Canada for Spartans

Comments (18)

Comment Feed

Canada for Spartans

Damn Harper

Roy Trickey more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

This will have to be reversed by the next government, which will have to be anything but Conservative.

An avid reader more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

We have a book on this topic coming out in the fall: http://arbeiterring.com/books/detail/a-peoples-citizenship-guide/

ARP more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

I fully agree with the comment about a very disturbing government public paper in regard to informing immigranhDs.

Eilsabeth more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

A sad story, but so TRUE. During the 1970's, 80's I travelled the world. I was proud to be a Canadian and how I was treated. I was often asked : " Are you American" ? , meaning an USA citizen. I of course would say : "No, I am Canaadian". They were excited and praising Canada for the good humanitarian work we were doing around the world. Starting in the 1990's, when Canada became much more militaristic inv0lved around the world the people around the world became very disappointed and put us in the same category as the USA. That of course will not change, because of the "SPP" [an act most people don't even know about "The Security and Prosperity Partnership" established by President Bush and signed by: Bush for the USA, Paul Martin at the time Priminister of Canada and the President of Mexico at the time Vincente Fox. With that agreement we lose a lot of our sovereignty.

Eilsabeth more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

Anarchy anyone?

Euripides Speaks more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

a sad tale

An avid reader more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

a sad story

An avid reader more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

I just finished reading the study guide mentioned in this article. I suggest that everyone commenting here do the same. I graduated from High School in 2008, and the Canada described in the booklet is very much like the one I learned about in High School, and very much like the one I live in today. I find it unfortunate that the author of this article has misinterpreted the intent of the study guide. It's not supposed to be a comprehensive guide of the entirety of Canadian history, politics and society. It is intended to be a concise document that provides an introduction to some of the basics of our country. Granted, the booklet does not give the kind of emphasis to Medicare as one would expect, but you would have to be fairly narrow sighted to believe that newcomers to Canada would be completely dependent on this booklet as their sole reference for Canadian society. What's more troubling to me is not what is lacking in the booklet, but how petty the criticism of it is. Surely there are more important things to be worried about than the placement of pictures of Canadian Soldiers, or whether or not specific government-funded agencies are mentioned by name in a Canadian Citizenship study guide. I think it is especially unnerving that the author so derisively refers to the concept of the rule of law. Those who know what it means will celebrate the emphasis it is given in the booklet I think, and be disturbed by how it is mentioned in the article. Having read it in it's entirety, I do not share the author's belief that the booklet presents Canada as a "bel­li­cose nation, adamant about its “Christian civ­i­liza­tions”", especially given that the term "Christian civ­i­liza­tions" appears only once in the publication, referring to England and France at the time of their colonization of North America. And as for Canada's supposed belligerence, I think this is an exaggeration. The booklet does have a patriotic air about the passages referring to our role in world conflicts, none of which featured Canada as an aggressor. However, section 15 of the Citizenship Regulations, as quoted at the end of the booklet, require that those seeking Canadian Citizenship must have a general understanding of Canadian political and military history. Canadians, throughout our history, have established a reputation for being very good soldiers when needed, and I think that that knowledge should be part of that general understanding.

Nik Kostyan more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

Thanks Stephen for bringing this shocking revision of Discover Canada to our attention. I mourn for the new citizens and the generation of high school students being exposed to this misrepresented vision. Let's hope Canadians' underlying pacifism and generosity will soon once more be celebrated as they were in the literature distributed when I became a citizen in 1983.

Jenny Kitson more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

Thank you, Stephen, for your penetrating and well-written analysis of the Citizenship guide. I was similarly creeped out by it when I looked over it last January. I find that the arts and culture are as underemphasized as the military is over-emphasised in the Guide – on the one page dealing with Canadian culture, some literary names are mentioned, but all those pictured on the page are sports figures. The only performing artists pictured in the whole guide, as I recall, are an anonymous Prince Edward Island fiddler, and in another small picture, a bagpiper and congo drummer. There is one poem quoted in full in the guide: John McRae's magnificent and sanctimonious elegy, "In Flander's Fields". Plus, of course, our National Anthem and God Save the Queen. Consider the cover of the guide: two pudgy Canadians paddling on the Rideau Canal with the Parliament Buildings behind them, who, in their identical red life jackets and yellow baseball caps, bring to mind the Mackenzie brothers. Other images: the Canadarm (yup! always of assistance to our big neighbors to the south), a bemedalled veteran, a moose, tulips in front of the parliament building, a maple leaf, an altar piece bearing a crucifix (National Assembly of Quebec? not sure here). As if that’s not enough, the Conservative government has also beefed up the presence of the military in the citizenship ceremony, with members of the military seated on the platform with the presiding judge, standing in the receiving line congratulating the new citizens, even giving a two to three-minute speech. Overall, the portrayal of our culture in the Guide is not only out-and-out militaristic, but almost unendurably bland…and gives the lie to the Canada I know as well. Thanks again for your insights.

Brian Campbell more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

Most immigrants already know about Canada's more peaceful past and former position of leadership on the world stage. You frequently hear immigrants talk about how they see those values eroding. Give it up, Harper! They're hip to your tricks.

Shella Gardezi more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

"King Leonidas: The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle was over, even a god-king can bleed." As long as we have people who notice, and talk about it, we stand a chance. Thanks for the great article.

An avid reader more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

Thank you for taking the time to write this piece and for writing it so well. I had read of the revision of the citizenship guide, but had no idea it was so bent to the Harper agenda. The part that most disturbs me is that there is nothing that Harper will leave untouched in his quest to re-make our country. It's really very creepy to have a leader who intends to stamp everything to an ever-narrowing and sterile view of our country. Esther

Esther Shannon more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

Ah well, governments of all countries, read: a bunch of exploitative, hypocritical good-for-nothing(-else) nobodies... The only problem is we cannot afford not to take them seriously wehn they infring upon our right to live our lives the way we should. A country should be ruled by an aristocracy of poets, preferably haiku writers. Logorrhoeia is a dangerous mental handicap, especially when it has a political agenda.

Serbo-Canadian of Macau more than 11 years ago

Canada for Spartans

Amen.

Corey Redekop more than 11 years ago

New immigrants

Good analysis. Beware of the conservative federal government and its spin on EVERYTHING that is published by it, as this article shows. Can't wait till we get rid of them.
A new immigrant.

Johanna van Zanten more than 11 years ago

Thanks for the warning

Thank you, Stephen, for bringing this to our attention. If Harper thinks his version of Canada should be in every school, your warning should reach every household in Canada, and we should all let him know that we object to his rewriting of our history to align with his distorted views. The sooner we get proportional representation, the sooner we get governments more in line with the majority of Canadians' views.

Oli Cosgrove more than 12 years ago

---
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH GEIST

---
EMAIL
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
PROVINCE