work, but sometimes good comes from change.

Different parties are needed to represent all because not all are just liberal, conservative or socialist. I know I have views from each and every party and have a very difficult decision this next election. 

This is the reason I was so passionately upset about the Reform Party of Canada ultimately drowning themselves into the Conservatives. 

Their constituents voted them in on their values and beliefs, I was one of them. If those people wanted a Conservative representing them as an MP they would have voted for the Conservative Representative. 

But Members of Parliament like Monte Solberg were hired by Reformist voters. Reform means change, conservative doesn't. So as far as I am concerned the voters who won the election in those areas were not represented at all and a bi-election should have been called in ALL those areas where those MPs crossed the floor. 

Again, especially to the younger generations...this is your country, you have to live here for the next 50-80 years...What do you want to see in your government? 

Remember, do not be afraid to hire a different type of government, they only have power for 4 years. Yes, damage can be done, but most times it can be undone...particularly by a new government.

Why Do Countries Trade?

Canada and the United States are allowing one family to decide that one of our natural resources is going to be worked, refined and sold off our continent and make BILLIONS doing this while ALLOWING another area of the world to do the same in North America?

Do you know how STUPID the voters of our countries sound right now?

We are allowing the bought and paid for politicians by the Koch brothers to decide what is done with our natural resources while allowing another country to profit off of our taxpayers.

Why do countries trade?

We have forgotten why we trade. Countries trade because we cannot get what we NEED where we are. We get it from other countries while giving those countries something they NEED in return.

Other than that, we should be self sufficient. If we can grow beets, we grow beets for ourselves, if we can raise livestock we raise it for ourselves and if we can harvest our oil or lumber we do so for ourselves BEFORE we sell it off to the highest bidder. This goes for all countries.

We TRADE for what we need. Canada has a particular climate that growing tropical fruit isn’t possible, so we trade for it. Canada can produce numerous amounts of potatoes…so which tropical country would like to trade potatoes for bananas?

Is that too simple? It is just an example. We have much, much more to offer here in Canada than potatoes, potash being one of the leading exports for our country.

The issue is we have made it about money and how much we can make instead about what we need to survive on.

An example, McDonalds in South America should use South American beef thus promoting their economy. McDonalds in North America should use North American beef for the same reason; along with every other restaurant in these countries.

“Free Trade” is not free to the average individual. It is costing us our self sufficiency. We are giving away our resources that our countries need to survive.

China’s greatest trade for many, MANY years was Silk. The Han dynasty TRADED it for things like cucumbers, walnuts and figs as well as new skills like using grapes for making wine. They brought new ideas, products and innovation to their lives to become more self-sufficient while selling something they had an abundance of.

Now, and for many years, the secret to producing silk has been out. What China has had to do is revamp what it trades. The problem, they are trading cheap labour to companies that take advantage of the over abundance of the population and the products that are made by that population. These companies make millions on cheaply made products that these people work hard at making. It is not only that the product is poorly made; it is that it is cheaply made and that has to do with the company…NOT the workers. 

We keep allowing companies to push our governments into “free trade” deals that allow companies to take our resources, natural or otherwise, and ship them to other countries to make into products that we do not need OR if we do need them, they are taking our resources away from trading it out right for the product. 

Why would the Canadian government not trade its oil with China on its own for a quality product that Canada needs from China? Why would we need the Koch brothers as a go between? Why do the Koch family need to own any oil rights at all for that matter in Canada?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/20/the-biggest-land-owner-in-canadas-oil-sands-isnt-exxon-mobil-or-conoco-phillips-its-the-koch-brothers/

Should we not be using our OWN natural resource before purchasing it and making another country or one family very wealthy?

Should we not use our own natural resource before selling it to other countries and then selling or trading what we have left over?

We are buying a natural resource we have from other countries and selling our own oil in order to line the pockets of one family. Why are we doing this?

Just like we tell families when the economy goes in the toilet, back to basics…we keep what we need to be self sufficient, sell what we have extra and buy or trade for what we need with that extra.

Back to basic economics. Take care of our own, pay our own, feed our own, and clothe our own, help where we can and buy or trade for what we need.

I know it sounds to simple…but sometimes simple is best.

