Nova Scotia hoping to attract more immigrants

Hants County, Nova ScotiaImage via WikipediaNova Scotia officials want to lift immigration caps for the province in order to attract more skilled newcomers but face opposition from the federal government even though Immigration Minister Jason Kenney does agree more newcomers may resolve the province's labour shortage.

"I think it’s admirable that Nova Scotia is focused on growing its population," said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney according to the Chronicle Herald. "Immigration is part of the solution to the challenge of shrinking population in general and in Atlantic Canada in particular."

The eastern province has a rapidly shrinking population and therefore has been a keen supporter of newcomers moving to the province. In the past decade, officials have spent millions of dollars trying to persuade immigrants to relocate to Nova Scotia under the provincial nominee program and increased spending for settlement programs.

Last year 2,2424 immigrants moved to Nova Scotia and officials would like to see that increase to 7,200 each year by 2020. However, in order to do that they need the federal government to remove cap restrictions on immigration. A notion that minister Jason Kenney isn’t too keen to do just yet citing growing needs by other areas in Canada.

"In general it’s a positive goal, but every province needs to remember we need to work together in the federation," he said. "We can’t have 10 provinces arbitrarily setting their own goals, because ultimately there’s one pipeline for immigration, if you will, and that runs through the government of Canada, through my ministry."

The provincial nominee program gives newcomers the opportunity to work in positions that are unfilled by Canadians.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Today’s international students are tomorrow’s immigrants to Canada

Richmond's Golden Village, the "new China...Image via WikipediaBy Juliana Tonello

International students are looked at as prospective immigrants by not only the federal government, but also immigration experts across the country. Many of these students are also expected to become business owners, once they settle down in the country upon becoming immigrants. That’s the expectation anyway. And, in anticipation, the country has begun attracting the world’s best and brightest students, offering them a fast track to permanent residency status.
“They [international students] will match the essential roles in business in the future,” said Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Eric Hoskins at a recent symposium. “Our labour market is an international one.”
Other experts also believe that making this strategy the foundation for immigration sets Canada apart from other countries that attract international students. Experts at the conference organized by the World Education Services (WES), including representatives of the government, educational institutions and settlement agencies, discussed the possibilities at the Symposium on International Students: The New Skilled Migrants.
However, Canada, which annually receives around 85,000 international students per year, is still behind the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Australia on the market share.
“We need to provide appropriate supports for those intending to become permanent residents,” says Timothy Owen, director of WES, a foreign credentials evaluation organization, citing it as a reason for the relatively smaller influx of international students in Canada. “They will study here, like what they see and stay. They will be ideally positioned to become part of a highly skilled Canadian workforce.”
However, educational institutions must focus on the needs of each province and offer courses that will help fill the jobs that are vacant due to a lack of qualified people in certain specialized professions.
“There are many people without jobs and jobs without people,” says Philip Steenkamp, British Columbia’s deputy minister of advanced education and labour market development. In B.C., 1.1 million jobs are expected to be created in the next 10 years, and immigrants are expected to fill a third of those jobs.
“People with specific skills will be essential,” notes Steenkamp.
The lack of Canadian work experience faced by immigrants is highlighted as a continuing concern by educational experts, who believe that barrier will remain unchanged for a long time. “Skilled work plus Canadian education plus work experience is the key for the Canadian job market,” says Catrina Tapley, of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Some advantages for international students to break this barrier are programs offering off-campus as well as post-graduate work permits. Tapley believes that work permit and co-op programs are of vital importance to international students who aim to become Canadians. Another good reason, according to her, is immigrants with previous Canadian work experiences earn approximately $10,000 per year more than skilled immigrants.

http://canadianimmigrant.ca/settlingincanada/immigrationlaw/article/7891
Enhanced by Zemanta

New Canadian act targets 'Ghost' immigration agents

Toronto, Dec 8 (IANS) 'Ghost' immigration consultants in India, who dupe people desperate to migrate to Canada, will be put out of business with the passing of new legislation by the Canadian parliament.
Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the legislation to crack down on crooked immigration consultants has received final approval Tuesday in the House of Commons.

The new Act will crack down on crooked immigration consultants who undermine the integrity of Canada's immigration system, the minister said.

'In their quest for personal gain, crooked consultants have displayed a wanton disregard for our immigration rules and bilked too many people out of their hard-earned dollars,' said Kenney.

'They are a menace, posing a costly threat not only to their victims, but also to the integrity and fairness of our immigration system. When crooked consultants encourage prospective immigrants to cheat the system, it slows down the immigration system for those following the rules,' the minister said.

