There was a remarkable outpouring of emotion in Stratford, Tavistock and Shakespeare on Sunday for the arrival, passing and departure of the Olympic torch.
So much so that we can beat our chests a little with civic pride in the belief that what happened here was a totally unique experience specific to this area.
It wasn’t, of course, and there have been similar, albeit not identical, reactions across the country as the torch enters and leaves communities both big and small.
That said, Day 59 will be remembered for a long time as the Market Square was packed with people and the city streets along the route were lined with everyday people as well as family and friends of torchbearers.
On the surface, one wonders what all the fuss is about, but that can be said about many things that pull at the heartstrings.
Maybe it’s because the Olympic Torch Relay appeals to us on several levels — one, as a localized community; two, as proud Canadians and, three, the realization that it will probably never happen again.
The torch run celebrates local accomplishments whether they be on the local or national scale. That was evidenced by the class from Stratford Central Secondary School that won the right to carry the torch after putting together a project that made life at Stratford’s oldest school a little better for those less fortunate.
Julia Wilkinson, Canada’s swimming sweetheart from the Beijing Olympics, had the signature leg of the torch relay here and lit the cauldron at city hall.
The incident in Guelph yesterday not withstanding, the Olympic flame also appeals to our national pride, and that’s why Maple Leafs abound and even impromptu renditions of “O Canada.”
There is also a sense of history too as it is very unlikely that an Olympic torch will pass through Stratford again in our lifetime. It is the second time it has gone through here in a generation, having gone through in 1988 before the Calgary Games, but there is no assurance it will happen again.
There is, of course, the mystical connection the torch has with the birthplace of the Olympics in Greece and to the opening ceremonies of the Games in Vancouver in February. It will be remarkable to see the flame lighting the cauldron at the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver when we know the same flame passed through our communities here.
Perhaps the Vancouver Olympics organizing committee knew there would be reactions like this across the country. One assumes Coca-Cola and RBC knew that as well as they signed on as corporate sponsors for such a feel-good event.
Regardless, it was a great day for the communites that experienced the torch relay Sunday. What is more remarkable is that same feeling is being experienced from sea to shining sea.
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Categories: Immigration News/ Politics
Tagged: 2010 Canada Olympics, 2010 Pan Am Games, Abrams & Krochak, Abrams and Krochak, AkCanada, amendments, applications, backlog, canada immigration, Canada visa, canadian immigration, documentation, documents, education requirements, ielts, immigration, immigration and refugee protection act, Immigration attorney, interview, Jeffrey Abrams, job titles, language proficiency, legislation, marriage, medical examination, occupations, Vancouver Olympics, Winter Olympics
Karen Teeple lays on a table the oldest object in the Toronto Archives.
It is dated Nov. 15, 1792, and it is a chart of Toronto Harbour signed by Joseph Bouchette.
It is one of her treasures.
It is also one of your treasures: a gift to Toronto and its residents made 75 years ago by a descendant of John Graves Simcoe.
Teeple, as the city archivist, is anxious to share the wealth of writings, maps, photographs and records of all kinds that cram the archives, on Spadina Rd. near Dupont St., just down the hill from Casa Loma.
Her mission, in her own words:
“Toronto is a major city that’s got a very illustrious past. I think we are responsible to ensure that Toronto’s history is preserved and made accessible to its citizens.”
The archives shelter millions of documents, in 123,000 boxes. Some have obvious significance: The city’s original incorporation document from 1834 lies here. So does the official version of the City of Toronto Act, deposited by Mayor David Miller and municipal affairs minister Brad Duguid on New Year’s Day, 2007.
Some are merely wordy, such as the official minutes of all Toronto council meetings, including the minutes of the city, borough, village and Metro municipal governments that preceded them.
But the archives also house myriad images: a million photographs; thousands of maps; a collection of antique glass projector slides.
“My favourite has to be the earliest known views of Toronto,” says Teeple, from a series of photos taken from the roof of the Rossin House Hotel in 1856-57. Standing five storeys high at the southeast corner of King and York Sts., it was then Toronto’s tallest building. The photos make up an almost complete panorama of the city.
The photos are not locked away: They hang in the lobby of the archives. They are also featured in the book of official photographs that Teeple and fellow archivists Steve MacKinnon and Michele Dale produced earlier this year. The book – Toronto’s Visual Legacy – is almost sold out. It’s available at Indigo.
