Wilfrid Laurier On Immigrants Wanting to Become Canadians

Fwd: Re: WORDS FROM 1907

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Too bad these words don't seem to apply any more!! I think that this is the best article on the subject that I have ever read . . . . . . and, it was written over a century ago . . . . . so it has stood the test of time. It is short, and to the point.                                         What Wilfrid Laurier thought of the immigrants wanting to become Canadians in 1907. First of all we must insist that the immigrant that comes here is willing to become a Canadian and is willing to assimilate our ways, he should be treated on equal grounds and it would be shameful to discriminate against such a person for reasons of their beliefs or the place of birth or origin. But it is the responsibility of that person to become a Canadian in all aspects of life, nothing else but a Canadian. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says that he is a Canadian, but tries to impose his customs and habits upon us, is not a Canadian. We have room for only one flag, the Canadian flag. There is room for only two languages here, English and French. And we have room for loyalty, but only one, loyalty to the Canadian people. We won't accept anyone, I'm saying anyone, who will try to impose his religion or his customs on us.» Wilfrid Laurier, 1907 Sir Wilfrid Laurier, prime minister of Canada 1896–1911             Every Canadian citizen should read this article.                                  PASS IT ON