The new Act makes immigration services provided by any unauthorised immigration agent illegal.

'This includes services offered or performed before an application is submitted or a proceeding begins, thus closing a loophole in the current framework. It would also give the minister the authority to designate a body to govern immigration consultants and authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations to enhance the government's oversight of this body.'

According to Canadian authorities, India-based 'ghost' immigration consultants -- who operate in collusion with their Canada-based fraud partners -- pose a major challenge to this country's immigration system.

Operating out of the purview of law, these 'ghost' immigration consultant cheat thousands of prospective immigrants each year, defrauding them up to $30,000 each.

Such operators are rampant, especially in Punjab, as migrant families from that state in Canada want to bring their relatives here by hook or by crook.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Challenges await Chinese immigrants, but so do opportunities.

Calgary is the largest metropolis in the Calga...Image via Wikipedia
Wenying Wang hadn't seen her husband in 19 months.
The Chinese immigrant left her home outside Beijing last year and moved to Calgary to start a new life with her 14-year-old daughter.
On a cool winter day recently, she anxiously waited for her husband Yongbin Fan to join them.
Finally, the painful wait ended -- for a short time anyway -- as he landed in Calgary to reconnect with his family. Later this month, the mechanical engineer will return to China to support his wife and daughter, as well as care for his parents.
"When he isn't here with me, I was sad," Wenying says from her modest townhouse in southwest Calgary, husband at her side.
"We come to a strange country with no experience, almost know nothing about it. It is maybe a little difficult for us to adapt to this country," Yongbin adds.
The family's emotional reunion serves as a stark reminder of the struggles newcomers often experience when arriving in Alberta.
Yongbin wants the family to have a smooth transition into Canada, so he expects to work for another year in China until his wife can find a job in the health-care field.
For many newcomers, the joys of launching a new life are often tempered by social isolation, language barriers and a foreign culture. There are also severe financial pressures.
Wenying, 42, left behind everything she knows, including a job as a nurse. But she moved to a new city with growing ties to her homeland. The opportunities Alberta provides outweigh the struggles of starting over, she says.
"Our country (China) has some strong points," she explains. "But I like challenges. And I choose Canada."
Indeed, more Chinese are choosing Canada -- and Alberta -- as their home.
At least 1,000 new immigrants are expected to arrive in Calgary this year from China, making the country one of the largest sources of newcomers for the city.
In total, more than 75,000 Chinese people live in Calgary today, the city's largest visible minority group.
They are helping construct a social and cultural bridge to China that's changing the face of Calgary and Alberta.
People power may well trump energy, manufacturing and agriculture as the most important commodity in the Sino-Alberta trade relationship.
And as more Chinese nationals move to the province for work, an increasing number of Albertans are looking for jobs and a new life in the Asian country.
"China has a natural affinity for Canada," says Liu Yongfeng, China's consul general to Alberta.
"Nowadays, though our national conditions and social systems differ, there exists no conflict of fundamental interests between us -- and our common interests far outweigh our differences."
Canada holds a special place in the hearts of many Chinese.
On the streets of Beijing, residents almost instinctively cite the famous Norman Bethune, a gifted Canadian physician who took up the Chinese Communist cause in the late 1930s and treated soldiers on the front lines in years of war.
"Chinese people always remember -- forever," says Wenying. "They think Canadian people are friendly and like helping people."
Some 1.3 million Canadian residents are of Chinese origin and more than 50,000 Chinese students currently study at Canadian schools, says David Mulroney, Canada's ambassador in Beijing.
Chinese (primarily Mandarin) is also the most commonly spoken language in Canada, after English and French.
The two-way flow of people -- through business, immigration and tourism -- will "further strengthen our people-to-people ties, build understanding between our two countries and strengthen our commercial, cultural and political relations," the ambassador predicts.
People power flows in both directions.
Inside Mulroney's official residence, native Calgarian Rosalyn Ediger works as the embassy's chef. After graduating in 2005 from SAIT with a diploma in professional cooking, she travelled the globe and eventually stopped in China.
Intrigued by the distant country and culture, she jumped at the chance for a chef posting at the embassy. After two-and-a-half years, she doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon.
"I didn't know anything about China. It was just so mysterious," says the 25-yearold chef. "The more I know, the more I want to know."
Chinese residents take a little time to warm up to, she notes, but they are genuine people who have a deep respect for Canada.
