Tag Archives: Canada

Statistics Canada: Migration from USA to Canada

March 29, 2025 humanistfreedoms

In light of recent interest in Canada-USA relations, Statistics Canada has released an analysis of migration flows from the US to Canada.

The analysis, and the information it is based on, is not interesting merely to satisfy curiosity about how many “Americans” are moving to Canada – nor even to fuel narrow and competitive nationalist views between the two countries. Instead, this information seems valuable to understand who may be interested to move to Canada as policies within the USA change over time. And, incidentally, what perspectives they may wish to bring to Canada as their new home.

This interest to know who may wish to join Canadian society, and why, is stimulated by recent USA politics, but a similar curiosity ought to extend to any jurisdiction from which Canada accepts a significant quantity of immigrants.

Humanists should use controversial topics of this kind to inform their humanist principles…and use their humanist principles to inform their outlook on controversial topics of this kind.

We present the StatsCan report in full below for those who may be interested.

Recent trends in migration flows from the United States to Canada

by Feng Hou and Max Stick

Release date: March 26, 2025

Introduction

Canada has long been a destination for American expatriates because of its geographic proximity, familiar culture and similar socioeconomic environment. However, migration flows have historically fluctuated in response to economic, political and social factors (Boyd, 1981; Kobayashi & Ray, 2005). Notably, shifts in U.S. administration policies—particularly those affecting immigration, labour markets and social stability—have influenced U.S. residents’ intentions to move north (Croucher, 2011).

Media reports have offered mixed assessments of how political shifts in the United States impact migration to Canada (Benenson & Mattey, 2025; Cain, 2016; Singer, 2024). These reports primarily focus on U.S. citizens, overlooking the migration of U.S. non-citizen residents. This group is often more affected by U.S. immigration policy changes and is a key target of Canada’s efforts to attract high-skilled workers (Arnold, 2020; Rose, 2020). Additionally, little attention has been given to Canadian-born individuals and permanent residents who previously resided in the United States but returned to live in Canada.

This article examines recent trends in migration flows from the United States to Canada. U.S. immigrants are individuals who obtained permanent residency in Canada and whose country of birth, citizenship or last residence was the United States.^Note The analysis distinguishes five immigrant categories: (1) U.S.-born individuals whose last country of residence was the United States, (2) U.S. citizens born outside the United States, (3) U.S. non-citizen residents, (4) U.S. citizens who were temporary residents in Canada before obtaining Canadian permanent residency^Note and (5) U.S. citizens who were temporary residents in a third country before obtaining Canadian permanent residency. The analysis draws on data from the Longitudinal Immigration Database. The article also uses Canadian census data to estimate the number of Canadian-born individuals and Canadian permanent residents who previously lived in the United States and returned to live in Canada.

While this study explores whether migration flows from the United States to Canada align with changes in U.S. administrations, any observed patterns should not be interpreted as causal. Beyond political factors, economic conditions and personal motivations also influence migration decisions. The relative strength of U.S. and Canadian labour markets affects cross-border movement, as seen during the 2008 financial crisis, which led more Americans to seek jobs abroad (Singer & Wilson, 2009). Additionally, Canadian immigration policies—such as Express Entry for skilled workers and targeted programs for health care and technology professionals—may have facilitated migration from the United States since 2015 (Arnold, 2020).

Migration flows of U.S. citizens and residents to Canada

Chart 1 presents the number of U.S. immigrants to Canada, revealing several salient trends in their composition and numbers.

First, there have been significant changes in the composition of U.S. immigrant inflows to Canada based on U.S. citizenship status, country of birth and country of last residence. In the early 1980s, almost all immigrants were U.S. citizens, with more than three-quarters born and last residing in the United States. While this share declined in the following decade, it remained above two-thirds until the early 2010s, when it began to drop rapidly. Meanwhile, the proportion of U.S. non-citizen residents immigrating to Canada rose sharply from the early 2010s, reaching 45% in 2019—the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. The share of U.S. citizens who were previously temporary residents in Canada also increased significantly during this period, peaking at 54% in 2017 and fluctuating in subsequent years. The proportion of immigrants who were not born in the United States but acquired U.S. citizenship ranged from about 8% to 12% before the early 2010s but declined to 2% by the early 2020s. As a result of these shifts, the majority of U.S. immigrants to Canada in recent years have been either U.S. non-citizen residents or U.S. citizens who had already been living in Canada.^Note

Second, there was no clear correlation between changes in U.S. government administrations and the number of U.S. immigrants to Canada from the early 1980s to mid-2005. The decline in inflows during the early 1980s was a continuation of the gradual decline from a peak in the mid-1970s, following the end of the Vietnam War, and coincided with recessions in the United States and Canada (Kobayashi & Ray, 2005). Similarly, the decline in the early 1990s corresponded with an economic downturn and a reduction in overall immigration levels in Canada. Inflows of U.S. immigrants remained low until the early 2000s.

