Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney today announced changes to strengthen provincial immigration programs.
Starting July 1, 2012, most Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicants for semi- and low-skilled professions will have to undergo mandatory language testing of their listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities and meet a minimum standard across all four of these categories.
In addition, Minister Kenney said that further changes to the program will be made to continue to focus on economic streams. The changes are the latest in a series of announcements the Minister has made about transforming Canada’s economic immigration program into a fast and flexible system focused on jobs, growth and prosperity.
“As a result, immigrants coming to Canada under PNPs will arrive with much better language skills and will be selected for the impact they can have on Canada’s economy,” the Minister said. He was joined at a news conference by his Saskatchewan counterpart, Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris.
The announcement is the latest in a series Minister Kenney has made about transforming Canada’s immigration system to better support economic growth.
The PNP has been a major success in helping to spread the benefits of immigration across the country, with many economic immigrants choosing to settle outside of the three major cities. In Saskatchewan, 5,354 immigrants arrived under the program in 2010, compared with 173 in 2003.
“We have supported enormous growth in the number of provincial nominees in recent years because it makes sense for the provinces and territories to have the flexibility to meet regional needs,” said Minister Kenney. “Saskatchewan has successfully used the program and has actively recruited immigrants with the skills needed here. I’d like to thank the province for its continued cooperation.”
“Newcomers play a significant role in building and maintaining the highest quality of life in our province and in our country,” said Minister Norris. “The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to building the best provincial immigration program to meet our economic and labour market needs.”
The Provincial Nominee Program was designed to be aligned with Canada’s economic and labour needs. But, in some provinces, it is being used as an indirect route to family reunification.
“We have a federal family sponsorship program that reunites families,” added Minister Kenney. “This is not the goal of the PNP and we want to work with provinces and territories to ensure that the program is solely focused on supporting economic growth rather than duplicating non-economic federal immigration streams.”
The PNP is now Canada’s second largest economic immigration program, with admissions having grown from about 8,000 immigrants in 2005 to expected admissions of 42,000 people this year. Each province and territory is responsible for the design and management of its own PNP, which must be consistent with federal immigration policy, legislation and the terms of bilateral agreements.
An official with Nova Scotia’s Office of Immigration says more immigrants will be needed to fill jobs as the federal shipbuilding contract ramps up.
Executive director Elizabeth Mills says the province is putting together a business case that will be presented to Ottawa.Mills told a legislature committee today that the current demand for skilled workers is meeting the supply, but that will change rapidly by 2014.Mills says economic models indicate there could be between 3,000 to 10,000 jobs that need to be filled as part of the shipbuilding contract.
She says the province will need to increase immigration through all immigration streams including its nominee program for skilled workers to help address that.
Mills says demand is high for the current program, which is capped at 500 and has met its target in each of the last two years.
Saskatchewan and the prairie provinces are growing at their fastest rate ever, according to the latest population census.
Indeed, the west of the country is booming. For the first time in the nation’s history, Western Canada has a greater population than all of Quebec, the Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador combined. The population shift came thanks to the West’s massive resource base and related employment opportunities, of course. Income and corporate tax rates, retirement options, even climate are other factors that favour the West.
In Alberta and Saskatchewan especially, young families are able to find viable housing options within major metropolitan areas and in their adjacent, suburban communities. Airdrie, which is just north of Calgary, experienced an astonishing 47% growth rate from 2006 to 2011. Okotoks, to the south, saw its population increase 43% and High River, a little further down the highway, grew nearly 21% over the same census period. Strathmore, just east of Calgary, had a 20% growth spurt.
Calgary itself had the highest rate of population growth of any metropolitan area in Canada, at over 12%, with Edmonton just at its heels. And look at Saskatoon: Third highest metropolitan growth rate in Canada. Why? Affordable housing and work that attracts newcomers, mostly immigrants.
