Canada thanks India for helping the world in the Covid fight: Canada-India Foundation
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CIF E-Newsletter Volume 22 Issue #9 November 2020
Chair’s Message
Increased Immigration is Good News for Canada
Hello friends. There is some really positive development on the immigration front coming from Ottawa. Last week, the federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new immigration target that exceeded all our expectations. Taking into account the shortfall in the annual immigration target this year, Canada has put into motion an aggressive strategy to increase immigrant arrivals beginning in 2021. If and when we get back to some form of normalcy and the air travel gets back to its former levels, we will see 4,01,000 new arrivals next year. This is a huge jump compared to the annual numbers in the past that used to be around 3,51,000. This high level of immigration will continue for three years before a review is done.
India today is the largest source country for immigrants and students in Canada. The rising levels of arrivals from India is a very satisfying development. From around 40,000 back in 2016, nearly 85,585 arrived from India under the immigrant category in 2019. The student numbers, similarly, are through the roof — from 76,000 in 2016 to almost 220,000 in 2019. It is widely accepted that immigration serves Canada well. Over 80% of the birthrate shortfall in Canada is filled with immigration. Clearly, it is a critical input for Canada’s continued prosperity. (Read more)
CIF Speaker Series
“These diseases (arthritis) were defined 5,000 years ago in Sanskrit” — Vaidya Harish Kumar Verma
The second in the CIF Ayurveda Speaker Series got off to a rousing start on October 18, 2020, when Vaidya Harish Verma, whose credentials in Ayurveda span the globe, from India to Europe to Canada (he practices from a clinic in Brampton), explained the value and history of Ayurveda and continued to give an overview of how this ancient system of medicine manages arthritis, a disease that has defied modern medicine. (Read more.) For the full presentation, click here.
“Ayurveda is a science in itself” — Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya
Canada India Foundation hosted the third webinar in its continuing Speaker Series on Ayurveda on November 1, 2020, with one of the most respected and accomplished ayurvedic practitioners from India, Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya, a US-trained doctor, and researcher. Later in life, as she told the audiences, she would go on a quest to understand and explain the many aspects of human health that current science does not have answers for. In her compelling presentation, How to start Ayurvedic Practice in Canada, Dr. Bhattacharya detailed the regulatory and licensing requirement for dispensing natural herbal products in Canada. (Read more.) To see the full presentation, click here.
“I aspire to build a province that is a global leader in STEM education.” Stephen Lecce
Ontario’s Minister of Education, Mr. Stephen Lecce, was the Guest Speaker at the ongoing CIF Virtual Speaker Series on Oct. 29. Introducing the Minister, Satish Thakkar, Chair of CIF, observed: “This pandemic has compelled governments across the globe to make changes to their systems in a very short span of time to be able to continue education in a safe environment for students, teachers, and other staff. In this very difficult time, Minister Lecce has been a man of action who has put plans and resources in place to keep Ontario’s education moving forward.” (Read more.)
To listen to the complete speech, click here.
Meeting with Minister Michael Tibollo
CIF Chair Mr. Satish Thakkar and National Convener Mr. Ritesh Malik along with Consul General of India in Toronto Ms. Apoorva Srivastava had a great discussion with Hon. Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister for Mental Health and Addictions on the role Ayurveda can play in tackling mental health and Addiction.
CIF Donates School Bags to Students
Canada India Foundation donated school bags to the Beaumonde Heights Junior Middle School, Toronto. Ms. Sunita Vyas, National Co-convener CIF, handed over the bags to the school principal and assured them that CIF will continue its Charity work for helping them in the future as well.
More Indians will be Admitted under Canada’s New Immigration Target
Canada will admit a record of 401,000 new immigrants in 2021, against the usual annual intake of 350,000. The figures will rise to 411,000 in 2022 and 421,000 in 2023 to make up for the shortfall of 2020 due to the Covid-induced restrictions. It is good news for Indians as they account for the bulk of immigration into Canada. (Read more.)
New Mandatory Requirement for Travelers to Canada
As part of Canada’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, all travelers are required to provide specific information upon and after entry into Canada. This includes requirements to provide a quarantine plan and contact and travel information. The Government of Canada introduced ArriveCAN in April 2020 to create a secure and user-friendly way to help travelers comply with these border measures. (Read more.)
Record Spending, Record Deficit in Pandemic-hit Ontario Budget
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his government are clearly on the path to get the Province back on its feet even it means huge increases in spending. In its new budget released on November 05, as the COVID-19 pandemic stays unabated, the Province will spend $187 billion including $30 billion in addressing the need to tackle Covid19. The budget deficit for the year will be the biggest ever in Ontario’s history at $38.5 billion. The accompanying legislation will amend 44 existing laws, including a change that the province says will help it establish online gambling and make permanent a rule allowing restaurants and bars to sell alcohol with takeout food. (Read more.)
Indian American Candidates Re-elected to US Congress
In an impressive show, all the four Indian-American Democratic lawmakers — Dr. Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, and Raja Krishnamoorthi — have been re-elected to the US House of Representatives. (Read More)
Modi Meets with World’s Largest Fund Managers
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the world’s 20 largest pension and sovereign wealth funds at a virtual roundtable Thursday as India looked to attract investments for its ambitious $1.5 trillion infrastructure investment pipeline for the next five years. (Read more.)
Canada thanks India for helping the world in the Covid fight
The Canadian government has underscored the “critical role” that India is playing with regard to the requirements globally for medicines needed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. This was conveyed by Canada’s foreign affairs minister François-Philippe Champagne to his Indian counterpart external affairs minister S Jaishankar as India joined, for the first time, the Canada-led Ministerial Coordination Group on Covid-19 (MCGC). (Read more)
CanadaWeek in India Explores Technology Partnerships
The Consulate-General of Canada in Bengaluru, in partnership with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), hosted CanadaWeek2020 from November 02 to 06, 2020. This virtual trade mission to Canada aimed to facilitate partnerships between the Indian and Canadian technology ecosystems and promote technology-based foreign direct investment between the two nations. (Read more.)
India Test-fires Advanced Pinaka Rocket System
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said it successfully test-fired a new version of the Pinaka rocket system off the coast of Odisha. (Read more.)