Chart 1: Numbers of new permanent residents to Canada who were U.S. citizens or U.S. residents before immigrating to Canada, 1980 to 2023

Data table for Chart 1

Third, fluctuations in U.S. immigration to Canada following changes in U.S. government administrations since the mid-2000s were associated with different categories of U.S. immigrants. U.S. citizen residents (both those born in and outside the United States) were the primary drivers of the increase in migration to Canada during the second term of the 43^rd presidential administration and the decline in the early years of the 44^th administration. In contrast, the rise in inflows during the initial years of the 45^th administration was driven primarily by U.S. non-citizen residents whose numbers quadrupled from 2,100 in 2016 to 9,310 in 2019. This may suggest that restrictive U.S. immigration policies—such as visa caps, delays in employment-based green cards and heightened deportation risks—pushed temporary migrants (e.g., H-1B workers and international students) to seek more stable opportunities in Canada. Conversely, U.S. immigration to Canada decreased by 20% in the first three years of the 46^th administration compared with the same point in the 45^th administration, despite a 38% increase in overall immigration during this period. This decline was primarily driven by U.S. non-citizen residents.

Returning Canadians from the United States

Chart 2 presents the estimated number of returning Canadian-born individuals and permanent residents^Note who lived in the United States five years prior but resided in Canada at the time of the census.^Note

The number of returning Canadian-born individuals increased by 92% from 1996 (under the 42^nd presidential administration) to 2006 (under the 43^rd administration) before declining by 29% from 2006 to 2016 (under the 44^th administration). Similarly, the number of returning Canadian permanent residents rose by 122% from 1996 to 2006, followed by a 23% decline over the next decade. These trends suggest that the trend of returning Canadians broadly aligned with changes in U.S. government administrations from the mid-1990s to the mid-2010s. From 2016 to 2021, there was a small decrease in the number of returning Canadian-born individuals (-6%), while the number of returning permanent residents increased by 15%. The inflow in the 2016-to-2021 period was likely affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Chart 2: Estimated number of Canadian-born individuals and Canadian permanent residents returning from the United States to Canada in the previous five years

Data table for Chart 2

Returning Canadian-born individuals and permanent residents were more likely to be in their prime working years and had higher educational attainment than other Canadian-born individuals and permanent residents in Canada. In 2021, 58% of returning Canadian-born individuals and 72% of returning permanent residents were aged 25 to 64, compared with 50% of other Canadian-born individuals and 64% of other permanent residents. Among those in this age group, 64% of returning Canadian-born individuals and 70% of returning permanent residents held a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 27% of other Canadian-born individuals and 42% of other permanent residents. These findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of human capital tend to be more mobile.

In sum, there have been significant shifts in the composition of U.S. immigrants to Canada since the 1980s, when migration inflows were dominated by U.S. residents born in the United States. In recent years, the majority of U.S. immigrants to Canada have been either U.S. non-citizen residents or U.S. citizens who were temporary residents in Canada. These changes are likely driven in part by the large increase of temporary foreign workers in Canada and the increasing selection of immigrants from this pool (Hou, Crossman & Picot, 2020).

Additionally, the number of U.S. citizen residents (both those born in and outside the United States) moving to Canada increased during the second term of the 43^rd presidential administration and declined during the 44^th administration, whereas U.S. non-citizen residents moving to Canada quadrupled in the first three years of the 45^th administration and decreased under the 46^th administration. The movement of Canadian-born individuals and permanent residents returning from the United States also reflected shifts in U.S. government administrations.

Looking ahead, given the changing political and economic landscape in the United States, the results of this study could inform the potential immigration patterns of U.S. non-citizen and Canadian-born individuals currently living in the U.S. to Canada over the next several years.

Authors

Feng Hou and Max Stick are with the Social Analysis and Modelling Division, Analytical Studies and Modelling Branch, at Statistics Canada.

References

Arnold, Z. (2020). Canada’s skilled immigration system increasingly draws talent from the United States.

Benenson, L. & Mattey. (2025). Trump’s First 100 Days: Potential Immigration Actions. Accessed February 12, 2025.

Boyd, M. (1981). The American emigrant in Canada: Trends and consequences. International Migration Review, 15(4), 650-670.

Cain, P. (2016.) Some U.S. liberals walk the walk: Immigration to Canada doubled after Bush’s 2004 re-election. Global News. Accessed February 11, 2025.

Croucher, S. (2011). The nonchalant migrants: Americans living north of the 49^th parallel. International Migration & Integration,12:113–131.

Hou, F., Crossman, E., & Picot, G. (2020). Two-step immigration selection: An analysis of its expansion in Canada. Statistics Canada: Economic Insights, Catalogue no. 11-626-X — 2020009 – No. 112.

IRCC. (n.d.). Permanent Residents – Monthly IRCC Updates – Canada – Permanent Residents by Country of Citizenship. Open Government Portal. Accessed February 15, 2025.

Kobayashi, A., & Ray, B. (2005). Placing American emigration to Canada in context. Migration Policy Institute. Accessed February 11, 2025.

