Nick Noorani Website

Metro Vancouver teens an international, intercultural group: poll

The teenagers of Metro Vancouver are a remarkably international and intercultural bunch.
Metro Vancouver teens are by far the most likely in Canada to have interracial friendships.
And the extensive foreign connections of B.C. teenagers affect their values: How they see everything from war to homosexuality, global warming to God.
According to groundbreaking new polling by Canadian sociologist Reginald Bibby, only 24 per cent of Metro Vancouver teenagers, or one in four, have parents born in Canada.

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ETHNIC AND NEW CANADIANS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DEAL WITH A COMPANY THAT GETS INVOLVED WITH THEIR ETHNIC COMMUNITY

Specifically, Sponsoring Cultural Events is Most Worthwhile for Companies
Toronto, ON – Companies may benefit from contributing to ethnic communities
according to an Ipsos Reid poll. This study was conducted on the Multicultural
Connection Panel1 and finds that six-in-ten ethnic and new Canadians agree that they are
more likely to deal with a company that gets involved with their ethnic community
(61% with 19% strongly agree and 42% somewhat agree). Only one-in-ten disagree (9%
with 3% strongly disagree and 6% somewhat disagree), while three-in-ten are on the
fence, neither agreeing nor disagreeing (30%). In particular, Canadians of Chinese
backgrounds are more likely to agree with this statement than Canadians from South
Asian backgrounds (66% versus 53%).
There are numerous opportunities for companies to take part in ethnic events and
activities and leave a positive impact. For instance, an overwhelming majority of ethnic
and new Canadians feel it is worthwhile for companies to sponsor cultural events (86%
with 34% very worthwhile and 52% somewhat worthwhile). The following lists other
ways companies could get involved with ethnic communities that are deemed
worthwhile:

• Helping the poor in ethnic communities (84% with 44% very worthwhile and

40% somewhat worthwhile);

• Helping new immigrants settle to life in Canada (83% with 48% very worthwhile

and 35% somewhat worthwhile);

• Donating to the construction of new community facilities (82% with 37% very

worthwhile and 45% somewhat worthwhile); and,

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Savvy businesses setting sights on Canada’s ‘1.5 Generation’

When the research group Environics recently highlighted Canada’s fastest-growing consumer segments, the online seminar about Chinese and South Asian shopping habits was so popular, it had to be run twice. And earlier this year, Ipsos-Reid launched a new 3,000-member multicultural research panel of “new and ethnic Canadians,” telling marketers that they “cannot afford to see these groups as small niche segments.”

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Getting our immigration system back in balance

Two years from now, Canada will reach a historic turning point. There won’t be enough new workers joining the labour force to replace those who are retiring. Employers will have to hire immigrants to succeed.
Ottawa has known this demographic crunch was coming for years. Yet rather than strengthening the nation’s capacity to bring in skilled newcomers who intend to stay here and build a life, the government of Stephen Harper has opened the floodgate to half a million temporary foreign workers who lack the qualifications to become citizens and the skills to help boost Canada’s productivity.
It is hard to tell whether the Conservatives are lurching blindly into the future or deliberately putting expediency ahead of rational planning.

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Raising a future leadership race with Conservatives is like having the sex talk with teenaged kids.
Ewwwwww . . . no way! Can we talk about this some other time?
But who might replace Stephen Harper once he leaves is the stuff of constant speculation behind the scenes – and the chatter is getting louder about one rising star in particular: Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

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