Pilot Project to Attract More Working Families to B.C.

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ICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Aug. 12, 2011) - Family members of most temporary foreign workers in British Columbia will be able to work for any employer in the province, thanks to a pilot project launched today.

The announcement was made by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney and British Columbia Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell.

"Since I became Minister, I have heard from workers, employers, labour advocates and others who have asked me to make Canada more welcoming for working families coming to Canada as temporary residents," said Minister Kenney. "With this pilot project, we will examine the benefits of allowing family members of temporary foreign workers to work while they are here with a principal applicant who has been hired because of his or her skills."

In general, temporary foreign workers come to Canada to meet the needs of a specific employer who has been unable to find citizens or permanent residents for the available jobs. An open work permit, however, allows the holder to accept any job with any employer.

Previously, only spouses and common-law partners of temporary foreign workers employed in a managerial, professional or skilled trades job have been eligible to obtain an open work permit in British Columbia. Starting August 15, spouses, common-law partners and working-age dependants of most temporary foreign workers will be eligible, including many workers in occupations that require lower levels of formal training.

"More than a million jobs will open up in B.C. by 2020, and we will need foreign workers to help meet the skills shortages our businesses are already beginning to face," said Minister Bell. "Giving more spouses and working-aged children of temporary foreign workers the chance to take jobs will support local businesses, while contributing to local, regional and provincial economic growth."

Up to 1,800 open work permits will be available under the pilot project, which will end on February 15, 2013.

"Nearly 32,000 temporary foreign workers made the transition to permanent status in 2010, and of those, almost 2,300 chose to immigrate permanently to BC," Minister Kenney noted. "We understand the important role that foreign workers have in every region of the country and we will continue to look at ways to attract workers who have the skills we need now and into the future."

British Columbia's shared role in immigration was cemented in April 2010 with the signing of the Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement.

Follow Citizenship and Immigration Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada.

Connect with the Province of B.C. at www.gov.bc.ca/connect.

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Ladner's Chinese rant ignores economic boom

Image via WikipediaBY ETHAN BARON, THE PROVINCE



Former Vancouver councillor Peter Ladner argues that wealthy Chinese homebuyers are driving Vancouver's real-estate prices to heights unaffordable for regular British Columbians.
"Mainland Chinese immigrants are moving to Metro Vancouver at the rate of 10,000 a year," Ladner said. "These immigrants are in some sense political and economic refugees, securing citizenship in Canada as a backup plan for their children's futures."
Rich Chinese buyers, Ladner suggests, are making a killing. He quotes a realtor's flyer boasting that his average client's equity rose from $150,000 to $4.5 million between 1993 and 2011.
"The result of this frenzy is that Vancouver's housing has priced its average citizens well out of the market," Ladner added.
Cry me a river, and make it the Yangtze. Unless you don't buy Chinese-made products, you've got no grounds for complaint.
British Columbians purchase billions of dollars in goods from China, fuelling the economic boom enriching the people who are buying up Vancouver real estate.
In 2000, B.C. Stats predicted British Columbians' contribution to China's economic expansion.
"As China industrializes, the early indications are that British Columbia will . . . play an important supporting role in the emergence of an Asian economic giant," the agency reported.
Imports to B.C. from China the year that prediction was made stood at $3 billion, according to Statistics Canada. Last year, B.C. imported $8.8 billion in goods from China. Canada as a whole imported $44.5 billion in Chinese products in 2010.
"The top five commodities imported from China in 2010 were electronic computers, telecommunication equipment, games and toys, furniture and fixtures and outerwear," StatsCan's 2010 international trade review says.
China's share of Canada's imports rose to 11 per cent in 2010 from 3.7 per cent in 2001, according to StatsCan.
Why do we buy so many Chinese products? Because they're cheap. Why are they cheap? Because Chinese workers are paid very poorly, often toil in abysmal conditions and sometimes get kicked out of their homes so wealthy industrialists can level them and build more factories. Who benefits from this trade relationship? Why, we British Columbians who save money buying cheap goods, and those Chinese who make money off the cheap production of cheap goods. We get inexpensive sweaters. They get houses in Shaughnessy.
Shop at the dollar store all you want, it ain't gonna get you into West Point Grey.
Ladner is right. He's identified a problem that few will speak about for fear of being labelled as racist. But if you're going to point a finger, make sure you're standing in front of a mirror.
Oh, and about that mirror . . .
ebaron@theprovince.com

© Copyright (c) The Province

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/business/Ladner+Chinese+rant+ignores+economic+boom/4605711/story.html#ixzz1JRKBhiEo

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Portage sees benefits of Manitoba's immigrant population growth

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By Angela Brown, The Daily Graphic

Updated 13 hours ago

While Statistics Canada recently reported that Manitoba has seen a noticeable increase to its population based on an influx of new immigrants, Portage la Prairie appears to be seeing similar growth.