“The success of the book speaks to the passions and interest that Torontonians have about their past,” says Teeple, who was drawn to archival work in the 1970s as a graduate student in Canadian studies. “There are other archival institutions in the city – bank archives, religious archives – but when it comes to ensuring that Toronto’s history is preserved, we are pretty much one of the only institutions around.”
The images in photos, maps and glass slides – meticulously catalogued and preserved by the archives staff – are the most instantly compelling items in the archives.
Bouchette’s chart, for example, shows what was important to him. While it meticulously describes the harbour bottom, he notes only four features on land: Two houses, “Toronto fort” and an “Indian hut.”
Another map from the early 19th century shows the early Legislature building just south of St. Lawrence Hall. On the site of modern Queen’s Park sits, in the brutal language of the day, the “lunatic asylum.”
The photographs tell their own compelling stories. Michael Ondaatje refers explicitly to the work of Arthur Goss, official photographer in the early years of the 20th century, in his Toronto-centred novel In the Skin of a Lion. The Goss collection is housed in the archives.
Not all are deep in the past: The city commissioned Peter MacCallum to take photos of the demolition of part of the Gardiner Expressway in 2000. The archives has many photos of Toronto’s artistic community by John Reeves.
Archives staff are currently transferring old photos into digital form, where they can be viewed on the archives website. But even dusty documents help bring the past to life.
The archives, for example, can be used to search for information about homes in the city.
You can look up your address in city directories dating back to 1834. Once you find the first reference to your house, you can switch over to assessment rolls, which are on microfilm and which provide some indication of the owners or occupants of the dwelling, year by year.
Meanwhile, archives staff are working to improve public access to the collection, especially its 1 million photographs. About 45,000 have been scanned and can be viewed on the city website. Prints are available for sale.
For detailed directions on how to search, and instructions how to research your house, visit the archives or go to the city website at www.toronto.ca/archives/.
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It was a joyous Olympic torch celebration in Six Nations of the Grand River Monday night despite earlier anxiety over protests hindering the spirit of the event. More than a thousand people gathered at the local bingo hall, waving Six Nations flags in support of the flame being passed through their community, about 90 kilometres southwest of Toronto.
Earlier in the day, the relay route was altered amid growing anticipation of conflict with protesters. Instead of being carried through the town, as was the original plan, the flame was passed by the 25 Six Nations torchbearers doing laps on the path leading up to the bingo hall where possible protests easily could be contained. The roads surrounding the event were blocked and Six Nations police patrolled the area. “This is really exciting,” said 12-year old torchbearer Caytlen Burning. A resident of Six Nations, Burning excels at running mid-distance races and is an Olympic hopeful, herself. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Olympics and this is encouraging me to follow my dream,” she said.
For Phyllis Bomberry, 67, a former softball player who grew up in Six Nations, the flame represents unity in athletics. “You play sports and it doesn’t matter if you’re black, orange, white, it doesn’t matter — you’re together,” Bomberry said. Bomberry was recently inducted into the Canadian Softball Hall of Fame, and won a gold medal at the first Canada Games in 1970. At a news conference Monday afternoon, Six Nations Parks and Recreation director Cheryl Henhawk said the change of route was to make sure the flame was successfully carried through the community, and to ensure the safety of the torchbearers and spectators. “There are people in this community who want to see it (the flame),” Henhawk said. “We need a different venue to make this work.” Six Nations Chief Bill Montour alluded to the momentous nature of the event. “This is history. This is where we show the world what Six Nations is about,” he said.
Protesters arrived outside of the news conference at a local recreation centre with banners reading “No torch no trespassing.” “It’s a victory that we have the power to get our voice out there, to change those plans. It is a victory,” Melissa Elliott, a front person for the resistance, said of the change of venue. Elliott said she is protesting the Olympics as a call to fair treatment of aboriginal people in Canada. “We are a nation of people. Canada is refusing to recognize our treaties and our sovereignty,” she said. Six Nations torchbearer, Justice Harry Laforme said the issues being brought forward through the protests are “legitimate.” Born and raised on a reserve, the 63-year-old Mississauga native said he grew to realize the voice of aboriginal peoples is not easily heard, so he understands why many protesters chose international events to raise awareness of their concerns. But, he said, an event such as the Olympics has the ability to bring people together, differences aside. “I look at it (the Olympics) as an opportunity to demonstrate to the international community and to Canada, that we’re part of (this country), and we believe in respect, equality and acceptance.” The torch relay was briefly delayed last Thursday in Toronto when hundreds of protesters filled the streets shouting, “No Olympics on stolen native land.” The land claim issue has been a sensitive one in Six Nations.
