tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145061832024-03-12T21:09:45.136-07:00A New Underground RailroadEncouraging American progressives to seek a new future together in CanadaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1141070444144220072006-02-27T11:56:00.000-08:002006-02-27T12:00:48.000-08:00Socially responsible diamonds<blockquote><a href="http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=reutersEdge&storyID=2006-02-27T132322Z_01_N24343743_RTRUKOC_0_US-DIAMONDS.xml">Diamonds without ethical issues sparkle for Canada</a><br /><br />TORONTO (Reuters) - In the Arctic, high above the treeline, Canada's third diamond mine is rumbling toward full production, cementing the country's position as a hotspot for diamonds -- without "the issues" and without the blood.<br /><br />The Jericho mine, operated by Toronto-based Tahera Diamond Corp. (TAH.TO: Quote, Profile, Research), is the first diamond mine in the vast northern territory of Nunavut, created in 1999 to give Canada's Inuit people a bigger political voice.<br /><br />It shows how global demand for "a girl's best friend" is growing in a country better known for its trees, oil, and nickel.<br /><br />"Not only is the quality of our diamonds of a high caliber, but the diamonds in Canada are being mined to the highest environmental standard in the world. There are no issues: no child labor, no war, no environmental problems," said Pierre Leblanc, principal with privately owned Canadian Diamond Consultants Inc.</blockquote><br />They should call them peace diamondsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1138075200010783462006-01-23T19:57:00.000-08:002006-01-23T20:00:52.080-08:00Canada still needs American progressives<blockquote><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4641954.stm">Canada exit polls point to change</a><br /><br />Voting has ended in Canada's general election with exit polls suggesting the opposition Conservatives will be the biggest party.<br /><br />If the polls are correct, Stephen Harper will lead the first Conservative government in more than 12 years.<br /><br />However, the polls suggest he is unlikely to gain an outright majority and will require alliances.</blockquote>only that last bit is any consolation, but this whole election reminds us how important American progressives are to Canada. Its almost impossible to make a difference in the USA, but Canada, already a more progressive country, needs our continued supportUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1136785688895996672006-01-08T21:50:00.000-08:002006-01-08T21:48:08.906-08:00Canada needs U.S. progressives<blockquote><a href="http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Americas&amp;month=January2006&file=World_News200601072486.xml">Canada’s Liberals risk losing grip on power</a><br /><br />Source ::: Reuters<br /><br />OTTAWA: With two weeks left in Canada’s election campaign, Prime Minister Paul Martin’s scandal-plagued Liberal Party has fallen behind the opposition Conservatives for the first time in opinion polls.<br /><br />Since the Christmas break, support for the Liberals, plagued by corruption allegations and hurt by a new federal police investigation into a possible illegal government leak, has dropped four points.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Conservatives, led by Stephen Harper, picked up six points, according to a daily SES Research poll for broadcaster CPAC.<br /><br />The Conservatives now lead with 35 percent support versus the Liberals’ 33 percent and have momentum on their side ahead of the January 23 election. </blockquote>Canadian conservatives might only have support of a third of the population but the multiparty system exaggerates that. This story is a great example of how U.S. progressives can make a difference in Canada. Instead of struggling under the fist of Republicans and anti-progress Democrats, a real difference can be made in Canada. Canada can be what America refuses to be, but only with our help.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1134512752260129642005-12-13T14:17:00.000-08:002005-12-13T14:25:52.273-08:00US interferes in Canadian elections<blockquote><a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2005-12-13T212902Z_01_YUE369406_RTRUKOC_0_US-POLITICS-USA.xml&rpc=22">Canada shrugs off U.S. warning to back off</a><br /><br />By Randall Palmer and Allan Dowd<br /><br />OTTAWA/SURREY, British Columbia (Reuters) - The United States made an unprecedented foray into Canada's election campaign on Tuesday, warning politicians not to bash Washington in their bid to win the January 23 election.<br /><br />But an unapologetic Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin responded immediately by saying "c'est la vie" -- that's life -- if the United States did not like his remarks, and he would not accept anyone telling him he cannot defend his country.