Rose, J. (2020). Canada wins, U.S. loses in global fight for high-Tech workers. NPR.

Singer, A. & Wilson, J. (2009). How the Recession’s Affecting Immigration. The Brookings Institution. Accessed February 13, 2025.

Singer, C. (2022). What Americans Should Know About Canada Immigration in Light of Trump’s Election Victory – Canada Immigration and Visa Information. Canadian Immigration Services and Free Online Evaluation. Accessed February 15, 2025.

Statistics Canada. (2022). Immigrants make up the largest share of the population in over 150 years and continue to shape who we are as Canadians. Statistics Canada, The Daily. Accessed February 13, 2025.

Notes

Note

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) usually uses the country of citizenship to define the source country in reporting immigrant statistics (e.g., IRCC n.d.), while statistics from Canadian census data generally use the country of birth (e.g., Statistics Canada, 2022).

Note

This group includes those who reported Canada as their country of last residence or held temporary residency permits in Canada before obtaining Canadian permanent residency.

Note

Additional analysis revealed variations in sociodemographic characteristics across different types of U.S. immigrants (table not shown). In 2019, 92% of U.S. non-citizen residents were admitted through the economic class, compared with 35% of U.S. citizens who were temporary residents in Canada and 59% of U.S. citizen residents. Among economic principal applicants, 89% of U.S. non-citizen residents held a graduate degree, compared with 47% of U.S. citizens who were temporary residents in Canada and 66% of U.S. citizen residents born in the United States.

Note

Returning permanent residents are individuals who obtained Canadian permanent residency at least six years before the census. Similar trends are observed when a restriction criterion of five or seven years before the census was used.

Note

This method is different from that of the Demographic Estimates Program at Statistics Canada.

Up For Discussion

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

Citations, References And Other Reading

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Canada: Election 2025

March 24, 2025 humanistfreedoms

A federal general election has been called for April 28, 2025. Throughout the month, we’ll refresh this post with any news, information or resources that may be of interest. Check back often!

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Having achieved leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, Mark Carney announced that voters will have their opportunity to reflect on Canadian politics and submit their vote in the 45th general election.

Elections Canada has provided an informational video to help Canadians to know what to expect when they go to vote:

This election became inevitable as confidence in the Liberal government, as led by Justin Trudeau, had been effectively lost late in 2024. However, the lack of confidence in Trudeau’s Liberals has not been the dominant issue in the news. Canadian’s attention has shifted from whether the Liberals could be trusted to govern in the post-COVID global environment to what Canada and Canadians must do in light of dramatic changes in the foreign and trade policies of the United States of America.

In the meantime, what can we expect politicians and media to focus on until election day? Here are a few obvious topics:

National Unity and Federalism: Quebec separatism, Western alienation, US-Canada relations and the role of the federal government in addressing regional concerns and national unity.
Foreign Aid Policy, Trade, International Relations: Global relationships are getting a shake-up. Canadians may be getting a wake-up.
Climate Change and Environment: Canada’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy policies, and addressing the impacts of climate change, selling oil.
Economic Growth and Inequality: A few decades ago, Jean Chretien won an election on a chant of Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!….in 2025, it may be time for a politician to chant Homes! Homes! Homes.
Immigration and Border Security: The management of Canada’s immigration system, border security, and the balance between economic growth, social cohesion and pressures imposed by the USA.
Gun Control and Public Safety: Gun control laws and measures to address public safety concerns, including mental health and community well-being and human rights.

Some potential (and perennial) concerns for Canadian humanists in the 2025 federal election might include:

Secularism and Church-State Separation: Humanists in Canada should continue to be concerned about the role of religion in public life and the separation of church and state.
Science, Education and Critical Thinking: Humanists will want nee to be on the watch for science and critical-thinking in policy-making.
Social Justice and Human Rights: Humanists often prioritize social justice, equality, and human rights, including issues like LGBTQ+ rights, access to healthcare, and Indigenous reconciliation.
Freedom of Expression and Speech: Humanists may advocate for the protection of freedom of expression and speech, including the right to criticize religion and other forms of oppression.
Social Justice: Addressing issues of poverty, inequality, and systemic racism, including promoting affordable housing, increasing the minimum wage, and supporting marginalized communities.
Environmental Protection: Taking action to address climate change, promoting renewable energy, and protecting Ontario’s natural resources for future generations.

Canadians are well-aware that the primary options for electing a candidate in their riding include, along with the already-mentioned Liberals, the Conservative Party of Canada as led by Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh New Democratic Party , the Green Party of Canada and the Bloc Quebecois (for those living in Quebec).

Certainly, there are a few aspiring hopefuls, like Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada, but Canadians also know the real contest of who will form the next government is between team blue and team red.

Pundits, experts and horse-race fans will be eager to pitch their favorite team based on their individual biases. And that may be the biggest hint that any humanist voter needs to make their local selection. Take heed of your preferences, biases and priorities and vote for whichever party or candidate that seems likeliest to make decisions the way you want them made.