Located about 20 minutes southwest of Hamilton, the area has the largest population of all First Nations in Canada. Earlier in the day, the flame exited Niagara Falls and passed through such communities as Chippawa, Fort Erie, and Caledonia. As Tracy Phelps waved the torch proudly from Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls on Monday morning, the spirit of the moment wasn’t lost on her friends and family who came out to support her. “It not only brings us together to celebrate sport, but people and relationships,” said Mark Cushing, a longtime friend of Phelps. A light snow fell as hundreds whooped and waved flags beneath the majestic steel bridge connecting Niagara Falls, Ont., and Niagara Falls, N.Y., across the Niagara River. “It was unbelievable, with the falls in the background, knowing my friends and family were all here,” said Phelps, who was born and raised in Niagara Falls. “It (the torch) makes everyone feel like a champion.” Phelps’ mom, dad, sister and a large group from her church were out in the early morning hours to cheer her on. “She deserves this,” said Sue Ferrier, who attends the same church as Phelps. “She’s an all-around great person between her commitment to sports and her way of life. She’s such an example to young people.”
A youth pastor at a local church, and a volunteer basketball coach at a nearby high school, Phelps, 40, who is also a basketball player, is known in Niagara as a community mentor to kids of all ages. “I’m proud of her. She’s an awesome person,” said 12-year old April Cianfagna, who has been taught by Phelps at her church. “She’s a person I feel good about.” The torch relay was to pause Monday night in nearby Brantford, Wayne Gretzky’s hometown. The flame’s unprecedented 45,000 kilometre trek will conclude in Vancouver at the start of the Olympic Games on Feb. 12.
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The Government of Canada is investing in four new York Region Welcome Centres to help immigrants settle and integrate into Canada, Newmarket-Aurora MP Lois Brown announced today.
The Welcome Centre is a proven and successful model for delivering services to newcomers. A Welcome Centre in Vaughn, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), has helped more than 6,000 immigrants since opening its doors in June 2007.
“The Government of Canada is working to help newcomers and their families succeed,” said MP Brown, on behalf of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “Building on the success of the Vaughan Centre, the new facilities will provide an innovative way to help newcomers get access to a full range of settlement services and expertise under one roof.”
With CIC funding of $19.7 million (2009-2011), new Welcome Centres in Markham North, Markham South, Newmarket and Richmond Hill are scheduled to open in summer 2010. The number and location of the Centres were determined following an in-depth study which showed a pressing need for additional services for the region’s rapidly growing immigrant population. Between 2001 and 2006, York Region welcomed 46,460 immigrants, making it one of the fastest growing areas in Canada.
“Ontario’s future economic and social prosperity depend on our ability to integrate newcomers into the community and the workplace,” said Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Michael Chan. “Helping them succeed is an investment that yields benefits for all Ontarians.”
As well as offering a “one-stop shop” approach to CIC-funded settlement services, such as language classes and job search workshops, the new Welcome Centres will also offer specific programs for newcomer youth and seniors.
“As Chair of the Inclusivity Action Plan and mayor of Canada’s most ethnically diverse community, I am extremely pleased that these new Welcome Centres will provide the much needed services our new Canadians need to succeed,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti of Markham. “I applaud both the federal and the provincial governments for moving forward on such an important initiative.”
The Welcome Centres will be managed by local community organizations:
- Markham North: Job Skills Employment and Business Programs and Supports
- Markham South: Centre for Information and Community Services
- Newmarket: Social Enterprise for Canada
- Richmond Hill: Catholic Community Services of York Region
Funding for the Welcome Centres is being provided under the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, which committed $920-million over five years to help newcomers integrate into Ontario communities.
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A reappointment to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s (CRRF) Board of Directors was announced today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
“The Canadian Race Relations Foundation is committed to building a national framework for the fight against racism in Canadian society,” said Minister Kenney. “This government seeks to fill the Board with qualified individuals who can provide dedicated expert advice to manage the Foundation. I look forward to Mr. Chow’s contribution to the Foundation.”
