that
      supports
      native
      education
      including
     
     
      funding
      for
      specialty
      schools
      in
      languages
     
     
      and
      culture
      such
      as
      French
      and
      Mi'kmagq.
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      g
     
     
      outrageous
      statements
      based
      on
      unreliable
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "facts,"
      the
      most
      troubling
      is
      his
      opinion
     
     
      regarding
      what
      constitutes
      ethnic
      diversity.
     
     
      In
      proposing
      his
      argument
      against
      Atlantic
     
     
      Canada's
      lack
      of
      cultural
      diversity
      he
      basi-
     
     
      cally
      says
      that
      unless
      you
      are
      of
      non-
     
     
      European
      decent
      you
      do
      not
      qualify
      as
      cul-
     
     
      turally
      different.
     
    

    
     
      Effectually,
      this
      means
      that
      the
     
     
      proverbial
      "we"
      (i.e.
      white)
      need
      to
      be
      able
     
     
      to
      visibly
      recognize
      an
      individual
      or
      group
     
     
      as
      a
      minority
      by
      the
      colour
      of
      their
      skin
      in
     
     
      order
      for
      "us"
      to
      acknowledge
      them.
     
     
      Unfortunately,
      this
      token
      gesture,
      obvious-
     
     
      ly
      made
      in
      an
      attempt
      to
      appease
      those
     
     
      who
      feel
      discriminated
      against
      and
      do
     
     
      identify
      themselves
      as
      members
      of
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      minority
      group,
      only
      serves
      to
      separate
      and
     
     
      isolate
      them
      even
      further.
     
    

    
     
      Differences
      are
      not
      absolute,
      and
     
     
      basing
      cultural
      diversity
      on
      the
      colour
      of
     
     
      one's
      skin
      is
      not
      only
      insulting,
      but
      it's
     
     
      potentially
      dangerous,
      Not
      only
      should
     
     
      people
      not
      have
      to
      point
      out
      their
      differ-_
     
     
      ences
      in
      order
      to
      be
      treated
      equally,
      but
     
     
      qualifying
      "difference
      "
      limits
      peoples!
     
     
      choices
      and
      ability
      to
      change.
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      obvious
      in
      Ibbitson's
      state-
     
     
      ments
      that
      he
      believes
      that
      visible
      minori-
     
     
      ties
      should
      remain
      visible
      and
      argues
      that
     
     
      the
      importance
      of
      this
      maintains
      what
      he
     
     
      calls
      "civilized
      cities."
      What
      is
      most
     
     
      amusing
      about
      this
      opinion
      is
      that
      in
      reali-
     
     
      ty
      immigrants
      are
      often
      drawn
      (or
      forced)
     
     
      to
      large
      cities
      by
      the
      exploitation
      of
      their
     
     
      own
      people
      because
      of
      incurred
      debt.
      The
     
     
      prevalence
      of
      slave
      labour
      and
      the
      illegal
     
     
      sex
      trade
      in
      Canada's
      major
      cities
      is
      shock-
     
     
      ing,
      and
      often
      goes
      unidentified
      by
      those
     
     
      of
      us
      who
      benefit
      from
      cheap
      clothes
      and
     
     
      easy
      satisfaction.
     
    

    
     
      These
      "happy
      cities"
      that
      Ibbitson
     
     
      is
      so
      desperately
      trying
      to
      portray
      are
      rid-
     
     
      dled
      with
      ethnic
      tension
      (visible
      in
      territo-
     
     
      rial
      gang
      wars),
      poverty,
      and
      all
      forms
      of
     
     
      discrimination.
      Unfortunately,
      these
      social
     
    
   
   
    
     
      problems
      are
      often
      viewed
      as
      someone
     
     
      else's
      problem;
      Ibbitson's
      statements
      quite
     
     
      clearly
      reflect
      this
      attitude.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      complains
      that
      55
      percent
      of
     
     
      immigrants
      "choose"
      to
      live
      in
      Ontario
      and
     
     
      only
      |
      to
      3
      percent
      live
      in
      any
      of
      the
     
     
      Maritime
      provinces.
      Rather
      than
      acknowl-
     
     
      edging
      the
      real
      issues
      and
      helping
      develop
     
     
      rational
      solutions,
      he
      prefers
      to
      blame
     
     
      Atlantic
      Canada
      for
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      coun-
     
     
      try's
      social
      problems.
      I
      wonder
      if
      the
      true
     
     
      motivations
      for
      his
      attack
      are
      based
      on
      a
     
     
      need
      to
      justify
      why
      he
      resents
      the
      fact
      that
     
     
      he
      does
      not
      feel
      safer
      within
      his
      own
      com-
     
     
      munity.
     
    

    
     
      I
      think
      Mr.
      Ibbitson
      needs
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “rethink
      why
      he
      is
      asking
      certain
      questions
     
    
   
   
    
     
      yet
      insisting
      on
      only
      particular
      answers.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      philosophy
      t
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Department
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kujundzic
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      Tony
     
    
   
   
    
     
      philosophy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      gearch
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      relevance
      to
     
     
      offer
      a
      way
     
     
      disasters
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      gap
      does
      it
      fil
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Culture
      Ce
     
     
      commentator
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      a
      final
      point,
      Mr.
      I[bbitson
     
     
      completed
      his
      assault
      on
      Atlantic
      Canada
     
     
      with
      the
      question
      of
      whether
      Atlantic
     
     
      Canadians
      think
      that
      the
      safety
      and
      cele-
     
     
      bration
      of
      their
      communities
      is
      worth
      the
     
     
      snub
      of
      some
      people's
      decision
      to
      live
     
     
      here.
      Well,
      as
      a
      person
      "from
      away"
      who
     
     
      represents
      the
      supposedly
      non-existent
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      group
      of
      people
      who
      want
      to
      live
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Atlantic
      Canada,
      I
      can
      tell
      you
      that
      the
     
     
      quality
      of
      living
      is
      astoundingly
      different,
      —
     
     
      and
      yes,
      it
      is
      worth
      it.
     
    

    
     
      How
      realistic
      to
      you
      think
      it
      is
      to
     
     
      be
      able
      to
      send
      your
      kids
      out
      to
      play
      in
     
     
      Toronto
      and
      know
      that
      the
      neighbours,
      the
     
     
      store
      clerk,
      and
      the
      guy
      who
      delivers
      your.
     
     
      oil
      will
      notice
      if
      something
      or
      someone
      is
     
     
      out
      of
      place?
      As
      a
      woman,
      how
      safe
     
     
      would
      I
      feel
      walking
      alone
      in
      downtown
     
     
      Vancouver?
      How
      many
      times
      a
      year
      can
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      you
      depend
      on
      your
      neighbours
      to
      get
     
    
   
   
    
     
      together
      to
      discuss
      and
      implement
      a
      solu-
     
     
      tion
      to
      a
      local
      problem?
     
    

    
     
      In
      Atlantic
      Canada,
      cultural
      diver-
     
     
      sity
      is
      distinguished
      by
      more
      than
      just
      the
     
     
      colour
      of
      a
      person's
      skin;
      unique
      diversities
     
     
      do
      exist
      within
      this
      region,
      and
      they
      will
     
     
      continue
      to
      be
      preserved
      by
      the
      passion
     
     
      and
      commitment
      of
      its
      people.