Who says Canada's streets are no longer paved with gold

Documented proof here: 'PAVED WITH GOLD — Cashing in on the infrastructure boom' @ Maclean's 99 stupid things the government spent your money on

Extract: "Not everyone will agree with all these items being on the list. Some will justify handouts to companies and sports teams as necessary to “promote economic activity,” or they’ll say a camping program for new immigrants was a nice thing to do." continue reading: Maclean's

A note about the Gold paved streets is relevant here:
Those who visit Staten Island, get to read what an Italian had to say about immigrants' and their expectations:

"I came to America because I heard the streets were paved with gold. When I got here, found out three things:
First, the streets weren't paved with gold;
second, they weren't paved at all:
and third, I was expected to pave them." source
See also: Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Source: The Huddled Masses Myth: Immigration And Civil Rights, Kevin Johnson
As far as Canadian immigrant is concerned, the story and the statement is much the same. Any professional who comes to Canada is told that he / she needs 'local experience,' (aka, you have to pave them with gold)... More here: In Search of Gold Paved Streets: Greek Immigrant Labor in the Far West, 1900-1920 (Immigrant Communities and Ethnic Minorities in the United States and Canada) by Louis James Cononelos

On the same shelf:

Canada's streets no longer paved with gold - The Globe and Mail

Where The Streets Are Paved With Gold, Mental Floss -- Having great vocabulary didn't save the Thesaurus from extinction

Mythbusters #2 They think the streets are paved with gold! The Great British Community

Thought for the day: Adapt to what the market demands

Extract:Why You Shouldn't "Do What Makes You Happy" in Business, by Dr. Gerry Som, 01/07/2013, "The Huffington Post"
--With permission from the author:

You must have read many articles that offer you this following advice:
•Do what makes you happy.
•Follow your heart.
•Chase your dreams.
•Fulfil your passions.
•Find a job that you like, and you will not have to work a day in your life.


No Sir / Ma'am, I respectfully disagree. My thoughts are as follows:
•Do what will make you money in a legal manner to pay your bills, and take care of your financial needs, and those of your loved ones.
•Adapt to what the market demands.
•Find the unfulfilled needs or gaps in the markets, and fulfil them.

This will serve both you and the society well. Pursue your hobbies during your weekends and free time.

You see, there is an inherent flaw in the sentence "Do what makes you happy." The sentence assumes that (a) You already know what you want (b) It will make you happy (c) You will continue to want it and (d) It will continue to make you happy. There are unknown-unknowns, just like there are known-knowns. What you if you not done your research properly, and have not stumbled upon what is profitable for you, or even, what would make you happy?
Continue reading

Reading now: Guide to Job-Hunting Online...

What Color Is Your Parachute? Guide to Job-Hunting Online, Sixth Edition: Blogging, Career Sites, Gateways, Getting Interviews, Job Boards, Job Search ... Resumes, Research Sites, Social Networking, by Mark Emery Bolles, Ten Speed Press; 6 Original edition (2011); Read an Excerpt
Extract from Amazon:

"Before you start your Internet job-hunt, there are some things that you must know, like:
• Why are job sites like Monster and CareerBuilder so stunningly ineffective?
• What can you do to make sure your resumes survive the elimination process?
• How do you find the information that search engines like Google can’t?
• How can you tell the difference between a genuinely helpful job board, and a website designed only to collect resumes?
• When are hobby forums more helpful than business networking sites?
• When is the Internet not helpful when job-hunting?
• What is the fatal flaw of all social networking sites?

The Guide to Job-Hunting Online, 6th Edition, not only answers these questions and many more, but shows you how to comprehensively and effectively use the Internet for all aspects of your job-hunt.
This companion to What Color Is Your Parachute?, the best-selling job-hunting book in the world, has been completely rewritten for our changing times and includes hundreds of updated website recommendations and descriptions. The Guide to Job-Hunting Online shows you how to quickly find the data that will be most helpful to you, how to identify and research the places where you will most enjoy working, how to leverage the power of social networking sites, and how to use your Internet time most effectively, avoiding the common pitfalls and setting you up for success."

Table of Contents
Introduction; First ; Skills; Resumes; People ; Research ; Job Boards ; Last; Sources; Index of Websites; Index

Canada opens door to skilled trade workers: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Building an Immigration System that Works for Canada -- New Federal Skilled Trades Stream to Begin Accepting Applications on January 2, 2013

The program criteria are built around four requirements that ensure applicants will have the right skills and experience needed to succeed here in Canada. In order to qualify, applicants will need to:

1.have an offer of employment in Canada or a certificate of qualification from a province or territory to ensure that applicants are “job ready” upon arrival;
2.meet a basic language requirement;
3.have a minimum of two years of work experience as a skilled tradesperson, to ensure that the applicant has recent and relevant practice as a qualified journeyman;
and 4.have the skills and experience that match those set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC B) system, showing that they have performed the essential duties of the occupation.

