"We're all immigrants here!"

[betsy]

Nothing happened. There was no general concern, apparently, either. If we're looking for general metrics that take assess the general situation with regards to such topics, that may be one. It certainly seems to be a better measure - for my time - than a single emotional anti-immigrant person ranting on a bus on another continent.

Edited a few times - I didn't know what to call her.

She's not the only one.

[betsy]

If we start going down that route, we could say that everyone living outside Africa is an immigrant in his present whereabouts.

Thus the title and OP of the topic. But here's the thing:

Would immigrants of modern times be flocking to Canada if Canada were still un-developed and barren just like the way it was before the first settlers came?

There are places that are ripe for settling somewhere in this world. Maybe in the arctic.....or in the amazons....somewhere...How many I wonder are willing to take the high adventure (and risk, and labor) of starting from scratch?

I know that I wouldn't.

[guyser]

Would immigrants of modern times be flocking to Canada if Canada were still un-developed and barren just like the way it was before the first settlers came?

I know that I wouldn't.

Gee , ya think?

I wonder why no one of modern times would want to come to a huge forested place (half) with the other have flat lands , and no roads, nothing at all for people to live in or on.

Hey, maybe they are opting for the North Pole area or Siberia. Hows immigration up there? Burgeoning?

Now where is that quote that should go here.....

[-TSS-]

I think it is quite astonishing that Canada has become such a magnet for immigration from all over the world as about 2/3 of the country is like a giant version of Finland and the remaining third something of the north-pole. The early settlers certainly had some guts. After all, we must bear in mind that at the time there was no certainty whatsoever that anything worthwhile would come out of the settlement. I'm sorry that there have been conflicts with the first nations. One would think that Canada is a vast enough country to live n for both, or all, groups of people.

[bush_cheney2004]

If we start going down that route, we could say that everyone living outside Africa is an immigrant in his present whereabouts.

No you couldn't, as many African slaves were certainly not "immigrants".

[BC_chick]

I'm sorry that there have been conflicts with the first nations. One would think that Canada is a vast enough country to live n for both, or all, groups of people.

The Canadian Shield makes up a great portion of Canada. Many of the early settlers did try settling further north but their crops failed.

The country developed spread out along the lines that it did and now and that's the land we're fighting over. Seems kind of strange to ask the 'other' to go start a new city somewhere.

Edited January 5, 2013 by BC_chick

[betsy]

I think it is quite astonishing that Canada has become such a magnet for immigration from all over the world as about 2/3 of the country is like a giant version of Finland and the remaining third something of the north-pole. The early settlers certainly had some guts. After all, we must bear in mind that at the time there was no certainty whatsoever that anything worthwhile would come out of the settlement. I'm sorry that there have been conflicts with the first nations. One would think that Canada is a vast enough country to live n for both, or all, groups of people.

Just so to be clear, the title of the topic and the OP was not directed at the first nations.