Hia Engl470.

If you are reading this to figure out your assignment you can skip over and hit up my official entry on a story about home. This is not an entry-proper per say, I simply read something I though applied to the course and more importantly something I passionately want other people to be aware of.

I just encountered this article by the Montreal Gazette, which is a recent highlight of a longer-standing issue.

If you do not have time to read the article: There have been sweeping changes to immigration policy in Canada over the past few years. One of these is decreased access to the medical system by immigrants and refugees. This clearly ties in with out course when we talk about home, land, immigration, settling, colonialism, pretty much anything.

Below is an excerpt from the end of the article:

Last week Immigration Minister Chris Alexander laced into Canada’s largest province, Ontario, for joining the bandwagon <of provinces disagreeing with federal policy>.

“This is reckless policy. It will force Ontario taxpayers and their families to line up for care behind failed asylum seekers,” he said. “The sooner the Ontario government gets serious about protecting Ontario taxpayers and stops undermining the success of our national refugee reforms, the better and fairer it will be for all Canadians.”

It will force Ontario taxpayers and their families to line up for care behind failed asylum seekers.

Whether or not those seekers are “valid” does not change how the line works at the ER – those triaged and needed to be seen first are seen first. Period. I know wait times are rough – we often have 16 hour ER waits back in Fredericton – and Ontario faces a similar crunch. But denying the preventative care to keep people out of the ER just makes matters worse and wait times longer. As Canucks we have all at one point in our history been exiles, refugees, or asylum seekers. Indeed, as people we have been.
I felt compelled to post this as the world appears to be really pushing immigration issues my way this week: Monday night at a poetry slam on Commercial Drive Torontonian Lishai Peel (internationally recognized) brought up the issue eloquently. If you have the time look her up, she is impressive. Also check out the Slam, every Monday. Shoot me a note if you want details. It always sells out.

In any case, thanks for reading. Rant out.
Cohen, Tobi. “Medical Journal calls refugee health cuts ‘medically irrational'” The Gazette. 28 Jan 2014. Web. 29 Jan 2014.