With this pride often comes an instant connection to fellow school mates, forming a camaraderie that can be a great career asset, if approached and utilized strategically.

“In my experience, alumni often misuse their connections with one another by approaching fellow alumni with requests that are hard to fill,” says Chandlee Bryan, former career services director at Dartmouth College and co-author of “The Twitter Job Search Guide.” “‘I need help getting a job’ is much harder to respond to than an expression of interest in learning more about what another person does.”

Here are a few tips to make sure you get the most out of your alumni network:

Make targeted connections

While social networking sites can allow you to easily find fellow alums, establish a criteria before you begin sending rapid-fire connection requests to every person in your school’s alumni group.

“I don’t recommend cold call requests,” Bryan says. “Blanket requests to connect on social networks because you went to the same school are a turn-off. Researching an individual’s interests and then sending an invite to meet works better.”

Should you just be starting out on your alumni networking journey and want to see who’s out there, Bryan recommends following those you might like to get to know on Twitter. “As Twitter requires no previous connection to ‘follow’ and you can search for groups of users by interest, it is a fast way to connect,” she says.

Be proactive

Don’t wait until you’re in need of a job or start-up capital to begin your networking efforts. Not only will people be less inclined to help you if you ask them for a favour right off the bat, but you’ll also waste a lot of valuable time if you wait until you need something to start networking.

“You don’t go in gangbusters and say ‘Hey, we went to the same school, so can you help me get a job?’” says Darrell Gurney, author of “Backdoor Job Search: Never Apply for a Job Again.” “You focus always on the person and the relationship … and then gradually, but with intention, other business or networking opportunities can arise. Underneath it all, people always just like helping other people. You just have to focus on the people and the relationships, and the rest takes care of itself.”

Agrees Bryan, “One of my college classmates did this brilliantly. He reached out to me and to other alums on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter before he needed it. We developed a friendship that we didn’t have in college. When he was laid off, he found a new job in less than a week over Facebook simply by letting his network know of his situation. You see, he had already built the goodwill.” 

Find common ground at networking events

Alumni networking events can bring your classmates out of the woodwork, but — especially if the event isn’t being held close to campus or you went to a big school — you might not know anyone there. While you’ll always have the “So when did you graduate?” icebreaker, there are other, more engaging ways to approach these fraternal strangers at networking events. Try asking about what dorm they lived in freshman year or what activities they were involved in at school instead.

”Try to find common experiences you can talk about — especially if you were involved in the same clubs or course of study. ‘Did you have professor x’ is a great ice breaker,” Bryan says. 

Sign up for the newsletter

Subscribing to your alumni newsletter or magazine is not only a great way to keep up-to-date on alumni events in your area, but it can also be helpful in targeting your networking efforts, since alumni publications often feature stories about successful alums, or a “where are they now” section that summarizes what people are up to.

Though you can always find out about your classmates’ careers on LinkedIn or Facebook, your alumni newsletter makes a valuable companion to these online networking sites. For example, your newsletter may feature a classmate you didn’t know personally in college, who is now the CEO of a leading business in your industry. Now, you not only know the person is a great networking contact for you, but you also have a reason to reach out to the person on LinkedIn. Mention that you were impressed with their feature in the alumni newsletter as a conversation starter.

The most important thing to remember about your alumni network, though, is that if you’re not using it to your advantage, then you’re likely missing out on potential job and career opportunities. Many of your fellow alumni will be more than happy to connect with you, and offer you advice and insight on your career.

Writers Bio: Kaitlin Madden is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

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Reisch drove to Vermont to visit friends for the holidays and realized as he approached the border that he forgot his passport. He had a scan of it saved on his iPad and showed it to the border officer.

“There was a slight hesitation, he didn’t really seem like he was impressed,” Reisch said, but after a few minutes’ wait, he was allowed through the border checkpoint.

The anecdote is troubling because a scanned copy of a passport “is not a secure document,” said MP Brian Masse.

“That could be altered, and could also lead to some precedents that would jeopardize [border] security,” said Masse, NDP critic for US-Canada border relations.

However, Masse added, electronic passports could be implemented in future with safety features.

In the meantime, Reisch said, he hopes his iPad scan or a similar facsimile becomes as common as using a smartphone for airplane tickets.

“I’m a huge believer in technology,” he said.

In a statement sent to CBC, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it does allow several pieces of identification at the Canadian border. The list does not include a passport scan.

Weather network meteorologist Chris Scott said the month of December has seen unusual conditions prevail from coast to coast. Temperatures have hovered around average levels for coastal B.C., but the area hasn’t seen the usual precipitation that falls at this time of year, he said.

“Once you head east of the Rockies, pretty much every Canadian city has been well above normal by some five or six degrees,” Scott said in a telephone interview. “That’s significant. When we end up being five or six degrees above normal for a month, everyone notices it.”

The network is predicting December’s trends will last right through Christmas, and is calling for little to no snow across the country. Scott said residents in the St. Lawrence Valley may see a hint of white on Christmas morning after receiving a few flurries over the weekend.

Environment Canada’s prognosis for a white Christmas is somewhat more positive for some areas, notably the Atlantic provinces.

The national weather agency is calling for either flurries or light snow in parts of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

The Weather Network’s forecasts, however, fit into a larger pattern that Environment Canada noted earlier this month. Snowfall data between 1964 and 2009 suggest the odds of experiencing a white Christmas decreased markedly in recent decades.

In Edmonton, Saskatoon and Quebec City, where a white Christmas was all but a certainty between 1964 and 1982, the probability of a snowbound holiday has fallen sharply between 1991 and 2009.

Quebec City’s chances have slipped to 95 per cent, Saskatoon’s to 89 per cent and Edmonton to 79 per cent. The steepest drop, however, was in Sarnia, Ont., where the odds of a white Christmas, once three in four, are now less than one in three.

Senior climatologist David Phillips previously attributed the changes to global warming, which he said has made itself felt in even the coldest regions of the country.

“The one season that truly is not what it used to be is winter,” he said. “I had this argument with old-timers years ago. They’d say, ‘We don’t think the winters are what they used to be,” and I’d say, ‘Nonsense.’ But they’ve been right.”

Canadians disappointed by the lack of snow on Christmas Day may find their wishes granted early in the new year instead, Scott said, adding the network is calling for conditions to shift in January.

“Generally speaking you can’t hold a given weather pattern for more than about a month. Things will somewhat reset,” he said. “We’ve been in this mild weather pattern, . . .but there will be a point at which that will break.”

Muchmor Canada would like to wish all our readers and visitors

“A Very Happy Christmas and Happy New Year”

Originally occupied by First Nations communities, the Bay saw its first explorers, missionaries and traders arrive around the 1600s. French explorer Samuel de Champlain charted the area, with his maps lasting as reference to westbound explorers for nearly two centuries. The next two centuries saw such newcomers as military personnel, fishermen, loggers and homesteaders inhabiting the land. Slowly the area became spotted with villages, many growing to town or city status.

Each group had its own trials and tribulations: battling the land, waters, weather, or each other. Land roads were inadequate or non-existent, and water routes were often blocked by ice in the winter. The waters were often rough, with the only saving grace being the existence of abundant natural harbours.

Today, many denizens proclaim that the Georgian Bay area sparkles with the best recreational pursuits: skiing, golfing, cruising, heritage sites, events and festivals. Roam the rim of the Georgian Bay and see what brought many to its shores, and what lures the thousands of vacationers who flock to the territory during all four of its distinct seasons.

Things to discover

The sights and stopovers are countless in the Georgian Bay. Here is but a sample of where one can rove, starting at the south of the Bay.

Owen Sound

The first to footprint the sandy shores of Owen Sound, a southern Georgian Bay location, was the Petun Indians, members of the Huron association. The Iroquois engaged them in warfare for decades. Rather than face genocide, the Hurons eventually retreated from the area. Later, the Ojibway tribes of Lake Superior in turn ousted the Iroquois.

After Champlain mapped the area in the 1600s, settlers began to arrive. It is highly likely that they took moments from their toil to enjoy the scenery of what is now known as the Niagara Escarpment. The Niagara Escarpment is an eco-system that supports hundreds of plant and wildlife species, and has been deemed a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (which entails the preservation of crucial ecological features even if the area is developed).

One lad who later became enthralled by the distinctive vegetation and turquoise waters was Tom Thomson. Thomson influenced, and was influenced by, the famous Group of Seven. The Group of Seven were an early 1920s Toronto-based group whose paintings expressed a true love for the Canadian wilderness. His works, as well as several of his contemporaries and modern painters, remain in the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

Scottish, Irish and English first populated Owen Sound in the 1840s. A taste of their culture lives on through the Owen Sound Celtic Festival, held for three days each September. Dancing, food and historical re-enactments are all part of the revelry.

Generation upon generation thrived in Owen Sound. Amongst the population rose a young man who later became a Canadian hero. William Avery ‘Billy’ Bishop, went on to be a World War I and II fighting ace, and tangled with the dreaded Red Baron. A stop at the Billy Bishop Museum will educate visitors of his life and other highlights of Canadian aviation history.

Today, Owen Sound is the largest town in the area, with a population of 21,000 permanent residents. Because of the close proximity to Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay, the communities around the Bay usually experience cooler temperatures in the summer and milder winter temperatures. In Owen Sound the daily maximum temperature in the height of summer is 22 C (72 F) and winter lows of no less than -12 C (10 F). However, as is the case with most of Ontario’s areas, be prepared for atypical weather conditions.

Collingwood

Proceeding east for 64 kms (40 miles), one will come to the Town of Collingwood, with a population of over 16,000 people.

Outside of town is evidence of glacial ice, dating back millions of years. Explorers of the Scenic Caves Nature Preserve can tread through the various limestone splits and caverns, and even squeeze through the 14-inch-wide passage known as ‘Fat Man’s Misery’. Between 1400 and 1600, the Huron Indian Village of Ekarenniondi stood at this site. Visitors may still touch the worshipping rock of this tribe.

Downhill Skiing at Blue Mountain

While the Hurons lived in long houses constructed of poles and elm bark, spending much of their time engrossed in hunting, fishing and growing corn for their meals, the same cannot be said for today’s travellers and residents. Many people are drawn to the area for its luxurious resorts and recreational activities. Blue Mountain Resort is at the back door of Ontario’s highest mountain, Blue Mountain, and is populated by alpine ski enthusiasts in the winter. Golfing at Cranberry Golf Resort is prime, especially due to the resort’s dedication to protecting and enhancing wildlife in the area (Canada’s only fully certified Audubon Sanctuary, promoting ecology).

French explorer Samual de Champlain surveyed Collingwood in the 1600s. These days, another man of infamy strolls the town one weekend each July, and can be seen everywhere! The Collingwood Elvis Festival brings both amateur and professional impersonators of ‘The King’ to the area for competitions, concerts and general hound-dogging.

In the early 1800s, many black Americans slipped the shackles of slavery and escaped to such places as Collingwood and its neighboring community of Owen Sound via the ‘Underground Railroad’. The railroad was a network of former slaves and sympathizers who assisted the fugitives to gain freedom. The bittersweet stories of these early settlers can be learned at the Sheffield Park Black History and Cultural Museum.

Collingwood became a noteworthy port and railhead, as it was the receiving point for grain from Thunder Bay and the Prairies, as well as the departure point for Western settlers and goods. Shipbuilding became quite industrious. Today, boaters hear the call of the cool, enchanting waters and contentedly anchor at one of the Georgian Bay’s numerous marinas.

Wasaga Beach

What made the Wasaga Beach area displeasing to early settlers – sandy land that was unsuitable for farming – is today’s biggest lure. The longest fresh water beach in the world (a remarkable14 kms/9mils) entices many. Wasaga Beach’s population hovers slightly above 12,000 people, with a visitor count of approximately two million each year. The end of the most popular season is appropriately marked with the Memories of Summer Fireworks during the Labour Day weekend.

The beach of this central town is also historically significant, as it was the fly off location for the first plane to make an overseas flight from Canada: the length of the beach made it the perfect runway.

Rather than trying to tame the terrain of Wasaga Beach as the early settlers did, visitors today embrace its ruggedness, which provides many recreational pursuits. The trails in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park are ideal for hiking, cross-country skiing and cycling. A stop at the Blueberry Nordic Centre can serve as a warm-up or as an information point. And the Nottawasaga River is perfect for fishing and canoeing.

While in the park, stop at Nancy Island, where the Americans sank the Schooner Nancy, the last British ship on the Great Lakes, during a battle in 1814. The sunken hull formed an obstruction in the river, which eventually formed the island. A museum on the island contains other remnants of the Nancy as well as battle artifacts. Far from the cries of combat, visitors to the island can now hear the alluring sounds of live Big Band, Swing and Jazz bands. Jazz in the Park is a series of 10 free concerts on scheduled evenings in July.

Penetanguishene

Continuing north up the Bay’s shore is the small town of Penetanguishene (population 5,000). Penetanguishene holds the title of the oldest town in Ontario, when as early as 800 AD Aboriginals built semi-permanent villages in the area. In 1793, the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada John Graves Simcoe recognized the military potential of the area, and began promoting development. It was in the early 1800s that the British naval and military base Discovery Harbour was built.

For a marine experience, visitors may board the M.S. Georgian Queen. A live commentator cites stories of the past while pointing out the magnificent scenery of the day. Sailors of both private and rented vessels will admire the Pentanguishene’s lovely and protected harbours.

Midland

Approximately five km (three miles) from Pentangushene is the town of Midland, with a population of over 14,000 people. Samuel de Champlain brought the first Jesuit missionaries to the Midland area in the 1600s, intent on saving Huron souls. The mission Sainte-Marie among the Hurons became Ontario’s first European community, experiencing settlement, war, disease, and finally abandonment. The site continues to attract tourists, as costumed interpreters give live history lessons about the Sainte-Marie.

In the 1800s, the area boomed with industry and railroad expansion. Those who were gifted tracts of land for their government or military services also increased the number of inhabitants. The town was dubbed the ‘Chicago of the North’, as it was thought to be the place a fortune could be made. Millions weren’t accumulated but nonetheless, the area began to attract a wealth of artists and naturalists. The town is home to over 30 outdoor murals, including North America’s largest outdoor historic mural, situated over Midland Harbour. Close to Midland is the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, whose residents include a myriad of bird and wildlife species, including trumpeter swans.

The Sun Sets over Georgian Bay

Honey Harbour

From Honey Harbour, many cottagers navigate by boat to their properties in the 30,000 Islands. The area also has an abundance of rental cottages, resorts and marinas to serve as home base for exploring the waters. A water taxi service provides transportation to Canada’s only island park, the Georgian Bay Islands National Park. Fishing and boating are popular summer activities, while those who are more adventurous often snowshoe or cross-country ski over the frozen water in winter.

Parry Sound

Progressing up to the northern region of Ontario is Parry Sound. This community has seen much toil and action in its colourful past. Today it is a recreational hot spot. A myriad of water activities, cultural sites and events and impressive parks beckons many to the area. Read WorldWeb Travel Guide’s article Parry Sound Town & City Review.

Killarney

Hundreds of years ago, Canada’s voyageurs set up a fur trading post to ease their canoe journeys. Water travel was the only method of transportation to Killarney, as there was no road access until 1962 to this northern post, located almost five hours away from Toronto. Both passengers and freight entered the “Shibaonaning’, the Ojibway name for ‘canoe channel’ by steamships.

Today, sailboats and power yachts float the pristine waters, but for pleasure rather than necessity. The small village of Killarney triples in size during the summer, as it boasts the ‘crown jewel’ of Ontario’s parks – Killarney Provincial Park. Sapphire lakes, ridges filled with jack pines, the snow capped white quartzite La Cloche Mountains and pink granite shorelines have captivated artists, adventure seekers and nature appreciators.

30,000 Islands, including Manitoulin Island

One of the most mentioned highlights in the Georgian Bay is the 30,000 Islands, which includes Manitoulin Island, the world’s largest island contained within a freshwater lake. Boaters find the area a paradise, as the picturesque islands with their numerous secluded bays, inlets and coves, as well as the countless towns, marinas and resorts, provide the back drop and services required to make it in the ranks of top sailing waters. After crossing the swing bridge of Little Current which links Manitoulin Island to the mainland, travel to Bridal Veil Falls. The hiking and cascading waterfall is well worth the trip.

