Finding a Family Doctor

By Marilyn Campbell, About.com

Finding a good family doctor can be one of the biggest task, a newcomer might encounter. According to Statistics Canada nearly 10% of Ontarians didn't have a family doctor in 2007, either because they hadn't looked or couldn't find one. Based on the rest of the 2007 Community Health Survey, we're not as bad off as some of Canada, but if you're one of the 559,000 Ontario residents who wanted a doctor but couldn't find one, better-than-average numbers are no comfort. Whether you've moved, your doctor is retiring or you've just never had a long-term physician, the time to start looking for a family doctor is before you need one. Here are some doctor search techniques to get you started:

Decide What's Most Important to You: Before you even begin your search, take the time to think about what you're really looking for in a family physician. Does the doctor's gender matter to you? Is it important they be close to transit, or have parking near the door? Or are you just looking for the doctor who most closely matches your personal health care philosophy, no matter who or where they are? Which raises the question - do you know what your personal health care philosophy is?

Finding temporary work in the GTA

By Marilyn Campbell, About.com

The moment you land in this country or even before that, most of your thoughts might be revolving around finding a job at the earliest. Finding a temp job is a first step in this regard. Many Canadians look at temp work as the additional-income. But temporary employment can also help bridge the gap while you're job hunting, not only by providing income but also by keeping your skills and experience up-to-date. In addition, many Toronto temp agencies provide in-house training on things like computer programs and workplace safety, which can make you more employable overall. For those looking for a career change, short-term contract work will allow you to try out new jobs while you build new skills and gain experience. If you're one of those people who is easily bored and simply likes to change jobs often, having an employment agency looking for your next contract can save you valuable time in-between gigs. Finally of course, there is the opportunity for anyone to pick up extra income by working during their off-hours. So if you're job hunting, changing careers, or just want some extra cash, here are some of the temp agencies in Toronto that can help you reach your goals. Please click on the agency name to go to their respective websites.

Canada's recession to last until Q3 2009

Source: Reuters Canada (reporting by Louise Egan, editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

Canada's economy will stay in a recession for three quarters and contract 0.5 percent annually in 2009 with the jobless rate peaking at 8.1 percent, the Conference Board of Canada forecast in a report on Wednesday (Jan 14, 2009). Canadian export volumes have been losing steam since late 2007 as the global economy slowed. But until recently the Canadian economy was shielded from the slowdown by high commodity prices. "What is new - and perhaps more devastating - is the impact that lower commodity prices will have on real income in Canada, especially when combined with the effect of waning consumer and investor confidence," the research group said in its outlook for the Canadian economy.