Saskatchewan has seen population growth for each of the past 11 years. Immigration Minister Rob Norris said he anticipates some 4,000 people will apply under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program this year. With family members, that could mean as many as 12,500 people arriving in Saskatchewan.
Jobs are the big draw. Demand for skilled labour in Western Canada’s booming oil and gas sector continues to grow, and Saskatchewan is flush with both, as well as potash and uranium. Indeed, the Saskatchewan economy remains a juggernaut even in the face of worldwide economic turmoil.
Want to move to Canada ? Come to Canada Live in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham in February 2012.
Canadian governments and employers will be in Edinburgh next week, hoping to recruit some highly skilled Scottish workers.
The Canada Live jobs expo will play host to the governments of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward island, as well as several Canadian employers from the provinces. Skilled workers are in demand to fill a number of roles in Canada, and the recruitment teams will be looking to fill these vacancies in Edinburgh.
The roles being recruited for range from highly qualified software engineers, nurses, and financial specialists, through to truck mechanics, welders, and trade specialists like plasterers. In addition to generous salary and relocation allowances, successful candidates will also be able to benefit from the breathtaking scenery and outdoors life that Canada’s east coast can offer, not to mention its famed seafood.
Gaylene MacKenzie, Program Officer for Prince Edward island’s Immigration & Investment Division, and someone who has strong Scottish antecedents, says “ We are coming to Scotland looking for candidates who want to help us grow our province. Over the past decade, we have helped literally thousands of people from north of the border make a new life in Canada, so we are here to recruit more skilled workers to join them.”
John Weir, from event organisers EDP, comments, “Canada Live is proud to be bringing Canada to Scotland. Over the two days we are in Edinburgh, we’ll be giving visitors a real flavour of Canadian life, as well as all the vital information they’ll need to make a new life over the pond.”
Canada Live, the UK’s number one for jobs and emigration to Canada is at the International Convention Centre in Edinburgh on the 18th & 19th February 2012 . Doors open on both days at 10am and tickets cost £10 each in advance – under 16’s go free. Tickets can be bought via the website www.canadalive.co.uk or by phoning 01179 323586
For more information –
John Weir, Event Director
01179 323586 / 07891 077012 john.weir@edpltd.co.uk
Canada’s mayors have sounded the alarm about a drastic shortage of rental housing across the country.
One-third of Canadians are renters, yet apartment construction has accounted for just 10 per cent of all new residential building over the last 15 years, according to a new report released by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) according to The Star.
A virtual doubling in house prices the last decade has pushed home ownership further and further out of reach of many Canadians and left municipalities like Brampton with waiting lists of 15,000 people and growing for affordable rental units, said Brampton mayor Susan Fennell, also co-chair of FCM’s Big Cities Mayors caucus.
While there is enough social housing in Canada right now for almost 700,000 lower-income Canadians, that makes up just 5 per cent of the country’s housing stock and isn’t nearly enough to keep up with demand, the report notes.
Condos have become a secondary form of rental accommodation in bigger cities like Toronto, but they are often too high-priced for many renters, and too small for most families, Fennell noted.
Looking for property in Canada ? Come to Canada Live, in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham in February 2012.
Manitoba experienced its highest inflow of international immigrants in nearly 40 years this spring.
New population figures released by Statistics Canada show that Manitoba had a net international migration of nearly 4,400 people between April 1 and July 1 2010. Given that each of those migrants will bring an average of 2 family members with them, the actual number is probably nearer 13,000.
Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard said the federal government recently imposed a cap of 5,000 spaces for Manitoba’s nominee program for 2010 and 5,000 more in 2011, in order to balance the influx of economic immigrants with other streams like refugees and family reunifications.
To find out more about emigrating to Canada, come to Canada Live on the 5th & 6th March 2011.
The federal government wants to keep Canada’s immigration levels steady next year but change the mix of newcomers, limiting economic immigrants and boosting the number of spouses and children.
