CALGARY — The Dominion Society of Canada put on a demonstration outside of the federal Conservative convention at the BMO Centre on Thursday.The group, which was founded by Daniel Tyrie — a former member of the People’s Party of Canada — is a federally registered non-profit that has emerged as a vocal advocate for sweeping immigration restrictions and what it calls “remigration.”The society argues that mainstream political parties — including the Conservatives — no longer represent the interests of what it describes as “heritage Canadians.”Its core mission, Tyrie says, is to push policies that put “Canadian people first.”Members of the society say their protest outside the Conservative convention was meant to pressure the party to take a harder line on immigration.“We don't find that the Conservative Party is very conservative, they're really just liberals in blue nowadays,” Tyrie told the Western Standard.“Right now, our society is being transformed more dramatically than at any time in Canadian history, and the Conservative Party is silent on these issues. They don't want to talk about multiculturalism and all the cultural consequences that come with it. So we're here to raise those alarm bells and put their feet to the fire and get them to talk about the most important issues facing Canadian society today.”.At the centre of the society’s platform is remigration: the organized return of immigrants, particularly recent arrivals and temporary residents, to their countries of origin.The society has published a ten-point policy blueprint on its website that includes a total moratorium on immigration, the abolition of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, restrictions on birthright citizenship, the revocation of permanent residency and naturalized citizenship, mass deportations, and the repeal of multiculturalism as an official Canadian policy.Tyrie argues that these measures are necessary to protect Canada’s cultural identity and improve living standards for citizens.Greg Wycliffe, a Dominion Society board member and founder of SaveFreeSpeech.ca, was also present at the demonstration and said the group was at the convention to “start a conversation.”“Something's got to give here, because the state of the country is dying,” Wycliffe said.“The country I grew up in does not exist anymore, and it is getting worse and worse by the day, and this Conservative Party is only kind of wanting to slow it down. That's not good enough.”“People with two eyes instinctively see what’s going on, and for any self-respecting nation, that should reflect its immigration policy.”.Tyrie believes the idea of remigration is gaining traction, not just in Canada but across the Western world. He points to European examples, such as Germany’s voluntary repatriation programs, and believes that politicians will eventually follow public opinion.“They're not bold thought leaders,” Tyrie said.“They stick their finger up in the air, and they go wherever the wind blows, so we're gonna be the strongest damn wind on the horizon and blow them in the right direction.”He envisions the creation of a new federal agency dedicated to enforcing remigration policies, arguing that existing border and immigration systems are incapable of enforcing current laws.While critics warn that mass deportations could trigger labour shortages, Tyrie dismisses those concerns, pointing to rising unemployment and arguing that Canadians should fill available jobs.“There is an existing unemployment rate that's been going up over the course of this year,” he said.“There are too many Canadians out of work. I'm not concerned about those labour shortages. If anything, mass immigration drives down wages to benefit the corporate profits of these bigwigs; they’re really the only ones who benefit from mass migration. The average Canadian sees housing costs rise, rents rise, and they see their wages fall.”Since launching last summer, the society says it has grown to roughly 2,000 members and plans to continue organizing demonstrations.Wycliffe said the response from the public has been largely positive, citing passing cars honking and words of encouragement from strangers.“People wish the Conservative Party would adopt some of our ideas, so it's been mostly positive,” he said.
