Dear all,
I have been reading the opinions of many educated and highly qualified people in this forum . May I give my experiences about my stay in Canada.
I landed in Toronto on Nov 15th 2004. I took up accommodation a PG with a kind and helpful Indian family in Etobicoke . The days/months before leaving for Canada and the initial few weeks after landing were really exciting as I looked forward to a happy and successful work and family life in Canada. But after I got my SIN Card and searched for jobs it was an eye opener and the true picture emerged. As I had started my job search as soon as I landed in Canada, I started working on temp jobs the day after I received my SIN Card (from Dec2nd). One of the temp agencies put me up with a firm called National Logistics In Dixie Road, Mississauga. As I had a vague idea about temp. jobs in Canada, I was not surprised when I landed in that firm as a helper to drivers carrying freight to various destinations about150 km radius around Toronto. So I got the chance to visit places like Niagara, Barrie, etc. The roads like QEW/401 were fantastic and the drivers covered the distance in less than 2 hours. They were kind and helpful. They were very patient with me even when I made some mistakes. At my apt. my landlord was also very nice. He would frequently enquire about my job search and helped in different ways like lending his PC for Internet for unlimited access and his telephone for both Local and International calls, again almost at will.
With all this I couldn’t last in Canada for more than 2 months. The main problem was when I went as a helper for the truck, we landed in the various malls and after stacking the cartons each weighing 20 to 30 kgs, on racks moved around to various shops delivering the goods. We had to handle around 350 cartons per day. This was really humiliating. In India I was in the officer cadre in the Technical Dept of an International Co., and to move about as a labourer and that too inside these big malls really made me think. Questions like” Why am I here? What am I doing ? “frequently haunted me. After more than 4 weeks of working like this, common sense dawned on me that I was making an ass of myself. Not only that, I was putting my wife a bank employee with more than 15 years experience and children who were studying in one of the best schools in the city, to great danger and hardship. All for my sake- for me to show off in India that I had left for Canada and made it big. I frankly discussed my problems with my employer in India with whom I worked till I left for Canada. Having known my track record they were kind enough to take me back in their old job. By way of immigration consultancy fees and other wise I have lost more than 4lacs, which is totally unacceptable considering my financial and family background. But atleast my family members were saved from the ordeal. I returned to India 26th Jan 2005.
On the whole I cannot advise for or against people who want to immigrate. But they should ask themselves these questions?
1. Do they have a job offer? Can they get a respectable job once in Canada. I think reading a rags-to-riches story is one thing. Living it is another.
2. If they immigrate, is there some one to take care of their initial 6 moths to one year. If the first year is not properly spent, rest also will be difficult.
3. People immigrate to Canada from nook and corner of the world. For people like East Europeans, East Asians, Chinese, Carribeans, South Americans adaptation may be easy. They can “merge in the jyothi” much more easily. For Indians, who pride in their culture and heritage, bringing up children will be very difficult, especially a person from a conservative tamil Brahmin family background like me.
4. Last but least, is the geographical climate in the place you currently live. Is it UNFIT FOR LIVING. IF NOT, DON’T IMMIGRATE TO CANADA. IT IS NOT WORTH IT.

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For those who think that you can get ahead based on your performance and work ethics alone in Canada, think again. There's plenty of butt-kissing to do here as well.Please open link.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1117448167564&call_pageid=970599119419&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes

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And for those who think that med care in Canada is without flaws and that the Red Cross is a saint, think again. They goofed big time and all they are fined is a paltry $5,000. Shameless courts. So many people died because of this bungle and still others are living with HIV in their veins.

Open the link and read on

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1117489812943&call_pageid=970599119419

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Quote:

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Orginally posted by LSD

And for those who think that med care in Canada is without flaws and that the Red Cross is a saint, think again. They goofed big time and all they are fined is a paltry $5,000. Shameless courts. So many people died because of this bungle and still others are living with HIV in their veins.

Open the link and read on

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1117489812943&call_pageid=970599119419

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Deal With Reality or Reality Will Deal With You

And then there is the adscam or sponsorship scandal rocking the country. Pure banana republic stuff.
And still they say Canada is a great place to stay.
I think I might take Chris up on his reco and go to the far-East once I've graduated or maybe even check out Australia- which is also far-East.