The Conservative government says it aims to take in between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents in 2011, which is broadly the same numbers as in 2009 and this year.But Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is looking to cut the economic class of immigrants by about 5,000 people – despite highlighting the growing dependence of the Canadian workforce on immigrant labour.
“Canada’s post-recession economy demands a high level of legal immigration to keep our workforce strong,” Mr. Kenney said in a news release.
Provinces are taking a growing role in selecting economic immigrants, the report notes. As the number of federally selected newcomers in the economic class drops back, the number of provincially selected workers is climbing.
Glen Hodgson, chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, argues that the recession prompted a temporary glut in workers. As the economy recovers, and as retirements soar, he figures Canada will require about 350,000 immigrants a year by 2030 in order to keep its workforce growing.
We are aware that for many people, starting a move to Canada can be a difficult and often confusing experience. If you are serious about starting a new life in Canada, then make sure you come to our seminars in Guildford on the 22nd January and Leeds on the 29th January .
Each of the “Your Move” seminars features a host of useful information on the visa pathways, job opportunities and living advice designed to speed your move downunder.
At the seminars, you will hear from experienced and registered immigration advisors, from relocation specialists and from the editorial team behind the market leading publication, Canada Magazine.
The seminar will cover :
- An introduction to Canada ; its economy, jobs, housing market
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Canada is welcoming record numbers of migrants, many from the UK, according to the Canadian Immigration Minister.
“While other Western countries cut back on immigration during the recession, our government kept legal immigration levels high. Canada’s post-recession economy demands a high level of economic immigration to keep our economy strong,” said Minister Kenney.
“In 2010, we welcomed the highest number of permanent residents in the past 50 years to support Canada’s economic recovery while taking action to maintain the integrity of Canada’s immigration system with the introduction of the Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada’s Immigration System Act.”
In 2010, Canada admitted 280,636 permanent residents, about six per cent more than the government’s planned range of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents for 2010. This is in line with the announcement made in June last year to adjust the 2010 immigration plan to meet the need for economic immigration. The 280,636 figure is about 60,000 higher than the average annual intake of permanent residents in the 1990s.
The high number of economic immigrants in 2010 has helped the Canadian Immigration department decrease application backlogs in the federal skilled worker category, reduce wait times under the Action Plan for Faster Immigration, and better meet labour market needs.
For information on emigrating to Canada, plus a look at available jobs, get your tickets to Canada Live in London on the 5th & 6th March
Canadians should see a “solid” jobs market for the remainder of the year, according to a newly released survey of hiring managers.
The job growth trend in Canada remains solid, as employers expect to continue to add more positions in the second half of this year. CareerBuilder.ca’s latest job forecast shows that six-in-ten (61 per cent) employers plan to hire new employees between July and December, up from 58 per cent in 2010.
“The job growth trend in Canada remains solid, as employers expect to continue to add more positions in the second half of this year,” CareerBuilder said in a statement.
Forty-three per cent of respondents said they would be hiring full-time staff in the last half of the year, 26 per cent said they’d hire parttime workers, and 27 per cent said they would be looking for temporary or contract workers.
Looking for a new life in Canada ? Come to Canada Live! in London and Birmingham this September. Get migration advice, search for jobs and talk to emigration specialists. Plus – save 30% on ticket prices by buying in advance.
London based ArcelorMittal is planning a giant new opencast mine 300 miles inside the Canadian Arctic Circle in a bid to extract a potential $23bn (£14bn) worth of iron ore. This move comes amidst soaring iron ore prices in China.
The mining industry can be said to be the single most important factor in building the Canadian Economy up to where it is today. It is the largest exporter of minerals and metals in the world and is the leading producer and exporter of potash and uranium; the second-largest producer of asbestos and sulphur and the third-largest of titanium, platinum-group metals (PGMs) and mine zinc, fourth in aluminium (from imported oxide), fifth in copper, lead, silver, and gold, and among the leading producers of nickel, salt, and nitrogen in ammonia. Petroleum, natural gas and diamonds are also top commodity exports. Canada exports 90% of all extracted minerals. Despite its top ranking, Canada still has vast potential as only 0.03% of the country has been explored.
