Reasonable Ack Debate

I've been vaguely following the whole Reasonable Accommodation thing in the news, lately. One fellow Fr-Cdn student at school said that a lot of the comments coming out of this thing are the most extreme views, and he's frustrated by the idea that people will see this as the average; an Albertan co-student, from a farming community, said that some of the comments she's heard you wouldn't even hear from the most redneck of Albertan farmers. I don't know whether that's because they think it, but don't say it; or just don't think it. (Then there was that poll last year, that Quebecers are more racist.)

And is it better to think and not say, because at least it shows that there's some general feeling of Disapproval in the air, and that's a good thing? Or is it as Michael Jean has said--that it's a good thing that Quebec is airing these issues, which other provinces are experiencing but just aren't talking about. Hmmm.

Now there's a CBC story that high numbers of people are leaving the province again--they cite two reasons: the economy, and these debates. I'm pretty sure the economy is the bigger factor, since this whole R.A. discussion is pretty recent. Personally, it's the talk coming out of the Parti Q. that annoys me more, and sometimes makes me want to haul ass out of here.

Here's the thing I don't quite get. Birth rates in Canada are very low--so immigration... necessary, non? Who's going to pay for all you baby boom oldies??

*

CBC story:

Quebecers are leaving the province in numbers not seen for more than a decade, a trend some observers are blaming in part on a visceral public debate about immigrant accommodation.

According to Statistics Canada data, there has been a recent spike in migration to other provinces not seen since the 1995 Quebec referendum on sovereignty.

In 2006-2007, 41,831 people moved out of Quebec, while 26,263 settled in the province — a net loss of 15,568 people.

For many people, economic opportunity pulls them away from Quebec, said Jack Jedwab, the head of the Association of Canadian Studies, a non-profit organization that promotes research in the field.