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I landed in Canada on March 20th over the land border at the Peace Bridge outside Buffalo, NY. The process was mostly quite smooth.

I drove up with my packed car, my animals' crates taking up most of the back seat, and my trunk packed solidly with just a few belongings. I had made an inventory of what I had with me and what was being shipped separately. I had my animals' paperwork and what I *thought* was enough for my car. (More on that later.)

The agent at the drive-up kiosk waved me through after just a minute or so, and told me to pull over to the side and go into a building there. I did as asked (I parked in parking spot 15) and went in. The wait there was fairly short, and the agent that checked me in to Canada reviewed my dependent information (i.e. ensuring that I still had no dependents!) and within 10 minutes he had stamped my visa, gave me some papers, and said, "Welcome to Canada!"

Then I had to go to the Customs counter, which was across the same room. This agent was less friendly, I am afraid. It was all triggered by my car. I make payments on it, and do not own it outright---a common enough occurrence. I thought I had all my paperwork in order, but she insisted that I could not import it without the title, and I can't get the title till it's paid for. Last week my husband tried to get a loan so th at we could pay for it, but he was turned down, so I have to figure out a way to return the car to the people from whom I bought it. It makes me a bit sad, but it's not a huge deal. When I get a job here I will save up a down payment and get another. In the meantime, I am the nutty person with Florida license plates driving around my city!

At any rate, after I talked about 20 minutes with Customs, and she took a copy of my list of items shipped separately, we were on our way. I was upset because of the snafu with the car, but I was also relieved to have been let in. This was it. I had arrived. We drove the rest of the way to Brampton in less than two hours. It took me several days for it to really sink in!

My first Monday I went right to Service Canada and was there when they opened. Within 15 minutes I had my SIN. I went from there to the drive license office, which TOOK FOREVER. I should have left and gone back the next morning, but I ended up waiting almost 5 hours. I recommend bringing evidence of your driving experience/length of time you have been driving with you. as I had some issues with mine. (Well, at least in Ontario this is important.) Also, it depends what country you are from. I am from what is called a "reciprocal country", where I can just trade my license in with no further testing.

The following day I went to Service Ontario and signed up for my health card. That won't kick in for three months, unfortunately, but luckily I stocked up on enough insulin that I should be just fine.

So, at this point that's all. I got my SIN card in the mail today, and hope to get my Ontario license in the mail soon. I am actively job hunting. I am here, and I am legal to work in Canada. I am with my husband. Ths is it. This is what I have waited for so long. :)

Now, if I can just get a job...

Practice the 42 sounds of the English language. Watch my videos at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=674BAD87A5280224 New videos uploaded weekly. Enjoy!

Here's a must-read story about a young immigrant from Ethiopia, who, despite the odds stacked against him, has found success in Winnipeg.

Michael Abraha is only 17. He's still in high school and doesn't even have his driver's license yet, but he does have his own business, with employees, business cards and liability insurance. He immigrated to Canada from Ethiopia (via Uganda) with his sister.

You can read the story here:

http://canadianimmigrant.ca/moneyamp;business/smallbusiness/article/5229

What do you think?

The Institute of Canadian Citizenship, in partnership with local museums, galleries and cultural institutions in Ontario have introduced the Cultural Access Pass for new Canadian Citizens.

Upon being sworn in as a Canadian at their citizenship ceremony, the program gives new Canadians a Cultural Access Pass. This pass provides unlimited entry, free admission charges, to the holder of the pass at multiple local cultural institutions for the calendar year after obtaining citizenship.

The program hopes to provide a way for newcomers to get better acquainted with the cultural centres and resources in their local area.