Up For Discussion

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

Citations, References And Other Reading

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https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=pol&dir=par&document=index&lang=e

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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Supreme Court of Canada Will Hear Challenges to Québec’s Secularism Law

March 4, 2025 humanistfreedoms

On January 23, 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada announced that it would hear challenges to Québec’s secularism law, commonly referred to as “Bill 21”.

While this news may have been missed due to the political and economic uncertainties resulting from such situations as the trade relations between Canada and the United States of America (as led by its current President), the federal Liberal Party’s leadership race or even the Ontario provincial election, this is indeed significant national history in the making.

Here is what the Supreme Court has to say: “The Act respecting the laicity of the State was passed and assented to on June 16, 2019. Its purposes include affirming the laicity of the Quebec State and specifying the general obligations arising therefrom, prohibiting the listed persons from wearing religious symbols in the exercise of their functions and requiring those persons to perform their functions with their face uncovered. The Act also contains provisions through which the legislature exercises the override power granted to it by s. 52 of the Quebec Charter and s. 33 of the Canadian Charter and permits the Act to apply notwithstanding certain rights and freedoms.

Once the Act came into force, a number of persons, groups of persons and organizations brought separate proceedings challenging the constitutionality of the Act or certain of its provisions. They raised constitutional grounds, some of which were related to the Canadian Charter or the Quebec Charter. The Superior Court largely dismissed the challenge, except on two points. The Court of Appeal arrived at the same conclusions except as regards the educational language rights that s. 23 of the Canadian Charter guarantees to Canadian citizens belonging to Quebec’s English linguistic minority. Unlike the trial judge, the Court of Appeal found that the Act does not infringe s. 23.“

Since that January 23 announcement, a number of parties have requested intervenor status, including the Government of Canada and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Meanwhile, Québec’s justice minister has, “criticized the federal government for appointing Robert Leckey — a vocal opponent of the province’s secularism law and French language reforms — as a judge on the Quebec Superior Court.” The federal Liberal party has clearly set itself against Quebec’s secularism law.

Québec launched a Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms in 1975, approximately seven years before the Canadian charter. Meanwhile, the recent history of controversial secularism (laicité) laws dates to 2013’s proposed Charter of Values. You may wish to review our timeline to review this and other major events in the advancement of human rights in Canada, including Québec.

The latter (failed) proposal was a source of disagreement among many humanist and secularist organizations and opinion leaders in Canada.

Whether Bill 21 is an un-constitutional law or not is a serious matter which deserves significant consideration not only by the Supreme Court of Canada but also by humanists and all Canadians. Humanist Heritage Canada encourages earnest and forthright analysis and discussion of the various arguments and claims both for and against this law and all laws regarding secularism in Canada.

Up For Discussion

If you’re interested in analyzing and discussing this issue, there are actions you can take. First, here at Humanist Heritage Canada (Humanist Freedoms), we are open to receiving your well-written articles regarding artificial intelligence.

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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Black History Month and Humanism

February 5, 2025 humanistfreedoms

According to the Government of Canada, February is Black History Month and “the 2025 theme for Black History Month is: Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations.” The federal government’s website provides further information regarding the motivation for the official designation as well as an invitation to, “learn more about Black Canadian communities, and how they continue to help shape Canada.” A number of resources and tools are provided to support this invitation -including a timeline of significant events in “Black history in Canada.”

For our part, we decided to investigate whether there may be evidence that “Black history in Canada” and “humanism” overlap in clear and meaningful ways.

Prior to the modern era, the history of Black communities in Canada is closely connected to the global history of slavery. An excellent place to begin learning about this history is Amherstburg Freedom Museum (AFM). The museum was founded in 1975 by residents of Amherstburg, Ontario. It preserves and presents artifacts and tells the story of African-Canadians’ journey and contributions.

According to the AFM , between they years 1800 and 1860, some 50,000 people fled slavery to Amherstburg, now well known for its place in the “Underground Railroad.” The AFM also explains that, “the ‘Underground Railroad’, as it became known, is commemorated at the Amherstburg Museum, so that we may all continue to seek solace and inspiration from what human beings can achieve when they offer an open hand of kindness to those driven by determination.” and, “We will vigorously champion the power of human beings to come together across the dividing lines of our societies. We will openly challenge those who limit the dreams of others through racial, economic, or social oppression. We will work tirelessly to scale and dismantle the barricades that prevent people from building new lives and new futures.” If there are more definitively humanist sentiments linking humanism to Black history in Canada, we look forward to reading them.

Ontario-based inquirers may also wish to use the DestinationOntario.com resource to identify information about (early) Black settlement in Ontario.

The history of humanism in the modern era is irrevocably linked to the advancement of human rights. To pinpoint what “the modern era” means, we look to the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Perhaps more precisely, we look to that document as the beginning of the modern era for humanism and the human rights that humanist principles imply. In this way, we may have an expectation that humanists and the organizations which they create are positively aligned with the promotion of human rights for Black Canadians as individuals and as communities.

