A Beginner's guide to Vancouver

by Phil Welch

Vancouver is a beautiful city. Located in western Canada, in British Columbia, it is the proverbial melting-pot of cultures. Bustling, but without feeling too overcrowded, the city has, by necessity, been built upwards. With the Pacific Ocean to the west, the mountains to the north, the skyscrapers and condo living reminded me of a clean New York - full of life and excitement. First things first: Getting there couldn't be easier. Air New Zealand begin direct flights from Auckland to Vancouver in November, operating three times a week between November-March and July-August. (Online fares start from $2636 return.) Once past the astonishingly friendly immigration and customs officers, either grab a cab (25 minutes into the city for about $30) or take a bus with options to change and ride the skytrain into the city. Almost complete is the Translink railway, part of the city's impressive upgrade as it prepares to host the 2010 Olympic Games, which will link the airport with downtown Vancouver. Auckland take note. Vancouverites make the most of the Glass City's waterside location. You can kayak and sail, water taxis take you around False Creek, either to shop in the ecclectic Granville Island (1) markets, or to relax in one of the many bars and restaurants such as Nu restaurant and lounge (2) (www.whatisnu.com), a lovely glass-walled place specialising in seafood and using almost all Canadian-grown ingredients. Nu overlooks the market island, and has live, but not overbearing, music playing in the background as you enjoy your lunch. Sea planes buzz around the city, giving access to Victoria, Nanaimo and Gulf Islands from as little as C$55 one-way.

Take a bike: An excellent way to see the city is to make use of the Seawall Promenade. You can either walk, run (but why would you?), skate or cycle along this 9km path that, not surprisingly, follows the sea wall around the city from the seaplane harbour to Kitsilano Beach. Bicycles and blades can be hired at a reasonable price from various rental shops around the city. (Bikes from as little as $9/half-day, $12/full day, and blades from $10/half-day, $12/full day.) Stanley Park is a good place to start. Hire a bike on Denman St (3), head to the waterfront and turn left. The ride should take you around two hours and try not to fall off as you take in the views of the city. You will pass by the Aquarium and Marine Science centre (www.vanaqua.org) (4) which is well worth a visit even if, like me, the only fish you are interested in is the one you are having for dinner. Check out the luminous jelly fish and the ghostly white beluga whales. And if you want to see something so cute it is sickening, have a look at the otters as they sleep floating on their backs in the water, a frisbee clutched in their tiny paws. Continue around the park, under the bridge and be amazed at the views as you pass by Prospect Point (5) and look out across Burrard Inlet towards Vancouver Island. Once you've picked yourself up and brushed down your grazed knees, keep cycling and you will come, via beautiful English Bay Beach (6), full-circle back to Denman St. Two hours very well spent.

A bit of history: Gastown (7), to the east of the city centre, is the birthplace of Vancouver (which actually went by the name of Gastown at one time). The Victorian buildings, cobbled streets and old-fashioned lampposts evoke the feeling of history, while the trendy bars, boutiques and galleries bring the area into the present. A word of warning, though, Gastown is not the best place to hang around after dark. Some of the less salubrious aspects of the Victorian age are alive and well in this gritty neighbourhood! A statue to local hero and alcoholic, Gassy Jack Deighton who, I was disappointed to hear, was not named for his flatulent disposition, but rather for his ``tall stories' stands a couple of blocks away from Gastown's stream clock (8), a strange tourist attraction that is the only one of it's kind in the world. However, it is not as old as it looks (built in 1977) and don't expect too much from its slightly disappointing quarter-hourly toots. Oh, and it's powered by electricity too...

Taste of the Orient: Journey south of Gastown and you come to Vancouver's Chinatown (9), a plethora of streetmarkets with lucky red awnings. Explore the vibrant and exciting shops that sell everything from jade and silk, to pig heads and chicken feet. I was especially intrigued by a huge stall of fish and seafood, some of which I couldn't, for the life of me, identify, and one of which, I am sure, waved a glistening tentacle and winked. If all the yelling and bustle of the markets get too much, you can take sanctuary in Dr Sun Yet-Sen Classical Gardens (10). Experience zen as you wander the tranquil stone paths past trees and pools and enjoy a cup of tea under a pavilion. Entry costs about $9 and includes a tour explaining how each and every plant and rock are deliberately placed to achieve balance and harmony with nature. Unable to resist, I secretly moved a large stone just to see if the place would shake with discord. It did. If you fancy giving the credit card a bit of exercise, Vancouver's the place to do it. If you don't mind it busy, head to Robson St (11). Souvenir shops give way to the trendy stores and to the Pacific Shopping Centre (12), a three-block mall containing department stores and international chains.