</blockquote>Canadian progressives should ignore this US imperialism and support a government that is willing to criticize without fear. American progressives would do well to support them and add to their numbers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1133907751681974722005-12-06T14:17:00.000-08:002005-12-06T14:22:31.710-08:00Canada helps Palestinians<blockquote><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/051204/w120436.html">Canada uses post-Sept. 11 experience to help Palestinians run border point </a><br />14:08:16 EST Dec 4, 2005<br />YEHONATHAN TOMMER<br /><br />JERUSALEM (CP) - Helping Palestinians face the new challenge of managing their own border, a Canadian expert says it's possible to maintain security and unhindered trade flows if there is the right kind of determination and training.<br /><br />Denis Lefebvre, a former assistant commissioner of Canada Customs and executive vice-president of the Canadian Border Services Agency, has been in the region since July to help the Palestinian Authority establish an integrated border agency.<br /><br />Lefebvre brought experience gained from Canada's own model, created in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, of handling difficult issues along the border with the United States. </blockquote>Canada has had to put up with alot with the U.S. police state, so they are probably very helpful. It is good to see them taking the lead in the Middle East too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1133459259088293342005-12-01T09:45:00.000-08:002005-12-01T09:47:39.103-08:00South Africa joins Canada in allowing marriage for all<blockquote><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/01/AR2005120100583.html">South African Court Rules for Same-Sex Marriage</a><br /><br />JOHANNESBURG, Dec 1 -- South Africa's top court said on Thursday it was unconstitutional to deny gay people the right to marry, putting it on track to become the first African country to legalise same-sex marriage.</blockquote><blockquote>The court said if parliament did not act, the legal definition of marriage would be automatically changed to include same-sex unions. That would put South Africa alongside Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Canada in allowing gay marriages.<br /><br />Elated gay and lesbian couples and supporters hugged each other after the judgement, although some said they were disappointed they had to wait longer to get married.<br /><br />"We would've liked to get married as soon as we could," said Fikile Vilakazi, wearing a yellow T-shirt with the words "Marriage -- anything less is not equal".<br /><br />"I'm very happy though that finally our courts have discovered that the common law definition of marriage is unconstitutional ... that the Marriage Act is inconsistent with the constitution."<br /><br />Post-apartheid South Africa has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world and the only one to enshrine equal rights for gays and lesbians.</blockquote>The home of apartheid surges ahead of the USAUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1132962545294442042005-11-25T15:49:00.000-08:002005-11-25T15:49:05.303-08:00Canada Helps Its First Peoples<blockquote><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/25/ap/world/mainD8E3P9HG0.shtml">Canada Pledges $4.3B to Indigenous Groups</a><br /><br />Canada's government pledged more than $4 billion Friday to bolster the living standards of Canada's Indian and Inuit communities.<br /><br />Prime Minister Paul Martin and the premiers of Canada's 13 provinces and territories announced the aid package during a summit with representatives of the country's nearly 1 million aboriginal people.</blockquote><br />you won't see this happening in the u.s.a.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1132258891308447382005-11-17T12:17:00.000-08:002005-11-17T12:21:31.320-08:00Increased travel to Canada in September<blockquote><a href="http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051117/statscan_travel_051117/20051117?hub=Canada">Travel to Canada up in September: StatsCan</a><br /><br />OTTAWA — Travel to Canada rose for the first time in five months in September, particularly from the United States.<br /><br />Statistics Canada estimates that 2.9 million visitors came in September, up 4.4 per cent from August and the first increase since April.<br /><br />The agency says the vast majority, or more than 2.5 million, came from south of the border, a 4.9 per cent rebound from August.</blockquote><br /><br />Its good to see that people are making it through the U.S. border lockdown, but Canadians aren't going to take it<br /><br /><blockquote>Travel to the United States edged down, while travel to overseas countries remained virtually unchanged.