Published by Eric Katz at January 26, 2007
Uncategorizedin .
L.L. Bean looking to open Canadian stores
L.L. Bean Inc., the American retailer that has become synonymous with preppy styles and outdoor recreation over the past 95 years, is sharpening its focus on the Canadian market with an eye to opening stores, the company has confirmed.
This has been a perennial favourite for Canadians doing online shopping for comfortable and durable “preppy look” New England style wear. There will be a lot of excitement for those with black belts in shopping when the US retailer opens its online and retail outlets in Canada.
Published by Eric Katz at January 24, 2007
Uncategorizedin .
Academy announces Oscar nominations
CanWest News Service
Canadians figure prominently in this year’s list of Academy Award nominees. This continues a long tradition of Canadians being influential in the making of films in the United States at the production, directing, acting and marketing of movies worldwide.
Dreamgirls earned a leading eight Academy Awards nominations, but didn’t get a nod for Best Picture. Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen will compete for the honour instead.
Canadian Ryan Gosling was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of a drug addicted teacher in Half Nelson and Canadian Paul Haggis earned a nomination for Best Original Screenplay for his work on Letters from Iwo Jima. Canadian director Deepa Mehta’s Water is on the list of Best Foreign Film nominees.
Published by Eric Katz at January 24, 2007
Uncategorizedin .
Michael Petrie, CanWest News Service
Team Canada saved its best stretch of hockey for the biggest game of the world junior championship.
With a thunderous opening period, the Canadians rolled out to a 3-0 lead on Russia and never relinquished in a 4-2 decision in Leksand, Sweden. The win gave Canada its third-straight world junior gold medal and marked the nations 18th victory in a row, stretching back to the round-robin opener in 2005.
National pride in beating the Russians at ice hockey stretches back to the great 1972 Canada Russia series in which Canada won in a battle on the rink and in the minds of those in the east and west.
Published by Eric Katz at January 24, 2007
Uncategorizedin .
Studs like new duds
DALLAS — The new Reebok sweaters, pants and socks unveiled on Monday by the National Hockey League are supposed to make today’s players skate faster — although that remains to be seen with Hal Gill.
The claim, after wind-tunnel testing at MIT in Boston, is that there’s nine per cent less drag than with the league’s current billowy jerseys, which are anything but form-fitting.
“It’ll be like going from a Ford to a Ferrari … they’ll still be in a car, but it’ll be sleeker,” says Matt O’Toole, the president of Reebok-CCM Hockey.
What can you say about Canada and professional Sports? The biggest game in any town is hockey. And that means continual technological change in equipment, skates, sticks and now new wind tunnel tested materials which have less wind drag on them. Will the players soon be wearing F1 spoilers on their helmets? Stay tuned !
I’m hosting another Skypecast this week!
Canadian Immigration Skypecast – Business Migration
January 25, 08:00GMT
An informal discussion of the three main business immigration categories under the current Canadian immigration regulatory scheme. Hosted by Eric Katz in Toronto. Eric is a Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant with 12 years of practice experience.
These skypecasts will be available for download later this week.
Last day to fly without passport
OTTAWA – Thousands of Canadians plan to fly to the United States on Tuesday, but a few of those travellers won’t make it past the airport check-in. New passport rules are about to kick in that require Canadians to carry a passport if they’re flying to the U.S. Despite their best efforts, airlines expect they will have to turn away some forgetful people who don’t have the right documentation.
Traditionally Canadians have been the only nationality allowed to enter the United States without anything but, a birth certificate and driver’s license. Now however, due to the realities of a post 9-11 era and a harmonization of security and travel initiatives within North America, Canadians will now have to start presenting passports when flying into the United States.
Eric Katz hosted skypecast discussing emigrating to Canada and specifically work permits, occupations in demand, labour market opinions and processing times. Eric outlines the the skilled labour shortage in Alberta and British Columbia and the steps that have been taken by Service Canada to try and alleviate the shortage.
Eric also answers some questions about studying in Canada with a view to permanent residency.
You can subscribe to our canada Immigration Visas podcast, we recommend subscribing with itunes. We’ve also just added our Canada Immigration Visas podcast to podcast alley -
My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-d6714772acac2d9800ffd5e22aa96ecf}
Canada Immigration Visas skypecast discussing work permits, labour market opinions, occupations in demand and studying in Canada [37:03m]:
Play Now |
Play in Popup |
Download
Oil industry plays catchup during lull
Filling backlog of skilled workers long-term project
CALGARY
- After a record year of growth and energy prices, oil and gas companies say the expected slowdown in the pace of activity in 2007 will only give them an opportunity to focus on hiring more workers to catch up with pent-up demand.
“We have a structural problem,” says David Fulton, vice president of human resources at Shell Canada Ltd. “I do not think the shortage is going to go away any time soon,
and that was one of the big debates 18 months ago.”
The industry has been so overwhelmed by the incredible need for everything from oilfield service technicians to geophysicists and engineers that any slight moderation in activity will simply allow the industry to catch its collective breath and continue the hiring frenzy.
“It’s hot all over,” Mr. Fulton says. “There are very few cold skills, or even lukewarm ones anymore.”
According to the article above there is a continual demand for skilled trades in the oil and gas sector. However, according to the memo on Occupations Under Pressure in Alberta and a similar release for similar ones in British Columbia, there are many related occupations to the natural resources industry that still require to be filled. Even general construction labour has to be filled and that can sometimes mean earning around 80-100 thousand dollars (Canadian) per year simply by being young and strong and willing to work hard in adverse climatic conditions from time to time.
Surging demand for skilled workers keeps Alberta college in a perpetual expansion
If there’s one thing everyone seems to agree on, it’s that there is no single solution to Alberta’s desperate labour situation. Nearly 400,000 jobs will be created in Alberta in the next 10 years, but only 300,000 new workers will enter the labour market at the current rate.
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton produces 17% of national tradespersons and 50% of all those located in Alberta. The high demand of skilled trades and eventual shortfall of locally grown young Canadians entering this sector of the workforce means that the skilled trades will have to be found from overseas.
Published by Eric Katz at January 16, 2007
Uncategorizedin .
Calgary building outpaces Toronto
CALGARY – A surge in construction- permit approvals here in 2006 smashed the previous year’s record and outpaced growth in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver, the city revealed yesterday.
Residential and commercial projects worth $4.76-billion were approved for Calgary, beating Toronto by more than $1-billion and more than doubling Calgary’s 2002 total.
This is really amazing when you think of it because Calgary is only one-fifth the size of Toronto with one million people. Yet they have more construction going on there than Toronto does with its five million residents. It is clear that the economic boom is still strong and that opportunities abound in the Western part of the country.
Einwanderung Kanada Visa
