1976: NATION-WIDE IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1976
Throughout its history, Toronto has maintained an impressive amount of demographic diversity. In fact, modern-day Toronto is “heralded as one of the most multicultural cities in the world” (Toronto.ca). This is largely due to its perceptions of wealth and opportunity, which was attractive to immigrants. However, prior to the 1970s, due to a massive immigration movement, significant economic problems, and serious political upheavals, the country implemented a more restrictive and discriminatory immigration policy (Dirks 2006). This restrictive policy continued to be enforced until the passage of the nation-wide Immigration Act of 1976, which “did away with quotas and introduced non-discriminatory criteria for the selection of migrants” (Qadeer 2003, 1).
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IMPACT
Consequently, Toronto experienced signifcant societal changes. The city began to develop a more diverse population, which influenced the evolution of its built environment as ethnic enclaves developed, as well as impacted its economy as its population and workforce increased. The image to the right denotes how ethnic enclaves have developed throughout the city of Greater Toronto Metropolitan Area. Today, Toronto is also regarded as one of the most multicultural cities of the world (toronto.ca).