If you are interested in a new job or new life in Canada, why not come to Canada Live!, taking place in London and Birmingham this September.
Anyone who has the skills that Canada needs can jump the immigration queue and make their dream of emigrating to Canada a reality.
That’s according to Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who has said that applicants with experience in key occupations and with job offers from Canadian employers can move to the front of Canada’s growing immigration queue – currently thought to be more than a million applicants. At present, around 30% of Canadian immigrants are economic migrants selected as a result of having a job offer or the requisite skills.
If you are looking for work in Canada, or want more information about emigrating to this fascinating country, why not come to Canada Live in London and Birmingham this September ?
Canada is struggling with physician shortages across the country and will need to recruit more doctors from overseas.
That’s according to a director of the national organization that oversees the medical education of specialists in Canada.Dr. Ken Harris, education director for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, said a new interprovincial transfer agreement that allows doctors to move more freely across the country could intensify the departure of doctors in some parts of the country.
The warning comes in the wake of a 50 per cent increase in the number of doctors leaving New Brunswick since Canada’s provincial governments moved to reduce barriers to labour mobility.The province’s internationally-trained doctors are also fighting for the same mobility rights which they allege have been stripped away by the New Brunswick College and the provincial government to make sure they can’t practise elsewhere in Canada.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Harris said. “If we increase mobility then will this make it more difficult for us to populate smaller, and I hesitate to use the word, but less desirable settings?As long as there are human resource shortages across the country and physicians are freely mobile, that allows them to go wherever they want and for that to happen.”
If you are looking for a new healthcare job, or a new career in Canada, then come to Canada Live, in London and Birmingham this September.
The newly installed Premier of Canadian province British Columbia, Christy Clark, has announced the creation of the BC Immigration Task Force – with the aim of increasing the number of skilled immigrants and investors in BC.
The task force will review the effectiveness of all of B.C.’s current immigration programs and make recommendations on how to improve the federal government’s responsiveness to immigration needs for skilled workers throughout Western Canada. John Yap, head of the task force, said skilled people all over the world want to come to B.C. The aim of the task force is to make it easier for skilled workers to emigrate.
The nine-member group will consist of community and business leaders and will review the Provincial Nominee Program, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Immigrant Investor Program. The group will begin its work immediately and submit a final report by the end of March 2012.
“We’ve laid out an ambitious plan to create jobs in the B.C. Jobs Plan and we will need skilled immigrants to help fill more than one million job openings expected over the next decade,” Clark said. “We don’t know yet, how we’re going to fill those jobs.”
Looking for a job in British Columbia or across Canada ? Come to Canada Live in Edinburgh, London and Birmingham in February 2012.
Alberta is 114,000 shortfall between the jobs available and those able to fill them, up over 48 per cent on its 2009 forecast.
The Alberta government’s latest occupational demand and supply outlook sees 606,000 new jobs being created by 2021, with 492,000 new workers joining the labour force to fill them.
Shortages are expected in the trades, among health-care workers, financial services, retail, public service and the restaurant and tourism industries.
Want a job in Alberta or any of the provinces of Canada ? Come to Canada Live! in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh, February 2012.
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Steady+jobs+growth+forecast/5917363/story.html#ixzz1i46mC6G2
Alberta has had it’s best year for jobs growth since 1997, say new statistics.
Alberta’s unemployment rate remained the lowest in the nation, decreasing slightly from five per cent in Nov. to 4.9 per cent in December. The growth in jobs has been driven by the energy industry, and in particular Alberta’s rich oil reserves. The main industries The main industries seeing growth in jobs include construction, health care, social assistance, and both the wholesale and retail trade.
