The Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), announced that the Government of Canada is investing in the business leaders of tomorrow by supporting the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF). CYBF hosted the Honourable Rob Moore, Federal Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) at a roundtable with seven of CYBF’s young entrepreneurs and mentors, held at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre Hotel.

The roundtable focused on the importance of strengthening youth entrepreneurship across Canada, and its positive and immediate contribution to Canada’s economic recovery, global competitiveness, and the cultivation of Canada’s future business leaders.

Speaking to Generation Next, Minister Moore noted that by young entrepreneurs, the government means “people under the age of 35. Certainly most people in the roundtable conference were in their 20s, but the program is designed for youth between the ages of 18 – 34.”

This is the age group whose ideas and notions are mostly disregarded as naïve, however Minister Moore says “we take our youth very seriously; one because they are our future; two, they have  proven track record of 95% repayment.” He noted that young entrepreneurs face challenge in getting business loans because of bad credit or because they do not necessarily own a home and a vehicle at this age. While many banks may not provide financial assistance to young entrepreneurs, one bank has stepped up to match the funds given to entrepreneurs by CYBF.

Financial assistance is not the only challenge faced by young entrepreneurs. Having a mentor is a challenge in its own right. So what CYBF does is that it pairs up a young entrepreneur with a mentor.

CYBF provides financial support and mentorship to young Canadians who want to start their own business. CYBF is different from other programs that support young entrepreneurs in that it matches its clients with experienced volunteer business mentors. The combination of access to capital and the support of a mentor is key to the success of the entrepreneur. To date, CYBF has helped more than 3500 young entrepreneurs create more than 16 900 jobs. This is why the government chose to fund CYBF.

Beyond their economic impact, CYBF entrepreneurs are also a valuable social asset in their respective communities and for all Canadians. They are role models who inspire other young people to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice.

“At CYBF, we know that youth entrepreneurship plays a fundamental role in building a dynamic Canadian economy,” said Vivian Prokop, chief executive officer of CYBF. “The continued support of CYBF by the federal government reinforces a strong public-private partnership that enables CYBF to unleash the entrepreneurial potential of young people to generate ideas, expand innovation and create jobs and wealth in communities coast to coast.”

Minister Moore referenced the recent budget, which included $10 million in funding to CYBF which will help to create more than 500 new businesses in communities across Canada within the next year. These businesses will in turn generate an estimated 2,500 new jobs and more than $63 million in revenues by 2013.

This funding builds on $10 million given to CYBF by the federal government in 2009 as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

In spite of these measures, the opposition has attacked the government’s budget for not creating enough jobs. Minister Moore says “what the opposition is saying is not accurate and not supported by facts. We’re creating an advisory committee on small business and entrepreneurship; we’re cutting money from red tape.” However it has to be noted that some parts of the country have been hit harder by economic downturn than others. The unemployment rate nationwide dropped by 0.1%, but it remains the same for Toronto. The jobs have been created in manufacturing and service industry.

