u/Banner9922

If you live in Canada and complain about racism, there is a petition that closes fairly soon. It has gotten 473 signatures at the time of writing this, which is not nearly enough. Sign the petition, and help spread the word by leaving it in comments/posts/etc: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/EN/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7766

Edit: 21 new signatures in the 3 hours this post has been up! Lets keep it up!

When I was in university, it seemed like students played a major role in the city where I studied. You would see them out and about, all over town. Lots of businesses catered just to the university student crowd. They were involved in activism, community volunteering, and even local politics. There would be student musicians at all the open mic nights, bars full of them, etc.

It's the same in most cities with universities like Guelph and Waterloo.

Being from Brantford, I'm just a bit confused by the lack of visibility of Laurier Brantford students. They don't seem to be as active in the local community.

Idk if it's the size of the university? I know most students don't like being in Brantford, and maybe that's why these dynamics don't really exist here? Appreciate any insight from someone who knows more than I do.

The earliest records I can find are of two men named Anton Tomas (from the Goa area) and Antonio Bengala (likely from Bengal) aboard a Spanish vessel in 1602. The sailed from India to Mexico, up to the coast of Oregon, trading with Indigenous people.

I've found another record from 1590, of 40 unnamed Muslim Lascars from the Indian subcontinent aboard a Portuguese vessel named Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, some of whom are believed to have ended up staying in Mexico. However, records are scarce.

Do we know of anyone who may have been in North America prior to 1590?

Hi all, I've got deep connections to Chatham. I would love to own a small hobby farm somewhere on the outskirts. I'm a single lawyer, early career, currently living in a major city.

I would like to have a small practice, doing wills and estates, family law, and maybe some criminal. I'm wondering what the landscape is like in Chatham. Are there enough lawyers? Would I do okay with a small practice 15 minutes outside the city (ex. Bloomfield Road/8 Line)?

I'm working on a project with a museum to highlight local South Asian history in my city in Ontario. The museum has highlighted the local history of other cultural groups in the past, and I'm excited they have accepted to work with me on our community. (This is completely volunteer based for me)

They've asked for some books/literature. Things to help them better understand the South Asian experience, especially in Southern Ontario but more generally in Canada. The museum's board is made up mostly of elderly white folks, who have very limited knowledge on South Asian history/culture.

This made me think, what are some of the most important pieces of non-fiction books that are essential reads to understand South Asian Canadians? What books/literature would you suggest to someone who knows nothing but wants to understand our experience in Canada?

BREAKING: In a statement issued shortly after 10:30 a.m. MT Friday, the organization said early Friday morning, an intruder entered the Gurdwara and attacked individuals inside.

Update:

Global News has confirmed the attacker was a white male. The motive is not yet known. Speculated to be a hate crime.

A Global News journalist has informed that no sacred text was desecrated, and the temple members have asked CBC to correct their story.

Outside of Quebec City and Montreal, I don’t think most English-speaking Canadians know much about what goes on in Quebec. I’m curious about the smaller cities like Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, Drummondville and Saguenay.

I’m from a small city and from my travels find a lot of similar sized places like Saint John, St. Catherines, Brantford, Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie, Sarnia, Lethbridge, Chilliwack, etc. fit the same general profile:

• Largely blue collar
• Economies centring around manufacturing, mining or oil & gas.
• High levels of homelessness
• Intergenerational poverty + concentrated wealth in a few neighbourhoods
• High rates of alcohol and drug use, especially among youth
• Struggling downtowns
• Lower rates of post-secondary education
• ~80% European-descent populations, often with prejudice directed at minority groups

(There are exceptions of course like Kingston, Fredericton, Kelowna, and Guelph)

Do small cities in Quebec struggle with the same issues? Or are they different?

For context, I’m an ambiguous looking brown man born and raised in Canada. I travel a lot around the country for work. I live in Vancouver and recently spent a week in your city.

Getting off the seaplane and walking towards downtown, I‘ll admit I was a bit nervous of how I would be perceived and whether I’d encounter any problems due to race. Nanaimo is somewhat diverse for the Island, but it’s not quite Vancouver, or even Victoria.

Instead, what I encountered were some of the warmest, nicest people I’ve met almost anywhere in the country. (Only St. John’s might be similar). Young, old, male and female.

One night I went to a packed karaoke bar downtown. When a girl briefly passed out outside, half the bar ran out to help her and make sure she was okay. That would never happen in Vancouver.

Another evening I went to watch a local band play a show. I was the only person of colour in the room, and initially felt a little on edge due to bad experiences in the past. Instead, I wasn’t just welcomed but felt like people took a genuine interest in wanting to know me.

