Now, clients will have a more accurate idea of how long processing of their immigration application may take for several permanent resident business lines.

On July 31, 2018, IRCC began using an improved method to estimate processing times for some new permanent residence applications. The processing times are projected, and tell applicants how long we expect most applications to take under normal circumstances if submitted today.

With this change in effect, we are able to better estimate how long some new permanent residence applications will take based on several factors, including the number of current applications waiting to be processed and the volume of admissions allowed each year under the multi-year immigration levels plan.

Over the past few years, IRCC has made significant progress in reducing processing times and inventories across many permanent resident categories, all the while meeting the ever-increasing demand for visitor visas, and work and study permits. This client service improvement was made possible by the multi-year increase in immigration levels which allowed for advance planning, along with implementing intake controls in some categories and using innovative new processes in our offices in Canada and abroad.

Previously, all permanent residence application processing times were only historical and showed how long it took to process 80% of applications in the past year. While these historical times are accurate for most applications that are currently being processed, we anticipate that the new method for projecting processing times will provide more accurate estimates for clients.

IRCC continues to move towards an increasingly integrated and modernized working environment to more efficiently process immigration applications, provide the greatest value for money for taxpayers, and improve service to clients. We are carefully monitoring processing times and will make further changes to other lines of business if deemed necessary.

Quote

“Improving the service experience of IRCC clients has been a significant point of focus for my department in recent years. This update is an important one to ensure our immigration processing times are as accurate as possible and to help clients better prepare to move to Canada if their application is approved”.

– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick facts:

• The new projected processing times will apply to applications received on or after July 31, 2018 in these business lines:

-          Sponsoring a family member

§  Parents and Grandparents

-          Economic Class

§  Provincial Nominees (Non-Express Entry)

§  Skilled Workers (Quebec)

§  Start-Up Visa

-          Humanitarian and compassionate cases

• It should be noted that for clients who have already applied, withdrawing an application and re-applying will not result in faster processing times:

-          Any application processing already complete would become null and void and clients would have to submit a new application.

-          For some types of applications, such as Express Entry and Parents and Grandparents, a client who withdraws their application runs the risk of not receiving a subsequent invitation to apply or invitation to sponsor.

source: www.cic.gc.ca

“This year’s poster showcases our past, present and future,” says David Sibbald, president & chairman of the board at the Calgary Stampede. “At the heart of it, it’s the people – our community and how we’ll continue to pass on our traditions, our values and most of all, our community spirit to generations to come.”

Each year the poster has its own character and personality that captures the essence of our western heritage and values and acts as a window to the core of what makes this city great.

“The 2018 poster includes a collection of photos that are also a reflection of the community, everyone who has supported us and helped us make the Stampede a community-wide celebration,” adds Sibbald.

We’re excited to kick off the countdown to Stampede with the launch of this poster, our invitation to come join us at Stampede 2018!

June 03, 2018 Media inquiries

Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sarah Hoffman joined by colleagues and Filipino community leaders to celebrate Alberta’s first ever provincewide leadership summit.

The Government of Alberta is proud to recognize and celebrate the tremendous contributions of generations of Filipinos to the province’s faith, civic and cultural communities by designating June of each year as Philippine Heritage Month in Alberta.

“Alberta is the proud home to the second-largest Filipino population in the country. For decades, Filipinos have enriched our province with their culture, their languages and their skills. I wish all people of Filipino descent a joyous Philippine Heritage Month, and I hope all Albertans share in the festivities.”

Rachel Notley, Premier

“Filipinos make this province a brighter, caring and more vibrant place. We’re lucky that so many call Alberta home. Alberta’s economy, public services like health care, and communities are all made stronger thanks to their hard work, talent and enduring spirit of volunteerism and generosity.”

Sarah Hoffman, Deputy Premier, Minister of Health

Filipinos run hundreds of groups, societies and organizations that reach out to Albertans of all ages and backgrounds. Many are guided by values like bayanihan (being a hero to others) and malasakit (empathy and solidarity).

Quick facts

• According to Statistics Canada, Alberta is home to 175,130 Filipinos, making up 4.3 per cent of its population.
• Calgary is home to the fourth largest Filipino community in Canada, and Edmonton has a growing population of 64,275 Filipinos.
• Tagalog is the second-most spoken non-official language in Alberta.
• The first recorded Filipino immigrants arrived in Canada in 1931. Early immigrants included nurses, teachers, doctors and other professionals.
• Filipinos in Alberta and around the world will celebrate the 120th Philippine Independence Day on June 12, 2018.

Highlight of the gathering was the emotional singing of the UP Anthem, “UP Beloved/UP Naming Mahal,” both in English and Pilipino.

