The Governments of Canada and Ontario Partner with the Regional Municipality of Niagara to Help Newcomers

THOROLD, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 23, 2009) - Immigrants in the Regional Municipality of Niagara will have improved access to services to help them successfully integrate into their communities as a result of a new Local Immigration Partnership initiative.The announcement was made by Rick Dykstra, Parliamentary Secretary to Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney, Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor and Niagara Regional Chairman Peter Partington.Niagara Region will receive $146,397 in federal funding for the initiative, which includes the establishment of a local partnership council. This council will develop a settlement strategy to identify delivery models, initiatives and projects tailored to assist newcomers. It will be comprised of municipal representatives, employers, school boards and settlement and social service agencies. The Niagara Region has welcomed approximately 11,000 newcomers over the past 10 years."This initiative will enhance the community's ability to help newcomers integrate," said Parliamentary Secretary Dykstra. "Improving access to services that make the integration process easier will benefit not only newcomers, but communities across Ontario."The funding is being provided through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, a partnership between Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Almost $3 million will be allocated to municipalities and service provider organizations across Ontario to establish the partnerships."Newcomers are important to Ontario's economic and social prosperity," said local MPP Kim Craitor. "Helping newcomers succeed in the Niagara community is a good investment for all Ontarians.""As more immigrants choose to make Niagara their home, our partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada in meeting the needs of newcomers has never been more valuable," said Chairman Partington. "The significant investment of federal funding through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement will provide new and improved opportunities for new Niagarans, further strengthening the fabric of our communities."Settlement services are an essential part of the Government of Canada's immigration program. Since 2006, the Government of Canada has substantially increased funding to support settlement programs and services. An additional $1.4 billion is being invested over a five-year period in all provinces and territories outside Quebec, which has responsibility for settlement services through the Canada-Quebec Accord. Increasing the uptake of immigrant settlement programs was identified as a government priority in the 2008 Speech from the Throne.Citizenship and Immigration Canada funds a number of programs that help newcomers settle, adapt and integrate into Canadian society. These programs are delivered in partnership with provinces, territories, service-providing organizations and other stakeholders.For more information, please visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website at www.cic.gc.ca or the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration's website at www.citizenship.gov.on.ca

Improving Job Opportunities For Skilled Immigrants in Ontario, Canada

Source: Government of Ontario, Canada
Published Monday, 24 August, 2009 - 16:01

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Internationally trained newcomers to Ontario will have greater opportunities to work in their fields as a result of expanded bridge training programs at York University.

• Since 2003, bridge training programs have helped more than 30,000 newcomers get jobs and get licensed in their field.
• About 70 per cent of Ontario's adult newcomers have post-secondary education or training.

The province is investing $5.2 million towards the university's new bridge training programs for information technologists and business professionals, in addition to an existing nursing program.

Bridge training programs help newcomers trained overseas get the local training they need to find a job in their field and contribute to Ontario's economy. The programs provide a variety of transitional supports such as international skills assessment, technical training, local work experience, occupation specific language training and mentorships.

Support for these programs is part of the government's plan to strengthen the economy by investing in the skills and knowledge of Ontarians.

N.S. lures young adult immigrants

Nova Scotia hopes to bring more young workers to the province with a new immigration plan.

On Tuesday, the provincial government announced a new stream for non-dependent adult children of immigrants already in the province under the nominee program.

The main goal is to meet Nova Scotia's labour needs, Immigration Minister Ramona Jennex said.

"Nova Scotia is facing an aging and declining population and increased immigration is one way to help ensure our economy grows and our communities thrive," Jennex said in a release.

According to provincial population projections, the 65-plus age group is set to nearly double by 2031 and grow by about 114,000 people. Over this same period, the 20-64 age group is projected to shrink by about 101,000.

The new program, which targets newcomers mostly in their 20s and 30s, has been in development for several months.

Office of Immigration officials aren't sure how many people will apply, but the department has heard from least 55 immigrants interested in getting their non-dependent children to Canada.

