Toronto
Before my tirade begins, let’s get some facts straight: Toronto is an immigrant city, whether the Mayor likes it or not. More than 50% of Toronto’s population was born outside of Canada. Some 47% of the population is what’s called “visible minority.” More than 60% of all immigrants in greater Toronto area live in metro Toronto. More than 65% of all immigrants to Ontario settle in greater Toronto area.
This post is part of the Loving It series.
Lost and Found
The cute Chinese girl turns around and looks worried about her lost one in the crowd of hundreds thronging the Harbourfront public concert. People jostle around her, but then she spots him and waves frantically. Yes, yes, he’s coming… her tall African partner just got held up buying a Hummus platter from the Lebanese stall. She breathes a little relaxed and a beautiful smile returns to her face.
One of the greatest small pleasures of living in an orderly, clean, well-developed and law-abiding society like Canada is the sheer joy of taking long urban walks just on the sidewalks or footpaths. Especially if you hail from an overcrowded — often chaotic — third-world city, like I do.
Don’t be fooled. I’m not talking about long hikes out of town or elaborate camping weekends or bike trips up into the woodlands.
Although I’ve seen blatantly racist incidents myself here, a few ignorant idiots will never, ever speak for what I’ve come to cherish about my new beloved home.
Let’s stop kidding ourselves: We now have a New Dumb Canadian reality, all because of my fellow immigrants and minority citizens.
My sincerest apologies, regrets and grief.
I never thought it’d be this simple for the right-wing dark side to gain so much traction in communities that should logically, ideologically, psychologically and common-sensibly be completely off limits to an anti-multicultural Con-Men’s Party whose prime base of support is the supremely racist Canadian National Lunatic Fringe!
In the largest and richest Canadian province of Ontario, your eyes and mouth do not qualify as part of your body, or health – if you are over 20 and under 65 years of age.
Which is fine because everyone knows that people between the ages of 20 and 65 are the least important in any society, so why should Ontarians be any different?
It is no secret what respect I have for the TTC – the Toronto Transit Commission. As blogged earlier, the TTC just keeps providing reason after reason for one to admire how persistent, illogical and cruel human obstinacy can really be.
In these tough economic times, the last thing one should have to worry about is getting to work – never mind not having any. Yet, the TTC honchos think the only way they continue their work is by passing the fare buck.
It’s swift, merciless, and packs pure brute force. You gotta respect that.
