Canadians Love the Internet, Eh?

Posted on Dec 29th, 2010 by Brodie Beta @ http://thenextweb.com
Extract [source: Globe and Mail, Toronto]:

According to The Canadian Press, comScore, the marketing intelligence service says Canadians are leading the way in hours spent online.
Canucks are spending an average of 2,500 minutes online per month which translates to over 41 hours, that’s an entire full-time work week spent surfing. And that’s apparently more than any other country in the world. Based on this data, it seems that Canadians are rapidly adopting the digital lifestyle and seem to be wildly passionate about online video, social media and Wikipedia. continue reading

Canadians spend more time online than any others, The Globe & Mail
Michael Oliveira, Toronto — The Canadian Press, Published Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010

Ontario’s newcomers brace for cuts and layoffs

Nicholas Keung: Immigration Reporter, Toronto Star

Extract:

Ten Toronto agencies are slated to lose their funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) starting April 1, with as many as 35 others on the cutting block.

Across Canada, the Conservative government will cut funding to immigrant service agencies by $53 million in 2011, $43 million from Ontario alone — a move that has outraged community groups, the province and the federal Liberals, which have many seats in Toronto. Continue reading Toronto Star

On the same shelf:

Liberals protest cuts to immigrant aid, Toronto Sun

Settlement agencies lose federal funds, Canadianimmigrant.ca
GTA agencies losing federal funding are:

Northwood Neighbourhood Services

Elspeth Heyward Centre for Women

Tropicana Community Services

Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Centre

Community Action Resource Centre

South Asian Women's Centre

Eritrean Canadian Community Centre of Toronto

Ethiopian Association in the Greater Toronto Area and Surrounding Regions

Afghan Association of Ontario (AAO)

Bloor Information and Life Centre

CIC redirecting aid to newcomers in Hamilton, South Asian Focus - January 19 2011

Ottawa immigrant agencies hit by federal cuts, CBC News

Funding cuts threaten immigrant agencies‎ - Globe and Mail

Cuts will mean end to Ethiopian Association's support of new immigrants, InsideToronto.com

Federal cuts to immigrant services won't impact BC, says minister
Globe and Mail

So you think you know everything about Canada, eh?

Dec 4 2010, Toronto Star

Extract:
On a rain-soaked morning this week, the Toronto Star conducted this admittedly unscientific experiment asking six Canadian-born to take the citizenship test. Three men and three women had 20 multiple-choice questions — samples from Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website — and 15 minutes. To pass, they needed 15 right answers.

The exercise yielded surprising results: three flunked, one squeaked by and two passed with flying colours...

Click here to test your knowledge of Canada

Continue reading

On the same shelf:

True Torontonians invited to test their knowledge of city

Gardiner Expressway in a vented, glass-covered tube

Mediamonitoring:

Another idea to revitalize the Gardiner Expressway

Is this giant tube just a pipe dream?
Donovan Vincent
Staff Reporter, Toronto Star, Nov 14 2010

"An architect has proposed covering the Gardiner Expressway in a vented, glass-covered tube. He says it would reduce car noise, keep snow and rain off the roadway and improve asthetics, with tree-lined pedestrian areas underneath. Do you like this idea?" Have Your Say

Last year, Les Klein's Green Ribbon plan (pictured above) to turn the expressway into an elevated park was cause for much discussion -- both positive and critical -- but another plan from around the same time has flown a bit under the radar. In an October 2009 article in The Bulletin, Michael Comstock, president of the Toronto Association of BIAs, wrote about architect Peter Michno's proposal to enclose the Gardiner in a glass dome. Without many renderings readily available online, however, it never garnered the attention that Klein's idea enjoyed. continue reading, Derek Flack / November 15, 2010, blogto.com

On the same shelf:

'Superstreets' trade left-turns for better traffic flow, safety, CTV.ca News Staff, Jan. 16 2011
[interesting Canadian comments with Canadian parallels]

Public Health Agency of Canada, Travel Health Notice: The Hajj 1431 / 2010

Extract:
"The Hajj is the largest annual gathering in the world. Over two million people from nearly every country attend this spiritual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Hajj season takes place this year between November 14 and 18, 2010.

Due to the large number of people at this gathering there may be an increased risk for certain infectious diseases such as meningococcal disease, tuberculosis, influenza (including H1N1 flu), and gastrointestinal infections. Travellers may also face a greater risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and physical injuries.

Travellers should visit a travel health clinic at least six weeks before travel to get vaccines required for entry in Saudi Arabia (see Recommendations below), and assess any other travel health needs before departing."