When is Change Needed?

I do find my life lucky. 

Some people may think that I am a downer, that I am so negative and many times when I am not on my medication that is true. 

But right now in my life I am happy. Even though there is stress, I am trying very hard to deal with that stress in a positive way. I am trying to help not only myself but others who matter very much. I keep busy with gardening and Keagan is keeping me on the run.

A short time ago I blogged how much money I received of government funding. I want people to know, I do not expect more than what I am getting. I have survived on what I get and I know it is my choice to live where I do.

I don't waste what little I have. I use my funds to feed, cloth and put a roof over my daughters head while still being there for my son who is living with his father. 

I am not responsible for any other person's expenses or hobbies but my own and my daughters which are minimal to begin with (until lately ;) Keagan has gotten into some school activities like badminton and track and field. We also found her a Cello teacher! YAH!) 

I live a very simple life, eating out happens rarely, I do not make expensive purchases for others or for myself without having the cash available in hand, meaning I save for it first. Snacks are a given in all households but there is a limit to how much is spent each month and fruit is always available in the house. I do preserves and freeze in the fall what we cannot store over the winter.

Do I expect others to live the same way? No. 

But there are those that are very much worse off than I and that is who I want to bring attention to...to those people who don't even make the $18,000/year, but are working from morning until night. 

Those who can make the difference are those who make more than I do, they make more than $40,000/year...these are the people who need to decide that cleaning toilets, mopping floors and cleaning grills is worth more than minimum wage and no benefits. 

These are the people who have to look at the numbers...inflation 1975 pay=2015 pay for minimum wagers...but the prices are wacked. These are the people who have to see that a house in 1975 was 10% of what it is now. 

Food cost has skyrocketed since then as well and you complained THEN that it was expensive, if you are not living on minimum wage now...think, if you were complaining about the cost of food in the '70s how do you think someone on minimum wage feels NOW? They cannot afford meat.

Doctors, lawyers, accountants, all those professional politicians, along with the floor scrubbers, hamburger flippers and skyscraper builders need to decide that those people who bathe, feed and dress our grandparents in the homes are worth more than minimum wage and no benefits. 

These are the people who need to say, enough of YOUR taxes going into the pockets of people who are not doing their jobs and into the pockets of people who are working. 

A person who works as a client care attendant/nursing aid in a group home for seniors or for the severely disabled should not have to be on assistance and a person working as a chambermaid should not have to be on assistance. These people should not have to be assisted with health care benefits.

Alberta has an election coming up in a matter of days...while I choose to live in Saskatchewan, I am always watching what happens in my beloved home province. 

Informing ourselves about the choices and allowing those choices to have a chance to prove themselves is how change happens, it is scary...but more often than not it works out for the best when we decide change is needed.

Religious Rights vs. Equality

I am not against Muslims wearing turbans or Hijabs in public, just like I am not against Canadian men and women wearing cowboy hats, baseball hats or spaghetti strainers, live and let live.

The problem I have is that because I am not religious and I do not believe in religion I do not have the same rights as people who do believe in this religion.

Muslim men are allowed to wear their turbans in their drivers licence identification. Jewish men do not wear their Kippahs in this ID do they? Are Hutterite men allowed to wear their hats in their drivers licence pictures? I do not believe so. Nuns would not be allowed full head wear during this process either. So why is it only one religion is allowed to have their head wear on during picture Identification?

There is a lot of back and forth debate, with name calling and slander, going on about whether the Turban and the Hijab are religious wear.

I see many Muslim men and women not wearing this head wear and many of them will admit that it is not in the Quran as a religious belief. They will say the Hijab and the Burka are ways to suppress their women and the Turban is to show which mosque they belong to…if that means the turban is a religious symbol, okay I will give that to you, but your driver’s licence is not in color so you still do not need to wear it in your picture.

Many people say if we are allowing Hutterite women, Mennonite women, Nuns and Cancer patients to wear scarves and head wear why we are not allowing Muslim women.I don’t have a problem with Muslim women wearing the Hijab, in PUBLIC.

When it comes to areas where I, as a Canadian citizen, am not allowed to wear a hat, I do not agree that any other individual should be allowed to either. Plain and simple, I do not care if it is a religious belief or not.

