Toronto — Leaflets mailed to homes in heavily Jewish districts of Canada’s major cities last November struck with uncharacteristic ferocity at the political party that Canadian Jews have long favored.
Canada’s Liberal Party, the Conservative Party broadsides charged, had “opposed defunding Hamas and asked that Hezbollah be delisted as a terrorist organization.” The Liberals had “willingly participated” in the 2001 “overtly antiSemitic” Durban international conference on racism. And Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff had “accused Israel of committing war crimes,” the leaflets charged.
Only the last charge was incontestably accurate and free of distortion. But the mass mailing reflected a new facet of Canadian politics. With elections expected this spring for a closely divided parliament, the Jewish vote is in play, seen as a swing vote in several key districts that could help tip the balance of national power.
“This is a game of inches in a minority [government] situation,” explained Paul Adams, a spokesman for EKOS Research Associates, an Ottawa-based polling firm. “The Jewish community is not a large demographic, but it tends to be concentrated in a small number of seats….It looks like an ethnic group that could be separated from the Liberals.”
At stake are five or six closely contested seats in a parliament the Conservatives are just 10 votes short of controlling outright. Conservative success among Jewish voters, long regarded as a pillar of the rival Liberal Party, would mark a major realignment by Canadian Jewry.
“There’s a bit of a trend these days towards the Conservative Party,” said Mark Waldman, executive director of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, a nonpartisan group that promotes Jewish involvement in federal politics.
Even before his election in January 2006, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper considered Canada’s 350,000-member Jewish community “in play,” and tried to rupture its Liberal ties. He has staked out a strongly pro-Israel position.
Shortly after the 2006 Lebanon War, for example, Harper blocked what he considered a one-sided anti-Israel resolution at the Francophonie, a summit of French-speaking nations. At the same time, Ignatieff, a former professor of human rights then vying for leadership of the Liberal Party, accused Israel of having committed a “war crime” in Qana, the South Lebanon village where Israeli air strikes hit an apartment building, killing at least 28 civilians, including 16 children. Speaking to a Jewish audience two years later, Ignatieff did not retract his view that Israel “may have failed to comply with the Geneva Convention of the laws of war.” But he expressed regret at his incendiary choice of words, terming the episode “the most painful experience of my short political career” and “an error.”
The Jewish community also lauded Harper for being the first Western leader to boycott last April’s U.N. Durban Review Conference in Geneva, known informally as Durban II, in Geneva, vowing that Canada would “not be party to an antisemitic and anti-Western hate-fest dressed up as an anti-racism conference.”
“The Conservatives have connected with some Jewish voters, especially those for whom Israel is of prime importance,” McGill University political scientist Harold Waller said. “With Israel under unprecedented international pressure, voters who are sensitive to this issue may well choose to reward the Conservatives.”
Already, the Conservative overtures have gained some high-profile converts within the Jewish elite. Heather Reisman, a veteran Liberal powerbroker, and Ariella Cotler, wife of prominent Liberal parliamentarian and Jewish communal activist Irwin Cotler, both have swung over to Harper.
The Jews who shift to the Conservatives are not necessarily buying into the party’s neoconservative domestic agenda. For one thing, having only a minority in parliament, Harper has had to govern from the center rather than the right. And most Jews remain liberal on such social issues as abortion and the publicly run health care system.
A typical case is Toronto’s Dan Ronen, a lawyer who was the Jewish community liaison to a former Liberal Cabinet minister. He plans to vote for Harper. “It doesn’t make me a Conservative,” he said. “I’m not a party activist. I’m supporting Harper because of his positions on antisemitism, on Iran and isolating [President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, and for his unequivocal support for the State of Israel.”
There are no polls on Jewish-voter intentions. But the Conservatives do appear to be gaining strength in suburban Toronto ridings (parliamentary districts) with large Jewish minorities. Rochelle Wilner, a former president of B’nai Brith Canada, ran for the Conservatives in 2008 in the Toronto seat of York Centre, a traditionally Liberal preserve, with a significant Jewish minority. She lost, but trimmed the Liberals’ victory margin to a mere 2,000 votes from 12,000. “There’s been a huge shift” toward Harper among Jews, Wilner said. “I think the Conservative brand is stronger right across the country.”