Guides and maps can be found here

Official website can be found here

More Information here

The report, Immigrant Labour Market Outcomes in Canada: The Benefits of Addressing Wage and Employment Gaps, estimates that the potential increased incomes for immigrants if observable skills were rewarded similarly to Canadian-born workers is $30.7 billion or 2.1 per cent of GDP in 2006 (the latest census data available).

“Employment growth is slowing as Canada’s population ages, which make it essential that every worker produce at their full potential. Underutilizing skilled labour is a gap we need to fill and immigrants represent more than 20 per cent of our population,” said Dawn Desjardins, assistant chief economist, RBC. “Even small improvements in immigrant outcomes could contribute positively to the Canadian economy.”

The report outlines the increasing size of the immigrant employment and wage gap in Canada during the past 30 years. While there was little difference between the unemployment rates of new immigrants and the Canadian-born in 1981, a large gap emerged during the 1980s and 1990s. By 2006, immigrants had unemployment rates that were significantly higher than those of Canadian born — 6.9 per cent for immigrants, compared to 6.4 per cent for the Canadian born. In 2005, the entire population of immigrants working full time in Canada earned an average of $45,000 yearly, which is about $700 or two per cent less than the average wage for Canadian-born workers; however, the most recent among them earned just $28,700, on average.

The report concludes that immigrants tend to possess an observable-skills profile that would usually be associated with higher economic rewards. The population of working-age (16-64) immigrants in Canada is more likely to have a university degree than the Canadian born, and is older, on average. They are also more likely to live in large cities, where earnings tend to be higher.

Adjusting for immigrants’ observable characteristics makes a big difference. If we take into consideration the stronger profile of immigrants, the ‘potential’ immigrant unemployment rate would have translated into approximately 42,000 additional jobs.

By gender, male immigrants had a higher earnings gap than female immigrants (24 per cent compared to 17 per cent). In dollar terms, this is about $16,500 for men and $7,000 for women. Conversely, the excess in the unemployment rate for women was larger than that for men, at 2.5 percentage points, compared to a 0.7 percentage point difference for men.

The research to this point suggests that gaps may be due to both genuine skill differences between immigrants and Canadian-born workers, and labour market inefficiencies that prevent immigrants from making full use of their skills. In either case, there could be room to improve on immigrant outcomes through more extensive language training, faster credential recognition, or other integration initiatives. More rigorous evaluation of existing programs would also be helpful in understanding why gaps persist and how we can best address them.

“This report shows that we are still not recognizing the skill level and talent that newcomers bring to Canada - and it’s as much the country’s loss as it is our immigrants,” said Camon Mak, director, Newcomer and Multicultural Markets, RBC. “Canada was built on immigration, and that’s just as true today.”

Download full report (PDF)

Year after year, Western cities dominate the rankings as the worst for crime. And, in reverse, the most populous cities in Ontario and Quebec consistently score well. Toronto’s overall crime score ranking is No. 52, exactly where it was in 2000. However, on the East Coast, St. John’s, Nfld., is finding its new prosperity carries a dark side—a rising crime score.

To see how well your community or province did, go to macleans.ca/dangerouscities for a complete listing. Our interactive map of Canada’s safest and most dangerous cities allows you to quickly zoom in and see how cities stack up against one another. Maclean’s lays out the odds of being robbed in Winnipeg, having a car stolen in Joliette, Que., having your home broken into in Belleville, Ont., being sexually assaulted in St. John, N.B., or suffering an aggravated assault in Saskatoon.

But the news isn’t all bad. The national crime score has fallen almost 23 per cent over 10 years. Vancouver is a case in point: In 10 years it has gone from one of the worst crime rates in Canada to among the most improved.

Canada’s 5 most/least crime-ridden cities

HIGHEST CRIME RATES 
(Percentage above the national crime score) 
Prince George, B.C. (114%)
Victoria (75%)
Saskatoon (72%)
Red Deer, Alta. (71%)
Regina (67%)

LOWEST CRIME RATES 
(Percentage below the national crime score) 
Caledon, Ont. (59%)
Centre Wellington, Ont. (56)
Halton Region, Ont. (55)
Nottawasaga, Ont. (49)
Lévis, Que. (49)

Maclean’s used the Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index and also tracked trends by commissioning from StatsCan a run of six indicator crime statistics. For full listings of 100 cities, methodology, interactive map and a breakdown by province and by different crimes, go to macleans.ca/dangerouscities.

That’s the lowest price rise this year. From February through July, CREA’s monthly reports showed housing prices rising more than eight per cent over 2010.

The hottest provincial market in November was Newfoundland and Labrador, where prices were up 12 per cent from the same month in 2010. At the back of the pack was Prince Edward Island, where the average resale home price dropped 11.1 per cent.

At the municipal level, prices jumped more than 10 per cent year-over-year in the Ontario communities of Thunder Bay, Hamilton/Burlington and St. Catharines, in Quebec’s Saguenay region and in Gatineau, across the river from Ottawa.

“While certainly not gangbuster numbers, these are respectable turnouts given the volatile economic backdrop that has characterized the global economy this year,” Francis Fong of TD Economics said in a note.

Fong said that when the final numbers come in for all of 2011, he expects housing prices will show a seven to eight per cent rise for the year. Next year, though, he’s forecasting a one to two per cent drop amid a deceleration in income and job growth.

A recent report in the Economist magazine suggests Canadian homes are 29 per cent overvalued, rising at one of the fastest paces among the 20 countries surveyed. Since 2007, prices are up 22 per cent, it determined.

Vancouver is most expensive by far

Once again, the country’s most expensive homes by far were in Vancouver, where the average non-seasonally-adjusted sale price in November was more than $728,000. That beat Victoria at $499,676, B.C.’s Fraser Valley at $478,968 and Toronto at $480,421. The cheapest homes were in Trois-Rivières, Que., at $147,046.

Sales volumes nationally were up five per cent over last year, while the number of new listings increased 2.7 per cent. Compared with the month before, however, November saw a slowdown in new listings by a seasonally adjusted 3.4 per cent.

CREA’s figures are based on properties sold through the Multiple Listing Service.

A panel of experts from the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) board of directors advises against making hasty or uninformed choices by avoiding five common errors:

1. Not knowing what you can afford
Barbara Sukkau, president of OREA and a Realtor based in St. Catharines, says that mistakes made in a competitive environment can be costly and restrict lifestyle choices.

“Many people don’t know that there’s an easy way to calculate how much house they can afford to determine, regardless of competing bids, what lifestyle they want to maintain within the market,” says Sukkau. “In addition to the cost of the home, potential buyers should consider the land transfer tax, closing costs, moving costs and leave room for any unforeseen extras.”

In fact, Realtors often use a calculation called the Gross Debt Service Ratio. Sukkau explains how to calculate what you can afford at http://bit.ly/OREAaffordabilty.

2. Not preparing your finances, or getting pre-approved 
“Many sellers will require a potential buyer to get pre-approved. When there are competing bids on the house of your dreams, pre-approval could give you the edge,” says Patricia Verge, OREA board member working out of Ottawa.

“Pre-approval can take up to a few days after you provide your bank with things like verification of income and down payment,” Verge adds.

If a buyer meets the lender’s requirements, then written confirmation of pre-approval will be provided. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, this pre-approval is time sensitive and is not a guarantee of receiving a mortgage loan.

Verge also cautions buyers against using their pre-approval as a final budget. “Potential buyers should balance their debt load and other financial commitments with what the bank is willing to lend,” she says.

3. Not knowing your must-haves
Tom Lebour, OREA board member working out of Mississauga, notes that his clients aren’t always sure about what they’re looking for.

“Clients often fail to consider what amenities are in the neighbourhood they’re looking to buy in, especially when relocating from the city to the suburbs. How ‘walkable‘ is a neighbourhood to places like grocery stores, schools and banks? This feature is important to many homebuyers, but they can fail to think about it in the excitement about the number of bathrooms a house has. Create a list by thinking about a day in your life and the various things important to you and your family.”

4. Not getting a home inspection 
“I always advise buyers to have their own home inspection done, even if the seller offers the results of a previous inspection and even if others are keen to put in an offer,” says Phil Dorner, OREA board member working out of Belle River.

“Ensure that you have a qualified and bonded home inspector perform a full inspection as part of your offer. An investment of a few hundred dollars could save you thousands down the road.”

5. Getting emotions involved in negotiations 
Buyers and sellers will often let their emotions get the best of them, says Mike Douglas, OREA board member from Barrie.

“Emotions can get in the way of negotiations because sellers inadvertently assign real value to their memories, which don’t hold financial value for the buyer. We do our best to help our clients keep their emotions out of the equation,” Douglas says.

For more tips, visit orea.com and order your free books on home buying and selling. Or, check out Barb Sukkau’s video on what a Realtor can do for you.

“Canadian citizenship is not for sale,” said Minister Kenney. “Canadians are generous people, but have no tolerance or patience for people who don’t play by the rules and who lie or cheat to become a Canadian citizen.  The Government will apply the full strength of Canadian law to those who have obtained citizenship fraudulently.”

In July, Minister Kenney announced that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) was beginning the process to revoke the citizenship of up to 1,800 citizens who obtained it fraudulently; that number has now risen to more than 2,100.

The Department has also been working on cases of those who are not yet citizens. Nearly 4,400 people with permanent resident status who are known to be implicated in residence fraud have been flagged for additional scrutiny should they attempt to enter Canada or obtain citizenship.  The majority of these individuals are outside the country.

In typical cases, permanent residents will use the services of an unscrupulous immigration consultant to establish evidence of residence in Canada while living abroad most, if not all, of the time.  This fraud is perpetrated so that individuals can maintain their permanent residence status and later apply for citizenship.  A family of five may pay upwards of $25,000 over four or more years to create the illusion of residence in Canada.

“My department is working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Canadian offices abroad to prevent people who are suspected of non-compliance with the permanent residence requirement from being admitted to Canada without proving they meet the requirements and take enforcement action when necessary,” added Minister Kenney.

To date, of the 4,400 permanent residents who have been flagged, nearly 1,400 people have withdrawn or abandoned their citizenship application because of new scrutiny.

Permanent residents must acquire three years of residence out of four years to apply for Canadian citizenship.  To retain their status as permanent residents, they must be physically present in Canada for two years out of five.

“I encourage anyone who has information regarding citizenship fraud to call our tip line to report it,” urged Minister Kenney.

Cases involving false representation, fraud or knowingly concealing material circumstances in the citizenship process – for example, pretending to be present in Canada to meet the residence requirements for obtaining citizenship – should be referred to the citizenship fraud tip line at CIC’s Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 (in Canada only, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday).  Tips may also be reported by e-mail at Citizenship-fraud-tips@cic.gc.ca. Those overseas can contact the nearest Canadian visa office.

All other fraud types related to immigration should be reported to the CBSA’s Border Watch Tip Line at 1 888-502-9060.   Tips accepted by the Border Watch Tip Line include, but are not limited to, suspicious cross-border activity, marriages of convenience, misrepresentation in any temporary or permanent immigration application, or the whereabouts of any person wanted on an immigration warrant.

The Government of Canada is taking action to crack down on the actions of crooked consultants during the immigration process. Bill C-35, originally introduced as the Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act, came into force on June 30, 2011.  The Act imposes penalties on unauthorized representatives who provide, or offer to provide, advice or representation for a fee at any stage of an immigration application or proceeding.

The Bank of Montreal says the two western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan will lead the rest of Canada in economic growth this year and next by a wide margin.

The BMO report predicts the two provinces will both record three per cent or more economic growth this year — about one point higher than the national average — and again in 2012.

The report says Ontario and Quebec and the four Atlantic provinces will likely struggle with sub-two per cent growth next year as government austerity and export challenges due to the high dollar weigh on their economies.

On average, Canada’s economy is expected to continue with moderate growth of two per cent in 2012 — not strong but not a disaster given the weak U.S. economy, Europe’s debt crisis and the slowdown in emerging markets.

The western provinces’ benefits are natural resources, which are still much in demand across the world.

If there was something new in the one-page statement issued by the bank alongside its early morning policy announcement Tuesday, it is that bank governor Mark Carney thinks the risks from around the world may be intensifying.

The bank said it now expects the recession in Europe “to be more pronounced,” a downgrade from October when it said the continent would go through a brief slump.

While economic activity in the U.S. has been more robust than anticipated, the spillover effects of Europe and the country’s own internal problems will weigh on growth going forward. As for China and emerging nations that have been the mainstays of the global economy over the past few years, all signs point to the pace of expansion “moderating.”

“The weaker external outlook is expected to dampen GDP (gross domestic product) in Canada through financial, confidence and trade channels,” the bank said.

“The economy also continues to face competitiveness challenges, including persistent strength of the Canadian dollar…. Reflecting all of these factors, the bank has decided to maintain the target for the overnight rate at one per cent.”

The bank views its current policy setting as helping stimulate economic growth in Canada by keeping the cost of borrowing for both businesses and households low, thus encouraging investments and spending.

Some economists have called on the bank to lean on the rate further, to as low as 0.25 per cent, but there were no signals in the statement that Carney is thinking along those lines.

The bank said it is not worried about inflation at the moment. While at 2.9 per cent it is higher than the two per cent target the bank strives for, it expects weaker economic activity and moderating energy and food prices will bring overall inflation in line.

But Carney has often expressed concerns that his low interest rate policy, in place for about three years, is encouraging irresponsible behaviour among households, particularly overspending in the housing market.

As the bank noted in October, the Canadian economy is doing slightly better during the current second half of 2011 than was previously anticipated. GDP in the third quarter was one point higher than the bank’s two per cent call, and analysts believe the same adjustment will be made to the bank’s 0.8 per cent growth prediction for the fourth quarter.

The better performance, the bank said, has been due to stronger than expected household spending and continued healthy business investment. But exports have also so far defied the worsening global trends, recording solid gains in the third quarter.

The stronger second half will likely result in 2011 overall growth higher than the predicted 2.1 per cent, but the bank gave no guidance on its milder 1.9 forecast for 2012.

The results tell a contrary story to one occasionally found in news headlines that suggest Canadians might be increasingly fed up with accommodating newcomers.

There were actually two prominent news stories Monday in Quebec related to disputes over minority accommodations.

Talk TV was exercised over a report on a Montreal-area municipality’s decision to remove Christmas and Hanukkah decorations at city hall. A community group had requested to have Islamic symbols erected as well, and the Town of Mount Royal responded by taking down symbols from all religions, save for a Christmas tree.

There was also a report on the city of Gatineau’s immigrant guide book, asking newcomers not to take part in honour killings or cook smelly foods.

But the research director for IRPP’s diversity, immigration and integration program said while disputes make flashy headlines, they overshadow the many positive stories of integration that are never told.

“We think sometimes these debates are kind of tough in Canada and things are getting worse — but we’re in a lot better shape, in all kinds of ways, than a lot of other countries,” Leslie Seidle said recently in Montreal.

“Contrary to many other countries, particularly in western Europe, we have a strong majority who think that the level of immigration we have right now is about right.”

The IRPP study cited a 2010 survey that found close to 60 per cent of people in the United Kingdom thought there were too many immigrants in their country. By comparison, less than 20 per cent of Canadians felt the same way.

In the poll taken by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Canadians were also found to be more tolerant of immigrants than people in Italy, Spain, the U.S., France, Netherlands and Germany.

But Canadians’ views toward immigrants haven’t always been as welcoming.

The study by IRPP, a non-partisan, Montreal-based public policy think-tank, suggests there was a shift in public opinion about a decade ago.

From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, the majority of Canadians held negative attitudes about the country’s immigration levels.

Following a shift in the 1990s, Canadians’ view of immigration has been more positive than negative since the latter part of that decade.

The country opened its doors to 280,000 immigrants last year and has accepted more than 200,000 newcomers annually since 2000, according to Citizenship and Immigration Department statistics cited in the study. In the mid 1980s, fewer than 100,000 immigrants per year came to Canada.

The report argued that Canadians who support immigration believe that multiculturalism is a source of national pride and creates economic benefits.

The research also found that attitudes about immigration varied by region, though each area had majority support for existing levels.

The Prairies (62.8 per cent), Atlantic Canada (62.5 per cent) and Quebec (61.8 per cent) scored higher than the Canadian average. The other regions, included British Columbia (57.4 per cent), Alberta (54.4 per cent) and Ontario (53.5 per cent).

Seidle was asked whether he was surprised the study found one of the most pro-immigration areas in Quebec, a province that has been at the centre of heated debate over minority accommodations.

He blamed Quebec media for putting too much emphasis on disputes, such as a request a few years ago by a Montreal Jewish community group that a local YMCA frost its windows.

