Canadian immigration can be made easy for you. Canadian immigration lawyers - Abrams & Krochak - will help you obtain your visa
and much more. Fill out our free assessment application and start your Canadian immigration process today.
Posts Tagged ‘immigration’
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Tamil refugee welcoming
The 492 Tamil refugees arrived by boat and a clamour over bogus claimants flocking to Canada because it’s so easy to get in arose once again.
How about a few facts?
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says there is no upsurge in asylum seekers trying to get into the rich countries of the world.
Analyzing its exhaustive statistics, the UN agency says the numbers of asylum seekers remain stable and that while they did increase in some countries they fell precipitously in others.
Nineteen countries posted increases, 25 countries registered declines. But on average, little change.
Scandinavian countries got the largest number of asylum applications with 51,100 in 2009, an increase of 13 per cent over 2008, the highest upswing in six years.
However, refugee claims fell sharply in southern Europe, in some places, Italy, for example, by as much as 42 per cent.
How about Canada? This country, although commendably ranked third for its acceptance of refugees, saw the number of asylum seekers drop by 10 per cent, mostly due to declining claims from Haiti and Mexico. Germany, on the other hand, recorded a 25-percent increase and France 19 per cent.
Canada has a two-track system for assisting refugees.
Track 1 is a resettlement program for refugees seeking asylum from outside the country. These are often refugees who are safe but stranded in camps. About 20 countries accept 100,000 of these refugees a year and Canada takes 10,000 to 12,000, or about one in 10.
Track 2, the domestic asylum system, provides protection for refugees at risk of torture, cruel or unusual punishment in their homeland and who have fled directly to Canada. This number varies from year to year.
In 2009, about 34,000 such refugees came to Canada.
But to put this in perspective, there were 377,200 such refugees worldwide that year and 343,000 sought asylum in other countries.
Under the system, once a claim is made, a Canadian citizenship and immigration officer determines whether the asylum-seeker is eligible and, if so, refers that claim to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a decision. This is the process the present Tamil refugee claimants now undergo.
So they are being treated in exactly the same fashion as every other refugee.
Another complaint about the Tamil refugees is that they came to Canada and didn’t go to countries closer to their homeland.
But the UN refugee agency’s latest figures show that of the 146,098 refugees now identified as being from Sri Lanka, 126,955 did go to other countries.
In fact, 73,000 — about half — went to India. Tamil refugees seeking asylum are distributed across 57 countries.
So, there is no playing Canada for the patsy.
In fact, RSD Watch [for Refugee Status Determination], an American non-government agency that tracks these arcane statistics, says that based on 2007 numbers, Canada’s rate for recognizing refugee claims was lower than that for the UN High Commission on Refugees.
It says that while Canada’s RSD system is considered one of the best by refugee advocates, it granted recognition to 52 per cent, compared to a rate for the UN High Commission of 79 per cent.
Recognition rates vary according to need, however. Canada recognized 81 per cent of applicants from Afghanistan and 84 per cent from Iran.
The three highest rates were for three of the most dangerous regions on the planet, Somalia at 93 per cent, Eritrea at 94 per cent and Sri Lanka at 92 per cent.
Yet the Canadian Council for Refugees notes that only a small minority of refugees ever make it to the rich countries of the north. In fact, the humanitarian burden falls most heavily upon the poor.
In 2006, for example, Tanzania took in more refugees than Canada, France, Australia, the U.S., Germany, Spain and Japan combined. Canada took in 43,500 refugees in 2006 while Chad, Kenya, Thailand, Iran, Jordan and Syria each took in 250,000.
Read more
Tags: Abrams & Krochak, Abrams and Krochak, AkCanada, akcanada.com, amendments, backlog, canada employment immigration, canada immigration, canada immigration lawyer, Canada visa, canadian immigration, canadian immigration attorney, documentation, education requirements, federal application, immigration, immigration and refugee protection act, refugee, refugee claim, refugee status
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
irish immigration
Like the many Irish migrants who arrived years before, Seamus Blake left his tiny coastal village in Ireland five weeks ago in search of greener pastures in Toronto.
No potato famine or decades-long political conflict drove him here.
Instead, a steady influx of young Irishmen and women like Blake, 24, is arriving here in desperate search of work, fleeing their country’s 14 per cent jobless rate, an after-effect of the 2008 global financial crisis and economic recession.
After spending a month at a backpackers’ hostel in Kensington Market, Blake moved into an apartment last week and, armed with a one-year work permit, started his job search. Hostel operators catering to young travellers in Toronto say as many as half of their residents over the past 18 months are visitors from Ireland looking to start a new life here.
