ETA Canada News

A New Westminster Board of Education director has been forced to resign after being accused of harassing parents and others online for more than a year.

On June 14, New Westminster City Parent Sarah Arboleda took to Twitter to accuse Board Dee Beattie of harassing the account, Allan Whitterstone.

Arboleda had expressed concern over the issue of relocating a daycare on the school grounds, to which Whitterstone had posted a derogatory comment. She also made offensive comments to other educators and others.

Beattie’s director issued a statement to multiple media outlets, admitting to using the account and apologizing. On the 16th, the New Westminster Board of Education told Board Beattie to resign immediately, but he went on sick leave.

On the 19th, the District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) sharply criticized this, saying, “(The director) is trying to use blood tax for his vacation.”

The Canadian government has started paying a “grocery benefit” for low- and middle-income earners. Eligible citizens will be paid on July 5.

This benefit, effectively doubling the GST/HST tax credit, was approved in this year’s federal budget. This is called a “grocery rebate” because it aims to deal with rising food prices, but it is up to you whether you use it for food. There are no restrictions on how it can be used.

$2.5 billion has been earmarked by the government which will cover over 11 million people. Due to its position as a GST/HST tax credit, the tax return for 2021 must be filed in 2022 to be eligible for benefits.　The amount received will be determined by family composition as of January 2023 and household income for tax returns for 2021, the Canadian government website explains.

There is no need to apply to receive the benefits, and the refunds will be automatically paid to those eligible using the refund method (bank transfer or mailed check) registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Police are investigating after a 19-year-old man was found dead on Saturday, at Lawrence Avenue East/Dunmills Road in Toronto.

Three days before the body of a young man named ‘Pudail Mulbi’ was found, the police requested a report as they believed that a Toyota vehicle passing through the area was related to the incident. The vehicle police found was a grey Toyota Corolla with license plate CWCH799.

An 80-year-old man died in a fire in a residential area in Brampton on the 2nd (Sun). An 80-year-old senior was seriously injured when a fire broke out in the basement of a home near Beauvaard Drive/Sunnyvale Gate at around 2:00 p.m. he died in hospital.

A 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death approximately at 10pm in Hamilton. The boy died after being taken to the hospital after being seriously injured by a weapon wielded by a 22-year-old relative (male) at a family gathering held at the Cadham Boulevard home on the same day. Police have arrested the relative and are investigating the motive for the crime. The victims’ identities weren’t released till the morning of the 3rd.

On the same night, at about the same time, a man riding a bicycle on Fairlawn Boulevard/Humber West Parkway in Brampton was struck and killed by a drunk driving vehicle. A female driver who was driving drunk was arrested after leaving her car at the scene and fleeing.

At 10:30 the same night, a shooting occurred in Rexdale, killing one man. After receiving a report of the shooting, police responded to the Kipling Avenue/Albion Road building and found the man knocked down the stairs after being shot multiple times. The man died at the scene.

On the 3rd (Mon) in Scarborough, a drunk driving car caused human damage. At 0:16 on the same day, on Morningside Avenue near the Morningview Trail, a 38-year-old pedestrian was hit by a vehicle speeding north and died at the scene. Police arrested and charged a 27-year-old driver with drunk driving.

A missing 16-year-old girl has been found safe after 54 hours at Golden Years Provincial Park in British Columbia (BC).

According to the Ridgemeadow RCMP (Federal Police), Esther Wong disappeared on June 27. Four people walked the East Canyon Trail around 2:45pm, however on the return to the campsite, the group leader noticed Wong was gone.

Members of the group searched the area but could not find Wong. As a result, Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue (RMSAR) conducted an overnight search, as well as the cooperation of nearby rescue team volunteers. Helicopters, police dogs and police drones also joined the search. There were concerns about Wong’s safety, but on the night of June 29, Wong was found safe after leaving the park on her own from the East Canyon Trail.

