More online resouces - Toronto

As promised, here's a few more links to good news and information sources. Those of you outside the Big Smoke may not get all the value out of these, but since I'm Toronto bound as a lot of you are too...

Torontoist - Toronto news, culture, events and everything else
680 News - All news radio from Toronto
City TV/CityNews - Downtown Toronto's popular TV news source
BlogTO - Arts, music, fashion, film, dining...this blog has the pulse of the City

I'll keep them coming. Please comment with your own favorite lists!

In honor of TIFF - a few Canadian movies to love

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has just concluded and since I'm not feeling particularly polictical this month, I thought I'd share with you a handful of Canadian films (and US films with Canadian content) that you might want to consider checking out. Nothing serious here, as you will soon be able to tell, but I'm sure you'll be entertained.

The envelope, please...(the Netflix envelope that is!)

The Rocket - the story of Mauirce Richard, the greatest hockey player of all time!
The Sweater - Roch Carrier's short story of growing up in St. Justine, Quebec, animated by Sheldon Cohen
Les Boys - French Canadians, hockey, what more could you ask for?
Men With Brooms - A lighthearted comedy/romance with curling too.
Mystery, Alaska - Gladiator meets the NY Rangers. Sure it's a US film, but it was made in Canada!
Slap Shot - Roy Hill's hilarious minor league carnival wouldn't be complete without the song, "A Little Bit South of Saskatoon."
Strange Brew - SCTV makes good, eh? More stereotypes than you can fill a canoe with.
A Christmas Story - yes, Canadian film makers at work with Ralphie and the Red Rider rifle.
Atanarjuat - an Inuit legend of an evil spirit causing terrible trouble

What films have you enjoyed?

Losing your illusion - right-wing Canada

Every country has what we in America call "right-wing zealots". Canada is no exception. These are folks who subscribe to a very black and white view of the world, who regard immigrants with suspicion, who advocate closed borders, "get tough" policies and generally lack compassion for others.

Whenever there is a report on an immigration issue in The Star, these folks come out of their bunkers in droves to comment, stepping up anonymously and hiding behind monkiers like "Canada for Canadians" and "George W Bush".

In a recent article, The Star reported on a case for the UK involving a Canadian woman who was kicked out of the UK and wont be able to return for two years (when she's 21) under a law meant to protect the forced (arranged) marriage of young women to older men (a non-western tradition). She is 19, he is 28.

Sure enough, out come the vultures, ready to feed:

"Canada needs to stiffen our laws too. I am a Canadian citizen (single male) and I have been offered money in the past from a woman wanting to get married for citizenship. I wound (sic) how often that happens?"

"Canada wants to let in more people to support the aging population and pension plan, but at what cost? A good percentage of the people getting in don't want to work or are out rite criminals."

"Canada too should follow Britain in stopping this `business' of bringing spouses from one's native country. Canadian men go to their native India and Pakistan or wahtever and exploit people's craze there for foreign tag. They marry their daughters to them. What happens after that is well documented. Also, this practice doesn't encourage integration in local societies. Wake up, Jason Kenney."

While there are many, MANY who will welcome you to Canada as an immigrant, don't be surprised that there is also a very vocal contingent who wants nothing to do with you. It's always been this way, and always will be. Don't let it discourage you!

The Best in Canadian Blogging

If you are looking for the best blogs Canada has to offer (besides this one :)), then you can do no better than to check out those listed at the Canadian Blog Awards web site. Though the 2009 awards season has not started yet, there's still lots of great finds here. Every topic from the political to the personal, sports, photography, entertainment and culture and much, MUCH more is covered in the nominees.

And maybe when the polling opens again for 2009, you can throw a nomination my way too :).

- Cheers!

Scouting the web - Canadian immigration news

I found a nice site tonight I thought I'd share with you all. http://www.canadaimmigrants.com/ is dedicated to those looking to come to Canada to work and covers a lot of bases. It's focus however, is "to provide an interdisciplinary and collaborative site, where the analysis and discussion about discrimination against highly skilled immigrants in the Canadian job market can articulate effective proposals to eliminate systematic racism."

