An important issue for future Canadian immigrants: Where do I want to live when I get to Canada? Which Canadian city will best suit my needs? Recent studies rate the attractiveness of a selection of Canadian cities, weighing the advantages and disadvantages that people consider before choosing where to live.

With a pressing need for skilled workers, Canada’s Western provinces continue to implement new initiatives to help foreign workers get to Canada and start contributing to the labour force quickly. Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) is rolling out the welcome mat to temporary foreign workers, making the transition into the workforce easier, faster and with more protection.

Canada’s Northern Territories are not common destinations for immigrants. Many potential immigrants perceive that the smaller communities and harsh climate will make integration more difficult. The reality, however, is that many immigrants to the Northwest Territories, Yukon, or Nunavut have adjusted well and thrived in their new communities. The Yukon, the only Territory with a Nominee Program, is working to bring in immigrants quickly, to fill labour shortages and sustain the growing economy.

Large funding allocations have been made over the past month by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) at the national, provincial, and regional levels. An important focus is on newcomer integration; easing the transition of immigrants into Canadian society and the Canadian workforce. CIC and regional service groups provide services and guidance to help newcomers become engaged in their new communities.

In immigration law, we come across many situations where the decision taken greatly impacts the welfare of children. In 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on a case (Baker v. Canada) which brought the interests of children to the forefront in immigration matters. In that case, a woman with 4 Canadian-born children was ordered deported from Canada despite the concerns for her own medical treatment in her country of origin and the effect her removal would have on her children. In the ruling, the Court specified that in making decisions on humanitarian and compassionate grounds for immigration, officials are required to pay “close attention to the interests and needs of children, since children’s rights and attention to their interests are central humanitarian and compassionate values in Canadian society”. The Baker decision is now nearly 10 years old and not nearly enough has been done to put its recommendations into practice.