524)SECTION 14: FOR MORE INFORMATION; The Stephen Harper Government's Citizenship Guide; Quotes Of Minister Jason Kenney

Among the tens of thousands of people from six continents who visit my Blog there must be a significant number who may show an interest in becoming Canadian citizens now or in the future. Consequently I am showcasing on my Blog the Stephen Harper Conservative Government's magnificent new Citizenship Guide for prospective Canadian citizens unveiled on November 12th 2009, the day after Rememberance Day. When I read the online version of this booklet I came away feeling a deep sense of awe and admiration for the country I have lived in for the past 36 years, 5 as a landed immigrant and 31 as a citizen. Indeed this booklet should not just be required reading for prospective Canadians but also for established Canadian citizens of all ages. It's always refreshing to remind ourselves about our secular democracy-its evolution, history, system of government, regions, rights and responsibilities, justice system, economy, symbols, achievements and much, much more. The text of the booklet has been carefully researched and well written and the many photographs wisely chosen. While I have reproduced all the text from the Guide in the following Blogposts one cannot fully appreciate the material without also looking at the photographs and their captions. For that reason each Blogpost has two links to the original page on the Citizenship And Immigration Canada(CIC) website, one at the beginning and one at the end of the post.

On another forum I made the following comment to commemorate Rememberance Day on November 11th 2009: Canada is a stable secular democratic state with a solid, longstanding and admirable history. It is not a disparate bunch of autonomous multicultural fiefdoms as some political parties would have you beleive. Canada is the Magna Carta(1215), War of 1812, British North America Act(1867), Boer War(1899-1902), Vimy Ridge, Ypres and Paschendale(1914-1918), Dieppe, Monte Cassino, D-Day, Juno Beach, Belgium and Holland(1939-1945), Korean War(1950-1953), Cold War(1917-1989), Vietnam War(1960's) and Afghanistan(post 2001).


http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/section-14.asp

Study Guide – Discover
CanadaThe Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

SECTION 14: FOR MORE INFORMATION


Canadian citizenship

Obtain citizenship application information and take advantage of the many resources that are available.

By telephone
Call Centre NumberFor all areas within Canada, call 1 888 242-2100 (toll-free).

Online
Visit the Citizenship and Immigration website at www.cic.gc.ca. Discover Canada can be downloaded from this website.

Citizenship classes
Contact schools and colleges in your area
Go to your local library or community centre
Contact local settlement agencies or ethnocultural associations


Canada

Ask a librarian to help you find books and videos about Canada. You could begin by asking for these books:
The Canada Yearbook (published by Statistics Canada)

Canada: A Portrait (published by Statistics Canada)

How Canadians Govern Themselves (written by Eugene Forsey. It can be found online at the Library of Parliament at http://www.parl.gc.ca/)

The Canadian Encyclopedia (including The Youth Encyclopedia of Canada) http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/

The Story of Canada (written by Janet Lunn and Christopher Moore, published by Lester Publishing Ltd.)

Symbols of Canada (published by Canadian Heritage)

A Crown of Maples (published by Canadian Heritage)

Canada: A People’s History (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Beaver: Canada’s History Magazine

Kayak: Canada’s History Magazine for Kids (Published by Canada’s National History Society)




Federal programs and services

You can obtain information about Canada by telephone or on the Internet:

Telephone:
1 800 0-Canada
1 800 622-6232 (toll-free)
1 800 465-7735 — TTY (toll-free)

Internet:
The Government of Canada website contains information about many government programs and services. It can be found at http://www.canada.gc.ca/.



Other websites of interest that provide information on topics found in this guide:



About Canada

The Crown and the Governor General
http://www.gg.ca/

Canadian Heritage
http://www.pch.gc.ca/

Atlas of Canada
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/index.html

Parks Canada
http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/

Institute for Canadian Citizenship
http://www.icc-icc.ca/

Historica — Dominion
http://www.historica-dominion.ca/



Canadian History

Canadian Confederation
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/index-e.html

Confederation for Kids
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/kids/index-e.html



Military History and Remembrance

A Day of Remembrance
www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/other/remember

Heroes and Poppies –An Introduction to RemembranceAvailable in hard copy version only. Order at:
https://crorders-commandescss.vac-acc.gc.ca/order.php?m=item_list&c=EducationKits



Heroes and Poppies —An Introduction to Remembrance

Available in hard copy version only. Order at:
https://crorders-commandescss.vac-acc.gc.ca/order.php?m=item_list&c=EducationKits

Canada Remembers
www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/infosheets

Historical booklets
www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/series

Canada Remembers
www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/infosheets

Historical booklets
www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/series



Government

Parliament of Canada
http://www.parl.gc.ca/

I Can Vote!
http://www.elections.ca/content_youth.asp?section=yth&dir=res/gen/

Canada’s System of Justice
www.justice.gc.ca/eng/dept-min/pub/just/



Geography

Geography Quizzes
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/quizzes/index.html



For a “Greener” Canada

Sustainable Development
www.pc.gc.ca/docs/pc/strat/sdd-sds-2007/index_e.asp

Being Energy Efficient
www.nrcan.gc.ca/eneene/effeff/index-eng.php



Getting Involved

Volunteer Canada
volunteer.ca/

Volunteer opportunities related to the environment
www.ec.gc.ca/education/default.asp?lang=En&n=AE4E595B-1



Travel in Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador
http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/

Prince Edward Island
http://www.gentleisland.com/

Nova Scotia
http://www.novascotia.com/

New Brunswick
http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/

Quebec
http://www.bonjourquebec.com/

Ontario
http://www.ontariotravel.net/

Manitoba
http://www.travelmanitoba.com/

Saskatchewan
http://www.sasktourism.com/

Alberta
http://www.travelalberta.com/

British Columbia
http://www.hellobc.com/

Nunavut
http://www.nunavuttourism.com/

Northwest Territories
http://www.spectacularnwt.com/

Yukon Territory
http://www.travelyukon.com/




http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/section-14.asp


Quotes Of Canadian Minister Of Citizenship, Immigration And Multiculturalism Hon. Jason Kenney(2009):

1)When you become a citizen, you're not just getting a travel document into Hotel Canada.
2)I think it's scandalous that someone could become a Canadian not knowing what the poppy represents, or never having heard of Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, Dieppe or Juno Beach.
3)We mention freedom of conscience and freedom of religion as important rights but we also make it very clear that our laws prohibit barbaric cultural practices, they will not be tolerated, whether or not someone claims that such practices are protected by reference to religion.
4)I think we need to reclaim a deeper sense of citizenship, a sense of shared obligations to one another, to our past, as well as to the future, a kind of civic nationalism where people understand the institutions, values and symbols that are rooted in our history.


Easy Nash