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Also available is my new eBook, "How To Immigrate To Canada In The Family Class: The Authoritative Guide Including Québec And Super Visa Opportunities". Get it at Amazon or the other e-retailers noted above.

Monday, August 29, 2005

Last Night Ever

by Jarvis Church

Lets stay here together you don't have to rush home
Now you know I'm not a player, I just can't be alone tonight
Outside the world is ending, but still somehow
All that I'm thinkin' about is you and me right here, right now
We're outa time, we're outa time, we're outa time

Cause this is the last night ever, and nothing else matters right now
Just you and me together, holding each other in our arms
Trying to figure out, the things that we care about

If you could go back, tell me what would you change
Would you rewrite a line or would you tear out a page
And lord knows we've had our problems, but now they seem
So insignificant with you in front of me lookin' like a vision out of a dream
We're outa time, we're outa time, we're outa time

Cause this is the last night ever, and nothing else matters right now
Just you and me together, holding each other in our arms
Trying to figure out, the things that we care about

There is only you, and if it's broken we can fix it babe
Sometimes it takes the fear of loosing everything to appreciate what you have
Lets not give up (no) lets not give in
Keep your eyes on where we're going, girl, not on where we've been
We're outa time, we're outa time, we're outa time

Cause this is the last night ever, and nothing else matters right now
Just you and me together, holding each other in our arms
Trying to figure out, the things that we care about

Friday, August 19, 2005

Standing on shakey ground

Every now and then, I worry that the end is near. I don't mean the end of our waiting for this horrible immigration crap to end...it's the kind of end that makes this whole thing moot. It's the end that says there is no more relationship - that the strain of this process has done it's job, done it's worst, done exactly what it shouldn't do, which is tear love apart.

She called me to say that this is too much to bear right now. She called me to say that the waiting and the lonliness and the isolation have taken their toll. She called me to say she's not sure. She didn't call me to say the only words I ever want to hear. She didn't call to say, "I love you."

She'll be here in Seattle tomorrow, for a week. We're a city of earthquakes, and I'm on shakey ground. She's not packed yet and it's 1am in Toronto. What does that tell me? That this is a trip she doesn't want to take. What will I see in her eyes when she arrives? Will I see the someone I love, or will I see a stranger, who looks like her, but is just going through some of the motions until she reclaims her life?

Pray for us.

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

TheStar.com - Attractive website buries vital immigration facts

TheStar.com - Attractive website buries vital immigration facts

I wrote about this topic a few weeks back when I discovered the Family Class links had been disabled on the CIC website. Knowing that only a handful of people read this here blog, and checking again to see that the CIC hadn't fixed things, I dropped a note to ALLAN THOMPSON at the Toronto Star, hoping that maybe he'd stir up the mud. And sure enough - he DID! Thanks, Alan. I hope the CIC folks read his feedback about their site. He was much more gentle than I, but then - he isn't waiting to come home...

Check out his article and let him know what you think. He does excellent work keeping us would-be immigrants informed.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Canadian attitudes harden on immigration

The Globe and Mail: Canadian attitudes harden on immigration

"OTTAWA; TORONTO -- In a country that prides itself on embracing multicultural, a new poll finds a large number of Canadians say immigrants from Europe are far more likely to make a positive contribution to Canada than those from Asia, India or the Caribbean.

One leading race-relations organization said the findings show that Canada has a particular problem with anti-black racism, while others say they're largely a reflection of the increasing difficulties immigrants face."

I found this article in yet another catch by my RSS bots and again, the news out of Canada is a bit distressing. I want to say to those who participated in this poll, "If you take away something from 9/11, and in particular, the US response to it - PLEASE don't let it be fear of foreigners!"

I'm not so ignorant as to believe that some racism - maybe even a lot, still exists in Canada. I know that hurdles to the integration of immigrants is well documented in the national press. Still - for a country that is the poster-child for multiculturalism, the following quote should give one pause...

"But 41 per cent of Canadians believe the country an immigrant comes from is linked to their likelihood of success in Canada. Among those polled with such views, there were also clear notions of which immigrant groups are more likely to make a positive contribution.

"European immigrants -- who tend to be predominantly white -- topped the list with 76 per cent, followed by Asians at 59 per cent. Less than half of that subsection of Canadians, at 45 per cent, believed Indians make a positive contribution and West Indians were viewed favorably by only 33 per cent."


I really want to encourage you to read this article - it's balanced overall. The government sees the issues associated with immigration and integration and is taking some steps to cure both the perception and reality.

I am enough of an optimist to believe that is there is anywhere in the world that immigrants can have hope of a better life and of equality, it is Canada.

Canadians - soften your hearts - open your arms. There is nothing to learn from your neighbor to the south here...We live in fear and jealousy and are closing our borders. Please do not follow this path.

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Giving back - some select resources from my bookmarks...

Thought I'd give a little something back by posting some of the links I've come across related to Toronto over the last couple of years. This list includes some of the lighter side of things. I'll post some News and Immigration resource links in posts to come. For now, follow on and enjoy!

Shopping stuff
Avenue Flower - the Best flower shop in TO! Ask for Betty!
Craigslist toronto - classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events - Craigslist is a great free-form classified ad site. Chances are someone has what you need!
MenuPalace.com - Toronto Restaurants, Dining Guide Toronto

City Info and guides
Toronto.com - City guide to entertainment, events, movies, restaurants and more
City Of Toronto - General information on our fair city including some interesting statistics
TOMaps - Cool maps with satillite overlay of beautiful TO.
Toronto - The official City of Toronto Web site

Transportation
City of Toronto RESCU traffic cameras - The Younge Street cam is your starting place to check out traffic cams in the big TO
Greater Toronto Airports Authority - Here's the Pearson Airport site. Cool resource that displays a 14-hour rolling window of flight information for all airlines coming and going from the airport.
GO Transit system map to find schedules available - Need to find a GO train route? Here's the place.

Weather
Toronto - Canada - Current Conditions and 5 day forecast - The weather is always changing
WXnation Weather Radar, Live Cams - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sports
NHL.com Team Schedule for the Toronto Maple Leafs - Go Leafs Go!
Toronto Maple Leafs