Strangers at Our Gates ― Canadian Immigration and Immigration Policy 1550-2015

In this new and revised edition, Knowles explores new materials relating to multiculturalism and immigration.

Immigrants and immigration have always been central to Canadians’ perception of themselves as a country and a society. In this crisply written history, Valerie Knowles describes the different kinds of immigrants who have settled in Canada, and the immigration policies that have helped define the character of Canadian immigrants over the centuries. Key policymakers and shapers of public opinion figure prominently in this colourful story, as does the role played by racism.

This new and revised edition features a chapter on the Conservative government’s handling of immigration between 2006 and 2014. Special attention is paid to the role played by the activist minister Jason Kenney and his attempts to develop a faster, more flexible immigration regime. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Interim Federal Health Program are also discussed. The book’s final chapter, “Issues in the Twenty-First Century,” introduces new material relating to multiculturalism and outlines arguments supporting population growth, increased immigration, and decreased immigration.

Valerie Knowles is a journalist and writer who has published eleven non-fiction works.From Telegrapher to Titan: The Life of William C. Van Horne won the University of British Columbia Medal for Canadian Biography for 2004 and the City of Ottawa Non-Fiction Book Award for 2005. She lives in Ottawa.