Author: Staff Writer

Parliament’s new legislative agenda is all too silent on one important area of reform for this country’s long term economic success: the settlement and integration of new Canadians into our workforce and society. The reality is, since the Conservatives took office in 2006, very little has been done to improve how new immigrants integrate into our economy, and for how their prospects can achieve true parity with the expectations, skills and talents they have brought to Canada. At a time when immigrants are over-represented in the poverty, unemployment and under-employment rates of this country, it is critical that we abandon political gamesmanship, engage in effective and meaningful dialogue, and get down to work on the substantive policy changes. Language proficiency is the number one barrier to upward economic mobility for newly arriving Canadians. Assisting new Canadians with general and job specific language skills is one of the most effective ways of ensuring equality of opportunity. Yet for some inexplicable reason, the Conservative government has mismanaged this file by lapsing on essential funding. In fact, more than one third of the money allocated in the 2008-2009 fiscal year was not used to provide much needed language training for immigrants. Lack of foreign credential recognition is costing Canada more than $2.6 billion per year in lost productivity alone. A recent announcement for existing overseas programs of accreditation in China, India and Great Britain was a welcome step in the right direction. But we need to go further to recognize foreign credentials. By working with Canadian and overseas educational institutions, provinces and territories and the appropriate regulatory bodies, we can develop bridging courses in target countries where we have opened up offices and allocated resources, so upgrading can begin before new Canadians arrive in Canada. In 2009 the Conservative government promised to deal with the problem of unscrupulous immigration consultants. Yet stories about such abuses continue to surface in the headlines. We saw no action at the federal level to deal with this problem; now provinces like Quebec are taking the initiative to deal with this issue alone. There is also mounting evidence that Canada urgently needs comprehensive refugee reform. While Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has talked about the need to overhaul our refugee system, we have yet to see any changes. Instead, his government’s delays have resulted in a ballooning backlog of 62,000 refugee claims as well as slower processing times and longer wait periods of up to seventeen months for persons claiming refugee status. In the Minister’s own words, that “the system is broken.” If and when a refugee reform package is finally tabled, Liberals will insist that it meets our standards of procedural fairness: it must be reasonable, fast and efficient and it must not undermine the trust placed in the system. Why is this so important? Immigration will represent all of Canada’s net labour growth by 2011 and all net population growth within the next 25 years. Yet new Canadians are over-qualified and underpaid in far greater numbers than native born Canadians. In 2008, if you were a newcomer in your prime earning years with a university degree, you could expect to make on average five dollars less per hour than a Canadian born worker with the same education and qualifications. You would also likely have much less job security than if you were born here. In 2008 the number of newcomers working in temporary positions – 16 percent – was nearly double that of their Canadian-born counterparts. These are significant challenges that we must deal with in a thoughtful and comprehensive way. I recently hosted a roundtable in Ottawa to kick start the public policy debate on the immigrant success gap. And in just a few weeks time, Liberals will also host a wider discussion on these issues – and more – at our Canada 150 Conference in Montreal. Ultimately, if we want to realize the full potential of our country, we must maximize its human resources. Canada can’t achieve that by leaving immigrants behind.

Author: Maurizio Bevilacqua is the Liberal Critic for Citizenship and Immigration and the Member of Parliament for Vaughn.

What is Canadian Experience Class (CEC)?

Canadian Experience Class was introduced on September 2008, to facilitate the immigration process for temporary residents who are in Canada on study permit and work permits.

Who qualify under CEC?

• • a temporary foreign worker with at least two years of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada, or
  • a foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution with at least one year of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada

If someone meets the requirements to apply under the Canadian Experience Class but have since returned to their home country. Will they be eligible to apply under the Canadian Experience Class?

Yes, but you must apply within one year of leaving your job in Canada. If you left your job more than one year ago, your work experience is not recent and does not meet the requirement.

Does part-time work experience count toward meeting the requirements for work experience?

Yes, but it will take you longer to accumulate the amount of hours necessary to apply than an applicant who has worked full-time.

If someone wants to apply as a graduate, Can part-time work experience during their full-time studies in Canada be counted toward the one-year requirement?

No. Your work experience must be gained after graduation.

If someone wants to apply as a graduate. Does work experience that was part of their educational program’s requirements (such as Co-op terms and apprenticeships) count toward the one-year requirement?

No. Co-op terms and apprenticeships completed before graduating do not count as skilled work experience as they are considered part of an educational program. For this reason, co-op terms and apprenticeships are counted as part of the minimum two-year educational program requirement.

If someone has a one-year master’s degree (or one-year certificate) from a Canadian post-secondary educational institution. Will they be eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class?

Anyone accepted as a permanent resident under the Canadian Experience Class (based on their studies) has to have studied in Canada for at least two years.

Normally, this means you graduated with a Canadian post-secondary credential that requires at least two academic years of study, but there is one exception.