This is not quite evidence of what form such an alignment might take. We look forward to receiving and publishing details as they are discovered or are provided to us.

In the meantime, we found a 2020 blog post by Andrew Copson (of Humanists UK) which had some words that resonated with our inquiry and thought it would be worthwhile sharing them here, “Humanists, who care about the building of a more rational and fairer society, should always be ready to combat not just hate and prejudice but the injustice that arises from long standing inequalities. Humanists UK co-organised the first global congress against racism in the UK in 1911 and was a campaigner against colonialism, and its social and intellectual forebears have a good record on opposing slavery and injustice. What we don’t do as often is celebrate the black humanists who have shaped the humanist movement and are part of our modern tradition so here are seven of the best!“

We also found a CBC’s Ideas episode titled, Négritude: The birth of Black humanism. Historian Merve Fejzula had presented a talk at the University of Toronto in November 2022 which led to the Ideas episode.

Throughout our publication history, Humanist Heritage Canada (formerly HumanistFreedoms), we have covered stories and issues connected to African and Black humanists, most recently and frequently concerning Mubarak Bala. In the sprit of Copson’s seven best, here are seven of our best posts:

“Humanism, which I consider the ideological plank of humanity, reclines on the principles of reason and rationality. To attain a better society where love, humane value, and freedom reign, away from excessive religiosity (not religion), the human agency places the power for individual action in some other forces outside of the self and has brought so much human destruction since many centuries ago.” Toyin Falola 2021

Note: Humanist Heritage Canada will continue to expand this article as additional information is identified.

Up For Discussion

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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February 2025 – Humanist Heritage Canada Update and Call for Submissions

February 1, 2025 humanistfreedoms Leave a comment

During the latter half of 2023 and most of 2024, we had been less active in sharing humanist news and events than we were from 2020 to 2023 (as HumanistFreedoms.com). We weren’t quite fully hibernated, but we were very sleepy. Now, in 2025, we’ve refocused on our new branding, Humanist Heritage Canada, with plans to document and share the ongoing history of humanism in Canada.

We’ll still be sharing important humanist stories from around the world when they seem to have special insights on how humanism is unfolding in Canada.

We hope that frequent visitors to HumanistHeritageCanada.ca have noticed that we’re developing a timeline of Canada’s humanist heritage. For that endeavor to tell the story of goals, achievements and important events, we are looking for your participation!

Please send us your timeline suggestions, articles, stories, biographies or whatever comes to mind that will flesh-out our timeline of Canada’s humanist heritage.

Please follow our website, share articles with your friends and help us grow.

Up For Discussion

If you’re interested in analyzing and discussing issues from a contemporary humanist position, there are actions you can take. First, here at Humanist Heritage Canada (Humanist Freedoms), we are open to receiving your well-written articles regarding artificial intelligence.

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

Citations, References And Other Reading

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Ontario Election 2025

January 30, 2025 humanistfreedoms Leave a comment

A provincial general election has been called for February 27, 2025. Throughout the month, we’ll refresh this post with any news, information or resources that may be of interest. Check back often!

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It is probably clear to most Ontario electors that Premier Doug Ford called the election now, rather than waiting until 2026, primarily because the timing is better for him and his Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

According to Joshua Freedman at CP24, the leading reasons for an early election in Ontario include strong polling for the PCs, threats of punitive tariffs by the current President of the United States of America, and Ontario’s frequent tendency to elect provincial liberals when a federal conservative government is in power (and vice versa). These reasons all seem correctly assumed.

Polling the electorate is valued by the media and political parties in our first past the post system. It isn’t necessary in Canadian politics to be more popular than the other candidate(s). As a candidate, it’s great if you and your party happen to be more popular, but it isn’t really the bottom line. Consider the 2022 Ontario election results:

If you weren’t already familiar with our system, you’d wonder how a party with 40.8 percent of the vote was able to achieve a majority government. You’d be baffled to see that 40.8 can get you a 66.9 percent majority of seats.

That is indeed what you can get when every riding is its own horse-race. It takes a lot for Canadians to send a political party packing. Premier Ford does not want to wait until the Ontario electorate is completely sick of hearing his name. In Canadian politics, our tendency is not to vote FOR a government, but to vote to GET RID of a government.

This informs Ontario’s tendency to have a red party in power provincially when a blue party is in power federally (and vice versa). Once we’ve gotten sick of seeing red….we’re sick of it regardless of whether they’re sitting in Ottawa or Toronto. Is it more complicated than that? Probably…or maybe. But it’s not a popular myth for no reason.