</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1130971081366225832005-11-02T14:30:00.000-08:002005-11-02T14:38:01.390-08:00Get started earlyWhile Canada is working on its immigration policy there are a few interesting points in <a href="http://newsfromrussia.com/world/2005/10/31/66648.html">an article from Russia</a>:<blockquote>Canadian Immigration Minister Joe Volpe said the government was set to unveil sweeping changes to Canada's immigration policy Monday, including plans to take in as many as 300,0000 new immigrants annually within the next five years. Canada is on track to accept 245,000 immigrants this year, the high end of last year's target. <br /><br />Volpe said Ottawa plans to increase temporary workers to tackle the enormous backlog of 700,000 prospective immigrants. He said would-be newcomers currently face waits of as long as four years to have their applications processed in Canadian missions around the world.</blockquote>People want into Canada so bad that they are willing to wait four years to be processed. Hopefully this can be speeded up, it will help Canada's prosperity too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1130812929878989452005-10-31T18:41:00.000-08:002005-10-31T18:42:10.086-08:00Canada to start accepting more immigrants<blockquote>Canada to start accepting more immigrants<br /><br />BETH DUFF-BROWN<br />Associated Press<br /><br />TORONTO - Canada's government unveiled changes to its immigration policy Monday, including plans to take in up to 300,000 new immigrants annually within the next five years.<br /><br />Immigration Minister Joe Volpe, in a report on immigration introduced in the lower House of Commons, said Canada accepted nearly 236,000 immigrants last year, facilitated 2,000 international adoptions and reunited 6,000 refugee spouses and children with their families.<br /><br />He said Canada intends to accept as many as 255,000 new immigrants next year.<br /><br />"Looking to the future, more successful and well integrated newcomers in all parts of Canada are key to nation building and to our economic prosperity," Volpe said in his annual report on immigration.</blockquote><br />The U.S. is headed toward lockdown while Canada is opening its doors to the world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1130812714461627682005-10-31T18:34:00.000-08:002005-10-31T18:38:34.473-08:00Canada criticizes US border lockdown<blockquote><a href="http://www.canada.com/travel/story.html?id=0968e9bf-1764-4b11-a9d4-7268a42d9bec">Canada urges U.S. to 'take time to get it right' in requiring border IDs</a><br /> <br />Stephen Thorne <br />Canadian Press <br /><br />Monday, October 31, 2005<br /> <br />OTTAWA (CP) - Canada urged the United States on Monday to "take the time to get it right" in developing new border identification requirements, cautioning it to not throw the baby out with the bathwater in its bid for tighter security.<br /><br />In a submission to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the federal government asked Washington not to be tied to its January 2008 deadline for new border identification requirements. It said it is critical that, while enhancing security, the two governments "streamline the movement of low-risk travellers and trade." <br /><br />"Changes to document requirements on either side of the border - if not done right - have the potential to disrupt the health of our economies," said the brief, citing tourism and the auto sector as examples of countless industries that rely on a border that is both secure and efficient. <br /><br />"It would also cause significant disruption in shared border communities across Canada and the United States. Backlogs and congestion themselves create security vulnerabilities."<br /><br />The report comes in response to the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which would require cross-border travellers to carry passports or some other secure identification document yet to be determined. <br /><br />Critics fear the plan could cost both countries billions of dollars in trade and tourism, as well as immeasurable costs, including damage to cross-border relationships.<br /><br />Currently, Canadians and Americans need only a birth certificate or driver's licence to cross the border. The Americans are considering a so-called "passport lite" for residents living near the border as a cheaper, easy-to-carry alternative to a regular passport.</blockquote><br />The border lockdown. Isn't this what the neo-cons complained about with the Soviets?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.canada.com/travel/story.html?id=0968e9bf-1764-4b11-a9d4-7268a42d9bec">Read the rest here.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1130385517068495282005-10-26T21:09:00.000-07:002005-10-26T20:58:37.076-07:00Canada supports quake relief<blockquote><a href="http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051026/canada_funding_051026/20051026?hub=CTVNewsAt11">Canada boosts funding for quake relief efforts</a><br /><br />Ottawa is increasing its funding for relief efforts in quake-ravaged South Asia by $20 million, bringing the federal government's commitment to $57 million, International Co-operation Minister Aileen Carroll said Wednesday.