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Alexander Mackenzie, the second prime minister of Canada, built MacKenzie Hall in 1855. The building is now an arts center.
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NewsThis section will keep you updated on important business news stories in the Windsor-Essex Region, named Best Small City for Investment by FDI Magazine. City's Visible Minorities to Rise RapidlyWednesday, Mar. 10, 2010
Windsor's face is changing, and we'll all be stronger for it. That's the view of local visible minorities in reaction to a Statistics Canada study released Tuesday projecting that visible minorities could make up a third of Windsor's population by the year 2031. "I think it's been a long time coming," said Navninder Mokha, 19, an engineering student of Indian descent, leaving a workout session at the downtown YMCA. "It's not that it's unexpected or anything." Mokha, who grew up in the former Etobicoke borough of Toronto, said his neighbourhood was ethnically diverse and Windsor is similar. "I'm really kind of used to that," he said. In the study the federal statistics agency offered projections on the rising diversity of metropolitan areas across the country. The reckoning for Windsor is that, in 21 years, our proportion of visible minorities might rise to 33 per cent. That's more than double the 2006 percentage of 16 per cent. "While the progeny of the immigrants of recent decades is still quite young, its importance for the composition of the Canadian population will grow in the years to come," Statistics Canada said. "Thus, the Canadian population can be expected to undergo major changes by 2031, especially in areas where the largest contingents of newcomers will settle." Walid Karam, 41, who is originally from Lebanon, said the projected numbers don't surprise him because the low cost of living draws immigrants, including visible minorities, here. "To live here is cheaper than other cities," said Karam. "Most immigrants come here because it's cheap." The projected figure for Windsor is the sixth highest out of 33 census areas. At the top of the list is Toronto, which is predicted to become 63 per cent visible minorities, and Vancouver, predicted to reach 59 per cent. Karam said the growing proportion of visible minorities should reduce the incidence of racism, which he already feels is low. "I think in Canada discrimination is not as visible as it is in some countries," said Karam. The study also examines the proportion of foreign-born members of the population. According to 2006 census data, 23 per cent of Windsorites were not born in Canada. That figure is projected to rise to 28 per cent by 2031. The projections for Windsor are in keeping with a national trend, according to the study. By 2031, between 29 and 32 per cent of Canadians could belong to a visible minority group, and between 25 and 28 per cent of Canadians could be foreign-born. South Asians are expected to remain Canada's largest visible minority group, with a projected number of 4.1 million persons. Chinese are second, with projected growth to three million. Windsorite Hui Wang, 36, came to Canada from China three years ago. "I think as immigrants we have the variety of population to build upon," said Wang. "I think it's good for all of us and it gives us more strength." Wang pointed to the recent Olympics that brought the whole country together, regardless of their creed or colour. "Canada is an immigrant country," said Wang. "I think Canada has great potential." Blacks and Filipinos should remain the third and fourth largest minority groups, respectively. But the study says the number of Arabs could more than triple ? the fastest growth rate among all of Canada's visible minority groups. Canada's Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as people other than aboriginals who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour. Article Credit: |
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