NewBindian.com

July 24, 2013  

Editorial   

Welcome to another edition of the NewBindian newsletter.
 
Every year, thousands of people immigrate to Canada in search of new opportunities and a better life. Today, Statistics Canada estimates that immigrants account for more than one-in-five Canadians and projects that by 2055 immigration will account for 90 percent of the country's population growth. 

  

But figuring out how things work in a new country can be challenging, from locating new schools and communities to navigating the banking system.


NewBindian is a channel of MyBindi.com that is dedicated to the advancement of new immigrants to Canada. 

 

If you are an internationally trained professional new to Canada, you will truly benefit from having a mentor.

 

Culture Link can help! 

 

This Thursday, you can meet mentors from different fields, such as Health Care, IT and Finance and Accounting.  See details below. 

   

Here is a complete list of upcoming events that would interest newcomers to Canada. 


If you'd like to feature your event or organization, or share a valuable resource for newcomers, feel free to contact us at team@mybindi.com. We'd love to hear from you. :)

 

Best regards,  

 

Syerah Virani 

 

Editor-in-Chief & CEO
MyBindi.com
syerah@mybindi.com


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How do I access credit? New Canadians face learning curve
TD Canadian Credit

 

Every year, thousands of people immigrate to Canada in search of new opportunities and a better life. Today, Statistics Canada estimates that immigrants account for more than one-in-five Canadians and projects that by 2055 immigration will account for 90 percent of the country's population growth. But figuring out how things work in a new country can be challenging, from locating new schools and communities to navigating the banking system.

 

According to a poll from TD Canada Trust, most newcomers said they did not know how to open a bank account (47%), apply for a credit card (58%) or mortgage (87%) or send money to family overseas (72%) in their first three months in Canada. The biggest surprise new Canadians encountered setting up their finances was the credit rating system (24%) and not having access to credit right away (23%).

 

"One of the major challenges new Canadians face when they arrive is establishing a credit history so they can buy or rent a home, get a credit card, purchase a car, and even secure a mobile phone plan and insurance," said Stephen Menon, Associate Vice President of credit cards at TD Canada Trust. "But in order to build a good credit rating, you need to apply for credit, which is challenging when you are new to Canada and don't have a Canadian credit history."


Click HERE to read more. 

CultureLink: Career Mentorship - Speed Matching Session
CultureLink Generic

Attention internationally trained professionals new to Canada!

Someone is here to help you find your career path and overcome employment barriers. Come to our speed-matching sessions to choose a right Mentor!

You are going to meet mentors from different fields, such as: 

  • Health Care
  • IT
  • Finance/Accounting

To participate, you must: 

  • Be a landed immigrant or convention refugee (bring your PR card to the session)
  • Be 19 years or older
  • Have a job-ready level of English proficiency

Register with Tanya to obtain a number - this is a by-invitation-only event.

 

When: Thursday, July 25, 2013
Time: 5.30pm - 8.30 pm
Location: CultureLink, 2340 Dundas Street West, Suite 301


To register and to get more information on other Career Mentoring Events, please call Tanya at 416.588.6288 ext. 210 or EMAIL her.

Refreshment will be provided. All services are free.  


Click HERE for more information on Career Mentoring Events and/or CultureLink.

 

This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.
sponsor
CAMP: 8 Simple Steps to Increase Productivity in Your Career & Life
CAMP Networking Event: Build Strong Relationships to Build Your Career

Patrick Bizindavyi is a renowned radio host, author, speaker & coach. His portfolio includes:
  • Trademark show "Mercredi Tempo" on Radio Bonesha FM had the highest rating from 1999 to 2002
  • One of the most recognized figures in the Francophone community; as a host on radio 105.4 CHOQ FM & also as Master of Ceremony for a number of events such as Black History Month, music festivals, conventions and fundraising events
  • Guest speaker at TD Bank, RBC, BMO, Sun Life, Canada Post, Government ministries and many other as part of the United Way Fundraising Campaign
  • For seven years he helped new immigrants to settle in Toronto and assisted them in finding jobs, housing & with the immigration process
When: Thursday, July 25, 2013
Where: The North York Civic Centre - Committee Room #4
Time: 6:15pm to 8pm

Tickets: This is a FREE event!