A spot of shopping: If you want a more eclectic shopping experience, head to Granville Island (1) where you can peruse various shops and markets selling jewellery, pottery and paintings, or visit the art galleries. Dinner and drinks: Start with a delicious cocktail in Zin (13) (www.zin-restaurant.com) and then head for a sumptuous feast at the Blue Water Cafe (14) in Yaletown (www.bluewatercafe.net). I can recommend the crab; be prepared to do a bit of plier work (and warn those sitting nearby to be alert for flying shell shrapnel). If you can't be bothered travelling as far as the Blue Water Cafe (or if you had a few too many cocktails in Zin), you can stagger to Cin Cin (15), only a few blocks away (www.cincin.net). The food is excellent. And so is the wine... Vancouverites love their food, and it certainly shows in the quality of dining available in the city.

Leaving the city: A must-see, only a few kilometers north of the city is the world's longest and highest suspension bridge. Capilano suspension bridge (16) is Vancouver's oldest attraction (www.capbridge.com). A bridge has spanned the tumultuous Capilano river for well over 100 years. The first suspended bridge was built there in 1889 and was constructed from only hemp rope and cedar by George Grant Mackay. Now it is the centre of a tourist attraction, including a totem pole and nature park, a First Nations Carving Centre and the Treetops Adventure walk. A network of suspended walkways that evokes images of the Ewok village. To say I have a fear of heights and of flying is like saying the haka is just a little dance. I find it difficult to look up without losing my balance and yet, here I was about to step onto Capilano Suspension bridge. I took a deep breath and a furtive glance around (just to make sure there were no mad scythe-wielding priests of Kali, a la Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), and trusted my life to a few planks of wood and string that spanned the chasm of mind-numbing horror. Actually the 137m bridge is safely constructed from steel, cedar and concrete, and strong enough to take the weight of 1333 people. Now if only I hadn't eaten such a large breakfast... The bridge recently rode out the terrible storms that battered Vancouver and withstood the weight of a huge tree which fell onto it. Months of dedicated repair work now sees the bridge open to the public once again. It is very safe. Anyway I made it all the way across. I even looked down at the Capilano river 70m below, and had my picture taken (although you won't see it reproduced here as the medium of print has not yet been developed that can replicate that kind of terror. And also, I was wearing a silly hat with tassles).

So, Vancouver City. A fantastic start to a tour of British Columbia, a base for adventures to Whistler, Vancouver Island and beyond, or an indulgent long weekend. Whatever your reason for visiting, you cannot fail to enjoy yourself. The food is great, the people are friendly and the scenery is breathtaking. Now, a slight word of caution, just in case you (like me) are a little taken aback by the unusual toilet situation in this lovely city. In Vancouver, and possibly all of Canada, the natural state of the toilet bowl is to be full of water. This is not a plumbing emergency, the bowl is not blocked. It's just how things are. So don't wake up in the night and forget to put the seat down. I'm just saying...

Microsoft Crosses Border on Coding

by Patrick Thibodeau

O Canada, indeed. No H-1B visa cap. An exchange rate that puts the Canadian dollar almost at parity with its U.S. counterpart. And now an endorsement from Microsoft Corp. as a place to develop software. On July 5, Microsoft announced plans to open a software development center in Vancouver (pictured above), partly to help it “recruit and retain highly skilled people affected by immigration issues in the U.S.” Evan Green, a partner at Toronto-based law firm Green & Spiegel LLP, said the Canadian government’s process for quickly bringing high-tech workers with certain skills into the country can be completed in two to eight weeks. And there is no limit on the number of foreign workers who can enter Canada, Green said. Canada’s technology sector needs immigration. Paul Swinwood, president of the Information and Communications Technology Council in Ottawa, said the number of available high-tech jobs is expected to increase by about 100,000 over the next several years. But Canadian universities graduate only about 15,000 students with tech skills each year. Swinwood said employees brought in for temporary work can usually get permanent residency. “When you have a job here in Canada,” he said, “that’s a pretty fair indication to the immigration department that you are of value to the country.”

