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.
I can imagine this is what the Siksikaitsitapi said as settler-immigrants arrived at their door.
White Christian-Nationalist, Buckwut?
Typical answer, throw out the insults, Pat yourself on the back.
The Immigration Trap
Ottawa engineered the crisis; Alberta is ending it.
The Stat: The federal government flooded the country with 6 million people in just four years, dumping 600,000 into Alberta and completely overwhelming schools, hospitals, and housing.
The Reality: The legacy media tried to gaslight Smith using her past quotes about population growth against her. She fired back, exposing that Justin Trudeau secretly removed all immigration restrictions without consulting the provinces, deliberately creating an unsustainable burden. Now, Alberta is stepping up to block temporary residents from draining provincial social programs.
insult away.
Where did you get the 6 million number?? Between 2021 and 2025, Canada’s population grew by about 4.7 million, from 37 million to 41.7 million.
Speaking of English-language proficiency, I will rewrite your second last sentence for you in proper, simple English. Here you are: I am not a teacher, nor have I earned a degree, and I am not qualified to teach English. Read and learn.
And while you’re at it, I suggest you spend some time learning about the different categories of people from away who come to Canada. I suspect the Tim Hortons worker you complained about is a Temporary Resident with a work permit.
Not including Refugees and Asylum Seekers, Canada introduced a points system in I think 1971 that vets potential immigrants on a range of factors including proficiency in either official language.
gosh, with such robust and marvelous anecdotal evidence, i say we build a wall around every tims to keep these doughnut fumbling anti english tim hortons job thieving scallywags out of our most prized low paying job institutions.
Go raibh maith agat – thank you for this, Ms. Hanrahan.
notwithstanding the awful effects of the european invasions in the americas on the indigenous peoples hundreds of years ago, immigration is a positive thing. it allows people the right to move about the planet we all share (even if some nations and peoples inflict more than their fair share of damage upon the planet and others). that movement allows people to escape war, famine, persecution, and provides opportunities for a better life. moreover, immigrants bring ideas, perspectives – cultures – that broaden the outlook of all of us.
what i find most typical of those that oppose immigration is that they are narrow, subject to elevated judgementalism, often bigoted, and brimming with a sense of superiority. moreover, such folk hate to acknowledge as much.
can and should we do a better job of screening for issues when it comes to immigration and providing a new home for those whose human rights are compromised? absolutely. but canada, by and large, has been enriched by new comers. immigration is not the issue, rather, it is our trashing of the planet and all things living in the name of greed and profit and self.
Well said. I think Bucky’s immigration status should be reconsidered based on his own criteria for ‘belonging’, beginning with his use of the English language.
maybe cut some slack – hanging at tim’s can undermine not only health, but also access to and the sharing/expression of quality information.
note taken. You two have nothing intelligent to say.
me could say double double, and den sit wid udder double doubles and blame all things wrong on immigrants, those opposing more coal mining, trudeau, ndp, canada and being a part of canada and its programs…
And you think you do but can’t find anyone dumb enough to agree with you right? You are the laughing stock of the human race and so proud of it you just keep doing it, good for you. It gives us all a good laugh.
Color, this is the excuse Liberals give because born Canadians see that ever since the Liberal Government took over power in Canada and brought mass immigration into Canada, only to gather votes to stay in power. Canadians have been forced to except lower standards of health care, education, standard of living and increase of crimes, the facts are all there if people with common sense look at them, why are thousands of people going to food banks and our city streets full of homeless people, jobs that were here for young Canadians to get a start in life gone, Canadians that need surgeries have to wait months and years for their quality of life gone, drugs and crime going up, the Government hides the fact that unvetted immigration is causing this. Time people like you open your eyes and look at how Canada is going downhill, not because of Color only because of votes period.
this reads like trump north, and just about as well rambled.
you are right about the votes concern, though. both of the governing fed parties over the decades have come to learn that bloc votes turn into seats, and power, and each has indeed tried to outdo the other at exploiting the immigration process. however, immigrants do not degrade our quality of life, they enhance it. there are some exceptions, whereby various organised criminal gangs do cause notable problems, but that has to do with poor vetting/oversight, and not with immigration at large. of course, criminal activity/cartels/gangs was never a stranger to canada. that element has long infiltrated govts at all levels in our land.
This is from Danielle Smith. Care to explain it?
Thomas A. Lukaszuk on X: “.@AbDanielleSmith Few weeks ago, Danielle Smith wanted to grow Alberta to 10,000,000 people by 2035. Red Deer was to be a 1,000,000 resident city. Today she whines that we can’t handle more people. Are schools and hospitals a full. Blames immigrants. She is clueless. #ableg” / X https://share.google/Mry7PLEn5vFwcuWEU
https://x.com/KirkLubimov/status/1821626337150582849?s=20
Smith needs a scapegoat to divert attention from the UCP’s dismal fiscal management and over-reliance on oil revenues. And taking a swing at the Federal Government on you name the issue is right out of her playbook. Immigration happens to be top of mind now for many people largely because of Trump.
What did Danielle Smith just borrow $40 billion for?
The Breakdown on X: “Oh boy… Danielle Smith has authorized the province to go $40 Billion into debt. #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli https://t.co/uveVBWXt14” / X https://share.google/69Tg8Ifk7YvRzLWwv
I did a Google Scholar search for peer-reviewed articles on the relationship between immigration and crime, and found no empirical evidence in countries like Canada for your statement. In fact, several studies reported a modest decline in crime related to immigration.
It appears the notion that immigration leads to increased crime rates is a function of sensationalized reports of isolated incidents, which are then amplified in algorithm driven social-media echo chambers.
You haven’t noticed what these Reformers have done to Albertans since taking over with Ralph Klein and you have never been to Alaska and Norway and talked to the people about what there oil wealth is doing for them, I have?
You are correct.
Alberta Mismanages Heritage Fund, Misses Out on $575B in Revenue Over 44 Years https://share.google/sPRhgOAx57FNqIRgE
So explain to those of us who had friends and relatives who worked in the medical system who had nothing but praise for how they were treated under the Conservatives of the Lougheed and Getty governments and are disgusted by what these Reformers have brought to the table starting with Ralph Klein and Stephen Harper, and why are these stupid seniors still supporting this brand of stupidity?
It doesn’t matter how many times they are told that there is a huge difference between a true conservative and a reformer who are hellbent on destroying everything conservatives have created they refuse to believe it, that’s how stupid they are, isn’t it?
Although my conservative friends and relatives voted conservative whenever they could they never once saw the Liberals as being a problem and the records prove that they never were.
It’s these mindless seniors voting for the word conservative , and ignoring what these Reformers are doing to us that’s the problem, isn’t it?
Immigration as a percent of population is pretty constant, irrespective of prime minister.