 

You're welcome to bring guests however seating is limited.

Please confirm your attendance via  EMAIL.

Click HERE for more information on CAMP.

This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.

MyBindi Sponsored by  

India Rainbow's 28th AGM
India Rainbow

India Rainbow Community Services of Peel held its 28th Annual General Meeting on June 20th, which was attended by over 100 guests, members, volunteers and staff.

 

Sam Malvea, President, welcomed the gathering and went over the highlights of the past year. He acknowledged the excellent work being done by all, and particularly the positive feedback received from the Surveyors of CARF Canada, who had recently completed their 3 day survey as part of the accreditation process of our Seniors Services.

 

In his opening remarks, India Rainbow's newly appointed Executive Director, Gurpreet Malhotra, also recognized the contribution and hard work of the funders, board members, staff, volunteers, donors, and Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) members and said that he was confident that with their help and expertise, we can together make a change for the better. He later recognized the staff completing 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service with the organization.

 

Click HERE to read more.

 

MyBindi.com is a proud alliance partner of India Rainbow.

sponsor  

Hire Canada Job Fair & Training Expo
Hire Canada Job Fair September 2013

Hire Canada invites you to their upcoming Job Fair and Training Expo.

This is a great opportunity for individuals from all levels, qualified and skilled, who are seeking new jobs, careers or are interested in upgrading their skills.

Get to meet with schools, colleges and private institutions and learn how you can upgrade your skills.

The event will feature:
  • On-site Recruiters
  • Resume Critiquing
  • Career Coaches
  • And Admissions Staff to assist throughout the Job Fair
  • FREE Admission & Parking
When: Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Time: 11am to 3pm
Where: Mississauga Convention Centre

Hire Canada is a leading Job Fair & Training Expo organization. They are dedicated to assisting individuals in finding new employment and networking with admissions staff from various colleges and universities.

Click HERE for more information.

This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.

MyBindi Sponsored by
CIBC Offers Banking Solutions for Newcomers
CIBC Offers Banking Solutions for Newcomers

CIBC offers banking solutions for newcomers looking to establish credit history in Canada.

 

CIBC address top newcomer challenge by offering credit cards that require no deposit, no credit history.

 

As part of an enhanced CIBC Welcome to Canada Package, CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) has introduced a range of new unsecured credit card options to help new Canadians address their challenges with establishing a credit history in Canada.

 

"New Canadians tell us that establishing a credit history in Canada can be challenging - and they are often unable to get a credit card without pledging a security deposit," said Teresa Tazumi, CIBC's Director of Cultural Business Development.

"To help them establish a financial foothold in their new home, CIBC is pleased to introduce a range of CIBC credit cards for newcomers without a deposit or credit history requirement when they hold eligible CIBC personal banking products."


Click HERE to read more.
Discover Canada Citizenship Test Guide Available as Audio eBook
Discover Canada Citizenship Test Guide :: Audio eBook

The popular citizenship study guide, Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, is now available as an integrated audio eBook download.

 

"I'm pleased to launch the audio eBook version of Discover Canada just in time for Canada Day," said Minister Kenney. "This is yet another way those studying for the citizenship test can learn about Canada's history, values, symbols and important institutions."

 

The audio eBook allows people to conveniently hear the text of the guide being read aloud as they follow along on their e-readers, smart phones and tablets.

 

Click HERE to read more. 

Secure, Convenient 10-Year ePassport Available Now
10-Year ePassport

Canada's new and more secure 10-year ePassport is now available to Canadians.