Ediger, who grew up in Calgary's Huntington Hills community, believes hospitality is an integral part of diplomacy.
"If you give them a chance, they then give you a chance," she says.
"They're just as curious with me as I am with them. It's a good cross-cultural connection."
Alberta Immigration
Minister Thomas Lukaszuk wants to tap further into that connection.
China is a preferred partner for Alberta as it looks to attract newcomers, he says during a stop in Beijing.
Alberta is forecasting a severe shortage of workers over the next few decades and the province must look overseas to find people to sustain the economy.
China is particularly attractive because of its highly skilled workforce, Lukaszuk says.
He's hoping to streamline the process for approving immigration applications from China, which can take anywhere from nine months to four years.
"We know China has the capacity to partially satisfy our need," Lukaszuk says.
The number of permanent residents moving to Alberta from China has increased in the past couple of years, but still lags behind the boom times of 2006.
Last year, 2,034 immigrants arrived in Alberta from China -- up 13 per cent from 2007. The first half of this year saw 1,091 Chinese permanent residents land in the province.
The connections are profound on other fronts.
For example, the largest number of foreign students in the province originate from China.
In Calgary, Chinatown is marking its centenary in 2010 -- the Year of the Tiger -- with year-long festivities.
Jason Luan, a 47-year-old social planner with the City of Calgary, is actively involved in bridging the city's Chinese heritage with immigrants who will shape the future.
In 1988, he moved to the city from China to pursue a master of social work at the University of Calgary.
Today, he sees first-hand the challenges of integrating into a foreign society, serving as a member of the Immigrant Sector Council of Calgary.
Chinese newcomers often face social isolation and cultural shock, he says, and generally know less English than immigrants from many other countries.
"There is an immediate need. You need to find something that echoes your language, culture and sense of belonging," says Luan. "Never mind being successful, you're probably struggling for survival."
Luan is also a former president of the Chinese Professionals and Entrepreneurs Association of Calgary, an organization that helps immigrants succeed in the workforce.
Many group members hold dual post-secondary degrees in China and Canada, speak multiple languages and understand the sensibilities of both countries.
As China continues to flex its global economic muscles, more companies in Alberta are searching for employees familiar with the country's languages, customs and business climate.
"The bridge has become so strong," Luan says. "The relationship has developed."
In 1989, Glenn Wang arrived in Canada as a 26-yearold student with only $50 in his pocket and two suitcases in his hands.
Originally from Inner Mongolia and educated in Beijing, he earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering in Saskatchewan before moving to Calgary.
Today, he's a successful entrepreneur in the oil and gas sector and an immigration success story.
"I really see a lot of growth between the two countries with business and with people," Wang says. "I really find it's a two-way street."
The businessman believes Calgary is a "melting pot," but recognizes concerns exist among people about China's Communist regime, as well as its record on human rights and censorship.
While those worries can't be discounted, he cautions people about making misinformed judgments about the Asian powerhouse that don't tell the story of modern day China or its people.
"Like it or not, China is coming. So it's better for us to understand who's coming and why they're coming," he says.
Back at her home in southwest Calgary, Wenying Wang says she came to the city for many reasons, including opportunity, a clean environment and moderate weather.
Most importantly, she chose Calgary because she was looking for a place where her family would feel welcome.
As she waits for her family to reunite permanently, she has a message for other Albertans.
"Chinese people want to know the world -- and I think the world will want to know China," she says.
jfekete@calgaryherald.com
- - -
Jason Luan: Chinese immigrants face cultural shock.
Grant Black, Calgary Herald
-¦ At least 1,000 new Chinese immigrants expected to arrive in Calgary this year.
-¦ More than 75,000 people of Chinese ethnicity live in Calgary.
-¦ Approximately 137,000 Albertans are of Chinese descent.
-¦ Chinese is the largest visible minority group in the city and province.
-¦ 1.3 million Canadian residents are of Chinese origin.
-¦ More than 50,000
Chinese students currently study at Canadian schools.
-¦ Chinese (mostly Mandarin) is the most commonly spoken language in Canada after English and French.
-¦ China has been the largest source of Canadian immigrants over the past decade.
-¦ Processing times for Chinese newcomers can take anywhere from nine months to about four years.
Source: Alberta government
- - -
China Calling
Special Series
Thursday: Why China matters to Alberta, and where the future lies.
Friday: Alberta has much to offer travellers. The province's tourism sector expects to lure unprecedented numbers of Chinese here.
Saturday: Alberta is a big oil supplier; China is the world's largest energy consumer. More deals are inevitable.
today: People power is the most important part of Alberta's relationship with China, as new immigrants arrive in Calgary each year.


Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Special+Report+People+power+fuels+Calgary+Chinese+connection/3965002/story.html#ixzz17w65k1Dn
Enhanced by Zemanta

Government of Canada Helping Internationally Trained Professionals in British Columbia

The British Columbia Parliament Buildings in V...Image via Wikipedia

Canada's Economic Action Plan is helping new Canadians get jobs in their fields


VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 10, 2010) - The Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia are supporting a project that will help internationally trained professionals put their knowledge and skills to work sooner. The Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Minister Responsible for British Columbia, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, along with the Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Regional Economic and Skills Development for British Columbia, made the announcement today.
"Attracting and retaining the best international talent to address existing and future labour market challenges is critical to Canada's long-term economic success," said Minister Day. "Through our Economic Action Plan, we are working with partners such as the Province of British Columbia to improve foreign credential recognition so that newcomers can maximize their talents."
The Government of Canada is providing over $4 million in funding to the British Columbia Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development. This funding will enable the Province to establish a fair and timely process for recognizing foreign credentials so that skilled newcomers can find jobs in their fields. Internationally trained professionals will also benefit from bridge-to-work and mentorship programs in various occupations.
Additionally, the Province will launch its own version of the Working in Canada online tool, where newcomers can access up-to-date labour market information, before and after arriving in Canada.
"With over a million B.C. job openings forecast by 2019, immigrants will play an important role in ensuring we have the skilled workers needed for our future economy," said Minister Chong. "We appreciate and look forward to working with our federal partners in their efforts to improve the foreign credential recognition process, which will help immigrants connect with relevant employment options, and provide employers with the information they need to hire, train and retain skilled immigrants."
This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
Backgrounder
The Government of Canada, through its Economic Action Plan, is investing $50 million to work with the provinces and territories and stakeholders to address barriers to foreign credential recognition. This investment directly contributed to the development of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
Under the Framework, foreign credential and experience recognition will be streamlined for key occupations, including some health care professions. This means that foreign-trained professionals who submit an application to be licensed or registered to work in certain fields will be advised within one year whether their credentials and experience will be recognized. Otherwise, they will be advised of additional requirements or be directed to alternative occupations that would benefit from their skills and experience.
The Framework is part of the Government of Canada's strategy to have the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world.
With the Economic Action Plan's $50-million investment, the Government will:
  • develop the principles that will guide the process of foreign credential recognition;
  • establish standards for the timely handling of requests;
  • identify key occupations that will be the priority for developing recognition standards; and
  • help people who want to come to Canada understand what they need to know before they arrive.
The British Columbia Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development is responsible for providing an integrated approach to regional economic development by leveraging the alignment of post-secondary education and training offered through colleges and institutes, by delivering immigration and labour market development programming, and by building capacity for regional economic and community development across the province.
The Foreign Credential Recognition Program aims to improve the integration of internationally trained workers into the workforce. The Program provides funding to and works with the provinces and territories and stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, post-secondary institutions, sector councils and employers, to implement projects that facilitate the assessment and recognition of qualifications acquired in other countries.
The Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) was established in May 2007 to help internationally trained workers receive the information, path-finding and referral services, in Canada and overseas, to have their credentials assessed quickly so they can find work faster in the fields for which they have been trained. The FCRO works with federal, provincial and territorial partners, and foreign credential assessment and recognition bodies, to strengthen foreign credential recognition processes across the country. Internet services for internationally trained workers can be found on the FCRO website at the following address: www.credentials.gc.ca.
Enhanced by Zemanta

N.S. faces uphill battle on immigration

Harbour of Peggys Cove, Nova ScotiaImage via WikipediaFeds don’t want to raise cap on numbers of newcomers

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS:
Source countries for immigration to Nova Scotia in 2009:


U.K.382
China 242
Iran 215
U.S.A. 210
Israel 111
Germany 102
India 76
U.A.E. 75
Philippines 68
Egypt 53
OTTAWA — Nova Scotia is benefiting from greater immigration, but the federal immigration minister isn’t sure that Ottawa can increase the numbers as quickly as the province would like.
Since 2006, Ottawa has increased funding for immigrant settlement in Nova Scotia to $7.1 million from $2.1 million, and also boosted the number of skilled workers brought in under the provincial nominee program to 833 in 2009 from 326 in 2005.
"I think it’s admirable that Nova Scotia is focused on growing its population," said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in an interview Wednesday. "Immigration is part of the solution to the challenge of shrinking population in general and in Atlantic Canada in particular."
But the province may not be able to continue increasing its intake of skilled immigrants as quickly as it would like. In 2009, 2,424 immigrants moved to Nova Scotia. The province would like to have 7,200 arrive every year by 2020. But in order for that to happen, Nova Scotia needs the federal government to lift the cap on the number who can arrive under the provincial nominee program, which is set at 500.
After a meeting in Pictou two weeks ago, the Atlantic premiers called on Ottawa to do more.

