Canada widely proclaims itself as a multi-cultural country and follows the mosaic versus melting pot system of multiculturalism. It is a noble goal, with Canadians hoping to claim moral ground against their cousins to the south.

Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished, the flip side of the mosaic philosophy can and likely will veer off into segregation, maybe not quite to the extent that Raheel Raza predicts in Endlessly Divisible Canada, or maybe it might be worse, who knows.

The point of culture is that it is not, and should not be thought of as a static constant in time. It is influenced not just by the tribes/classes/races, but also by geographical and historical events of the places itself. Cultures, language change and shift with time, influenced by leaders in that region, as well as geographic events. To attempt to capture and calcify a moving construct creates stagnation and division.

Part of the history of conversation around multiculturalism in Canada is defined by Pierre Trudeau with the establishment of the Official Multiculturalism Act in 1971. Again good ideals, while the Multiculturalism Act may "recognize and promote the understanding that multiculturalism is a fundamental characteristic of the Canadian heritage and identity and that it provides an invaluable resource in the shaping of Canada's future", however I wonder whether the dialogue was simplified with the introduction of the Act.

When I speak to elderly Canadians, they invariably strike me as less dogmatic than their descendants. They grew up in a time when there were not just English or French speaking Canadians versus immigrants, but when everybody was an immigrant, whether from America, Poland, Russia, Germany, Italy, Ireland, France, England and so on. They were as distinct from each other in their own eyes growing up, as an immigrant today is, to a Canadian born.

There were not so clearly defined notions of being an Anglo versus a pur-laine Quebecois or other simplistic and puerile categorizations. However with the definition and protection of English and French languages, it may force people to choose sides of a debate that I find destructive and never-ending.

I believe there is strength in the realization that almost all Canadians come from mixed heritages, they are not just an Anglo or pur-laine Quebecoises, but a part American-French-Metis-Scottish mix. There was multiculturalism before the government mandated it, and before government decided to categorize and study the numbers of English versus French versus other language speakers.

Other criticisms against multiculturalism include Michaelle Jean, the current governor general of Canada about the Absurdities of Multiculturalism, Daphne Brahams post in the Vancouver Sun on Segregation fails the grade, Scott Young of the Vancouver Suns article on The Mosaic loses to Segregation, an essay on whether Multiculturalism is Unifying or Divisive