Thornhill, the most Jewish riding in Ontario, ousted its Jewish Liberal incumbent in 2008. “There’s no question that the Jewish community, especially the Orthodox, felt the Conservatives had been very vocal in support of Israel and deserved to be given a boost,” said James Morton, leader of the Liberals’ political operation in that district.
The Conservatives, currently 10 seats shy of a parliamentary majority, targeted six heavily Jewish ridings with their controversial leaflets: three in Montreal, two in Toronto and one in Winnipeg. The Liberals — and the smaller opposition parties — accused the Conservatives of playing ethnic politics. “There’s the risk of a backlash against the Conservatives,” Waller said. “The circular was so misleading in some respects; people were offended.”
Cotler, who was justice minister in the last Liberal government, lambasted the leaflet’s claim that Harper’s government “led the world” in halting funding to the Hamas-led Palestinian government in Gaza. It was, in fact, a Liberal government that first banned financial support to Hamas and Hezbollah in 2002, he noted in an interview with The Toronto Star.
As for the charge that Liberals had betrayed Jewish interests by sending representatives to the first Durban Conference against racism, held in 2001, Cotler noted that he was one of those Liberals. The Israeli government of the day specifically asked Canada to remain at the conference “and make its voice felt and bear witness to what was happening,” he said.
Prominent Conservative legislators, such as Hugh Segal, Linda Frum and Judith Seidman, declined requests for interviews.
Neither the Canadian Jewish Congress nor B’nai Brith Canada, the two major Jewish advocacy groups, overtly endorses a political party. But B’nai Brith is clearly delighted with Harper. When the anti-Liberal fliers landed, a B’nai Brith news release defended the Conservative missive.
Historically, it’s the Liberal Party that has appealed to ethnic groups. For one, this was the governing party when most of those groups first were admitted into Canada in large numbers. Also, said Jonathan Goldbloom, a prominent Liberal organizer in Montreal, “the Liberals have been a slightly left-of-center party, the Democratic Party equivalent in Canada that argued for the role of government. They addressed issues of importance to the community beyond Israel.”
Goldbloom said that his party’s challenge now is to make its stand against antisemitism and for Israel “more apparent, especially when faced with an opponent that distorts the Liberal record.” He added, “We want all parties to support Israel; it shouldn’t be a wedge issue.”
Contact Sheldon Gordon at feedback@forward.com.
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This article is incorrect in stating that Ariela Cotler has "swung over to Harper." She left the Liberals very briefly in 2006. Last month, she wrote in the National Post that "I returned to the Liberals shortly thereafter, attended the party convention of 2006, and have worked for the party ever since."
Well it certainly isn't hard to conjure up an American connection. Choose in the states, slowly, are beginning to to understand that yesterday's "liberals" are more friendly to the Palestinian terrorist than they are to the Israeli victims. It's so fashionable among the progresives to champion the so-called downtrodden, even though they are the root cause of their own problems Those schlobs (the 70% who voted like their forefathers in Germany during the 30s). I'm told is beginning to get the wake-up call put out by Obama. Has anybody noticed the resemblance to the Neutrality Act passed in the 30s that so delayed the defeat of Hitler. It's pretty clear that Obama would have voted for that act, and I'm glad to see that at least in Canada, they are waking up to the danger caused by the unintended consequences of liberals who have lost their sense of history. Like so many others. I used to be one.
Canadians are best left to sort out their own destiny--but it is surprisng to learn that some Canadian citizens think of Michael Ignatieff as too close to anti-Semitism. He was a student of a very ardent Zionist, the late Professor Sir Isaiah Berlin and wrote a very sympathetic biography of him with an exceedingly insightful portrait of Sir Isaiah's approach to his own Jewishness. As for the familiar equation of criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism (evident in the learned and elegant contribution by Les) I suppose those who repeatedly evoke it are engaged in an attempt to nullify the common stereotype of Jews as intelligent. If so, they can be congratulated on considerable success.
This article left out a number of relevant points: 1) Irwin Cotler's account that he was asked to stay by the Israeli government is not correct, according to the head of the Israeli delegation http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/30/john-ivison-cotler-s-version-of-durban-doesn-t-wash.aspx 2) Dan Ronen was a former Liberal candidate for parliament, not just some dude who was a liaison. 3) I don't know many people who follow Canadian politics who would honestly judge the Conservative party as "neoconservative." It is quite a moderate party. 4) Previous Liberal governments (Chretien/Martin) were anti-Israel in other ways as well -- not just in their support of Durban. It would have been nice to mention that, although perhaps too much Canadian politics would put the Yanks to sleep right away.