You should not have any more right than the person next door just because of your religion.

That said, the Burka is a completely different story. Not only does this garment hide an individual it can hide a weapon. It does not have to be a woman under this garment, as we well know.

When women go to a Muslim country they are expected to cover their heads and/or faces. Like Muslim women we are expected to follow Muslim laws and traditions. While the First Lady did not do this, she was well protected. I don’t think the average woman would be and could very well take the chance of being shot. My point, we are expected to follow Muslim laws and traditions in Muslim countries, but Muslims cannot follow Canadian laws and traditions in Canada? One being, no head wear in our courtrooms and no head wear in our driver’s licences.

Taking off a scarf in a courtroom or a turban in photo identification would go a long way to showing all Canadians that all Muslims want to be a part of our country and not just use their religion as a way to get what they want. No one should get special treatment because of their religion.

I do not believe in any religion. So because a group of people who believe in a religion do, they are allowed more rights than I here in Canada where I was born and raised?

I welcome you with open arms to our wonderful country called Canada, but do not use your religion to get rights in my country that I am not allowed to have myself.

Living on less than $20,000/year in Canada

It is transparency time. My disability is mental; I was diagnosed with Bi-polar disease when I was 28 years old. I worked off and on up until going on disability, which is why I am capable of receiving Canada Pension Plan for the Disabled. I would not be able to receive CPPD if I had not worked.

Here is the breakdown,

From the Canada Pension Plan for the Disabled on my T4A (P) slip my taxable income from them (what I receive for myself) was $6,345.24 for the year 2014.  From CPPD I receive non-taxable income (what I received for my daughter) $2,768.69 for the year 2014.

 In total I received $9,113.88 from the federal government Canada Pension Plan for the Disabled.

On my T5007 slip from the Saskatchewan government box 11 for Social Assistance Payments, which is used for their Disability as well as their Employment Supplement, is a grand total of $2,124.48 for the 2014 year.

The breakdown was $1,556.08 for the year from Saskatchewan Assured Income for the Disabled and $568.40 for the year from Saskatchewan Employment Supplement.

Even though anyone between certain income brackets receive GST/HST and Child Tax Credit, I am going to add the amounts that I receive for them here to give you all the information of what I lived on in 2014 from the governmental offices in Canada as a Mentally Disabled person with one child living with them.

I receive a little more for Child Tax Credit because my daughter was born missing her left hand. She is 13 years old and while she gets along pretty well in life there are daily struggles that can cause extra expenses. As all parents with children who have disabilities are able to receive and qualify for.

Each month from January to May of 2014 I received $523.32, in June it went up to $523.48 and in July I started receiving $528.08. So I received just about as much from Child Tax Credit for my daughter as I did from my taxable income from CPPD. Child Tax Credit grand total for the year 2014 was $6308.56.

Each of us “poor” people gets a check back quarterly called GST checks. Some are GST/HST.

My grand total GST/HST checks each year come to $1,155.00.

We are now receiving the Saskatchewan Employment Supplement because my common law returned to work. Which was difficult for someone with a back that has broken disks, but you take what you can get, so he works a job part time at just above minimum wage; we survive. His wages just cover his expenses, including getting to and from work which is a 1 ½ drive each day, insurance for the vehicle, his bills, etc.

So Taxpayers of Canada my grand total, unless my addition is whacked, comes to $18,701.92 of your hard earned dollars I have had to use to live off of for the year of 2014.

In total, $11,238.36 came from Canada Pension Plan for the Disabled, from Saskatchewan’s Disability program and from the Employment Supplement in Saskatchewan.

I work hard at figuring out which brain altering drugs the doctors put me on which will help me feel “normal” and I work hard at building my self esteem/self worth enough to feel comfortable putting on a smile and greeting you each day at a Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Tim Horton’s or Salvation Army when I am able to return to work.

In the mean time I would like you to know we are also working hard at supplying our own food by growing a garden during the summer, we can and freeze fruits and vegetables so that the funds we do receive can go to purchases we need for my daughters school lunches, purchase ever increasing meat and travel once in a while to see my sons, daughter and grandchildren.