Participating institutions include:

In the Toronto Region:

Art Gallery of Ontario
Gardiner Museum
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
Ontario Science Centre
Royal Ontario Museum
The Textile Museum of Canada
Colborne Lodge
Fort York National Historic Site
Gibson House Museum
Mackenzie House
Montgomery's Inn
Scarborough Historical Museum
Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens
Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum & Arts Centre
York Museum
Markham Museum
Bata Shoe Museum
Varley Art Gallery of Markham
University of Toronto Art Centre
Black Creek Pioneer Village

In the Kitchener-Waterloo Region:

The Children’s Museum
Homer Watson Home and Gallery
Cambridge Galleries
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery

For complete information on the program, and how to participate visit: http://www.culturalaccesspass.ca/How_The_Program_Works.html

For information on obtaining Canadian citizenship: http://www.loonlounge.com/canadian-citizenship/

Immigration

So, you want to become a Canadian. Where do you begin? As a former immigrant myself, the very first things I strongly suggest you do is to find out as much about Canadian culture, the cities, the climate, the communities, the education, the cost of living, the job prospects, the business opportunities, etc. Ask friends or relatives too if they are already here. In fact, you can even ask Canadian Tourists in your country. If there is a Canadian High Commission or Embassy, you can request information there too (but the info will be limited).

But sometimes, you don’t feel very convinced. You can always come to Canada, and check out the areas you have found to your liking according to your research. You can meet lots of people and ask straight from the horses’ mouth so to speak (no, I mean people, not horses - lol). But then, how many people can afford to do this? When you can’t, you do have other resources.

First of all, you’re likely already here at this site, LoonLounge.com. There’s a great Canadian immigration related Online Community here. Next, you can get more formalized information from the Government’s CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) department itself. Click here for CIC (http://www.cic.gc.ca/ ).


A Place To Stay

Once you’ve arrived in Canada or you’ve got your “landed” documents stamped by customs and family, friends or you have found your own way to a place to stay.

It’s always a good idea to arrange accommodation in advance of your arrival as the customs will want to know. It helps expedite your entry paperwork.

If you have not come to Canada before, it will be a good idea to simply get temporary accommodations. A short term lease in an apartment or an extended hotel stay, etc. will be wise. Until you know where you will get a job or set down very firm roots in a neighbourhood of choice, do not go into a very long term lease or even buy a home. See below for more info.


A Home

So you found a job or started a business and you may want to move closer to it. Before you move, consider schooling for your kids, transportation, ease of travel, etc. Also consider what is known as location, location, location in real estate when you lease long term or buy a home. This means you look for the best property you can afford in terms of location, schools etc.

Often, a good real estate agent can help you. Use word of mouth to find such a person. It has helped me. Such a person can be very helpful to you in starting your new life. There are many things to consider when leasing long term or buying a property. There are mortgages, insurance, maintenance fees, etc.

You might want to do some fact finding through Canada’s MLS (multiple listing service) for real estate availability and approximate property prices. Click here for MLS.ca (http://www.mls.ca/splash.aspx ).


Social Insurance Number

The very next day or two after resting, head down to the nearest municipal offices to get your SIN or Social Insurance Number. You’ll need to go early because of long ques. This is a document you’ll need for all your formal applications of documents, business, credit cards, bank accounts, drivers license, health card, etc. Click here for SIN Info. ( http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/sin/index.shtml )



Health Insurance Card

Medicare is Canada’s national health care system or HCA. Every Province or Territory has its own health insurance system which offers you most government run health facility access, even if you travel into another province.

In Ontario, it’s the OHIP or Ontario Health Insurance Programme. You may need proof of the SIN to apply for one. Oh, yes, bring your official Entry Documents too (e.g. Landed Immigrant Documents).
Click here for HCA Info. (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/medi-assur/index-eng.php ).


Phone Connection

Now, go get a phone service. Get a reliable land line – with internet too as a package. And always demand that you do not need to sign up for a contract – simply because if you move, you’ll need to pay a hefty penalty.

But you’ll need this to show that you have an official address. Keep all statements.

Add long distance services too. Canada is a huge country. Also, if you can afford it, get a cell phone for emergency use.