If you completed a one-year master’s (certificates and diplomas do not count with this exception), you would be eligible if you earned it after completing another program of at least one academic year in Canada. Both credentials must be obtained from a post-secondary institution recognized by the province. Each program must be completed within two years of each other.

If a person doesn’t have a total of two years of Canadian post-secondary education, are there any other options to apply to stay permanently under the Canadian Experience Class?

No. However, if you do not meet the requirements to apply as a graduate, you can position yourself to apply as a skilled temporary foreign worker. To do this, you must gain two years of skilled work experience.

Having completed a one-year post-secondary educational program in Canada, you qualify for a one-year open work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit program. You may use this permit to gain your first year of skilled work experience. This may lead to other employment opportunities toward gaining your second year. An employer may need to sponsor you for employment beyond your first year.

If someone have already submitted an application for permanent residence as a skilled worker (the traditional way to apply), can I still apply under this category?

Yes, but applicants are required to submit a new application with new fees.

If CIC has not started processing the skilled worker application, the applicant could withdraw it and may be entitled to a refund.

It is not forbidden to apply simultaneously with two different streams of the Economic Class.

However, the applicant will have to choose under which one the permanent resident status will be granted.

When a person has applied for temporary residence, they needed to have a medical exam to get my work or study permit. Why do they have to have another medical exam to apply for permanent residence from within Canada?

Since the reasons for medical exams for temporary and permanent residence are different, and because of the amount of time in between tests, you may have to undergo two medical exams—one for each application.

Some applicants, depending on where they lived, may have needed a medical exam to come to Canada temporarily. This medical exam would have verified that they pose no health risk to the Canadian public.

All applicants for permanent residence in economic categories must go through medical screening for the reason above in addition to verifying that neither they nor a family member would pose an excessive demand on Canada’s health, education and social systems.

Author:Manu Datta

The activist roar is that the individual is being stifled, the individual we are being led to never meet. We never meet this individual because of the cultural shackles we are arrested in: we reject pluralism, the possibility of being both. We see only one mode of being and this is a tragedy to our societal dynamics. I am sure you know what I am hinting at – the essentialist, elitist belief of one’s identity as fixed.

Coming from a South Asian background I have been bombarded from birth with the atoms of good and evil and the different being (the non-conformist) is always seen as evil. The morals underneath all discourse on existence always warns against evil and

The possibility of being different is always downplayed. Perhaps, I am guilty of generalizing and perhaps I am guilty as charged: the pint of truth is sufficient enough, for all those of you who have been pushed to Canada by the diasporic wave know very well that when living on the hyphen, the world of the other becomes no longer evil. It has been an year now since I jumped off the boat after sailing into Canadian waters. I am roughly an year old as a Torontonian and prior to docking here, I received hours of lectures attempting to immunize me from the dangers of an alien culture. Regardless to say, the immunization wore off the moment I stepped foot on local soil and on a daily basis I have been jolted by the social animal’s best teacher, culture shock or more simply said, experience!

Upon entering the space of the diaspora, I realized my location on a hyphen – I noticed that I was within reach of two worlds, one of which was the world of the different. The hyphen began to manifest its power and the warnings of the world of the bubble burst instantly. The new space brought experience to my senses and I began to roam free in the spaces I was warned about.

Amongst the many warnings I got about coming to Toronto, one that was stressed on specifically was to stay away from the Downtown region after sunset. I never quite knew how factual these warnings were but many a people warned me of a dangerously dark side to Toronto’s Downtown once darkness set in. At first I thought I would obediently heed and never dare to be within smelling distance of the Downtown region once Toronto’s part timing sun was not around. Until I positioned myself on the hyphen. I decided to take on the experience: I took a bite of the forbidden fruit. I decided to live on the hyphen and experience the possibility of passing in and out of foreign territory: what I experienced brought me to realize the positive power of realization the land of the hyphen offered.

A long story short, but I was shacking up at an acquaintance’s place in downtown for the night and suddenly I felt an urge to go on a stroll alone, two hours before midnight. And I am glad to say the urge was worth all the sweet guilt.

