Support Dimension: Haven and Building Sanctuary

support dimension: On the other hand, Americans tend to think of Canada as a safe haven, a refuge if all else fails -- like running away to the woods, according to Rabble. This myth is so strong, writes Jessica Squire in Building Sanctuary The Movement to Support Vietnam War Resisters in Canada 1965-73, that the support dimension of the draft-dodger story is easily dismissed; after all, part of the myth is that Canada has always been such a haven... As she describes in meticulous detail, every aspect of safe haven requires hours and hours of daily work. Americans do play a certain type of socio-political capitalist game better than most Canadians, but sometimes I think that's because that's all they're taught how to do. But again I'm stuck with an irony -- the myth persists, precisely because Canadians have so often risen to welcome refugees from wars and injustice in the States and elsewhere. Drive along the tourist route through reserves and vineyards in southern Ontario, and you'll spot dozens of bronze plaques, monuments and billboards commemorating the UELs, who immigrated to Canada during and after the American Revolution. Take the United Empire Loyalists, whose loyalty and decorum have left their mark on central Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.