this was supposed to be the thing that made our immigration system so much better: we didn't open the gates to poor people and tell them to work their way up, we insisted that if you want to come here, you'd have to already have wealth.

as a consequence of the more selective immigration process, we didn't develop slums or ghettoes, and we didn't have the accompanying increases in crime that come attached with widespread poverty.

we also had the resources required to effectively deal with our own poor.

there never was a "canadian dream" - we rejected that as naive, american utopianism.

but, we seem intent on repeating their errors. and, if we do, we will end up with the same consequences.