Canada is opening a new visa application processing centre within its embassy in the Philippines in an effort to boost immigration.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser said the new centre is meant to bolster application processing as Canada tries to meet its planned immigration increases over the next few years.
“Canada is set to welcome a record number of newcomers in the years ahead to fuel our economic growth. This will give us an advantage in the global race for talent, and support key sectors and industries,” Fraser said in a news release Friday.
Canada saw a record number of immigrants last year, as pandemic delays in processing immigration applications surged, with about 1.3 million applications taking longer to process than the government’s service standards at the end of July 2022.
Since those delays, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said it has reduced its overall backlog by nearly half a million applications. At the end of November 2022, IRCC said it had processed approximately 4.8 million applications—nearly twice the 2.5 million processed during the same period in 2021.
The new application processing centre, located in Canada’s embassy in Manila, will be staffed by 37 employees in an effort to support Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and accommodate high levels of visa applications from around the world.
The government says Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy involves investing resources in the region, as well as building knowledge and capacity to engage to “set the pace for the future and prosperity of our economy, security and stability.” The strategy also includes promoting peace in the region, expanding trade, investment and supply chain resilience, and building a sustainable and green future.
Rechie Valdez, Liberal MP for Mississauga—Streetsville, said the new processing centre will expand Canada’s presence abroad and help facilitate the process for those who want to visit, study, work or move permanently to Canada.
“Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is crucial in addressing the impact of the region on Canadians, including the Filipino community. The opening of the new application processing centre in Manila is a strategic investment that will benefit Filipinos by providing more efficient processing of visas and supporting Canada’s planned increases to immigration levels,” Valdez said in a release.
The government says 960,000 people of Philippine origin live in Canada, while more and more Filipino citizens visit their family and friends in the country, study at Canadian colleges and universities or move to Canada permanently, according to data from the 2021 census.
With files from CTV News Parliamentary Bureau Writer, Producer Spencer Van Dyk and The Canadian Press
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