I do not live off the government to “get rich” nor to “stay lazy”. It is not a lifestyle I choose.

I am not just demeaned by strangers but by family members as well, which can make it even harder to build up that self esteem and self worth when chemicals in your brain are not working properly and you start to believe they are right because they are better than you. They are doing better than you, they are successful and they are happy, so why not just listen to them?

What “they” do not understand is that the lack of chemicals won’t allow you to listen to reason; the chemicals only allow you to hear that you are a failure, especially to those who are supposed to be there for you the most.

So when you do start to see a light at the end of the tunnel and someone pulls the carpet out from under you, the fall can be devastating.

While changes have been made in my life and I am back on the tracks I cannot guarantee the wheels will not fall off again, but I can only hope that they will stay on the tracks and while I keep plugging away and gain a forward motion I can only hope and pray I can become self sufficient once again. It would be nice to be able to buy something new without feeling guilt.

It is a struggle trying to live on less than $20,000 a year and much of the time I rely on my credit to get me through the month. 

I thank you for your understanding.

1975 Pay= 2015 Pay

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/minimum-wage-jobs-pay-roughly-the-same-as-they-did-in-1975-1.2708717

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/140716/dq140716b-eng.htm

When our working poor are making the same amount as they did 40 years ago, but the price of everything from homes to vehicles has been marked up at least 100%, how do you expect the working poor to get ahead at all?

My children are making the same amount as their grandparents and great grandparents did in the '70s, They do not have to deal with the cost of a home being $15,000-$30,000 to purchase and rent it isn't $100-$500 a month but having to deal with the housing of $150,000-$500,000 to buy and to rent being as high as $3000 a month.

We have stopped producing low earners. 

This may sound like the stupidest thing anyone has heard, but I began to wonder why someone would have to work 3 jobs. I understand the money situation and that there are that many low paying positions available, but I also started considering WHY?

Baby boomers parents came from a generation where their parents were sometimes having 7 to 20 children. For instance, my grandmother came from a family of 13 children with the loss of twins at the start of the family. That is a lot of workers and while they are retired now, some are still alive.

My grandmother’s generation, because many families grew up with so many children, did not have a lot of extras, so they tried to install in their children how important it was to earn a good wage, not work at those jobs that you are only making minimum wage; which is important. She and grandpa only had 4 children and that was called the Baby Boomer years. Now that is Funny.

So we went from 7-20 children in a poor to middle base incomes to 3-6 children in that same class base.

Baby Boomers, how many children did you have? I believe if you look at the average household of baby boomers that are on the verge of retiring at an income of $75,000+/year at this time in their life they will have 0 to 4 children.

Again, a drop in the procreation of the working poor/middle class, why?

Two things happen when we do this. The first, because the working poor do not make much, we teach our children from an early age that they need to get into a profession that will make them money, eg. Get into politics, lawyer, dentist, doctors, professional sports, a trade…something that is going to support them and their family better than how they lived and how their parents lived and so on.

Because minimum wage is only a quarter of what a lowest paid professional would make, NO ONE wants to do those jobs.

So what happens, many of those baby boomer children and many of those children of the baby boomers become professionals.

We are left with minimum paying jobs that instead of having 7 to 20 workers doing we now have 2 to 4 workers doing, which is actually less because many of those 2 to 4 workers have become professionals and are in the middle to rich classes.

Two…

We know children cost money, so we don’t have as many. We don’t have as many so we are not repopulating the work force.

Those who are living in the working poor are not able to do things like:

·        Pay bills on time many times

·        Buy any type of home

·        Have our cars fixed so we can get to work safely without going into debt or putting aside another bill

·        Save for our retirements

·        Save for a rainy day

·        Go on vacations…which does not bother us, it is just a point I want to make clear that if you can do this, save, and pay bills…you aren’t poor you are middle class.

·        Pay for extracurricular activities for children

My generation, Generation X and the last of the Baby Boomers, have been accused of flooding the work  force with working poor who are now living off the Middle/Rich class taxpayers. If that were true we wouldn't need immigrant workers now would we?

I have 2 children and two step children that I helped support. My older two have a different mother. They are in their early 20’s. Their careers, for the most part, rely on the oil industry.