Mr. Lyn Q. Chow was reappointed for a four-year term. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of a Chair and up to nineteen other directors appointed by the Governor in Council (Cabinet). CRRF directors serve for terms of up to four years, which are renewable.
Canada is internationally recognized for its commitment to human rights and for its fight against all forms of discrimination, including racism. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation is Canada’s leading agency dedicated to the elimination of racism in the country. Governments, NGOs, and the national and international community regularly call upon the Foundation to contribute to developing policies, programs and workshops leading towards a more equitable and just society.
For a biography on the CRRF member being reappointed, please see the attached backgrounder.
BACKGROUNDER
Reappointment to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation
One member was reappointed to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Biography of the members is below.
Mr. Lyn Q. Chow
Calgary, AB
A professional electrical engineer, Mr. Chow was employed by Manitoba Hydro for 33 years and retired as the senior manager of the engineering systems department. Previously, he was a junior engineer with the Saskatchewan Power Corporation.
Mr. Chow has also been involved in community organizations. He was a member of the board of directors of the Winnipeg Chinatown Non-profit Housing Corporation and served as its chair for two years. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre.
After moving to Calgary, Mr. Chow continued his community service as a member of the board of directors of the Wu Yi Association, vice-president of the board of directors of the United Calgary Chinese Association, member of the board of directors and member of the executive committee of the Chinese Christian Wing Kei Nursing Home Association, vice-president of the board of directors of the Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association, and member of the board of directors of the Calgary Chinatown Seniors Centre Foundation.
The Canadian Race Relations Foundation undertakes research, collects data, and develops a national information base to further an understanding of the nature of racism and racial discrimination. It provides a knowledge base from which governments, academia, business, labour and community organizations can draw for the development of effective race relations policies and practices. The Foundation also disseminates information to increase public awareness of the importance of eliminating racism.
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The Olympic torch which started the day in Oshawa has begun to wind its way towards the downtown. Police are asking motorists to be patient throughout the afternoon as the relay heads south on Yonge St. into the city through Richmond Hill, Thornhill and North York and then to the Scarborough Town Centre. From there it will go to City Hall to be followed by fireworks and music between 7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. For that celebration, Bay St. will be closed from Queen St. W. to Dundas St. W.; Hagerman St. will be shut from Elizabeth St. to Bay St.; Elizabeth St. remains to be cordoned off from Dundas St. W. to Hagerman St; Albert St, from Bay St. to James St; and James St. from Queen St. W. to Albert St. This afternoon, police say there will be traffic delays and brief rolling road closures along the route and that they will be tagging and towing illegally parked vehicles. But Const. Tony Vella says that as soon as the procession passes a given street or intersection, officers will reopen roads.
Here is the route:
Richmond Hill Start 12:26 p.m.:
Hwy 7 E at Exit 25 12:40 p.m.:
North on Valleymede Dr. West on Briggs Ave.
Follows west along Bantry Ave. 1:07 p.m.:
Red Maple Rd. and Bantry Ave.
South on Yonge St. Finish 1:34 p.m.:
Yonge St. at Hwy 407 Thornhill Start 1:34 p.m.:
South along Yonge St. Finish 1:52 p.m.:
Yonge St. and Morgan Ave. North York Start 1:52 p.m.:
South along Yonge St. 2:11 p.m.: Newtonbrook Plaza Finish 2:39 p.m.:
Willowdale Plaza Scarborough Start 2:54 p.m.:
South on Grangeway Ave., from Progress Ave. South on Town Centre Ct. Through Scarborough Town Centre West on Borough Dr. 3:03 p.m.:
South at Brian Harrison Way Finish 3:36 p.m.:
Brimley Rd. and Ellesmere Rd. Toronto Start 3:41 p.m.:
Ellesmere Rd., west of Warden Ave. Follows west onto York Mills Rd. 4:21 p.m.:
York Mills and Leslie St. South along Yonge St. 5:18 p.m.:
Lawrence Park South on Yonge St. 6:06 p.m.: Bloor St. and Yonge St. 6:16 p.m.:
West on College St. from Yonge St. South on Elizabeth St. West on Elm St. 6:28 p.m.:
North on University Ave. East on Gerrard St. W South on Yonge St. West on Queen St. W Finish 7 p.m.:
Old City Hall
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The Canadian economy is set to rebound next year, leading growth among G7 nations, the country’s largest bank predicted Monday.