<br /><br />"Half of this will go to the South Asia Earthquake Matching Fund; the remaining $10 million will go to the two appeals that we have now received -- one from the United Nations and one from the Red Cross movement," said Carroll, with Foreign Affairs Pierre Pettigrew by her side.</blockquote>Canada works with the international community not against it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1130181252898858992005-10-24T12:13:00.000-07:002005-10-24T12:14:29.266-07:00Canada take the lead against bird flu<blockquote><a href="http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20051024-075953-4631r">Canada hosts bird flu response summit</a><br />OTTAWA, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- A two-day international summit of 29 health ministers concerned with a potential bird flu pandemic opened in Ottawa Monday. <br /><br />The meeting is intended to help affected Asian and European nations strengthen their means of early disease detection and response to a potential avian flu pandemic, as well as addressing issues relating to the development and distribution of an avian flu vaccine and antiviral medicines. <br /><br />Among the international agencies represented are the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization. <br /><br />There have been 120 confirmed cases of bird flu being transmitted to humans in Asia, of which at least 60 have been fatal. In the past two weeks, thousands of birds have been culled in southern and western Europe as the related H5 strain of virus has turned up. <br /><br />Sunday, Britain reported a quarantined parrot died of the H5N1 strain. The bird had recently been imported from Suriname on South America's northeast coast.</blockquote>Good to see someone take the lead against this public health menace.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1128316628463687082005-10-02T21:20:00.000-07:002005-10-02T22:17:08.470-07:00Canada takes stand against big tobacco<blockquote><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1003/p07s01-woam.html">Canada ruling strikes blow to tobacco firms</a><br /><br />Landmark decision allows a province to sue for smoking-related public health costs.<br /><br />By Rebecca Cook Dube Contributor of The Christian Science Monitor<br /><br />TORONTO – Canada is now the first country outside the US where governments can sue tobacco manufacturers to recover billions of dollars in smoking-related health costs, thanks to a unanimous Canadian Supreme Court ruling last week. Tobacco foes hope other countries will follow Canada's litigious lead.<br /><br />"Canada is a pioneer in this," says Richard Daynard, president of the Tobacco Control Resource Center. "The legislation would obviously be available as a model for legislation in any other country."<br /><br />British Columbia's law, upheld last Thursday by the Canadian Supreme Court, allows the western province to sue tobacco companies for the cost of treating past and future health problems related to smoking. Experts estimate the province's claim could reach $8.6 billion ($10 billion Canadian). If Canada's nine other provinces follow British Columbia's lead - and several already plan to do so - experts say claims against the tobacco industry could top $86 billion.</blockquote>Thank you Canada for taking the lead on this important issue.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1125847639993186932005-09-04T08:24:00.000-07:002005-09-04T08:27:20.013-07:00Canadians to save New Orleansmaybe since the South has become so republican, this will give an opportunity for progressive Louisiana residents to move north<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/09/02/Canadian_ships_to_louisiana20050902.html">Canadian warships to sail to Louisiana</a><br /><br />Three Canadian warships, a coast guard vessel and three Sea King helicopters will be sent to Louisiana on Tuesday with relief supplies for the U.S. Gulf Coast.<br /><br />The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir William Alexander will sail along with the Canadian Navy vessels, HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Ville De Quebec and HMCS Toronto.<br /><br />Naval crews were busy loading gear on to the ships in Halifax Friday as 1,000 personnel prepared to head to waters off New Orleans.<br /><br />Commodore Dean McFadden, who will command the deployment, said they were consulting with their American counterparts to determine what they will do during the expected month-long mission. He suggested duties would involve reconstruction, health care and humanitarian aid.<br /><br />"We will have the capacity to move people. We'll have the capacity to bring medical supplies and fuel capabilities," McFadden said as he stood on the dock next to destroyer HMCS Athabaskan, the command and control ship for the mission. "The specific jobs we're going to do, I'll wait until the Americans tell us what help they need."<br /><br />The vessels will work with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard and carry Canadian Forces personnel, some of them military engineers who might be able to help restore power and generate electricity.