February 16 - 28, 2019 
In an earlier article, Eleanor Laquian drew our attention to growing dissatisfaction among Canadians about the country’s policies on immigration and multiculturalism which some blame for the rising xenophobia in what has always been seen as a peaceful and hospitable society.
Facts about Canada’s doors opening to refugees from strife-torn countries like Syria invite a spectrum of reactions.
The "yessers" know that Canada’s membership in the United Nations and its political and fiscal capabilities to accommodate refugees facilitated its hosting of more than 40,000 Syrians as of 2017. Too, the country’s size of 9.9 square kilometers can be a haven for war survivors and displaced people; its vastness from coast to coast becomes an avenue for healing. Canada commences the peace act as it encourages private individuals and communities to sponsor a refugee.
The election of an openly anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim president in the United States in 2016 seems to have emboldened like-minded Canadians to display their racial prejudices as well.
Canada has an enviable global reputation as a liberal and progressive country with its recognition of same sex marriage, LGBTQ rights, gender parity, and most recently, legal recreational cannabis.