The domestic economy is expected to grow 2.6 per cent in 2010 and 3.9 per cent the year after that, after shrinking by an estimated 2.5 per cent this year, Royal Bank of Canada said in a report.
Stimulus spending, improving credit conditions and consumer spending will be the main drivers of growth, the bank said, with Saskatchewan leading the country’s economic expansion next year.
“While challenges remain, a peak in stimulus and infrastructure spending across the federal, provincial and municipal governments, along with low interest rates, should result in a sustained recovery,” said Craig Wright, the bank’s chief economist, in the report.
The peak of stimulus spending will happen next year, while better credit conditions should lift growth through to 2011, he added.
Recovery comes with a steep price tag, though the budget deficits will still be lower, relative to GDP, than the peaks reached in the early 1990s, the report said.
Altogether, the provinces are projecting shortfalls of $38.2-billion in the 2009-2010 fiscal year and at least $30.2-billion the year after that – both records in terms of value, RBC said.
Canadian consumer spending should rise 2.3 per cent next year and accelerate to 2.7 per cent in 2011.
The jobless rate, meantime, will stay high next year, averaging 8.7 per cent and peaking at 8.9 per cent before easing to 7.8 per cent in 2011. Canada’s unemployment rate is currently 8.5 per cent.
“The past year has been, by far, the toughest since the early 1990s recession and, in some cases, the early 1980s recession,” the bank said.
Activity in the housing market will stay strong, though the pace will taper off in the second half of next year due to rising mortgage rates and higher home prices.
The Canadian dollar will trade around parity, supported by rising commodity prices and as the Bank of Canada boosts interest rates before the U.S. Federal Reserve. On Monday morning, the currency was trading around 93.88 cents (U.S.).
The U.S. economy will grow 2.5 per cent next year and 3.4 per cent in 2011, RBC said.
Among provinces, Saskatchewan is likely to tally the biggest growth spurt, with 3.9-per-cent growth next year and a 4.6-per-cent increase in 2011, thanks to a pickup in potash and natural gas markets.
“This will return the province to the top of the growth ranking among provinces after likely losing this honour to Manitoba in 2009,” it said.
The slowest growth will likely be in Quebec and Prince Edward Island, at 2.2 per cent each next year.
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Although federal-provincial accords on immigration have proliferated, Quebec was the first Canadian province to set its own immigration policy and is the only one with a non-economic basis for that policy. Yet these advantages do not seem to have served the province well, given that some policy choices appear to have reduced its attractiveness as a destination for migrants.
Immigrant Criteria
The Quebec and Canadian governments share jurisdiction with respect to immigration, but the Quebec government sets its own requirements:
-Selection. Quebec selects immigrants who it deems will adapt well to living in the province.
-Language matters. Crucially, the foundation of Quebec’s immigration regime is language: Quebec wishes to select immigrants who speak French.
-Relative Performance
Over the past decade, approximately 400,000 immigrants have arrived in Quebec. The annual rate has almost doubled during this time and the nature of those immigrating has also changed. Until the 1980s, most immigrants came from Europe, whereas now approximately 40% come from North Africa, particularly Algeria and Morocco.
However, the province’s total represents just 18% of all immigrants to Canada (225,000 immigrants arrive in Canada each year). By contrast, Ontario attracts 52% of all immigrants to Canada, with the majority settling in Toronto.
-Retention Problems
Canada, like the United States, does not require people to officially report changes of address, so it is difficult to measure precisely how many migrants leave Quebec. But distinguished Quebec demographer Jacques Henrinpin has estimated that the province loses 28% of its immigrants within five years, 40% over 10 years and approximately 50% over 20 years.
Quebec also chronically loses non-immigrant residents to other provinces via internal migration. Since 1966, Quebec has lost approximately 30,000 residents annually to English-speaking provinces and welcomed only 16,000 to 17,000 Canadian migrants.
Quebec’s relative attractiveness. Several factors make Quebec less attractive to immigrants than other provinces (particularly Ontario and British Columbia) for immigrants:
-French language schooling. Unless they were educated in English in another province, new immigrants may not send their children to English-speaking state schools. (The relevant law has been struck down by the courts, but the Quebec government has two years to respond.)
-Anti-immigrant rhetoric. Relative to other provinces, political and media commentators are often highly critical of immigrants.
