Least Possible Fuss and Publicity: The Politics of Immigration in Postwar Canada, 1945-1967

The established narrative of postwar immigration policy as a tepid mixture of altruism and national self-interest does not fully explain the complex process of policy transformation during that period. In The Least Possible Fuss and Publicity Paul Evans recounts changes to Canada s postwar immigration policy and the events,ideas,and individuals that propelled that change. He shows that political concerns remained uppermost in the minds of policy-makers, and those concerns – more than economic or social factors – provided the major impetus to change.

Format: Hardback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2021
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

Over the course of two decades following the Second World War, a profound transformation occurred in Canada's immigration policy, giving rise to the widely recognized concept of multiculturalism. The conventional narrative that portrays postwar immigration policy as a mere blend of altruism and national self-interest fails to capture the intricate and multifaceted process of policy evolution during that time. In his book, The Least Possible Fuss and Publicity, Paul Evans delves into the intricacies of this policy shift, shedding light on the events, ideas, and individuals that propelled it forward.

Through extensive primary research in federal department archives, parliamentary records, contemporary media coverage, politician and policy-maker correspondence, and the statutes that govern immigration policy, Evans meticulously reconstructs the formation of a modern immigration bureaucracy, the internal resistance to reform, and the profound influence of racism and international events. What emerges from his analysis is a compelling portrayal of how political concerns, rather than economic or social factors, drove the significant impetus for change.

In stark contrast to the present day, legislators and politicians worked diligently to maintain a low profile regarding the evolution of the national immigration strategy. University of Toronto law professor W.G. Friedmann observed in a 1952 edition of Saturday Night that in Canada, both the government and the people have preferred to let this immigration business develop with the utmost minimal fuss and publicity.

The Least Possible Fuss and Publicity is a captivating account that primarily relies on the voices of politicians and policy-makers who resisted change and those who foresaw the future and seized upon it. It provides a clear and insightful narrative of how postwar immigration policy unfolded, shedding light on the complex interplay of factors that shaped Canada's multicultural identity.

Weight: 624g
Dimension: 165 x 236 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228005612