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Prince Harry might be looking for a job when he comes to Canada

Published

5 years ago

January 20, 2020

With the announcement on Saturday that Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer be working members of the Royal Family — and therefore no longer receiving money from the public purse — the couple may be looking for work when they eventually arrive in Canada.

While Meghan Markle could go back to being an actor — she recently signed a deal with Disney for voiceovers — Harry has spent time in the military, having served two tours in Afghanistan, but he hasn’t really forged a career.

B.C. Premier John Horgan has already joked if they end up in his province, “I’m sure I could find something for Harry to do.”

However, there are some restrictions, said Andrew Heard, a political science professor at Simon Fraser University whose research has specialized in Canadian constitutional issues and the Crown.

One of the main restrictions on both of them is that they cannot be in a position where there is a reasonable perception that they, or any potential employers, might be taking advantage of the royal connection, Heard said.

“Even if they step back from most formal events, they will still remain members of the Royal Family and any future careers cannot appear to trade on that prestigious connection or imply privileged access to political and business elites.”

With his military experience, Harry could become an ambassador for the Canadian Rangers. (Sara Frizzell/CBC)

Other royals have taken on private sector jobs, although not always with successful results. Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth, launched a TV production firm in 1993 that failed in 2011 after years of mediocre performance.

His wife, Sophie, tried to keep her established public relations firm going after she married Edward in 1999, but she was embarrassed two years later by an undercover reporter pretending to be a wealthy sheikh interested in doing business with her firm. In response, she hinted that the prospective client would get greater publicity because of her royal status. The debt-ridden firm was eventually shut down.

According to Kelly Goldthorpe, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer, if Harry wants to work in Canada, he would need work authorization, and may need to utilize the CETA Free Trade Agreement to get a work permit. Another option is proving that his entry in the Canadian labour market would “have a significant cultural or economic benefit to Canada,” Goldthorpe wrote.

Assuming Harry could gain such authorization, CBC News contacted three executive recruiting firms to get their opinions on possible employment opportunities.

Randy Quarin, senior partner, IQ PARTNERS Inc.

Although Harry has limited real or Canadian business experience, Quarin said he has a number of qualities that make him an attractive candidate to employers.

“He’s smart, well-educated, street-smart and he’s athletically minded. He’s disciplined. He’s got military training. And he also has his own definition of discipline that he’s redefining for his present employer [the Crown].”

Executive recruiting experts say Harry, with all his charitable work, could turn being a spokesman into a full-time gig. (Dominic Lipinski/The Associated Press)

“And … he’s compassionate. He works with numerous charities. And he really seems to like and works hard for them.”

So taking all that into consideration, Quarin suggested Harry, with his military experience — he served two tours in Afghanistan — could become an ambassador for the Canadian Rangers.

Harry and his brother Prince William were made honorary members of the 5,000-member unit that’s part of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves and works in remote regions of Canada.

But Harry could also become another ambassador of sorts. While Canadian pop star Drake is known as the Toronto Raptors’ global ambassador, Harry could take on a similar role with Canada’s national rugby teams, Quarin said.

The Duke of Sussex has been involved in the sport as a patron of the U.K.-based Rugby Football League since December 2016, when he succeeded the Queen, who had held the role for 64 years.

“He could be the brand ambassador,” Quarin said. “Don’t forget, he used to play rugby in school. He could work on 100 per cent commission because [the rugby association] don’t have a lot of money,.”

Harry, the patron of the Rugby Football Union in England, could raise the profile of the sport in Canada. (The Associated Press)

Quarin’s third suggestion, he said, is a “no-brainer.” With all his charitable work, Harry could turn being a spokesman into a full-time gig.

Harry is already involved in a number of charitable pursuits, including the Invictus Games Foundation, an international sporting event for injured or wounded soliders, and and Sentebale, an African-based foundation to help vulnerable children.

“The hard one about that is pick the one that is really near and dear to him.”

Sheila Musgrove, founder, CEO of TAG Recruitment

Musgrove described Harry as a solid communicator, personable and likable, with good people skills that translate into a number of disciplines.

She, too, said he could lead any charity in the country

With his military experience, and his involvement working with injured soldiers, he could play the the same role in Canada, working with the Canadian military, helping veterans.

But there are other potential ways he could leverage his military skills, she said. In 2012, Harry qualified as an Apache attack helicopter pilot, graduating as the best co-pilot gunner in his class after 18 months of training. Musgrove said she could see Harry working as an air ambulance pilot.

