Sport news
World Cup-bound Canadian WNT still has a lot to play for at CONCACAF Championship
Winner of tournament automatically qualifies for 2024 Paris Olympics, 2024 Gold Cup
Qualification for next year’s FIFA World Cup has already been secured, but the Canadian women’s team still has plenty to play for at the CONCACAF Championship in Mexico.
With a pair of shutout victories from its opening two games of the tournament, Canada sits in a tie with Costa Rica — who also has six points and scored seven goals — atop the Group B standings. What that means is Monday’s contest between the two nations (6:30 p.m. ET) at Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA will decide first place.
Winning Group B is vitally important, as it considerably strengthens a team’s chances of qualifying for the Olympics. The United States leads Group A at the moment, and should secure first place in their pool after facing Mexico on Monday in their group stage finale.
The top two nations in both groups at the end of the round robin advance to the tournament semifinals, but the winner of the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship will also automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and next summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. The second- and third-place nations at this competition could still qualify for the Olympics, but they would have to face each other in a playoff in September, 2023 to determine who’ll go to Paris.
Former Senators star defenceman Redden returns in player development role
Former Ottawa Senators defenceman Wade Redden is back with the team as a player development coach.
The Senators said Monday that Redden would join the team at its annual development camp, which is being held this week at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Redden, Ottawa’s top pick (No. 2 overall) in the 1995 NHL draft, played parts of 11 seasons with the Senators and is the franchise’s all-time leader in plus/minus rating (plus-159), ranks fourth in games (838), fifth in points (410) and sixth in penalty minutes (576).
The 45-year-old native of Lloydminster, Sask. retired in 2014 after playing 1,023 regular-season NHL games with Ottawa, the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins.
Redden will work alongside fellow development coaches Shean Donovan and Jesse Winchester in supporting and helping to develop the team’s prospects, with a focus on young defencemen in Senators’ system.
The Canadians finished 2nd in the women’s eight final during the 3rd day of the World Rowing Cup from Lucerne, Switzerland.
Djokovic outlasts Kyrgios to claim 4th consecutive Wimbledon title
Djokovic and Kyrgios have not always gotten along.
Kyrgios was quite critical of Djokovic publicly until he became one of the earliest voices backing the Serbian during the legal saga that played out before the Australian Open in January, culminating in Djokovic being deported from that country because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 (which also might prevent him from participating in the U.S. Open in August).
That apparently helped create a detente of sorts; Kyrgios used the term “bromance” to describe their relationship status. They kidded around via social media on Saturday, trading messages about heading for drinks or dinner, with the winner footing the bill.
“He’s a bit of a god, I’m not going to lie,” Kyrgios said during the trophy ceremony. “I thought I played well. You’ve won the championship I don’t even know how many times.”
Canada’s Jessica Klimkait captures bronze at judo Grand Slam in Budapest
Canada’s Jessica Klimkait claimed bronze in the women’s under-57 kilogram category at the judo Grand Slam event in Budapest, Hungary on Friday with a win over Cuba’s Arnaes Odelin Garcia.
The reigning world champion and Olympic bronze medallist from Whitby, Ont., lost her quarter-final match to Japan’s Haruka Funakubo, who defeated Rafaela Silva of Brazil to win the gold medal.
Klimkait rebounded against Belgium’s Mina Libeer to qualify for the bronze-medal match.
Health
Moderna COVID-19 pediatric vaccine approval expected soon, says physician
Health Canada is likely to approve Moderna’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, possibly within days, so epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos doesn’t recommend that parents take their youngest to the U.S. for the shot, as some Canadians have done.
Culture
Netflix, Disney should contribute more to Canadian culture: heritage minister
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says he wants to see the creation of more Canadian programs to promote homegrown talent, such as CBC’s “Schitt’s Creek” and “Anne with an E.
The Ongoing History of New Music, episode 911: 50 years of CanCon
It’s been fifty years since the CanCon rules for music on Canadian radio were put into effect. It’s been a long, difficult trip but in the end, it was worth it.
Tories, Grits plan to designate new national museum in Regina, if elected
Both the Conservative Party and Liberal Party plan to designate Regina’s Friends of the Mounted Police Heritage Centre as a national museum.
Immigration
Express Entry: Canada invites skilled immigrants overseas for first time since 2020
Canada’s Immigration Minister: “Today, I am pleased to announce that Express Entry draws have officially resumed and applications will be processed at our 6 month processing standard. I look forward to welcoming skilled workers who will are essential in addressing Canada’s labour shortages.”
Canada has invited Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates for the first time since December 2020.
Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates were also included in today’s Express Entry draw. This marks the first time since September 2021 that CEC candidates have been included in an Express Entry draw.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited a total of 1,500 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score was 557.
How does Express Entry work?
Express Entry is a two step process.
In step one, candidates need to confirm they meet the criteria of at least one of the three Express Entry programs.
If they meet the criteria, candidates can upload their Express Entry profile onto IRCC’s website. Candidates receive a Comprehensive Ranking System score based on their human capital characteristics such as age, education, language skills, and work experience. Approximately every two weeks, IRCC invites the highest-scoring candidates to apply for permanent residence.
