Tips to Reduce Water Costs

Save water, save money and help the environment

From around the home and in the garden to at work, Toronto Water offers programs and advice for saving water and money while helping the environment
http://www.toronto.ca/watereff/

What if my Canadian citizenship certificate is lost or stolen?

The citizenship certificate is a letter-sized piece of paper, which certifies that you are a Canadian. It is information about you, such as your name, date of birth and sex.
It is an official legal document that proves your citizenship status. It is not an identity document or a travel document.
The citizenship certificate used to be a wallet-sized card. If you have an old style certificate, it is still valid and you don't need to apply for a replacement.
http://www.settlement.org/sys/faqs_detail.asp?k=CIT_CARD&faq_id=4000513

http://www.settlement.org/sys/library_detail.asp?k=SPONS_AFTER&doc_id=1004051

It can be frightening when this happens, but there is help available. This booklet explains how to get help as quickly as possible.
This booklet explains the law in general. It is not intended to give you legal advice on your particular problem. If you need legal advice, talk to a lawyer or a community worker, or contact the legal aid office nearest you.
http://www.settlement.org/sys/library_detail.asp?k=SPONS_AFTER&doc_id=1004051

Canada issues record number of visitor visas

Canada has issued a record number of visitor visas this year with over 500,000 issued since the start of this year, announced Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney today.
“Canada is the best country in the world, so it is not surprising that so many people want to visit our country,” said Minister Kenney. “Our country’s vibrant cities and remote wilderness are a draw for Canadians and international travellers alike.”

Last year at this time Canada had issued just over 450,000 visitor visas to travellers abroad. Canada’s tourist season is now in full swing, and by the end of the year we expect to have granted over one million visitor visas.

That’s not counting students or temporary workers. Nor does it take into account citizens of over fifty countries, or ninety percent of visitors, who do not require visas to come to Canada.

Canada-Alberta pilot project expanded to include more occupations

Alberta employers looking to hire highly skilled foreign workers in certain in-demand occupations will benefit thanks to the expansion of a Temporary Foreign Worker pilot project, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney and Alberta Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education Stephen Khan announced today.
“Alberta is facing some of the most acute labour shortages in the country,” said Minister Kenney. “The expansion of this pilot project will enable more employers in Alberta to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis to fill short-term skills and labour needs when Canadians or permanent residents are unavailable.”
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2012/2012-07-16.asp

Ancient 'New York City' of Canada Discovered

Today New York City is the Big Apple of the Northeast but new research reveals that 500 years ago, at a time when Europeans were just beginning to visit the New World, a settlement on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Canada, was the biggest, most complex, cosmopolitan place in the region.

Occupied between roughly A.D. 1500 and 1530, the so-called Mantle site was settled by the Wendat (Huron). Excavations at the site, between 2003 and 2005, have uncovered its 98 longhouses, a palisade of three rows (a fence made of heavy wooden stakes and used for defense) and about 200,000 artifacts. Dozens of examples of art have been unearthed showing haunting human faces and depictions of animals, with analysis ongoing.

Now, a scholarly book detailing the discoveries is being prepared and a documentary about the site called "Curse of the Axe" aired this week on the History Channel in Canada.

http://news.yahoo.com/ancient-york-city-canada-discovered-141209740.html

Prepare For Canada

Step Up to Success!

You’ve made one of the biggest decisions of your life - the decision to immigrate and come to Canada. Now, Prepare for Canada wants to help you succeed in this exciting new chapter of your life. We have created and designed this website with you, the immigrant, in mind; we want to help you before you come to Canada and after you land. Think of us as your friend and mentor in your Canadian journey!

As someone who migrated to Canada myself, I understand the ups and downs of the process. I came here with very little information and insight, and struggled to figure things out. Based on my experiences, I became an immigrant advocate, speaker and author, with the goal of helping immigrants succeed, and this website is the next, most important, phase of my work to date.

http://www.prepareforcanada.com/

Making Sense of Twitter’s #Hashtag Technology

If you’ve been on Twitter for any amount of time, you’ve no doubt seen tweets that contain the “#” symbol followed by a word or group of words. The first time I noticed this, I thought it was simply to add emphasis to a word or phrase, and I was partly right, but, only partly right. I was very far from understanding why it was there, and what it actually did.
The hashtag (#) was organically created by Twitter users to categorize messages, thereby helping them find interesting tweets. Hashtags were popularized during the San Diego forest fires in 2007 when Nate Ritter used the hashtag “#sandiegofire” to identify his updates related to the disaster. From there it took off!
http://www.thesocialbizbuzz.com/blog/2011/11/making-sense-of-twitters-hashtag-technology/

Loonie gets a special edition facelift on its 25th birthday

Loonie gets a special edition facelift on its 25th birthday | Daily Brew - Yahoo! News Canada

 Nothing makes you feel old quite like marking the 25^th anniversary of something you recall taking place with absolute clarity.