She had been missing for 54 hours, but had no injuries other than mosquito bites, and was returned home with her parents after being checked by paramedics. A police press conference did not provide details such as how Wong spent the two nights at the park.

RMSAR said the rugged, heavily wooded terrain of Golden Ears made the search difficult, and stressed, “If you get lost in the backcountry, don’t move unless it’s dangerous.” Ridgemeadow RCMP recommends that when you go backcountry hiking, tell someone your trip plan, including where you’re going, when you’re going and when you’re coming back, and 10 are encouraged to carry the essentials of 10 must-have items to take with you when you go backcountry hiking.

BC Ferries issued a warning on June 22 to prepare for the expected cancellation of ferry services this summer.

Although the company has hired a record 1,200 new employees this year, it still faces a staff shortage. In May, flights between Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) were suspended for half a day, and two flights were cancelled on the 22nd due to staff shortages. Last year, when 850 new workers were hired, there were 300 suspensions due to crew shortages.

The company’s president and CEO, Nicolas Jimenez, said he doesn’t know how many new hires the company will need going forward, or how many cancellations he expects this summer. Each ship has a required number of staff, but the current situation is that there is no backup staff, which is a problem. Staffing shortages are particularly pronounced at ports on the Vancouver Island side of Swartz Bay (Victoria) and Nanaimo.

The company plans to increase flights in the summer and expects to use 2.6 million vehicles and 7 million passengers from now until Labor Day in September (the first Monday in September). Therefore, we are aiming to hire more personnel by increasing wages, etc., and we are asking passengers to make reservations in advance and use them during off-peak hours.

Targeting specific occupational groups such as medical, health, and transportation

The Federal Immigration Department has unveiled a new selection method in Express Entry for express immigration.

This is good news for Koreans looking forward to permanent residency.

Even if you have only 6 months of short experience, you can take on the challenge, and experience accumulated overseas such as Korea is also recognized.

This selection method, named ‘Category-based selection’ in Express Entry, can be applied for if you have at least 6 months of continuous experience in a specific job group (in the last 3 years), language ability and an academic background.

As for the category selection method, those with high scores are invited to immigrate first, so it is essential to establish a comprehensive strategy that considers English, career, age, and academic background.

Jaein Lee, an immigration consultant, said, “The Federal Immigration Department is implementing a program like this to address the labor shortage across Canada.” “If you have at least 6 months of continuous experience in a specific occupation, you can apply. In Canada and abroad, it is also an advantage that all the accumulated experience is recognized. In order to obtain a high score, it is important to establish a strategy that suits each individual situation, so specific consultation with an expert is recommended.”

Specific job groups include Healthcare Occupation, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, Field Technology Trade, Transport, Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-food.

British Columbia (BC) announced on June 16th that the city’s police force will retain the RCMP (Federal Police) and plans to transition to its own Surrey Police Service (SPS). announced it will be discontinued.

It was approved in a closed-door vote by the city council on March 15. BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said he would review the city’s plan to return to the RCMP and determine if it met the conditions of the state government. The role of the next step is safe and efficient policing,” he said.

The SPS transition was underway under former Mayor Doug McCallum, but Mayor Rock, who was elected in October, insisted on maintaining the RCMP as promised. Currently, both the RCMP and SPS are policing the city.

The BC government advised Surrey to proceed with the SPS transition plan in April. As for the reasons for this, Minister of Public Safety Farnworth cited the fact that the transition process is already underway, and that if the RCMP returns, the RCMP, which has 1,500 vacancies throughout BC, will suffer.

According to E-Comm, which operates 911 emergency calls in British Columbia (BC), the number of 911 calls in May this year was a record high of approximately 240,000.

According to the report released on June 12, the number of calls increased by 39% from 172,000 in the same month last year. Also, in the first five months of 2023, the number of calls is up 21% compared to the previous year.

The increase has been attributed to extreme temperatures, wildfires, and a return to pre-coronavirus activities such as travel and events. E-Comm expects the number of calls to 911 to increase dramatically this summer and is calling for the cooperation of state residents to protect the system.