Finally, regarding the previous comment -- I thank Norman Birnbaum for showing that Michael Ignatieff cannot be close to anti-semitism since he was a student of a Zionist. That is such an amazing and thoughtful argument! Better to look at some academic advisor from the 60s then the actual POSITIONS and STATEMENTS that Ignatieff has taken.
Litvak did not get it quite right. Alan Baker was not even in Durban. In fact after the article he referenced appeared the former President of the Canadian Jewish Congress Keith Landy and the former deputy FM of Israel, Rabbi Michael Melchior both made it clear that Irwin Cotler got the sequence right. http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2314416 and http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2296199
Secondly, your writer underplays the role of B'nai Brith Canada and its association with the Conservative party. Unlike Canadian Jewish Congress which is in fact non-partisan, B'nai Brith is for all intents and purposes the Jewish arm of the Conservative party in Canada. No other canadian Jewish group defended these flyers in fact B'nai Brith can be counted on to support virtually any Conservative announcement put forward on any given day. The fact that its past president ran for the Conservatives should tell you much.
I expect much better fact checking and reporting from the Forward.
I agree with Mr. Federman that Bnai Brith is closely associated with the conservatives. In fairness, however, the Canadian Jewish Congress is highly associated with the Liberal party. A former president of the CJC was a member of a Liberal cabinet (Cotler), and I have met CJC leadership campaigning for Liberals in Toronto (either Landy or Farber, I can't recall which). I think that says something about the CJC.
I am in agreement with Mr. Federman that The Forward ought to have checked more of its facts.
I agree with Mr. Federman that Bnai Brith is closely associated with the conservatives. In fairness, however, the Canadian Jewish Congress is highly associated with the Liberal party. A former president of the CJC was a member of a Liberal cabinet (Cotler), and I have met CJC leadership campaigning for Liberals in Toronto (either Landy or Farber, I can't recall which). I think that says something about the CJC.
I am in agreement with Mr. Federman that The Forward ought to have checked more of its facts.
As a Canadian of Jewish origin I am appalled at the simplistic attitude of many Jewish organizations here and elsewhere. Groups like B'nai Brith Canada don't speak for me and never will.
The flyers distributed by the current government in power will have no impact on my vote. I believe Canadian Jews are rational voters who make political choices on a number of issues not only Israel.
Litvak suggests that he " met CJC leadership campaigning for Liberals in Toronto (either Landy or Farber, I can't recall which)." He gives no proof of such a meeting. Bernie Farber to whom he refers is the Executive Director of the CJC. I have googled Mr. Farber,s name and can find not one mention (amongst the thousands of citations) that he has any connection to any polkitical party. Litvak will have to do a lot better than innuendo before anyone should believe him.
As for Mr. Cotler, while it is true that he is a member of the Liberal party and was a past president of CJC, Cotler was CJC president in 1980. He no longer has any affiliation from what I can tell with CJC. However Rochelle Wilner remains on the Bnai Brith Board as one of its Governors. Big difference.
I am a Canadian citizen now living in the United States. While living in Canada up until last year I always supported the Liberal party. Now not so much.
However that aside I was very surprised to read Litvak's posts on this story by Mr. Gordon.
First and most importantly, I do agree with both Litvak and Mr. Federman that your writer Sheldon Gordon simply did not do his homework. If he had he would have known' as pointed out that, Irwin Cotler's wife, Ariella Cotler is firmly supporting the Liberal party.
I was also surprised that few Jewish leaders were actually interviewed. With the exception of Mark Waldman , whom I never heard of representing a Canadian Jewish political group that I also never heard of, we hear nothing from any of the others like Canadian Jewish Congress or B'nai Brith Canada.
As for Litvak's contention that CJC and B'nai Brith are partisan, here I support Mr. Federman and disagree entirely with Litvak. My husband was very active with B'nai Brith in Canada and I can tell you that it was very supportive of the Conservative Party above and far beyond any other political group.
Most Canadian Jews who are active will tell you that the Jewish Congress is really the only Canadian Jewish advocacy group that has remained truly non-partisan. Even today when I read Canadian newspapers on Jewish matters it is the Jewish Congress that comments and its leadership is always, to my eyes, very careful not to appear biased.