<br /><br />About 40 navy divers from both coasts were also expected to deploy with the mission, which got clearance after American officials accepted a Canadian offer of help. <p></p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1124507051327895292005-08-19T20:14:00.000-07:002005-08-19T20:12:48.466-07:00Travel to CanadaIf you can't make the move yet, at least travel there and check it out<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050819/TTMONEY08/50819050/-1/MONEY">Fewer tourists visiting Canada</a><br /><br />OTTAWA (CP) - Travel to Canada fell to its lowest level in nearly a year in June, mainly because fewer Americans were making same-day car trips north of the border, Statistics Canada reports.<br /><br />A slight drop in the number of American visitors more than offset a gain in travel from overseas countries.<br /><br />A total of 3.1 million people visited Canada in June, down 0.1 per cent from May.<br /><br />Just over 2.7 million Americans visited, down 0.4 per cent from a month earlier. There were 398,000 overseas visitors, up 1.6 per cent.</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1124507399183133902005-08-19T20:08:00.000-07:002005-08-19T20:09:59.183-07:00Liberals continue to lead in Canada<blockquote><a href="http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/8583">Canada’s Liberals Are Eight Points Ahead</a><br /><br />The governing Liberal party remains the most popular federal political organization in Canada, according to a poll by The Strategic Counsel released by CTV and the Globe and Mail. </blockquote><br />I don't think Canadian conservatives are as bad as U.S. Republicans, but this is still good news.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1124205642010768892005-08-16T08:21:00.000-07:002005-08-16T08:20:42.013-07:00Marry an AmericanWe've had reports that "Marry an American" is a satirical website. The link will be gone on the right, but please keep sending your suggestions!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1124035615323729152005-08-14T08:02:00.000-07:002005-08-14T09:09:30.880-07:00Prosperity in Alberta, Canada<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000082&sid=a45l.yf74jnc&refer=canada">Canada's Oil Boom Prompts Donut Shops to Use iPods to Fill Jobs</a><br /><br /><blockquote>Aug. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The jobless rate in Alberta, Canada's biggest oil-producing province, is so low that donut shops are offering iPods and university scholarships to attract workers. <br /><br />Caroline Barham, who owns six Tim Hortons donut franchises, is providing free transportation to her store in Canmore, a one- hour drive from her base in Calgary, Canada's oil capital. Applicants also have a chance to win a C$160 ($132) iPod Shuffle music player, and can apply for as much as C$1,500 in college scholarships. <br /><br />``We're in competition with everyone for workers,'' said Barham, 50, as she tied yellow balloons to chairs in a restaurant offering walk-in interviews in Calgary. ``We're going to have to keep thinking outside of the box.'' <br /><br />Record oil prices have pushed Alberta's unemployment rate to 3.5 percent in May, the lowest in a quarter century and half the Canadian average. The decline has left companies scrambling to find waitresses, welders, engineers and accountants.</blockquote>Americans are jumping at the chance<br /><br /><blockquote>Tim Hortons, a unit of Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's International Inc., has run radio commercials that invite Albertans to walk in for interviews, the first time the 41-year- old company has targeted a hiring campaign to a specific region. Barham collected five new applications and did two interviews on Aug. 10, and was prepared to hire at least one applicant immediately. <br /><br />Renee Nelson, 34, who moved to Canada from the U.S. in 2003 and holds a business degree from Marymount University, got an on- the-spot interview when she showed up. <br /><br />``They said I was way overqualified, but I'm tired of working in offices,'' Nelson said. ``It may not pay well, but I want to be happy.''<br /><br />Rising energy prices are fueling demand for workers in Alberta's oil sands, where tar-like crude is extracted from sand in the northern part of the province. Oil companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp.'s Imperial Oil unit and Suncor Energy Inc., expect to spend as much as C$45 billion during the next five years to boost production from Alberta's deposits, whose reserves are second only to Saudi Arabia's.