Herouxville, Quebec Enters Immigration Debate

The tumultuous entry (now broadcast around the world) of Herouxville, Quebec into Canada’s immigration debate demonstrates the great divide that exists in Canada on the immigration issue.

On one side are the majority of Canadians who instinctively feel something is wrong with Canada’s mass immigration policy (currently about 250,000 per year, the highest per capita in the world). On the other side are Canada’s mass immigration industry and its supporters (often described as a fifth column) who tell Canadians that mass immigration is wonderful.

[Hyphenated Canadian at Hogtown Front: Vdare calls the American immigration industry the treason lobby. That works for me. What else do you call politicians and special interests who insist on raising immigration levels when the government’s own research shows that new immigrants are falling further behind?]

The national and international uproar that Herouxville has caused is wildly out of proportion to its size. The town has a population of 1300 and is located in rural Quebec, about 150 km. northeast of Montreal. Most Canadian towns and cities of all sizes have passively accepted the historically high immigration levels that Canada’s federal government set for the country in 1990, but which it has never been justified. In doing so, Herouxville is literally like David taking on Goliath.

[. . .]

Clearly, recent immigrants have felt empowered by their high numbers. And they have been encouraged by Canada’s immigration industry to assert their power.

And that is precisely what Herouxville is reacting to. In the opinion of many Canadians, the little town is saying now what the country’s federal government has been too timid to say, but should have said many years ago: that the interests of the country (in this case, Canada’s cultural practices) are paramount. Cultural practices that conflict with those in Canada have to be left behind in immigrants’ countries of origin.

The councillors clearly point out that, like most Canadians, they are willing to accept some immigrants, but that a long-established society exists in Quebec. This society has developed its own culture and it is tired of hearing recent multiple demands, (particularly in the Montreal area) that Canadians should adjust to the cultural wishes of new arrivals.

[. . .]

One thing that the declaration does not say directly is that the immigration industry and a significant number of recent arrivals seem to believe that this demographic change in Montreal and other parts of Canada should continue unabated. It would seem that Herouxville does not approve.

Obviously, this is because, like the rest of Canada, Herouxville was never asked if it wanted a mass immigration policy. Nor was it asked if it wanted the major demographic transformation which has occurred in the country since this policy was implemented in 1990.

It would seem that, by implication, Herouxville (as well as a number of other Quebec towns and some provincial politicians who have recently expressed solidarity with Herouxville), are bluntly saying to Canada’s official “accommodators“: “Why are we bringing in all of these people?” and “Enough is enough!“

[Herouxville is not Elliot Lake…and it’s very unlikely that our ‘city’ council would dare broach a similar tactic to that of ‘Heroville’ ……in addressing the transformation of our country’s roots by importing 9 out of every 10 new immigrants (5,000 every week, year after year) from third-world countries.]

Full article: Immigration Watch Canada bulletin