I do not quite recall where I walked or what street I strolled across, but I remember my eyes staying fixed to my surroundings and my hands glued to my pockets in nervous anticipation of the worse. I heard about the drinking, the drugs and the danger yet I still chose to bite the fruit knowing fully well that I was challenging death. I had the fear of downtown embedded deep inside me but like every crazy explorer, I just went on. And am I glad I did, because I realized what the fear really was.

Toronto’s Downtown is a tribute to a human at is most natural – there is the drunk and dazed, the sober and serene, the wild and wacky. Each person I took a glance at was being his or her self. And this was the fear – this is what made Toronto’s Downtown the forbidden fruit to even taste for it gives you a taste of what life would be like if each person would simply do his/her own thing! There was something to the night that simply showed the reality of the savage being and so called uncivilized.

The tall buildings looked like the authority that governs us all and the night sky simply darkened any of their influence. Each person was his/her own and I got a taste of a world with people being individuals. The individual acts to his/her own rules and this is exactly what I was not being let to see: a world with no rules.

This power of passing and being able to enter spaces comes as a gift to those on the hyphen. Indeed, the problems of epidermalization nag my hyphenated South Asian being, but far from being negatively critical of the hyphen, I have begun to see its uses. It is awesome to be where your kind has never been before; it is an experience that makes a stranger no more so and it is only in this ability to pass that we can learn to accept and appreciate the different strokes of the folks of the world.

Author: Ali Abbas

In my work as an immigration lawyer I receive an enormous number of resumes from people who hope to immigrate to Canada, either permanently or as temporary workers. Unfortunately, the vast majority of such resumes are so badly prepared that I simply cannot tell what job the person has worked at. I have no idea what those people have done; let alone what they are qualified to do.

It is impossible for me to do an immigration assessment based on a resume like that. I have to believe it also makes it impossible for a Canadian employer to figure out if the candidate has the requirements for the job.

I want to make this absolutely clear: I am saying that well over 90% of the resumes I see are useless to me, or to a Canadian employer.

People outside Canada are already at a significant disadvantage when it comes to finding a Canadian employer.

First, there are millions of people around the world who are highly educated and under-employed. They are qualified and ambitious, but frustrated. Candidates need to know they are competing with people from all over the world who are just like them. That means they have to do a very good job with their application.

Second, candidates outside of Canada may have a hard time finding out about job openings in Canada, unless those job openings are listed on a public web site.

Third, it may be impossible for them to attend at a job interview in Canada.

Fourth, too many candidates are either weaker in English than they realize, or they are writing in their local version of English, and many Canadian employers are not familiar or comfortable with that form of English.

Generally speaking, it appears that unless a candidate grew up in Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, the British West Indies, or some similar country where the mother tongue and first language is English, the candidate should consider some English language training at least.

You will notice that I did not put India or Pakistan on that list. I respect that English is very widely spoken in both countries. But most of the problematic resumes I referred to above come from India and Pakistan. English is a rich and adaptable language. The versions of English that are widely spoken in India and Pakistan are legitimate but are versions that Canadian employers are not familiar with; and the standard style of writing resumes is not the style Canadian employers are used to.

Fifth, it appears that Canadian employers are interested in different characteristics than employers of other countries. Here is a simple example. In Canada it actually looks bad to put one’s religion on a resume. You will be hired on the strength of your job skills, not because you are a Muslim or a Christian or an atheist, for example. Nor do we usually see irrelevant hobbies (such as watching television) on Canadian resumes.

Sixth, a Canadian employer who wants to hire a foreign worker has to get permission from the Canadian government to do so. These bureaucratic requirements take time and will also likely cost the employer money. These cost factors discourage Canadian employers from hiring foreign workers unless they really need to.

Seventh, once the Canadian employer has permission to hire the foreign worker, the worker has to apply for and obtain a work permit, from a visa office outside of Canada. Some visa offices can process a work permit application in a few weeks. Other visa offices can take up to a year to process a work permit application. It is outrageous, but that is the way it is. The time lost is another cost factor that discourages Canadian employers from hiring foreign workers.