Blake, 24, who graduated from Leeds University with a master’s degree in financial mathematics last year, arrived a year after his older brother David landed in Vancouver, also with a work permit.
“At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be any jobs for new graduates in Ireland,” said a despondent Blake, a native of tiny Liscannor, on Ireland’s west coast. “From what I heard, Canada’s economy has already bounced back and it’s full of opportunities.”
Latest statistics show the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada from Ireland — the class most recent newcomers arrive under — jumped from 1,514 in 2004 to 2,604 in 2008. Community leaders say those figures don’t begin to reflect the recent surge in Irish arrivals.
According to the London-based National Economic and Social Research Institute, some 18,400 Irish nationals emigrated in the year ending April 2009, mostly to Commonwealth countries. The exodus is expected to last for at least two more years.
Karl Gardner, deputy head of the Embassy of Ireland, said Irish people have a long tradition of adventure and migration. While the island’s population stands at 4.5 million, there are an estimated 75 million people of Irish descent around the world, including 4.35 million in Canada.
“We have always travelled,” Gardner said from Ottawa. “The sense is it is something that we do.”
Eamonn O’Loghlin, executive director of the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, receives several emails and phone calls a week these days from his countrymen, some his “lost friends and relatives,” exploring prospects in Canada.
“I try to be realistic and tell people that the job market is tight here as well, but it is easier if you have the education, skills and network in business,” said O’Loghlin, who followed his Canadian wife, Madeleine, to Canada in 1975 and never left.
O’Loghlin has met at least 60 new arrivals in the last year helping them connect with his group’s 250 members in GTA. The trade group plans a Welcome to Canada Information Night on June 1 to offer tips about living in Canada, jobs and accommodation. It will start a Facebook group and an employment website later this month to assist new Irish migrants.
Sandra McEoghain, founder of the four-year-old Irish Association of Toronto, said many of her 345 members are recent arrivals ages 24 and 35 here on work permits.
“There’s advertising in Ireland about Canada and some people are falling for that. People realized Canadian banks did really well during the recession and think there have to be more opportunities here,” said the Toronto business system analyst, 38, who came as a skilled immigrant in 2002. “Some of them have to leave fast and it’s much quicker to get a work visa.”
But it is not easy to settle in a new country, even if you share the same language and similar heritage. Most report having problems finding affordable accommodation and jobs without Canadian references.
It took Brian Byrne five months to land a job at an engineering consulting company, after sending out dozens of resumes and doing survival jobs in drywalling and masonry.
Although Irish credentials are generally recognized here, the 33-year-old native from Kilkenny said he had to adapt to the Canadian resume style, pick up colloquial English and spend time building a professional network that ultimately led him to his present job. “It is a full-time job looking for jobs,” sighed the manufacturing engineer.
For Brian Keane, who has a university degree and 11 years’ experience in construction management, his “leap of faith” to leave home turned out to be one of the best decisions he’s made in his life.
“I have guilt for not feeling homesick,” joked the 35-year-old Dublin native, who came here in December after he lost his senior management job in early fall. “I really like the Canadian lifestyle and the people are so friendly, outgoing, welcoming and helpful.
“My advice for those who’d like to move to Canada is: Don’t think twice, but plan it!”
Like other new arrivals surveyed for this story, Keane said he can see himself staying in Canada for good.
Take our FREE Online Assessment Today!
