Either Canadian citizenship means something or it does not.

If it does not — if it means nothing — then Ontario’s government should change the law to let non-citizen permanent residents vote in municipal elections, as Toronto city council requested Tuesday.

But if citizenship means something . . .

At first blush, the argument for extending the franchise to non-citizens might seem compelling.

First, there are a lot of them — particularly in Toronto. A study by Ryerson University political scientist Myer Siemiatycki estimated that in 2006, some 246,000 residents — about 16 per cent of the population — were ineligible to vote because they weren’t Canadian.

Second, all residents, regardless of citizenship, pay the same taxes and levies. Why should some taxpayers face discrimination simply because they lack a piece of paper?

Third, non-citizens use services such as schools. As Desmond Cole, a campaigner for extending the franchise wrote recently in the Torontoist, non-citizens send their children to school but are barred from electing trustees.

Fourth, municipal elections are weird anyway. In Ontario, those who own property in a municipality may vote in its local elections even if they don’t live there.

Fifth, other countries do it. Siemiatycki reckons that 26 nations allow non-citizens to vote, mainly in local elections. New Zealand allows non-citizens to vote nationally.

On the side of those calling for an extended franchise are the usual white hats of Toronto civic life, including the hard-working agencies that support immigrants.

On the other side are Toronto Mayor Rob Ford — and me.

I’ll let Ford speak for himself. My reasons are pretty straightforward: I think Canada is a real place, not just a convenient stopover on the way to somewhere else.

Most of the immigrants I know think the same thing. Most have made the conscious decision to come here because they want to live in Canada as Canadians.

And if Canada is a real place, then Canadian citizenship means something serious.

To be a citizen means that you’ve signed on. It means you’ve agreed to take part in the project.

Some of us are lucky enough to sign on by virtue of being born here. Others have to work for it — first by being accepted as permanent residents, then by qualifying, usually after a minimum of three years, for formal citizenship itself.

Unlike some countries (Japan comes to mind), Canada doesn’t make acquisition of citizenship an onerous task. In fact, it is fairly easy.

Which is why I was struck by one of Siemiatycki’s findings — namely that almost one half of those denied the ballot in the 2003 Toronto election were, in fact, eligible for Canadian citizenship.

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It seems they just hadn’t bothered to apply.

The biggest chunk of those permanent residents who hadn’t bothered to take out Canadian citizenship consisted of Americans, followed by Europeans.

The immigrants most serious about becoming Canadian, Siemiatycki found, were Africans and Asians.

So here’s what I think. I think anyone who lives in Toronto legally should receive public services, regardless of citizenship. That’s already the case.

Permanent residents and refugees are eligible for welfare and medicare. Anyone who lives here, legally or not, can attend school, enjoy weekly garbage collection and use the libraries. That’s as it should be.

But if newcomers want to take part in deciding the rules behind these and other elements of public life — that is, if they want to vote — they should make a commitment to this place.

Debbie Douglas, executive director of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, argues that newcomers accepted as permanent residents have already demonstrated that commitment.

My view is that they should finish out the process before seeking all the privileges of membership. Otherwise, citizenship is meaningless.

My own newspaper reports that champions of democracy and inclusiveness are applauding Toronto city council for its decision.

As an inclusive democrat, I’m not applauding. Nor do I recall being asked my opinion — either by my councillor or anyone else — before this sweeping decision was made.