The province’s low unemployment rate is great news for job hunters, but for many employers, it represents what may be the biggest looming threat to continued growth in 2012, as the competition — and the cost — to attract and retain skilled staff heats up. During the last jobs boom in Alberta, there was a huge shortage of skilled labour, and to offset this, many companies will again look at bringing in skilled workers from the UK and elsewhere.
Looking for a job in Alberta ? Come to Canada Live in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh in 2012.
Thousands of temporary foreign workers are at risk of losing their permission to work in Canada and being sent home reports The Star.
Since November, many foreigners working in skilled jobs and trades in Canada have had their renewal applications rejected. Some are being forced to collect wages under the table while trying to restore their work status.
Legal experts blame the chaos on two government departments being badly out of sync in processing the documents required to get a temporary work permit.
“It is a colossal headache,” said David Coombes, an immigration consultant based in Victoria, B.C., who has had seven such refusals recently. “This is unfair to the employers and especially to the workers, who will have to go home.”
A foreign worker needs two documents to work legally in Canada. The first is a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from Service Canada, which assesses whether a foreign worker is needed. The second is Citizenship and Immigration Canada, charged with processing the work permit application, which involves verifying the job as well as medical and criminal checks.
According to Service Canada, the average processing time for an LMO is up from 15 business days a year ago to 22 days — a figure that’s widely disputed.
Cobus Kriek, a Toronto-based immigration consultant, said it’s taking up to 12 weeks now to get an LMO for his clients.
“This is a massive crisis for both employers and workers,” said Kriek, who has had two work permit refusals on the basis that an LMO was not ready.
Kriek said foreign workers can continue working legally under what is known as “implied status” if their renewal application is filed before the work permit expires. But once the renewal has been refused, they’re not allowed to work. Employers have to submit a new application, at $150 per worker, hoping the LMO will come through on time, said Kriek.
A mining company in Alberta that employs more than 500 people complained it has taken 21 weeks to obtain a work permit for their foreign workers.
“We are in the process of completing major expansions, but we cannot get the foreign workers here fast enough,” the company, which asked not to be identified in this story, said in a letter to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
Immigration said it takes 40 days to process work permits with an existing employer, compared with 86 days a year ago.
“It is important that the employer applies for a new LMO before the expiration of their employee’s work permit,” said immigration spokesperson Nancy Caron.
“This is not a change in policy or procedure and would help to ensure that the LMO is issued in time for CIC to process the work permit application.”
But critics complain that Service Canada does not post the LMO processing time online and employers are unaware of the long delay.
Service Canada told the Star some regions tend to experience more delay due to the volume of applications. Other delays are caused by missing information — for instance, proof from the employer that the company has tried to recruit in Canada — or a failure to fully complete and sign the application.
Also, a more “rigorous LMO assessment process” has been in place since last April to improve the integrity of the program and better protect foreign workers from abuse. The department says it’s working on making better use of online services and a simplified application process to reduce delays.
Sukhjit Nagra, a consultant based in Delta, B.C., said her client, a high-skilled commercial carpenter, had his work permit expire early in November and has until the end of this month before he has to pack and return to India. A renewal application is in process but the LMO still hasn’t arrived.
“It is not just an inconvenience. His employer has taken on contracts based on this foreign worker being there to lead two other, lower-skilled Canadian workers,” said Nagra. “This is a problem. The employer is going to lose money. Our economy is going to lose money.”
Temporary foreign workers in Canada
200196,390
2002101,099
2003109,679
2004125,034
2005140,690
2006160,854
2007199,246
2008249,796
2009281,349
2010282,771
Saskatchewan’s population hit an all-time high of 1,067,612 last year, according to population estimates released Wednesday by Statistics Canada.
That number represents a 17,064-person jump over 2010 figures — the highest single-year increase since 1953 when the population rose by 18,000 people. The province’s 1.62 per cent growth rate was the second highest in Canada behind Alberta.
Net interprovincial migration was recorded at 1,181 people. Saskatchewan and Alberta were the only two provinces to experience more people moving in from other parts of Canada than those who left.