Daniel Bolton, president with  the Portage and District Chamber of Commerce, agrees Portage has seen a boost in its immigrant population.

"The RHA has had quite a lot  of newcomers and immigrants move into Portage, which is great to see," he said.

He said the Portage International Committee (PIC) is also making strides to attract newcomers.

"In working with the PIC, we have seen the Province take a few steps in the right direction in trying to entice immigration and newcomers to Portage," he said.

The benefits of having more newcomers settle here, said Bolton, mean the local economy also sees a boost.

Statistics Canada reports as of Jan. 1, Canada's population was estimated at 34,278,400, and saw an increase of 40,400 (+0.1%) from Oct. 1, 2010.

Demographic growth was the highest on the Prairies. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were reported as having high rates of growth that were above the Canadian average.

Manitoba had the greatest demographic growth in Canada in the fourth quarter. It saw an increase of more than 3,600 (+0.3%).

Specifically, the net international migration (+2,600) was the main factor for the demographic growth in Manitoba. As of Jan. 1, Manitoba's population was estimated at about 1,243,700.

Statistics Canada shows 16,900 more people arrived in Manitoba in 2010. That is the most the province has grown in almost 40 years.

The Province reports 15,805 immigrants came to Manitoba in 2010. That is more than the 13,520 who came in 2009; it represents the largest arrival of immigrant s since 1946.

Luis Luna, co-ordinator of Portage Learning and Literacy Centre's immigrant resource program, said Portage has been successful in attracting many newcomers and he credits the immigrants for coming here with valuable skills needed in the marketplace.

"We haven't seen the increase like Morden and Winkler, but we are having a steady number of immigration happening in Portage la Prairie," he added.

"The last big immigration project was with the RHA Central ...," he said. "They have continued bringing more immigrants into the region."

Mayor Earl Porter also concurs immigration has had a positive impact on Portage.

"We do have quite a few immigrants in here now," said Porter.

He said the Portage International Committee is currently working on its own strategic plan.

PIC members are also looking forward to the upcoming Citizenship ceremony in May to be held in Portage.  

The advantages of having more immigrants are that they help to build the population, said the Mayor.

"The nurses who came to Portage they are getting involved in the community," added Porter. "Some of them are buying houses. It's a boost for the economy."

Porter is pleased to see Manitoba's population see an increase and hopes it might also show a rise in Portage's numbers also.

"We have been sitting at 13,000 people  for so long … it's nice to grow the population a little bit, and increase your tax base."

abrown@cpheraldleader.com

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Refugee claimants entering Quebec from U.S.

Image by Robert of Fairfax via Flickr

A legal loophole has would-be refugees in the U.S. coming into Canada through the Quebec border, CBC News has learned.
"Sometimes we get half a dozen of them on a shift, and then you're a week without getting any, said RCMP Sgt. Christian Dubois. "And then, all of a sudden, 'boom.'"
Dubois said since the new RCMP border patrol started, more than half of their time is being spent on would-be refugees.
RCMP Insp. Marc Lacasse said there have been 64 arrests in just two months along the 140 kilometres of the Quebec-Vermont border, representing a 400 per cent increase over the same time period last year.
With immigration laws tightening in the U.S., increasing numbers of people have simply given up on ever getting permanent residency. Spot checks by American authorities have them worried about being caught and deported.
Lacasse believes that people are taking advantage of a loophole created by a document signed between Canada and the U.S. called the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement.
Under the agreement, if a person that is already in the U.S. tries to move further north into Canada to claim refugee status, they will be turned back because both countries are considered safe. But the agreement only applies at organized crossings. Those determined to enter are now simply walking across through the bush.
"Our belief is there are organizations that are trying to use those areas to basically direct people to come over to Canada and gain refugee status," said Lacasse. "Contrary to a point of entry [where] they would be turned back."
Immigration lawyer David Cohen said that once a refugee gets away from an organized border crossing and enters Canada through the brush, Canada is obligated to process them.
"There's no surprise and in fact it was absolutely predictable … and was predicted," he said
"People avoid the Canadian port of entry and somehow make their way into Canada and make the refugee claim," Cohen said.
It's difficult to stop would-be refugees because there are more unprotected roads leading to the Quebec border than that of any other province.
Border services has also confirmed it will close or reduce hours for at least five entry points in Quebec alone, potentially increasing the number of unguarded roads.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/11/30/refugee-border-canada.html#ixzz17wOzV8ZH

 

 http://www.cbc.ca/video/player.html?category=News&zone=canada&site=cbc.news.ca&clipid=1675345025

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