Canadian culture can be described as typical of a growth-centric nation. The people are a market and the individuals are consumers. The current national goal is to maximize consumption and grow as quickly as possible. This is a culture of money.
Evolving into a nation of peers with a culture of learning will take a dramatic shift in national priorities. The focus will have to be on individual well-being and environmental and fiscal balance which are essentially the polar opposite of what a grow-forever economy demands.
Instead of importing cultures from around the world to feed the growth that Canadians will not supply, we will have to develop the culture of sustainability and foster cultural growth from Canadian roots from all regions of the country.
A socially coherent nation is much better able to address its problems than a fractured society paralysed by a tangle of conflicting interests.
A nation investing in its own people and getting in front of environmental and social issues will have a great deal to offer the world. We will be able to lead by example and export solutions rather than attempting to absorb world problems.
The culture of egalitarianism and progress is now much more highly respected in a changing world than the old and repeatedly failed culture of growth.
In light of emerging social and demographic trends, what policies might Canada wish to adopt in the wake of growing ethno-cultural diversity resulting from immigration?
Some Toronto’s enclaves are growing and expanding, while others are consolidating and stabilizing. Growth of enclaves is driven by immigration.