The largest and considered the main telephone company in Canada is Bell. But there are several other large phone service companies in Canada that will and can offer better priced services. It really depends on your location. Be sure to check them all out! But sometimes, you will first need a land line from Bell before proceeding. Always ask!
Click here for Bell.ca info. ( http://www.bell.ca/home/ )


Open a Canadian Bank Account

You may already have a ready credit card or bank account from where you came, but you’ll need a Canadian Bank account to show stability to prospective employers (they’ll want to pay into it), or in case you want to create your own business. Also, this is a start to build your credit rating. (In fact, any bill you pay or your credit card obtained in Canada counts toward your Canadian Credit Rating).

There are several big chartered banks in Canada. But there are a number of smaller private banks that may serve the needs you require, above and beyond your retail banking needs. Educate yourself about what you need from; what you should do and how to use the banking system properly.

It would be unfair to pick out one particular bank as an example. However, you might want to check out this fully independent site about banking and educate yourself – you can even download all the articles and ask questions for free. Begin with this article - click here for Private Banking Info. ( http://stephenchua.com/private-bank/banking/types-of-banks/types-of-banks/ ).


Help With Languages

Many people will tell you to go to all sorts of agencies. If you have been admitted Canadian Entry, you would already have a working knowledge of English or would have been directed to a centre near you.
However, do not despair. You see, there are many centres around the big cities that can help you. Sometimes it’s as simple as pointing you to the right person. Try going to social centres like the YMCA, the local Library, or when you’ve been to the SIN or Medicare offices, pick up some helpful brochure. Always ask for help – someone is always willing to help you!

Alternatively, simply check out the schools and community centres in Canada. Each province runs its own education system. Each community or town will have its own community centre. Check there after you arrive. They will help you if you live in the designated area.
There are also many private language schools. Otherwise, use the internet to find a language package and learn from it.


Day Care for your children

For very young children, day care is available, but free ones are on a long waiting list. You will have to pay for this service if you’re working or somehow unable to look after the children.

Of course, some cultures will not even consider letting strangers look after their children. If that is so, and you have someone close that is willing to do so, it may be a great idea too.

However, some parents to send their very young children to a day care perhaps a couple of times a week just so they can learn the language and get along with other kids. Kindergarten aged kids may actually fit in well with the learning system already and they can actually learn to prepare for school and get along with kids. Also, remember the language issue? Kids learn fast, so give your kids an edge.


Schools

In the district where you live, ask people about the schools and what conditions these schools might be. Are they suitable for your children? Schooling for school aged children is mandatory in Canada, but the public funded ones are free. There are a number of private schools which may be expensive. If your children are going to higher education, check for their fee structure. You are now landed, and it costs less than if your children were applying for schooling on a student visa.

If you’re going to school to further your education or if your children require more information regarding education and schooling in Canada, CICC (Canada Information Centre for International Credentials) might have the information to help you. Click here for CICIC education info (http://www.cicic.ca/382/Education_in_Canada.canada ).


Looking for a Job

Some people may already have job offers when they arrive. For others, it might take a great deal of search. Remember the internet? Use it to do your job search. It may be one of the best ways to reach many job search sites.

But a word of advice: you might want to use a service where well recognized organization analyses your qualification and gives you the Canadian equivalent. This gives you credibility and also offers your prospective employer the confidence to hire you.

It is a very good idea to make use of a special service that will assist individuals, employers, professionals and organizations regarding foreign credential recognition and the assessment of diplomas and qualifications in Canada. This organization is CICIC (Canada Information Centre for International Credentials). Click here for CICIC ( http://www.cicic.ca/ ).

You may want to check out the HRDC or Human Resources Skills Development Canada. They can often point you to some available government funded resources that can help you in your job search or training. Click here for HRDC info. ( http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/home.shtml ).


Starting a Business

Do lots and lots of due diligence. When looking for a business you might be good at, check out the profitability of the idea and what you need to do to start one. Can you afford the time, energy, and funds for it?

