NHL Hockey
RK TEAM GP W L OT PTS
1 Detroit
73
47
20
6
100
2 San Jose
72
42
21
9
93
3 New Jersey
72
42
24
6
90
4 Anaheim
74
41
25
8
90
5 Pittsburgh
72
41
24
7
89
6 Montreal
73
40
24
9
89
7 Dallas
74
42
27
5
89
8 Ottawa
73
40
26
7
87
9 Minnesota
73
39
26
8
86
10 Calgary
72
37
25
10
84
11 Vancouver
73
37
26
10
84
12 Colorado
74
39
29
6
84
13 NY Rangers
72
37
26
9
83
14 Boston
73
37
27
9
83
15 Carolina
74
39
30
5
83
16 Nashville
73
36
29
8
80
17 Philadelphia
73
35
28
10
80
18 Buffalo
73
34
28
11
79
19 Washington
73
35
30
8
78
20 Florida
74
35
31
8
78
Scores for the top 20 NHL teams as of 18th March 2008

Long-haul Truck Drivers Added to B.C.'s Provincial Nominee Program

British Columbia has launched a pilot project for long-haul truck drivers under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This means that employers will be allowed to recruit internationally for drivers who could then have their permanent residence applications expedited.

“Long-haul truck driver” is one of the first semi-skilled positions included in the Strategic Occupations category that previously focused on executives, professionals, technologists and others with formal post-secondary training. The pilot project, which also includes occupations in the tourism/hotel industry, will allow B.C. employers to recruit new workers internationally and to retain Temporary Foreign Workers whom they have employed for the past 9 months. The PNP has strict conditions for both the worker qualifications and company responsibilities and obligations.

Spouses and dependents of workers accepted into the PNP are also eligible for permanent residence status.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) ultimately decides who will receive permanent residence visas on a case-by-case basis, but gives priority to processing applications for PNP recruits. There is, however, a limit on the number of candidates that CIC will accept and there is no guarantee of permanent residence for an applicant who has fulfilled all of the requirements.

The inclusion of long-haul drivers in the PNP reflects a change in the type of employees needed to maintain B.C.’s economic prosperity for the trucking industry. This includes the 4,500 new drivers needed annually in this province alone. Although Temporary Foreign Workers can fill some of these positions, employers need a more permanent solution to reduce the loss of productivity and ongoing costs of continually replacing them. The provincial government expects to see at least 1,600 immigrants and their families settle in B.C. as a whole this year, through the PNP.  

Canada Lifts Visa Requirements for Travellers from Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary

Citizens of Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary no longer require a temporary resident visa to visit Canada. Visa-free status for the four countries is effective immediately.

Canada already enjoys strong ties with these countries and lifting the visa requirement will help build these relationships to the benefit of Canadians and the citizens of Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) conducts ongoing reviews of the visa requirements for New Member States (NMS) of the European Union (EU). These reviews are done on a country-by-country basis. In 2006, there were 33,363 temporary resident visas issued for citizens of Poland, 3,780 for citizens of Slovakia, 989 for citizens of Lithuania and 6,385 for citizens of Hungary.

Twelve countries joined the EU in 2004 to 2007. Initially, visas were required for travellers from seven of the NMS. The requirement was lifted on travellers from Estonia in 2006 and the Czech Republic and Latvia in 2007. Travel to Canada from all but two of the EU’s 27 countries is now visa-free.

CIC will continue to work in cooperation with the two remaining countries, Bulgaria and Romania, with the goal of having visa-free travel for all EU citizens. Canadian officials will conduct technical visits to these countries as part of CIC’s ongoing review to determine when visa requirements can be removed.

To guard against abuse of older passports, travellers from Poland and Lithuania will be required, by January 2009, to carry a more secure e-passport for visa-free travel. By law, all visitors to Canada require a temporary resident visa, except citizens of countries where an exemption has been granted. Visa requirements for travellers to Canada are the country’s first line of defence in maintaining the safety and health of Canadians.

Canada Admits Highest Number of Newcomers in its History

Canada accepted the highest number of temporary and permanent residents in its history last year, according to preliminary data released by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

The numbers show that the immigration program is responding to Canada’s needs, particularly the economic needs. Labour shortages are being felt in sectors across the country. Immigration is helping to meet labour demands and to ensure industries are able to remain competitive in the global economy.

In 2007, Canada admitted 429,649 permanent residents, temporary foreign workers and foreign students. This is more than 60,000 higher than it was just four years ago. Canada’s fast-growing economy means labour demands will continue to grow in the next few years.

