Saturday Night Daniel Won and I had dinner with one of our clients, Grace Alvarez. Grace successfully immigrated to Canada from the United States in July of 2010. She is a ” speech therapist” who quickly found a position in Vancouver. She has been amazed at how much easier it has been to get support support from MSP for her clients. She says that when living in the U.S. she received limited support in her efforts to help her clients (mostly autistic children). Another big plus for the Canadian system of Health Care!
We had dinner at Bibo on 4th Avenue in Kitsilano (near Burrard). If you have spent time in Italy and love Italian food, especially Neopolitan Pizza then you need to visit Bibo. From the moment you enter Bibo, you have literally stepped onto Italian soil. You are greeted by one of the two Italian owners. The decor is straight out of Italy. Very modern and stylized. There are several large TV screens scattered around the room that are always playing Italian movies (Saturday night it the Good, the Bad and the Ugly…in Italian).
The real star of the show though is the food. We started with a Tricolore salad. They pretty much fly everything in from Italy to maintain the authenticity of flavor. No tasteless tomatoes here…they bring in tomatoes from Italy! The cheese is advertised as Burrata but the two times I’ve been there they have been out of the Burrata and subbed Buffala. I wasn’t disappointed. The mozarella (also flown in) was the freshest Mozzarella I had ever eaten in North America. It was exactly like the Mozarella I’ve had any number of times in Italy…not like the ball of tasteless white rubber you are generally served in Vancouver. And of course, the Pizze, the real star is done in the true Neopolitan fashion (the real home of Pizza). The flour is imported from Italy as is the delightful and personable Pizza guy who is a true Neopolitan Master Pizza Maker who was serving savy Neopolitans one day and slinging Pizza for hungry Vancouverites the next. It is amazing to watch him work and he seem to love every minute of his show. If you are an Italophile, you must visit Bibo.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has published the following Operational Bulletins:
Operational Bulletin 297 –Update of the Transit Without Visa Program (TWOV)
Operational Bulletin 305 –Processing Appeal Allowed Cases Pilot at Case Processing Pilot-Ottawa
Operational Bulletin 223-B –Expansion of the China Transit Trial
Operational Bulletin 283 –Special Events – Visa Fee Exempt: May and June 2011
Operational Bulletin 304 –Launch of the Visa Exempt Study Permit Abroad (VESPA) Electronic Application Service for Select Countries (Modified)
These are strictly my own observations but they are based on facts…
Fact #1 The Harper government actively recruited support from Immigrant populations which had previously been more aligned with the Liberals
Fact #2 A record number of new MPs were Immigrants (especially Chinese) who vigorously ran with the support of their immigrant constituents…..as members of the Conservative Party
Fact #3 The Harper government understands the positive impact that Immigration has had on the economy over the past several years and it also understands it’s debt to Immigrants who helped to give him a majority in Parliament because of a strong economy (when the economy was really heading “south” in the states).
Now, I might come across like the typical American who is rather naive and un-savy about politics in Canada but it seems to me that as the economy flattens a bit (as it will) Harper will be looking to boost the economy by increasing the Immigration allotment up from its current base of 250,000 (which is already the highest in the world). Immigrants bring to Canada not just an infusion of cash to be spent in Canada but they also start new businesses and supply world class scientific know how. All great things!
I may be a one of those silly Americans from the states (I’m working on that) but I think now that the elections are over we are going to see unprecedented access to Canada all designed to keep the economy pumping and Harper in office.
Viva le difference! Eh?
Tim Burks, Business Manager @ Imin Consulting
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has published the following Operational Bulletin and Manual Update:
Operational Bulletin 303 –Fishing (or Hunting) Outfitters—Additional Guidance for Officers Processing Entries into Canada of Foreign Outfitters
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has published the following Operational Bulletin and Manual Update:
Operational Bulletin 290 – Amendment to procedures related to the handling of the Single Journey Document for Resettlement to Canada (IMM 5485)
IP 5 - Immigrant Applications in Canada made on Humanitarian or Compassionate Grounds
