Charlene Sayo

Blogger

The mere fact that the media has zeroed in on Tagalog as the fastest growing immigrant language, and the public's surprise of this so-called linguistic phenomenon, is telling of the social insignificance of Canada's third largest ethnic group. Sure, Filipinos are common props in fast-food restaurants, hotels and homes, but their lack of political and economic weight renders them invisible despite their large presence and 24/7 work cycles.

Mark Stabile and Vass Bednar

Director of the School of Public Policy & Governance, University of Toronto

Statistics Canada has been hit by another round of cuts. These reductions have been masked under the compelling veil of "efficiency." But how might Canada expect to meet the policy challenges of the future when we no longer have the ability to understand where we are today? Evidence-based policy-making requires just that -- evidence -- standard, reliable metrics whose quantification and legitimacy is widely agreed upon.

Hassan Arif

Columnist, Telegraph Journal

While the growth of New Brunswick's urban and suburban areas is not on the scale of larger cities in Canada, there are lessons to be learned from these larger centres where, after periods of rapid growth which led to vast landscapes of generic car-oriented sprawl, there has been a backlash and a desire to return to more walkable downtown-like neighbourhoods.

Steve Lafleur

Policy analyst, Frontier Centre for Public Policy

The fact that immigration has helped stem labour shortages in Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba may well be the best news story from the census. A community simply doesn't work well without carpenters, let alone physicians, and Immigrant Nominee Programs have provided them with skilled workers.