The group no longer wanted its youth to be able to see people wearing revealing clothes as they exercised inside.

“These stories have been blown up,” said Seidle, who, for example, added that little adjustments to accommodate diet, dress and days of religious observance are made in schools throughout Montreal every day.

“But maybe we end up paying too much attention to this kind of stuff because it’s got conflict underneath it.”

The agency says the 2009 study produced results similar to those of the last survey done in 2004, before the Conservatives took power and began their tough-on-crime campaign. Crime rates overall have been falling for a decade.

Youth crime is one of the few areas that has risen, yet the study says slightly more younger Canadians were satisfied with their personal safety from crime than older Canadians — 94 per cent of those ages 15-24 compared to 90 per cent aged 65 years and older.

About 83 per cent of respondents said they were not at all worried when home alone in the evening, while 90 per cent who walked alone in their neighbourhoods at night said they felt safe doing so.

The Conservative government of Stephen Harper has made controversial anti-crime legislation a central tenet of its mandate, claiming Canadians want Ottawa to get tough on crime. Critics complain the Tory legislation boosting sentences for some crimes, imposing mandatory minimums and stripping two-for-one credit for time served is based more on ideology than evidence.

Opposition MPs and some provinces — which stand to bear the brunt of costs to keep more people in jail and for longer periods — have complained the Conservatives ignored the advice of experts and did not provide cost estimates for their sweeping changes.

The study indicates those living in Eastern Canada, where crime rates are generally lower, were more satisfied with their personal safety than Westerners, who form the base of Tory support. But not by much.

Residents of Prince Edward Island were among those with the highest levels of satisfaction, at 97 per cent, while residents in British Columbia were among those with the lowest, at 89 per cent. Among cities, levels of satisfaction with personal safety were highest in Moncton, N.B. and Kingston, Guelph and Oshawa, Ont. They were lowest in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

The government earmarked $583 million for settlement services across Canada for 2011-12, down from $622 million the year before. That amount will drop another $6 million for 2012-13 to a total of $577 million across Canada.

For the current year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada budgeted $346.5 million for Ontario, a decrease from $390 million the previous year. For 2012-13, it’ll drop again to $314.9 million. A loss of $31.5 million. The federal government argues it’s adjusting its funding to fit changing migration patterns.

Senior government sources say they’re simply adapting the funding to the fact that fewer immigrants are going to Ontario as a proportion of the national total. Immigration experts argue that the Ontario government is partly to blame, because it hasn’t worked hard enough to bring in newcomers. The experts are quoted as saying:

“Ontario has failed to select the number of immigrants provincially, relative to the size of the population of the province. How is it that smaller provinces than Ontario can select more immigrants provincially than Ontario?”

Many immigrants going west

British Columbia is getting $109.8 million, a slight increase over $105.6 million for 2011-12.

Thomas Tam, head of a B.C. organization that helps immigrants integrate, says the federal government is making the right move by boosting funding to B.C. and other western provinces. Tam says migration patterns are changing dramatically.

“That’s a very important additional resources for us. In the last couple of years, we’ve been seeing more and more immigrants into the province, particularly from Asia. There’s a great demand for language training and labour market integration programs.”

In fact, not only are immigrants increasingly going west, they’re also going to smaller towns and cities. For example, Tam’s organization is now expanding its services to the northern B.C. town of Fort St. John. The funding is justified, as immigrants head to smaller communities in the west and the east, where settlement services are sparse.

“It’s very good news for the recipients of settlement funding in Canada’s hinterland, in western Canada, and of course the Maritimes, to include the idea of retaining immigration. The more settlement funding you can toss into the Maritimes the better chance you have of retaining immigrants in that region,” he said.

1. Poles fit for a prince

Cross-country skiing, Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta

Lake Louise is for lovers. Ski lovers, that is. You can check out tree-lined cross-country trails or fly downhill in waist-deep powder, all under gorgeous blue skies. And if you’re up for more rustic adventure, try the famous Skoki Lodge, where Prince William and theDuchess of Cambridge visited in the summer.

TIP: Bring a camera to take great snaps of deer and elk as you shush by on your Nordic skis.

Lake Louise area cross-country ski trails

The Lake Louise Ski Area

2. Get seriously soaked, Radium Hot Springs, Kootenay National Park, Alberta

You can get me into hot springs at any time of year but on cool, crisp winter days, just try to get me out. Surrounded by snow-covered trees and the icy Mount Rundle, I love to wade shoulder-deep into the soothing mineral-rich waters and just smile.

TIP: For more warmth, try Banff Upper Hot Springs in Banff National Park.

Radium Hot Springs

3. Mush ado about winter  

Dog sledding, Kluane National Park and Reserve, Yukon

Here’s one for the bucket list. A chance to mush a team of gorgeous huskies through Kluane National Park and Reserve. Contact a local dog sled tour operator for itineraries.

TIP: Canada’s highest mountain, Mount Logan (5,959 metres; 19,545 feet), is located within the park.

Uncommon Journeys Ltd 

4. Go waterfall ice climbing  

Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks, Alberta and British Columbia

If you were born with a silver pick-axe in your hands, here’s news. Some 1,000 waterfalls exist through the Canadian Rockies, making it one of the world’s premier waterfall ice climbing destinations. Experienced climbers have easy access and incredible options.

TIP:  Massey’s and Pilsner Pillar are classic climbs near the village of Field in Yoho National Park.

5. Plan a family below zero family boil-up

Winter picnicking, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
Bundle up the family and head out for a picnic along the lake, stopping at one of the park’s enclosed camp kitchens. Cook lunch over a wood stove, seasoned with a dose of the stunning Rocky Mountains.

TIP: Snowshoe up and over the Akamina Pass and have a picnic on the continental divide.

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre

“I was very concerned after a court decision in 2008 found that a Canadian citizen, who was convicted in India of killing his sister-in-law after setting her on fire, could sponsor his new wife,” said Minister Kenney. “The regulatory changes now in force aim to prevent a similar situation from happening again.”

Previously, a sponsorship application would not have been approved if the sponsor had been convicted of a crime resulting in bodily harm against a list of family members or relatives. This list has now been expanded to ensure that prospective sponsors convicted of such crimes against an expanded list of individuals, or particularly violent offences against any person, are generally not allowed to sponsor family to come to Canada for five years following the completion of their sentence.

The proposed regulatory changes were pre-published in the Canada Gazette on April 2, 2011, followed by a 30-day public comment period. The changes came into force on Friday, November 18th, are posted on Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website and will be published in Part II of the Canada Gazette on December 7, 2011.

“Family violence is not tolerated in Canada,” added the Minister. “Someone who commits a serious crime should not benefit from the privilege of sponsorship.”

These regulatory changes reinforce the integrity of Canada’s family class sponsorship program, assist in the protection of sponsored individuals from family violence and protect the health and safety of Canadians.

The program allows provinces to choose a certain number of immigrants each year to fill labour shortages.

“One of the biggest challenges for my predecessors was such an inefficient distribution of immigrants across the country,” Kenney said

“Ninety-two per cent used to settle in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, even though many of the best economic opportunities and labour shortages were in (other) regions of the country.”

A decade ago, Ontario took in the lion’s share of Canada’s immigrants, with half going to Toronto and 60 per cent to Ontario as a whole. Last year, just 42 per cent went to Ontario, statistics show. More newcomers are now heading toward smaller towns and cities in the west.

For example, Manitoba’s share of immigrants has tripled to 5.6 per cent of the national total, from 1.8 per cent in 2001. In Alberta the share has nearly doubled, from 6.5 per cent in 2001 to 11.6 per cent in 2010. Similarly, in Saskatchewan the share of immigrants has increased to 2.7 per cent from 0.7 per cent a decade earlier.

None of that would have happened if provinces weren’t given expanded access to provincial nominees since the Conservatives took power, Kenney argues.

“There’s been a significant shift and I frankly think it’s good for the country,” he said. “There are regions and industries that have very serious labour shortages. And this distribution of immigrants is helping to address these problems.”

Still, Kenney says he has no plans to scrap the federal skilled worker program, which continues to run a backlog and is plagued by years-long delays for applicants.

“I think immigration is about nation-building,” Kenney said.

Kenney said the federal government has been “very generous” in accommodating the growth in provincial nominees.

“But there has to be a limit to that because I don’t think it would be right for the federal government to completely abandon its role in the selection of economic immigrants. We need to mend the skilled worker program, not end it.”

Kenney said next year the federal government will introduce a new, more “flexible” points system that will give credit to skilled tradespeople, a group previously shut out in favour of those with higher education. It will also confer points for having a job lined up in advance.

Kenney admits these changes are driven by the dramatic success of immigrants who come through the provincial systems.

“In fact, we see provincial nominees are getting significantly better incomes at least in their early years in Canada, as opposed to (federal) skilled worker immigrants.”

Provincial successes

The PNP has worked best in Manitoba, where the province has worked closely with companies and municipalities, says Peter Showler, an immigration expert at the University of Ottawa.

“Manitoba in particular has been very imaginative,” he said. For example, a program to bring nurses from the Philippines brought them in groups which created built-in social support for them. Still, Shower warns that not all temporary foreign workers get the same level of support to become permanent residents through the PNP program or otherwise. And that can leave too much power in the hands of employers.

“When you have very positive, future-looking employers, that works very well,” he said. “If you have abusive employers, they can use that as a kind of threat or control to sometimes sustain improper labour practices.”

Kenney also admits the PNP program has its flaws.

“On the periphery there are some integrity challenges. For example, low retention rates in Atlantic Canada. Some people from overseas are pretending to go to one province when in fact they had settled in Toronto or Vancouver…. So we’re working with the provinces on shoring up the nominee program.”

And Kenney says that while he can imagine further expanding of the PNP program in the future, he has his eye on those languishing in the federal skilled worker queue.

“We have an obligation to several hundred thousand people in that backlog. We cannot just shut the door on them either. So we have to work away at all these problems at the same time.”

That may explain why recently released targets for the provincial program for 2012 are almost the same as this year’s.

The mortality rate for newcomers continued to be lower than for Canadian-born residents, even after immigrants have lived here more than 20 years, the new study suggested. The study does not examine the reasons immigrants tend to have better health, but those are likely to include the screening that selects an inherently healthier group of people who arrive in Canada, and also those who have a healthier diet and are more physically active in their native countries.

The longer the immigrants live in Canada, the more closely they adopt the patterns and behaviours common here.

The relationship between immigration and health has become more difficult to determine, however, as the origins and demographics of immigrants to Canada have changed. Statistics Canada’s current analysis relies on the 1991-2001 Canadian mortality followup study, which examined 2.7 million people, of which 552,300, or 20 per cent, were immigrants. Immigrants had significantly lower mortality rates than Canadian-born people: 1,006 versus 1,305 for men, and 610 versus 731 for women.

In 2006, immigrants made up 19.8 per cent of Canada’s population, a proportion that is expected to increase to at least 25 per cent by 2031, Statistics Canada says. Mortality rates differ according to the origins of immigrants, and the study suggests there is a need for more in-depth analysis of health by country of origin.

Highlights:

• Sales activity rose in October, marking the highest level since January.
• Actual (not seasonally adjusted) national sales activity in October stayed in line with the 10-year average for the month, as it has most months this year.
• Year-to-date sales are also even with the 10-year average.
• The number of newly listed homes remained little changed from levels in the previous three months.
• While the combination of stronger sales and stable new listings resulted in a slightly tighter balance of supply and demand, the national housing market remains firmly rooted in balanced territory.
• The national average price posted a 5.5 per cent year-over-year gain in October, the smallest increase since January.

Homes sold through MLS® Systems of real estate Boards and Associations in Canada rose 1.2 per cent in October 2011 from the previous month. While national sales activity levels are still best described as average, the monthly rise in October sales built on the 2.5 per cent gain in September, and lifted activity to the highest level since January.

Just over half of all local markets posted monthly sales increases, led by gains in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.

“There was no shortage of headline news in October about global financial market volatility and economic uncertainty, but it doesn’t appear to have dampened homebuyers’ spirits,” said Gary Morse, CREA’s President. “Interest rates are at low levels and are likely to stay that way for some time to come. Homebuyers clearly see the opportunities that the current interest rate environment presents. That said, all real estate is local, so buyers and sellers should consult their local REALTOR® for an understanding of opportunities in their housing market.”

As has been the case in most months this year, actual (not seasonally adjusted) national home sales in October stayed in line with the 10-year average for the month. Although up 8.5 per cent from levels one year ago, the gain in large part reflects last year’s nascent pick-up in activity following a mid-year lull.

A total of 397,561 homes have traded hands via Canadian MLS® Systems so far this year. This represents an increase of 1.8 per cent from levels in the first 10 months of 2010, but is directly in line with the 10-year average for the year-to-date figure.

The number of newly listed homes remained little changed in October compared with levels recorded in each of the previous three months.

“The prevailing economic outlook for Canada is one of slower but still positive economic growth, with heightened caution about investment and hiring decisions,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “Consumer confidence and the housing sector are being supported by low interest rates and high employment levels, but their prospects depend on how Canada’s economic outlook evolves in response to global economic risks and outcomes in the months ahead.

Home sales activity over the past couple of months suggests buyers are confident that the Canadian economy will remain relatively unscathed by global economic risks, since every home purchase is a homebuyer’s vote of confidence in the future. That confidence is no doubt rooted in the success of coordinated fiscal and monetary policy responses that helped quickly pull Canada out of the last recession, and a stated willingness and ability to carry out further policy actions if need be.”

While the combination of stable new listings and stronger sales made for a slightly tighter balance between supply and demand in October, the national housing market remains firmly rooted in balanced territory. The national sales-to-new listings ratio, a measure of market balance, stood at 53.4 per cent in October, up from 52.8 per cent in September.

Based on a sales-to-new listings ratio from 40 to 60 percent, about 60 per cent of local markets in Canada were in balanced market territory in October. Of the remaining markets, there was a handful more seller’s markets than buyers’ markets.

The number of months of inventory stood at six months at the end of October on a national basis, little changed from the end of September (6.1 months). It has remained stable at about six months since April. The number of months of inventory represents the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity, and is another measure of the balance between housing supply and demand.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in October 2011 stood at $362,899. This is up 5.5 per cent from October 2010, making it the smallest increase since January.

“Everyone wants a house or condo that will be perfect the minute they move in so they only have to do the minimum amount of work to it,” says Barbara Sukkau, president of OREA. “But with the price of houses continuing to rise, and some buyers desperately looking for a family home in a seller’s market, it may not be an option for all buyers. Buying a property that needs work can be a way to save on the overall cost even when you factor in the cost of an extensive renovation,” says Sukkau.

OREA recommends potential homebuyers work with their Realtor to identify properties that will build equity after improvements are made but still remain in budget. Together with their Realtor, homebuyers should research what the top homes in the neighbourhood sell for before buying a fixer-upper.

“It doesn’t make sense to invest $100,000 worth of renovations in a property if the other homes only sell for fifty thousand more than what you bought the house for,” says Sukkau. “Buying a house that needs renovation should grow equity — not become a property that’s too expensive for the neighbourhood when you want to sell.”

Sukkau says there are other benefits to buying a property that needs renovation, such as the fact that HST does not apply to the price of a resale home, unlike newly built homes, which can save a homebuyer thousands of dollars. Also, the federal government currently offers grants up to $5,000 to owners who want to make their home more energy efficient. If an older home needs new windows or a new furnace, then homeowners can apply for the grant for this cost. And finally, renovating a home lets the homebuyer add their own personality to the space and determine what’s most important to them. Newly built homes, while beautiful, can have a cookie-cutter feel and look very similar to the other homes in the neighbourhood.

No matter if a homebuyer decides on a fixer-upper or a property that needs no improvements, according to Sukkau the most important thing is for potential homebuyers to know their budget and stick to it. “Before looking at any home, discuss with your Realtor what your budget is for both the property and any possible renovation. Even though it is difficult, remain emotionally detached when looking at homes, and if a property is beyond your means, then move on to the next one,” says Sukkau.

A video about how to calculate home affordability is available here. More information on buying a property can also be found at howrealtorshelp.ca.

Provincially, the resource-based economies of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador outpaced the gains in the rest of the country. Those three resource-based economies have increased relative to the rest of the country over the last decade.

In 2000, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador combined accounted for 18 per cent of domestic incomes, while Ontario and Quebec combined accounted for 62 per cent. By 2010, the resource-based economies of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador had increased their share to 22 per cent, while Ontario and Quebec’s combined share had fallen to 57 per cent.