Premier Brad Wall attributed the rise to Saskatchewan’s growing economy.
“This speaks to the strength of our economy and illustrates a clear shift in the economic fortunes of our country to Western Canada and to Saskatchewan,” Wall said. “Saskatchewan is now a ‘have’ province with a vibrant economy and a growing population. That’s a big change from just a few short years ago.”
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is calling on employers to actively seek out and recruit the skilled immigrants they need, so that the Immigration Department can fast-track their applications and address Canada’s skills shortages.
Mr. Kenney plans create a just-in-time immigration system in which immigrants, particularly those with strong language skills, would be offered a job, have their credentials assessed, get accepted and settled in Canada – all within a year of applying. At the moment, that process can take several years
Richard McKeagan, president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, welcomed the news that Mr. Kenney wants to introduce a special immigration stream for skilled tradespeople. “There’s going to be a skills shortage in our industry, there are some already in some parts of the country,” Mr. McKeagan said. “Anything that allows people in the construction industry, where we need people, to find meaningful employment, we support that.”
Come to Canada Live to find your dream job in Canada
As a record number now live west of Ontario, the province is looking to migrants to redress the balance.
In a direct response to the province’s shrinking share of Canada’s immigrant population over the past decade, Charles Sousa, Ontario’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, has announced the creation of Ontario’s first ever immigration strategy.
Although Ontario continues to be the largest recipient of new immigrants in Canada each year, it has suffered as a result of changes to immigration policy and more and more migrants are beginning to flock to Western and Atlantic Canada because of the rapid growth of provincial nominee programs.
Sousa said the initiative will be crucial to the province’s economic future and urged the Canadian federal government to negotiate a new agreement on immigration with Ontario. He said, “It’s a priority for us to ensure that Ontario has fairness in the system. “Right now, things are happening at the expense of Ontario and I’m trying to change that.”
Looking for a new life in Canada ? Come to our Canada Live events in 2012.
Grab your boots, chaps and cowboy hats, 2012 will mark the centennial celebration of the world-famous Calgary Stampede. With 100 years to celebrate, extensive plans are in place and include the longest zip line in North America, a new ride named after the legendary Bull, ‘Outlaw’ and birthday parties throughout the year. This will be one of the greatest events of the year. www.calgarystampede.com
Canada’s Cultural Capital for 2012 and named top #5 place to visit in the world:
Calgary is Canada’s Cultural Capital in 2012 in recognition of the thriving arts and cultural sector found in the city.
The accolade includes a grant from Canadian Heritage, which will boost the £1.2 million (C$2 mn.) commitment made by the Calgary City Council earlier in 2011 to assist in growing the vibrant arts scene.
The celebrations will include grassroots events and programmes, an artist in residence programme, as well as a national and international cultural exchange programme, a mass participation spectacle event and the creation of a municipal cultural plan. These programmes look set to foster creativity, facilitate connections and build communities. A family-friendly celebration will start the year off, which runs from April 2012 to March 2013. To engage in the Calgary 2012 conversation, visit www.calgary2012.com
Calgary has also been voted by CNN International’s website, www.cnngo.com as one of the top #5 places to visit in 2012. CNN Go stated that the costs of transportation and accommodation ensure it is a top value destination and with the Calgary Stampede 100th anniversary coming up in 2012, this was the year to get to Calgary.
Local food movements also on the rise:
Street food culture is on the rise in Calgary with new food truck projects proving to be very popular. Charcut Roast House, the leading Calgary restaurant renowned for using local artisan ingredients, introduced the Alley Burger Food Truck last year, resulting in queues of people lining the alley to get their hand on a $5 gourmet burger.
Street food reflects the place, people and products that make each city unique and so adds a new dimension to Calgary’s already extensive food culture. Foodies should visit Calgary from 2nd – 12th March 2012 and enjoy The Big Taste Festival in which over 100 restaurants in the city take part. Visitors can savour wine and food pairing culinary events, Calgary beer tour and world class dining at restaurants such as Charcut, Rouge and Jelly Modern Doughnut.