FREE ASSESSEMENT
Socialize with Abrams & Krochak
Tags: about canadian immigration, Abrams & Krochak, Abrams and Krochak, AkCanada, akcanada.com, Alberta immigration immigration, amendments, application immigration to canada, applications, apply for canada immigration, apply for canadian immigration, assessment canadian immigration, British Columbia immigration, Calgary immigration, canada busines visa, canada business immigration, canada business visa, canada citizenship, canada citizenship immigration, canada citizenship lawyer, canada citizenship test, canada customs and immigration, canada dual citizenship, canada emmigration, canada employment immigration, canada family sponsorship, canada government immigration, canada immigration, canada immigration act, canada immigration agent, canada immigration agents, canada immigration assessment, canada immigration attorney, canada immigration attorneys, canada immigration center, canada immigration centre, canada immigration com, canada immigration consultancy, canada immigration consultant, canada immigration consultants, canada immigration department, canada immigration discussion, canada immigration forum, canada immigration help, canada immigration info, canada immigration information, canada immigration interview, canada immigration law firm, canada immigration lawyer, canada immigration lawyers, canada immigration lottery, canada immigration news, canada immigration official, canada immigration online, canada immigration permanent resident, canada immigration point system, canada immigration policies, canada immigration process, canada immigration requirement, canada immigration requirements, canada immigration rules, canada immigration service, canada immigration services, canada immigration skilled worker, canada immigration sponsorship, canada immigration spouse, canada immigration status, canada immigration test, canada immigration visas, canada immigration website, canada landed immigrant, canada migrating, canada permanent residency, canada skilled immigration, canada usa immigration, canada work visas, canada's immigration policy, canadian citizenship immigration, canadian family sponsorship, canadian immigration, canadian immigration applications, canadian immigration assistance, canadian immigration assistance services, canadian immigration attorney, canadian immigration attorneys, canadian immigration canada, canadian immigration consultancy, canadian immigration consultant, canadian immigration consultants, canadian immigration department, canadian immigration form, canadian immigration forms, canadian immigration information, canadian immigration law, canadian immigration law firm, canadian immigration laws, canadian immigration marriage, canadian immigration of canada, canadian immigration office, canadian immigration point system, canadian immigration policies, canadian immigration policy, canadian immigration process, canadian immigration requirements, canadian immigration service, canadian immigration services, canadian immigration site, canadian immigration skilled, canadian immigration skilled worker, canadian immigration sponsorship, canadian immigration visas, canadian immigration website, canadian migration, canadian permanent residency, canadian residency, cic canada immigration, citizen and immigration canada, common-law, documentation, documents, education requirements, emigrate canada, emigrating canada, emmigrate canada, enterpreneur immigration canada, enterpreneur visa canada, entrepreneur immigration canada, entrepreneur visa canada, family immigration canada, fast-track, federal application, government of canada immigration, how to emigrate to canada, imigration canada, imigration to canada, immegration canada, immigrate to Alberta, immigrate to British Columbia, immigrate to Calgary, immigrate to Manitoba, immigrate to Ontario, immigrate to Saskatchewan, immigrate to Toronto, immigrate to Vancouver, immigrating canada, immigrating to canada, immigration, immigration and canada, Immigration attorney, immigration canada jobs, immigration canada sponsor, immigration du canada, immigration for canada, immigration from canada, immigration into canada, immigration law canada, immigration laws canada, immigration of canada, immigration office canada, immigration policy canada, immigration service, immigration to canada from, investor immigration canada, investor visa canada, ireland, irish immigration, irish immigration to canada, Jeffrey Abrams, job titles, language proficiency, live and work canada, Manitoba immigration, marriage, marriage immigration canada, migrate canada, migrate to canada, migrating to canada, migration canada, migration to canada, move to canada, occupations, Ontario immigration, permanent immigration to canada, permanent residence, permanent residence canada, permanent residence card, permanent resident immigration, Quebec investor program, Saskatchewan immigration, self employed immigration canada, self employed visa canada, sponsor family canada, sponsor partner canada, sponsor relative canada, sponsor spouse canada, Toronto immigration, usa canada dual citizenship, Vancouver immigration, visas canada
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 7th, 2010
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Summit officials have abandoned Trinity Bellwoods Park as the G20’s official demonstration area, but at least one group still plans to rally there in June.
In an about-face Thursday, the G20’s Integrated Security Unit announced it will be moving the protest zone, explaining the change as a response to complaints from area residents and consultations with city hall.
The security unit has yet to announce the new site, but the Ontario Federation of Labour says it’s sticking with Trinity Bellwoods.
The OFL expects thousands to attend its G8 and G20 march on June 26, organized in conjunction with groups such as Oxfam, Greenpeace and the Canadian Labour Congress.
The OFL plan is to meet at Queen’s Park and march along University Ave. and Queen St. W., concluding at Trinity Bellwoods, chosen last week by summit officials as a “designated speech area” for G20 protesters.
“We plan on keeping our rally at the park because nobody has told us otherwise; not the police, not the city,” said OFL president Sid Ryan.
But area residents oppose even this labour rally. At a meeting Thursday night, the Trinity Bellwoods Community Association voted 33-0 against the rally being held in the park.
Resident Steffan Randstrom said he was skeptical the labour rally would only attract peaceful demonstrators. “People will travel here from all over the world to do crazy s—,” he said. “Why do you choose a residential park for such an event? I’ve got kids and I don’t want them to meet crazy anarchists.”
The OFL’s Laurie Hardwick and Toronto police Const. George Tucker, of the Integrated Security Unit, tried to calm their concerns.
“We have no intention of doing any damage to your community,” Hardwick said. She assured them most of the demonstrators would be out of the park by about 4 p.m.
Hardwick estimated the crowd at 5,000, but residents worried the numbers could swell to more than 20,000.
“Why isn’t this happening at the CNE?” said David Ginsberg. With thousands of people in the park, “our kids are not going to be able to play,” he said.