Output rose by 6.1 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, the best showing of any province. That strong showing came on the heels of a nine per cent loss the previous year. Among the territories, Nunavut led the way with an 11 per cent gain. Exports there increased sharply, as a result of a new mine that began production in 2010. Investment increased in all three of the fixed capital categories that the agency tracks: residential structures, non-residential structures as well as machinery and equipment.

Corporate profits rose 21 per cent as commodity prices and overall demand increased.

In the last five years, I have been transferring UK pensions to Canada for clients. During that time I have been interviewed for articles on the subject, and have been contacted by people from all over Canada, with questions about the process. Several of the people who have contacted me have tried finding answers through other British Expats, or searching online, or asking at their local financial institution. This is often a frustrating experience, as there is not a lot of information available, and sometimes the information you find can be unreliable.

I have heard from several Expats who went to their financial advisor or bank with questions, only to be very disappointed. In some cases, their financial institution had not been approved by the HMRC to do transfers. In other cases, they were on the approved list, but the employee had no experience in the area, and had no idea where to begin. More than once I have heard from someone whose advisor said they could do the transfer, and started the process, only to give up before completion. Their excuses were that they ran into a problem that they didn’t know how to fix, or they didn’t realize how much work was involved, or their financial institution decided that they didn’t want to deal with UK pension transfers anymore. These clients were kept in the dark about what was happening with their pensions, and had months of their time wasted.

The process of having your pension transferred does not have to be so frustrating or complicated. You just need to enlist the services of someone who has the required knowledge and experience, and who is willing to put in the time and effort for you.

This is a very specialized field, so seek out an expert.

In the coming weeks, I will be writing an article about frequently asked questions I receive on UK pension transfers. Please send me your questions, and I will try to reply to everyone directly. Some questions (and the corresponding answers) will be included in my article.

Writers Bio: This column, written and published by Investors Group Financial Services Inc. (in Québec a Financial Services Firm), presents general information only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any investments. Contact a financial advisor for specific advice about your circumstances.

For more information on this topic please contact Shannon Walker, CFP at 1-888-291-7024 or Shannon.walker@investorsgroup.com.

Currently, more than 165,000 parents and grandparents who have applied to become permanent residents of Canada are still waiting for a final decision. Each year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada receives applications for sponsorship of nearly 38,000 parents and grandparents, a number that will only continue to expand if no action is taken.

“Wait times for Family Class sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents now exceed seven years, and without taking action, those times will continue to grow, and that is unacceptable,” said Minister Kenney. “Action must be taken to cut the backlog, reduce the wait times, and ensure that the parents and grandparents program is sustainable over the long run.”

To deal with the large backlog and lengthy wait times, Citizenship and Immigration Canada is announcing Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.

First – The Government of Canada will increase by over 60 percent the number of sponsored parents and grandparents Canada will admit next year, from nearly 15,500 in 2010 to 25,000 in 2012 – the highest level in nearly two decades.

Second – The government is introducing the new “Parent and Grandparent Super Visa,” which will be valid for up to 10 years. The multiple-entry visa will allow an applicant to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need for renewal of their status. The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011, and CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. This means that instead of waiting for eight years, a parent or a grandparent can come to Canada within eight weeks. Parent and Grandparent Super Visa applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for their stay in Canada.

Third – The government will consult Canadians on how to redesign the parents and grandparents program to ensure that it is sustainable in the future. The redesigned program must avoid future large backlogs and be sensitive to fiscal constraints.

Fourth – To prevent the build-up of an unmanageable number of new applications during these consultations and to further reduce the 165,000-strong backlog of parent and grandparent applicants, CIC is putting in place a temporary pause of up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents. The pause comes into effect on November 5, 2011.

“The Government of Canada is fully committed to helping families reunite,”said Minister Kenney. “We recognize that what parents and grandparents want most is to be able to spend time with their families.”

“If we do not take real action now, the large and growing backlog in the parents and grandparents program will lead to completely unmanageable wait times. Through this balanced series of measures, we will be able to dramatically reduce the backlog and wait times, while the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will allow more family members to pay extended visits to their loved ones,”added the Minister. “We anticipate that in about two years, following our consultations, Phase II of our Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification will come into effect, ensuring that future applicants are processed quickly and that the program can operate on an efficient and sustainable basis.”

For additional information on Phase I of  CIC Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification, see the background info below.

Background:

• Phase I of Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification
• Frequently asked questions: Sponsoring your family – Faster Family Reunification

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) remains the principal avenue for permanent immigration to Canada. In 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) plans to welcome 55,000–57,000 federal skilled workers, up from 47,000–47,400 in the 2011 Immigration Levels Plan.

“The government’s number one priority remains the economy. We recognize the importance of immigration to our labour market and we value the contributions of skilled immigrants who add to our international competitiveness,” said Minister Kenney. “We are committed to facilitating the arrival of the best and the brightest to our country.”

An important milestone was reached this year when the backlog of FSW applications prior to the launch of the 2008 Action Plan for Faster Immigration was reduced by more than 50 percent – two years ahead of schedule. The higher range in 2012 will support labour market responsiveness and sustain progress on backlog reduction.

CIC completed an extensive evaluation of the FSWP in 2010, showing that the program is working well and selecting immigrants who perform well economically. The report found that 89 percent of FSWs were employed or self-employed three years after landing. Moreover, 95 percent of the employers surveyed indicated that FSWs were meeting or exceeding their expectations. The evaluation indicated a strong continuing need for skilled immigrants in Canada.

CIC will continue to ramp up efforts to modernize our immigration system to make it more nimble and responsive to labour market needs,” said Minister Kenney. “Following nationwide consultations this past spring on proposals to improve the Federal Skilled Worker Program, we are actively exploring policy options on the way forward.”

A summary report of the consultations is being finalized and will soon be available on the CIC website.

That’s the same as in 2011 and in keeping with the average of 254,000 a year over the past few years.

But at the same time, sources tell The Canadian Press that the number of white-collar workers in certain occupations, many already with experience or education in Canada, will rise.

They say that in 2012, Ottawa will accept about 7,000 newcomers in that category, the highest number ever, and up slightly from 2011.

Kenney has said he is on a mission to make the immigrant flow younger and more professional, but he has yet to say who will be discouraged from Canada as a result of beefing up the number of younger skilled workers.

Updated: Further announcements from the CIC today (Nov 2nd 2011)

• Canadian Experience Class brings the world’s best and brightest to Canada
• Attracting and retaining internationalPhD students the focus of new initiative

The Canadian economy generated 17,000 new jobs a month on average during the third quarter of 2011, down from 29,000 new jobs a month in the second quarter and 33,000 in the first quarter. The CIBC Employment Quality Index (EQI) fell by 0.5 per cent in the third quarter and is down by 1.5 per cent over the past seven months.

“The decline in our quality index over the past seven months is not so obvious when one glances at the headline statistics,” says Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist and author of CIBC’s Employment Quality Index. “During this period, paid employment rose faster than self-employment and full-time job creation outpaced growth in part-time jobs. The reason for the index’s decline, despite these positive indicators, is the fact that all the fulltime jobs created during this period were in low-paying sectors.

“Looking ahead, the likelihood is that employment quality in the coming year or so will soften. Key here will be softer public sector hiring in general, and public sector construction activity in particular — a factor that will limit growth in high quality construction jobs in the coming twelve months.”

The recent decline in the EQI followed a strong rebound in job quality that began in early 2010. At its current reading, the index is roughly where it was at the eve of the recession.

However, job quality is not uniform across the country. While Ontario, British Columbia and Atlantic Canada weighed down the national number with declines in overall employment quality, Alberta, Québec and Manitoba/Saskatchewan saw improvements over the last seven months.

Full-Time vs. Part-Time Jobs: Full-time employment rose by 1.2 per cent during the past seven months accounting for all of the increase in employment during the period. This factor acted as a positive for the index.

Self-Employment vs. Paid Employment: Paid employment rose by 1.2 per cent vs. only a 0.1 per cent increase in the number of self-employed. This was also a positive contributor to the index over the past seven months.

Compensation: During the past seven months, the number of full-time jobs in high-paying industries fell by 0.1 per cent while the number of jobs in low-paying industries rose by 2.3 per cent. This diverging performance is the sole reason for the recent decline in CIBC’s EQI index. The most notable weakness was in high job quality sectors such as the federal government, heavy and civil engineering construction, telecommunications and computer and related manufacturing. Strong job growth in sectors such as machinery manufacturing and professional scientific and technical services helped to limit the damage.

Percentage Change in EQI by Province 
Q1-2011 vs. Q3-2011

The CIBC Canadian Employment Quality Index (EQI), combines information on:

• the distribution of part-time vs. full-time jobs;
• self-employment vs. paid employment;
• and the compensation ranking of full-time paid employment jobs in more than 100 industry groups

The complete CIBC World Markets report is available at: http://research.cibcwm.com/economic_public/download/eqi-cda-20111102.pdf.

Search for jobs across Canada

As one participant said, “Canada does have one of the best immigration processes globally – but there is a broken promise because we tell people that their skill-set is going to be recognized, and then they can’t get a job and they end up driving taxis.” Often, this is because organizations are clinging to outdated notions. For example, half of the respondents to a Public Policy Forum survey said that Canadian work experience is either a requirement for employment in their organization, or that foreign work experience is not necessarily considered equal to Canadian experience.

The lack of “fit” or acceptance was another issue raised by the white paper, which strongly suggests that companies have much to gain by broadening their thinking. “Only by taking calculated risks and being open to learning from the experiences of immigrants will Canadian companies fully capitalize on the potential for innovation and growth that comes with their hiring,” says Deloitte’s Chief Diversity Officer, partner Jane Allen.

The findings in the paper echo earlier Deloitte studies on productivity and tax policy.  In the Future of productivity, facilitating the immigration of skilled workers is cited as key to improving our competitiveness. Competing for global talent notes that these individuals will also enhance government tax revenues.

The white paper argues that it’s time to put the theory of diversity into action: more proactive steps must be taken to quickly enable skilled foreign-born workers to contribute to Canada’s economy and achieve their own dreams. Various provinces offer programs through community organizations and government ministries – these and other initiatives provide a solid base of best practices for employers across Canada.  The annual Dialogue on diversity study conducted by Deloitte serves to highlight both opportunity and progress in this critically important area.

Download a PDF version of the the report

Kenney says when he is done with his multiple reforms of the system, the flow of newcomers into Canada will be predominantly young, well educated, highly skilled, and fluent in English or French. They’ll be admitted to Canada within a year of applying.

And soon after, they’ll start paying taxes because they will have lined up a job prior to arrival or should be able to find one quickly once they land.

“Where we want to be in a few years time is a flexible, just-in-time . . . system where we admit people within a year of their application,” he told reporters.

“Where people with pre-arranged job offers are given priority, because they succeed best. Where we continue to see a better geographic distribution of newcomers. And where we can more flexibly change the (acceptance) criteria based on developments in the labour market,” he explained.

“That’s where we want to go.”

But getting there is no easy amble. His critics don’t disagree with his goal, but they have qualms about how he will achieve it.

“It’s like saying ‘we want to have sun in January.’ We all want that,” NDP immigration critic Don Davies said in a telephone call from Vancouver. “He doesn’t explain how. He sets the goals but he doesn’t say how we’ll get there.”

Kenney foresees a multi-step process that will require changes to many different parts of Canada’s creaky immigration machinery.

His department has already undertaken major studies of what kind of immigrant succeeds in Canada and what kind fails. Kenney has followed up with extensive consultations and polling to find out what mix of immigration the public is willing to take.

Now comes the action. Kenney is expected to table the annual report on immigration on Tuesday. As usual, it will include his decisions about how many immigrants Canada should accept in 2012, and what kind. The report will give a range of operational targets for each type of immigrant, from foreign skilled workers to parents and grandparents. The key number is the overall number of immigrants Canada wants to let in and that number is clearly not going up despite pressure from the opposition.

Under the Conservative government, Canada has let in an average of 254,000 immigrants a year, which is high by historical standards.

While some immigration observers argue that Canada could solve its demographic imbalance, workplace shortages, family demands and backlog issues all at the same time by opening the doors to far more immigrants, Kenney rejects that idea.

“I don’t think realistically we can increase the levels of immigration in orders of magnitude,” he said.

“I think it’s important for policy makers to listen to public opinion on immigration and not become disconnected from public opinion, which has arguably led to some of the problems in Western Europe.”

Immigrant-related riots in a few European countries over the past three years have become the spectre of what immigration policy makers around the world aim to avoid.

Kenney understands the logic in calculations that show Canada would have to at least triple the number of immigrants it lets in every year if it wanted to bring down the average age of its population and resolve expected labour shortages over time. But Canada can’t absorb that many people, he said, nor would Canadians accept that kind of inflow. He points to polling last year done by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. It shows 47 per cent of respondents say immigration levels are just right, and 34 per cent say they are too high.

“That, in my view, is in no way a reflection of anti-immigration sentiment, because new immigrants are disproportionately likely to say that,” Kenney said.

“So this is just, I think, a sense that Canadians have that there’s a practical limit to how many people can be successfully settled each year. The broad political consensus in Canada is pro-immigration, but the caveat on that is to make sure that we’re able to successfully integrate and employ the people who arrive.”

Once the levels of immigration are decided, Kenney will be turning his attention to getting rid of the enormous backlog of potential immigrants waiting in the queue to have their applications processed. There are about one million names on the list, many of whom have been waiting for years and years for word from Ottawa.

He has suggested capping the number of applications in some areas, perhaps starting with the parents and grandparents of permanent residents. That would cut down the backlog, make for a younger inflow, and reduce Canada’s costs for social services.

Then, once the numbers are under control, Kenney wants to focus on shaping the quality of the various immigration streams.

Next spring, the minister wants to re-jig the point system that allows economic immigrants to qualify. Youth and high-quality education will be worth more, and the emphasis on English or French fluency is likely to be increased. Quantity of education will matter less, the minister says.

But this isn’t the first time Kenney has tried to reform the stream of economic immigrants, points out Davies.

Kenney has given three major directives over the past few years to limit applications and put certain professions at the front of the queue. The fact that he’s rehashing the system yet again is a sign that his previous attempts have failed, Davies says.

It’s not enough for Kenney to simply be the “Energizer bunny” when it comes to shaping Canada’s future workforce and diverse population, he adds.

“I don’t think he knows what he’s doing. I think he should slow down.”

While it noted that the economy created an impressive 61,000 jobs during the month, bringing the total to over 250,000 for the year, conditions appear to be weakening going forward. The survey conducted early in September found job prospects falling in 17 of 26 metropolitan areas it surveys, including nine out of 10 in Ontario. Only three urban areas — St. John’s, Saint John, NB, and St. Catharines-Niagara, Ont. posted positive results.

Economist Alan Arcand of the Conference Board said the results suggest job growth will be soft in the next two months.

“The Canadian labour market has been pretty strong this year, but given the international context of a weak recovery in the U.S. and issues in Europe, and given that Canada’s economy relies on exports, it’s not a surprise that we will feel the effects of that,” he said.

Most economists are expecting the economy to brake sharply in the final three months of the year in reaction to the market turmoil that began in August and the subsequent hit to business and consumer confidence.

Earlier this week, the Bank of Canada predicted the fourth quarter would see only a 0.8 per cent advance, from two per cent annual growth in the just concluded third quarter. Because economic reports tend to lag by a month or more in Canada, the first real indicator whether the bleak forecasts are coming to fruition will come Friday when Statistics Canada releases the jobs report for the month of October.

Analysts expect a return to minimal employment growth on the heels of September’s outsized number, some of which was based on back-to-school hiring. The unknown is whether this week’s agreement in Europe to backstop sovereign debt and banks with an expanded trillion euro emergency fund based on leverage — no new money has been added — will prove the beginning to a lasting solution to the crisis or more empty promises.

Unbridled investor enthusiasm for the deal lasted only one day. On Friday, North American markets moved mostly sideways.

The Bank of Montreal Benjamin Reitzes said markets are right to be skeptical, but that the deal at least had the effect of putting off the reckoning for possibly a few months. ”This package should at best mark the beginning of the end of the crisis,” he said. “At worst, it will buy Europe more time to implement economic reforms and strengthen the monetary union before another inevitable crisis flares up.”

