Archives for 2005

OTTAWA, March 21, 2005 — The Government of Canada announced the country’s first ever action plan against racism. “Canada is a world leader in the development of policies and laws to fight racism, but many Canadians still experience racism and discrimination in their daily lives,” said the Honourable Raymond Chan, Minister of State (Multiculturalism).

“The Government of Canada has for some time recognized that our fight against racism requires a horizontal, forward-looking approach. And we recognize that we have to collaborate more effectively with all sectors of society for these efforts to be successful. This is what we will achieve with this Action Plan,” added Minister of State Chan.

The objectives of the Action Plan are to strengthen social cohesion, further Canada’s human rights framework, and demonstrate federal leadership in the fight against racism and hate-motivated crime. “The underlying message of this first ever Action Plan Against Racism is clear: we seek a Canada in which there will be no sanctuary for hate and no refuge for racism,” said Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler.

Building on Canada’s existing legal framework, and on the policies and programs currently in place, the Action Plan establishes a horizontal approach across federal departments and agencies, and outlines a significant number of new and continuing commitments to combat racism. The Action Plan is organized into six areas identified as key priorities. These are:

1. Assisting victims and groups vulnerable to racism and related forms of discrimination
2. Developing forward-looking approaches to promote diversity and combat racism
3. Strengthening the role of civil society
4. Strengthening regional and international co-operation
5. Educating children and youth on diversity and anti-racism
6. Countering hate and bias

“The Government of Canada is firmly committed to breaking down the barriers to full participation in Canada’s labour market and society that many newcomers face, and to ensuring that they have the tools they need to succeed,” said Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada Joe Volpe. “This Action Plan will help achieve that vision by educating the general public about the many valuable contributions newcomers to Canada make and by helping to build truly welcoming communities across this great country.”

The Minister of State (Multiculturalism) will consult stakeholders to assess the progress being made in the fight against racism. The Government will inform Canadians of its progress through the Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.

The Action Plan against Racism received $56 million over 5 years in the February 2005 budget.

“Eliminating discrimination in the workplace is key to Canada’s economic and social development and will help our businesses succeed in the 21st century economy,” said Minister of Labour and Housing Joe Fontana. “The Racism Free Workplace Strategy will contribute to the Action Plan by promoting fairness and eliminating barriers to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in the workplace.”
For a copy of the overview summary and the entire document of A Canada for All: Canada’s Action Plan against Racism, please consult: www.pch.gc.ca

OTTAWA, March 7, 2005 — The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, announced the preliminary figures for permanent resident admissions in 2004.

The current numbers for admissions to Canada are 235,808, well within the planned range of 220,000 to 245,000 announced to Parliament on October 30, 2003. Although these are preliminary numbers, they are usually very close to the final numbers, which will be released in the spring of 2005.

“The year 2004 marks the fifth year in a row that the planned immigration levels have been met or exceeded,” said Minister Volpe. “Newcomers to Canada each year not only contribute to our cultural mosaic, but also help to make Canada more prosperous and internationally competitive. It’s therefore important to ensure that our immigration program continues to function in a balanced, predictable and well-managed way,” he added.The preliminary numbers show that immigrants in the economic classes (which include applicants and their families) represented approximately 57% of all new arrivals to Canada in 2004. Immigrants in the family and refugee classes, as well as those who received humanitarian and compassionate consideration, comprised the remaining 43% of all new arrivals. Last year, Canada welcomed almost 33,000 refugees, 26% more than in 2003. This increase demonstrates the government’s ongoing commitment to providing protection to those in genuine need.The number of permanent residents admitted under provincial nominee agreements and the Canada-Quebec Accord continues to grow. In 2004, just over 50,000 immigrants were admitted to Canada under these agreements, a 15% increase over 2003. This shows the Government of Canada’s continuing commitment to collaborating with the provinces and territories on immigration programs.

“Overall, the preliminary numbers indicate a very good year for Citizenship and Immigration, and further demonstrate that our levels plan is solid and successful,” said Minister Volpe. “All Canadians should feel proud that so many people chose to make this country their home in 2004.”

Being white and Canadian circa 1967 it was easy to feel smug. Back then, race riots threatened to engulf many American cities but North of the Border the urban landscape was all peace and love.While most of us praised our egalitarianism, a friend from Boston scoffed at our self-righteous ways, noting that our tranquility had more to do with the paucity of people of colour in Canada than with the absence of discrimination.

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Immigration Minister Judy Sgro resigned from her cabinet post on Friday, January 14. during a meeting with Prime Minister Paul Martin. She was replaced by Human Resources Minister Joe Volpe.