My daughter has been laid off. She was on maternity leave last year so will get nothing from Employment Insurance, or at least very little. Her significant other has been laid off as well, but they will be making a quarter of their income on Employment Insurance, if not less. That is working poor.

Could they better themselves, you bet, but who will be doing their jobs? And really, Why should they have to? Their jobs are just as important as anyone other persons. A lawyer could not do my daughter or my son-in-laws jobs properly without the training, so why are they paid such a great deal less? Is their job easier? You don’t have to be as “educated”, but that doesn't mean it is easier.

My son says he will be fine he is still working, but I still worry because not long ago he was in a car accident where he was rear ended and he had to live off his savings for a while, which is now gone.

My son, 17, is graduating this year. He really enjoys welding and we have encouraged him to follow that career. It doesn't guarantee he will be middle class, but it does mean he may be one of those higher paid working poor, so instead of making $10 an hour he might make $30.

Will they have children?

My daughter is 13, but she is adamant that she in no way shape or form wants children, which can change, she is young.

But again…This means less people going into the work force if she still feels this way in 10 to 20 years.

Yes, some in these generations have had more children. While I only helped support and raise 4 children, my best friend has helped support and raise 9 in total in some way shape or form. But on average, we are not having as many children.

We are doing it to ourselves.

We are allowing our working poor to live on less because we believe they deserve less.

So those who are the working poor have fewer children to fill those working poor jobs or teach their few children to go for professional jobs to get out of the rut of being the working poor, not a bad thing but still causing a shortage in the number of people working those teaching, nursing, janitor, bus driver, Wal-mart, fast-food positions.

I will give you a hint, if Costco can pay their workers a living wage and benefits and if other countries can make businesses pay living wages…our “democratic” governments can make Wal-mart and McDonalds as well.

What are the benefits of companies like Wal-mart paying living wages and benefits?

Your tax dollars do not go to paying for the working poor living off the system…BONUS!

Those children that my generation and the generations of working poor after me would not need your tax dollars for the basics of life like groceries and utilities so that we can fix our vehicles to get to those jobs without having to worry about the car dying, the furnace quitting or the toilet plugging up if they were paid a living wage.

Your tax dollars should then be put into Canada Pension Plan/Social Security, education, taking care of our military peoples, health care, transportation, job creation, Right?

The working poor are not expecting or asking for enough to take elaborate vacations, $50,000 vehicles or even $400,000 homes.

They are asking for enough not to have to worry about the car, the baby or the house, the food, the utilities...and they shouldn't have to.

The Rich will Always become Richer, if Allowed

In the late 12th century England's people were on the verge of revolution.

Under the oppression of being severely taxed the peoples of London and the surrounding area started secretly storing weapons in London. They were preparing for a war against their oppressors. 

The reasons for the taxes? War and the 3rd Crusade under their King...King Richard, Richard the Lion Heart, who some people today believe was the good king and was usurped by his brother John. Not so. 

Richard died of Gangrene from an arrow wound. King Richards greed is what caused the wound. After besieging the castle of Chaluz in Limousin where he laid claim to a treasure that did not exist because he had already drained his coffers.

Some people like to believe this was the time of Robin Hood. Others know differently, but this is not my point.

My point to this little history lesson is this, after many years of oppression under the taxation for sending a King to war with France or Germany or on the 3rd Crusade the people of England had enough. They revolted. 

Can we see history repeating itself in the near future? 

After over 800 years you would think that the governments of this world would realize that those who HAVE should be taxed and those who HAVE NOT should not be taxed as much.

After over 800 years you would think that the governments of this world would realize that those taxes should be going to things worth spending money on. 

Some examples would be educating our next generation. How about educating them on how to proved better energy resources? How about educating them on equality for all? How about educating them on tolerance? How about just EDUCATING them in general.

From where I stand we teach ignorance, inequality and bigotry. Which leads to bullying, which then leads to school shootings and suicides.

How about spending those taxes on our health care? Would taking care of the elderly, who worked to proved these great resources we now have, not be beneficial to all? Would taking care of our veterans not be respectful of what they have given up for us? Would taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves not make sense instead of them living off the streets, eating out of garbage cans?