This is a great goal, but I stumbled onto them because they also happen to keep regularly up on immigration news. If you're looking for a sampling of the buzz about immigrant issues, they are certainly a good bookmark to add. Check out their news feed here. The only thing I'd like to see with their effort is a link back to full articles. You can always plug the headings into Google and get the whole thing I suppose, but it would be better if they simply linked us in.

I'll do a full survey of immigration news providers later this month.

It's gonna take some immigrants!

In an article for the August 29th Star:

"Many Canadians are using information and communications technology devices these days, but not enough Canadians are entering the field of ICT. And that has left the country with a shortage of qualified workers, according to a national survey conducted for the Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow's ICT Skills (CCICT)."

(ICT stands for "Information and Communication Technologies")

"So where will the new ICT workers come from?

"CCICT research indicates there are three main feeder sources for this field: young people planning a career; immigrants; and people in the existing workforce who are looking to upgrade skills."

Good news - I work in tech. Hire me, Canada!

My love will be very pleased you have a job for me.

WHTI-less policy drives Canadian tourism down

The Globe and Mail reports that samoe-day cross border visits between the US and Canada for June dropped 26% this year upon implementation of WHTI (the Western Hempisphere Travel Initiative).

"The dramatic drop in travel across the Canada-U.S. border shows that the fears of many in the tourism industry in both countries are coming to pass. After the tougher passport rules were announced in 2005 as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, many industry groups warned that the regulations would further discourage Americans already reluctant to travel due to the high dollar and gas prices."

Leave it to the US to make our best international friend an enemy in the name of security. This program, and its lack of real-world context (fear of terrorist attack FROM Canada? Is this 1812?) illustrates the worst of US political pandering and electioneering. And it illustrates the immediate need for the elimination of the Department of Homeland Security (my gosh but that has such a totalitarian ring to it...no wonder in a republic where we call our department heads "Czars").

People are (not) having sex

From an article by Carol Goar in The Star:

"Our fertility rate has fallen below the population replacement level. Within two years, the growth of our labour force will be entirely dependent on immigrants. Within six years, seniors will outnumber children."

A little context - the other direction

My love asked me to look into the potential of her immigrating to the US today, and frankly, it's been a topic that just hasn't come up. Surprising isn't it, but we have been focused on the Canadian side of the equation, and she hasn't had much of a desire to immigrate here.

As usual, what I quickly found out is that the US makes it even more of a burden for spouses to come to the country in many ways.

First off, you must meet a minimum financial requirement (the poor cannot sponsor their spouses unless they get a co-signer).

Next, the while your spouse can immediately come to the country, they have to apply for a work permit (which can take up to 3+ months to acquire, and is not guaranteed).

Finally, if they want to leave the country for any reason (maybe to go home and sell the condo, take care of a sick relative, etc.), they must get permission from the government to do so. Again - fill out a form and wait. If they don't get permission, they can be denied entry into the country again, AND the application is considered abandoned.

Think of the personal implications of all of these policies together. Now remember, that this isn't even a fraction of the process...

In comparison, the Canadian process seems downright humane and fair-minded.

One more for the missing

Ok - this trend wont last. Next post will definitely be back to immigration news, politics, sightseeing...something other than sadness and self-pity. But right now I'm feeling it, and as a friend says, "it doesn't do any good to bottle that crap up."

I miss...

• Seeing my Love's face at YYZ
• The view of downtown coming in on the Gardiner from the west
• Shopping for cheese at St.Lawrence Market
• Seeing a movie at the Paramount
• Getting lost in PATH
• Walking up Younge Street to The Bay
• Philosopher's Walk
• The AGO
• The wading pool at College Park
• Street hot dogs
• Watching storms roll in from the west
• Sunday paper with brunch on Queen Street West
• The farmer's market at Nathan Phillips Square
• Pineapple Fried Rice at Spring Rolls
• Hockey puck checkers at Indigo
• The restaurants on Baldwin Street
• Figuring out where to put everything after a Costco run
• Lunch at IKEA in Etobicoke
• Walks along the Lakeshore
• Summer evenings in The Beaches
• Waking up to CP24 news
• Drooling over guitars at Capsule
• Poutine from the truck at Nathan Phillips Square
• Wedding pictures in front of the mansion on Queen Street West

What do you miss?