Alberta South: Birds of a feather: Prehistory revisited after new dinosaur find and 25 years at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
The headlines read like something out of the movie Jurassic Park, with researchers recently discovering chunks of tree resin, or amber, that contains 80-million-year-old feathers. Alberta is now offering up to the world valuable new insight into the evolutionary links between dinosaurs and birds.
In southern Alberta they’ve been digging up more dinosaur bones of late than they have scientists to analyse. With this latest discovery it is a great time to visit if you have a passion for the past, since the south of the Province is now a hotbed for significant dinosaur finds.
You can fulfil childhood dreams and your kids can have a fantastic time as they dig for dinosaur bones at Dinosaur Provincial Park, Southern Alberta. Here you can join world-renowned palaeontologists from the Royal Tyrrell Museum and delve in to 300 million years of history and the beginnings of life on our planet.
§ Children can excavate in a realistic quarry
§ Make their own fossil replica
§ Guided tour through the Canadian Badlands to learn about the history and prospect for dinosaur bones
§ Even take part in a camp at the Museum (all family welcome)
For more information about the Royal Tyrrell Museum: www.tyrrellmuseum.com
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump celebrates 25 years of storytelling
Since it’s opening in 1987, Head-Smashed-In has welcomed over 2.5 million visitors from across the globe all keen to learn more at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. To celebrate the anniversary on Wednesday 25th July, a celebration is being held and will include First Nations drumming and dancing, special entertainment and guests, unveiling of the UNESCO plaque along with storytelling of the ancient buffalo hunting culture.
Alternatively on the first Saturday of the month from May – October, visitors can hike to the ancient drive lanes with the Blackfoot guides and hear stories of the how the Plains people hunted the mighty buffalo. www.head-smashed-in.com
Banff & Lake Louise: Royal getaways, new back-country hiking tours and foodie festivals
Follow in the footsteps of royalty
Follow in the footsteps of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Skoki Lodge in Alberta’s scenic Rocky Mountain backcountry. Skoki Lodge is situated in a beautiful high alpine region in Banff National Park. The eleven kilometre trail from Lake Louise to the Skoki Valley ensures this lodge always has a sense of privacy and visitors have certainly earnt the warm and luxurious hospitality received when they get there. Fantastic in both winter and summer, the lodge was first built for ski tourists in 1931. www.skoki.com
Adventures in the Park
Whether on two wheels, on foot, on skis or from the air, the extensive ways to experience Banff National Park seem to be never-ending and yet always fulfil their promise.
From Banff town site, cyclists now have even more trails to take them off to Lake Louise and beyond on a combination of paved, non-motorised trails and parkways. The trails join the 190km of systems suitable for both road and mountain bikers. Banff Tunnel Mountain Trail is a local’s favourite and suitable for beginners, intermediate and advanced cyclists whilst offering scenic views overlooking Mount Rundle, Spray Valley and the renowned Hoodoos.
New for 2012, is the Wapta Ice Hike which is a hut based tour involving hiking on a glacier over three days, allowing participants to get up close and personal with the breath-taking scenery of the Canadian Rockies. Tours are with a qualified mountain guide. http://yamnuska.com/mountaineering/beginner-programs/wapta-icefields.
Alternative back-country adventures are available throughout the year whether visitors are a novice or expert hiker or back-country skier. A Women’s Intro to Mountaineering has also been introduced and offers a great new women only experience.
Other adventures to be experienced in Banff National Park include, the ‘Heli-Imagination’ Tours with Icefield & Kananaskis Heli Tours. Choose from heli-hiking, heli-yoga, heli-fishing, heli-rafting, heli-dogsledding, heli-snowshoe, the list does go on but the policy of preserving the environment and making no impact the breathtaking scenery is observed at all times.