The Bank of Canada’s latest outlook took for granted that the eurozone would not unravel, but still held that Canada’s economy would only squeeze out a 1.9 per cent advance next year, followed by more normal 2.9 per cent growth in 2013. A consensus of private sector economists surveyed by the Finance Department was only moderately less gloomy.

Both are still far too rosy for David Madani, the chief Canadian economist at Capital Economists. His forecast is for Canada’s economy to stay weak for the next two years with growth of 1.5 per cent in 2012 and 1.0 in 2013, barely above recessionary levels.

“History shows that financial crises are typically followed by seven lean years of below-average economic growth and persistent high unemployment,” he pointed out. Canada has been able to outperform most advanced economies so far because of a booming housing market, which has kept construction jobs at elevated levels, he added. The boom can’t keep up, Madani said, and could in fact in fact turn into a bust. The relative optimists among economists find comfort in the fact businesses in North America have built up a large store of cash since the recession that they say will be invested, boosting employment and demand, once confidence is restored.

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Back then, a 50-year-old employed person could expect to work another 12.5 years before retiring from the daily grind. Today, that same 50-year-old worker could expect another 16 years of employment. There has been a corresponding increase in the employment rate of Canadians aged 55 and older during this time period. StatsCan says that 34 per cent of Canadians aged 55 and older were employed in 2010, compared to just 22 per cent in 1996.

Self-employed Toronto businesswoman Adina Lebo is one of the many people in this age group who still embrace going into work every day. Lebo, 62, actually retired this past spring, but reversed course when she realized she wasn’t ready to leave the office for good.

“Sixty is the new 40,” Lebo said.

“And I have so much energy. I love working, I love contributing to society and it’s not time to slow down.”

There could also be economic factors driving older Canadians to keep working longer than they did in the past. A new Royal Bank of Canada survey says that 57 per cent of Canadians do not set aside money for emergencies, suggesting that many future retirees end up facing unforeseen expenses that delay their long-term plans.

While it might be expected that a longer working life would imply a shorter retirement, StatsCan says that men and women leaving the work force today are spending as much time in their post-career life as many of their predecessors did. For example, in 1977, a 50-year-old man could expect to spend 45 per cent of his remaining years on Earth in retirement. Today, that same person would expect to be retired for 48 per cent the years ahead of him.

For women, the proportional length of retirement has stood basically unchanged. In 2008, a 50-year-old woman would expect to spend 55 per cent of her remaining life in retirement, which StatsCan says was almost the same 1977.

Lebo said she has many friends who have sought out new opportunities and experiences since they entered retirement.

“It’s just a time to expand and go somewhere new and do something different,” Lebo said.

To that end, Goldsmith and her colleagues partnered with the Immigrant Sector Council of Calgary to establish the Immigrant Employment Partnership Project. The project’s mandate is to “promote employment for newcomers and other immigrant stakeholders in Calgary, and to educate these groups about the careers available with The City of Calgary,” says Goldsmith.

One-stop shop for skilled immigrants

The project has been an outstanding success. This is partly due to the emphasis on employment forums — a “one-stop shop” for new Canadian professionals interested in a career with the City.

Typically, each forum features direct interaction with City of Calgary hiring managers. The forum begins with a general presentation on the recruitment process, followed by individual hiring managers presenting information on how their profession is practiced within the municipality. During these programs, the managers discuss what types of jobs are available, as well as what qualifications and qualities they’re looking for.

Finally, the managers sit down one-on-one with the immigrants, who will get a chance to ask questions. “This is valued as one of the best parts of the forum,” says Goldsmith.

She cites the work of the Immigrant Sector Council of Calgary in helping to co-ordinate the agencies to work with the City at these forums. “We always make sure to keep a balanced focus on our partners in the immigrant employment and settlement sector,” she says.

Employer forums on the horizon

In the past, the forums have focused on the immigrant professionals and immigrant employment counselors. Looking ahead, the partnership hopes to also focus on employers.

An “employer forum,” says Goldsmith, would share the model of the Immigrant Employment Partnership and highlight the importance of:

• Working as a partner: sharing the leadership and training responsibilities between the employer and the immigrant-serving agencies.
• Sharing expertise: gaining essential knowledge from immigrant-serving agencies about interviewing immigrants and analyzing their résumés.
• Being creative: participating in career fairs targeting immigrants and reducing barriers in electronic recruitment.

“Partnership is such a viable model because of the learning opportunities,” says Goldsmith. “Peer-to-peer and cross-sector learning has opened so many doors for the City as an employer. Our hiring processes have been greatly improved because of our partnerships.”

The upside to this multifaceted approach to immigrant recruitment has been an overall improvement in human resources services at the City of Calgary. The City now has International Qualifications Assessment Services guides available online, which allows both HR and hiring managers to quickly check international credentials.

“At present, there is a much higher internal awareness of how international credentials factor into the hiring process,” says Goldsmith. “Before this information was provided on our intranet, résumés with such credentials might have been screened out.”

The City of Calgary has more than 14,000 employees.

“Alberta is blessed with so many real and memorable experiences in one of the most spectacular backdrops in the world and we are confident that we will raise awareness of Alberta with travellers around the world with the message ‘remember to breathe’ when you visit here,” said Bruce Okabe, Chief Executive Officer of Travel Alberta.  “This message will differentiate Alberta from competing vacation destinations both in Canada and internationally and underpin our strategy to grow tourism spending in the province $1 billion by 2016.”

Tourism currently attracts more than 22 million visitors annually to Alberta who spend more than $5 billion in the province. The industry generates more than $2 billion in annual tax revenue for federal, provincial and municipal governments and employs more than 90,000 people.

“Travel Alberta has worked with our tourism industry to embrace a new approach to marketing our province – one that aligns with the Alberta brand launched two years ago,” said Jack Hayden, Minister of Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation.  “I am confident that tourism operators across the province will rally behind this new brand, helping us make a stronger impact in a crowded global marketplace.”

“Research by Travel Alberta confirms that ‘remember to breathe’ is a powerful expression of what makes this province so attractive to the travellers who are the target of our marketing programs,” Royce Chwin, Travel Alberta’s Managing Director, Global Marketing and Brand Strategy. “Travel experiences in every community throughout the province reflect that sentiment which millions of visitors enjoy every year,” he said. “The brand promise speaks to the emotional connection that surprises a first time visitor and the feelings that keep travellers coming back to their favourite places in Alberta. We know that it is an extremely attractive message for youthfully-spirited travellers.”

Alberta’s new tourism brand is the result of an 18-month process which included consultation with industry stakeholders representing all regions of the province as well as opinion research with frequent travellers in Alberta’s target tourism markets in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia/Pacific.

The first phase of the new brand will launch with Travel Alberta’s winter consumer campaigns in the United States and Canada beginning next month.  The multi-media campaigns include television commercials, print advertising, social media and a new website www.remembertobreathe.com.

Statistics Canada says all eight major components it tracks from housing to clothing to recreation costs were higher last month on an annual basis. As has been the case so often before, the major drivers of the rising inflation rate last month were gasoline and food. The cost of gas was up 22.7 per cent over last year, while prices for fuel oil rose 27.4 per cent and prices for natural gas fell 4.7 per cent. Prices for food were 4.3 per cent from a year ago, overall. Consumers paid more for meat, with prices up 6.1 per cent; bakery products, which rose 7.2 per cent; and fresh vegetables, which soared 13.0 per cent.

Statistics Canada notes that the country’s underlying core inflation increased to its highest level in almost three years in September. The core inflation rate excludes volatile items, such as gasoline, and is considered a more accurate reflection of inflation trends.

The annual core rate rose two-tenths of a point to 2.2 per cent the largest year-over-year gain since December 2008. It’s the first time it’s been above the Bank of Canada’s two per cent target since February 2010.

Commenting on the numbers, David Madani of the research firm Capital Economic predicted in a note to clients that the consumer price index will continue to rise “somewhat above” the Bank of Canada’s expectations, and that inflation on food prices will reach at least six per cent by next year.

Still, while the jump in core inflation will likely raise some eyebrows at the central bank, few expect bank governor Mark Carney to raise interest rates next week.

“We still believe the Bank will refrain from removing any further monetary stimulus for the foreseeable future,” wrote Madani.

Some even expect Carney to cut rates. But in a note to his clients, Bank of Montreal’s Doug Porter says the “stickiness” of inflation makes this unlikely.

“While this result doesn’t completely rule out rate cuts, it relegates them to only the most extreme circumstance,” he said in the note.

“Moreover, if core stays close to this level let alone rises further the Bank of Canada may return to the tightening wheel sooner than most now expect, especially if financial markets stabilize.”

The central bank has held its policy rate at one per cent for over a year and Carney has made it clear he is remaining vigilant for signs of weakness of the economy, as well as keeping an eye on the European debt crisis and the potential for another global recession.

“I am honoured to announce the participation of Parks Canada in the Institute for Canadian Citizenship’s Cultural Access Pass Program. This pass for new Canadian citizens will now open the doors to places that bring together the geography and history defining their new country,” said Minister Kent. “Our national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas are an encyclopedia of our national identity, waiting to be discovered and experienced.”

Through the Cultural Access Pass, new Canadian citizens and up to four of their children under 18 years of age will receive free admission to more than 100 of Park Canada’s treasured places. The pass will be valid for one year after the new citizens have been sworn in. Several Parks Canada locations will also serve as pick-up locations for the passes.

“Community citizenship ceremonies at treasured Parks Canada places already offer a unique transformative and memorable experience,” said Minister Kenney. “The Cultural Access Pass will offer many more opportunities for new Canadian citizens to experience Canada’s natural and cultural heritage firsthand. This initiative will benefit new Canadian citizens by enabling them to become more informed about Canada and more committed to the communities in which they live,” added Minister Kenney.

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship is a national non-profit organization that engages new Canadians citizens through innovative programs, campaigns and partnerships. Their initiatives are designed to ensure that new citizens are welcomed and included as equals and are aimed at creating meaningful connections among all Canadians, fostering a culture of active, engaged citizens and celebrating our shared identity as Canadians.

“Together with Parks Canada, we are creating opportunities for new citizens to access the essence of what so many define as a uniquely and truly Canadian experience,” said Gillian Hewitt Smith, Executive Director and CEO, Institute for Canadian Citizenship. “By opening the gates to our national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas, tens of thousands of new Canadian citizens who have been able to curate their cultural experiences at museums, galleries, and other attractions, can now step outside and discover the beauty of this country’s natural heritage and historical sites.”

Parks Canada works to ensure Canada’s historic and natural heritage is protected and, through a network of 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites, and four national marine conservation areas, invites Canadians and people around the world to engage in personal moments of inspiring discovery at our treasured natural and historic places.

For additional information or to register for a Cultural Access Pass see www.parkscanada.gc.ca or http://www.icc-icc.ca/

The index suggests the middle class, in particular, is eroding. ”There are some very, very troubling signs,” Romanow said in an interview.

“I think if we continue on this trajectory we’re going to have bigger and bigger disparities. You can never build a solid political, social and economic community with wide disparities.”

The Canadian Index of Wellbeing is meant to be GDP’s alter ego, measuring the quality of life in society in ways gross domestic product does not. The index has been years in the making, pulling together 64 indicators to track progress in areas such as community spirit, education, health, environment, leisure and democratic engagement. While GDP measures what companies and government produce, the wellbeing index measures how Canada and its people are faring. It shows that between 1994 and 2008, wellbeing improved by just 11 per cent. The economy over that period grew by 31 per cent.

So while investment and corporate activity were ticking along at a decent pace, Canadian households saw only minor improvements in their lifestyle. ”The divergence in the (index of wellbeing) and GDP tells us emphatically that we have not been making the right investments in our people and in our communities. And we have not been doing it for a long time,” the report on the index says.

The index’s subcomponents show that quality of life actually deteriorated over that time frame in areas such as the environment, leisure and culture, and time use. Researchers noted that metal reserves are at rock-bottom, species abundance has declined, greenhouse-gas emissions have soared, and ground ozone has risen. When it comes to leisure, Canadians are working out more and taking longer vacations, but they spend less time engaged in arts and culture. Health care saw a slight gain — we’re smoking less and getting our flu shots, but diabetes and depression were on the rise. Wealthier people had better health status.

Living standards rose 26.4 per cent, but at the expense of income inequality. The rich took the lion’s share.

While parents are reading more to their young children and signing them up for all sorts of classes, kids are also spending more time in front of screens. And seniors are seeing less of their families. In other words, a typical household is now working harder and longer to keep on track financially, at the expense of having free time with family and friends, enjoying arts and culture, and volunteering.

“Many Canadians are simply too caught up in a time crunch to enjoy leisure and culture activities in the company of friends and family. The question raised by the results of this domain: Is that progress?” the study asks.

On the positive side, the index also revealed that Canadians feel safer than in the 1990s, and feel a stronger sense of belonging to their community. The “community vitality” index rose 20.7 per cent over the 15 years.

Education has improved, especially with university graduation rates soaring. But our international rating has declined in literacy, math and science.

While Romanow, the former NDP premier of Saskatchewan, is the face of the new index, he says the work put into the index is far from political or ideological. Rather, the data is taken from Statistics Canada and elsewhere, collected and crunched by a wide variety experts in their field. The work is recognized by the Organization for Economic Co-operation as leading edge.

The policy prescriptions, however, point to failures at every level of government over the past couple of decades, Romanow says — adding that he, too, carries some of the blame. ”We all wear some of this.”

Instead of focusing on redistributing wealth and building programs that improve quality of life for Canadians, governments are obsessed with juicing GDP, he said.

The result has been to whittle away at the vibrancy of the middle class, and undermine core Canadian values that encourage individual effort, in part, through redistribution of wealth, Romanow said.

“I think this is a yellow light. A cautionary light,” he added. “We want to be able to make sure that … our societal values are not diminished here.”

But the one factor that can throw everything off is the type of interviewer you get. When you sit down at that table, the interviewer’s line of questioning and attitude will change what you say and how. To give you a little extra help, here is a list of 10 types of interviewers you might encounter and how to deal with them.

1. Your best friend

What to expect: Too much of everything. You walk in the door and the handshake is a little too enthusiastic. The smile is too wide. The conversation is too personal. It’s all just too much. This interviewer treats you like a best friend, which is nice, but this style is unnerving because you want to be relaxed without forgetting that you are still on an interview.

What to do: Take this approach as a cue that you can be a little less rigid in the interview because the best friend doesn’t want an uptight employee. Just remind yourself that the interviewer can be more casual than you because you are the one interviewing for the job. Show the interviewer that you’re relaxed, but stay professional and don’t act like you’re actually good friends — stories about wild parties and your personal life don’t belong in the conversation.

2. The interrogator

What to expect: Question after question after question. The interrogator doesn’t come to the interview ready for conversation. He has a list of questions to fire off and you better be ready to answer them. Don’t expect to receive a lot of helpful feedback to gauge how you’re doing. Just expect more questions.

What to do: Watch episodes of “Law & Order” to prepare. You’re going to feel defensive the entire time and might walk away from the interview feeling as if you did something wrong. Once you realize that your interviewer is going to lambast you with questions, just focus on answering them and don’t obsess over reading his reaction. You can try to instigate conversation with a few of your answers, but don’t be surprised if those efforts fail. This interviewer wants to hear your answers and see how you handle yourself, so staying calm is the best approach you can take.

3. The one who has better things to do

What to expect: An interviewer checking her e-mail, looking at you but not paying any attention to what you say. Some people are forced to participate in the interview process even if they have no interest in doing it, so don’t take it personally.

What to do: Answer the questions and be friendly. Try to hold conversations with this distracted interviewer and hope you can win her over — hey, it can’t hurt to have someone who likes you. But this interviewer either made up her mind before she walked into the room or doesn’t intend to give much feedback about you, so do your best but don’t take her disinterest personally.

4. The inappropriate one

What to expect: Cold sweats because you don’t know what to do or say. Every once in a while you will encounter an interviewer who doesn’t understand limits. You might hear an inappropriate joke, a personal story that should be reserved for a therapist or a question that delves too deeply into your life. This interviewer isn’t trying to be inappropriate; he just has no concept of boundaries.

What to do: Stay in your comfort zone. Just because this interviewer is ready to cry on your shoulder, don’t feel pressured into doing the same. Answer what you want to answer and try to steer the conversation back to pertinent topics, such as the job requirements or your qualifications. The interviewer probably won’t realize how off track he is and will follow your lead. Of course, if you feel the questions cross a line, then you want to get out of there ASAP.