The three main points are:

“Call 911 only when you need the police, ambulance, or fire department in an emergency (see examples on the E-comm website)” and “Know your location. Even if the address isn’t correct, the names of cities, towns, villages, streets, and landmarks can be clues.” If you dial the wrong number, don’t hang up and tell them you’re safe.”

Urbanation, a real estate research institute, released a survey result that the rate of increase in rent (monthly rent) in large cities such as Toronto is slowing. As a result of Urbanation’s analysis of data from rental sites (rentals.ca), the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom property in Toronto last month was $2,538, like the average of $2,526 for the previous month.

Compared to the same period last year, Toronto monthly rent increased by 15.5% in May this year, but this is a relatively low rate of increase compared to other months. For example, between April last year and April 2023, monthly rent rose 21.2%. This decline in the rate of increase can be confirmed in other cities as well. Vancouver saw rents rise 16.8% year-over-year in April, but the increase slowed to 9.7% year-over-year in May. Calgary also rose 22.9% year-on-year in April, but the rate of increase declined to 14.6% in May.

“Rent increases are easing on an annual basis,” said Urbanation Chairman Shawn Hildbrand. “The monthly rent is reaching a resistance point as it rises too fast compared to the rate of increase in the income of the tenants.”

Generally, monthly rent expenses should not exceed 30% of household income. According to Urbanation, you need to have a household income of at least $100,000 a year to pay the monthly rent of $2,526 for a one-bed in Toronto, and you need an income of $130,000 to get a two-bed at $3,286.

As an alternative to the skyrocketing rent, there are phenomena such as living with roommates and moving to other cities, but the situation is not easy either.

Living with a roommate is the fastest growing form of housing in Canada, with 15% of Canadians aged 20 to 34 living with a roommate in 2021. However, even if the rent is divided, it is difficult to obtain monthly rent for less than 1,000 dollars in Toronto or Vancouver. Toronto’s average “roommate rent” hit $1,299 in May.

The annual rate of increase in monthly rent in suburban areas is as high as Toronto. In Mississauga, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment rose 19.2% year-over-year to $2,312; in Vaughan, the average rent rose 25.8% to $2,251; in Burlington, the average rent rose 12.7% to $2,244; and in Brampton, the average rent rose 27.1% to $1,969.  Oshawa’s average rent rose 8.4% to $1,836, a year-over-year increase no less than that of larger cities.

“There is still high upside pressure in the market,” Hildbrand said. We expect the rise in monthly rent to slow, but the price will continue to rise,” he predicted.

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) recently announced that it would receive $98.6 million in immigrant-related research funding from the federal government over seven years.

TMU President Mohamed Lachemi said, “Our university, together with our partner universities, is confident that this research will yield new and beneficial results. New knowledge and discoveries about immigrants will soon be reflected in government policy, helping both immigrants and Canada in the future.”

Located at 350 Victoria St. in downtown Toronto, the school, formerly known as Ryerson University, will work with Concordia University in Montreal, the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver for the next seven years to help immigrants to Canada in the mid-21st century.

This is the first project in Canada to study immigrants systematically, over a long period of time, and extensively.

In the meantime, Canada has accepted immigrants with a risk management policy based on common sense without any academic or systematic research on immigration. 200 research groups from 4 universities and 100 scholars participate in this research, and 1,500 assistants are employed.

The person who will lead the mammoth-class research is TMU’s director of science, Anna Trianedaepiridow.

Research goals are compressed into four areas. Issues of immigrants enjoying health and well-being, their employment and skill acquisition, housing and residential environment, citizenship acquisition and social participation.

A study like this was desperately needed as Canada relies heavily on immigrants in a situation where the labour force continues to be in short supply worldwide and labour shortages in many fields continue.

Canada admitted 437,000 new immigrants last year, as well as 1.2 million temporary workers and international students.