Recommendations and more details here: Travel Health Notice

See on the same shelf:

The Hajj and Umrah at a Glance - [step by step] source: www.islamicbulletin.org

Step by Step Guide for Hajj and Umrah, Prepared by: Mohammed Baianonie, Imam of the Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC

Bringing back lessons of haj -- Partners in Humanity, Muslim-Western

Hajj Steps - [visual map] by Baggia Travel, Toronto

Basic Hajj Map, by Shayistha Abdulla

The business of Hajj and Umrah (Muslim Pilgrimage)

The Immigrant Success Awards

Deadline for nominations is Wednesday, December 1, 2010. Award nomination forms are linked at the end of each award description.

Award descriptions and criteria:
•CBC Toronto Vision Award for Immigrant Inclusion
•Toronto Star Award for Excellence in Workplace Integration
•RBC Immigrant Advantage Award
•Canadian HR Reporter Individual Achievement Award

Read more about the The Immigrant Success Awards @ www.isawards.ca ~~ Collaborative Programs for Immigrant Employment, Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC)

India as-is from a Canadian Perspective

Note: India is a land of rich history, popular culture, as well a land of paradoxes. In this context, Canada needing India more than India needing Canada makes news, and read below the article by Haroon Siddiqui.

But, it is too early, in terms of the trend to say if this, new trend of shifting centre of gravity is a premenant shift or a temporary move. If it is a permenant move, the only pray and hope is it should'nt be akin to reengineering the concept of love-marriage in India whose pride lies, in arranged-marriages. See also: Arranged Marriage, Teton Gravity Research Forums If not, Think “outside the box”!

Whatever is true of India is also not true, By Haroon Siddiqui, Toronto Star
Extract:
"Arriving in Canada in 1967, I was swept up by the Centennial, especially Expo, but was soon distressed to discover that there was no yogurt, only something called sour cream, a blob that bloated your tummy. There were few fresh green vegetables and no mangoes. No basmati rice. No coriander, cloves or cardamom. Nor saffron, which few had heard of and said it could be procured, perhaps, around Easter for the seasonal bread.
Informed of this state of affairs, mom in India said: “In that case, son, you had better come back home.”
I am glad I stayed."
At the time, Canadians thought of India as the land of starving people and emaciated holy cows. Now the two countries can't get enough of each other, Canada needing India more than India needing Canada. Which is why the Star is exploring India in every section of the paper today. continue reading

On the same shelf:

Not Required Indians: India's NRI (Non-resident Indians) are now also getting to be known as Not Requried Indians. Read the latter here: NRIs treated as Not Required Indians! - The Times of India. And, here: Not Required Indians, littleindia.com

KPMG - Nine Tips for Successful PE Investments in India — A Canadian Perspective

PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada. Shifting Centre of Gravity - Mergers & Acquisitions in India—A Canadian perspective [PDF format]

GE has its finger on the Indian pulse, at last, Forbes India Magazine of 18 December, 2009

India: A Glimpse of Multifaith Composite Culture

Canadian Libraries and Digitization - Thought for the day

While Canadian libraries' digitization is expected to be high by any measure of digitocracy*** (esp., in terms of capturing, storing, and sharing information), the following is an eye-opener: "less than 1 per cent of Canada’s archives or library content is digitized" Internet's evolution raises stakes for Canada's culture and competitiveness, Chris Carter, Toronto Star, Oct 5 2010

Extract from the same page: "When Canadians talk about the future of information, media and culture, Tom Jenkins also wants them to think about the tools used to share, store and consume that information."

Bottom line (from the same source, about Tom Jenkins' book: Managing Content in the Cloud - Enterprise Content Management 2.0):
"So why then is his book available in paper form? To reach those leaders who are rooted in the “old way” of engaging information yet who still make the decisions that will profoundly shape how Canada responds to a future they will barely recognize."

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***This idea of a measure of digitocracy is based on the plans and progress initiated in Canada, in 1997: Preparing Canada for a digital world: Final report of the Information Highway Advisory Council

Seven words to describe Toronto: Terrific Ornament Reserved On Northern Treasured Orion

You can describe this city in One Word, as well.
One Word that Toronto is become synonymous with is: Growing. Someone said: diverse.
Two Words, now in fashion: Toronto eh!!! (aka MultiCultural hotspots or Multifaith sacredspaces). Someone said: Frontier Town

And, you can add on, as-you-like-it!!!

And, here comes today's newsmaker: 'Seven words to describe Toronto: Terrific Ornament Reserved On Northern Treasured Orion' from Toronto Star