One morning, I went to grab a coffee and an older gentleman struck up a conversation with me. When I told him I was looking for a good restaurant, he insisted on walking the two blocks to show me his recommended spot.

On another occasion, a group of young men from Snuneymuxw sitting at the table next to me ended up inviting me to join them to go fishing. We exchanged contacts and I might just have to come back for that.

Even at the hotel I was staying at, I overheard enough conversations between staff (some of whom were new to the country, some of whom were not) to know that they genuinely liked each other and had some level of friendship.

The waterfront & the nature is all very beautiful too, but you can say the same about most places in BC. What really made Nanaimo special for me was the people I met. I’m sure like everywhere, your city has its fare share of flaws and not-so-great people. But the trip I took really left an impression and I’m sure I’ll talk about it for years to come.

Thank you Nanaimo for being so unexpectedly cool.

Edit: Didnt know how this post would be received but it’s been really special reading all of your responses. My partner and I work in fields that are needed on the island (healthcare), and are seriously considering a move. Thank you!

I'm a non-Black POC, and have observed that whenever you look into predominantly Black communities in the US there is usually a notable gender gap with around 80 men to every 100 women.

Why is this?

Examples

Jackson, Mississippi: 79% Black - 84 men to 100 women

Lauderhill, Florida: 75% Black (mostly West Indian) - 79 men to 100 women

Petersburg, Virginia: 74% Black - 83 men to 100 women

Glenarden, Maryland: 77% Black - 78 men to 100 women

Detroit, Michigan: 77% Black - 83 men to 100 women

Mound Bayou, Mississippi: 97% Black - 72 men to 100 women

I picked random samples from different regions: small towns, suburbs, and cities. Even if we discount for socioeconomic status and look at areas with a lot of wealth the trend continues:

Mitchellville, Maryland: 83% Black - 80 men to 100 women

Ladera Heights, California: 63% Black - 79 men to 100 women

Here are some of the random things I've come to learn over the years:

• Brantford was once considered as the potential site for Canada’s capital. The capital moved six times before Ottawa was chosen as the permanent location.
• More than 100 years ago, Brantford had a Chinatown along Market Street.
• Harmony Square was modelled after a piazza (public square) in an Italian town. It was the dream of one man, Frank Bucci, and his dream eventually came true when it opened in 2008.
• In 1945, Brantford became the first municipality in Canada to fluoridate its public drinking water.
• Many of Brantford's first European residents were squatters living in makeshift shacks and tents, with crime, fighting, domestic abuse, and poverty all common. These conditions continued for decades before Six Nations chiefs provided 800 acres of land that became the original Brantford town plot. After the closing of several factories in the 1980s, Brantford crime rate peaked and it was considered the most dangerous city in Ontario. In 2024, Brantford recorded its lowest Crime Severity Index on record. You can argue our city has never been safer.
• If you've ever noticed snow clouds clearing up as you enter Brantford, its because the city sits in a microclimate. From 1981 to 2010, Brantford recorded 20% less snow than Hamilton, 63% less snow than Kitchener, and 97% less snow than London.

Would love to hear more!

Listings show the area as "Bolivar Heights", stradling the border of Guildford and Whalley.

We are a mixed family living in Vancouver wanting to raise our kids in a more multicultural suburban environment. The area has some older homes on large lots that are fairly affordable (compared to Van).

Is this a good area?

https://preview.redd.it/7fkka4pttfeh1.png?width=1448&format=png&auto=webp&s=14350f036e22df493b9c239c398cff761c750e03

Within Canada: 5 from BC, 3 from Ontario, 1 from Alberta.

https://preview.redd.it/mg2475fstfeh1.png?width=1448&format=png&auto=webp&s=0923cfb717f8fad61aaa9bfea23ca87b3620e193

I live in Vancouver and am 2 years at the bar. I’ve worked in several other fields before law.

I’m trying to wrap my head around why lawyers seem so far removed from humanity. Everyday I walk into work and it’s like the movie “Get Out”. There’s this greedy, judgmental, self important air to a lot of the lawyers I encounter. This becomes even more apparent when dealing with the partners (not just where I am). They have a false likability, that often leaves me with an icky or weird feeling after a conversation, especially when personal questions come up.

Its hard to put in words - but you don’t encounter this with people in other fields, even when their jobs are as “prestigious” or they earn similarly.

My best theory is most lawyers come from wealth, so maybe they’ve never really had to develop a personality of any depth (?)

It’s really off putting and I’d love to understand why or how this became the culture. Could it just be the city I’m in (?)

edit: no offence