(After his military stint, Harry’s brother, William, worked as an air ambulance pilot before focusing full-time on his royal duties.)

Could Harry follow in the footsteps of Hollywood actor John Travolta and get his airplane pilot’s licence? (Rick Rycroft/The Associated Press)

“What a great story that would be.You’re injured. You fall down and then you get rescued by a prince,” Musgrove said.

Or, for something a little different, why not train to fly commercial airlines?

“If John Travolta can fly for Qantas, the prince can fly me from Calgary to Toronto,” Musgrove said.

Musgrove also said Harry could get involved in Canadian rugby, leading the Canadian rugby organization to elevate the level of sport in the country.

And if Harry and Meghan settle in the West, a perfect gig for him, said Musgrove, would be ski instructor or a lift operator “if he wants to be among the people.”

Michael French, regional manager, Robert Half

Harry’s upbringing has groomed him for some sort of leadership role, French said. And his military experience means he comes with a lot of “fantastic skills.”

“The ability to get things done. Tremendous perseverance. A lot of integrity,” French said.

He said he could certainly see Harry headlining a global initiative, or landing at several “very small but very deserving organizations.”

“They may not be big companies, but they may be some not-for-profits that need an elevation. I think he’s going to follow his heart,” French said. “I think he’s going to be really focusing on organizations that are doing great work that are probably underfunded, underserviced that are making a change.”

But Harry could also hit the speaking circuit, French said.

Harry could find himself in demand on the speaking circuit. (Joel Carrett/The Associated Press)

“He will be a very hot, in-demand speaker and he’s an excellent speaker, he said. “I can see him being very selective of who he speaks for. I can’t see him speaking at an Apple or Microsoft event.”

French said their firm always advises companies to hire “for fit, not for skill,” meaning they seek those who possess leadership qualities and can be trained for the missing skills.

Companies are full of people who can tick all the task boxes, French said.

“What they’re looking for is someone who can lead them and be the front, I think [Harry’s] got a lot of that.”

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Justin Trudeau’s Announcing Cuts to Immigration Could Facilitate a Trump Win

Published

11 mins ago

November 5, 2024

Nick Kossovan

Outside of sports and a “Cold front coming down from Canada,” American news media only report on Canadian events that they believe are, or will be, influential to the US. Therefore, when Justin Trudeau’s announcement, having finally read the room, that Canada will be reducing the number of permanent residents admitted by more than 20 percent and temporary residents like skilled workers and college students will be cut by more than half made news south of the border, I knew the American media felt Trudeau’s about-face on immigration was newsworthy because many Americans would relate to Trudeau realizing Canada was accepting more immigrants than it could manage and are hoping their next POTUS will follow Trudeau’s playbook.

Canada, with lots of space and lacking convenient geographical ways for illegal immigrants to enter the country, though still many do, has a global reputation for being incredibly accepting of immigrants. On the surface, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver appear to be multicultural havens. However, as the saying goes, “Too much of a good thing is never good,” resulting in a sharp rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, which you can almost taste in the air. A growing number of Canadians, regardless of their political affiliation, are blaming recent immigrants for causing the housing affordability crises, inflation, rise in crime and unemployment/stagnant wages.

Throughout history, populations have engulfed themselves in a tribal frenzy, a psychological state where people identify strongly with their own group, often leading to a ‘us versus them’ mentality. This has led to quick shifts from complacency to panic and finger-pointing at groups outside their tribe, a phenomenon that is not unique to any particular culture or time period.

My take on why the American news media found Trudeau’s blatantly obvious attempt to save his political career, balancing appeasement between the pitchfork crowd, who want a halt to immigration until Canada gets its house in order, and immigrant voters, who traditionally vote Liberal, newsworthy; the American news media, as do I, believe immigration fatigue is why Kamala Harris is going to lose on November 5^th.

Because they frequently get the outcome wrong, I don’t take polls seriously. According to polls in 2014, Tim Hudak’s Progressive Conservatives and Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals were in a dead heat in Ontario, yet Wynne won with more than twice as many seats. In the 2018 Quebec election, most polls had the Coalition Avenir Québec with a 1-to-5-point lead over the governing Liberals. The result: The Coalition Avenir Québec enjoyed a landslide victory, winning 74 of 125 seats. Then there’s how the 2016 US election polls showing Donald Trump didn’t have a chance of winning against Hillary Clinton were ridiculously way off, highlighting the importance of the election day poll and, applicable in this election as it was in 2016, not to discount ‘shy Trump supporters;’ voters who support Trump but are hesitant to express their views publicly due to social or political pressure.