 

The new, 10-year ePassport provides more convenience for Canadians, and facilitates safe, secure travel which, in turn, helps create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians. The Canadian passport is not only a privilege of citizenship, but a reflection of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

 

ePassports are the international norm in travel documents. They contain technologically-advanced features, including an embedded electronic chip, to prevent fraud.

 

Click HERE to read more. 

Minister Kenney issues statement on Ramadan
Minister Kenney issues statement on the month of Ramadan

Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, issued the following statement recognizing the start of the month of Ramadan, which officially began when the first crescent of a new moon was sighted:

 

"Today marks the start of Ramadan, the holy month during which the Qur'an is believed to have been revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.

 

"This is a time of worship, reflection and contemplation for all Muslims. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, as Muslims are also called upon to worship, pray, and read the Qur'an.

 

Click HERE to read more. 

Is Canadian experience" requirement discriminatory?
Canadian Experience Discriminatory

It's becoming less common for job listings to specify Canadian experience, but the attitude is still pervasive in Canadian companies, but is it discriminatory?

 

"A strict requirement for "Canadian experience" is prima facie discrimination (discrimination on its face) and can only be used in very limited circumstances," a new report from the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) said. "The onus will be on employers and regulatory bodies to show that a requirement for prior work experience in Canada is a bona fide requirement."

 

Click HERE to read more. 

In This Bulletin
How do I access credit? New Canadians face learning curve
CultureLink: Career Mentorship - Speed Matching Session
CAMP: 8 Simple Steps to Increase Productivity in Your Career & Life
India Rainbow's 28th AGM
Hire Canada Job Fair & Training Expo
Discover Canada citizenship Test Guide Available as Audio eBook
Secure, Convenient 10-Year ePassport Available Now
Minister Kenney issues statement on Ramadan
Is Canadian experience" requirement discriminatory?
What's New on NewBindian
CultureLink: Career Mentorship - Speed Matching Session

India Rainbow's 28th AGM

Minister Kenney issues statement on the month of Ramadan

Is Canadian experience requirement discriminatory?

 Secure, Convenient 10-Year ePassport Available Now

 Discover Canada citizenship test guide now available as an audio eBook

Find a Citizenship Ceremony near you with new interactive map

Hire Canada's Job Fair & Training Expo

8 Simple Steps to Increase Productivity in Your Career & Life

How do I access credit? New Canadians face learning curve

CIBC Offers Banking Solutions for Newcomers

RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards winners announced

The new Canadian millionaires: women and immigrants

More than four million visitors helped by new CIC online Help Centre

Improving the Citizenship Application Process

Celebrating Women - A Promise is a Promise. Time to Stop Violence Against Women'

The Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program

List of Occupations for Federal Skilled Worker Program Now Released

Citizenship Test Preparation

Canada Open for Business to Start-Up Entrepreneurs

Wellness workshop tool kit for South Asian seniors receives provincial attention

Super Visa is Super Popular

Historic New Immigration Program to Attract Job Creators to Canada

Changes to international student program proposed

WoodGreen Makes Opportunities for Newcomers

Celebrating Our Community

Canada designs new visa for immigrant entrepreneurs

Toronto a divided city; second-generation immigrants feel left out

Immigrant influx fuels uptick in multigenerational households

Canada needs more international students: report

Working in ethnic enclaves limits newcomers' opportunities

Provincial immigrant nominee programs

Answers for newcomers on purchasing a home

The Conservatives Anti-Asian Immigration Policies A Step Backwards!

Connecting Women - Inspiring Futures

Banking Basics

Immigrant entrepreneurs sought under Canada's new startup visa program

Building Citizenship Program

Cultural Access Pass

Digital Resource Centre Connects New Citizens to Their Communities

Canadians on Citizenship: a national survey reveals it means more than you think! 

Housing & Support Peel for Homeless or People with Mental Illness

Canadians Are Divided on the Actual Effect of Immigration

Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs Create Jobs and Contribute



The right province for you in Canada 

 

What's New on Bindi Blogs
Salimah My Body My Temple

 
Stand ankles to ankles with your partner and bend down into downward dog or triangle pose as it's known in kundalini yoga

In this upside down position lock eyes with your partner. Hold and breath long and deep for 2 mins.