Outside in the park, Anne Louise Pearl, who was walking her dog, said she was happy the designated speech area was being moved from the heavily used park.
But she was also concerned about the OFL rally, noting some recently planted saplings might be damaged. “I still don’t understand why they have to use this park.”
Mark Critoph, a graphic design professor in the park with his daughter Asha, 6, said he supports people’s right to protest and did not want to fall prey to the NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome. “I would not attend it, but it’s got to be somewhere,” he said.
Mark Gelineau, manager of Great Stuff, a nearby clothing store, said he felt better upon hearing the park would only host the labour rally, which might attract business, instead of a designated protest zone, which might attract vandals. “Rallies are usually positive things,” he said.
The OFL’s Ryan said his rally venue was chosen prior to summit officials picking Trinity Bellwoods as the designated speech area. He said the OFL worked closely with police to select the site. The federation originally wanted Coronation Park but settled on Trinity Bellwoods after police asked them to find an alternative location that didn’t require marching across the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Blvd.
Ryan said the OFL already has permits for the parade route and Queen’s Park but has only a conditional permit so far for Trinity Bellwoods. However, the federation is already making permit payments and meeting its obligations, even hiring 300 marshals to keep radical protesters from infiltrating its rally.
“City hall has to approve the permit but I can’t see why the Canadian Labour Congress or OFL would have a rally permit turned down,” Ryan said. “That would be highly unusual.”
Summit officials say they have no issue with the OFL using Trinity Bellwoods as long as its permit is approved by the city.
City councillor and mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone said he was “totally unhappy” when Trinity Bellwoods was announced as the protest site. He thinks the park, bordered by homes and families, is no place for protesters.
Pantalone said he brought his concerns to Police Chief Bill Blair, who told him Wednesday the site would be moved. He said Queen’s Park is now being considered for the protest zone.
But for Ryan, the summit is an international event being staged by the federal government — protesting outside the Legislature would be pointless.
“Queen’s Park is not an acceptable site,” he said. “It’s too far away. You don’t even get an opportunity to get down to the perimeter of the security fence.”
He said the OFL wrote a letter to city hall Thursday morning, offering to move the rally if the city would find a more suitable location. Ryan said he has yet to hear back.
Ryan is frustrated with the reaction to the OFL’s use of the park as a rally site and said the group is fully committed to protesting peacefully, as is its democratic right.
“These politicians that are complaining, they stand with us at protests all across the city, all across the country, and then we have a protest and they say, ‘Not in my backyard,’” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, NORAD conducted flight tests throughout the day on Thursday in preparation of the G8 and G20 summits. The tests are to continue into Friday.
Take our FREE Online Assessment Today!
FREE ASSESSEMENT
Socialize with Abrams & Krochak
Tags: about canadian immigration, Abrams & Krochak, Abrams and Krochak, AkCanada, akcanada.com, Alberta immigration immigration, amendments, application immigration to canada, applications, apply for canada immigration, apply for canadian immigration, assessment canadian immigration, backlog, British Columbia immigration, Calgary immigration, canada busines visa, canada business immigration, canada business visa, canada citizenship, canada citizenship immigration, canada citizenship lawyer, canada citizenship test, canada customs and immigration, canada dual citizenship, canada emmigration, canada employment immigration, canada family sponsorship, canada government immigration, canada immigration, canada immigration act, canada immigration agent, canada immigration agents, canada immigration assessment, canada immigration attorney, canada immigration attorneys, canada immigration center, canada immigration centre, canada immigration com, canada immigration consultancy, canada immigration consultant, canada immigration consultants, canada immigration department, canada immigration discussion, canada immigration forum, canada immigration help, canada immigration info, canada immigration information, canada immigration interview, canada immigration law firm, canada immigration lawyer, canada immigration lawyers, canada immigration lottery, canada immigration news, canada immigration official, canada immigration online, canada immigration permanent resident, canada immigration point system, canada immigration policies, canada immigration process, canada immigration requirement, canada immigration requirements, canada immigration rules, canada immigration service, canada immigration services, canada immigration skilled worker, canada immigration sponsorship, canada immigration spouse, canada immigration status, canada immigration test, canada immigration visas, canada immigration website, canada landed immigrant, canada migrating, canada permanent residency, canada skilled immigration, canada usa immigration, Canada visa, canada work visas, canada's immigration policy, canadian citizenship immigration, canadian family sponsorship, canadian immigration, canadian immigration applications, canadian immigration assistance, canadian immigration assistance services, canadian immigration attorney, canadian immigration attorneys, canadian immigration canada, canadian