Job Discussion Forums

[Hondo 2.0]

I'm another Canadian, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you've got about Canada.

I got married in Japan, and sponsored my wife for permanent residence. The cost of sponsorship and permanent residence is about $1500. There are other fees, like a comprehensive medical, and criminal background checks. Including the cost of sending documents and faxes to the case processing centre, we spent about $2000. It has taken about nine months.

Here is a link to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada site with processing times for different visas.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/times-int/menu-perm.html

Someone mentioned free education. Primary and secondary education is free, but post-secondary is not. There are federal and provincial loan programs, though.

Another person mentioned a Romanian person who emigrated to Winnipeg, and wasn't happy. Winnipeg is built on a swamp. Just about the only good thing about the city is that houses are cheap.

According to Mercer, Calgary has the best health and sanitation systems of any city in the world. The cowboys and oilmen there are clean and healthy.

Finding a job is tough. Of course, the only other country I have experience with is Japan, where jobs actually DO grow on trees. You might find some good information on the Human Resources and Development Canada Job Futures website: http://jobfutures.ca/en/home.shtml

In addition to health care, and IT, we also have a growing teacher shortage. Of course, as a recent graduate, it seems to me that the teacher shortage isn't THAT acute. If you've got special ed. credentials, you're in like Flynn.

In southwestern Ontario, there are a lot of jobs for truck drivers. For the past seven years, I've never seen a shortage of ads in the paper.

I don't know what else to tell you. If you've got any questions, ask away.

[jeddahteacher]

Activism makes a diference.

by Paul Fromm (pictured)
Director, Canadian Association for Free Expession

This morning, I was awakened by a long distance phone call all the way from Norway. The gentleman called to touch base and report on his efforts on behalf of Ernst Zundel.

He'd been inspired to try to help Ernst Zundel by complaining to the Canadian Embassy in Oslo. He said that Canada was tarnishing its fine human rights reputation by keeping Mr. Zundel as a political prisoner for over 18 months in solitary confinement, denying him his alternative medication, as well as hard cover books and, for many months, even a pillow. All along Mr. Zundel has neither been charged with nor convicted of any crime.

The Embassy official was angry. He denied that Canada kept political prisoners or violated human rights. Our Norwegian friend now has downloaded from the Internet a stack of news reports from mainline Canadian sources and was about to head into Oslo to confront the Embassy official and show him that he was wrong.

There are lessons here:

1. The absolute importance of the Internet. Our Norwegian friend would never have known about the Zundel case, nor about how he could help, had he not had access to the Internet.

2. The vital importance of citizens of other countries pressuring Canadian Embassies and consulates. The Canadian Establishment preens itself on its human rights record. It sees Canada's role in the world as that of an unselfish do-gooder.

The point is throwing political dissidents in solitary confinement is something that's supposed to happen in other countries. The Canadian Establishment is uncomfortable doing these things and especially does not want foreigners to notice. If you live outside Canada, you can help Ernst Zundel by NOTICING. Complain to the Canadian Embassy or nearest Canadian consulate. Ask that political prisoner Ernst Zundel be freed and demand a response.


Paul Fromm
Director
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR FREE EXPRESSION

[migo]