Would you prefer a franchise or perhaps a business of your own?

Perhaps you were an investor before and you might be good at it. The same principals still apply but the laws might be a little different. But trading on the open international financial markets still make use of the same rules.

The internet is a great resource, but you may want some help negotiating the ground rules of starting a business. A number of good basic informational sources are available to you. The first resource is head to your local library. They will tell you where you can find the government or privately run organizations that can help you.

There are some private organizations and professionals who can help you with starting up, structuring, organizing and educate you in your business endeavours. But, you might prefer to understand some basic ground rules and government programs available for all Canadian Entrepreneurs. Try Canada Business’ service for entrepreneurs. Click here for Business Canada info ( http://www.canadabusiness.ca/gol/cbec/site.nsf/en/index.html ).


Driving License

If the subway or public transport does not serve you well enough, perhaps you’ll want to drive and get a vehicle. You may already have an international driving license but you have 3 to 6 months (depending on Province) to change it to the Provincial driving license.

It’s advisable to take a course from a reputable driving school. It may cost some money before you take your driving test but it will save you time and money later. You’ll save time because you are more likely to pass your driving test and save money because vehicle insurance companies will give you a huge discount (vehicle insurance in most of Canada is very expensive). And consider the safety issue when you learn the various road rules in Canada and can drive accordingly.

All Provinces and Territories issue their own driving licenses which are legal all across North America. Please call the Provincial or Territorial Transportation Ministry for information after you arrive in Canada.



About the Author

May I extend a warm welcome to you. Also an immigrant to Canada 20 years ago, I brought with me tons of experience and knowledge but they weren’t acceptable in Canada. Even with more education, I was caught in the midst of the last recession. There were jobs but most didn’t pay very well to start. Worse, there weren’t much by way of employment services at the time. Most people were very much on their own as the Canadians here typically did not understand the difficulties new Canadians faced.

I then became my own boss and delved into my expertise – building businesses. In fact, some Federal Government initiative targeting immigrants in the early to mid-1990’s helped propel me into unbelievable success. My international trading business, SYLC International Inc. literally took off. I also became sought after as a consultant, a business mentor, a speaker, an occasional author and for a variety of other business functions.

However, today the services have matured and are made very easily accessible for everyone, but it is always much better to have a guiding hand to help you negotiate the maze of Government and private services available.

And now, in the 21st century, I’ve embraced modern technology and have started new Online Businesses. One of which is the Directory of Toronto (http://directoryoftoronto.com/blog/ ) which is an online directory for businesses and an informational Toronto City News portal.

I hope this resource article helps you.

Wishing you every success in Canada.


Stephen Chua

If you're heading to Ontario and you don't already know about Canadian Newcomer Magazine, let me tell you what you're missing.

This magazine, available online as well as in hard copy, is an excellent resource for anyone choosing Ontario as their home. You'll find it here: http://www.cnmag.ca/

Articles include stories on the experiences of individual newcomers, advice and information on settlement, daily life in particular towns and communities in Ontario, how to get access to services such as health and education, advice and suggestions on job-searching, networking, starting to get to know your new neighbours, specific advice tailored towards particular groups (youth, the elderly, families and so on) and much more.

Take a look at Issue 20, which is all about the immigration and settlement process: http://www.cnmag.ca/index.php/issue-20 Read Veronica Leonard's article on goal-setting and achieving your short- and long-term goals for employment: http://www.cnmag.ca/issue-20/59-issue-20/454-reaching-your-short-and-long-term-goals

Do you know what a double-double is? If not, Marty Green's article on Canadian culture and language is a must: http://www.cnmag.ca/issue-20/59-issue-20/467-do-you-have-double-double-trouble. You'll learn all about snowbirds and Hogtown and loonies and pop - and how to order a coffee at Tim Horton's.