"As a first step, the Atlantic premiers call on the federal government to remove the cap on their provincial nominee programs," they said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Kenney said that may not be realistic.
"In general it’s a positive goal, but every province needs to remember we need to work together in the federation," he said. "We can’t have 10 provinces arbitrarily setting their own goals, because ultimately there’s one pipeline for immigration, if you will, and that runs through the government of Canada, through my ministry."
Ottawa plans to let 265,000 immigrants in next year, a number the government doesn’t want to increase. So if more go through provincial nominee programs, Ottawa would have to reduce the number of people who arrive under the much bigger federal economic-immigrant program, or cut back on refugees or family reunification, Kenney said.
He said he must balance competing interests.
"Ontario is pushing us for increases in the skilled worker program but Nova Scotia and other provinces are pushing us for increases in the nominee program.
"The refugee lobby is pushing for increases in the number of refugees. Many immigrants are pushing for increases in family class. And we just can’t meet everyone’s objectives at the same time."
NDP MP Megan Leslie, who represents Halifax, the riding where most immigrants to Nova Scotia settle, said the answer may be to raise the overall number.
"Provinces know what they need," she said. "If they say they need more skilled workers, we should be following their advice. Minister Kenney says it’s tricky. It is, but it’s not unsolvable."
Kings-Hants MP Scott Brison, a Liberal, said the federal government needs to respond to Nova Scotia’s demographic problems.
"The federal government needs to recognize the dire situation Nova Scotia is in with zero population growth, teetering on population decline," he said.
A poll released Wednesday by Abacus Data found that about 49 per cent of Canadians believe there are too many immigrants allowed in yearly. Only 42 per cent of Atlantic Canadians agreed, the lowest level in the country.
Kenney said there is no reason for anybody to oppose the provincial nominee program since it’s designed to provide immigrants to take jobs that are going unfilled by Canadians.
"My message would be that the provincial nominee program ensures that we’re not taking jobs away from Canadians or Nova Scotians."
Enhanced by Zemanta

Canadian education among best in the world: OECD

test documents for the Programme for Internati...Image via WikipediaCTV.ca News Staff Canada is a world leader when it comes to education, according to a new study from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The report, released Tuesday, says Canada is especially unique because its immigrant students perform well and socio-economic background seems to have little effect on performance.
The study was based on scores from testing in 2009 through the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment.
"Canada stands out not just because of its high overall performance but also because the impact of socio-economic background on educational outcomes is much less pronounced than in most Western nations," said Andreas Schleicher, of the OECD, in a video posted on the organization's website.
"An example is the extraordinary performance of Canada's immigrant children."
When studying Canada's education system and the results from each province, Schleicher said he was struck by the high expectations that immigrant families have for their children "and even more by the fact those expectations are by and large held by educators as well."
On reading, science and mathematics, Canada finished in fifth place behind Shanghai-China, Korea, Finland, Hong Kong-China and Singapore.
Scores in all three categories were well above the OECD average.
The U.S., by contrast, was 17th overall.
When broken down by region, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia tied with four other jurisdictions for second place in reading, following Shanghai-China.
The report said Canada proved to be an exception to at least one rule.
Canada is the only country in the developed world with no federal office or education department, the report states. Instead, education is a provincial and territorial responsibility. But surprisingly, the report said, the system seems to be working just fine.
"Canada demonstrates, rather surprisingly, that success can be achieved without a national strategy," the report states.
"This observation runs counter to the instincts of many of those who sit in policy seats and seek to effect change, but the fact is that Canada has achieved success on PISA across its provinces despite a limited to non-existent federal role."
However, the study also points out that some Canadian leaders, including Liberal MP and former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy, "are now trying to mount a more national strategy, arguing that education is too important to be left entirely to the provinces."
The study is compiled from results of tests administered to 15-year-old students in about 70 countries, every three years in math, science and reading.
About 22,000 Canadian students took the test, and about 470,000 worldwide.




