[orthodoc]

English is the language spoken here - I don't think anyone is insisting on British manners or customs. It's not inappropriate to expect people to learn the common language of the country when they've decided to make this their permanent home.

The multi-cultural experiment in Canada is something that people here should take a careful look at before rejecting the melting pot. Official multiculturalism in Canada was idealistic in its original intent - respect for different backgrounds, cultures, mores, and manners, and the hope that people retaining their 'heritage' would all live harmoniously and cooperatively together. In practice, the policy has balkanized Canada, with many cultural groups competing for government resources and pushing political agendas that have little to do with Canada's wellbeing as a country. There isn't a sense of what Canada is (other than NOT AMERICA - anti-American hatred is probably the sole unifying principle there) or of where the country should be going. No one is required or even expected to learn either of the country's official languages. This creates havoc when people have to interact with the government, attempt to obtain health care, etc. Toronto has been trying to figure out how to provide 911 services in hundreds of different languages. Not possible!

In the end, I think it's important for immigrants to a new country to be willing to embrace that country's language and general culture. Every country needs a reasonable degree of cohesiveness on these things, or it will eventually fragment.