Those invited for permanent residence have 60 days to submit their applications to IRCC. IRCC aims to process most applications within 6 months or less.
By 2024, Canada will welcome over 110,000 Express Entry immigrants per year.
Immigration minister discusses new PR pathway for temporary residents
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser talks about a new immigration program that will offer permanent residency pathways for temporary residents.
“The challenge that I’m wrestling with right now is that we have more people coming on a temporary basis than we may have spaces for in our immigration levels plan,” Fraser said on June 21. “We might have half a million people here temporarily studying but we have 400,000 or so [permanent residence] spaces.”
The TR2PR pathway was a one-time measure introduced to help Canada meet its immigration target amid border closures. The TR2PR pathway opened the door to allow 90,000 temporary residents working in Canada to become permanent residents. This measure was launched under the former minister of immigration, Marco Mendicino.
Moving to Canada? What you need to know for a smooth transitionHow you can make your transition to Canada as successful as possible.
Canada is a beautiful and safe country — one that embraces newcomers from all over the world.
While relocating to a new country can be very exciting, there is also a lot to do in preparation and once you arrive. To make the transition as smooth as possible, consider the following tips.
1) Prepare to work in Canada
To start your job search, you can register with the Government of Canada Job Bank. You can use the Job Bank to build your resume, search for a position and browse career planning tools. Looking for opportunities to network with people in your field of interest can also be a good way to meet people in your industry and find a new job. If you haven’t yet, set up a LinkedIn profile to connect with other people in your field.
2) Find a place to live
Before arriving in Canada, you can secure a place to stay in a hotel, hostel or short-term vacation rental using sites like Airbnb or VRBO. When you’ve had time to explore your new surroundings and you’re ready to rent or buy a home of your own, you can reach out to a real estate agent for professional advice or search on your own online. You can use websites and apps like realtor.ca or Zillow to find a property.
3) Open a bank account
While it is possible to set up an international bank account before coming to Canada, you will still need to open a chequing account for everyday banking once you arrive. Luckily, the process of opening a bank account in Canada is easy and convenient and Canadian banks are reliable and secure. Check out the Scotiabank StartRight® program for special newcomer banking solutions, credit cards and more.
4) Get a phone
To ensure you can easily communicate with a prospective employer, landlord or new friends, it’s important to set up your mobile plan when you arrive in Canada. The most commonly used cellphone providers with the widest coverage in Canada include Rogers, Telus and Bell. There are also smaller companies such as Freedom, Virgin, and Chatr.
5) Apply for health insurance
Canada’s public healthcare system is funded through taxes. As a permanent resident, you can apply for healthcare insurance. While most provinces and territories grant access to health coverage upon arrival, British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec have a 90-day waiting period. If you immigrate to a province with a waiting period, you can apply for private coverage to fill the gap. Private health insurance is also used to cover healthcare costs outside of what the public system will pay for.
6) Find a family doctor or dentist
Once in Canada, you will want to find a family doctor in case you experience a non-urgent injury or require medication. You’ll need a prescription from a doctor to obtain many medications. It’s important to know that public healthcare insurance doesn’t cover most prescription medication or dental services. Instead, many Canadians have private health insurance to help cover this cost. Many employers provide private insurance to their employees, and there are also provincial and territorial medication programs, but you must meet eligibility requirements. For help finding a family doctor or dentist, you can refer to the Government of Canada website.
7) Enroll your children in school
If you arrive in Canada with school-age children, you’ll need to contact your local school board to enroll them in elementary or high school. During the enrollment process, you’ll need your child’s birth certificate, proof of guardianship or custody, proof of residency and immunization record (to ensure your child’s vaccinations are up to date).
8) Find transportation
If you move to a major Canadian city or town, you can take advantage of public transportation, like the bus, subway or train. But if you immigrate to a more rural area, you might consider buying a vehicle to get around. Scotiabank offers the StartRight auto finance program, which is a loan created especially for newcomers. With the StartRight loan, you may be able to qualify with no Canadian credit history, get a new car or one that’s up to four years old and take up to five years to repay your loan. To apply, you need to provide Proof of Permanent Residence of Foreign Worker status and your arrival date, and you must have less than three years of residency in Canada.
9) Get involved in the community
If you don’t have friends or family members in Canada, getting involved with your community will help you meet new people. Most neighbourhoods have a nearby community center, libraries and recreation centres for your whole family to enjoy. Playing sports or joining a club is another great way to meet like-minded people. You can also sign up for Canada Connect, which is a program that matches newcomers with long-time community members. You can meet online or in person to gain a better understanding of the community and connect with other people.
Settling in Canada as a newcomer
Immigrating to Canada, or any new country, can feel a bit overwhelming. You’ll be confronted with a new city or town, new people and a new climate (make sure you prepare yourself for your first Canadian winter!). To smoothly transition to life in Canada, consider these tips and try to embrace this new and exciting experience.