Enhanced by Zemanta

Legislation to Crack Down on Crooked Consultants a Step Closer to Becoming Law

Billboard for immigration consultants, Calgary...Image by mvcorks via Flickr
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 7, 2010) - Legislation to crack down on crooked immigration consultants received final approval today in the House of Commons.

"I am pleased that C-35, our tough measures to crack down on crooked consultants, is now moving to the Senate for its consideration," said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

The legislation, introduced in the House of Commons on June 8, aims to crack down on crooked immigration consultants who exploit prospective immigrants and undermine the integrity of Canada's immigration system.

"In their quest for personal gain, crooked consultants have displayed a wanton disregard for our immigration rules and bilked too many people out of their hard-earned dollars," said Minister Kenney. "They are a menace, posing a costly threat not only to their victims, but also to the integrity and fairness of our immigration system. When crooked consultants encourage prospective immigrants to cheat the system, it slows down the immigration system for those following the rules."

The legislation would make it a crime for unauthorized individuals to provide immigration advice or representation for a fee. This includes services offered or performed before an application is submitted or a proceeding begins, thus closing a loophole in the current framework. It would also give the Minister the authority to designate a body to govern immigration consultants and authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations to enhance the government's oversight of this body.

A public call for submissions from candidate entities interested in becoming the governing body was published in the Canada Gazette in August. Interested parties have until 4 p.m. (EST) on December 29, 2010, to deliver their submissions.

In addition, the legislation would authorize the disclosure of information on the ethical or professional conduct of an immigration consultant to those responsible for governing or investigating that conduct.

Enhanced by Zemanta

The Manitoba miracle

Downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The downt...Image via WikipediaSix years ago, Rylan Hart, a contractor from Winnipeg, packed up his tool box and headed west. While Manitoba’s economy was expected to continue plodding along, British Columbia was on the cusp of a housing boom, and as a skilled tradesman he was perfectly positioned for the windfall when it came. But Hart had been warned by veterans of B.C.’s “roller coaster” construction sector not to expect the good times to last, and they didn’t. The combination of recession, an Olympic hangover and the new harmonized sales tax sent shivers through his industry. “Everything just tanked,” says Hart, 35. So in July he did what a lot of others in the Manitoban diaspora have done over the last year—he packed up and headed back to the Prairies.
But if the Winnipeg that Hart left was dull but stable—it’s often said Manitoba doesn’t suffer economic slumps because it never enjoys boom times in the first place—the Winnipeg he returned to, with its luxury condo projects, massive housing developments and stunningly low unemployment, is scarcely recognizable. “From the moment I got back I’ve been going full tilt,” he says. “I keep having to tell [potential clients], ‘No, I’m too busy.’ I’ve already got work until at least next spring lined up.”

