McMaster University Dept: Arthur Sweetman , an economist at McMaster University , said an expanded role for business in selecting immigrants could prove valuable, particularly since it would provide a better picture of the skills that are wanted in the labour market. But the planning horizon for most businesses is a few years at most. Governments must plan for a lifetime. That s why it is important, he said, that those nominated by employers will still need to qualify under the revamped points system, which is expected to emphasize language, youth and education all good indicators of adaptability, according to Globe and Mail. 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 and speaking at the Metropolis conference on immigration research in Toronto on Thursday, Mr. Kenney laid out his vision for immigration. Although his speech was short on policy details, Mr. Kenney emphasized his plan to 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. Mr. Kenney said immigration must be about nation building. In doing so, he signalled that the federal government does not intend to relinquish its role in immigrant selection. He also said he would like to see the provinces adopt stricter language testing in the selection of immigrants under the provincial nominee program, and hinted that the program is unlikely to grow. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Kosher Meat Products Dept: The product may be contaminated with listeria and Glatt s Kosher Meat Products of Montreal is voluntarily recalling it from the marketplace, according to The Star. The product was sold in Ontario and Quebec, but so far there have been no reported illnesses and oTTAWA The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Glatt s Kosher Meat Products are warning the public not to consume Glatt s brand Beef Frankfurters Jumbo BBQ. The affected product is sold in 375 gram packages with a best before date of April 21, 2012. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Lindbergh Dept: In what was called the crime of the century, the 20-month-old son of Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped from his crib inside the family's New Jersey mansion. Lindbergh, who'd gained fame by flying solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, and his wife Anne found muddy footprints and a $50,000 ransom note in their son's second-floor room. The trials of the family as they searched for young Charles Lindbergh III - they received a second ransom note for $70,000 and paid it, but were unable to find their son in the identified location - captivated the nation. The saga came to a grisly conclusion on May 12. The boy's body, his skull fractured, was discovered less than a mile from the family home. It was believed he died on the night he was kidnapped. German immigrant and carpenter Bruno Hauptmann was later convicted of the crime and executed, after he was linked to marked ransom money. The forensic work which included analysis of the handwriting and of the wood in the ladder used during the kidnapping was featured in the 2011 movie J. Edgar. div (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Kazakhstan Dept: One is a fugitive accused of stealing $20 million from Kazakhstan's state-owned nuclear company Kazatomprom, misrepresenting himself to get into Canada and concealing his purchased St. Kitts and Nevis passport, argued the Canada Border Services Agency's counsel Andrej Rustja, according to The Star. Tursunbayev was arrested Feb. 10 after CBSA learned there was an Interpol red notice issued by Kazakhstan accusing him of organized crime. He was ordered to remain in custody at his Feb. 13 detention review because of valid concerns he might flee. He has since suffered heart problems and it seemed as though there were two people on trial at alleged embezzler and Kazakhstan native Rustem Tursunbayev's detention review Friday. The other is a political victim of a corrupt society whose only crime is being a wealthy businessman, countered defence lawyer Lorne Waldman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Vancouver Convention Centre Dept: The 8th annual BC Real Estate Convention is returning on March 5th and 6th, at the Vancouver Convention Centre, according to Vancouver Sun. Around the world, B.C. is developing a reputation as a place of burgeoning, multicultural communities and expansive, natural wonders and last year was an exciting one for real estate buyers and homeowners in B.C. As one of the most attractive urban realms in the country, Vancouver is becoming a top location for potential investors, both local and international. Although 2011 was a challenging year for real estate investors around the world, the outlook in British Columbia remains positive. Low mortgage rates, a strong currency, and a relatively stable economy continue to draw many new homebuyers to the province. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mount Pleasant Dept: We knew that being the biggest project in the neighbourhood would stir some controversy, says Mr. Lin, seated in a Mount Pleasant coffee shop, according to Globe and Mail. This project isn t going to solve the affordability problem, says Mr. Lin. Affordability is a big word. To you it s one thing, to that guy driving down the street it s another and more recently, Mr. Lin has turned his focus on the east side neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant, which, to the dismay of many long-standing residents, has seen the likes of Tim Horton s and Starbucks squeeze in among its hipster boutique shops in the last few years. Because of opposition, Mr. Lin has already reduced the original 26-storey plan to 19 stories, which, he says, is the lowest he can go and still make the project economically viable. The nearby Stella condo development is 13 storeys, so, if it gets the go-ahead, Mr. Lin s building will still be the tallest in the area. The rezoning plan for 241 residential units would include two floors of commercial space, and three low-rise structures that would form one complex. Included in the plan is a $6.25-million contribution by the builder for amenities and other city projects. Opponents say the project will boost housing prices in the area and contribute to lack of affordability. Other objections include that the tower will be out of keeping with the surrounding lower level buildings; that it will block views and sunlight; and that the extra cars brought by new residents will contribute to traffic congestion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Newcomers Dept: On Friday, Immigration Minister Charles Sousa announced a 13-member expert panel whose job is to come up with recommendations that best support Ontario s economic development and help newcomers find jobs, according to The Star. The decline is primarily a result of other provinces strong economies and aggressive marketing campaigns, as well as Ottawa s move to evenly spread immigrants across the country and ontario will develop its first-ever immigration strategy to compete for newcomers against provinces in the booming Prairies. Although the province remains the number one destination for newcomers to Canada, the number of immigrants settling in the province has declined by 21 per cent from a peak of 148,640 in 2001 to 118,114 in 2010. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Dept: Gusts will be gusting from the east at 30 km/h, escalate to 50 km/h, and become southwest 60, and move to 90 overnight, according to The Star. We re in for a blustery weekend, but the temperature will rise to 8 C by the morning. Email Print Add to Favourites function Func ctl00 ctl00 cph contentBody cph leftContentContainer c bottom Template0 ctl00 CaseTemplate10 UserFavoritesButton1 funcName, param var p = param == undefined ? '' : ' if TD.Identity.IsAuthenticated var url = "/Toplets/User/UserFavoritesButtonPage?AssetUID=1140169" + p + " //alert url ; $.get url, , function data $ "#ctl00 ctl00 cph contentBody cph leftContentContainer c bottom Template0 ctl00 CaseTemplate10 UserFavoritesButton1 UserFavoritesButtonHolder" .html data ; ; Func ctl00 ctl00 cph contentBody cph leftContentContainer c bottom Template0 ctl00 CaseTemplate10 UserFavoritesButton1 'Func ctl00 ctl00 cph contentBody cph leftContentContainer c bottom Template0 ctl00 CaseTemplate10 UserFavoritesButton1' ; Report an error Rss var addthis share = templates: twitter: " title : url via @TorontoStar" Rain will begin early in the evening and ending after midnight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Amnesty International Canada Dept: Public Safety Minister Vic Toews outlines instructions for sharing information in such cases in a four-page directive to Canadian Security Intelligence Service director Dick Fadden, according to The Star. The directive is squarely at odds with Canada s international commitments against torture which have no loopholes, said Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada and oTTAWA The federal government has given Canada s spy service the go-ahead to provide information to foreign agencies even when there is a substantial risk it will lead to torture, a newly released document shows. A copy of the July 2011 document secret until now was released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Federal Government Dept: One such change would allow the federal government to strip people of their permanent-residency status if it determines that the country from which they fled is now safe to return to, according to Montreal Gazette. Acquiring Canadian citizenship is the only escape from the uncertainty, but before someone can apply for citizenship, he or she must have been a permanent resident of Canada for at least three years and a refugee bill introduced last week in Parliament might well help streamline Canada's cumbersome refugee-determination process, but along with the bill's positive measures are some potentially worrisome changes. In practical terms, this means that refugee claimants who have been granted permanent residency status will still have to live for years with the threat of deportation hanging over their heads. The current refugee-determination process is overly long, which means that by the time a refugee has been granted permanent residency, several years have often passed. By then, families have put down roots and started a new life. It seems unfair at that point to force people to go through the upheaval of starting over yet again because of events over which they have absolutely no control. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.