-French returnees. Surprisingly, Quebec also appears to have trouble retaining immigrants from France. According to Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration, every year 3,000 to 4,000 French nationals settle permanently in the province, 7,000 enter on temporary visas and over 5,000 arrive as students. However, there is strong evidence that a substantial number of these migrants leave the province within a relatively brief period of time.
-Credential Recognition
In the public debate on how to improve Quebec’s attractiveness to immigrants, it is often observed that migrants have trouble securing recognition of professional credentials earned overseas. However, this is a chronic problem in all Canadian provinces, so it does not explain relatively low net migration to, or out-migration from, Quebec.
-Key Policy Challenges
Quebec is unlikely ever to overtake Ontario or Western Canada as a favored destination for immigrants. Economic payoffs associated with proficiency in English are higher than French.
However, public policy has not systematically sought to compensate for this drawback by improving the attractiveness of the province in other areas, such as easing restrictions on English school enrolment for new immigrants. Most problematic, Quebec is relatively unattractive to business investors–particularly entrepreneurs, the category of migrants that generate the most wealth for the recipient society. Remedial policy responses are apposite in this latter area.
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Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today proposed regulations to better protect the rights of live in caregivers and to make it easier for them and their families to obtain permanent residence in Canada. The announcement follows extensive consultations with caregiver groups from across the country, as well as heartfelt testimony before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
The first proposed change to the Live-in Caregiver Program eliminates the requirement for live-in caregivers to undergo a second medical examination when applying to become permanent residents, a change advocated by the late Juana Tejada.
Ms. Tejada developed cancer while working as a live-in caregiver. She was initially denied permanent resident status when she did not pass her second medical examination. It was only through special ministerial intervention that she gained status in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
“Our government fully supports the ‘Juana Tejada Law.’ We propose to implement this change in her honour, to ensure that no one else has to endure this same painful experience,” said Minister Kenney.
Another proposed change will allow live-in caregivers who work overtime to apply for permanent residence sooner. Currently, live-in caregivers must work for two years within the first three years of entry into the program before they can apply for permanent residence in Canada. Unfortunately, events – such as pregnancies or loss of employment – have resulted in some live-in caregivers not meeting the two-year requirement.
Under the new measure, live-in caregivers would be eligible to apply for permanent residence after 3,900 work hours – the equivalent of working a standard work week for two years. Also, a portion of their overtime hours could count toward the work requirement and enable caregivers to apply for permanent residence sooner. Equally important, these changes would also increase the time that live-in caregivers are allowed to complete the work requirement from three to four years.
“These important changes help fulfil Canada’s duty to those who care for our young, our disabled and our elderly,” Minister Kenney said. “The Government of Canada is taking action to protect foreign workers from potential abuse and exploitation.”
The proposed regulations will also require employers of live-in caregivers to pay for:
- travel costs for live-in caregivers to come to Canada;
- medical insurance until live-in caregivers become eligible for provincial health coverage; and
- workplace safety insurance and any recruiting fees owed to third parties.
Under additional administrative changes to the program, employment contracts will have to spell out these employer-paid benefits. They will also have to include clauses clearly outlining job duties, hours of work, overtime and holidays, sick leave, and termination and resignation terms.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will work closely with caregiver groups to improve information packages that live-in caregivers receive before they leave for Canada. CIC will also set up a dedicated live-in caregiver hotline. Emergency processing of work permits and new authorization requests from employers to hire a live-in caregiver will help caregivers when they need to change employers urgently. Live-in caregivers will continue to be able to apply for study permits when they want to take courses longer than six months; they do not need study permits for shorter courses.
Today’s announcement builds on recently proposed regulatory changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Employers found to have provided significantly different wages, working conditions or occupations than they promised may be put on a blacklist making them ineligible to hire a live-in caregiver for two years under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Employers on this blacklist could be identified on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website in order to inform prospective and current temporary foreign workers of ineligible employers.
The Live-in Caregiver Program helps Canadians recruit caregivers to live and work in the homes of those they care for in order to provide child care or support for seniors or people with disabilities. The program facilitates the entry of qualified caregivers into Canada when there is a shortage of Canadians or permanent residents to fill available live-in caregiver positions. Because of Canada’s ageing population, the program is expected to grow in the years ahead. In 2008, Canada admitted 12,878 live-in caregivers.
The proposed changes to the Live-in Caregiver Program will be published in the Canada Gazette on December 19 for a 30-day comment period open to all Canadians. Final regulatory changes will be published after this period.
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