Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander: On Nov. 8, the federal Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced big changes to Canadas fastest growing immigration program: the Canadian Experience Class, or CEC, according to The Chronicle Herald. The CEC is a permanent residence program introduced by the federal Conservatives in 2008. The CECs key requirements are that a temporary foreign worker or international graduate have a year of experience in a highly skilled occupation in Canada, and have strong language ability and The recent changes to the CEC most of which went into effect within 24 hours are bad news for potential immigrants and bad news for the Harper government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

economic data: The loonie was down 0.23 of a cent to 93.75 cents US a day before the Bank of Canadas next interest rate announcement. Markets generally arent looking to the central bank to move up rates until 2015, according to 660 News. Traders looked to economic data coming out later in the week that could give a better idea of where the Federal Reserve is headed in cutting back on stimulus measures and TORONTO The Canadian dollar continued to drift downward Tuesday morning to multi-year lows amid mixed commodity prices and a heavy slate of economic data in Canada and the U.S. this week. The currency closed below 94 cents US on Monday for the first time since the end of August 2010. Tuesdays intraday low as of midday was 93.69 cents US, which matched a level set on Aug. 31, 2010. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

interest rates: Economists are unanimous that for the umpteenth time the Canadian central bank won't make any sudden moves on interest rates and choose to keep the trendsetting policy rate at one per cent, where it's been since September 2010, according to CTV. The loonie fell almost a cent to 96.18 cents US and has been drifting lower ever since. It dropped to a two-year low below 94 cents Monday and was sliding lower still Tuesday and OTTAWA -- The Bank of Canada has a chance Wednesday to do in words what it won't do in practice -- further clip the wings of the loonie without actually changing monetary policy. But a central banker has more arrows in the quiver than just moving around rates. Sometimes language alone can do the job it wants, as governor Stephen Poloz showed in October after removing bullish language on interest rates from his text. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

junior secondary school ethics: One province, Alberta, has taken up the challenge with an optional junior secondary school ethics course. , according to Times Colonist. Not much wrong with that and perhaps quite timely. Theres no denying that ethical behaviour, or the lack of it, has been front and centre in the news of late. Thats the same news our kids read, watch and talk about with each other every day. The stated objective of the course is to develop an understanding of community values, to foster student commitment to common ethical values such as respect, responsibility, fairness/justice, tolerance, honesty, kindness, forgiveness, commitment to democratic ideals, and to develop the ability to recognize consequences of making ethical decisions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

soccer logo: There were also complaints about a military theme conjured by a badge-like logo, while another retro design was slammed as too boring, according to CTV. The five proposals range from a shield -- looking to some like a soccer logo or a beer label -- to a stylized maple leaf exploding with fireworks, which some complained too closely resembles the Petro-Canada symbol and OTTAWA -- Proposed logos for Canada's 150th birthday are getting decidedly mixed reviews from the first Canadians to see them, with some complaining one looks too much like a hockey puck and another is too Disneyland. Those are the impressions of nine focus groups in Chilliwack, B.C., Mississauga, Ont., and Montreal to proposed logos that the Canadian Heritage Department is shopping around to prepare for the 2017 anniversary of Confederation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

commodity prices: TORONTO - The Canadian dollar continued to drift downward Tuesday morning to multi-year lows amid mixed commodity prices and a heavy slate of economic data in Canada and the U.S. this week. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The currency closed below 94 cents US on Monday for the first time since the end of August 2010. Tuesday's intraday low as of midday was 93.69 cents US, which matched a level set on Aug. 31, 2010. Loonies are pictured in Vancouver, Sept. 22, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward The loonie was down 0.23 of a cent to 93.75 cents US a day before the Bank of Canada's next interest rate announcement. Markets generally aren't looking to the central bank to move up rates until 2015. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Transportation Minister Steve Ashton: Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton said the $45-million highway project will see concrete reconstruction, asphalt resurfacing and better road drainage along sections of the highway. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The province said planned work includes: paving of 13.1 kilometres from three km north of Clandeboye to PTH 17; reconstruction of 7.6 km from PTH 101 north Perimeter Highway to 1.7 km south of PTH 27; concrete rehabilitation of two km near Selkirk from 0.8 km north of PTH 9A Craig Avenue in Selkirk to 2.8 km north of PTH 9A Maple Drive ; and structure replacement at the Grassmere Drain and The Manitoba government announced another highway renewal project today this one Highway 9 from Winnipeg to Winnipeg Beach. The construction will start this spring over the next five years and is expected to create the equivalent of one year of employment for more than 500 people, Ashton said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Victoria Real Estate Board: A total of 412 properties changed hands in November, an increase from 366 in November 2012, the Victoria Real Estate Board said Monday. However, October delivered 512 sales this year. , according to Times Colonist. The decline in sales from October to November indicates a pullback in consumer demand, she said. Real estate sales in the capital region were higher in November than the same month last year but slipped from October. We saw market activity slow down after a very busy five months, said Shelley Mann, board president. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Interpol: The international police network in question is Interpol, which represents 190 member countries, allowing them to issue international warrants or request information about suspects facing criminal charges at home, according to The Star. Pyotr Silaev, a 28-year-old Russian who took part in a protest in Moscow in July 2010 against the destruction of a forest in the suburb of Khimki illustrates how Interpol can be wrongly used, according to Robert Jackman, a Fair Trials spokesman and MOSCOW The case of a Russian environmental activist who fled the country but was later arrested, despite finding sanctuary in Finland, reveals how political motives can sometimes improperly influence international police work, a London-based group said this week. Fair Trials International , an advocacy group for those arrested abroad, issued a report recently asserting that the agency is used by some of its members including Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Iran and Venezuela to pursue political ends. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Asian Development Bank Institute: After more than a decade of inertia in WTO talks, negotiators are close to a slimmed-down deal but there is no finished document for the dozens of trade ministers attending a summit on the Indonesia resort island of Bali to sign. So close to an agreement, some have been urging the trade ministers to take the unusual step of completing the negotiations themselves, according to 660 News. Even though still possible, the chances of reaching a deal are rather slim, said Matthias Helble, a global trade expert at the Asian Development Bank Institute and former WTO adviser and BALI, Indonesia Top trade officials began talks Tuesday that will either produce an eleventh hour deal that could boost the global economy by $1 trillion or possibly spell the end of the World Trade Organizations relevance as a forum for negotiations. An agreement on simplifying customs procedures could help revive the WTOs broader Doha Round of trade negotiations, sometimes known as the development round because of sweeping changes in regulations, taxes and subsidies that would benefit low income countries. Still, WTO ministerial summits are designed for enshrining done deals, not technical negotiations, so producing an agreement at a four-day conference would be unprecedented. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.