Eligible occupations will include electricians, welders, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, and pipefitters, among others. CIC is currently working with the provinces, territories and federal government partners on the list of skilled trades’ occupations that are experiencing acute labour shortages and which will qualify under the program. This list will be announced prior to the program opening on January 2, 2013.

On the same shelf:

The Government of Canada Invests Record Funding for Settlement Services for Newcomers to Alberta

The Government of Canada Invests Record Funding for Settlement Services for Newcomers to Manitoba

The Government of Canada Invests Record Funding for Settlement Services for Newcomers to Saskatchewan

The Government of Canada Invests Record Funding for Settlement Services for Newcomers to Yukon

Attracting the best and brightest skilled workers

CIC Wins Technology Award for the Come to Canada Wizard

Canada welcomes largest number of parents and grandparents in almost twenty years

The Toronto Moment: Becoming Torontonian, Toronto Life

Extract:
Eight portraits of the educated professionals flocking to becoming Torontonian - Toronto Life (Nov 2012), By Carolyn Morris, Continue reading

On the same shelf:

Wilderness explored through Canadian immigrants' eyes in new ...canadianimmigrant.ca

Unfriendly Toronto? Toronto Life article, Philip Preville

Integrating Community Diversity in Toronto: On Whose Terms - CERIS by Myer Siemiatycki, Tim Rees, Roxana Ng & Khan Rahi

Immigrants against immigration? | building bridges

Immigration blogs: future academic sources?

The landed 'refugee': A new immigrant class? | CanIndia NEWS

Remembrance Day Canada: News from abroad

Lest we forget: From World War One to Iraq, huge sacrifice of one ... Daily Mail-10 Nov 2012

Remembrance Day 2012: Poppy Appeal 'Risks Glossing Over The Horrors Of War' Insists Ted Harrison Huffington Post UK-11 Nov 2012

A powerful symbol of war's cost, This is Leicestershire-9 Nov 2012

British news paper salutes Salute to a brave and modest nation - Kevin Myers, 'The Sunday Telegraph' LONDON -- (Reprinted here is a remarkable tribute written by Irishman Kevin Myers about Canada's record of quiet valour in wartime. This article appeared in the April 21, 2002 edition of the Sunday Telegraph, one of Britain's largest circulation newspapers and in Canada's National Post on April 26, 2002. soruce)

see much more @ Google news, from UK pages

Free library services vital for new immigrants - LIANZA

Thursday, 1 November, 2012, Voxy.co.nz
Public libraries are vital for helping immigrants find jobs and settle in New Zealand says the President of the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) Heather Lamond.

... Ms Lamond said whilst many public libraries were able to provide free internet access through the Aotearoa People’s Network Kaharoa (APNK), a number still had to charge for internet use.

"If this bill was passed it would bring us into line with other countries such as the UK, Canada and Australia, who have laws protecting free library services. This is our chance to give all New Zealanders the opportunity to further themselves and participate in our democracy." continue reading On the same shelf:

Newcomers to Canada: If you are a newcomer to Canada, this inspiring session is for you! @ Surrey Libraries

Canadian Immigration issues in News -- Media monitoring

• New language rules to kick in for citizenship applicants Toronto Star-2012-09-28
• 
  Changes coming to language rules Chatham Daily News-2012-10-04
• New Language Rules for Citizenship Applicants, The Epoch Times-2012-10-01
• Ontario immigration strategy calls for more power to pick newcomers Toronto Star-2012-10-03
• Ontario wants greater power on immigrant selection Toronto Star-2012-10-04
• Ontario immigration strategy calls for more power to pick newcomers Hamilton Spectator - Oct 03
• Media Alert - How will changes to immigration policies affect Canada's future? A new Maytree report explores PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance - Oct 02
  
  
  Visit the official sites for more info:

• http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/index.htm • Federal Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
• Federal The Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement

Newcomers forced to use food banks

Extract: MISSISSAUGA, September 21, 2012, Can-India New The number of university graduates and middle-aged recent immigrants, many who happen to be South Asians, now make up a significant and growing segment of food bank users. The report released this week titled, “Who’s Hungry: Faces of Hunger”, points to an ever-growing number of visits between April 2011 and March 2012. According to Meghan Nicholls, Marketing and Fund developer at the Mississauga Food Bank, “Up to a third of the 65,000 people served by the food bank is made up of people new to Canada. Many of them are not unemployed but do not have enough money left over for groceries.” “We have a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that in the Peel region in particular, new immigrants are hit really hard. Many of these immigrants have part-time jobs as they are studying or aren’t able to find a job in their field and if they earn say $1300 a month, the average place rents at close to a $1000, forcing them to use our food bank,” she adds. continue reading