Why is growth in your city exploding?
Most Canadians have probably never heard of the Century Initiative. It operates behind the scenes and has received a measure of public scrutiny only in the past few years when the impact of Canada’s population explosion became too evident to ignore. Founded in 2011, it obtained charitable status in 2014, which it managed to retain upon becoming a registered lobby group in 2021, having somehow persuaded the Canada Revenue Agency that it operates in the interest of Canadians.
While Canadians may be in the dark about the Century Initiative, they are acutely feeling its impact on their lives. For one thing, they are sharing the country with millions more people than in all likelihood would have been the case were it not for the efforts of this organization. If Canadians are bewildered about Canada’s immigration policies – why, for example, the Trudeau government is bringing in extraordinarily high numbers of newcomers when Canada is still pulling itself out of the morass of the Covid pandemic – they would do well to inform themselves about the Century Initiative.
In essence, the future of Canada is being determined with no input from Canadians.
The Century Initiative and its vision of a Bigger, Bolder Canada
The Century Initiative was founded with one objective: a Canadian population of one hundred million by 2100. The only way this can be brought about is through immigration on a massive scale. Why would Canada need such an enormous population? Some 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the US border, and 70% are concentrated in just three regions: along the St. Lawrence River – Great Lakes corridor that runs from Quebec City to Windsor, along the Edmonton to Calgary corridor, and in the greater Vancouver area. Newcomers are no more likely to move to the sparsely or uninhabited parts of Canada than native-born Canadians. Much of central Canada consists of the rocky Canadian shield, whose sparse soils support spruce trees but not agriculture. The cold temperatures, barren lands, and lack of infrastructure to earn a living deter newcomers as much as resident Canadians from settling in Canada’s “vast open spaces.”
Not to worry, though. The Century Initiative’s vision of a bigger, bolder Canada would see existing cities grow into “mega-regions” of previously unimagined proportions.
- The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) would grow from 8.8 million to 33.5 million.
- Montreal would grow from 4.4 to 12.2 million.
- Vancouver and environs would grow from 3.3 to 11.9 million.
- Calgary and environs would grow from 2.8 million to 15.5 million.
- The National Capital Region (Ottawa-Gatineau) would grow from 1.4 to 4.8 million.
Canada’s smaller cities and towns would grow concomitantly to become what now would be considered a big city. Relative to the burgeoning megalopoles, of course, they would still be little towns.
Canada would be more like China, where a metropolitan area of one million people does not even break the top 100 cities. At 33 million, the surging GTA would outpopulate today’s Shanghai, which is below 30 million.
All of which leads to the question: Is the Century Initiative for real?
Unfortunately, it is as serious as a heart attack. And for the well-being of the average Canadian, just as deadly.
Continue reading at the source (Population Institute Canada)
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