I recommend that people who are interested in Canadian jobs spend some time working on their Canadian-style English language skills, study how Canadians write resumes, study the Canadian labour market and be prepared to work hard and deal with discouragement when they look for work. There are some coaches out there who can help, like Jerrold Jones of LifeLongEd.ca.

But never pay someone to find you a job in Canada. In Canada, and in many other countries, it is actually illegal to charge a worker a fee to find the worker a job. That is because such schemes are so often scams and even put the workers at risk of abuse.

It will take care, perseverance, and dedication to find work in Canada, and there may be much more frustration than success.

But the rewards if it works are wonderful, and may ultimately lead to Canadian citizenship for the worker and his or her spouse and children.

Author:James Gregory

From finding information on how to start a new business to opening a bank account, there are many steps newcomers take to successfully make their way in Canada. Now, an internet resource has been created for newcomers to help them quickly and easily find a range of government services, in addition to settlement services, in their communities, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today. This resource is easy to find at www.servicesfornewcomers.cic.gc.ca.

“This can only increase their chance of successful integration within their new communities, and this is an important goal for Canada.”

PM salutes Team Canada's athletes at the Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics

The Services for Newcomers resource helps newcomers to Canada locate settlement services in their community, as well as find a range of other federal, provincial, and territorial government services. Newcomers will be able to e-mail the results of their searches to themselves, family members or other newcomers, making it easier to keep track of their search results. This on-line resource will be updated and expanded continually to add more information on services newcomers will likely be searching for when they first arrive.

PM and Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia, announce new investments in roads, bridges, and highways

Settlement services are an essential part of the federal government’s immigration program. CIC funds a number of services, including language training, employment related assistance and community service referrals to help newcomers settle, adapt and integrate into Canadian society. These services are delivered in partnership with provinces, territories and community-based organizations. Since 2006, the Government of Canada has tripled immigrant settlement funding, after it had been previously frozen for years.

“The Services for Newcomers resource has been put in place to help newcomers find the private sector and government services they need to succeed. With this resource, newcomers will easily find the many services available to them, such as how to buy their first home,” said Minister Kenney.

More skilled immigrants to Canada will be able to access the help needed to jump-start their credential recognition process through expanded overseas orientation services, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“We want newcomers to be able to use their skills as soon as possible in Canada,” said Minister Kenney. “This funding will help them jump-start the credential recognition process before they arrive in Canada. It’s good for them and good for the Canadian economy.”

The Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP), run by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), will receive additional funding of $15 million over the next three years to expand services in India, China and the Philippines. A new office will also open in London, United Kingdom, in the fall of 2011, which will also serve various Nordic and Arab states according to demand.

“Our government is committed to helping newcomers succeed in Canada,” said the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. “Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our government is improving foreign credential recognition so that newcomers can maximize their skills. Attracting the best international talent is important to Canada’s long-term economic success.”

The CIIP, run by the ACCC, began offering orientation services in the Philippines, China and India on a pilot basis in early 2007. The existing sites, along with the London office, will offer access to more than 70% of the selected federal skilled workers around the world. These locations will also offer access to approximately 44% of selected provincial nominees around the world.

Newcomers report foreign credential recognition as one of their top challenges once they immigrate to Canada. As part of the Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada has allocated $50M over two years (2009-2010) to support a common approach to foreign credential recognition to better integrate immigrants into the Canadian labour market.

The free sessions provide labour market information, individual advice and planning, and referrals to a wide range of services available in Canada. The orientation sessions will be complemented by occupation and sector-specific fact sheets, online tools and resources to help immigrants begin their licensure and accreditation process overseas. Tools will also be available to help with workplace integration, as well as the development of a personalized action plan using the Planning to Work in Canada? An Essential Workbook for Newcomers developed by the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) at Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Because not all immigrants will be able to take part in orientation sessions, the FCRO has also developed an on-line version of this action plan that is freely available to all at www.credentials.gc.ca.