Did you know that there are 25 registered political parties in Ontario? We checked the Elections Ontario website today to get an idea of who’s who. That’s a lot of parties to try to explore and we’ll do our best to run through the lot (probably in a separate post). For now…starting at the top the alphabetically sorted list, the Canadians’ Choice Party website states that their mandate is to, “help Independent Candidates across Ontario to better represent their ridings and to bring a fair measure of direct democracy to all Ontarians and Canadians.” and that they have four “pillars” grouped under the somewhat uncomfortable acronym FIST: Fiscal responsibility and respect for taxpayers, Individual freedom and the right to free speech, Sovereignty and protection of common-law rights, Transparency and accountability in government. Apparently these folks have been around since 2011 with “A bottom-up approach to engage citizens.” We’ll let you work out the pun(s) that inevitably (and perhaps, deservedly) comes to mind. The initiative seems to be earnestly motivated, but doesn’t really present a credible, self-consistent philosophy.

Meanwhile, perhaps the biggest motivation for the election that’s been posited so far is the threat of tariffs and/or financial hard times. Some pundits will suggest that non-blue candidates will be wise to stay away from the issue. For those who oppose the ongoing financial and human rights embarrassment of funding religious schools…this is an opportunity.

Our reasoning goes like this: Given the RISKS associated with unreliable global trading partners, supply chain business practices that destroy Ontario-based value-added business and the ever-increasing probability of continued financial hard-times….can Ontario really afford the anachronistic, misguided, wasteful and discriminatory practice of funding the Catholic school system with public money any longer?

There has never been a more pressing time to push Ontario’s conservative politicians to set aside their puppy-eyed adoration of Bill Davis, admit that discriminatory funding of one religious group’s schools is a bad and wasteful idea and rip the band-aid off.

As a very modest side note (and speaking of puppy-eyed adoration), Ontario humanists may do well to spend some time with Steve Paikin’s biography of Bill Davis titled, Bill Davis: Nation Builder, and Not So Bland After All. If you read the book and between the lines, you may come away with important insight into why Ontario perpetuates this recognized human rights violation and what it may take to finally get the province back on track for a single school system.

Lest we be accused of being a one-trick-pony kind of place, we asked an AI to generate a list of issues in the current provincial election. The response we got back was:

Jobs and the economy, with a focus on creating new opportunities and supporting workers
Healthcare, including the need for more family doctors and improved access to healthcare services
Affordability, with parties proposing various solutions to address the rising cost of living in Ontario
Gridlock and transportation, with discussions on highway expansion, public transit, and the removal of tolls on Highway 407
Education, with the NDP proposing to invest an additional $830 million a year to clear the repair backlog in schools and create a universal School Food Program
Housing, with the NDP proposing to create 60,000 new supportive housing units and establish Homes Ontario to build permanently affordable housing
Energy and the environment, with the PC party proposing to permanently cut the provincial tax on gas and diesel5
Indigenous issues, with a focus on reconciliation and supporting Indigenous communities
Long-term care, with a need for improved services and support for seniors
Infrastructure, with the PC party proposing to invest up to $15 billion more over three years to speed up key capital projects
Social assistance, with the NDP and Liberal parties proposing to double ODSP
Tariff response, with the PC party proposing $10 billion in cash-flow support for Ontario employ

When we asked, what issues should be of importance to humanists in this coming election, we were advised that, “As a humanist, you may be particularly interested in issues that promote the well-being, dignity, and flourishing of all individuals in Ontario,” and the following list of priorities was presented:

Education: Investing in public education, promoting critical thinking, and ensuring that all students have access to quality education, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.
Healthcare: Ensuring that all Ontarians have access to quality, publicly-funded healthcare, including mental health services, reproductive health, and palliative care.
Social Justice: Addressing issues of poverty, inequality, and systemic racism, including promoting affordable housing, increasing the minimum wage, and supporting marginalized communities.
Environmental Protection: Taking action to address climate change, promoting renewable energy, and protecting Ontario’s natural resources for future generations.
Human Rights: Ensuring that all Ontarians are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their identity, including promoting LGBTQ2+ rights, Indigenous reconciliation, and anti-racism initiatives.
Access to Justice: Ensuring that all Ontarians have access to justice, including affordable legal services, mental health support, and community resources.
Science and Critical Thinking: Promoting the use of evidence-based decision-making, critical thinking, and scientific literacy in policy-making.

Up For Discussion

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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Health Canada’s 5th Annual Report on Medical Assistance In Dying (MAiD)

January 19, 2025 humanistfreedoms

Health Canada released its fifth annual report on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) on December 11, 2024. The report “provides a summary of MAID requests, assessments and provisions for the 2023 calendar year.” To view a PDF version of he report, click the image of he cover below.

The December 2024 report is the first report to present data collected under the amended Regulations for the Monitoring of Medical Assistance in Dying, which came into force on January 1, 2023. The data includes new information on who requested MAiD, what health and other support services were offered and, where possible, how assessments were informed. Given that this was the first year collecting these additional variables, including self-identification measures such as race, Indigenous identity, and disability, there are some important data limitations to consider, including: an inability to present trends over time, some missing data, and limited quality and reliability of some measures. Nevertheless, the report provides important insight into who requested and received MAID, as well as how and where it was delivered.

TVO’s The Agenda hosted a discussion of the report early in 2025.

Humanists Should Analyze and Discuss this Issue

Second, we encourage you to visit the New Enlightenment Project’s (NEP) Facebook page and discussion group.