5. The rule follower

What to expect: Every interviewing tip you’ve ever been told. Just like some students never imagine skipping a day of school or not doing homework, some interviewers can’t imagine going outside of traditional business interviewing protocol. Boring questions and a stoic demeanour are this interviewer’s best friend.

What to do: Be the best interviewee you can be. Do you know what your biggest weakness is? Do you know how to give the perfect handshake? Do you plan on wearing a conservative shirt under your jacket? You better, because these by-the-book practices will earn you high marks.

6. The joker

What to expect: A comedy routine. Some interviewers have such a good sense of humor that they can’t shut it off even when they need to. You’ll answer a question and you’ll receive a sarcastic comment or a funny aside. This approach isn’t inherently bad, but it can confuse you because you’re not sure if the interview has even begun.

What to do: After a few minutes, you’ll realize that your interviewer is a joker. If this personality bugs you, you probably won’t like working for the company. If it doesn’t bother you too much, then try to play along. Joke back and show that you have a personality. For some interviewers, your résumé proved your qualification; the interview is their chance to see if you fit in with the gang.

7. The weirdo

What to expect: Strange behaviour. We all know odd people, but we often forget that these odd people hold day jobs. And some of them are bosses or hiring managers who conduct interviews. Therefore we shouldn’t be surprised when we’re interviewed by a peculiar person who has macaroni art hanging in her office or who asks, “Who is your favourite member of the A-Team?”

What to do: Just go with it. Unless the weird factor transitions into creepy or offensive, you should just answer the questions and ignore oddities. If the questions and rapport are professional, but the interviewer is working on her origami, stay focused on the interview. She probably has no idea she’s doing anything strange and is paying attention to you.

8. The no-nonsense one

What to expect: Tough love. This interviewer doesn’t believe in sparing your feelings. He’s honest and will waste neither his nor your time.

What to do: Brace yourself. This interviewer will say he’s not sure you’re qualified or that he fears you won’t fit in with everyone. Prove him wrong with evidence that you are perfect for the job. He won’t respect someone who cowers, so be just as firm with him.

9. The blank slate

What to expect: No feedback. The blank slate is an interviewer whose face remains unchanged for the duration of the meeting. Whether it’s a glowing smile or a nonplussed look, you won’t see any hint that the interview is going well.

What to do: Don’t try to break the interviewer’s façade. If you spend the interview looking for clues that you said the right or wrong thing, you’ll be miserable. Answer the questions, be yourself and stay composed. Your instinct will be to think that you’re bombing, but you never know with the blank slate, so don’t let yourself analyze the situation too much.

10. The mafia

What to expect: An intimidating group. Every group interview is an ordeal. The interviewers might be lovely, horrible or a mix, but you still have several sets of eyes staring at you.

What to do: Try to relax. That seems like impossible advice, but it’s the best approach. When you have multiple interviewers, you will see several types of interviewers, so you can’t try to please everyone. Try to be yourself and find the interviewers that seem the most responsive to you. When you see someone nodding in agreement or maintaining eye contact, you’ll feel more at ease and the nerves will begin to disappear.

Article courtesy of CareerBuilder Canada – click here to search for jobs and careers

Over the past 20 years, Canada has accepted about 250,000 “permanent immigrants” annually, author Jeffrey Reitz, an immigration and ethnic studies professor at the University of Toronto. In 2010, the country posted its highest figures in 50 years: more than 280,000 people.

“This support has been consistently high over the past 15 to 20 years when immigration levels have also been high,” states a release issued by the IRPP. “It is particularly strong among more educated Canadians, the young, the fully employed and men.”

About 58 per cent of people in the country support current levels of immigration, stated the report, titled “Pro-immigration Canada: Social and Economic Roots of Popular Views.”

Atlantic Canada, Quebec and the Prairies outshone the rest of Canada, with more than 62 per cent support. Both Ontario and British Columbia showed lower than average levels of support, but people in those provinces’ most immigrant-rich cities, Toronto and Vancouver, showed enthusiasm for immigration that was above average.

“Where there are more immigrants, people are a bit cool to the idea of adding even more immigrants,” Reitz explained. “The question asked wasn’t ‘Do we like immigration?’ It was ‘How do you feel about changing the levels of immigration?’ If you’re in an area where there’s a lot of immigration, your view to adding more might be a bit restrained.”

Between one third and one half of the country’s newcomers settle in Toronto.

The study looked at trends in public attitudes and data from an Environics survey conducted last November, which asked Canadians questions how much immigration they are comfortable with, and to explain the conditions under which immigrants are most likely to succeed.

It found Canadians see newcomers as both an economic benefit and a cultural one, noting multiculturalism remains one of the country’s main sources of national pride.

“Few see immigration as one of Canada’s most significant problems,” states the study. “The survey data show that support for multiculturalism is rooted in a broader, socially progressive agenda that includes issues such as gay rights and gun control, which themselves reinforce pro-immigration attitudes. Nevertheless, many Canadians would like immigrants to blend into society rather than form separate communities.”

The study found Canadians see acceptance of immigrants as distinct from our neighbours to the south, providing a national identity in a country often looking to set itself apart. Indeed, when compared to the United States, where there is a fence along large parts of the southern border and a proposal for one on its north, the lack of debate on the merits of immigration in Canada speaks volumes.

“In the party leaders’ debate preceding the May 2011 election, a voter posed a question on immigration and multiculturalism. Each of the four prime ministerial candidates attempted to adopt the most pro-immigration position,” states the report.

“All Canadian political parties espouse pro-immigration policies, and the public rarely asks them to defend these policies.

“Canada is an exception to the negative attitude toward immigration that prevails in most other industrialized countries, an attitude that has received much attention, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France.”

“Canadians were more likely to see immigration as an opportunity than as a problem.”

National sales activity rose 2.7 per cent in September when compared to August, and follows three months of stable activity. September’s increase reflects strengthened activity in a number of major markets, led by Toronto. The monthly increase pushed national sales to its highest level since recently tightened mortgage regulations dampened sales earlier this year.

Highlights:

• Sales activity rose 2.7 per cent in September from the previous month.
• Holding in line with the ten-year average, activity during the first nine months of this year pulled ahead of sales over the same period last year.
• The number of newly listed homes held steady when compared to the previous month.
• The national housing market tightened in September from the month before, but remains firmly entrenched in balanced territory.
• The national average price posted the smallest year-over-year increase since January.

A notice says the proposed change would not increase the language level required for citizenship but would provide officials and judges with “objective evidence of an applicant’s language ability.”

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney is proposing changes to the way the government assesses the language abilities of prospective new citizens.

Under the proposal, published today in the Canada Gazette for public input, adult citizenship applicants would be required to provide objective evidence of language ability with their citizenship applications.

“The ability to communicate effectively in either French or English is key to the success of new citizens in Canada,” said Minister Kenney.  “This change will encourage applicants to ensure that they can speak English or French when they apply for citizenship, thereby improving the integrity and effectiveness of the citizenship program for Canada and for new Canadians alike.”

The Citizenship Act already requires that applicants be able to communicate in one of Canada’s official languages.  This proposed change would not increase the language level required, but would change the way that citizenship applicants aged 18-54 prove their language ability.

Under the new system, applicants would have to provide objective evidence that they meet the language requirement when they file their application.  Applicants would be able to demonstrate language ability by submitting a variety of evidence, including:

• the results of a third party test;
• evidence of completion of secondary or post-secondary education in English or French; or
• evidence of achieving CLB/NCLC4 in certain government funded language training programs.

CIC currently uses the citizenship knowledge test as well as the applicant’s interaction with CIC staff to assess language ability.  If it appears an applicant does not meet language requirements, they are invited for an interview with a citizenship judge.  There can be a significant time delay between the submission of the application and the subsequent hearing for language.

The proposed new rule that applicants must provide objective evidence that they meet the language requirement when they file their application would give citizenship judges better evidence on which to base their decision.  CIC would also be able to return applications of those who do not provide evidence they meet the requirements more quickly, thus improving application processing.

CIC is also proposing to clarify that the language skills to be assessed would be speaking and listening, and the criteria would clearly align with Canadian Language Benchmark/Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens  CLB/NCLC4, which represents basic fluent proficiency.  This would allow applicants to understand the requirements they need to meet and to provide evidence that is correlated to CLB/NCLC4.

The Notice of Intent, requesting comments from the public on the proposed change, will be posted for 30 days.

With much of the country’s infrastructure seriously underfunded, and governments running deficits, policy-makers are being increasingly tempted by tolls as a way to pay for roads and bridges. The federal government recently announced plans to replace Montreal’s Champlain Bridge over the next decade, with the $5-billion project using a toll system.

Nearly one in three respondents to the survey said they’d read or heard something about the Montreal bridge announcement last week. Of those who do support tolls, eight per cent said they “strongly support” them. That was compared to 15 per cent who said they “strongly oppose” them.

But for most people, opinions on tolls are less extreme. Nearly three-quarters of respondents either opposed or supported tolls, without taking a strong stand either way. That could make for unpredictable debates.

“The strength of the opinion for most people is not strong opinion it’s a weaker opinion,” said Doug Anderson, senior vice-president of Harris Decima.

“I’d say a lengthy public debate would see opinions firm up and that could go either way.”

The poll suggested older Canadians and those with higher household incomes would be most likely to support tolls. Meanwhile, those under age 35 and from a lower-income bracket would be most opposed to tolls as would a majority of NDP supporters.

With regard to the new Quebec bridge project, the NDP has expressed some concern that a privately controlled bridge, combined with user fees, could wind up gouging commuters.

West of Quebec, support for tolls ranged from a low of 42 per cent in Ontario to 51 per cent in British Columbia. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, support stood at 49 per cent, while Alberta came in at 45 per cent.

TD Bank economist Francis Fong said the housing start numbers suggests the housing market remains “extremely healthy as the three-month moving average increases to its highest level since November 2008.”

“Employment and income growth remains sufficiently healthy and economic fundamentals, though having slowed recently, remain stable.” Fong said in a note to clients.

“In addition, recent financial turmoil emanating from Europe has hit Canadian markets hard and has led to a renewed flight towards the safety of government bonds. This has helped to keep mortgage rates at their record low levels, meaning affordability is still supportive of housing demand.”

In the CMHC report, the agency said starts in urban areas rose by eight per cent to 185,900 units.

Multiple-unit urban starts increased 14.2 per cent to 118,000 units, while urban single starts decreased by 1.5 per cent to 67,900 units.

Quebec was the big winner in the September numbers, with a 14,000 increase in starts to 57,800 — a 13.9 per cent jump and the highest level of starts since February 2008.

“Multiple housing starts are expected to move back towards levels consistent with demographic fundamentals in the near term,” said Mathieu Laberge, CMHC’s deputy chief economist.

Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 20,000 units in September, up from 18,900 units in August.

Not so fast. Before spending precious time applying to jobs for which you’re not qualified, consider these ways that a cast-your-net-everywhere tactic can backfire:

1. Employers don’t care if you’re desperate.

“Hiring managers are looking for one thing: a good match between the job and the applicant,” says Catherine Jewell, author of “New Résumé New Career.” “Employers want to know that you will fit in and feel comfortable with their culture. The more you sound like them the better.”

So just because you’re willing to settle for anything, don’t assume your value has increased. If you aren’t well-versed in the field, your inexperience is bound to be noticed either on paper or in conversation. Conversely, shooting too low in a job search reeks of neediness – never an attractive quality – and raises red flags as to whether you’d be happy in the position or are simply buying time until you can bolt to a more suitable job.

2. Untargeted applications aren’t going to be noticed.

When quantity starts taking precedence over quality, the product is going to suffer. A general résumé that could fit any position at any company is simply not going to make a hiring manager choose to interview you over countless others.

“The targeted application helps you stand out from the talented pool of applicants,” says Joel Garfinkle, founder of DreamJobCoaching.com. “You can highlight specific experiences that relate to what is outlined in the job description, and the employer can easily see how your qualifications fit what he desires.” Garfinkle also recommends learning as much as possible about the company before submitting an application in order to tailor your application to its needs.

3. Busy work takes away from profitable actions.

Most candidates have a certain amount of time and energy they can devote to job searching. If they waste it on generic mass mailings, less is left for activities that could generate good leads.

“Focus on the positions you really want instead of applying for something you don’t want,” says Richard Deems, co-author of “Make Job Loss Work for You.” “Use the same amount of time to network for introductions into organizations that hire people who do what you want to do. Research companies of interest. Find out their unmet needs, think of how you can meet those unmet needs and then present yourself.”

4. People may see you as wishy-washy.

Networking means reaching out to others and letting them know what you have to offer. An elevator pitch of “Help! I need a job” is unlikely to convince anyone that your skills are worth remembering. Likewise, contacts may be less inclined to think of you or to offer a recommendation if they are unsure what type of job you actually want.

While you may view yourself as flexible by trying to get a foot in any door at places you’d like to work, others may think differently. “If you apply for just ‘anything,’ you are wearing out your welcome with that employer,” Jewell cautions. “It’s tricky to present one image say, marketing one day, then turn around and present yourself for another opportunity such as customer service the next week. It leaves the impression that you don’t know who you are and what you are about.”

5. The strategy can create deceptive hope.

Finally, be aware that churning out applications can do a number on your mind. Initially, the boost in productivity may make you feel as if you’re gaining more chances in the job-hunt lottery, but if most of what you’ve sent out is destined for somebody’s wastebasket because it lacks the qualities needed for genuine consideration, your odds of success have not improved.

Garfinkle notes that constantly applying for a job may make you look impressive on the surface. “At the end of the day, your spouse will ask you, ‘How’s the job search?’ and you can respond, ‘I sent out 10 résumés today,’” Garfinkle says. “This provides a false sense of feeling good about yourself and the progress you are making on this job search.”

Worse yet, the corresponding rejection can damage your self-worth. As Deems warns, “For every 100 you send, you’ll only hear from five to seven of them, if that many. And for every one you send that you don’t hear from, you’ll get a bit more depressed.”

So look for opportunities that offer real hope and put in the effort needed to be a viable candidate. True satisfaction comes from landing a job not counting the number of attempts you made.

Writers Bio: Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.

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Our national weather office crunched the numbers for our 100 largest cities and came up with Canada’s Weather Winners. Herewith, a guide to finding the perfect weather for your particular personality, sunny or otherwise.

You like a challenge

Whatever the season, Newfoundland and Labrador offers the toughest combination of weather you’ll find. St. John’s is our foggiest and windiest city, and Gander and St. John’s lead the country as the top two locations with more days of freezing rain. Sunny days are few and far between. Of course, this explains why the people are some of the friendliest and fun-loving in the country – you gotta be special to endure weather like this.

You’re a softie

Victoria and Nanaimo – both on Vancouver Island in British Columbia tie for the most comfortable weather in Canada. Not too hot in summer, not too cold in winter. They’re also a lot dryer and sunnier than most people think. Victoria gets less snow than anywhere in the country while Nanaimo boasts the clearest summer skies. No wonder people spend so much time outside here.

You like sizzling heat

Kamloops, BC boasts the highest summer temperatures with the mercury consistently climbing into the high 20sC (80sF) in July and August. One day it reached 40.6C (105F)! Locals grab a tube and float down the Thompson River on those lazy hot days. The tourism folks have a motto: ‘Playtime. Redefined’.

You don’t mind freezing your butt off!

Head north to Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories for the lowest average temperatures year-round. Yellowknifers can also boast about having the most extreme wind chill and the longest snow-cover – up to 190 days every year. On the plus side, Yellowknife has the sunniest summers in the country.

You like dancing in the rain

Prince Rupert on BC’s northwest coast is your kind of place. Once known as ‘the halibut capital of the world’, Prince Rupert is the wettest city in Canada, getting almost 2.5 metres (eight feet) of rain a year. When you’ve had enough rain, explore the rich history of the northwest coast at the world-class Museum of Northern BC.

You like to be awed

Southern Ontario is famous for hot, sticky summers; the perfect ingredients for creating thunder and lightning storms. So it’s no coincidence that Windsor, our most humid city and one of our hottest (just a 3.5-hour drive from Toronto), also has the most days of thunderstorm activity. Daggers of lightning and thunderous claps will keep you entertained on many a summer evening.

You want a taste of everything

Montreal is the quintessential Canadian city for weather. It gets an average amount of just about everything: rain, snow, heat, cold, sun and wind. But just because the weather is average doesn’t mean the city is. Montreal is one of our most exciting, most romantic and arguably our most cosmopolitan city. The mix of weather is a bonus.