Both CJC and B'nai Brith do exceptional work for Canadian Jewry but only CJC is viewed by most Jews as representative of the community.
More research by Mr Gordon certainly would have been better. The Liberals have been adept at playing to all ethnic groups. What should have been looked into was the voting record of Canada under Liberal leadership at the UN where issues affecting Israel were being debated. Trudeau and Jean Chretien both had tin ears when Israeli matters were discussed at the UN. Their anti Israel votes, as well as harmful abstentions, were numerous. The Liberal record was far from unblemished. There was (Marcel?) Prudhomme who cheered Arafat at the UN when he delivered his famous speech with pistol at his side. Then there was the parachuting in of successful parliamentary candidate (Yvon?) Charbonneau whose strong anti Israel sentiments were well known. With respect to Canada's staying on at Durban 1, there are conflicting reports. Some have it that Canada insisted upon remaining while others suggest that it was at Israel's behest. It is unfortunate that Irwin Cotler's reputation has been impugned. His sterling record of support in all Israeli and Jewish matters is beyond doubt and should never have been questioned. As for Jews' voting patterns, somebody once commented that in the USA, Jews earn like Presbyterians but vote like Hispanics. A similar situation exists in Canada.
Thank you Harry for your very astute comments.
What troubles me is the manner in which Canada is treated in the Forward. And its not the first time. You can be sure that had this been a view of the American-Jewish scene editors would have fact checked more properly. You would never have seen a mention of the ADL for example without the reporter seeking out Abe Foxman for a quote or some verification.
Mr. Gordon appears to be a writer from Canada, could it be possible he has no idea that Bernie Farber is head of the CJC or the Frank Dimant heads B'nai Brith? If he doesnt know this elementary information he has no business writing for the Forward. In fact, I was bowled over to read a quote in this article from a Canadian Jewish organization I never heard of before and I would venture to say most of my fellow Canadian Jews never heard of either. Its the usual paternalistic American view of Canada; poorly conceived, poorly researched and with no real depth.
I expect much much better from the Forward.
In response to Mr. Gordon's article and the comments made by the readers, I have the following observations:
1. In the past, Canadian Jews have had a near Pavlovian response to voting in federal elections. It seems that the mere appearance of the name of a Liberal candidate on the ballot would result in another Jewish vote notwithstanding the consistent tilting of the Federal Liberals to the Arab cause. Although apologists (including many prominent Jewish leaders who were members of the Liberal Party) for such a policy insisted that it was even-handed, such a policy was anything but even-handed. In contrast to our American cousins who wisely abandoned Jimmy Carter in 1980, Canadian Jews have remained stalwart supporters of a political party that has taken their support for granted. For such blind support, we should be ashamed of ourselves.
2. In one of his comments, Litvak noted that the Federal Conservatives should not be characterized as neoconservatives but are in fact quite moderate. I ageee. Their policies so far through two minority governments have not been driven by ideology and they have accepted at least two socially liberal policies of abortion and same sex marriages that would be consistent with the policies of the left wing of the Democratic Party.
3. Finally, implicit in Sheldon Gordon's article is the assumption that the Federal Conservatives are "pandering" to the Jewish vote. Although one would be naive to suggest that there are no political considerations at play, perhaps, perhaps, the Conservatives may also be motivated by doing the right thing. Indeed, if one were to look at the political considerations and the number of so-called "swing ridings", it would appear that in light of the fact that the number of Muslim voters currently outnumber Jews by at least two to one and that it is projected that there will be more than 1 million Muslims in Canada in 2011 and in light of the consistently pro-Arab positions taken by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and other media outlets, it would appear that it is not smart politically to support Israel. I am grateful that the Federal Conservatives have demonstrated courage and I hope that Canadian Jews can demonstrate some degree of wisdom to put aside long-established voting patterns.
I too am a transplanted Canadian and want to add my agreement to David Livneh's analysis. The Forward's writer Mr. Gordon, seems not only bereft of what one expects from the Forward, thorough research, but his writing also seems flavoured by a certain left wing bias against the Conservative party.
No political party outside of Israel (and maybe within Israel as well) is as strongly supportive of Jewish causes and Israel as is Prime Minister Harper's Conservatives. I hope my fellow Canadians recognize and support Mr. Harper come election time.
