The new Canadian Citizenship rules for Newcomers – What You Need to Know
On February 6, 2014, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander unveiled the first comprehensive reforms to the Citizenship Act since 1977. With the unveiling of Bill C-24, the Strengthening of Canadian Citizenship Act, the Canadian Government purports that the new Bill will protect the value of Canadian citizenship while creating a faster and more […]
Immigration applications from victims of typhoon Haiyan in Philippines to be fast-tracked
Canada’s immigration department says it is giving special consideration to Filipinos affected by typhoon Haiyan. Immigration Minister Chris Alexander’s office says it will give priority to applications from Filipinos who are “significantly and personally affected” by the typhoon that left thousands dead last weekend. The note also says that Filipino citizens temporarily in Canada who […]
Fertility of Immigrant Women Higher than Canadian-born
A recent study by researchers in the U.S. and Canada finds that immigrant women have slightly higher fertility rates than women born in Canada, reversing the trend from before the 1980s of lower-than-average fertility among immigrants. The study, by Princeton University’s Alicia Adsera and University of Calgary’s Ana Ferrer, attributes the change in relative fertility rates to […]
StatsCan Report Links Income to Life Expectancy
A new report on the state of health in Canada by Statistics Canada finds a strong link between between life expectancy and income in the country. The report uses data collected from 1991 to 2006 in a Canadian census study on mortality, and measures the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of Canadians in five income groups. […]
Canada Has The Best Reputation In The World According To New Survey
A new study on national reputations, called RepTrak, finds Canada has the best reputation of any country in the world. It’s the third year in a row that Canada has taken the top stop in the annual survey. RepTrak, which is conducted by the Reputation Institute, surveyed more than 27,000 people from G8 countries to […]
CIC Releases Immigration Information Through New Open Data Portal
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) joined other departments of the government of Canada last week in the launch of the groundbreaking Open Data Portal, which promises to make much of the data collected by the Canadian government freely accessible to the public. Praising the new data portal, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said: “The […]
Canada Top Country for Immigrant Businesses – Financial Post
An article featured in last Friday’s Financial Post makes the case for Canada being one of the best countries in the world for immigrants to start a business. Among the factors that make Canada such a welcoming place for immigrant entrepreneurs are its business friendly environment and immigration program, says author Chris Riddell: The World […]
Ontario Government Objects to New Federal Job Grant Program
The provincial government of Ontario says the diversion of federal funds from existing employment and training programs to the new Canada Job Grant program would threaten vulnerable workers including youth and new immigrants. The Canada Job Grant program will spend $300 million in federal funds per year and will require matching funds from provinces and […]
Immigration Reduces Canadian Bilingualism Since 2001
The influx of immigrants accounts for a slight decline in Canadian bilingualism over the last decade, according to Statistics Canada. Approximately 17.5 percent of Canadians in the 2011 Census reported being able to speak both English and French. This was down from a peak of 17.7 percent in 2001. In 1961, the rate of French-English […]
Capital City Ottawa Voted as Canada’s Most Boring City
(Via Global BC) Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, beat out five other nominees to be voted as the country’s most boring city in the annual “Boring Awards” ceremony held last Tuesday. Other cities nominated for the most boring title were: Laval (Quebec), Lethbridge (Alberta), Abbotsford (British Columbia), and Brampton (Ontario). Despite being the most boring, Ottawa […]