Canada made history in 1967.

It was the first country in the world ever to go to a merit - based point system for immigration.

The goal the system is summed up with is one sentence on a government immigration website.

Quote : " We choose skilled immigrants as permanent residents based on their ability to settle in Canada

and take part in our economy."

So, beginning in ' 67 an applicant 's race, color, nationality... that no longer mattered.

To be blunt, being white ceased to be the advantage it had been.

Canada, like many other countries, had a history of discriminatory immigration policies

dating all the way back to post World War I.

Among those excluded until the mid - Twentieth Century were communists, Mennonites, Austrians, Turks and Chinese.

A ban on black immigrants had been considered in 1911, but not implemented.

The restrictions began to ease after World War II, in part because of a demand for labor

to fuel the country 's robust economy.

But, racial discrimination was n't officially nixed until ' 62.