By many measures, Manitoba has emerged as the shining star of Canada’s recession and subsequent recovery. True, economic growth fell to zero last year, but that meant it was the only province that didn’t shrink. And with the recovery in full swing, Manitoba enjoys the lowest unemployment rate in the country, at 5.2 per cent, compared to a national average of 7.9 per cent and 8.6 per cent in Ontario. The housing market is going strong, and Manitobans are outspending their countrymen at the mall and at car dealerships. “The mood is very optimistic here,” says Dave Angus, president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. “Psychologically, our ability to weather the economic storm has been huge.”
There are several reasons for all this. The one economists typically point to first is the diversity of its economy. No other province has as eclectic a mix of businesses and services at its core. There are Manitoba’s vast fields of wheat and other crops, of course, which in a similar way helped American states like North and South Dakota and Nebraska survive the recession easily. But crop production makes up just five per cent of the Manitoba economy. Far more important are sectors like manufacturing, with its focus on aerospace and buses, as well as financial services, transportation, and mining and petroleum production. “Manitoba is the most diverse of all the provinces,” says Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist for the Royal Bank of Canada. “In booming times you don’t see Manitoba at the top end, but in periods of economic weakness it usually doesn’t show the extreme declines.”
But that doesn’t tell the full story of how the province dodged the Great Recession bullet. Even before infrastructure became the buzzword of the global recovery, Manitoba had a number of high-profile projects on the go that helped shield it from the downturn, such as the $800-million expansion of the Red River floodway, a $585-million project to expand Winnipeg’s airport, and the construction of the 23-storey Manitoba Hydro tower in downtown Winnipeg. While construction on those projects has largely wrapped up, work is under way on the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, and the province appears intent on building a new stadium for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, even though the price tag has soared 40 per cent to $160 million.
There’s an obvious theme to many of those projects—they wouldn’t be happening without massive spending by all levels of government. Critics argue that government spending is crowding out private investment and inflicting long-term damage to the economy. Manitoba has the highest net provincial debt as a share of its economy of any of the western provinces, at 24.4 per cent, though that’s still far below the Canadian provincial average of 37.6 per cent. And, ironically, as a have-not economy Manitoba relies heavily on the generosity of Ontario taxpayers as well as Alberta through federal-provincial transfers. It’s led Peter Holle, president of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, to label Manitoba a “zombie economy.”
But those concerns have taken a back seat as the job market and consumer confidence have heated up. Retail sales in the province climbed 6.6 per cent in August from the year before, while the country as a whole managed an increase of just 3.5 per cent.
On a recent Saturday, a cold wind failed to keep car buyers away from Birchwood BMW on the western edge of Winnipeg. Francis Fang, an accountant, strolled between shiny black Bimmers on the hunt for a sports coupe to go with the Mercedes C-Class he recently bought. “I’ve travelled to Calgary and Vancouver and you could just feel things were more depressed,” he says. “We’d watch the recession on the news, but you didn’t feel it through your work or your jobs.” It’s been a similar story at the Gauthier Cadillac Buick GMC dealership in the city’s north end. “We’re seeing it from the front line,” says vice-president Jason Cross. GMC truck sales have doubled over the last year. Not surprisingly, national retail chains have taken note. Ikea has announced plans to open its first store in the city, possibly in 2012.
Low unemployment in Manitoba isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon, but in the past it’s been driven by the fact so many people leave the province to look for work elsewhere. Manitoba still suffers from negative net interprovincial migration, but that has slowed down and is more than made up for by a healthier inflow of foreign immigrants. (Over the last year, the province saw its highest population growth since 1982.) Manitoba has been the most aggressive of all the provinces at using the Provincial Nominee Program to lure skilled immigrants, says Mario Lefebvre, director of the Centre for Municipal Studies at the Conference Board of Canada. Manitoba now attracts roughly 13,000 immigrants a year, which, given the size of the province’s population, is a rate on par with Toronto’s. Manitoba’s immigration strategy got a shout-out from the New York Times recently, when the paper hailed Winnipeg as “a hub of parka-clad diversity.” It’s helped drive the local housing market—even amid the recession, housing starts came in at around 4,200 last year, one of the highest levels since the 1980s.
Can Manitoba keep it going? Ferley at RBC believes economic growth in Manitoba will actually come in below the national average this year, partly because grain production is down 25 per cent due to poor weather, and because other provinces that saw their economies hit hard are enjoying a strong rebound. But Ferley expects growth in Manitoba to pull ahead again next year, hitting 3.7 per cent, a full percentage point above the national average.
Problems persist, of course. Incomes in Manitoba still lag far behind those in other western provinces. Downtown Winnipeg continues to suffer from poverty and high crime rates. And one of the big lures for former residents boomeranging back to Manitoba has been affordable house prices and a lower cost of living—both of which are at risk as a result of the housing boom. But for now, Manitoba’s fortunes appear to finally be moving in the right direction. “This is a great place to be right now,” says Hart, the contractor who returned this past summer. “I’m very happy with the way things are going, and I don’t plan on leaving any time soon.”

Source: http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/12/06/the-manitoba-miracle/
Enhanced by Zemanta