“UP Beloved our Alma Mater dear; for thee United our joyful voices hear. Far tho we wander, O’er island yonder; loyal thy sons we’ll ever be; loyal thy son we’ll ever be.”

The great song resonated, stirred our hearts and shook our core. It’s a reminder that there is power in unity and standing strong together. It’s also a reminder that we do our very best to be custodians of community or public good. UPians always keep their eyes high. They love to take life challenges bigger than themselves, their bold leadership noticeable.

The Filipino Calgarian Seniors Club held their 2018 1st quarter birthday celebrations (January-April) recently with great joy and spectacle. Members of the organization who turned significant milestones were specially honoured. Each received beautiful roses in a rainbow of colours and a piece of delicious mocha cake. About 240 attendees including members from other senior organizations graced the occasion which was held at the elaborately decorated Marlborough Community Hall. The FCSC A-1 Dancers performed a Philippine Dance Fusion – Manton de Manila, Pandanggo sa Ilaw and Tinikling, showcasing their grace, nimbleness and agility. It was the highlight of the program. Everyone raved about the great performance. Filipino Calgarian Seniors have talent and they’re happy and unselfish to share them. The success of the event was due to the tremendous support and cooperation of members of the organization. It is a manifestation of the truth that “when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things happen. Individual commitment to a group effort -that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

Consuelo (Chit) E. Munar is the past president of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Alberta (U
PAAA) from 2012-2015. Currently, she is the Chairperson of the Stewardship Committee at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church as well as the Parish Volunteer Screening Coordinator. She also chairs the Catholic Women’s League Committee on Legislation and Resolutions at Holy Trinity Parish CWL Council.

Miss Earth continues to build its reputation as the most relevant and worthwhile pageant event in the world, setting a legacy of beauty and responsibility. Miss Earth Pageant is one of the three major pageantry in the world today in term of number of country participating.

Miss Earth Alberta is looking for young women that can follow the ideals set out by the Miss Earth Canada Organization. The young women who join us have great ideals and aspirations in their quest and concern over the preservation of the planet. They are given the opportunity to highlight those goals through local events. The main objective of this pageant is to invite talented young ladies to a yearly competition where they will share their thoughts and concern for the preservation of the planet. It is also an opportunity to enjoy fellowship and friendship behind the backdrop of multicultural bonding. The Miss Earth Alberta 2018 pageant will be held on Friday, July 13, 2018 and Saturday, July 14, 2018 at the Marlborough Park Community Center. The winner(s) will promote environmental awareness through activities integrated in their daily lives and through local community events.

Potential candidates qualification for Miss Earth Alberta Pageant are as follows; must be single and never been married, between 18 to 26 years of age, having a minimum height of 5’-4”, a high school graduate or equivalent and must be a Canadian Citizen who resides in Alberta. A package with all other information will be sent to you should you be interested in competing the Miss Earth Alberta 2018.

Please contact us for more information:

Rex Elumir – (403) 836-0170 – [email protected]

Dr. RoseMarie Geonzon – (403) 291-3801 – [email protected]

Lydia Siapno – (403) 400-7527 – [email protected]

Eduardo (Ed) Pacaigue – (403) 805-9684 – [email protected]

Ronaldo (Ron) Trono – [email protected]

EDMONTON — Alberta Province’s Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman received a warm welcome from Medicus Family Health Clinic and Pharmacy owners and staff and some members from various Filipino organizations, March 23, here.

“What an honor to see a beautiful clinic and for the chance to see health care in a different facet, serving different populations,” said Minister Hoffman, who is also Deputy Premier of the province.

Medicus co-founder Kris Salumbides informed the minister that their facility is not limited to the Filipino population and it is open to all Albertans. “Medicus is known in the community for its “malasakit” in serving our patients,” he said.

Co-owner Jacob Christian was also proud to inform Hoffman that they were able to hire hard-working and competent staff to serve Albertans. He and Salumbides in the later part of the visit provided Hoffman a tour of the clinic.

Medicus Clinic started in June last year with currently four doctors and Salumbides said two more doctors are joining them.

The Summit, hosted by the City of Edmonton, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), convened mayors from Canada, Ecuador, United States and India, key members from the science community and the world’s major city networks C40, ICLEI and UCLG to discuss the critical role cities play in addressing climate change. The Summit initiated a new platform that will raise the bar on climate action in cities worldwide and serve as a catalyst for further city and climate focused dialogues between city practitioners and scientists at events.

“We clearly heard that cities are willing to commit to a new kind of partnership with the scientific community – a research and innovation agenda that will drive our investment decisions and the policy changes necessary to affect a real response to climate risk,” said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson. “When cities and science work closely together, powerful change is possible.”

These important dialogues will continue throughout 2018 at other major cities and climate events. The process will also contribute to the 2018 Talanoa Dialogues under the Paris Agreement in which cities and regions announced their commitment to advance national climate plans through effective multilevel governance.