immigration consultancy, canadian immigration consultant, canadian immigration consultants, canadian immigration department, canadian immigration form, canadian immigration forms, canadian immigration information, canadian immigration law, canadian immigration law firm, canadian immigration laws, canadian immigration marriage, canadian immigration of canada, canadian immigration office, canadian immigration point system, canadian immigration policies, canadian immigration policy, canadian immigration process, canadian immigration requirements, canadian immigration service, canadian immigration services, canadian immigration site, canadian immigration skilled, canadian immigration skilled worker, canadian immigration sponsorship, canadian immigration visas, canadian immigration website, canadian migration, canadian permanent residency, canadian residency, cic canada immigration, citizen and immigration canada, common-law, documentation, documents, education requirements, emigrate canada, emigrating canada, emmigrate canada, enterpreneur immigration canada, enterpreneur visa canada, entrepreneur immigration canada, entrepreneur visa canada, family immigration canada, fast-track, federal application, government of canada immigration, how to emigrate to canada, ielts, imigration canada, imigration to canada, immegration canada, immigrate to Alberta, immigrate to British Columbia, immigrate to Calgary, immigrate to Manitoba, immigrate to Ontario, immigrate to Saskatchewan, immigrate to Toronto, immigrate to Vancouver, immigrating canada, immigrating to canada, immigration, immigration and canada, Immigration attorney, immigration canada jobs, immigration canada sponsor, immigration du canada, immigration for canada, immigration from canada, immigration into canada, immigration law canada, immigration laws canada, immigration of canada, immigration office canada, immigration policy canada, immigration service, immigration to canada from, investor immigration canada, investor visa canada, irish immigration to canada, Jeffrey Abrams, live and work canada, Manitoba immigration, marriage immigration canada, migrate canada, migrate to canada, migrating to canada, migration canada, migration to canada, move to canada, Ontario immigration, permanent immigration to canada, permanent residence canada, permanent residency, permanent resident immigration, Quebec investor program, refugee claim, Saskatchewan immigration, self employed immigration canada, self employed visa canada, skilled workers, sponsor family canada, sponsor partner canada, sponsor relative canada, sponsor spouse canada, study permits, Toronto immigration, usa canada dual citizenship, Vancouver immigration, visas canada
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
CSIC LOGO
The law firm of Abrams & Krochak, Canadian Immigration Lawyers, is licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada (province of Ontario) to provide legal services for persons wishing to immigrate to Canada. Please be aware that there are some immigration consultants that claim to be a legitimate provider of such legal services, but who are not licensed by the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC).
To our Friends and our Fans, please do not be taken advantage of by unlicensed consultants. Begin your legal Canadian immigration today by completing our Free Eligibility Online Assessment at
Victims Duped by Immigration Fraudster
An uncertified immigration consultant in Windsor has been charged with fraud after 11 clients allegedly paid him thousands of dollars for services they never received.
The victims made payments to the consultant ranging from $2,000 to $100,000 in the belief that applications to immigrate to Canada were being made on their behalf.
But no such applications were ever submitted, said investigators with the
Immigration and Passport Section of the Windsor RCMP.
Eleven counts of fraud have been laid against Francesco Salvatore Sam Burgio, 45, of Amherstburg, Ontario.
Police identified 11 victims, but believe there may be others.
Often, individuals who have been victimized are reluctant to come forward fearing that reporting their situation will interfere with their ability to gain legal immigration status in Canada, Cpl. Rod Rudiak of the Windsor RCMP said in a press release.
The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) had revoked Burgios license back in 2006.
That should have set off red flags for anybody who was considering hiring him, CSIC Chair and Acting CEO John Ryan said in a release.
Most people would never consider hiring an unlicenced doctor or lawyer, and consumers need to realize that hiring an uncertified immigration consultant is just as unwise, he said.
In reaction to the arrest, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Minister Jason Kenney said Tuesday that unscrupulous immigration consultants heap misery upon their victims and pose a serious threat to the reputation of Canada’s immigration system.
The charges against Burgio come just weeks after Vancouver-based consultant Fereydoun Hadad was sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty in January to defrauding an Iranian man seeking to immigrate to Canada of over $49,000.
Hadad had convinced the would-be immigrant to set up a bank account in Canada and deposit money in it. By forging the mans signature, Hadad withdrew the funds for his personal use.
Unscrupulous consultants are a significant problem and tackling it requires all levels of government to work together and make it a priority, Kenney said a statement after Hadads conviction.
Preying on people who are desperate to have a new start in Canada, or who are trying to bring their family members here, is unconscionable. As the Speech from the Throne promised, we will be taking steps to address this, Kenney added.