In issue 22, Veronica Leonard also has a great article on workplace culture: http://www.cnmag.ca/issue-22/63-issue-22/521-where-do-you-fit-in-the-culture-of-your-workplace. This issue includes the 2008 settlement guides (available as PDFs on the magazine's home page) and lots more helpful articles: http://www.cnmag.ca/index.php/issue-22

Settlement guide links:
Employment services in Ontario: http://www.cnmag.ca/pdf/EmploymentServices08.pdf
Settlement services in Ontario: http://www.cnmag.ca/pdf/SettlementServicesSm.pdf
Language services in Ontario: http://www.cnmag.ca/pdf/LanguageClasses.pdf

The latest online issue, Issue 25, has a great article on budgeting - http://www.cnmag.ca/current-issue/66-issue-25/602-learn-how-to-budget-and-avoid-the-debt-trap - and another on idioms, something you'll really need to know about as Canadians use them all the time! http://www.cnmag.ca/current-issue/66-issue-25/589-double-talk


I've given you here what I think are some interesting and useful articles from the magazine's website, but you will know what you're particularly interested in, so do browse the past issues. You'll find lots of interesting and helpful information. If you find an article you particularly enjoy and it's not one I've highlighted here, please post the link in the comments section so others can read it too.

Are you living in Canada? Are you preparing to "land" and settle in Canada? Will you be spending any money in Canada? Of course! Aren't we all consumers and customers. While we can't escape consumerism, we can try to save a little here and there in the process. Check out these websites below that provide you with printable coupons for those everyday items you need from the store. Have fun clicking and printing. Take the time to organize your shopping list.

http://smartcanucks.ca/

http://www.redflagdeals.com/

http://flyerland.ca/

http://ilovesamples.com/

http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com/

http://currentcodes.com/

http://coupons.smartsource.com/

http://www.save-beta.com/english/index.php


These websites are courtesy of Toronto Star Living Reporter Trish Crawfort who wrote a practical story on Wednesday, April 23, 2009.

Below is the link to that Toronto Star article:

http://www.thestar.com/article/622538


Read the article below:

Value-savvy shoppers score big with coupons
by Trish Crawford, Toronto Star Living Reporter

Get out the scissors. It's time to clip coupons again.

It's a skill Sarah Daly learned at her mother's knee, and one that recession-weary shoppers are learning to love again.

"The reality is, there is no reason for me to pay full price," Daly says.

The 34-year-old marketing consultant says she saves $20 or more a month on food and personal care products using coupons from flyers and coupon books dropped off at the door.

She also prints coupons from websites, such as smartcanucks.ca, which collect specials and coupons.

Daly, who lives and works in Toronto and travels on public transit, does three mini-shops during the week. If she has a coupon for Price Chopper, for example, she makes a point of going along a route that will take her there.

"I don't want to spend my hard-earned money when it's so easy to save," she says.

Coupons aren't just for groceries, says business professor Rob Wilson, of Ryerson University's Ted Rogers School of Management.

"Back 25 years ago, the vast majority of coupons were for food items, but now you see coupons for everything," including car oil changes, power tools or cups of coffee. Businesses are also accepting competitors' coupons to hang on to customers, he notes.

Historically, Canadians have used coupons only a third as much as Americans, says Wilson, an expert in marketing. Coupon-clipping and trying to get the best bargain possible have just not been as pervasive in our culture, he says.

There is also a high degree of "slippage" in Canada, he says, when a coupon is clipped but forgotten until it is expired or lost, or the product is bought at full price anyway.

Marcy Berg knows about slippage. "Half the time I don't use them, although I have great intentions," she says about coupons.

The mortgage broker puts her coupons in an envelope in a drawer at home, right beside her Canadian Tire money. If something is special and she doesn't want to forget it, she puts it in front of her on her desk while she works.

She picks up coupons at trade shows such as Canada Blooms or The Women's Show, where many are handed out.

She also finds them in grocery stores, as well as online, from which she downloads coupons for Shoppers Drug Mart and tickets to Canada's Wonderland. When she buys a magazine, the first thing she does is rip out the coupons.

