Strangers at Our Gates: Canadian Immigration and Immigration Policy, 1540-1997. Rev. ed.

Joseph Garcea is a professor of political Studies at the University of
Saskatchewan.

This book provides a historical overview of immigration policy and flows
since the early settlement of Canada nearly half a millennium ago.
Approximately half of it is devoted to the first 400 years, and the
other half to the post-Confederation period. Given the historical scope
of the work and its limited length, it is not an in-depth analysis.
Nevertheless, it is an indispensable reference source for those
interested in immigration matters.

Strangers at Our Gates should prove particularly relevant today as the
federal government prepares to amend various statutes related to
immigrants and refugees. The historical overview will permit readers to
note various continuities and discontinuities in immigration and refugee
policies. Sections that may be of particular interest to readers are
those that provide an account of the fluctuations between highly
restrictionist and highly liberal policies, and between no government
involvement and extensive government involvement in the settlement of
immigrants.

Every library should have a copy of this well-written and
well-organized book.