Ukrainian Immigration to Alberta

ukrainian dance, ukrainians in canada.Image via WikipediaSource: Edukit.ca
Despite being known as the breadbasket of the Soviet Union and claiming large deposits of coal and iron, Ukraine is a nation whose history has been dominated by poverty. Foreign rulers, whether Mongols, Latvians, Poles, or Russians, have controlled or divided Ukraine among themselves for the past 100 years. These rulers have ensured that many Ukrainians remain poverty-stricken peasants. In 1891, having learned of Canada’s untapped potential, the first Ukrainian immigrants sold their meagre landholdings and headed west.
Dancers at the Ukrainian Pavilion Ukraine’s immigration history to Canada can be broken into four waves, each growing progressively smaller and less important to Ukrainian-Canadian society.
The first wave began in 1891 when two peasants, Ivan Pylypiw and Wasyl Eleniak, established the community of Edna-Star east of Edmonton. Soon after, other immigrants followed in their footsteps. These pioneers came from two major regions: Galicia, part of Poland, and Bukovyna, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Their reasons for leaving were many and included a growing population’ quickly running out of land, malnutrition which resulted not only from overpopulation but also from the primitive farming techniques applied at the time, and social problems such as illiteracy, drunkenness, and heavy debt loads.
These immigrants were encouraged by Canada and then-Minister of the Interior Clifford Sifton. At the time, Canada was eager to settle the untamed wilds of the prairie provinces and in exchange for only a $10 registration fee, was offering 160 acres of land each to willing farmers. For many Ukrainians who owned only a couple of acres in Europe, this was an enticing offer. In all, 170,000 Ukrainians arrived in Canada between 1891 and 1914. The majority of these immigrants were farmers who established small farming communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Although their immigration was encouraged by the Canadian government, many of the existing Anglo-Saxon elite held mixed opinions about the new arrivals. Some worried that the concentrated settlement in the area east of Edmonton would lead to a stretch of Ukrainian land that would resist the adoption of Canadian values and ideals. As such, in 1896, the Canadian government helped to establish several, smaller Ukrainian settlements across the prairies.
Ukrainians, along with other Eastern Europeans, faced increased discrimination after the start of World War I. The war not only brought a halt to immigration, but it also placed restrictions on Ukrainians living in Canada. Since Ukraine was partly under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with which Canada was at war, Ukrainians were designated as foreign aliens. They were told to register and report often to the nearest government office, and as a result of the Wartime Elections Act, those who entered Canada after 1902 were disenfranchised. Those who did not follow the new restrictions and some unemployed men were placed in wartime internment camps.
Homestead of Zahara family One positive outcome of the war was that the increase in the price of wheat allowed many Ukrainian-Albertan farmers to enjoy new-found prosperity. Some were even able to increase the size of their farms as a result.
Ukrain's independence following World War I was shortlived; the nation was soon carved up between Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, and Russia. Immigration resumed shortly after the war’s end. Most Ukrainians continued to arrive from the regions of Galicia and Bukovyna. Although they encountered some political oppression on the part of the Polish government, most Ukrainians chose to emigrate for economic reasons similar to those that existed before the war. In all, 68,000 Ukrainians came to Canada in the period betwen the World Wars. They were welcomed by the existing Ukrainian population, although many settled in new areas because land was scarce where communities already existed. Alberta’s Ukrainian population rose to 71,868, still less than the totals for Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
For its part, the Canadian government was no longer as eager to support Ukrainian immigration. In 1923, the government, concerned over the rising numbers of non-British immigrants, classified different nationalities as being either “preferred” or “non-preferred.” Ukrainians fell into the latter group and as such, they could only gain entrance to Canada if they had family members already living in the country or as farmers, farm labourers, or domestic help.
Ukrainian thatched houses north of Vegreville, 
Alberta During the Great Depression, immigration all but stopped. Only those who could prove they had enough money to start a farm were allowed to immigrate: Canada had closed its borders in an attempt to reverse the economic slide. By the late 1930s, immigration had, to some degree at last, resumed. Many Ukrainians left their homelands fearing another war.
Just as World War I had done, World War II cut off immigration. The third wave of Ukrainian immigration resumed after the end of the conflict and consisted of displaced persons (DPs) left homeless by the war. While some Ukrainians were repatriated back to their homelands, others did not return, not wanting to move to the now Soviet-controlled Ukraine.
Between 1947 and 1953, more than 34,000 displaced persons of Ukrainian descent came to Canada. These newcomers differed from earlier immigrants in several ways: first, they tended to be better educated or have more extensive training. An inabiltiy to communicate in English, however, led to problems finding work. What's more, they came from all across Ukraine and not just from a couple of regions. Finally, they chose Ontario and Toronto in particular over Western Canada.
The fourth and final wave of Ukrainian immigration took place in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a small trickle of 10,000 or so who managed to escape communist Poland and the Soviet Union. During this time, Alberta’s Ukrainian population was bolstered not only by immigrants but also by Ukrainians’ moving from Saskatchewan and Manitoba. By 1981, Alberta, with 136,710 claiming Ukrainian heritage, boasted the highest Ukrainian population of any Canadian province. This population was mostly Canadian-born, urban, and assimilated.
In 2001, Ontario was home to Canada’s largest Ukrainian population: Ontario boasted 290,925 Ukrainians compared to Alberta’s 285,725. However, while this only accounted for 2.6 per cent of Ontario’ population, it accounted for almost 10 percent of Alberta’s. Edmonton retains the largest Ukrainain population of any Canadian city with 125,720 while Ukrainians and their descendants make up the eighth largest ethnic group in Canada with a little over a million people.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Leave us a message

Check our online courses now

Check our online courses now
Click Here now!!!!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Vcita