From where I stand we allow our elderly, veterans and ill to suffer needlessly.

How about spending the taxes on the people instead of on wars? Wars on the other side of the world and wars in our own countries. We keep fighting because of inequality. Inequality that has not changed in over 800 years. 

I speak about countries like Norway where their education and health care are provided and I have people say "well yeah, but they have half their checks taken from them for taxes."

You are not listening to the numbers. Their minimum wages are $5 or more higher than ours, so basically they are taking home the same amount of money or more than we are and still getting the benefits we want to see. 

They have learned in the last 800 years that they HAVE to take care of the little people. The little people out number the rich, we know this, if they do not take care of the little people the little people get mad...and when that happens...well, every major country in Europe has felt a revolution at one time or another. 

The financial inequality that is happening in the U.S. is going to boil over very soon if the government does not start MAKING those who HAVE money...eg. the Koch's, the Walton's, etc. start paying living wages and start paying their fair share in taxes.   

The little people have never tried to overpowered the government and the rich in North America. While the rich and the government have had military backing them, I wouldn't count on them when you have done nothing to protect your veterans when they come home.

The United States of America has had a civil war, yes, but it has never had a revolution like England, France, Russia, etc have. You keep hearing how the little pee-ons out number the rich, you keep seeing the damage that happens when one white cop kills a black teenager. 

What is going to happen when Wal-mart employees do not get those raises? What is going to happen when your Republican government gives the rich more power, more tax breaks and taxes the hell out of the pee-ons? It is a pot waiting to boil over.

And Mr. Harper, what is Canada going to do? You are sending Canada down this same path by allowing the rich tax breaks and leaving the poor with nothing? Are we going to head down this road as well or are you going to stop it now and start taking a good look at countries like Norway who have set an example on how to treat the little people and make the changes that need to be made before it is too late?

Good Luck.  

Canadian Immigrants: Then and Now

Immigration and immigrants are a hard topic to discuss on many levels, but if we use history as an example for part of it maybe we can come to some type of common ground.

I came across an obituary where a gentleman’s father had immigrated to Canada in 1928 and was joined a year later by his wife and three oldest children. He came from a Polish/German background and came to Canada to make a better life for his family, which they did. The obituary is his son’s who was born here in Canada in 1935.

The difference between the immigrants of yesteryear and today is the changes that are being made to accommodate new immigrants and refugees.

Back then, immigrants in most cases came with nothing but the cloths on their backs and worked hard to bring their families over who also then had to work hard to make a life for themselves here in Canada, that or starve, there were no handouts, grants or health care.

While we have progressed in the last one hundred years and can help those who desperately need it, those immigrants from the past came to Canada knowing what they wanted and worked hard to achieve it.

Which was a new start, in a new land, they knew that the laws would be different and if they were to break those laws it was back to where ever they came from now, not after hearings and delays. If they broke a law they were kicked out of our country no “ifs, ands or buts” about it.

In the past they came here for all sorts of change, from being able to farm land to explore to starting a business, immigrants over the last one hundred years have tried and succeeded in adapting to Canada’s way of life.

They settled into Canada, not the other way around.

 Immigrants came here because of what Canada offered…a better life. They saw what Canada was about and wanted to be a part of it, not try to change it. These immigrants became CANADIAN.

 They worked hard to help Canada become a great nation that was known for its generosity, its patriotism, its kindness and its military stance as PEACE KEEPERS.

But today we are finding new immigrants coming to Canada and want to CHANGE Canada. They want Canada to be the way their old country is in their laws and religions. They want Canada to defend their rights but they will not allow us to be Canadian.

A good example is if you apply for a social benefit in Saskatchewan you are classed as OTHER if you are Canadian. There is no box to mark if you are born and raised here in Canada. There is a box if you are a native, but even if you are 4^th, 5^th, 6^th generation Canadian…DO NOT say you are a Native Canadian that is a no-no. There is a box if you are an immigrant, well if your great grandparents have been in Canada you are no longer classed as an immigrant. Métis and Refugee both have boxes to check, but alas if you are a born and bred Canadian looking for a “handout” you are classed as an OTHER as far as the Government of Saskatchewan is concerned.