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre

Writers Bio: Suzanne Morphet is passionate about exploring Canada and writing about it. She knows she’d need many lifetimes to do it justice…. So with just one, she’s working hard to see and share as much as she can. Her travel stories have appeared in The Globe and Mail, up! magazine (West Jet’s in-flight magazine), Homemakers and numerous other publications. Morphet recently co-authored The Vancouver Island Book of Everything. She is based in Victoria, BC.

The average minimum wait is currently 19 months, up from 15 months in May. CIC says it plans to continue using temporary workers to clear the backlog, if it can find the money.

But the union says it is clear there is a need for more permanent workers at the office. Union spokeswoman Theresa MacInnis said, this is the third temporary contract some of these workers have been on since being laid off from permanent work a year and a half ago.

“To me it looks like there is a need for additional workers in the workplace,” said MacInnis.

“Stabilizing a workforce is always a benefit for continuing work flows and processing.”

MacInnis said the uncertainty has some workers looking for other jobs. She isn’t sure what the turnover has been, but she said any training of new employees or people new to this processing wastes time and resources. The latest contract for the 86 additional staff will expire at the end of March.

CIC expects workers will have processed at least 5,000 citizenship applications by that time. It’s not known how much of a dent in the backlog that will make.

“The strength in Canada’s national housing market conceals signs of predictable softening in some regions,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services. “The third quarter saw a return to a normal seasonal business cycle as price appreciation slowed in many areas – with some average values even falling slightly – after the busy spring trading season. A broader slowdown is expected in the months ahead but fears of a US-style correction are completely unfounded.”

In the third quarter of 2011, the national average price of a detached bungalow rose 7.8 per cent year-over-year to $349,974, while standard two-storey homes rose 7.7 per cent to $388,218 and standard condominiums rose 5.7 per cent to$239,300.

“To best provide Canadians with an accurate look at the housing market, Royal LePage uses year-over-year comparisons as the housing market follows a seasonal pattern. It is important to note that our 2011 third quarter results benefit greatly by going head-to-head with what was by far the previous year’s weakest period,” continued Soper.

Sustained demand from foreign buyers helped drive prices up in the country’s largest markets as Vancouver’s standard two-storey homes rose 16.9 per cent year-over-year to $1,142,500 while detached bungalows in Toronto climbed 9.4 per cent to $518,433.

Conversely, while the volume of homes trading hands has increased in Alberta, house prices in the province remained soft with detached bungalows in Calgaryfalling 1.0 per cent in the third quarter. Similarly, detached bungalows and standard two-storey homes in Victoria fell 2.0 and 1.1 per cent respectively.

“Canadian home owners have turned a deaf ear to the negative economic situation shaking housing markets in Europe and the United States,” added Soper. “A resilient domestic economy coupled with the stimulative effect of ultra low interest rates has extended the post-recession bounce in house prices, but there is evidence of over-shooting in some markets. Although some commentators are predicting that the sky will fall on the Canadian housing market in a US-style implosion, we lack the structural conditions that precipitated the housing crash in the United States six years ago.”

Regional Market Summaries

In Atlantic Canada, while other major markets remained relatively flat year-over-year, Halifax posted healthy gains in all three housing types surveyed with standard condominiums increasing 10.4 per cent. Similarly, standard condominiums in Saint John also witnessed an increase of 10.4 per cent. This is attributable to sales of higher-end waterfront listings.

Continued confidence in Montreal‘s residential real estate market remained strong as year-over-year prices for standard two-storey homes rose 4.4 per cent to $367,500 while standard condominiums rose 7.6 per cent to $236,333.

Healthy price appreciation was witnessed in all three housing types surveyed inOttawa, as standard two-storey homes rose on average 8.4 per cent. Standard condominiums and detached bungalows increased 7.9 per cent and 7.0 per cent respectively.

Toronto witnessed impressive price gains across all three housing types surveyed due to a lack of supply. Standard two-storey homes increased 7.6 per cent year-over-year and detached bungalows 9.4 per cent over the same period. Standard condominiums increased a healthy but more modest 6.0 per cent as demand was more easily met with a higher level of inventory.

Population growth is fueling Winnipeg‘s healthy price appreciation as standard condominiums increased 6.4 per cent, detached bungalows increased 5.1 per cent and standard two-storey homes increased 4.4 per cent.

Both Calgary and Edmonton remained relatively flat year-over-year except for standard condominiums, which increased 3.2 per cent and 3.9 per cent respectively. Two storey-homes in Edmonton also posted a gain of 3.8 per cent.

Vancouver‘s traditional housing types performed exceptionally well as detached bungalows rose 17.0 per cent year-over-year and standard two-storey homes rose 16.9 per cent. Condominiums in the city increased a more modest, but healthy, 5.1 per cent due to higher inventory.

Royal LePage’s quarterly House Price Survey shows the annual change of prices for key housing segments in select national markets.

Despite economic uncertainty, Canada’s new car dealers said sales are growing at a “healthy pace” and driving retail sector activity. As the most important retail indicator, this is good news for the economy at large, the association said.

Affordability is driving a post-recession recovery in auto sales, chief economist Michael Hatch said, adding that very few if any other sectors can make such a claim.

Though not back to pre-recession levels of 1.65 million units, new cars sales have rebounded well since the end of the economic recession. They have grown by about two per cent so far in 2011, despite a 3.5 per cent drop in July and forecasted declines in August.

Hatch said sales are not far off the levels of 2007 because of the strength of the Canadian market and the impact of low interest rates. The situation is much better than the U.S., where sales are nowhere near pre-recession levels and Hatch claims may never get there.

Automotive sales are a key component of Canada’s economic activity, which is exposed to flagging consumer confidence as debt problems mount in the United States and Europe. Some economists have speculated that the global economy could be headed back into a recession. Canada weathered the first recession better than many countries, thanks in part to the relative strength of its banking system and prudent fiscal management, but the economic picture is still mixed.

Overall retail sales fell 0.6 per cent to $37.5 billion in July after three straight monthly increases, marking the first decline since January. Nevertheless, Statistics Canada reported Friday that the economy grew by 0.3 per cent in July after a 0.2 per cent increase in June. Manufacturing and, to a lesser extent, wholesale trade and transportation services the main sources of growth.

Within a week of Gaga’s anointment, the YouTube video had shot to 25 million views and is still going strong.

Winnipeg’s Hot 103 brought her into the radio station studio and arranged for Lady Gaga to talk to her, which was emotional for both parties. Gaga was so impressed and touched by Maria that she invited her to perform the song “Born this Way” on stage with her at a concert in Toronto.

Maria explained: “I met a lot of people before, but Lady Gaga is the reason why I am here because if she hadn’t seen my video, I wouldn’t be doing this interview. And when I first got to talk to her, I cried because she had time to talk to me, and she even wanted me to sing with her at a concert. I was just very overwhelmed; I was just so star-struck.” Maria has also appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and has since been invited to countless interviews, performances and media outlets all around the world.

Maria’s success is particularly inspiring because of her family’s story. Maria’s mother and father emigrated from the Philippines to Winnipeg in 1997 with two older sisters and a brother in search of a better environment for their kids. Although the Aragons didn’t speak that much English at first, through a combination of work, school and with the help of family already settled in Winnipeg, they became well integrated in their neighbourhood.

Although she liked the Philippines, Maria’s sister Rojuane says that she could probably never move back. Canada is what she considers home. “My parents would love to go back,” she said. “I know that for sure, because my mom’s side of the family is all still in the Philippines.”

Maria is the only one of four children who was born in Canada. When asked what she considers her identity, she states, “Well, I’m Canadian because I was born here. But I was raised by Filipino parents, so I guess I’m both.”

She loves Winnipeg but also knows that being Filipino is a huge part of who she is. She has a lot of fans from the Philippines and from Asia at large, which she says can be both exciting and a little strange. Many of them follow her on Facebook and have set up numerous fan pages dedicated to her.

Maria has even had the opportunity to sing with Prime Minister Stephen Harper during his campaign tour during the last federal election. She reflected candidly, “Well, it was an honour because, of course, he’s the Prime Minister, he’s like the boss of everybody! It was fun because I didn’t know he could play the piano so well!”

Maria also took part in the annual Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill, performing in front of the large crowd which featured William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as part of their 2011 tour of Canada.

When asked what made singing important to her, Maria says, “Everyone is good at something, whether it is art or singing or dancing, but I think singing is special because it’s the talent that I have and it’s special, especially now because it’s the reason why I get to go see Lady Gaga and be on the Ellen (DeGeneres) Show … It’s the talent that God gave me so I’m really grateful for it.”

For more videos of Maria, check out her YouTube channel.

As for the causes of this large gap, the authors pinpoint three economic factors: the supply of rental accommodation, the state of the labour market and the rate of in-migration. However, the authors argue that the overriding factor is the supply of rental accommodation or affordable housing.

As Calgary’s labour market expands, more and more people are attracted to the city, therefore increasing the demand for rental accommodation. Data used in the study indicates that there are 38 rental units per 1,000 people in Calgary.

“With a small and falling supply of rental accommodations and the local housing market’s failure to expand supply, this results in upward pressure on shelter use,” the authors write.

Meanwhile, in Edmonton there is a larger supply of affordable housing at 86 units per 1,000 people. The authors argue this allows the city to adjust more easily to in-migration and curtails their homelessness numbers.

The authors note with concern the possibility that the recent fall in shelter use is due to the recent slowdown in the Calgary economy and that shelter use will increase again when the economy recovers.

Therefore, the authors recommend that ways be found “to engage the energy and efficiency of the private sector” to increase the supply of rental accommodations in Calgary. In this way shelter use might permanently be reduced. Based on previous research by The School of Public Policy, possible measures could include implementing a housing tax credit modeled on the US Low Income Housing Tax Credit; relaxing current rules for investors in multi-unit rental buildings on the use of the capital cost allowance when there is a rental loss; and controls on demolition and condominium conversions.

The paper can be found at http://policyschool.ucalgary.ca/publications

“It is important that Canadians are aware of one of our most expensive spending patterns—paying top-dollar on temporary fixes for the problems that grow out of poverty,” said Dr. John Rook, Chair of the Council.  “The good news is even more vital.  A better pattern is already partially in place, in policies and programs that enable people to get out of poverty, not just cope with it, and to be well and to thrive.  Now, we need to get the whole job done.”

The report draws on a wide range of local, national and international research from economics to epidemiology to illustrate how reducing poverty benefits everyone, no matter where we sit on the income ladder.

The report’s findings include: 

• In 2007, the amount it would have taken for every Canadian to have an income over the poverty line was $12.6 billion. The consequences of poverty that year added up to almost double that amount.  Despite this spending, by 2009, 3.2 million Canadians (9.6%) were still living in poverty.

• Indirect costs drive up the cost of poverty.  Stable housing costs less than shelter, ambulance, police, hospital and other bills resulting from homelessness. Similarly, basic medicine costs far less than emergency wards, where people end up when they can’t afford medicine.  This pattern can be found in the justice system, education, employment, business and other areas.

• Societal costs reflect the wasted potential—and tax dollars—of people who could be contributing more to the economy if they did not go hungry, or continued to be poorly paid, ill-housed, stigmatized or ignored.

• Solving poverty is about more than money because humans are social beings. The daily wear-and-tear of stress, including discrimination and lack of respect, can physically damage brains and bodies.  The lower you are on the income ladder, the more stressors you are likely to face, with the fewest resources to cope.  There is a direct relationship between poverty and poor health.

• The benefits of programs are often underreported. Child and seniors’ benefits, for example, provide secure, non-stigmatizing incomes broadly in society, and they have benefits well beyond individual recipients.  The improved wellbeing of today’s seniors compared to the past enables them to remain active in their communities or to help care for grandchildren.

The Council’s recommendations in the report focus on: a Canada-wide strategy to ensure everything works together; a sustained investment plan; a design framework centred on wellbeing; and a forum that brings people and ideas together to get the best results.

Rook emphasized Canada has more options than some other countries struggling with poverty and spending pressures, including wealth, experience, public support for mutual responsibility and social innovation.  “The way forward is practical and within our grasp, building on what we have and know already,” he said.

The full report, an ‘in-brief’ version and additional documentation are available at www.ncw.gc.ca.

World oil prices are set in U.S. dollars, so a rising loonie against the greenback offsets some of the impact of higher crude prices. Now that the loonie has slid below parity, consumers are getting a raw deal even though oil prices are 20 per cent lower than they were in July.

The loonie lost about five cents against the U.S. dollar last week, but rose 0.11 of a cent to 97.25 US on Monday (sept 26 2011).

Fear that another recession could be triggered by government debt problems in Europe and the United States has oil traders betting global energy demand will fall — pushing the price down from around US$100 per barrel in July to around US$80 on Monday.

Since crude is used to make gasoline, the price-drop should filter through to the gas pump, but the weaker loonie is offsetting the drop in Canada, McKnight said.

The Canadian average for regular unleaded gasoline Monday was just under $1.22 per litre, according to the price-tracking website Gasbuddy.com. That compared with about $1.25 a litre a month ago and $1.01 a litre a year ago when crude was at about US$77 per share.

McKnight, whose firm helps transportation sector clients manage their fuel costs, sees gasoline prices falling by about five cents over the next few months as demand weakens in the winter. While lower fuel prices are certainly a welcome silver lining for consumers, they are also symptomatic of wider economic challenges, said TD Bank economist Derek Burleton.

“In this kind of environment, oil prices are a bellwether of general global sentiment. It’s more symbolic of bigger challenges globally,” Burleton said.

“Unfortunately nobody wins in Canada’s economy when that happens, even if gasoline prices fall back a bit.”

Canada’s economy is highly reliant on exports of resources and manufactured goods. So if crude prices are falling because key trading partners are ailing, particularly the United States, it’s bad news for Canada. While falling crude prices will benefit gasoline consumers, it could also harm some Alberta oilsands producers, which need enormous amounts of capital to build and operate their projects.

“If oil settles below US$80, one tends to start getting a little concerned about near-term outlook for energy-producing provinces like Alberta,” said Burleton. ”I think US$80 is a little bit of a psychological threshold there.”

The province had previously announced it would participate in the federal government’s clinical trials on the procedure proponents call “liberation therapy.”

The therapy is based on the idea that collapsed veins in the necks of some MS patients hinder blood flow from the brain. Doctors inflate tiny balloons inside the veins to open them up again.

Many patients who suffer impaired mobility, spasms and vision problems say the treatments help their symptoms. But many doctors say MS is an autoimmune disease, not a vascular problem, and have noted that any apparent improvements don’t last.

The provincial government was originally planning to spend $5 million on clinical trials done in Saskatchewan, which has a higher MS rate than the Canadian average. However, the province failed to approve the only applicant and decided to work with Ottawa instead.

It says it’s still supporting the federal effort. However, the province was worried about how long that would take to get going.

It’s now working with a research team led by Dr. Gary Siskin, a vascular and interventional radiologist at Albany Medical Centre. The protocols are still being worked out, but it’s hoped the first Saskatchewan patients will be heading to Albany early in the new year.

Read more about CCSVI in Canada

In July, the province’s Office of Immigration said a tentative settlement offered each immigrant up to $75,000.

A proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in December 2009 on behalf of Peter King, who moved to Halifax from the United Kingdom in April 2006 and paid more than $100,000 to participate in the program.

Immigrants like King were supposed to get on-the-job training with an approved mentor company, but a statement of claim alleges that King applied unsuccessfully for a number of jobs before he moved to British Columbia.

The provincial government has already paid out about $38 million in refunds to immigrants, but a clause in the settlement says that if more than 50 people opt out, the government won’t proceed.

As its name suggests, the Great Bear Rainforest is big, wild and wet. There are no roads through it. You need a guide with a boat. And you need food and shelter.

That’s where the Spirit Bear Lodge comes in. It overlooks the ocean in the First Nation community of Klemtu. The Kitasoo and Xai’xais people have lived on this coast for thousands of years. They’re particularly fond and protective of the rare white Spirit bears.

Photo credit : spiritbear.com

When you stay at their Spirit Bear Lodge, you’ll go out in a small boat each day to explore different river estuaries, looking for the distinctive white bears that look like polar bears, even though they’re really a genetic variation of black bears. (Spirit bears, also known as Kermode bears, are born white if both parents share a recessive mutation of a certain gene. The parents themselves can be black.)

Autumn is the best time of the year to view all the bear species. That’s when they appear along the banks of rivers to feast on salmon. In September and October thousands of salmon are fighting their way up-river, back to where they were born, before laying their eggs and dying.