A federal election is likely to be held in Canada in 2025. MAiD will likely be a significant “hot button” issue in the election as politicians seek out issues that will attract voters. Canadian humanists who value their rights and freedoms can help to ensure discussions of MAiD are based on fact rather than emotion and rhetoric. Is there a better place to start than within humanist publications and communities?

What do Canada’s Humanist Organizations have to say about this contemporary human rights matter?

BC Humanists: Medical assistance in dying should be available for any Canadian who freely chooses it, even if they are not terminally ill. There is no moral argument to limit access to a physician-assisted death to individuals with “a grievous and irremediable medical condition.” Safeguards should ensure that decisions are free, voluntary, and informed but should not make access unjustly difficult. Medical assistance in dying should be guaranteed through the publicly funded healthcare system and institutions that refuse should see their funding removed. Ian Bushfield, BC Humanists’ Executive Director told us that, “it’s reasonable to say we support the expansion of MAID to persons whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.“

Continued or increased restrictions to accessing MAID do not serve to protect the disabled but rather perpetuate a paternalistic relationship between the government and those individuals. To ensure the equal dignity of all people, we must afford everyone choice in life and choice in death.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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Alumni to Amend Section 93 Ontario

June 8, 2024 humanistfreedoms Leave a comment

Opposition to Ontario’s public funding of faith-based schools is almost exactly as old as the funding itself. Unfortunately, organized opposition to public funding has not yet pulled together the right combination of strategy and execution to succeed the goal to put an end to the human rights violation at the core of Ontario’s education system.

However – the ambition continues. Alumni to Amend Section 93 Ontario (AA93) represents former students and their supporters fighting to end the public funding of Catholic education in Ontario. Ontarian taxpayers pay for an inefficient, discriminatory education system that causes both Catholic and Public boards to divert resources away from their classrooms.

The organizations’ website states that it was founded in May of 2023 by Christina Cody. Cody comes from a long line of Catholic school attendees and was educated via the York Catholic District School Board. It was that board’s adoption of a set of anti-LGBTQ+ policies that Cody couldn’t accept. Disheartened to see that the faith-based school system’s ideologies and actions hadn’t changed, Cody was inspired by other former attendees who disavowed the actions of the YCDSB.

AA93 states that it is driven by and centered on “the experiences of former students and teachers who have attended and been employed by Catholic school boards. Those who have worked and been educated within these boards paint a picture of systematic bullying, abuse, and marginalization that is encouraged and supported by church teachings.”

Opposition to public funding of faith-based schools is, of itself, a correct and worthy thing. Perhaps strategies borne of the alumni of the system will be more successful than those that have started outside the machinations of the Catholic church. We can only hope so, and encourage renewed efforts to bring greater fairness, equality and efficiency to Ontario.

Citations, References And Other Reading

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The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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New Enlightenment Project 2024 Report

May 5, 2024 humanistfreedoms

Consistent with our mission and vision statement adopted at our June 2023 annual general meeting, The New Enlightenment Project has continued to promote reason, science, and compassion in guiding the pursuit of knowledge, the practice of governance, and the pursuit of individual goals. Our mission and vision was encapsulated in the following poster presented to the Humanists International conference in Copenhagen in July of this last year:

The questionnaire referenced in the above poster can still be found at this link: WHERE IS HUMANISM TODAY? My thanks to past board member Bart Bloom for preparing the poster and questionnaire.

The New Enlightenment Project is not a member of Humanists International. I attended the Copenhagen conference as a delegate representing Canadian Humanist Publications. Our Vice-President, Robert Hamilton represented Humanists Ottawa while Pierre St. Amant
represented Association humaniste du Quebec. Pierre’s report on the congress was posted on our website here: Humanists International 2023: An Exciting Congress – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT (nep-humanism.ca)

Later in the year, I presented on “Using the Medicine Wheel in Counselling” at the Men and Domestic Violence conference in Toronto in October, and I managed to work the New Enlightenment Project into the conversation as the medicine concept can be used to exemplify scientific concepts. Also on the theme of indigeneity and humanism, NEP published an excellent article by Elder David Cook (Maheegun) Spiritual Stereotypes – An Indigenous Atheist’s Experience – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT (nep-humanism.ca). This article was also picked up by In-sight Publishing. Scott Douglas Jacobsen of In-Sight and NEP board member) interviewed me and Madissa Thomas of the US. Organization, African Freethinkers: Interview With Dr. Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson & Mandisa Thomas | In-Sight Publishing. Recently I appeared on Chris DiCarlo’s podcast All Thinks Considered discussing aboriginality, humanism and Wokism: https://allthinksconsidered.com/2024/04/08/episode-8-lloyd-haweye-roberston/

I made two presentations to the Vancouver Chapter of Humanist Canada this past year – the first in November and one earlier this month (April, 2024). The first presentation examined the threat Woke Identitarianism to humanism and the second is a review and discussion based on my new book Psychology in the Snow: Mental Wellness in the North:

https://insightpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/psychology-in-the-snow.pdf.

