here's a little story. When we were driving back from a holiday in Stewart/Hyder in August, we stopped in Telkwa at the little park by the river to eat our lunches (and so I could poke around the rocks). A group of young Indian men pulled into the parking lot, and were chatting, taking photos, relaxing by the river, and all the things that young folks do on a nice summer day by a river. My husband struck up a convo with one of them and found out that he and his friends had been working in Prince Rupert at the Tim Horton's for six years as TFWs, and had just gotten their PR statuses. They were driving to PG to check out UNBC, as a couple of them would be starting studies in the fall. They were ecstatic to be PRs and to find opportunities in their education and to become citizens of Canada. My husband gave him some tips about PG, places to check out, etc. When we went to leave, we all waved enthusiastically at each other and wished them good luck. Their excitement for the future was contagious and both my husband and I still think about that brief and positive interaction. These young men are the lucky ones, in as PRs with a path to citizenship, as it should be for anyone who comes as TFWs to provide the labour that we cannot or are unwilling to provide, and who wish to build a life in Canada, IMHO.
In reading the article on the new immigration rules, I do wonder who and what we will lose, especially in northern BC. I completely understand the housing crunch that so many of us are facing, as citizens, as permanent residents, as temporary workers, as students. I just hope we are not making broad, rash decisions at a national level that, as the article indicates, has long term impacts to our regional population and economy.
here's a little story. When we were driving back from a holiday in Stewart/Hyder in August, we stopped in Telkwa at the little park by the river to eat our lunches (and so I could poke around the rocks). A group of young Indian men pulled into the parking lot, and were chatting, taking photos, relaxing by the river, and all the things that young folks do on a nice summer day by a river. My husband struck up a convo with one of them and found out that he and his friends had been working in Prince Rupert at the Tim Horton's for six years as TFWs, and had just gotten their PR statuses. They were driving to PG to check out UNBC, as a couple of them would be starting studies in the fall. They were ecstatic to be PRs and to find opportunities in their education and to become citizens of Canada. My husband gave him some tips about PG, places to check out, etc. When we went to leave, we all waved enthusiastically at each other and wished them good luck. Their excitement for the future was contagious and both my husband and I still think about that brief and positive interaction. These young men are the lucky ones, in as PRs with a path to citizenship, as it should be for anyone who comes as TFWs to provide the labour that we cannot or are unwilling to provide, and who wish to build a life in Canada, IMHO.
In reading the article on the new immigration rules, I do wonder who and what we will lose, especially in northern BC. I completely understand the housing crunch that so many of us are facing, as citizens, as permanent residents, as temporary workers, as students. I just hope we are not making broad, rash decisions at a national level that, as the article indicates, has long term impacts to our regional population and economy.