Canada wants British workers to emigrate

[The Smoking Man]

Canada wants British workers to emigrate

By Laura Clout
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 04/07/2008

Canada is trying to attract skilled British workers to emigrate to the country to boost the economy and population.

Canada wants to attract 50,000 foreign workers within the next year

Officials hope that superior public services and a stable economy will tempt people who have lost patience with the soaring cost of living in Britain, and the state of hospitals and schools.

Hector Goudreau, Minister of Employment and Immigration in Alberta, has been sent across the Atlantic to encourage workers who fit skills and experience criteria to apply for a fast-tracked visa.

The scale of the project has been compared to the assisted passage scheme which saw over a million 'Ten Pound Poms' migrate to Australia after the Second World War. It will raise fears that Britain could be hit with a 'brain drain' if significant numbers take up the offer.

The Canadians are hoping to recruit GPs, teachers, nurses, electricians, carpenters, engineers, construction workers, management consultants, and cardiac and diabetic specialists, although anyone of any age can apply.

Mr Goudreau, who has been in Britain for a week, said: "Somebody from London might be able to sell their small flat and come to Alberta where they can buy a detached house with a huge back yard and huge front yard for the same amount.

"The cost of living is considerably less than in the UK. Our salaries are comparable or even higher, so anyone who moves over would be able to make money and set some aside."

Alberta, a landlocked province in western Canada, encompasses Calgary, one of Canada's major commerce centres, and the provincial capital Edmonton, the primary supply and service hub for Canada's oil sands.

Mr Goudreau added that the economy there was constantly growing, and has remained steady despite the global credit crisis.

He went on: "We are looking at attracting 50,000 foreign workers within the next year alone.

"There is beautiful scenery, the health care system is second to none in the world and our educational system is second to none in the world. We have some of the lowest business taxes, there is no province sales tax on goods."

[shan]

it didn't mention the weather

if it's so good , why do they need to 'attract"?

people will rash there

[Art]

it didn't mention the weather

if it's so good , why do they need to 'attract"?

people will rash there

Personally I would hate the cold weather. The minus 40 degrees centigrade in the winter would be enough to put most people off.

[The Smoking Man]

This is within sight of the Rocky mountains and Banff, some of the finest skiing in the world ... And ... on the other side of that ... Vancouver BC.

Remember the opening shot to the Superman movie where he first arrives on earth as a boy?

THAT was filmed in Alberta.

[The Smoking Man]

Oh ... and this is how I ended up in Canada as a boy.

My father was 'recruited' from the north of England.

I can still remember being taken to a movie about what it was like to live in Canada (vaguely).

All I remember was getting off the boat in Montreal and taking a train to Cambridge in the sweltering heat of July.

My father had flown on ahead and was there waiting for us.

[Art]

Did you mind the cold winters TSM?

[The Smoking Man]

Not in the least.

We all think things about other countries with the context of 'what we have' in mind.

I assure you that when you go to a place like this you get yourself new clothes, a snow blower and a vehicle that can deal with anything the world can throw at you.

You'd be surprised at what you can live with.

[shan]

Did you mind the cold winters TSM?

Not in the least.

We all think things about other countries with the context of 'what we have' in mind.

I assure you that when you go to a place like this you get yourself new clothes, a snow blower and a vehicle that can deal with anything the world can throw at you.

You'd be surprised at what you can live with.

Don't lie , Smokie ,especially don't lie to a person who has been a close friend of you for 5 yrs .

[The Smoking Man]

Did you mind the cold winters TSM?

Not in the least.

We all think things about other countries with the context of 'what we have' in mind.

I assure you that when you go to a place like this you get yourself new clothes, a snow blower and a vehicle that can deal with anything the world can throw at you.

You'd be surprised at what you can live with.

Don't lie , Smokie ,especially don't lie to a person who has been a close friend of you for 5 yrs .

I don't like the winters HERE because nobody here is prepared for them.

There is no central heating below a certain level of the country.

Single panes of glass ... often installed with bent nails and no putty.

No insulation ... Just interior plaster on brick.

That is the truth.

Canada is prepared for cold weather. China is not.

When you find yourself at the dining table dressed in your coat and watching your own breath, you are not prepared for it.