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May 31, 2005. 06:48 AM

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‘Canadian Red Cross Society is deeply sorry for the injury and death . . . for the suffering caused to families and loved ones of those who were harmed.’
Dr. Pierre Duplessis, secretary general of the Red Cross

GTA COLUMNISTS

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Red Cross admits guilt
Faces maximum $5,000 fine for distributing tainted blood
Victims laud guilty plea, apology as significant development


TRACEY TYLER
LEGAL AFFAIRS REPORTER

Victims of Canada's tainted blood tragedy say yesterday's guilty plea and apology from the Red Cross is an important milestone in their fight for justice.

In a Hamilton court the Canadian Red Cross Society pleaded guilty to distributing an adulterated drug, a federal regulatory offence under the Food and Drugs Act. It carries a maximum $5,000 fine. The punishment could also include $1.5 million in other payments.

"I wasn't looking for a huge fine. I was looking for them to accept responsibility, which they've done, finally," said James Kreppner, a Toronto hemophiliac and lawyer infected with HIV and hepatitis C.

The Red Cross has already paid a price for its role in what has been called the country's biggest public health disaster, losing control of the blood collection system and spending millions on bankruptcy proceedings, he said. Civil lawsuits have been settled and the society set up a $70-million compensation plan.

What was missing was an apology and acknowledgment of wrongdoing, said Kreppner.

"It's now on the record that they've broken the law and that's a valuable admission."

In a videotaped statement played in court, Dr. Pierre Duplessis, secretary general of the Red Cross, said the society was "deeply sorry" for the injury and death caused to those infected and for the suffering caused to their families.

More than 1,000 people acquired the AIDS-causing virus through blood transfusions and blood products before the Red Cross began screening for the HIV antibody in 1985, several months after testing began in the United States.

Anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 people are believed to have been infected with hepatitis C before screening began in 1990 — four years after American agencies decided to start testing.

"We profoundly regret that the Canadian Red Cross Society did not develop and adopt more quickly measures to reduce the risks of infection, and we accept responsibility through our plea for having distributed harmful products to those who relied upon us for their health," Duplessis said.

The Red Cross, which had originally been charged with the criminal offence of creating a common nuisance by endangering the lives and health of the public, will be sentenced June 30.

In addition to a $5,000 fine, the Red Cross is offering to pay $1.5 million to fund medical research and post-secondary scholarships for the family members of those infected. Crown attorney John Ayre supported the proposed sentence, calling it "reasonable."

The "irony," however, is that many of the victims infected with HIV are not able to have children, Kreppner said yesterday.

Still, he applauded the effort. New leadership at the Red Cross has "stepped up to the plate" and taken responsibility where their predecessors did not, Kreppner said. Since 1998, the charity has also been out of the business of collecting and distributing donated blood, he added.

"I think a lot of the things we wanted from the Red Cross have already been accomplished," he said.


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`It's now on the record that they've broken the law and that's a valuable admission'

James Kreppner, tainted blood victim

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Bankruptcy proceedings also cost the society tens of millions of dollars, added Kreppner, who prefers to see money donated by the public to the Red Cross used for projects such as tsunami relief rather than going towards a fine that will end up in government coffers.

His sentiments were largely shared by Tim McClemont, executive director of the Hepatitis C Society of Canada.

While the proposed fine "seems paltry given the magnitude of the disaster," the admission of guilt by the Red Cross was a significant development, McClemont said yesterday. Several years ago, the society also settled a class-action lawsuit that had been filed against it, he said. As part of the settlement, the Red Cross set up a compensation plan for victims who had been excluded from a $1.1-billion federal settlement package because they were infected prior to 1986, McClemont said.

"It's all a question of how much is enough," he said. "Nothing is going to bring back the health and lives of people who have been lost because of this disaster. But every settlement that comes forward is a step towards closure. It's never totally been closed."

Both Kreppner and McClemont, however, say they want criminal proceedings to continue against four individuals and Armour Pharmaceutical Co., an American manufacturer of a blood-clotting products used by hemophiliacs. The individuals include the former director of blood transfusion services for the Red Cross and two former senior Health Canada officials. A trial is expected to begin in November.

"I don't think they should be plea bargained or settled, so the facts can come out in open court," Kreppner said.

Meanwhile, the court was told yesterday that a process has been set up to give victims "a voice" in the Hamilton proceedings before the Red Cross is sentenced next month.

People who believe they were infected with HIV through tainted blood between Jan. 1, 1983, and Jan. 1, 1986, or infected with Hepatitis C between April 1, 1986, and May 15, 1990, have been invited to provide a statement to the court, describing how their lives have been affected.

