Immigration is being portrayed in a weapon-like context
By Lethbridge Herald on February 27, 2026.
Dear Editor,
Bizarrely, after the Alberta Calling campaign, the premier plans to have a referendum that includes a question on immigration: ”Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels…” Let’s be honest: today the word immigration has become a code word for people who aren’t white. The subtext is that immigrants are to blame for Alberta’s problems.
Let me tell you how immigrants have been part of my life in the past few weeks, First, my husband is an immigrant. My favourite Tim Horton’s server, always up for a good chat, is an immigrant. At least four of my work colleagues in my department before I retired are immigrants; I hate to single one out but she is an internationally-renowned editor of two scientific publications. Do you want to know whether these talented, decent people are white or non white? I\’m not going to say because it doesn ’t matter. But the tragedy is the premier wants it to matter. She wants you to assume that immigration is bad. ”Decreasing immigration,” ”more sustainable levels”: these are the premier’ s phrases. What about all the Dutch immigrants who came to Alberta in the post-war era? Was that a bad thing? Of course not.
During a recent hospital stay, my physician was from an East African country and two of my nurses were from countries in East Asia. A taxi driver I had last week is from West Africa; another was from the Indian subcontinent. Finally, a man who bought an item from me on facebook marketplace was one of Lethbridge’s many Bhutanese people. I ’m sure I am missing other immigrants with whom I interacted.
The concept of ”immigration” is being used as a weapon to turn us against immigrants, meaning non-white people who come to Canada. Ironically, many immigrants are white, so if it’s people’s colour that’s really what’s bothering you, give that a thought. My life, like most of the lives of Albertans, would be vastly different and more difficult without immigrants of all backgrounds from taxi drivers to doctors. Further, how would our economy fare without immigrants, who are, like the rest of us, also consumers?
Caitlin Maura Hanrahan,
Lethbridge
8-7
Not really being used as a weapon, in that Trudeau relaxed all the immigration regulations and thereby overwhelmed us. If Alberta is so bad why did we receive 600K and let’s not hear that we invited them. What we invited was a lot different than what we did receive.
Recently there was a post online from a person who travelled from Ottawa to Calgary and made it a point when he was travelling to make his pit stops at Tim Hortons across the country. The majority were immigrants. Secondly he has a friend who has a 17 year old daughter (white) who applied to a Tims for a job and was asked by the manager if she spoke Hindi.. Replying no, the job was denied as communication with other employees would be difficult if not impossible.
So there are many sides to the immigration system and situation other than innuendos of discrimination and racism.
On another note, recently at a Tims and ordering one chocolate dip and one apple fritter went through the scenario of the chocolate dip being taken on and off the order three times due to mis communication. Finally asked to take everything off the board and start over.
Definitely a first world issue but is it really my responsibility to ask that anyone who immigrates into our country be at least more fluent in English than any other language. This is an easy one to determine at the immigration entry level, not me teaching English at the drive through windows. Not a teacher, not degree, not qualified to teach English. An English proficiency test on immigration applications and interview is a simple fix.