As for Canadian Jeiwh groups that represent Canadian Jewry, as a member of B'nai Brith here in Pittsburg, I am proud of the Canadian branch of B'nai Brith. Unlike here it does not hold back its political affiliation and is proudly Conservative.
I too have no idea what the "Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee"is and I never heard of its Executive Director. Most Canadian Jews do support groups like Canadian Jewish Congress and those who want a Jewish group affiliated with the Conservative party support B,nai Brith Canada. That these two groups were virtually afterthoughts in this article does not speak well for the Forward.
One question - Why is it that "LIBERALS," Like Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, are the only ones who succeed in bringing vital peace between Israel and two of its neighbors (Egypt and Jordan), while "CONSERVATIVES" are forever labeled "pro-Israel," and provide nothing but empty bombast for the Jewish state?
Stephen Harper should be OUR President. He has intelligence, courage, guts and is a Judeophile...something that the current occupant of the White House, aka Cheetah's Bastard Cousin BonZo will NEVER have.
And Marc Paige, what peace? I don't see the Palys ending their terrorism or laying down their weapons. Your pals gave Israel the peace of the grave, as Bonzo would also love to do.
I say this to all my friends...Better an Evangelical Christian American Patriot Republican who Loves Israel and will NEVER pressure her in the White House than a piece of crap Liberal Democrat of any color, creed, or stripe who is a Moral Leftard and equates Palestinian Muslim murderers with Israeli Jews, and who hires Self-Hating Jews to do their dirty work.
Harper would NEVER betray the women of Iran nor the Jews in Jerusalem as the refugee from the Chicago zoo would and has.
I quote from the bottom of this page "Vigorous debate and reasoned critique are welcome; name-calling and personal invective are not. While we generally do not seek to edit or actively moderate comments, the Forward reserves the right to remove comments for any reason. With this in mind why have you allowed the comments from "Alan" to be posted. It is full of the very name-calling and persnal invective that you mention. I ask in the name of intelligent, vigorous and reasoned critique and debate that it be removed from your site.
Baruch has reflected my feelings as well. The post from "Alan" violates the code as set up by the Forward and should be removed.
I have found the comments here more enlightening than the story itself. In fact the comments motivated me to do some of my own research on the Canadian Jewish community. Here in Virginia we hear little about Canada never mind Canadian Jewry. I do support the American Jewish Committee and have seen some info about Canada and its Jewish community through it as well.
I have learned that for the most part Canadian Jews are represented by the Canadian Jewish Congress which seems similar to the AJC in structure and design. Its Executive Director, a felloww by the name of Bernie Faber is highly respected and reading some of his published works on the Congress-www.cjc.ca- site it is no wonder. Like Dave Harris of the AJC he is an articulate and intelligent Jewish professional.
The B'nai Brith in Canada is complteley unlike B'nai Brith here. It is a politically partisan orgnaization that openly supports Canada's Conservative party. The Jewish Congress appears, by everything I have read, neutral allowing it to have a broader scope. Its AGM this year was remarkable in that all Canadian political party leaders including the Canadian Prime Minister were in attendamce as was Vice PM of Israel Silvan Shalom. Even here in the United States we were never able to attract all the political leaders under one Jewish roof.
I had to do a lot of probing to find this group that Mr Gordon, the Forward journalist referenced, the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, seems its a small organization relatively unknown trying to be like a Canadian AIPAC. It has a long way to go before it reaches that goal.
I want to thank the Forward for at least trying to inform its readership about Canadian Jewish politics. How much better it would have been to have focused on the main Jewish organizations for their insight. Here I must agree with others who have suggested that the Forward could have done a better job.
By way of providing some balance, I offer the following confession: I am a Canadian Jew who knows very little of Jewish community politics in the United States. In Canada, though, B'nai Brith Canada and Canadian Jewish Congress are seen as being quite different. BBC general takes a position that is right of centre while CJC's positions tend to centre and left of centre. This poses no problem, IMHO since the Jewish community itself is hardly monolithic in its politics. According to my reading, though, CJC has charted a less partisan course than BBC. As Pinchus (I think) noted earlier, I have found no references to either Farber or Landy ever campaigning on behalf of the Liberals. I think this even-handed approach serves the community well in that CJC seems to focus more on the issues than on the party - a wise strategy at any time, but especially during a time of consecutive minority governments.