Ryan welcomes a government crackdown on fraudulent immigration consultants, saying legal loopholes permitted the practice to go on for too long with little danger of legal repercussions.
Only members licenced with the CSIC, a provincial or territorial bar, or Quebec notaries may advise or represent clients before the Government of Canada for a fee. However, friends, family, or religious organizations may offer free help.
The CIC website states that the government will not deal with any unauthorized person charging a fee for immigration services. To assist prospective immigrants, the website provides detailed information about e-mail and Internet scams, fake websites, and computer viruses.
Dont be a victim of a scam. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, the CIC warns.
Don't be a victim of Fraud
Take our FREE Online Assessment Today!
FREE ASSESSEMENT
Socialize with Abrams & Krochak
Tags: about canadian immigration, Abrams & Krochak, Abrams and Krochak, AkCanada, akcanada.com, Alberta immigration immigration, amendments, application immigration to canada, applications, apply for canada immigration, apply for canadian immigration, assessment canadian immigration, backlog, British Columbia immigration, Calgary immigration, canada busines visa, canada business immigration, canada business visa, canada citizenship, canada citizenship immigration, canada citizenship lawyer, canada citizenship test, canada customs and immigration, canada dual citizenship, canada emmigration, canada employment immigration, canada family sponsorship, canada government immigration, canada immigration, canada immigration act, canada immigration agent, canada immigration agents, canada immigration assessment, canada immigration attorney, canada immigration attorneys, canada immigration center, canada immigration centre, canada immigration com, canada immigration consultancy, canada immigration consultant, canada immigration consultants, canada immigration department, canada immigration discussion, canada immigration forum, canada immigration help, canada immigration info, canada immigration information, canada immigration interview, canada immigration law firm, canada immigration lawyer, canada immigration lawyers, canada immigration lottery, canada immigration news, canada immigration official, canada immigration online, canada immigration permanent resident, canada immigration point system, canada immigration policies, canada immigration process, canada immigration requirement, canada immigration requirements, canada immigration rules, canada immigration service, canada immigration services, canada immigration skilled worker, canada immigration sponsorship, canada immigration spouse, canada immigration status, canada immigration test, canada immigration visas, canada immigration website, canada landed immigrant, canada migrating, canada permanent residency, canada skilled immigration, canada usa immigration, Canada visa, canada work visas, canada's immigration policy, canadian citizenship immigration, canadian family sponsorship, canadian immigration, canadian immigration applications, canadian immigration assistance, canadian immigration assistance services, canadian immigration attorney, canadian immigration attorneys, canadian immigration canada, canadian immigration consultancy, canadian immigration consultant, canadian immigration consultants, canadian immigration department, canadian immigration form, canadian immigration forms, canadian immigration information, canadian immigration law, canadian immigration law firm, canadian immigration laws, canadian immigration marriage, canadian immigration of canada, canadian immigration office, canadian immigration point system, canadian immigration policies, canadian immigration policy, canadian immigration process, canadian immigration requirements, canadian immigration service, canadian immigration services, canadian immigration site, canadian immigration skilled, canadian immigration skilled worker, canadian immigration sponsorship, canadian immigration visas, canadian immigration website, canadian migration, canadian permanent residency, canadian residency, cic canada immigration, citizen and immigration canada, common-law, documentation, documents, education requirements, emigrate canada, emigrating canada, emmigrate canada, enterpreneur immigration canada, enterpreneur visa canada, entrepreneur immigration canada, entrepreneur visa canada, family immigration canada, fast-track, federal application, government of canada immigration, how to emigrate to canada, ielts, imigration canada, imigration to canada, immegration canada, immigrate to Alberta, immigrate to British Columbia, immigrate to Calgary, immigrate to Manitoba, immigrate to Ontario, immigrate to Saskatchewan, immigrate to Toronto, immigrate to Vancouver, immigrating canada, immigrating to canada, immigration, immigration and canada, immigration and refugee protection act, Immigration attorney, immigration canada jobs, immigration canada sponsor, immigration du canada, immigration for canada, immigration from canada, immigration into canada, immigration law canada, immigration laws canada, immigration of canada, immigration office canada, immigration policy canada, immigration service, immigration to canada from, interview, investor immigration canada, investor visa canada, irish immigration to canada, Jeffrey Abrams, job titles, language proficiency, legislation, live and work canada, Manitoba immigration, marriage, marriage immigration canada, medical examination, migrate canada, migrate to canada, migrating to canada, migration canada, migration to canada, move to canada, occupations, Ontario immigration, permanent immigration to canada, permanent residence, permanent residence canada, permanent resident immigration, Peter Krochak, Quebec investor program, Saskatchewan immigration, self employed immigration canada, self employed visa canada, sponsor family canada, sponsor partner canada, sponsor relative canada, sponsor spouse canada, sponsorship, study permits, success story, Toronto immigration, usa canada dual citizenship, Vancouver immigration, visas canada, work permit
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
SPOCK - STAR TREK
VULCAN, Alta. — Despite a spell of unwelcoming hail, rain and snow, Mr. Spock finally arrived in the small Alberta town of Vulcan on Friday, ending what some say has been a 10-year quest to bring the half-human, half-Vulcan home.