My distrust in polls aside, polls indicate Harris is leading by a few points. One would think that Trump’s many over-the-top shenanigans, which would be entertaining were he not the POTUS or again seeking the Oval Office, would have him far down in the polls. Trump is toe-to-toe with Harris in the polls because his approach to the economy—middle-class Americans are nostalgic for the relatively strong economic performance during Trump’s first three years in office—and immigration, which Americans are hyper-focused on right now, appeals to many Americans. In his quest to win votes, Trump is doing what anyone seeking political office needs to do: telling the people what they want to hear, strategically using populism—populism that serves your best interests is good populism—to evoke emotional responses. Harris isn’t doing herself any favours, nor moving voters, by going the “But, but… the orange man is bad!” route, while Trump cultivates support from “weird” marginal voting groups.

To Harris’s credit, things could have fallen apart when Biden abruptly stepped aside. Instead, Harris quickly clinched the nomination and had a strong first few weeks, erasing the deficit Biden had given her. The Democratic convention was a success, as was her acceptance speech. Her performance at the September 10th debate with Donald Trump was first-rate.

Harris’ Achilles heel is she’s now making promises she could have made and implemented while VP, making immigration and the economy Harris’ liabilities, especially since she’s been sitting next to Biden, watching the US turn into the circus it has become. These liabilities, basically her only liabilities, negate her stance on abortion, democracy, healthcare, a long-winning issue for Democrats, and Trump’s character. All Harris has offered voters is “feel-good vibes” over substance. In contrast, Trump offers the tangible political tornado (read: steamroll the problems Americans are facing) many Americans seek. With Trump, there’s no doubt that change, admittedly in a messy fashion, will happen. If enough Americans believe the changes he’ll implement will benefit them and their country…

The case against Harris on immigration, at a time when there’s a huge global backlash to immigration, even as the American news media are pointing out, in famously immigrant-friendly Canada, is relatively straightforward: During the first three years of the Biden-Harris administration, illegal Southern border crossings increased significantly.

The words illegal immigration, to put it mildly, irks most Americans. On the legal immigration front, according to Forbes, most billion-dollar startups were founded by immigrants. Google, Microsoft, and Oracle, to name three, have immigrants as CEOs. Immigrants, with tech skills and an entrepreneurial thirst, have kept America leading the world. I like to think that Americans and Canadians understand the best immigration policy is to strategically let enough of these immigrants in who’ll increase GDP and tax base and not rely on social programs. In other words, Americans and Canadians, and arguably citizens of European countries, expect their governments to be more strategic about immigration.

The days of the words on a bronze plaque mounted inside the Statue of Liberty pedestal’s lower level, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” are no longer tolerated. Americans only want immigrants who’ll benefit America.

Does Trump demagogue the immigration issue with xenophobic and racist tropes, many of which are outright lies, such as claiming Haitian immigrants in Ohio are abducting and eating pets? Absolutely. However, such unhinged talk signals to Americans who are worried about the steady influx of illegal immigrants into their country that Trump can handle immigration so that it’s beneficial to the country as opposed to being an issue of economic stress.

In many ways, if polls are to be believed, Harris is paying the price for Biden and her lax policies early in their term. Yes, stimulus spending quickly rebuilt the job market, but at the cost of higher inflation. Loosen border policies at a time when anti-immigrant sentiment was increasing was a gross miscalculation, much like Trudeau’s immigration quota increase, and Biden indulging himself in running for re-election should never have happened.

If Trump wins, Democrats will proclaim that everyone is sexist, racist and misogynous, not to mention a likely White Supremacist, and for good measure, they’ll beat the “voter suppression” button. If Harris wins, Trump supporters will repeat voter fraud—since July, Elon Musk has tweeted on Twitter at least 22 times about voters being “imported” from abroad—being widespread.

Regardless of who wins tomorrow, Americans need to cool down; and give the divisive rhetoric a long overdue break. The right to an opinion belongs to everyone. Someone whose opinion differs from yours is not by default sexist, racist, a fascist or anything else; they simply disagree with you. Americans adopting the respectful mindset to agree to disagree would be the best thing they could do for the United States of America.

______________________________________________________________

Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what’s

on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan.

