Less talk, more action

TheStar.com - Before fixing system, find out how it works

You probably notice that the Toronto Star is a big source for me on reports about immigration issues. That's mainly because Allan Thompson actually writes about the subject on a regular basis. Try as you might, you wont find this kind of coverage in the Globe and Mail, and if you did, it would probably be for "subscribers only" premium content. No offense - I know they have to make a buck. I just appreciate that The Star makes this available.

For those of you interested, the article I have linked to above gives a quick overview of the Liberals political use of the immigration carrot when elections are near - as they appear to be now. Martin and Volpe and even Pettigrew are all talking up a storm about opening the borders up to skilled workers. But as Thompson points out - this kind of talk has been a source of warmth for Ottawa winters since 1993. For those of you who don't want to count - that's 13 years.

Let's hope there's some action coming behind this talk. Let's hope there is government suport to put more employees to work for the CIC to start, to both lower the processing times as well as increase the quality of service. Let's also hope that (as was noted in an earlier entry in this blog) those who put their heart, soul and cold hard cash into the effort of making a professional contribution to Canadian society get more than 30-seconds of attention.

The Epatriate Mind inspires change!

TheStar.com - Site users have spoken

It's nice to feel like you are able to make some small change to better a situation for others, and I have to believe speaking up in this blog, as well as dropping a note to ALLAN THOMPSON of The Toronto Star succeded in doing just that.

If you all remember, back in June, your humble blogger made mention fo how the CIC website made it very difficult for applicants to find the information they needed to get their applications in process; noting that in some cases the links to information - like family class applications, had been disabled.

After an email to Allan, he wrote a politiely critical article about the site in The Star, and the result has been some action...

"In an Aug. 13 column, I suggested that the website should be much easier for use, so people could find simple, clear answers to standard questions about immigration procedures. By coincidence, it would seem, the immigration department put a notice on the website a few days later, on Aug. 18, releasing details of surveys it conducted in the winter with thousands of website users."

Now of course, nothing has been immediately implemented, but at least the CIC has gotten the message - and Allan promises he'll hold their feet to the fire come Winter time.

I'll be sure and drop him another note to remind him.

The Mind goes on...

Well, I am almost through the shock of initial separation and have been thinking about what it means to me. It obviously means there are profound feelings of sadness at the toll of this process on my relationship with the woman who loved me once. There is sorrow. There is uncertainty. My Family Class application is over. I no longer have a conjugal partner. Sponsorship is withdrawn. The official documents of our love will go into a bin, never to return...

So let's light a fire for them and watch them burn bright. That's what I did in my heart and in my mind - mourning the loss...but then - like a Phoenix from the ashes of dissapointment, something new was born in me. A revalation of love.

For despite losing my love, my angel, I have not lost another love...my love for Canada, that is.

I saw a new flame alight and it was one for myself. Love for my life and my future, despite the troubles and hurdles...The government after all is looking for Skilled Class workers (of which I qualify), and perhaps there is still a chance that I can make a new life in the country I love, in the city I love, even if it is not with the woman I loved. Born now is my goal - I will make a new life in Canada.

So the Mind goes on...I'll keep you all posted as I make my way through the new process, and I'll try and catch up on my commentary and observations of the immigration process, news, CIC and all that.

Thanks for your support! I have a dream again, and it's still a beautiful one!

Goodbye my love

As I suspected when I last wrote anything of substance here, this immigration battle has claimed a casualty, and that casualty is my love. As I worried when she last came to visit, she came to say not I love you - but goodbye. So after almost four years together, and three years in the process of trying to start a life together in Canada, three years of being blocked by CIC, the fight is over. She gave up, she gave in, she said goodbye.

I'm sure that oneday I'll remember these days gone by with simple fondness, but for now there is only sadness and tears. For this is the time when memories go into boxes that will rarely be opened if ever at all, where those things that still have some use go where they will be most welcome.

All these adventures, the things we've seen, the places we've been, the good, the bad, now, all of those memories, just tears in rain. Maybe if we are lucky, something beautiful will grow from them.

Goodbye my love. I will miss you more than you will ever know.

Goodbye Canada...of maybe just see ya'll later, eh?

- J

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

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.

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.

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.

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

30-seconds

Canada's Business Leaders Irked By Hypersensitive Visa Process.

Here's an article I came across that may be suprising to many but to those who have been exposed to the capiciousness of the immigration process in Canada, it shouldn't be suprising. This article details the random nature of the visa process in Canada related to business professionals attempting to get short term visas to enter Canada to do business. I'll pull quotes from the article that really stand out for me:

First...

"In the few minutes immigration officials abroad devote to each application, they are primarily seeking assurance the person will not stay illegally or claim refugee status once here. Immigration officers are also trying to stop applicants who may pose a national security risk or have a criminal record. Finally, they are on the lookout for those with medical conditions that could burden the health care system in Canada. The government usually doesn't have to defend its decision to turn down applicants."

A few minutes - that's all immigration officials have to spend on applications - applications that may take the applicant months to prepare...

Then...

Some business leaders believe the government's visa process isn't transparent enough.

"It's a bit of a black box, is how it comes across," says Yuen Pau Woo, Vice-President and Chief Economist of the Asia Pacific Foundation in Vancouver. "[Foreign corporations] have heard there is a very high degree of fraud in terms of documentation, and the true intention of visitors coming from Canada. But of course we have no access to documents to verify if fraud is involved. We have heard anecdotally that many of these applicants appear to be bona fide businesspeople."

Prashant Ajmera, an immigration consultant with the firm Canada Immigration Visa.com, echoed Mr. Woo, saying restrictions on prospective investors and customers are too tight, particularly for small companies. "[The immigration] officer spends 30 seconds on a particular file and makes a yes or no decision. Meanwhile, this person has spent so much time and energy exploring Canada for business. The whole exercise is frustrating. And there is nothing that you can challenge if you're turned down. You could go to federal court but that is too expensive and long. The trade show would be finished by then."

Is it any wonder that those in the family class andother classes that deal with the CIC experience troubles when this is the experience of those who are offering to bring economic gain to Canada? Let's hope Parliment will look into the broken nature of immigration administration in Canada - we all deserve more than 30-seconds of our government's attention.