Canada opens up ImmgRules for Students, Families

Ela Dutt, Press Trust of India

In a bid to attract more foreign students Canada announced new rules that make it easier for them to work while studying in the country and also relaxed the entry for parents and grandparents of immigrants. Announcing the new measures here Monday, Joe Volpe, minister of citizenship and immigration, said: "International students who choose to stay in Canada after they graduate greatly contribute to our labour market. "It is important that they be exposed to the Canadian work force at an early stage to increase their chances of success following graduation." The announcement of relaxed immigration rules to Canada comes at a time when several European countries are trying to corner foreign students even as the US is concerned it is losing some bright incoming researchers. "We are certain that these initiatives will help increase the global competitiveness of Canada by attracting and retaining more international students to our schools," said Volpe.

Volpe also announced measures to speed up the processing of sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents coming to Canada as family class immigrants. India is a major source country for immigrants coming here. With these new measures in place, it is expected that in both 2005 and 2006, the number of parents and grandparents immigrating to Canada will increase by an additional 12,000 each year. This triples the original 6,000 forecasted for 2005. Volpe also announced that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will be more flexible in issuing multiple-entry visitor visas to parents and grandparents. This will allow them to visit their families in Canada while their sponsorship applications are in process, as long as they are able to prove that they are visiting temporarily. Regular security and health screening will still apply and some parents and grandparents may require health coverage to be admissible to Canada. Canada has had over one million permanent residents since 2000. However, the number of sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents is growing and more applications are received each day than CIC can process, the agency admitted. "To address this concern, the government of Canada is investing $36 million a year over two years to increase processing of parent and grandparent applications and to cover integration costs once they arrive in Canada. Additional processing will begin immediately. In the coming weeks, CIC will add temporary duty officers and support staff at visa offices with the largest number of applications."

The new initiatives in the area of foreign students include: (1.) Allowing international students at public post-secondary institutions to work off-campus while completing their studies and (2.) Allowing students to work for two years, rather than one year, after their graduation. This second initiative will apply outside Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver to possibly spread immigrants more widely rather than their current concentration in the above-named cities. Canada is investing $10 million a year for five years to support this announcement, the CIC said. The agency also announced other adjustments to its international study programme. For example, post-secondary international students can now transfer between programmes of study and institutions without applying for a change to the conditions of their study permit. Secondary-level international students can now obtain longer high-school study permits. As of May 16, 2005, international students who meet the eligibility criteria for a second year of post-graduation employment will be issued a two-year work permit. For these students, the two-year work permit will only be valid for one year since they will have already completed their first year of post-graduate work. As with existing pilot projects, the off-campus work initiative will be implemented bilaterally in each province and territory, following agreements with CIC. The measures include an investment of $69 million over two years to restore, by 2007-2008, processing times to an average of 12 months for a grant of citizenship and four months for a proof of citizenship. CIC is also exempting citizenship applicants from undergoing language ability and knowledge-of-Canada tests at 55 rather than 60 years of age. But the CIC said that in no way would the rigorous security screening requirements that all applicants for Canadian citizenship must go through before becoming citizens of Canada, be relaxed.

Canada sees a 17% jump in IT skills demand

by: Kathleen Lau

Canada's thriving economy is producing a growing demand for qualified IT professionals, leading companies to hire at an increased rate of 17 per cent from last year, according to a report by IT recruitment firm CNC Global. "The strength in the economy continues to drive spending in IT," said Toronto, Ont.-based CNC Global's president, Terry Power, adding the spenders include companies in the technology sector as well as corporate Canada's IT departments. The hiring boost is also due to the changing face of IT in the business, as it increasingly takes on a strategic role, said Power. "More and more, they want people that have some additional business-related skill sets as opposed to just technical skill sets." Not surprisingly, CNC Global's report suggests the "top skills" for 2007's second quarter are project management, business analysis, and communications skills. According to Kevin Dee, CEO of Eagle Professional Resources Inc., Toronto, Ont.-based IT staffing firm, there is less differentiation between the traditional "backroom coders" and the idea of outsourcing projects to low-priced countries like India and China. "I get the impression there is less demand for, and going to be less demand for, those types of backroom coding people."

Power notes, however, the demand that exists is for IT professionals with specific expertise, as opposed to generalists, but even then, certain areas of expertise are more in need than others. Infrastructure security is one area, given companies' better awareness around security related issues, he said. Web development is another – accounting for one in five job orders – by companies looking for that competitive advantage with online customer interactive applications. "Web developers are in demand because companies look for ways to make it easier for clients to interact with them," said Power. Dee has observed IT skills most in demand to be those around "packaged-type software", such as SAP, Peoplesoft and Oracle Financials.