</blockquote>Skilled workers are also needed<blockquote>Anthony Franceschini, chief executive officer of Stantec Inc., an engineering and design firm in Edmonton, can't fill all of the vacant jobs at his company. <br /><br />``The biggest challenge is still getting qualified people,'' Franceschini, 54, said. ``We work in 15 states and five provinces in Canada and Alberta right now is the best of all of those areas.'' <br /><br />Of the 300 job vacancies at Stantec, 25 percent are in Alberta, Franceschini said. The company employs about 4,500 people and needs engineers, architects and urban planners, he said. Stantec has boosted wages between 5 percent and 7 percent this year, compared with about 3 percent before the boom. <br /><br />Average weekly earnings in Alberta rose 5.6 percent in May, compared with 2.9 percent nationally. <br /><br />Calgary resident Ian Edgar knows how easy it is to find work. Returning from vacation last month, the 38-year-old Edgar sent his resume to SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., a Montreal-based engineering company. Within two days, he had a job designing electrical systems for an oil project. </blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1123637048705978392005-08-09T18:22:00.000-07:002005-08-09T18:24:08.710-07:00Help Save Canada<a href="http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2005/08/09/1165467-cp.html">Poll: Westerners considering separation</a><br /> <br /><blockquote>CALGARY (CP) - More than one-third of western Canadians surveyed this summer thought it was time to consider separation from Canada, a poll suggests. <br /><br />In the survey, 35.6 per cent of respondents from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia agreed with the statement: Western Canadians should begin to explore the idea of forming their own country.</blockquote><br />At least they aren't trying to join the U.S. police state but it seems they could use a few more progressives out west to help them remember what it means to be CanadianUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1123479555245459672005-08-07T22:40:00.000-07:002005-08-07T22:39:15.250-07:00Canadians offer to "Marry an American"I think this is serious and it was mentioned in an earlier post, Canadians volunteer to marry progressives Americans to help them immigrate:<br /><br /><blockquote><p>The idea behind Marry An American is simple: You have the power to rescue a progressive American from four more years of George W. Bush, should he be re-elected.</p><p>Americans, sick of the political climate of their homeland, have long sought refuge within Canadian borders. And let's face it, when compared to the United States, Canada is a liberal utopia & we have universal healthcare (in two languages!), gay marriage, free marijuana for everyone, and we don't like guns.</p><p>Already, our American counterparts are fleeing the U.S. in droves and buying up land along our borders. We envision a movement where everyone wins: Freedom of expression and a politically convenient marriage with love and igloos for all.</p><p>Canadian singles, tired of the dating scene, are willing to act for love or just plain pity. Let's drop our borders/inhibitions/commitment issues, set a date, pick out our china patterns and wed a sexy American liberal.</p></blockquote><br />I'm adding a link on the right.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1123378823862697772005-08-06T18:36:00.000-07:002005-08-06T18:40:23.870-07:00Students, go to college in CanadaA few years old but good to know<br /><blockquote><a href="http://archives.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/10/04/canada.college.ap/">College costs push Americans to Canada</a><br /><br />Friday, October 4, 2002 Posted: 12:53 PM EDT (1653 GMT)<br /><br />(AP) -- Attracted by relatively low tuition costs, high academic standards and campuses set in urban centers and spectacular countryside, a small but fast-growing number of American students are choosing to spend their college days in a foreign country -- Canada.<br /><br />The Canadian Embassy in Washington estimates that enrollment at major Canadian schools by U.S. citizens has risen by at least 86 percent over the past three years, to about 5,000 students.<br /><br />"I absolutely love it here," said Amorette Howland, a senior at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, a community of 3,800 people about an hour's drive from the provincial capital of Halifax.<br /><br />A 13-hour journey from home in Enfield, Connecticut, Howland was attracted by the small-town feel of Wolfville -- and when she learned that tuition included a new IBM laptop computer.<br /><br />Her parents were more impressed by Acadia's academic standards; a minimum combined math and verbal SAT score of 1,100 is required for American students seeking admission. (There is no equivalent college entrance exam for Canadian high school students, who are judged for admissions based on grade point averages.)<br /><br />Montreal's McGill University has lured nearly 1,600 Americans north of the border, including sophomore Patrick Cournoyer, who picked it over the University of Vermont and Cornell University.<br /><br />McGill's international student tuition fee is $7,000 per year in U.S. dollars. With room and board, McGill officials estimate a student from the states can attend school in Montreal for a total of $12,000 annually.