Canada has long been known as a land of immigrants and opportunity. However, many are left wondering: what broke Canada? Here is a real story shared by a close friend. My friend landed in Canada in 2015 and was offered free English coaching as part of his early settlement assistance in Saskatchewan. He joined these English lessons and noticed that he had several classmates from the African continent. Surprisingly, these classmates had been stuck at the exact same English proficiency level for three to four years. This was shocking to my friend because it was a very basic, introductory level that could easily be cleared within three months. After befriending most of them, my friend figured out the truth. These individuals had actually been living in Canada for seven to eight years and were still studying at the exact same college. Furthermore, none of them had applied for Canadian citizenship; they all remained permanent residents. The Loophole The reason was simple, if you become a Canadian citizen, you no longer qualify for free language schooling. These free English programs are a benefit reserved strictly for permanent residents. Because they shared a similar religious background, many of these families had between four and eight children. Additionally, their cultural or religious beliefs did not permit the women to work outside the home. Since the men were perpetually "in school," these families were able to claim every single government benefit available to them. They received money for: Food and groceries Rent assistance Unemployment benefits Child tax benefits Meanwhile, our own elderly population has to keep working well past the age of 65 simply because they cannot afford to retire. This is what broke Canada: weak government policies exploited by strong personal interests.