She has no idea how much she saves, but Berg admits she is coupon-crazy.

"I need a support group," she says, laughing.

Online shoppers use coupons, too, says Barry Boone, of Oklahoma, whose website currentcodes.com has more than 500,000 monthly visitors, many of them Canadians.

Launched in 2001, Boone says the site is getting more traffic during the recession, with 20 per cent more visitors this month than a year ago. However, people are spending less, he says, citing the average purchase for a major store falling to $100 from $150.

Even though stores lose some money on a purchase when a coupon is used, they are betting they will sell more items because of the savings to the shopper, he says.

"In this economic climate, you'll entice people to spend money," says Boone.

This recession is unique in that it has caused a sea change in the way even people with money and secure jobs are behaving, says consumer behaviour expert Melanie Dempsey.

"People now say, I feel bad about being excessive," says Dempsey, also of Ryerson. "It used to be people wanted to show the brand, and that being thrifty was cheap. Now, being thrifty is the new in."

Dempsey says clipping coupons is an outward demonstration of being thrifty.

"From now on, being thrifty and looking for value will be important. Value is smart."

Teresa Makarewicz, who has a degree in food and nutrition, says it's important to make a grocery list before you go to the store and to attach all your coupons to the list.

"Often as not, the coupon is left at home or is in your other purse," she says, pointing out that a list keeps you from impulse-buying.

Makarewicz, of Ancaster, warns against getting "so excited we are getting a deal" that you waste money on something you won't use.

Though some struggle, newcomers bring benefits in tough economic times


March 22, 2009
Nicholas Keung, Toronto Star
IMMIGRATION REPORTER


In the early 1990s, with signs of a recession looming, Cynthia Lai rushed to sell her downtown condominiums, anticipating a real estate market crash similar to those of previous economic downturns. She miscalculated.

"I dumped all my condos because I didn't know the market would have been sustained by immigration, which, I think, saved our economy in the 1990s," said Lai, a realtor in Toronto since 1983.

The '90s recession was the only time in Canada's history that Ottawa didn't reduce immigration during a downturn.. The current recession has led to debate about whether Canada should follow the recent actions of countries like the U.K. and Australia in tightening the immigration tap.

At issue is whether immigrants drive up unemployment and welfare caseloads or help stimulate a troubled economy. It is hard to say whether the Mulroney government's decision in the early 1990s to keep immigration levels at the 230,000 mark was a mistake or a blessing. Data do suggest that many who came to Canada during that period never recovered from chronic unemployment and underemployment – what scholars call "the scarring effect."

"These people came here and had a tough time getting any decent job," said University of Toronto sociologist Jeffrey Reitz. "Their professional careers got derailed. Their skills became stale. They were stuck even when the economy bounced back.

"These people are worse off for their entire life."

Canada's unemployment rate rose to 11.4 per cent in 1993, the same year 256,703 people arrived, the highest level in decades.

Results of Canadian research on immigration's economic impact have been mixed, but the prevalent belief is immigration has a benefit, in good times or bad, by virtue of population growth.

That seems to be the case for Markham, where the population grew 80 per cent, from 145,500 in 1991 to 261,600 in 2006, mainly due to an influx of immigrants. The population boom has led to rapid residential and commercial development, making the town Greater Toronto's fourth-most populous municipality and attracting big corporations such as IBM and soon-to-come Honda Canada.

"We are blessed with the diversity of the community and the highly skilled immigrants who came with worldwide experience and strong entrepreneurial spirit," said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti after a recent meeting with developers of a proposed, $130-million shopping mall near Kennedy Rd. and Hwy. 7.

"We have new neighbourhoods, retail and commercial spaces, all because of our new immigrants," he added. "It wasn't easy. Everything didn't happen overnight. But immigration is really the future of our economic prosperity in the long run."