Minister Kenney also spoke of advancements and successes of the federal government in the area of foreign credential recognition in Canada, including the recent announcement of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications – a landmark agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to speed up foreign credential recognition for newcomers to Canada.

Last January I wrote about a consultant, based in Montreal, who was accused of helping hundreds of people file fake citizenship applications. Here we are, a year later, and I am writing about the same thing, this time with respect to a consultant based in Toronto.

Many applicants who do not live in Canada file citizenship applications based on fake evidence claiming that they did live in Canada. Citizenship officers are very much aware that such applications get filed far too often, and they are alert to signs of fraud. In this case, they noticed that too many applications were coming from the same address. So they started to check out all of the applications coming from that address.

The address in question turned out to be that of a consultant.  I don’t know if that consultant was licensed or not. I suspect not. According to newspaper reports, no one knows where he is now.

In the meantime, all applications processed through his office are being very carefully scrutinized, and those that are fake are quite likely to be exposed.

It is likely that the authorities will also review older cases. Some people who already have citizenship can lose their citizenship if the authorities find evidence of fraud.

As for those of his clients who are genuine, they will be subjected to pretty tough scrutiny too. Officers will be sceptical about all of his clients, and even the legitimate ones will have problems as a result.

Is it fair that honest applicants will suffer for the dishonesty of others? Of course not. But that is what is likely to happen. Honest applicants will find that they are subjected to extra tough reviews, and will have to produce even better than normal proof, or risk being rejected.

I fear that some of the qualified candidates may have been sloppy. Too many people ruin otherwise good applications by using unnecessary false proof, by leaving out pieces of the truth, and by otherwise following bad advice by dishonest people.

If you are in trouble, lawyers like me are willing to help you try to sort it out. But it is better not to get into trouble in the first place. I have seen too many good applications ruined by bad advice, and bad choices.

Beware invitations to cheat. If you have an honest application, do not fall into the temptation of making it “simple”, or making it “stronger”, by adding false details or omitting real details.

I have been an immigration lawyer for almost 22 years. I can assure you, there are no “new” ways to cheat. Every example I have seen is a variation of an old trick that has been around longer than me. Immigration and citizenship officers know the tricks too. Eventually, fraudsters are exposed.

If you are asking for help from someone and they suggest you cheat, get away from them. They probably have a bad reputation with the immigration authorities. Your case may be subjected to extra, unnecessary, attention from immigration authorities. And they may do something that ruins your otherwise good application. I have seen it happen to good people too many times.

The Toronto based consultant had a client list of more than 300 people. Every one of those clients will now have their case subjected to a very careful and thorough scrutiny. Those who did not qualify in the first place will be properly rejected. How many good cases will also suffer?

Author: James Gregory

Can a piece of paper define who you are? Can an official stamp change how you feel? Can a new passport truly change your identity? At first I thought, yes. Although to be honest, I never thought of it in that way. To me, I was an Indian – born in India, raised in India, and eventually someone who would return to India. I had come to Canada for my education, because studies were a lot better here, and cheaper too because of my permanent residency. That’s all it was ever about.

Then I got that call from my dad.

I think it’s time you applied for your Canadian citizenship. Citizenship? That sounded so…permanent. The word seemed to carry a life-altering power, or at least an identity-altering power. All I could keep thinking was – but I’m Indian.

Next thing my dad knew, he was being bombarded with my questions. Why do I need to become a citizen? Does that mean I’ll have to give up my Indian passport? Can I get a dual citizenship? Do I have to?

He tried answering all my questions patiently. Unfortunately for him, my head was swirling with so many thoughts that I didn’t take in a word he said. All I heard was something about PIO advantages, visa citizenship and dual cards – which made no sense to me.

I think there’s a limit to everyone’s patience, and I actually respect my dad for bearing my nonsensical blabbering for as long as he did, and don’t blame him at all for finally, as I’ve often heard people say, blowing his top off.