Dressed casually in a grey sweater and black pants, a beaming Leonard Nimoy arrived without his trademark Vulcan ears to hundreds of cheering fans Friday afternoon outside the Vulcan Tourism Centre before joining a parade down the town’s main drag to help celebrate the town’s new status as the Star Trek capital of Canada.
By the time the 79-year-old actor offered his “live-long-and-prosper” handprint and unveiled a bronze bust of his most famous character, the sun was shining and the crowd had surged to an estimated 2,500 people.
“Wait until Bill Shatner hears about this,” said Nimoy. “I have been a Vulcan for 44 years. It’s about time I came home.”
For town officials, it was the end to a long, weird and exhilarating quest to bring Spock home.
In town for only a couple of hours, the actor is scheduled to be a guest at The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo this weekend. Vulcan is about 100 kilometres southeast of Calgary.
Nimoy’s appearance caps off a decade-plus campaign to use Gene Roddenberry’s popular Star Trek phenomenon to boost tourism for the town, which was actually named after the Roman god of fire.
“I think this is going to go down as one of the biggest days in Vulcan history,” says Dayna Dickens, the town’s tourism co-ordinator. “You know, certainly there’s be some controversy with the town having its traditional Prairie roots. But I think the town has come together to welcome Mr. Nimoy here.”
Certainly there was no sign of dissent along Vulcan’s quaint main drag. A pharmacy, an insurance office, the local tavern and even one abandoned building had been turned into makeshift shrines to Spock. New T-shirts had been designed, and a limited edition poster was produced that pictured a Andy Warhol-like portrait of the pointy-eared first officer of the Enterprise with the caption “Welcome Home.”
Star Trek movie marathons and the original series’ score blasted from the windows of local businesses and the liquor store was enjoying brisk sales of Romulan ale. Vulcan jerky was being sold at the grocery shop and two high school students were dressed up as “sehlats” — bear-like creatures native to Vulcan. Town officials, including Mayor Tom Grant, were decked out in full Star Trek garb.
Nimoy lent a pair of his Vulcan ears and a poster signed by the original cast to the town to display for a year.
Nimoy, who recently announced his retirement from acting, was clearly touched by the attention.
“I’ve never had an experience quite as touching as I’m having here today and I appreciate it,” he said. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to get here.”
For some of the town’s older residents, the visit was indeed a long time coming.
“People thought they were crazy when (officials) started talking about Star Trek and they thought they were really crazy when they built the Trek centre but it’s really been wonderful,” says Betty McFadden, 75, referring to the town’s Starship Enterprise-styled tourism building.
McFadden, who has been in Vulcan since 1952, wandered the main drag with her friend Betty Smith, 80, both wearing the old-school red Star Trek shirts. Both said they hope the town embraces its new Trek-heavy theme.
For Jesse Zelisko, the 15-year-old who donned the elaborate sehlat costume, Star Trek has always been a part of living in Vulcan.
“If you say southern Alberta, people know Vulcan,” says Zelisko. “It’s always been that Star Trek town.”
But while the connection is hardly new, Vulcan got a major push in that direction last year. That was when Nimoy famously got behind the town’s failed bid to hold the premiere of J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek film series reboot. Nimoy, who was the only original cast member to star in the film, read a Calgary Herald news report online that the town had been denied the premiere and decided to lend his support.
“We made some phone calls and one thing led to another,” said Nimoy, in an interview with the Herald prior to the event. “When Paramount got to thinking about it they thought they would show it in Calgary and bus 300 people in Vulcan, which I thought was great. But it just touched me as a very interesting problem that Vulcan couldn’t get a screening of the movie.”
Vulcan has already felt the benefits of Nimoy’s plug. In 2009, it had 23,400 visitors come through town looking for Trekkie adventures. That’s up from 16,800 in 2008. Now endorsed by CBS Television, which owns the licensing rights to Star Trek memorabilia, the town has been able to offer a new line of items at its tourism centre.
It’s working. Eric Anderson, a 28-year-old Trekkie from Regina, said he spent “way too much” money there Friday morning.