Our traditions are questioned, saying “Merry Christmas” is frowned upon for fear of offending someone other than a Christian and our laws are being changed to accommodate instead of immigrants learning to adapt to our way of life. Unlike with past immigrants, new immigrants are the ones who are changing our society and this is where many people in ALL of North America have the problem.

So why can immigrants today not adapt to Canadian life like in yesteryear…because we allow them to change our society. We allow the changes to happen.

Other countries have allowed these same immigrants into their countries but have said, “NOPE, these are our laws, these are our traditions, this is our society…conform or leave.” They either conform or they come to Canada, where they are allowed to tell Canadians that we are not allowed to say or do this or that and if we do, we are RACIST.  

We are “racist” if we believe that immigrants should be adapting to Canadian Law and Canadian Ways which are now being changed to say that we are being racist by saying they need to adapt to Canadian law and Canadian way.

We do not believe that immigrants should have to give up their religions or their beliefs. Many of us do however believe that they can keep it to themselves for instance...

Inequality is flowing deeply for Canadians, Why would it be ok for a Muslim woman to where a burka, which is not a religious garment, in government photo ID but I am not allowed to wear a baseball cap? Muslim boys are allowed to wear a Kirpan to school but my son cannot carry a Swiss army knife to school...a knife is a knife is a knife. Religious or not, it will kill someone if it is stuck into them.

Our country is about equality, so women have as many rights as men, women do not have to hide themselves here in Canada behind clothing, and with terrorists traveling left, right and center, hiding behind black clothing from head to toe with only eye slits makes people suspicious. How do I know you are a woman and how do I know you do not have a huge gun under those cloths? Trust is a huge thing and when you come here making demands but give little in return, like getting rid of the demeaning clothing, I am not going to trust that you have Canada’s best interests at heart.

Our country is about tolerance, we allow religions to build their temples and practice their religions freely, ALL religions have this right here in Canada respect that or go back to where ever you came from. Canada was founded on Christian beliefs, you may not agree with those beliefs and some of those beliefs may even be outdated, but this is Canada you can take it or leave it we are not going to change our belief system that has done us just fine over the last 150 years just because you say so. Pack your bags and head home if you don’t like the Christian values this country was born from.

Our country is about peace, over the last few decades wars that are being drawn out in countries overseas have been dragging Canada’s military into fighting battles. When you come to Canada, you leave that behind and become CANADIAN, do not beg our government to save your country. You want to save it, go back and fight for it.

Canada’s military has been known World Wide for its peace keeping missions, now we are becoming as hated as the American military because of our interference into other countries ideologies. That interference is from different causes, one of them being from new immigrants insisting we fight the battle that is going on in their countries, maybe?

What I do not understand, if it is that important why are these people not staying and fighting for their country themselves? That doesn’t sound very patriotic to the old country or the new one. Not something a Canadian from yesteryear would have done. Many of which went to war against their neighbors during the World Wars, as CANADIANS.

Some of us Canadians do believe that if immigrants thought that Canada was great enough to immigrate to then they shouldn’t have the right to try to change it.

If they truly want to live with the laws and lifestyle that they came from without the danger, they need to return to their home countries and fight for their freedom without coming to Canada and changing our society to suit them.  

I am not saying that new immigrants do not work hard or do not deserve to be here; I am saying that immigrants in the past did not have things handed to them like grants and loans to help upgrade their education so they can find better jobs here than they would in their old countries, health care to pay for medical bills that never would have happened in their old countries or help bringing family over from their old countries, help to support those family members and an education for their children.

These are the things that aggravate Canadians, we have to adapt to the immigrants lifestyles but they get the benefits of being Canadian and Canada is being changed to suit the majority of immigrants and refugees, who seem to be coming from the Middle East.

While many Canadians that were born and raised here need to start being more grateful for what they have, new immigrants need to appreciate that they are coming to a country that has great qualities, this country does not need to be changed. They wouldn’t be here otherwise.

If we are going to set a law, the law has to stand for ALL people, no exceptions. Race and Religion should not come into the picture EVER.

We are all human beings, which is all that matters…not race, not religion, not sexual orientation…nothing matters but that we are human.

PEACE