To qualify, applicants must be named on their parent's application form for permanent residence.

They must be at least 22 years old, able to become financially independent, intend to stay in the province, and speak basic English or French. They also need a degree, diploma or certificate, and have at least one year of post-secondary schooling.

The province issued 309 nominee certificates last year, down from 405 in 2007 and 400 in 2006.

Source: cbc.news

New report puts world population at 7 billion by 2011

By Ethian Gavish

By 2011, the world’s population should reach 7 billion, according to a new report put forth by the Population Reference Bureau’s 2009 World Population Data Sheet.

The report states that 97% of global growth over the next 40 years will occur in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The great bulk of today's 1.2 billion youth - nearly 90% - are in developing countries,” said Carl Haub, a co-author of the report, to CNN.

Immigration of the rural youth into more developed places will probably continue into 2011.

“During the next few decades, these young people will most likely continue the current trend of moving from rural areas to cities in search of education and training opportunities, gainful employment and adequate health care,” Haub told CNN.

The U.S. and Canada will account for most of the growth in the developed world - half coming from immigration alone - the report states.

The report also says that high fertility rates combined with a young population base is the fuel behind most of the growth in the developing world. In Africa, women give birth to six or seven children on average, compared with about two children in the U.S. and 1.5 in Canada.

By 2050, the report shows that Canadian population will be up from 31 million to 42 million, while Uganda will increase a staggering 34 million to 96 million.

“Even with declining fertility rates in many countries, world population is still growing at a rapid rate,” Bill Butz, president of the bureau, told CNN. “The increase from 6 billion to 7 billion is likely to take 12 years, as did the increase from 5 billion to 6 billion. Both events are unprecedented in world history.”

The report forecasts that India will lead the world in population by 2050, increasing to 1.7 billion. Such a boost in population will overtake ranking leader China, where the population is predicated to reach 1.4 billion.

According to the report, the No. 3 slot in 2050 will go to the U.S., with a projected population of 439 million.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/08/13/2009-08-13_new_report_puts_world_population_at_7_billion_by_2011.html#ixzz0O6uLn8Vh

Canada to move to 5th place in economic performance in 2010: Conference Board

By Krystle Chow, Ottawa Business Journal Staff

Canada's keeping its "B" grade on international economic performance this year and the next, but it's also expected to climb in the rankings, although it's partly because other countries have been harder-hit, according to the Conference Board of Canada.

The Conference Board's "How Canada Performs" forecast for 2010 said the country is expected in 2010 to move to fifth place out of the 17 countries ranked, just missing an "A" grade and jumping six spots from 2008.

Six "C" grades among the eight measures pulled down Canada's ranking in the last Conference Board report, although the country had scored highly on inflation and gross domestic product growth.

However, in 2010 Canada is expected to improve its relative ranking on GDP growth, unemployment, job growth, and both inward- and outward-flowing foreign direct investment performance, due mostly to the country's resilience in the face of harsh economic troubles worldwide.

"Canada is expected to weather the global recession better than most of its peers, which is a credit to its stable financial sector and a relatively healthier economic position upon entering the downturn," said Glen Hodgson, the board's chief economist and senior vice-president, in a statement. Still, he warned: "But achieving a higher rank because other countries are falling farther is not the basis for sustainable prosperity. Some of Canada's fundamentals, such as labour productivity, remain weaker than those of the global leaders."

The United Kingdom is expected to see one of the most severe drops in overall economic performance between 2008 and 2010, as the financial crisis has hurt the U.K. credit markets and housing prices, leading to weaker consumer spending and business investment, the report said.

However, the top and bottom rankings won't change, with Norway staying put as the strongest performer due in part to its large petroleum industry, while Ireland will continue to rank last.

The Emerald Isle fell from first to 17th place in 2008 amid a 2.7-per-cent contraction in economic output and a drastic deterioration in its domestic property market and construction sector. As well, its per-capita income, which was the third-highest in 2008, is forecasted to fall to 7th in 2010.