This book integrates my theory of the self with Enlightenment Humanism. Thank you to Ullrich Fischer who arranged these sessions with Humanist Canada’s Vancouver branch.

With the technical assistance of Michel Pion who also doubles as our treasurer, we continued to produce our own podcast interview series. I began this year’s program by interviewing Carey Linde about his sixty years as a social activist. He was the first lawyer to live and practise on an Indian reserve in Canada, the first to argue the principle of equal shared parenting in custody disputes and the first to represent parents whose children had sexually transitioned without their permission or knowledge. The interview can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAG-RM3kAX4&t=20s,

Later in the year I interviewed Scott Jacobsen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQTvqg_WiRA&t=1099s). As a humanist and journalist Scott has interviewed former prime ministers, academics, refugees and U.N. officials while battling sectarianism and superstition in his home province of British Columbia. Both Carey and Scott agreed to join our board this year.

Michel Virard, who is retiring as Board Secretary has contributed to our growing list of publications by translating from the original French and posting the following on our website: Laïcity in the State, a delicate balance – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT (nephumanism.ca); The taboo of fiscal secularism – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT
(nep-humanism.ca); Rights and privileges, the reign of confusion – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT (nep-humanism.ca); and, The misadventures of slavery in New France – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT (nep-humanism.ca).

In September the British humanist magazine, Humanistically Speaking, published my article on the death of Richard Bilkzsto: How Woke puritanism can lead to fatal consequences: Reflections on the death of Richard Bilkszto (humanisticallyspeaking.org). This article examined, from a humanist perspective, how a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) infused workplace and social media campaign led the suicide of an innocent victim. In January of this year we published a detailed analysis of the DEI phenomena by Paul Nathanson: DEI must DIE – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT (nep-humanism.ca)

Our mission statement includes, “We seek to animate and activate the humanist community through discussions about prevailing challenges of our times including, but not limited to, the challenge to individuality by pervasive collectivism.” In keeping with this mission, George Hewson has led a public consultation on sexuality and gender that can be found here: Sexuality and Gender Discussion – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT (nephumanism.ca). The results will be published on our website and communicated to other humanist organizations. We see this as the first of many public consultations on topics relevant to humanism.

Your board recently met with Leslie Rosenblood of the Centre for Inquiry Canada to discuss research into the privileging of religious funding in Canada (with cost of more than $6 billion to the Canadian taxpayer). Relatedly, I have been liaising with (and have agreed to serve on the board of) Outrage Canada, a new organization mandated with the task of exposing legal privileges preventing the full examination of and protection from sexual and physical abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

We have been discussing many controversial issues in our FB page led by Ullrich Fischer. Members and other interested individuals are encouraged to join the discussion: New Enlightenment Project Discussion Group | Facebook

Call me old-fashioned, but I believe one of the best ways of engaging in Enlightenment discussions is face-to-face. Along with representatives from Critical Thinking Solutions; Convergence Analysis, Secular Connexion Séculière (SCS), Society of Ontario Freethinkers (SOFREE), Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFIC), Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship, In-Sight Publishing, and Canadian Humanist Publications (CHP), we are exploring hosting a conference to provide opportunities for people who hold opposing viewpoints to discuss them in a fair and respectful forum. This would involve the open acknowledgment and utilization of Enlightenment values such as freedom of thought and speech, human reason, scientific inquiry, and continued improvement of the human condition, while steel manning those who would question or oppose them.

We have accomplished much in the short ten months since our previous AGM in June of 2023, and we have the promise of accomplishing much, much more. Thank you to our team of board members which currently includes Robert Hamilton (Vice-President), Michel Pion (Treasurer), Michel Virard (Secretary), George Hewson, Scott Jacobsen, Carey Linde and myself.

Kind regards,
Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson
April, 2024

Citations, References And Other Reading

Featured Photo Courtesy of :

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.

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The Ultimate Choice: A Podcast about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)

March 3, 2024 humanistfreedoms

The Ultimate Choice, a groundbreaking docuseries from TVO Today, with the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau was released on January 25, 2024. It follows the journey of Michael and his wife, Ann. Michael, housebound by pain and incurable disease, sees his choice for a medically assisted death (MAiD) as a powerful solution to his suffering. The series explores Michael’s motivations and how his decision affects his family, friends, and longtime doctor. Hosted by investigative reporter Rob Cribb, the podcast also challenges him to come to terms with his own family history as he dives into this highly charged story. Both a portrait of a family’s autonomy and a hard-hitting exposé, The Ultimate Choice reveals the political and ethical stakes behind Canada’s debate to expand MAID like never before.

What do Canada’s Humanist Organizations have to say about this contemporary human rights matter?

Continued or increased restrictions to accessing MAID do not serve to protect the disabled but rather perpetuate a paternalistic relationship between the government and those individuals. To ensure the equal dignity of all people, we must afford everyone choice in life and choice in death.

Citations, References And Other Reading

The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.