<br /><br />"Financially, it wasn't anything to even think about," Cournoyer said. "It's so exorbitant the amount of money you pay to go to an American school." </blockquote><br /><a href="http://archives.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/10/04/canada.college.ap/">Click here to continue reading</a> this great article on how Canadian schools are recruiting Americans, affordability, academic integrity, and the Canadian experienceUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1123207552380557132005-08-04T19:02:00.000-07:002005-08-04T19:05:52.380-07:00New Link, CanadianAlternative.comI've added a link on the right to <a href="http://canadianalternative.com/">CanadianAlternative.com</a><br /><br />It seems to have a great collection of information about immigration, moving, and finding jobs<br /><br /><blockquote>Ranked by the United Nations as the best country in the world to live for eight consecutive years, Canada deserves serious consideration as a place to settle down, raise a family, pursue a career or start a business.</blockquote>It also has a top ten list called <a href="http://canadianalternative.com/gettoknow/whycanada.cfm">The Case for Canada</a> (each point is explained on the website)<br />-Medicare<br />-Foreign Policy<br />-Environmental Policy<br />-Gay Rights<br />-Drug Policy<br />-Reproductive Rights<br />-Gun Control<br />-Cultural Diversity<br />-NO Capital Punishment<br />-NO Federal DeficitUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1123206722909638502005-08-04T18:47:00.000-07:002005-08-04T18:52:02.916-07:00Americans not accepting Canada's welcomeThere hasn't been the boom that was anticipated and immigration has actually declined. I wonder if the lack of an organized campaign didn't contribute to this. Americans went to the websites but didn't have all the information they needed to figure out how to move.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050804/wl_canada_nm/canada_canada_usa_immigration_col_1">Americans didn't flock to Canada after Bush win </a><br /><blockquote>OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadians can put away those extra welcome mats -- it seems Americans unhappy about the result of last November's presidential election have decided to stay at home after all.<br /><br />In the days after President Bush won a second term, the number of U.S. citizens<br />visiting Canada's main immigration Web site shot up sixfold, prompting speculation that unhappy Democrats would flock north.<br /><br />But official statistics show the number of Americans actually applying to live permanently in Canada fell in the six months after the election.<br /><br />On the face of it this is not good news -- Canada is one of the few major nations seeking to attract immigrants -- but Immigration Minister Joe Volpe was philosophical.<br /><br />"We'll take talent from wherever it is resident in the world. I was absolutely elated to see the number of hits and then my staff said 'You know what? A hit on the Internet is after all just a hit'," he told Reuters on Thursday.<br /><br />Last year, Canada, which has a population of about 32 million, accepted 235,808 immigrants from all over the world.<br /></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14506183.post-1123037776989185162005-08-02T19:55:00.000-07:002005-08-02T19:56:16.993-07:00Heard of the Free State Project?our goal isnt exactly the same here but it is something to look at. The Libertarians started a "<a href="http://www.freestateproject.org/">free state project</a>" where lots of Libertarians would select one state and move there so they can make it into a Libertarian haven without law or government<br /><br /><blockquote><p>Are you frustrated at the loss of freedom and responsibility in America, while the growth of government and taxes continues unabated? Do you want to live in strong communities where your rights are respected, and people exercise responsibility for themselves and in their dealings with each other?</p><p>If you answered "yes" to those questions, then the Free State Project has a solution for you.</p><p>What the Free State Project is... The Free State Project is an effort to recruit 20,000 liberty-loving people to move to New Hampshire. We are looking for neighborly, productive, tolerant folks from all walks of life, of all ages, creeds, and colors who agree to the political philosophy expressed in our <a href="http://www.freestateproject.org/join">Statement of Intent</a>, that government exists at most to protect people's rights, and should neither provide for people nor punish them for activities that interfere with no one else.</p></blockquote>The difference is that Canada is a good destinatiion for progressives because Canada already is progressive. We're not trying to change it, just be somewhere better and hopefully make it strongerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4