FORSETH: Too many, too soon... half the country calls for immigration slow down

Canadians are divided over record-high immigration numbers. Despite growing community resentment, the NDP-Liberal government plans to admit 485,000 in 2024, 500,000 in 2025, and then stabilize at the 500,000 level. This policy is irresponsible.The community experience is that these levels must be lowered to achieve social integration, job market balance, and reasonable housing. Historically, 250,000 immigrants and 20,000 refugees worked and this was supported by Canadians.However, the government lacks any policy sense. They can’t even read the pro-immigration policy of the 1000 words outlined in the Conservative Party Policy Declaration. If the government followed it, they would have a ready-made plan to return society again to a pro-immigration sentiment. The government appears to have either a naïve agenda —ˆ or even a malevolent intent.Government information says about half of Canadians, 51%, now say immigrants must do more to integrate into Canadian society. Moreover, half of Canadians agree that Canada should first focus on helping unemployed Canadians before advertising for skilled foreign labour to fill shortages. It has been evident for some time that record-high immigration numbers have created housing shortages.A significant unease within Canada is the apparent social impact of immigration. Rather more than one-quarter of Canadians, 27%, say immigration is changing Canada negatively. (Such has also been a clear theme in the comment section by readers of the Western Standard for the past several years.)Conservative voters have historically supported immigration. However, the Trudeau government's actions have given many of them second thoughts.Our communities have more sense and demonstrate more expertise than the Ottawa mandarins. Local communities are grappling with the consequences of the recent unsupportable numbers of arrivals. Local city councils are trying to deal with infrastructure demands, zoning for housing, and additional strains on our public safety systems.There are just too many immigrants at once. Indeed, half of Canada clearly says that immigration now hurts the nation... that is 52% in Alberta, 51% in Nova Scotia, 49% in Ontario and Prince Edward Island, 47% in Saskatchewan, 46% in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, 43% in New Brunswick, 38% in Quebec, and 37% in Manitoba.At a minimum, we need a period of reduced immigration/refugees/international students. Affordable and available housing needs to catch up. Immigration/refugee arrivals need to be spread throughout Canada, which would alleviate the unsustainable growth in a handful of large cities, where the majority of immigrants gravitate.The Government of Canada launched an engagement initiative called “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future” to inform a vision for how our immigration system could strengthen communities nationwide. When the government doesn't like what it hears, the typical response is to drown it in another bureaucratic report. Obviously, the government does not want to hear of the hurtful consequences of its actions.Canadians already know that the NDP-Liberals messed up and are now holding them accountable in political polling surveys. They have concluded that the Liberals can’t manage.