All growth scenarios considered, the diversity of Canada's population will continue to increase significantly during the next two decades, especially within certain census metropolitan areas, according to new projections of the country's ethnocultural makeup.

By 2031, between 25% and 28% of the population could be foreign-born. This would surpass the proportion of 22% observed between 1911 and 1931, the highest during the twentieth century. About 55% of this population would be born in Asia.

Between 29% and 32% of the population could belong to a visible minority group, as defined in the Employment Equity Act. This would be nearly double the proportion reported by the 2006 Census. The visible minority population is likely to increase rapidly among the Canadian-born, many of whom are children and grandchildren of immigrants.

The vast majority (96%) of people belonging to a visible minority group would continue to live in one of the 33 census metropolitan areas. By 2031, according to the reference scenario, visible minority groups would comprise 63% of the population of Toronto, 59% in Vancouver and 31% in Montréal. In contrast, they would comprise no more than 5% of the population in St. John's, Greater Sudbury, Trois-Rivières, Québec or Saguenay.

Foreign-born population
Between now and 2031, the foreign-born population of Canada could increase approximately four times faster than the rest of the population. The population of foreign-born could reach between 9.8 million and 12.5 million, depending on various immigration assumptions.

The proportion of foreign-born in the total population would increase from 20% in 2006 to between 25% and 28%.

By 2031, nearly one-half (46%) of Canadians aged 15 and over would be foreign-born, or would have at least one foreign-born parent, up from 39% in 2006.

Canadian-born population
Regardless of future immigration, diversity will grow among the Canadian-born population. By 2031, according to the reference scenario, 47% of second-generation Canadians would belong to a visible minority group, nearly double the proportion of 24% in 2006. Second generation refers to those who are Canadian-born and have at least one parent born outside Canada.

Within the third generation or more, the proportion belonging to visible minorities, although low, would almost triple, from 1% to 3%. The third generation or more are people who are Canadian-born and whose parents and possibly grandparents were Canadian-born.

Visible minorities
According to the scenarios developed for the projections, the visible minority population would continue to be bolstered by sustained immigration, slightly higher fertility and a younger age structure. In 2006, the median age of this population was 32.5 years, compared with 40.4 for the rest of the population.

Under the low- and high-growth scenarios of these projections, Canada could have between 11.4 million and 14.4 million persons belonging to a visible minority group by 2031, more than double the 5.3 million reported in 2006. The rest of the population, in contrast, is projected to increase by less than 12%.

The South Asian population, which would still be the largest visible minority group, could more than double from roughly 1.3 million in 2006 to between 3.2 million and 4.1 million. The Chinese population is projected to grow from 1.3 million to between 2.4 million and 3.0 million.

South Asians would represent 28% of the population belonging to visible minority groups, up from 25%, while the share of Chinese would decline from 24% to 21%. This is because Chinese women have one of the lowest fertility rates in Canada, unlike South Asian women. Also, people born in China have a higher propensity to emigrate than South Asians.

Canada's Black and Filipino populations, which were the third and fourth largest visible minority groups in 2006, could also double in size. The Arab and West Asian groups could more than triple, the fastest growth among all groups.

Religious denomination
By 2031, the number of people having a non-Christian religion in Canada would almost double from 8% of the population in 2006 to 14% in 2031.

The proportion with a Christian religion would decline from 75% to about 65%. The share with no religion would rise from about 17% to 21%.

Within the population having a non-Christian religion, about one-half would be a Muslim by 2031, up from 35% in 2006.

Metropolitan areas
By 2031, according to the reference scenario, more than 71% of all visible minority people would live in Canada's three largest census metropolitan areas: Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal.

In Toronto, 24% of the population, or 2.1 million, would be South Asians, which would continue to be its largest visible minority group, up from 13% in 2006.

In Vancouver, Chinese would be the largest visible minority group, with a population of around 809,000. They would account for about 23% of Vancouver's population, up from 18% in 2006.

In Montréal, visible minority groups would represent 31% of the population, nearly double the 16% in 2006. By 2031, its Arab population would almost reach the Black population.

Also available are diversity profiles for the three largest census metropolitan areas: Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver.

You can find more details at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/100309/dq100309a-eng.htm

Recently Prime Minister concluded his visit to Saudi Arabia. This is the first visit by any Indian Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia in the last 25 years. It is said to be very productive in strengthening relationship between the two countries. Apart from other agreements, both the countries also signed an extradition treaty. After this treaty, India can extradite from Saudi Arabia any wanted criminal who has committed any crime in India. But from this treaty can we conclude that Saudi Arabia has no role in the worldwide expansion of terrorism and its linkage with the worldwide movement of so-called ‘Islamic Jihad’? Is Saudi Arabia as peace loving as it seems?

There is euphoria in the island and none can deny the relief felt by any peace loving Sri Lankan to know the military conflict is over. Whether he is cultivating in Kakirawa or marketing in Wellawatta the opportunity has dawned for everyone to begin a new and safer journey. Who does not want peace? Who wants to live in fear and get so used to it that it becomes a regular routine to hear of yet another bomb blast. Or for a mother to be frightened to death when sending a son to school not knowing which institution would be targeted next. The Northern story is no different. What would little kids feel when they hear the scream of fast jets tearing the sky? Wouldn’t it bring back stories, or worst still, terrifying recollections ingrained in hard disc memory of death falling from above? Would they forget easily monstrous helicopter gunships loitering menacingly searching for enemies that are difficult to define?