Ex-Minister Sgro resigned following allegations in a sworn affidavit deposited in Federal court by Toronto-area pizza shop owner named Harjit Singh. Mr. Singh alleged that he approached the Toronto MP last year to ask for help with his family’s immigration problems and had been promised assistance from her in exchange for support for her election campaign. Mr.Singh, who is facing deportation, alleged the ex-minister Sgro broke their deal when allegations of ethical misdoings in her office began to surface late last year.

Ex-Minister Sgro dismissed the allegation as outrageous fabrications. “I have come to the conclusion that I must step aside effective immediately from my position . . . due to persistent and false allegations,” she said in a written statement. Ex-minister Sgro denies ever talking to Singh.

Mr. Singh has failed four times to win approval to stay in Canada on compassionate grounds and has been ordered expelled more than once. Police in Brampton, Ontario charged Mr. Singh in 2000 with forgery and fraud, alleging he had travelled to India in 1995 on someone else’s passport and had been charged there while trying to illegally escort a child from the country. The Crown stayed the charges in June 2001 amid conflicting evidence along with several statements from family and friends who swore he had never left Canada. He is now due to be deported to India on Feb. 2.

CIC is fast-tracking existing applications of Family Class applicants under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act who have been and continue to be seriously and personally affected by the disaster and who have immediate family members in Canada.

Priority is being given to spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children. New applications under the Family Class will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible. The department will also be considering, on a case-by-case basis, other close family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have been and continue to be seriously and personally affected by the disaster. All medical and security requirements will be respected.

CIC will also be waiving new application processing fees and the Right of Permanent Resident fee for persons who have been and continue to be seriously and personally affected by the disaster.

CIC will also put in place a special email account tsunami@cic.gc.ca and toll-free telephone number to respond to questions on the immigration measures announced to help Canadian citizens and permanent residents in the wake of the disaster.

Canadians with good reason to believe that Canadian friends or relatives are in the affected areas can contact Foreign Affairs Canada’s Emergency Operations Centre at 1-800-606-5499. To get more information on how to help, please visit the Foreign Affairs Canada Web site www.fac.gc.ca.

The Ontario government and CIC are jointly investing $3.4 million over two years to support 13 projects under the Enhanced Language Training Initiative. The projects will deliver job-specific language training to more than 1,300 internationally trained individuals to help them make the transition to Ontario’s workforce.

“One of the keys to our continued prosperity and competitiveness will be the degree to which foreign-trained professionals and skilled workers are able to successfully integrate into society and our workforce,” said Minister Volpe. “The Government of Canada invests $20 million annually in its Enhanced Language Training Initiative and I am pleased to work with Ontario so that more immigrants can pursue professions and trades that make full use of the talents and skills they bring to Canada.”

More than 70 per cent of adult immigrants who come to Ontario are highly skilled with postsecondary education or training. While the provincial and federal governments have a long history of providing basic English and French as second language programs, the issue for internationally trained individuals has been the requirement for higher level language skills that are specific to each occupation.

This investment is part of the Ontario government’s plan to improve access for the internationally trained to their chosen professions and trades. Ontario is providing $12.5 million annually to meet this commitment.

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Natural Resources Minister John Efford announced on January 7 that Canada has accepted the recommendation of an independent report to increase the annual budget of the Canadian Section of the International Boundary Commission to $2.4 million from the current $830,000.

The International Boundary Commission is a bilateral treaty organization that is jointly funded by Canada and the U.S. It was created by a 1908 treaty to mark, map and maintain the land and water boundary between Canada and the U.S., and to regulate any construction within three metres of the international boundary. The Commission was established as the permanent caretaker of the boundary area through the Treaty of Washington in 1925.

In 2003, the Canadian and U.S. commissioners jointly undertook an independent report to assess the state of maintenance of the boundary and to make recommendations to ensure “an effective boundary line” as called for in the treaties. The resulting report, dated February 2004, called on the Canadian government to increase the annual budget of the Canadian Section of the International Boundary Commission from the current $830,000 to $2.4 million for 2005-2006 to 2009-2010. The Canadian government will fully implement this recommendation.

The Year 2004 ended on a sour note for humans. The images and numbers coming out of tsunami-ravaged South and South East Asia are starkest in the absence of commentary.

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“Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers…”
– Blanche DuBois

I mean this blog to be of particular interest to Americans who do not wince at the sight of Tom DeLay. I sense some of you are fence-sitting on the issue of establishing a foothold in Canada and are a bit confused over the implications of such an undertaking. As my contribution to setting right some of the mistaken notions about a move to Canada, I offer samplings of my recent conversations with prospective American clients.

Q. If I gain Canadian status, will I lose my American citizenship?

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