Lai, who came here from Hong Kong in 1972, pointed out that newcomers generally are more inclined to own homes. "People from Hong Kong, China and India all believe in home ownership," she said. "The first thing they do when they come here is buy a house. Had we not had immigrants sustaining the (real estate) market, the bubble would have burst a long time ago."

However, economist Arthur Sweetman said the impact of the current recession is more complicated than the 1990s downturn, as the "triple threat" goes beyond traditional manufacturing to the commodity and financial sectors.

The demographics of Canada's newcomers have also evolved. The inflow of wealthy Hong Kong tycoons, a staple in the early 1990s, came to a halt after the island's return to China in 1997. The majority of skilled immigrants arriving now may be financially established but they aren't necessarily as wealthy.

"Newcomers could contribute to and stimulate the housing market," said Sweetman, director of the Queen's University School of Policy Studies. But how it is going to play out, he cautioned, is hard to say.

There is a perception among some that too many immigrants arriving in tough times will only strain Canada's resources, and swell welfare rolls and unemployment lines.

But Ryerson University professor John Shields, a director of the Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement in Toronto, said most skilled immigrants with professional designations – who make up 55 per cent of all 250,000 newcomers to Canada each year – are unlikely to go on social assistance. "We have to remember, immigrants are risk-takers who have ambitions and skills. They would rather exist on the margins than being on welfare."

His concern is more for the thousands of temporary foreign workers brought here on two- and three-year visas to fill labour shortages, only to be out of work in the midst of a recession. These workers can legally stay in Canada until their visas expire but are not entitled to employment insurance or social assistance, so are likely to take jobs that pay less and ultimately drive down wages. Last year, Canada admitted 193,000 such workers.

So, do immigrants, here permanently or not, steal jobs from Canadians in a recession? Yes and no, experts say. There is always a chronic shortage of medical practitioners, for example, and the hiring of immigrants would not have an impact on Canadians seeking these jobs.

Yo'av Kaplun, a University Health Network human resources adviser, noted that there is a time lag between training a person and filling a job, and hospitals can't compromise patients' health. "It would take someone five years to be certified (as an MRI operator). Sometimes, the numbers just aren't there," said Kaplun, whose hospital recruited nine skilled immigrants to Toronto through Opportunities Ontario, a two-year-old provincial program that fast-tracks foreign workers to come as permanent residents. Despite the economic slowdown, the program last month doubled its target to 1,000 workers a year, from doctors and accountants to entrepreneurs and engineers.

In one case a few years ago, the UHN went overseas to find a nuclear pharmacist – a specialist on radioactive drugs for diagnosis and therapy – as there were only 14 of them in Canada.

Anne Golden, president and CEO of the Conference Board of Canada, said last year's changes to the immigration system have provided the country with the flexibility to weather the storm. The new "just-in-time" rules that bring in immigrants whose skills we need immediately can more quickly respond to the economic changes, she said.

The conference board, an independent research body, believes Canada's economy will bounce back in 2010. A knee-jerk reduction of immigration now wouldn't make sense, said Golden.

A bigger concern, perhaps, is how to keep a disillusioned pool of skilled talent arriving in economic tough times from leaving.

A 2006 Statistics Canada report on brain drain between 1981 and 1996 found that skilled immigrants who came to Canada during a recession were 50-per-cent more likely to leave the country for better opportunities elsewhere.

Sweetman of Queen's University suggests Canada reduce the numbers of skilled immigrants in the short term, provided overall immigration levels remain intact over the next decade.

Since a recession tends to have a lingering negative impact on entrepreneurs and skilled immigrants, Sweetman said Ottawa should bring in more in the family reunification class and shift the focus back to educated and skilled newcomers when the economy recovers.

"But it all depends if we are going to have a U-shape (longer) or V-shape (shorter) recession," he explained. "If it's going to be V-shape, we shouldn't do anything about our immigration, because there is always the six-month time lag." The recession, he said, could be over before any changes are felt.


http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/606237