I have not read Canada’s new immigration study guide (officially titled Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship), but according to those at the Globe and Mail who have, one of the new points of emphasis in the revamped guide is innovation. That is a wonderful, welcome and well-deserved addition. Not surprisingly, there are mentions of the BlackBerry and Canadarm, which have become almost Canadian innovation clichés, but also very deserving nods to Harold Innis, Wilder Penfield and others.
I’d be surprised if Pablum and insulin aren’t included as well, but perhaps they’re not. What other great Canadian innovations and research discoveries would you like to see mentioned?
According to the Globe:
Research, technology and scientific discovery, which were barely mentioned in the last guide, are given broad emphasis in the new document. The co-CEOs of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, are enshrined in a pantheon of great Canadian innovators. The ubiquitous Canadarm, Canada’s contribution to space exploration is celebrated, as are our Nobel Prize winners. Communications theorists Marshall McLuhan and Harold Innis are highlighted, along with neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield.
Update, 11:25 a.m.: OK, I’ve now looked at the study guide (it’s here in PDF), and indeed Banting and Best are mentioned for the discovery of insulin, but no mention of Pablum (see pgs. 26, 27 of the PDF).
