Immigration Guide to Canada
Christine Semeniuk//Socials 10
Introduction
Welcome to the true north strong and free! In order to assist you in your journey as a new Canadian citizen, this easy to read, user friendly brochure is here for you, accessible from any electronic device or to be printed for your convenience.
Geography
Canada has a diverse landscape, from rough, jagged mountains in the west, to praries in central Canada, to the mariatime provinces on the Atlantic, and north to the arctic regions.
Canada's national capital, where parliament is and where all major decisions concerning our country take place, is Ottawa, chosen by Queen Victoria in 1857.
We have two official languages in Canada, French and English. French is primarily spoken in Quebec, which is the only province with French as its only official language. Towards the west in British Columbia and Alberta, French is rarely spoken, and English is the only official language. In fact, New Brunswick in the maritime provinces is the only officially bilingual province, speaking both French and English as official languages.
The parliament buildings in Ottawa
The rocky landscape of British Columbia on the west coast
The rolling hills and coastline of the maritime provinces
Demographics
Canada's unemployment rate as of August 2015 is 7%, and despite the oil crisis in Calgary, has continued to go down in the same trend as it has since 2010.
The average house price in Canada jumped up to 8.7% to $433 367 in the past year, something to keep in mind when buying. Rising prices also means rising value in Canada's housing market.
Canada's population is about 34 million people, which may seem like a lot, but when spread over the ten provinces and three territories, Canada has the most space out of many countries for resources and green space.
Popular Culture
Hockey is Canada's most popular spectator sport, and is considered the national winter sport in our country. Sports may not be the biggest aspect of Canadian culture, especially in comparison to other countries, but we are serious about hockey.
While it may not be known to many people, Canada is called home by many prominent figures in the international music industry from Drake to Justin Bieber to Celene Dion, as well as having many talents of our own, like pop-punk band Marianas Trench. These artists play a large role in Canada's global reputation and are a source of pride to many Canadians.
Justin Bieber and Drake representing their hometowns at a Canadian music award show
The members of Marianas Trench meeting the Governor General after their performance on Parliament Hill on Canada Day 2014.
5-time Grammy Award winner Celine Dion was raised French-Canadienne in Quebec, Canada
Economy
Canada's main economic driving force is trade, making it one of the ten largest economies in the world. The resource-rich landscape makes this obvious, from Alberta's oil sands, to British Columbia's forests, to the Atlantic province's fishing industry.
Canada's currency is the Canadian dollar, with coin currency shown above. However, the penny is no longer in circulation.
Current Issues
Canadian citizens over the age of 18 have the opportunity to participate in the federal election on October 19th, 2015. The three major contenders are Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party -- our current Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party, and Thomas Mulcair of the NDP.
Symbols
Canada's flag, first raised in 1965 features red and white to address its French and English origins, but has the maple leaf centered on it, making it distinctly Canada's own identifying symbol.
Terry Fox was an amputee from British Columbia who started a run across Canada from East to West after his leg was amputated in an effort to raise one dollar for every Canadian to put towards cancer research. The run continues on decades after Terry Fox has passed, and his goal has been well surpassed. Terry Fox is a Canadian that is globally seen as a hero and an inspiration.
Tim Hortons has long been a symbol of Canada, but earlier in 2015 that changed. The company was bought by American industry giant Burger King, which was a shock to many Canadians as "our coffee shop" was no longer a Canadian company.
The red and white Canadian flag
Terry Fox on his Marathon of Hope before succumbing to his illness and stopping the run
The classic Tim Hortons, still a Canadian symbol, no longer Canadian
Politics
The Magna Carta ensures the basic rights of Canadians:
- freedom of religion
- freedom of speech
- freedom of peaceful assembly
- freedom of association
Canada is a democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as our monarch and figurehead featured on coins and signing off on all bills concerning Canada, one of her commonwealth countries, and Stephen Harper as our current prime minister as of right now before the election.