In addition, other persons affected by the tragedy — namely spouses, partners, parents, other family members and loved ones of those infected — are also invited to file an impact statement with the court. The forms are available online at http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/vw/blood/ or by calling 1-877-991-4800. They must be filed by 5 p.m. on June 27 and will be filed with the judge before the sentence is imposed on June 30.

The identity of victims will remain confidential unless they wish to have their name used, said Brendan Crawley, a spokesperson for the attorney-general's ministry. The forms also ask infected and affected persons if they would like to make their statement orally in court.

Kreppner said it's important that victims be given that opportunity.

It's also important that people who became infected with HIV through tainted blood have their provincial compensation payments indexed to keep up with inflation, he said.

Those living in Ontario do, but those living in other provinces do not, Kreppner said. Compensation payments are approximately $30,000 per year per person; each year, as victims get a little sicker, their payments fall behind, he added.


The federal government, meanwhile, set up a $1.1-billion compensation package, which has been used primarily for payments to those infected with hepatitis C. Last month, Parliament unanimously passed a motion to extend the package to victims infected prior to 1986.

With files from Canadian Press

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reporter

Here you go Mr. Faisal.

May 31, 2005. 07:36 AM

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KEITH BEATY/TORONTO STAR

First job judgments
From how you handle office politics to dealing with your boss, your life at work demands all of your abilities


SAN GREWAL

The lesson Tanvir Azad just learned is the same one Nemanja Danilovic is already concerned about.

"I started working a week after my last class," says Azad, a 27-year-old who works for a major bank's customer service department after graduating from Ryerson University two semesters ago. "I want to leave because of the politics."

When Azad applied for a promotion in another department his boss said she would help him out. "Not only did my boss not help me she called the H.R. department and cancelled the interview. I never tried sucking up because I thought I was doing good — I probably should have. That's why I made up my mind. Maybe (the bank) is not the company for me."

As Azad plans his second job, Danilovic is looking for his first. He just completed his course work for his materials engineering degree, and in anticipation of his June graduation from the University of Toronto, has been looking for a job since January.

"I'd play the game, as far as politics is concerned. I have a friend in my class who tells me it's dog eat dog. You have to be able to adapt to survive."

Danilovic got a taste of what he expects to have to do during a university engineering project in a U.S. competition. "We got to talk to a lot of leaders of companies. I got a lot of experience in terms of trying to suck up. I could see myself doing that — I don't like to."

But if you're about to land your first real job, beyond book smarts and punctuality, you should also be thinking about the other tools you'll need for getting ahead. If you hope to succeed in the world of finance, law, advertising, media, accounting, public relations or any other highly competitive industry, you'll realize — often for the first time — that this is a world in which playing the game matters.

I.D. offers its thoughts on how prospective grads can deal with a tyrannical boss; how to decide between turning your nose brown or putting it to the grindstone; how you can be a team player and be a player at the same time; and, whether it's an office romance or a strategic alliance, what kind of behaviour will get you ahead and what will get you canned.

Meet Your New Keeper

When new grads have to deal with one person who can dictate their immediate future in a blink of an eye for the first time, what should you do if things go wrong?

"My first job was cutthroat," says Heidi Bressler, a contestant on the first season of The Apprentice. "I was 23, selling cellular phones and telecommunications products. I had this boss, he threatened me physically, he got right up into my face. Being 23 I was so scared, I was right out of grad school."

Bressler says she didn't do anything.

"Now, not only would I report him, but I would call every newspaper and TV station and tell them about him."

Dianne King, president and CEO of Hays Services Canada Inc., says the relationship between a new graduate and his or her first boss is a good example of the culture shock that can occur. She says many young employees don't realize how they contribute to the tension with their boss by not understanding the military aspect of any job — someone's got to be in charge. "A lot of new grads walk into their new job and think they're going to set their own rules. For example, they assume that if you're on a lunch break, it's your own time — you can play games on your computer or go to a porn site. It's amazing how often I see that happen."

Katrina Campins, also from season one of The Apprentice and the president of her own real estate development company, has witnessed both sides of the first-boss dynamic.

"I had a new hire out of university. She was great, but had an attitude, sort of like she was dealing with her parents. I had to say, `you know I don't care if your boyfriend and you are having troubles, he can't show up at the workplace.' There are things people just don't realize coming out of college."

She says the worst relationships she's witnessed were between female bosses and new female employees.