The most recent Census indicates that in the past five years, Canada’s population grew by 1.6 million—with 1.1 million being the result of immigration. By 2012, immigration is expected to account for all net growth in our labour force.

Last year Canada admitted more temporary foreign workers than in previous years to respond to the labour market needs of Canada’s economy. A 12 percent increase in the number of temporary foreign workers accounts for much of the increase in the overall number of temporary and permanent residents admitted in 2007. The statistics also show a 4.6 percent increase in the number of foreign students admitted in 2007. Over 251,000 permanent resident visas were issued, which is within the target range of 240,000 to 265,000. Only 236,689 visa holders had arrived in Canada by year’s end.

CIC controls when visas are issued. It does not control when people use them. Permanent residents may decide to use their visa at any time during the period in which it is valid.


 
The world's largest exhibition of overseas property is returning to London ExCeL. WBC will be available to provide immigration, career and relocation information at the show.

Exhibition times:
Friday & Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm

for further information visit A Place in the Sun's website

 

Discover Canada's Maple Tradition!

Sugar shacks, or cabane à sucre, are a part of Canadian heritage and ancestral tradition. The sugar shack is where you find out how maple syrup is made, using methods handed down from Native people to the first European settlers.

At the sugar shack you may enjoy a typical sugar camp meal, a sleigh ride in the maple grove, the party ambiance of bygone days and above all, the sweet taste of traditional hot maple taffy served on a bed of fresh snow and scooped up with wooden sticks.

Canada makes more than 80% of the world’s maple syrup; the vast majority of this comes from Quebec which supplies about 75% of the world’s maple syrup. Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick contribute the last 5%.

Production is concentrated in the months of February, March and April, depending on local weather conditions. Freezing nights and warm days are required to induce the flow of sap. To collect the sap, spouts are inserted directly into the trunk of the sugar maple tree. Originally, buckets were hung from these spouts; as they filled, the buckets would be emptied into huge barrels and carted to the processing facility through the forest on horse-drawn sleds. Today, most modern operations use an ingenious system of plastic piping that siphons the sap directly into an evaporator, where the water is boiled away. Absolutely nothing is added to this precious nectar. A mature sugar maple tree produces about 40 litres of sap in the 4-6 week sugaring season and it takes approximately 40 litres of sap to make 1 litre of maple syrup.

Don’t be fooled by the many “maple-flavoured syrups” that are imitations. They are most often made with high-fructose corn syrup flavoured with sotolon, with a mere 2-3% or even no real maple syrup content. They are usually thickened far beyond the viscosity of real maple syrup.

So if you are ever in the area don’t forget to stop by and experience an old Canadian tradition that will undoubtedly leave you with some fond memories and a desire to return again some day.

Planning for a Healthy Future in Alberta

It is predicted that by 2016, Alberta’s health-care system could face a serious shortage of nurses, pharmacists, health aides, speech language pathologists, physical therapists and physicians. The Alberta Government anticipates that there could be as many as 16,000 health-care job shortages in the province with nurses making up 6,000 of these. Realizing the desperate need for health-care workers, the Alberta Government announced that $30 million has been pledged towards decreasing this shortage.

Bringing in trained workers from overseas is one of the main ways in which the province is attempting to alleviate this projected shortage. Working together with the province’s Employment, Immigration and Industry Ministry, Alberta Health and Wellness have developed international marketing and recruitment campaigns.

The Provincial Nomination Program is viewed as another means to attract more health-care workers since it has recently expanded to allow more nominees each year, and also allows a greater selection of the types of workers who can be sponsored.

It is hoped that with the money and effort being put into attracting overseas health professionals, an additional 500 health-care workers will move to Alberta over the next three years. Alleviating the projected labour-shortage will ensure a greater quality of care and access to health-care for Albertans in the future.

For further details on working in health-care contact the WBC office

ZOOM AIRLINE
Zoom Airlines operates low-cost, full service scheduled flights all year round from the UK to Canada.  Fares start from £99 plus tax, one way, to East Coast destinations or £129 plus tax, one way, to West Coast destinations. For more information visit our website, or to visit Zoom's website click their logo.
PSS Removals
  PSS has been established for 25 years and have moved thousands of families to Canada. They are members of the International Federation of International Furniture Removers (FIDI). FIDI is a world wide organisation for International movers. For information on how PSS can help you with your international move, visit our website. To visit PSS International Removals' website click their logo.

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