Yes, I definitely think they do make a huge contribution to Canadian culture and society. One of the misconceptions is that they are a drain on our system, but I think that's ignoring the contributions they make within families either through child care or through supporting families as they integrate into Canadian society.
The other thing is that I think there needs to be a greater recognition that family units may be understood differently in different cultures, especially in Asian cultures, a culture that I'm familiar with. Parents and grandparents often live with or are in very close proximity to the family units where children live and contribute in various ways, and this needs to be recognized.
The other thing I think that's often forgotten is that these people have investments, their own economic history, and they will bring it with them to Canada. If you allow these people to come to Canada, often they're not just elderly, ill people, they are also people who can further contribute to Canadian society through their investments, their spending, innovative ways they could generate activity socially, culturally, or economically. There's a lot of misunderstanding with regard to parents and grandparents and what they could contribute to our society.