"I have an employee who suffered because of that at another job. It was primarily women putting her down because they were threatened by her intelligence and ideas ... Those kind of bosses are never going to give in to you. They're not going to let you shine. It's a tough position though, one a lot of young people find themselves in."

Working on another beer

In Apprentice runner-up Kwame Jackson's opinion, schmoozing is just as big a part of many jobs as performance. "I always tell people there are two sides: politics and performance, yin and yang. Some people think that all you have to do is perform and you'll do well. Others think, `all I have to do is go golfing with the boss.' They're both naïve.

"The reality is I've never seen someone who gets ahead by playing only one side. The performer will eventually have to manage people and the glad-hander will eventually be seen as someone who can't deliver.

"You can't go out drinking like you're back in the frat house, but don't be naïve and think that alliances and social networks aren't made while socializing after work over drinks. That's where it happens. It's a delicate dance."

So realistically, unless you're happy staying in an entry level position, you have to be social. Just don't overdo it.

"Certainly networking is important, but you don't want to go out for drinks and make a fool of yourself on your first week at the job," says Sinead McCarthy, director of youth employment services, an agency that places university and college graduates into a variety of fields.

Bressler agrees, sort of. Early in her career, she says she was a "walking H.R. violation" because she "cussed like a truck driver" and never wore suits or worked regular hours. She emphasized that she always made sure she was making the company money though — performance can buy a lot of leeway in the workplace. But so too can schmooze and schmooze alone, she admits.

"A lot of people didn't make their numbers, but they kissed the boss's butt. They were yes men so they still got ahead."

Bressler says that her first manager told her, "You've got to play the game — schmooze clients, go to happy hour, let clients get bombed.

"But you have to know where to draw the line. I've seen co-workers get drunk, I've seen them hook up at night — save all that for your real friends, not your office acquaintances or clients."

What a great idea. It was mine, wasn't it?

In most industries your biggest commodity is your brain and the ideas it generates. Unfortunately, ideas often get scooped up by opportunists who take all the credit and reap the rewards. So how do you become a team player while also knowing when to stick up for yourself?

"At the very outset you need to figure out what type of culture exists," McCarthy says.

She says there are typically two types of office cultures: the round-table model, which is more open to a free-flowing exchange of ideas; and the top-down model, which is not conducive to ideas or initiatives coming from the lower ranks (usually because it makes someone up above look bad). "If it's top down and you're very opinionated, aggressive (with your own ideas), even early on, then that's going to fly in your face."

"But if you do have an idea or new approach you can always pitch it. Approach a manager and gauge how it's received. If you're worried you won't be given credit, use technology to your advantage. Put your ideas in writing and email them.

"If your idea is taken without giving you credit, let it fly the first time. Mention to the person that you're glad they took your idea and ran with it. But make it clear next time you want some credit. You don't want to go over their head, but if you have the emails at least you can go over their head with proof. Creativity always comes to the forefront."

Grace Rivers, director of corporate relations for Adecco Employment Services Ltd., says if that type of behaviour persists, you should think about quitting.

"There are compromises at work that I don't think you should make. Why work in an environment where there aren't any ethics or integrity?"

Getting ahead and getting canned

"Undergrad is a fairytale world — maximum free time and little responsibility for yourself," Jackson says.

"I struggled at Procter & Gamble as an intern, just being on time, being punctual. You think you can be five or ten minutes late for meetings. You have a lot of very frank sit-downs with bosses."

Whether it's visiting porn sites or taking too many smoke breaks, King is often amazed when she hears what some young people do at their first real job.

"People who smoke might assume it's okay to go down for a 20 minute break every hour and a half. But just because others do it, doesn't mean it's okay for a new employee.

"And you can't always leave at 5 o'clock. If you're expected to get something done, you might have to stay late."

When it comes to office romance, she paints a realistic picture for new graduates. "It's not a great idea to date someone in the office, but if you have a chemical attraction you can't stop it. I don't know many offices that don't have inter-office romances."

Jackson disagrees.

"There are two types of office politics," he says. "One is the stuff that becomes water cooler talk and gossip. Stay away from that. The other is building political alliances that will expedite your career — you have to build friendships and alliances. That's different than Sally and John were kissing after work last night."

Campins believes there's nothing wrong with women using their feminine wiles to get ahead . "I see young women in that situation all the time.

"But I see men use their charm all the time, too, they're just not singled out for it. Men are charmers and women use sex to get ahead. It's naïve to think that sex or even charm isn't part of the work world."


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