"They are enterprise-type applications that corporations continue to invest in and that go through cycles," he said, adding the skills continue to be required as new versions of the applications are launched. Regionally, Ontario accounted for 50 per cent of the surge, while the East and West split the other half equally. Much of the demand in Ontario, he said, is driven by banks, telecommunication and insurance companies, and government. "It's just the sheer concentration of large corporations." Edmonton saw an increase by 69 per cent over the last year, largely due to companies seeking IT skills and technology to help them reach their business goals. Dee said there are numerous reasons for the boost in the need for IT skills demand over the last year. The increase in Western Canada is driven by the successful oil and gas industry and the resultant spin off.

Canada nixes Sikh name-change policy

by Shallima Maharaj

Canada nixed a decade-old policy on Thursday that required prospective Sikh immigrants to change their last names to avoid confusion with other Sikhs. Because most male Sikhs have the name Singh, meaning "lion," and most females have the name Kaur, translated as "princess," Canada had required those wanting to immigrate to add a surname or use a different one. "The names Kaur and Singh do not qualify for the purpose of immigration to Canada," the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi wrote in May to Jaspal Singh, who was applying to be a permanent resident. The letter was made public this week. In a formal statement, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley said: "This letter does not reflect the policy of (the Canadian) government ... I can assure you I have directed the department to ensure that this type of erroneous letter is not sent out again."

"The practice of asking applicants with the surnames Singh and Kaur to provide an additional surname was designed to help identify and differentiate applicants who shared the same first and last names," Finley added. She also said that offering an additional surname was "entirely voluntary" and that no application would be rejected if an applicant did not offer an added name. Harinder Gahir, a Toronto-area immigration lawyer, has dealt with about 100 name-change-related cases in the last seven years. "I don't think there was any thought of intended discrimination," he said. "I would say it was an ill-advised policy." Gahir said that most of his clients did not object to the policy because they wanted to avoid administrative delays. "If they had objected, their cases would have been delayed. They chose not to do that for the sake of family reunification," he said. "There were a few people who were quite emotional and it was a serious matter for them ... eventually they had to change it because they had no choice." Jasbeer Singh of the World Sikh Organization in Canada was less understanding, referring to Citizenship and Immigration's explanation as "window dressing or damage control." "The policy is offensive and they should say yes, it is, and we are getting rid of it," Singh said. "There are more Lees and Mohammads in Canada and merely picking on Singh and Kaur, alleging that it is a common name, doesn't make sense."

24,500 Indians make Canada their home

by: Gurmukh Singh, Press Trust of India

At least 24,560 new immigrants from India made Canada their home last year. This is the largest Indian immigration to any country in the world. According to Citizen and Immigration Canada's annual report, tabled in Parliament in Ottawa on Friday, the Indians, numbering 24,560 constituted about 11 per cent of the total 221,352 new immigrants into this country in 2003. Numbering 36,116, Chinese were the largest immigrant group and the Pakistanis second at 12,330. The Filipinos (11,978) were the third largest source of immigration in 2003. According to the report, Asia accounted for more than 51 per cent of the immigrants, Africa and Middle East 20 per cent and Europe 17 per cent. The immigrants come from as many as 214 countries around the world. Presenting the report, citizenship and immigration minister Judy Sgro set the target for 2005 between 220,000 and 245,000. "Our immigration plan for 2005 will help Canada's economy grow while promoting family reunification and refugee protection. Canada is one of a small number of countries to deliver a permanent immigration programme.

Immigrants continue to seek Canada as their home as a result of quality of life and the opportunities that our country provides," the minister said. Interestingly, about 5.4 million of the country's 31.4 million population are foreign-born, according to the 2001 census. Which means that almost every fifth Canadian is foreign-born. This compares well with Australia which has similar immigration policies and where foreign-born nationals account for 23 per cent of the population. About 73 per cent of the new immigrants into Canada settle mostly in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Further, figures show that about 55 per cent of all immigrants in 2003 fell under the economic class. Under this category, an immigrant should have assets worth $800,000. He should also invest $400,000 in Canada to get eligible for immigration. In fact, before the transfer of Hong Kong to China, a large number of people from the colony had sought Canadian immigration under the economic class. Not surprisingly, the Chinese are the most visible minority in this country. They constitute about 3 per cent of the population. Chinese is the third largest spoken language in Canada. And Ms Adrienne Clark, who is of Chinese descent, is Canada's governor-general today.