Becoming Canada

In this passionate, thought-provoking vision for Canada, Ken Dryden argues that we have paid a price for having the wrong sense of ourselves as a country. The old definition of Canada – genial but sometimes too self-deprecating and ambition-killing – is no longer the real story. Through recent global events such as Barack Obama’s election and first year in office; the climate conference in Copenhagen; and even the 2010 Winter Olympics, Dryden explores the clash between politics and story, and the importance of a nation finding its true narrative in order to thrive. By tracing the ups and downs in contemporary Canadian politics, from the Liberal leadership race to Stephen Harper’s Conservative minority governments, Michael Ignatieff’s appointment as Opposition leader, and prorogation, Ken Dryden presciently identifies the obstacles facing Canada. He observes a sea change taking place among Canadians, who want something more for their country. The ambition of Canada’s policies and the nature of our politics will not change, Dryden says, until we conceive of a new story for the nation. Becoming Canada is at once a celebration of Canada and a timely, ardent rallying cry to all Canadians to build upon Canada’s unique place in the world. It is certain to inspire new conversations about our Canada’s identity at home and abroad.

"Becoming a Citizen is a terrific book. Important, innovative, well argued, theoretically significant, and empirically grounded. It will be the definitive work in the field for years to come."—Frank D. Bean, Co-Director, Center for Research on Immigration, Population and Public Policy "This book is in three ways innovative. First, it avoids the domestic navel-gazing of U.S .immigration studies, through an obvious yet ingenious comparison with Canada. Second, it shows that official multiculturalism and common citizenship may very well go together, revealing Canada, and not the United States, as leader in successful immigrant integration. Thirdly, the book provides a compelling picture of how the state matters in making immigrants citizens. An outstanding contribution to the migration and citizenship literature!"—Christian Joppke, American University of Paris

In this passionate, thought-provoking vision for Canada, Ken Dryden argues that we have paid a price for having the wrong sense of ourselves as a country. The old definition of Canada – genial but sometimes too self-deprecating and ambition-killing – is no longer the real story. Through recent global events such as Barack Obama’s election and first year in office; the climate conference in Copenhagen; and even the 2010 Winter Olympics, Dryden explores the clash between politics and story, and the importance of a nation finding its true narrative in order to thrive. By tracing the ups and downs in contemporary Canadian politics, from the Liberal leadership race to Stephen Harper’s Conservative minority governments, Michael Ignatieff’s appointment as Opposition leader, and prorogation, Ken Dryden presciently identifies the obstacles facing Canada. He observes a sea change taking place among Canadians, who want something more for their country. The ambition of Canada’s policies and the nature of our politics will not change, Dryden says, until we conceive of a new story for the nation. Becoming Canada is at once a celebration of Canada and a timely, ardent rallying cry to all Canadians to build upon Canada’s unique place in the world. It is certain to inspire new conversations about our Canada’s identity at home and abroad.

How numerous tax loopholes and the lowest corporate tax rates are morphing Canada into the world's favorite tax haven.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Fred Sasakamoose played in the NHL before First Nations people had the right to vote in Canada. This page turner will have you cheering for 'Fast Freddy' as he faces off against huge challenges both on and off the ice--a great gift to every proud hockey fan, Canadian, and Indigenous person." --Wab Kinew, Leader of the Manitoba NDP and author of The Reason You Walk Trailblazer. Residential school Survivor. First Treaty Indigenous player in the NHL. All of these descriptions are true--but none of them tell the whole story. Fred Sasakamoose, torn from his home at the age of seven, endured the horrors of residential school for a decade before becoming one of 120 players in the most elite hockey league in the world. He has been heralded as the first Indigenous player with Treaty status in the NHL, making his official debut as a 1954 Chicago Black Hawks player on Hockey Night in Canada and teaching Foster Hewitt how to pronounce his name. Sasakamoose played against such legends as Gordie Howe, Jean Beliveau, and Maurice Richard. After twelve games, he returned home. When people tell Sasakamoose's story, this is usually where they end it. They say he left the NHL to return to the family and culture that the Canadian government had ripped away from him. That returning to his family and home was more important to him than an NHL career. But there was much more to his decision than that. Understanding Sasakamoose's choice means acknowledging the dislocation and treatment of generations of Indigenous peoples. It means considering how a man who spent his childhood as a ward of the government would hear those supposedly golden words: "You are Black Hawks property." Sasakamoose's story was far from over once his NHL days concluded. He continued to play for another decade in leagues around Western Canada. He became a band councillor, served as Chief, and established athletic programs for kids. He paved a way for youth to find solace and meaning in sports for generations to come. Yet, threaded through these impressive accomplishments were periods of heartbreak and unimaginable tragedy--as well moments of passion and great joy. This isn't just a hockey story; Sasakamoose's groundbreaking memoir sheds piercing light on Canadian history and Indigenous politics, and follows this extraordinary man's journey to reclaim pride in an identity and a heritage that had previously been used against him.

Becoming Canadian reveals how Michiel Horn, a Dutch immigrant in Canada in the 1950's, adjusted to the process of cultural assimilation. Horn tries to make sense of the immigrant impulse to integrate socially while maintaining a respect for heritage.

During the first half of the twentieth century, Canada and Germany’s responses to questions of national membership consisted of discriminatory policies aimed at harnessing migration for economic ends. Yet, by the end of the century, both countries were transformed into highly diverse multicultural societies. How did this remarkable shift come about? Triadafilopoulos argues that, after the war, global human rights norms intersected with domestic political identities and institutions, opening the way for the liberalization of Canada and Germany’s immigration and citizenship policies. His is a thought-provoking analysis that sheds light on the dynamics of membership politics and policy making in contemporary liberal-democratic countries.

Political, social and economic advancement in Upper Canada were often linked to characteristics other than merit. Through a collective biographical study of the social and economic background of the 283 men who were elected to the House of Assembly of Up