He calmed down both of us enough to ask me what the actual problem was. Luckily, this time I was actually coherent enough to mumble – I don’t want to give up my nationality. I heard silence on the other end. Then more silence. Then finally he asked me a simple question that brought me crashing back down to reality.

Can one piece of paper change who you are?

Hmmm. I suppose not. Not really. No. Definitely not. Not any more it can’t. I’m Indian, and that’s not going to change. I miss my country for the life I used to have. But I also love Canada for the life it’s given me right now. Why do I have to give up who I am to experience something new?

So give me that dual citizenship, the PIO card and the visa advantages. I’ll go back someday, not having lost my nationality, but having gained a fuller identity. As cliché as it sounds, Shakespeare just might have been right. What’s in a name?

Author: Ruchitta Mittal

He has known this mantra since his earliest days in elementary school. It was on a morning such as  this when Bhoj Singh-Chatterpaul heard himself speaking these words and thinking about back home. His home, Guyana, was the land of many waters. The economy was plummeting back home as the British slowly withdrew from the country. Even the value of rice, a staple food crop, had dropped significantly in the market and with new land development legislations rampant in rural areas, even a proud man like Bhoj was forced to sell some of his land. After this, he began to consider the fantasies of living abroad. But because his children were still young, he swam alone where neither of his brothers dared.

Ten years ago, he could not have seen himself at 138 Dover court in the heart of Toronto, Canada.  The small apartment was nothing compared to his 200 acre plot of land. It was suffocating most of the time. He had planned to work 12 hours per day in the summer to pay off the mortgage for the house he planned to buy for his wife and three children. But right now, his mind was on his stomach.

Even after 2 minutes in the microwave, his plate of rice and dahl was lukewarm in the centre. As he mixed them with his bare hands, he thought about how, with these same hands, he stirred cement to form the foundations for his own house back home. With his first handful, he realized he had forgotten the achar.  Achar was that taste of home forever alive in his psyche. As long as his wife Leela sent that bottle of pickled and spiced green mangoes, everything tasted better. The velvety texture of lentils in the dahl, mixed with rice and bitter-spicy achar, stimulated his awareness of the morning.

He walked outside to taste the stale February air. Rivers of fresh snow covered the ground and the horizon was blurred. He checked his watch. 5:30 AM. Back home, even in February, the sun would at least be peeking over the mountain range, spreading a slight sliver of amber light over the horizon. But in Canada,  Bhoj would not have the pleasure of seeing the sun rise or set—he left for work in blackness and returned to his apartment in blackness.

As he drove, he thought that if he was back home, he’d be tilling the soil. But since he was not, who would? If his eldest, Yoga, was older, he would have expected him to do it, but it is a big job for a boy of eleven years. He pondered briefly if maybe his brothers-in-law were tilling the soil on his land the way he did for theirs…

…and then he laughed.

Getting a job with Shully’s Industries was not hard because he spoke fluent English. He made window and door frames, aluminum siding and other home building supplies. The work was in fact easier because the machines did all the work.  It was the same work, the same hours, the same people and the same problems six days a week for 8- 12 hours. But by the time he got home, there was no time to do anything else. Back home everything had a time and place. Seasons of work—tilling season, sowing season, selling season and building season— ensured that everything got done and by the end of the year. But in Canada you were no more than the machine you operate. A car. A cutting machine. A stove. Although prepared to do work, Bhoj had not forseen the monotony involved with factory work nor had he anticipated the amount of energy such work forced you to muster, as if you were always swimming against the current.

He came home in time for the evening news. The weather man, in his same gray suit, was giving the National Forecast. It was Bhoj’s first time seeing a full map of Canada. He did not see the forecast. Instead he saw three oceans and five lakes. He smiled. He knew from school that Canada was a British colony, but now he knew that Canada too was a land of many waters. For the first time in three months, he felt as if he never left home.

Author: Jacquelin Chatterpaul