Can you stay mad in such an absurd circumstance?

Doubt it

That is the power of angles and triangles on the body, mind and spirit.
 
Click HERE to read more.

Shamira Wellness
Stress Less with Supplementation!

 

I am a huge fan of Adeeva Nutritionals - a Canadian supplement company founded by Dr. James Meschino - my nutrition professor at CMCC as well under whom I studied for my fellowship in Integrative Nutrition.   

  

This month, his focus is on Stress. Here is a tidbit from his recent newsletter of what stress is and how it affects us and what supplements are clinically proven to help mitigate the effects of stress on our bodies:   

  

"It's a known fact that stress and anxiety plague 80% of Americans. Stress manifests itself psychologically and physically, with the more common symptoms being fatigue, headache, sleep disturbances, digestive upset, muscle tension, and irritability. Stress is also known to rob the body of essential vitamins and minerals. A healthy diet and smart supplementation with essential nutrients can help the body fight back. To replace your "nutrient fuel tank", look no further than your high-potency multi-vitamin. Make sure it contains adequate amounts of the following nutrients, by reviewing its ingredients with your healthcare professional.

Click HERE to read more.

Savia Music

Award-winning director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's latest motion picture BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG has been heating up the music charts this summer with three smash hit songs with music from Shankar - Ehsaan - Loy.

  

The Farhan Akhtar-Sonam Kapoor starrer tells the true story of India's original sports hero Olympian Milkha Singh who became known as the "Flying Sikh" thanks to his incredible 96.5% winning ratio.

  

Synopsis:

'Milkha Singh'- for some the name evokes a faint memory from the pages of history.  All that is most remembered is that Milkha Singh, hailed as the Flying Sikh, was a famous athlete who infamously lost the penultimate race of his life.

"The one who lost the 400 meters finals at the Rome Olympics" is an involuntary response when the name Milkha Singh is mentioned.
   

Click HERE to read more. 

 

 

Word Sy  

 

Are there any stories left to tell about India's most fascinating city?

Yes, most definitely yes, says Veena Gokhale, author of Bombay Wali and other stories, recently released by Canadian publisher Guernica Editions.

Bombay, like New York, Paris, London and other world cities, is teeming with tantalizing tales!

"Six of the 12 stories in my book reflect the slum-speckled, City of Gold I knew in the 1980s," says Gokhale.

"I was a college student and then a journalist in Bombay, and it had not been renamed Mumbai then.

I wrote the stories in Toronto nearly 10 years later. I was doing my Masters at York University and the stories started tumbling out.

 "The first, Reveries of a Riot, was in response to a very tense period of communal violence in Bombay in the early 1990s. Others followed."

Says reviewer Heather Leighton about the book in The Rover, an independent review of art and culture:

"While her stories impart a genuine taste and flavour of India familiar to Indophiles, there is a definite departure from tradition in this collection, giving the reader a sense that considerable change is in the air... "Bombay Wali" is a welcome shift from the traditional portrayal of Indian women."

 

 

"My stories are both character and plot driven," says Gokhale. "The hero or heroine are intimately drawn, and I describe the people, relationships and issues in their life with as much depth as a short story allows!

The themes and emotions tackled are universal - friendship and resentment, family ties and freedom, despair and acceptance, ambition and uncertainty, growing up and growing old.There is a touch of humour and one reader told me that I create suspense. Some of the stories have an informal, playful vibe; others are more serious."

 

The characters reflect the diversity typical of urban, contemporary India and come from different language, caste, class and age groups.

 

So there is Dilip, a dalit (lower caste) student who comes to Bombay from a small village to attend university on a government scholarship, and Munni, a little servant girl.

Feroza is a middle-aged Parsi woman, a university professor who is the primary caregiver for her aging ... 

 

Click HERE to read more.  

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