“This is a historic week not just for Edmonton but for the world,” explained Pittsburgh Mayor, William Peduto. “We must make data available at the city level and apply it to drive innovation and technology. Data does not only provide insights on how and why climate change is happening but also has the potential to tell us what can be done about it. Scientists and city decision makers must work closely together to create these new models of governance.”

Cities contain more than half of the world’s population and consume more than two-thirds of the world’s energy. Without the involvement of cities, no true progress can be made in the fight against climate change. The vital two-way flow of information created at the Summit enables cities to shape the climate change research agenda, ensuring that research considers the unique needs of cities and ultimately results in more informed local actions and policies.

“Cities are the places where climate research gets translated into climate action, strategies and policies,” said William Solecki, Professor and Founding Director, Emeritus, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities. “The scientific community welcomes this opportunity for a closer dialogue between cities and researchers to better inform our research agenda. The more we work together, the smarter and more targeted the knowledge we generate will be.”

Conversation focused on identifying the most urgent knowledge gaps that cities need to bridge to accelerate local climate action and exploring strategies to address them in partnership with the research community. The emphasis of the discussion was on governance, finance, adaptation and resilience, as well as the connection of climate research to quality of life and economic prosperity in cities.

“The cities that will see the most successful climate action will be those that place an emphasis on science- and data-based management approaches. But this can only be done if the data that underpin climate strategies are relevant, coherent and applicable at the city level,” said Amanda Eichel, Executive Director of GCoM. “We’re honored to be a part of this joint effort with our partners, global cities and the scientific community to rethink what is needed to support cities-focused climate research and how it can be made relevant to support ambitious climate action.”

The importance of sound research and city data played a major role in the discussion. Data insights are increasingly informing cities’ climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, and it’s vital that local decision makers and researchers have opportunities to continue engaging each other to further refine and advance their joint goals.

For more information:

Federation of Canadian Municipalities: https://fcm.ca/

Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: www.globalcovenantofmayors.org

Kudos to all the officers and members of the New Sunrise Seniors Club of Calgary especially to Mr. and Mrs. Linda and Joe Bagay for their hospitality and friendship that will last forever.

Leading the winners from the Kapamilya network is ABS-CBN News’ election campaign “Ipanalo ang Pamilyang Pilipino: Championing The Filipino Family in the 2016 Philippine National Elections,” which won an excellence award in the Communication Management category for encouraging Filipino voters to think about the welfare of their family when they vote, and helping people make informed choices in the elections through news and features on ABS-CBN’s news platforms and multimedia channels.

“#Halalan2016 Digital Project,” also from ABS-CBN News, bagged an excellence award in the Communication Skills category, for showcasing ABS-CBN’s transition into a digital company as it informed and engaged citizens during the election season through news and information that were disseminated via the “Halalan 2016” microsite and ABS-CBN News accounts on social media and mobile platforms.

Meanwhile, also cited for effective excellent use of communication were TFC’s overseas voting campaign, “#Vote4ASelfieWorthyPH,” in the Corporate Social Responsibility category and “#Halalan2016 Social Media Center” in the Social Media Programs category.

Four campaigns of the Kapamilya network also ruled the Marketing, Advertising, and Brand Communication category namely “UAAP Season 78 Women’s Volleyball,” “TFC’s Kapamilya Reunion,” “DZMM 30: Balita. Public Service. Tatlong Dekada,” and ABS-CBN TVplus’ “Kapamilya Box Office: Democratizing Access to Movies and other Premium Content.”

The network’s digital initiatives also got the Quill seal of approval in categories focusing on digital communications and social media such as Cinema One’s “Cinema One Minute Student Film Competition,” “ABS-CBN Sports Hub,” and “Aral ng EDSA.”

In the Customer Relations category, ABS-CBN took home awards for “Wow at Saya Audience Experience” and “On the Wings of Love.”

Meanwhile, its internal communication campaigns also nabbed honors including “Isang Pamilya Tayo: Unity in the Midst of Change,” “Kuwentuhan with Carlo,” and “Kapamilya Hottie: The Search for the Next Kapamilya Fitness Ambassadors.”

Other Quill awardees include “KSP: Patrol ng Edukasyon” in the Nonprofit category, “Tales in Tikog Leaves: Weaving past ‘Yolanda’” in the Writing category, “ABS-CBN News Digital Videos/A.N.D.” in the Audio/Visual category and “Digital Concert” in the Special Events category.

The prestigious annual Philippine Quill Awards is presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines to honor excellent communications programs and tools that exhibit clear objectives and strategies, creative executions, and measurable benefits. The 15th Philippine Quill Awards was held last July 5 at the Marriott Hotel.