News

Former athletes lean on each other to lead Canada’s luge, bobsled teams

Published

20 mins ago

November 5, 2024

Anne Joseph

CALGARY – Sam Edney and Jesse Lumsden sat on a bench on Parliament Hill during an athlete celebration after the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Having just represented Canada in their sliding sports — Lumsden in bobsled and Edney in luge — the two men pondered their futures together.

“There was actually one moment about, are we going to keep going? Talking about, what are each of us going to do? What’s the next four years look like?” Edney recalled a decade later.

“I do remember talking about that now. That was a big moment,” Lumsden said.

As the two men were sounding boards for each other as athletes, they are again as high-performance directors of their respective sliding sports.

Edney, an Olympic relay silver medallist in 2018 and the first Canadian man to win a World Cup gold medal, became Luge Canada’s HPD upon his retirement the following year.

Lumsden, a world and World Cup bobsled champion who raced his third Olympic Games in 2018, leaned on his sliding compatriot when he returned from five years of working in the financial sector to become HPD at Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton in July.

“The first person I called when BCS reached out to me about the role that I’m in now is Sam,” Lumsden said recently at Calgary’s WinSport, where they spent much of their competitive careers and now have offices.

“It’s been four months. I was squatting in the luge offices for the first two months beside him.

“We had all these ideas about we’re going to have weekly coffees and workouts Tuesday and Thursday and in the four months now, we’ve had two coffees and zero workouts.”

Canada has won at least one sliding-sport Olympic medal in each of the last five Winter Games, but Edney and Lumsden face a challenge as team leaders that they didn’t as athletes.

WinSport’s sliding track, built for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and where Edney and Lumsden did hundreds of runs as athletes, has been closed since 2019 needing a $25-million renovation.

There is no sign that will happen. WinSport took the $10 million the provincial government offered for the sliding track and put the money toward a renovation of the Frank King Lodge used by recreational skiers and snowboarders.

Canada’s only other sliding track in the resort town of Whistler, B.C., has a fraction of Calgary’s population from which to recruit and develop athletes.

“The comparison is if you took half the ice rinks away in the country, hockey and figure skating would be disarray,” Edney said.

“It just changes the dynamic of the sports completely, in terms of we’re now scrambling to find ways to bring people to a location that’s not as easy to get to, or to live out of, or to train out of full time.

“We’re realizing how good we had it when Calgary’s (track) was here. It’s not going to be the end of us, but it’s definitely made it more difficult.”

Lumsden, a former CFL running back as well as an Olympian, returned to a national sport organization still recovering from internal upheaval that included the athlete-led ouster of the former president and CEO after the 2022 Winter Olympics, and Olympic champion pilot Kaillie Humphries suing the organization for her release to compete for the U.S. in 2019.

“NSOs like Luge Canada and Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, they’re startups,” Lumsden said. “You have to think like a startup, operate like a startup, job stack, do more with less, especially in the current environment.

“I felt it was the right time for me to take my sporting experience and the skill set that I learned at Neo Financial and working with some of the most talented people in Canada and try to inject that into an NSO that is in a state of distress right now, and try to work with the great staff we have and the athletes we have to start to turn this thing around.”

Edney, 40, and Lumsden, 42, take comfort in each other holding the same roles in their sports.

“It goes both ways. I couldn’t have been more excited about who they hired,” Edney said. “When Jesse was coming in, I knew that we were going to be able to collaborate and work together and get things happening for our sports.”

Added Lumsden: “We’ve been friends for a long time, so I knew how he was going to do in his role and before taking the role, having the conversation with him, I felt a lot of comfort.

“I asked ‘are you going to be around for a long time?’ He said ‘yeah, I’m not going anywhere.’ I said ‘OK, good.'”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.

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Canada’s Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Routliffe pick up second win at WTA Finals

Published

21 mins ago

November 5, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe remain undefeated in women’s doubles at the WTA Finals.

The 2023 U.S. Open champions, seeded second at the event, secured a 1-6, 7-6 (1), (11-9) super-tiebreak win over fourth-seeded Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in round-robin play on Tuesday.

The season-ending tournament features the WTA Tour’s top eight women’s doubles teams.

Dabrowski and Routliffe lost the first set in 22 minutes but levelled the match by breaking Errani’s serve three times in the second, including at 6-5. They clinched victory with Routliffe saving a match point on her serve and Dabrowski ending Errani’s final serve-and-volley attempt.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will next face fifth-seeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk on Thursday, where a win would secure a spot in the semifinals.

The final is scheduled for Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 5, 2024.

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