“I bought this shirt, and it was cool because they had these limited-edition posters,” he enthused, showing off a new T-shirt design with the words “Spock Beamed Down to Vulcan.”
“I think there’s only 500 available. I bought a Spock bobble-head doll and some knick-knacks . . . I sound like such a dweeb right now.”
Take our FREE Online Assessment Today!
FREE ASSESSEMENT
Socialize with Abrams & Krochak
Tags: about canadian immigration, Abrams & Krochak, AkCanada, Alberta immigration immigration, application immigration to canada, apply for canada immigration, apply for canadian immigration, assessment canadian immigration, backlog, British Columbia immigration, Calgary immigration, canada busines visa, canada business immigration, canada business visa, canada citizenship, canada citizenship immigration, canada citizenship lawyer, canada citizenship test, canada customs and immigration, canada dual citizenship, canada emmigration, canada employment immigration, canada family sponsorship, canada government immigration, canada immigration, canada immigration act, canada immigration agent, canada immigration agents, canada immigration assessment, canada immigration attorney, canada immigration attorneys, canada immigration center, canada immigration centre, canada immigration com, canada immigration consultancy, canada immigration consultant, canada immigration consultants, canada immigration department, canada immigration discussion, canada immigration forum, canada immigration help, canada immigration info, canada immigration information, canada immigration interview, canada immigration law firm, canada immigration lawyer, canada immigration lawyers, canada immigration lottery, canada immigration news, canada immigration official, canada immigration online, canada immigration permanent resident, canada immigration point system, canada immigration policies, canada immigration process, canada immigration requirement, canada immigration requirements, canada immigration rules, canada immigration service, canada immigration services, canada immigration skilled worker, canada immigration sponsorship, canada immigration spouse, canada immigration status, canada immigration test, canada immigration visas, canada immigration website, canada landed immigrant, canada migrating, canada permanent residency, canada skilled immigration, canada usa immigration, Canada visa, canada work visas, canada's immigration policy, canadian citizenship immigration, canadian family sponsorship, canadian immigration, canadian immigration applications, canadian immigration assistance, canadian immigration assistance services, canadian immigration attorney, canadian immigration attorneys, canadian immigration canada, canadian immigration consultancy, canadian immigration consultant, canadian immigration consultants, canadian immigration department, canadian immigration form, canadian immigration forms, canadian immigration information, canadian immigration law, canadian immigration law firm, canadian immigration laws, canadian immigration marriage, canadian immigration of canada, canadian immigration office, canadian immigration point system, canadian immigration policies, canadian immigration policy, canadian immigration process, canadian immigration requirements, canadian immigration service, canadian immigration services, canadian immigration site, canadian immigration skilled, canadian immigration skilled worker, canadian immigration sponsorship, canadian immigration visas, canadian immigration website, canadian migration, canadian permanent residency, canadian residency, cic canada immigration, citizen and immigration canada, common-law, documents, education requirements, emigrate canada, emigrating canada, emmigrate canada, enterpreneur immigration canada, enterpreneur visa canada, Entertainment, entrepreneur immigration canada, entrepreneur visa canada, family immigration canada, fast-track, federal application, government of canada immigration, how to emigrate to canada, ielts, imigration canada, imigration to canada, immegration canada, immigrate to Alberta, immigrate to British Columbia, immigrate to Calgary, immigrate to Manitoba, immigrate to Ontario, immigrate to Saskatchewan, immigrate to Toronto, immigrate to Vancouver, immigrating canada, immigrating to canada, immigration, immigration and canada, immigration and refugee protection act, Immigration attorney, immigration canada jobs, immigration canada sponsor, immigration du canada, immigration for canada, immigration from canada, immigration into canada, immigration law canada, immigration laws canada, immigration of canada, immigration office canada, immigration policy canada, immigration service, immigration to canada from, interview, investor immigration canada, investor visa canada, irish immigration to canada, Jeffrey Abrams, job titles, language proficiency, live and work canada, Manitoba immigration, marriage, marriage immigration canada, migrate canada, migrate to canada, migrating to canada, migration canada, migration to canada, move to canada, occupations, Ontario immigration, permanent immigration to canada, permanent residence, permanent residence canada, permanent residence card, permanent residence cards, permanent residency, permanent resident immigration, provincial nominee program, Quebec investor program, Saskatchewan immigration, self employed immigration canada, self employed visa canada, SPOCK, sponsor family canada, sponsor partner canada, sponsor relative canada, sponsor spouse canada, STAR TREK, Toronto immigration, usa canada dual citizenship, Vancouver immigration, visas canada
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