Particularly when the celebratory object in question gets a brand new special edition facelift to mark the occasion.
But those of us who were old enough to retain memories from 1987 will likely recall the birth of the loonie — Canada's shiny, gold-coloured one-dollar coin — and the story of how we came close to calling the now-iconic coin something very different.
Can you imagine referring to our one-dollar piece as the trapper? (Or even worse — the "furry"?)
It almost happened.

12 things you didn’t know were invented by Canadians

12 things you didn’t know were invented by Canadians !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Kitchen garbage bags: Three men—Harry Wasylyk, Larry Hansen and Frank Plomp—all separately came up with the idea in the 1950s.

2. Lawn sprinkler: Invented in 1920 by Elijah McCoy, the son of runaway slaves in Ontario. McCoy was one of Canada’s most prolific inventors. Among his other 56 creations: the ironing board.

3. Odometers: In 1854, Nova Scotia’s Samuel McKeen put a device on his carriage to measure wheel turns.
4. Robertson square-headed screwdriver: Invented by P.L Robertson in 1908.

5. Walkie-talkie: Alfred Gross invented the walkie-talkie in 1938.
6. Instant replays: In 1955, CBC producer George Retzlaff introduced the world to
the first in-game sport replays.
7. Bloody Caesar: Invented in 1969 by restaurateur Walter
Chell in honour of a new Italian restaurant that opened in Calgary.
8. Wonderbra: Invented by Louise Poirier who, in 1963, was working for a Montreal-based lingerie company.
9. Five-pin bowling: Invented by T.E. Ryan of Toronto in 1909.
10. Paint roller: Invented by Norman Breakey of Toronto in 1940.
11. Pablum: Created by researchers at the University of Toronto in 1930. Royalties from its sales continue to support research at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
12. Road lines: Yes, there was a time when drivers had no lanes to stay
in, until 1930 when John Millar, an Ontario engineer, thought up the simple idea of painting lines on roads
http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/07/04/12-things-you-didnt-know-were-invented-by-canadians/

How do I apply for a birth certificate for my Canadian-born child?

You must fill out an application and submit it online or by mail.

A birth certificate is a legal document that establishes identity. It can be used as a piece of identification when you register your child for health services, a passport, or some other services.
Only children born in Ontario can get an Ontario birth certificate. If your child was born in Canada but not in Ontario, contact the Vital Statistics Office in the province or territory where your child was bornhttp://www.settlement.org/sys/faqs_detail.asp?k=LIFE_BIRTH&faq_id=4000205

Comment décrivez-vous le marché pour les chercheurs d’emploi bilingues en ce moment ?

Il est excellent. Beaucoup de compagnies qui se trouvent au Canada ont leur siège à Toronto ou ses environs. Vu le caractère bilingue de ce pays, il faut que ses sociétés aient du personnel qui puisse communiquer avec leurs clients au Québec, au Nouveau Brunswick et toutes les régions où on parle le français. Auparavant, ces postes étaient comblés par des Québécois qui s’installaient à Toronto. Mais l’économie du Québec est très forte en ce moment, alors nos candidats sont de plus en plus des francophones venus de l’étranger.
Il est possible aussi d’obtenir un emploi gouvernemental à travers une agence de placement. Pour trouver un emploi permanent avec le gouvernement, il serait mieux de postuler directement. Cependant, les bureaux gouvernementaux remplissent souvent les postes temporaires en utilisant les services des agences de placement et, ces contrats-là mènent parfois à des positions permanentes.
http://www.etablissement.org/sys/faqs_detail.asp?k=TRAV_AGENCES&faq_id=4000778

Le Canada, est-il vraiment bilingue ?

Le Canada est un pays officiellement bilingue (français - anglais). Cependant, ce fait ne signifie pas que vous trouverez des services en français partout au Canada. Trop souvent, les nouveaux arrivants francophones croient qu'on pourra les servir en français tant dans le secteur public que dans le secteur privé. Ils arrivent au Canada (dans une province autre que le Québec) et se rendent compte que les services en français se font plutôt rares et que, par conséquent, ils devront nécessairement apprendre l'anglais.http://www.etablissement.org/sys/faqs_detail.asp?k=FRAN_REA&faq_id=4000737