EcoYoga Adventures is another way to experience Banff National Park. Either take part in a day programme or get off the beaten track with the new Yoga Hiking Retreats. Participants revel at the spectacular mountain scenery, secret hiking trails, yoga classes, delicious mountain cuisine and luxurious lodges. www.ecoyoga.ca
Num-Ti-Jah Lodge has introduced photography workshops. The Lodge was the dream of Jimmy Simpson who travelled over to Canada from England in 1898 and started to build the lodge 20 years later. It is now a renowned property and this summer the lodge will be offering several photography workshops with accomplished photographer Paul Zizka. www.sntj.ca
Rocky Mountain Cuisine celebrated:
As the birthplace of Canadian Rocky Mountain Cuisine, both Banff and Lake Louise have long celebrated the diversity and creativity of their culinary communities. The immensely popular Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival offers a weekend of food and wine tastings. The fifth annual Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival is scheduled to take place 4th – 5th May 2012.
Jasper: Eye on Jasper’s dark sky at night
Just recently Jasper was officially christened as the latest and the largest of Canada’s Dark Sky Preserves — not only the largest in the country, but the largest in the world. Exactly what is a Dark Sky Preserve? It’s an area “where nature’s night environment is protected and preserved for the benefit of all species, including humans.” The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada rubber stamped Jasper National Park an official Dark Sky Preserve with an area of 11,228 sq km.
This means there are fantastic star gazing spots throughout the park and throughout the seasons – visit Pyramid Island, Columbia Icefield or Maligne Lake. It’s dark here — Jasper is regarded as the darkest of all of Canada’s Dark Sky Preserves. For more information checkout: www.jasper.travel / www.skimarmot.com
Edmonton – Festivals and local food scene
Edmonton hosts more than 30 festivals throughout the year, celebrating music, visual arts, dance, performing arts, sports, winter and film. Highlights include Metropolis, a brand new winter festival until February 20th 2012, the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival (July 6th – 15th) and the Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival (August 6th – 16th), with more than 200 performers from across the world.
Gourmet lovers can enjoy A Taste of Edmonton in July (19th – 29th) and Edmonton’s food scene continues to grow from strength to strength.
The Food Truck movement in Edmonton is already very strong, with new food trucks starting out in 2012. The food truck movement offers a new look at the traditional and conventional and has grown significantly over the last year. A website to the movement has specifically been created and highlights events www.whatthetruck.ca
Live Local is Canada’s only movement of its kind, encouraging residents and visitors to dine, shop and experience all the goodness of the Edmonton region. With a plethora of restaurants involved plus farmer’s markets open across the city, it is easy for visitors to get involved. They can even take part in culinary classes to learn how to cook Edmonton style.
Edmonton – new Discoveryland at TELUS World of Science:
Discoveryland at TELUS World of Science opened in December 2011 and is a new children’s gallery for little ones under the age of eight. Designed to educate on science in an innovative and interesting manner, this particular gallery has five areas which will bring science to life for toddlers and upwards.
The TELUS World of Science will also be hosting the Star Wars Identities travelling exhibition in October 2012. See Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, and all the unforgettable characters of Star Wars™ like never before. Visitors of all ages learn the components of human identity in this character-driven adventure into what makes us who we are.
www.edmontonscience.com
Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says changes are coming to Canada’s immigration system to make it more flexible in an effort to combat labour shortages.
Kenney told CTV’s Question Period that the government is planning to change the points system for selecting immigrants to recognize the skilled trades. This policy change would alter the focus of the traditional immigration preference for university-educated migrants including engineers and doctors.
“People who are skilled tradespeople have an almost impossible job of coming to Canada under our current system because the skilled worker program basically selects people with advanced university degrees,” Kenney told CTV.He said by opening up the border to more trade-oriented workers, the federal government will be able to attract “hidden jewels” that will help fill labour shortages in specific areas.
Interested in a job in Canada ? Come to Canada Live, the UK’s number one emigrate show for all things Canadian, in Edinburgh, London and Birmingham.