That has been our lot and we all have paid the price. The ones abroad too, irrespective of what race they belonged to. Everyone suffered from this war and the ravage of their homeland. It is an empty statement to say that only those who live in Sri Lanka have a right to talk. It is another meaningless morsel to add “if they love this land so much, they should come here.” Yes, such sentiments are good for evening TV times and baseless conversation.

 

Scott’s immortal “breathes there a man with soul so dead” did not imply that someone abroad cannot retain the love of his motherland. The Diaspora may buy their chicken at Tesco’s and lunch on Caesar salads but the sambola, parippu and ala theldaala feelings will always be there same as the idely, waade and masala thosai tastes that will not leave the pallet with a hundred sips of Shiraz or a thousand bites of Kentucky fried.
 

That is us, Sri Lankans, Sinhalese, Tamils, Burgers and Muslims, home rooted or diasporic, always having a little place in their heart linked umbilical to a tiny island that has been the home of all races. As for Sinhalese and Tamils, we came on Monday, they came on Wednesday, that was more than 2000 years ago, let’s not forget that.
 

So what do we have now? The LTTE war machine is defeated. An army of separatists that the CIA rated as the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world has been vanquished totally for the entire world to witness in awe, erasing forever our “kavun kanna yodaya” label. The long drawn battle had lasted almost three decades and many a nameless fallen had fought valiantly and have selflessly sacrificed life, leaving behind loved ones to lament so that we could have our homeland back. That is the totality, wasted lives from both sides for blatant mistakes by men who had the power to decide. It does not matter today who supported whom, the war is over and the draw bridge must be down and hands must extend in newly acquired friendships built on trust, maybe slow at start, but trust it must be, if we are to change the festering dissection. What wisdom is there in denying the defeated an honourable way to search for peace and reconciliation?

The people in the camps, that’s tragic and nobody denies the harrowing experiences of the displaced. Yet, we must be careful not to mix the issue with other connotations of minority rights.

The situation in the camps fell upon the administrators and 300,000 people came as an exodus seeking shelter and they had to be accepted, accommodated and cared for. Questions of security had to be addressed in the midst of mostly biased international scrutiny. If the occupants of camps are not in universally accepted living conditions that should be positively addressed and not racially demarcated. During tsunami times I personally saw effected people languishing in makeshift shelters for months in putrid conditions and suffer the worst. They were Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils. It wasn’t easy to handle tsunami displaced people and even today if one were to visit Moratuwa, right next to the Lunawa Railway station there are so many tsunami victims still living in squalid conditions and waiting for a new home to move into. They are mostly Sinhalese, all suffering with impotent anger for five long years since the tsunami.
 

Let us totally accept that the plight of the IDP is sad, but it is not racial, just circumstantial. This is the time we need everyone to take the blinkers off and look across ethnic barriers. Steps are being taken to care for the displaced and steps must be expedited to stem the tide of disaffection. No one in his right mind would deny the need of resettlement so long as the enormity of the task at hand is given due consideration.

I know that 84 years old grand dame of journalism, Aunty Anne is coming with a walking stick to write about racial amity. I also know Sohan and Sunil gathered thirty artists, the best in the land to record a song “Sri Lanka we are one” and arranged to give proceeds to help the children of the injured and the displaced. Thousands are rising to the call and it is not a call of a government or a race, but a Sri Lankan call of people who love this land and who prayed and pleaded for peace and has risen from the mire of war to add their smidgen for racial harmony.

Let us not allow die hard racists from either side, local or settled abroad, to raise the draw bridge. The big picture is so beautiful, we of the older generation have seen it and you of the younger minds need to know what it is to live in peace. A Sinhala man to go to Keeramalai and bathe and drink Thal ra or a Tamil counterpart to visit Bundala Bird Park and taste meekiri with kithul pani in Hambantota and not be asked to produce an id card.

More than eighty thousand deaths have been counted in this conflict that began with an agenda to divide the land which unfortunately has now resulted successfully in dividing the people.

This is the moment for the leadership to set the tone and the “common us” to add our mite to tilt the scale in favour of peace and harmony. 

As individuals, be it a Sinhalese or a Tamil, let us not raise the draw bridge to isolate ourselves and callously wallow in racism. The war is over, we are one people, we have all suffered and it is time to find ways to live together in peace.

“Sri Lanka we are one” that is what they are singing now, let us clap hands and stamp feet and join in the chorus.

 

The much awaited foreign secretary level talks between India and Pakistan concluded on 25^th February at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Though different people have different views about these high level talks but political analysts are of the view that the coming together of foreign secretaries of both the countries is itself a proof that both India and Pakistan are willing to establish peace and more such talks will follow in future. India’s main opposition party the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not in favour of these talks. They even accused the Indian government of acting under the US pressure to carry out talks. The opposition is seeing the Indo-Pak talks by linking them with the continuously deteriorating image of America in Afghanistan and Obama’s future strategy vis-a-vis Afghanistan. But, indeed, India being the largest and the most powerful nation of South Asia, is trying to tell the world that it is a responsible nation, which follows the ideals of truth and non-violence of Gandhiji and believes in maintaining friendly relations with the neighbours.