 That’s if the many bears don’t catch them first. Guests of the Lodge are positioned at natural vantage points on the shorelines, ideal for intimate eye-level encounters with both Black Bears and Grizzlies. The Spirit Bears are rare and elusive and encounters with these extraordinary bears are just as special.

You don’t need to be afraid of the bears either. They’re intent on catching salmon and fattening up before winter, so they don’t pay any attention to people. You can sit safely a short distance away and watch them fish.

And because this place is so remote – Klemtu is about 600 km northwest of Vancouver – there probably won’t be anyone else around.

After a day of watching bears, you’ll go back to Spirit Bear Lodge for a hot dinner served on two enormous dining tables made from solid cedar. Gaze out the expansive windows in ‘The Great Room’ and watch for passing whales, white-sided dolphins and sea lions.

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre

Writers Bio: Suzanne Morphet is passionate about exploring Canada and writing about it. She knows she’d need many lifetimes to do it justice…. So with just one, she’s working hard to see and share as much as she can. Her travel stories have appeared in The Globe and Mail, up! magazine (West Jet’s in-flight magazine), Homemakers and numerous other publications. Morphet recently co-authored The Vancouver Island Book of Everything. She is based in Victoria, BC.

A range of consumer goods, including passenger vehicles, electricity, jewelry, telephone services and homeowners’ home and mortgage insurance all saw significant price increases largely accounting for the 4-point rise compared to the rate a year earlier. Among the most aggressive climbers, energy prices rose 13.4 per cent in the year leading up to August and gasoline prices went up 22.8 per cent. Food prices were up 4.4 per cent in August. The core inflation rate was at 1.9 per cent, just under the Bank of Canada’s target of 2 per cent.

The unexpectedly strong increases in consumer goods run contrary to a recent trend that saw inflation moderating — falling from 3.7 per cent in May to 2.7 per cent in July.

Core or underlying inflation, which excludes volatile items such as energy and some foods, increased to 1.9 from 1.6 per cent, pushing close to the central bank’s 2 per cent target.

On Tuesday, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said he was not concerned about inflation and would not raise interest rates to deal with the issue. The bank’s mandate is to keep consumer prices within a range of one and three per cent, and as close to two as possible.

Here’s what happened to the inflation rate in each of the provinces and territories. (Previous month in brackets):

• Newfoundland and Labrador 3.6 (3.4)
• Prince Edward Island 3.5 (3.2)
• Nova Scotia 3.8 (3.5)
• New Brunswick 4.1 (3.8)
• Quebec 3.4 (3.3)
• Ontario 3.1 (3.0)
• Manitoba 3.0 (3.1)
• Saskatchewan 2.8 (2.8)
• Alberta 2.9 (1.9)
• British Columbia 2.1 (1.7)
• Whitehorse, Yukon 3.0 (3.1)
• Yellowknife, N.W.T., 3.4 (3.4)
• Iqaluit, Nunavut 1.2 (1.1)

The agency also released rates for major cities, but cautioned that figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples (Previous month in brackets):

• St. John’s, N.L., 3.4 (3.2)
• Charlottetown-Summerside, 3.2 (2.8)
• Halifax, 3.5 (3.2)
• Saint John, N.B., 4.0 (3.8)
• Quebec, 3.4 (3.2)
• Montreal, 3.2 (3.1)
• Ottawa, 2.9 (2.7)
• Toronto, 2.9 (2.8)
• Thunder Bay, Ont., 3.1 (2.9)
• Winnipeg, 3.0 (3.0)
• Regina, 2.9 (2.9)
• Saskatoon, 2.4 (2.4)
• Edmonton, 3.0 (1.9)
• Calgary, 2.6 (1.8)
• Vancouver, 1.7 (1.6)
• Victoria, 1.9 (1.6)

“It’s clear that there is a real need to educate Canadians on the basic components of real estate purchases, as well as the options available in terms of private sales versus selling with a realtor,” said Patrick Sullivan, general manager and vice-president of ComFree. “The do-it-yourself model doesn’t stop with home improvement – it also applies to home sales, it just requires a little knowledge. ComFree is a good example – we offer what homeowners need to sell their home commission-free and save thousands of dollars.”

Barriers to Private Sale

For many home owners, there remain several key roadblocks in the decision making process about whether to sell privately or work with an agent. Respondents listed the following as their top three:

• The visibility of the listing to potential buyers – 57 per cent
• The time commitment involved – 55 per cent
• Concern over making a legal error – 52 per cent

And while time commitment was one of the top deterrents mentioned by Canadians, the survey shows that an almost identical time investment (overall average was 29.7 hours) is required regardless of whether a home is being sold by the owner or with a realtor.

“The legal process is the same with or without a realtor,” said Sullivan. “Either way, it’s important to hire a lawyer who specializes in real estate to review an offer, conduct a title search and finalize the deal.”

The Mystique of the Realtor

The poll showed that nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) incorrectly stated that a realtor is required to list one’s home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and a further 13 per cent indicated that they weren’t sure. In fact, ComFree can obtain a listing, through our brokerage partners, on MLS for any Canadian looking to sell their home privately.

Canadians also overestimate the services that are included in realtor fees. One in five of the respondents polled incorrectly stated that at least one of the following would also be included:

• Home inspection to determine any necessary home repairs (21 per cent)
• Setting up mortgage insurance where necessary (19 per cent)
• Financing & pre-approval of a mortgage (16 per cent)

And while the majority of respondents indicated that they had previously worked with a realtor vs. selling privately (79 per cent and 19 per cent respectively), a greater proportion of home owners said they would be likely to sell privately in the future (28 per cent).

Likelihood to sell privately in the future is significantly higher in Atlantic Canadaand Quebec compared to other provinces:

• Atlantic provinces – 48 per cent
• QC – 39 per cent
• MB/SK – 32 per cent
• AB – 29 per cent
• BC – 22 per cent
• ON – 21 per cent

“Realtors with their high commissions, like TV dinners and eight-tracks, are relics best left in the past,” said Sullivan.  “Today, anyone can sell their home on their own as long as they are willing to invest a few hours of their time and look for the legal and marketing expertise.”

“It’s our intention to hammer out a process that is more efficient, that eliminates … red tape, so that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program works, on time, for the Alberta economy.”

In October, Kenney will join Canada’s Human Resources and Skills Development minister, Diane Finley, in meetings with employers from the oil and gas, construction, agriculture and hospitality sectors to discuss improvements to the program. The latest Canada numbers show 42,885 temporary foreign workers were employed in Alberta in 2010.

Cheryl Knight, CEO of the Calgary-based Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada, said the program has had a limited effect on the tight labour situation in the oil and gas sector.

“There is a strong disconnect with the Government of Canada prioritizing so-called skilled workers where skill is associated with education. For our industry, skill is something different,” said Knight, who noted there were shortages in field workers in oil and gas, well services and drilling workers and supervisors.

“Because those are jobs that do not require formal post-secondary education, they’re not seen as skilled workers.”

Kenny accepted that there were people who had very high levels of skill, but not on paper. “They may not have a diploma; they may not have trade certification, but they’re able to run a sophisticated $10-million gas fracking (hydraulic fracturing) operation,” he said.

“We are sensitive to that concern and we are looking at it.”

The secure document has a computer chip that stores key personal data, including an image of the bearer, that can be accessed with a scanner. Passport Canada, which is required to run a break-even operation, has not yet announced what Canadians will pay for the more complex, high-tech document.

But an expense claim filed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicates the cost of the diplomatic version is far more than the $87 that adult Canadians pay now. Harper purchased four diplomatic ePassports for himself, his wife and two children late last year, at $225 each, for a total bill of $900.

The cost was picked up by taxpayers through his department, the Privy Council Office, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Diplomatic ePassports are valid for five years, just like the current standard versions, and are routinely issued to immediate family members as well if they reside with the senior official and sometimes travel with that person. Like current diplomatic passports, they feature a distinctive red cover rather than the standard blue.

But the $225 cost does not include the standard $25 consular fee built into the price of general passports, because government officials are exempt from paying a share of the cost of providing embassy services to Canadians abroad.

Excluding the $25 consular fee, which Passport Canada does not retain but turns over to general revenues, the current general passport is priced at $62. That means the $225 diplomatic ePassport currently costs more than three times as much.

“No decisions have yet been made on the price of the new electronic passport,” said Beatrice Fenelon, a Passport Canada spokeswoman. “We are still in the process of consulting Canadians.”

Another agency official, Monique Boivin, said last week a new fee schedule will be published this fall for review by Parliament and Canadians.

The cash-strapped agency said that in 2009-2010, it lost an average of $3.14 for every passport issued because of production, distribution, security and staff costs. And it notes that over the last decade, the basic charge for a passport has increased only once, in 2004 by $2, to reflect higher shipping charges.

Passport Canada, like all federal departments and agencies, is required under the User Fees Act to consult Canadians on proposed price changes, and to justify any move to increase them. The government has said it wants to introduce a 10-year ePassport, rather than the current five-year version, which could help to mitigate any price increase. The agency conducted extensive consultations last year, including an online survey that attracted 7,000 responses. In a report, Passport Canada noted many Canadians are concerned about any price increase.

“Discussion also focused on the importance of ensuring the passport remains affordable,” says the document. “It was proposed that one option could be a progressive tax system, since the passport, like health care, is a common good.

“It was suggested that Passport Canada could receive part of its funding through legislative appropriations, given the emphasis on ensuring that the passport is a secure travel document.”

Many Canadians who were consulted said people who lose their passports should pay more to have them replaced. There was also a wide consensus that the lower fees for children’s passports should remain, even though it costs Passport Canada more than an adult passport to produce them.

An electronic passport has been under development in Canada since 2004, and was to have been launched by this year. Passport Canada attributes the delay partly to the rush of business after the United States began to require most Canadian visitors to produce a passport. Canada is a global laggard, with about 100 countries having already adopted their own electronic versions.

The federal government routinely authorizes diplomatic passports for senior officials and politicians, including the prime minister, cabinet ministers, justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Opposition leader and the Speaker, as well as for their immediate family members.

Highlights:

• Sales activity was stable from July to August, but posted another big year-over-year gain reflecting weakened demand last summer.
• Year-to-date sales pulled ahead of 2010 levels for the first time this year, and remain in line with the ten-year average.
• The number of newly listed homes was also little changed from July to August.
• The national housing market stayed firmly entrenched in balanced territory.
• There were more balanced local markets in August than at any other time on record.
• The national average price posted another year-over-year gain in August, but has moderated from elevated levels earlier this year.
• Upward skewing of the national average price is diminishing due to fewer expensive sales and a declining share of national activity in Vancouver andToronto.

For a second consecutive month, national home sales activity held steady in August 2011 when compared to the previous month. Among major urban centres, Toronto and Ottawa posted a monthly increase in activity while Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver saw activity decline slightly.

“The housing market in Canada remained on a firm footing in August when compared to volatile financial markets,” said Gary Morse, CREA President. “Through their actions, homebuyers are showing that they remain confident about the stability of the Canadian housing market, and recognize that the continuation of low interest rates represents an excellent opportunity to buy their first home or trade up.”

Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity came in 15.8 per cent above national levels reported one year earlier. This was the largest year-over-year increase since last April, but largely reflects weakened activity one year ago.

A total of 324,030 homes have traded hands via Canadian MLS® Systems so far this year. While this stands only marginally above levels in the first eight months of last year, it nevertheless marks the first time this year that year-to-date activity has pulled ahead of 2010 levels.

As has been the case for much of this year, the year-to-date sales figure continues to run in line with the ten-year average.

The number of newly listed homes nationally was also little changed from July to August. This kept the national housing market firmly planted in balanced territory. The national sales-to-new listings ratio, a measure of market balance, stood at 51.6 per cent in August, unchanged compared to July.

Based on a sales-to-new listings ratio of between 40 to 60 per cent, 70 per cent of all local markets in Canada were in balanced market territory in August – a greater percentage than at any other time on record. There were just 12 buyers’ markets in August, which was the lowest figure so far this year.

The number of months of inventory stood at 6.2 months at the end of August on a national basis, which is little changed from the end of July (6.1 months). The national months of inventory figure has been stable at about six months since April. The number of months of inventory represents the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity, and is another measure of the balance between housing supply and demand.

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in August 2011 stood at $349,916. This is 7.7 per cent above its year-ago level, which marked the low point for 2010.

The national average price has moderated compared to earlier this year, with sales activity in Vancouver, and more recently in Toronto, exerting less of an effect on the national average. Their share of provincial and national sales activity reached unusually elevated levels earlier this year, but has since receded in line with normal seasonal variations.

“Once again, economic and financial market headwinds outside Canada are keeping interest rates lower for longer,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “Those headwinds will likely persist until, and indeed after, fiscal quagmires in the U.S. and Europe are resolved. In the meantime, the Bank ofCanada will have ample reason to delay raising interest rates further, which is supportive for the Canadian housing market.”

“Federal and provincial settlement programs have not caught up with changing immigrant settlement patterns, including a growing shift to suburban communities,” the report says.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is in the midst of public consultations on how to best reshape the intake of immigrants, so that the country attracts the kind of people it needs to sustain its workforce.

The federation hopes to play into that process with its paper, released Wednesday after months of research.

But the paper also comes as Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto, the country’s largest city, eyes cuts to some of the key services newcomers rely on — social housing, libraries, transit and childcare.

The thrust of the report and the political turmoil engulfing Toronto are no coincidence, says Michael Shapcott, a social policy researcher at the Wellesley Institute in Toronto.

Cities find their finances strained by years of downloading from other levels of government, he said. And at the same time, mounting poverty among a growing population of immigrants increases the pressure.

The federation’s policy proposals are “an enlightened response” to the pressure, while the turmoil in Toronto “is a much more sharpened response,” Shapcott said.

Newcomers take longer and longer to catch up to the standard of living of the rest of the population at a time when the country’s labour force needs fresh blood, the paper points out.

A traditional, short-term policy focus is no longer sufficient, the researchers argue.

Federal settlement plans usually assume a three-year time frame, but in reality, newcomers need five to 10 years of help before they find their feet, the report says.

Plus, settlement services are often concentrated in urban cores, far from their targeted population and they don’t focus enough on the immediate needs of the newcomer population, the paper argues.

It points out that newcomers are far more likely than long-time Canadians to be “core housing need” — spending more than 30 per cent of their income on shelter.

That’s because almost two-thirds of newcomers are renters and they often say it’s difficult to find and qualify for affordable housing.

The paper points to research by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp., showing that 44 per cent of recent immigrant renters are considered to be in core housing need. For non-immigrant renters, less than a quarter are in that danger zone.

“Without stable housing, immigrants and their families experience even greater difficulties finding jobs, enrolling children in school, participating in language training and becoming part of community life,” the paper explains.

Affordability for newcomers is especially severe in York Region, north of Toronto, and in Ottawa, the report says.

But at the same time, the federal commitment to supporting affordable housing has been spotty.

The federal stimulus program helped build new social housing, and federal and provincial governments recently signed a three-year pact for more spending. But Ottawa is also allowing other operating agreements to expire — a move that will mean $1 billion less per year in federal funding by 2020, the report.

As for transit, newcomers are about twice as likely as long-time Canadians to take the bus. But bus routes don’t necessarily follow the flow of the immigrant population, with so many jobs and newcomers moving to the suburbs, the report says.

“Federal and provincial governments must provide long-term, reliable funding so that transit systems have the financial certainty they need to meet the needs of all Canadians, now and in the future,” the report urges.

The federation argues that municipal governments are on the front lines of a crumbling system to integrate immigrants, helping out with housing, recreation, library services, child care and public transit.

And yet they are not included in policy deliberations and direct funding agreements, nor do they have the money to pay for these services in a way that keeps up with demand, they point out.

The 12-percentage-point gap was smaller than the average across the 34 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, where the proportions stood at 81-61.

StatsCan also says the proportion of adults aged 25 to 64 with a college diploma or a university degree rose to 50 per cent from 39 per cent between 1999 and 2009, outpacing the average OECD increase.

Canada’s employment rate for adults aged 25 to 64 who had not completed secondary education was 55 per cent in 2009, while the rate for graduates of college and university programs was 82 per cent.

Canada devoted six per cent of its gross domestic product to educational institutions in 2007, about the same share as the OECD average.

About 42 per cent of that share of GDP went to college and university programs, the highest among the OECD countries.