Many of the comments posted concern themselves with the tilt either to the right or left of the Canadian Jewish Congress and the B'nai Brith. With respect, I posit that neither is that significant. Policy in Canada has been largely shaped by attempts to mollify Quebec separatists. Both Trudeau and Chretien were neither anti-Israel nor antisemitic, but both allowed their policies, in all matters, to be highly influenced by how the French Canadians would react. Quebec has many Arab immigrants from French speaking Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia as well as a history of coddling ex-Vichyites. In Canada, their's is the strongest anti-Israel voice. All political policy was influenced by an effort to appease this segment of the population and to get the Quebec vote. The rise and success of the Bloc, a party whose stated aim is to separate Quebec from Canada has changed the balance. Neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives have much chance to woo Quebecers away from the Bloc. The Liberal's strongest support came from Quebec in the past, while the Conservatives have a stronger base in western Canada. Harper is not beholden to French Canada in the same way that the Liberals are and indeed, he may have written off any serious hope of obtaining their support. In addition, Harper seems to be that rare phenomenon in politics: a principled man.
To Les :
Do you american conservatives do not shy away from anything to slam Obama?!? What a horrible thing to say about a living person. Shame on you.
Having read more of the comments, I remembered a letter to the J-Post, from December 25, I came across yesterday. And I remembered the same racist phrase, denouncing Obama as a monkey:
"Cheetah's Lying Bastard Cousin" with the extension "in Chi-town " - only that the given name was "Amnon, the Great AMERICAN Southwest", not "Alan" like here in the Forward.
In J-Post he went on to call Clinton a doormat, Sillary the Shew etc..
I join Baruch in complaining about the Forward-publishing of these manipulating, covert misuse of newspapers and articles to every subject that comes handy to play the racist denounciation-game!
Please crosscheck with Haaretz, too!
Seems to me that the Forward simply does not invest enough time or energy into our neighbor to the north. It shows a lack of journalistic sophistication, respect and a certain sense of American parochialsim that gives us a bad name.
And really today it doesn't take much to properly research an article. I too went on to Google where it is as clear as the nose on your face that Canadian Jewish Congress is the largest and most respected of the Jewish organizations in the country. It has the full backing of all the Jewish Federations and a website that is easy to access and a great vlog which shows it is ahead of its time.
CJC seems to advocate on similar themes as to our own ADL and American Jewish Committee. It is supported by non-Jews and has the ear of most politicians.
B'nai Brith is a grass roots group that has slid to the right of the Canadian political spectrum though its good community work through the numerous lodges across the country is well respected.
And all that with a 15 minute search.Surely Mr. Gordon should have had more from both these groups on an article dealing with Canadian Jews.
I for one would like to see more news about Canada , well researched news, in the future.
This is all very Ontario centric. My Canadian Jewish friends from BC & Saskatchewan for instance had no trouble supporting the Conservatives or the NDP federally. As it stands, Harper has done a decent job as PM & deserves a majority government. Perhaps he then be able to put through the old Reform party's agenda of recall and an elected Senate, things we Americans take for granted.
I am a "snowbird" one of those now retired Canadians that fly south for the winter. So I know from what I speak.
Yes the article was poorly researched and yes it is very Ontariocentric.
However i guess I simply do not expect Americans to take Canada seriously at any time.
Perhaps a real look at a group like the Canadian Jewish Congress and the amazing work it does would be a real benefit to American readers. Something worth considering especially given all the comments here.
Another snowbird here...must say I almost missed this article, one of the very few the Forward has written on the Canadian Jewish scene.
I am not as critical of Mr. Gordon, your writer' as some others have been simply because I do not expect much from American journalists when it comes to Canada. That Gordon disregarded so much says more of the American mindset when it comes to Canada than anything else.
Here are some ideas to consider.
1. Canadian Jewry has some very good thinkers and writers. People like Professors Gil Troy and Irving Abella or Canadian Jewish Congress Director Bernie Farber all spring to mind. They have been widely published in Canadian and other international publications and with the very odd exception I rarely see this kind of Canadian Jewish writer in your paper.
2. Consider a monthly "Canadian news" section. There are thousands of snowbirds like me who are faithful readers of the Forward who would enjoy this.
3.Find a Canadian freelancer who knows the community and the players for future stories.