Toronto, a multi-cultural city that seems to work!!!
It would be naive of me to say that prejudice doesn't exist in Toronto, obviously it does, but compared to so many similar sized cities in North America and Europe, it sure seems to work without any feeling that there is any undercurrent of race issues. Like so many people in the Toronto area, I emigrated to Toronto and I have learned to love the city and the GTA ( Greater Toronto Area) and I often think this is perhaps why Toronto seems to work. Most inhabitants were either born outside Canada, or are children of parents or grand-parents who were born outside Canada.
When you compare Toronto with the major American cities, you get the impression it is safer and you feel there are very few no-go areas in Toronto. Undeniably there has been more gang violence in Toronto in the last few years but the number of murders in Toronto is a mere fraction of a comparable American city. I think a lot of the issues that exist in American cities, simply doesn't exist in Toronto, such as:
1) Immigrants to Canada came as equal citizens, slavery never existed.
2) Canada is younger than the US, so everyone is connected in some way to immigration.
3) As a nation, Canadians tend to be apolytical and not extreme in nature.
4) Even though I find Canadian politicians weak in general, they do typically govern the country in a fair and equitable basis.
5) Canadians I think tend to be very fair-minded people and respect others.
6) There is such a mix of nationalities that no-one dominates, either ethnically or religiously. Every year we see this in the Canadian Exhibition (CNE) where you could take the first 10 people and probably every single one has a different background.
7) It is truly amazing how many people of mixed nationalities and religions seem to easily cross the barriers and date and marry each other.
8) The gun culture is non-existent.
I am not really sure these are the reasons why Toronto seems to work in a homogenous way but I am sure it is a good part of the reason. It might lack the excitement of London and New York, but it sure has a lot going for it.
When I first came to Toronto I felt I was in Victorian England, it was so very backward in so many ways and so controlled by the old religions. Gradually I saw great changes, the first being trying to keep up with Montreal and how much more exciting and forward that city was. When Expo 67 happened in Montreal, Toronto woke up and gradually started to shed it's old image. Then the influx of immigrants from Europe and Asia started to change Toronto and the GTA in so many ways, the food dramatically improved, the entertainment scene changed, religions seem to work side by side and most importantly people seem to work and live together easily.
