[240glt]

Why don't you invest in the hottest real estate market in the country... pick up something like this little baby up & flip it when you're done ?

http://tinyurl.com/28jfuq

[Surrealplaces]

So does anyone have an adjusted metro population estimate that includes the south of Calgary area (Okotoks, Turner Valley/BD etc.. what should be included in our CMA) Or do I have to not be lazy and ready through the whole thread?

An extra 53k. We would be almost even with Ottawa.

[Boris2k7]

Prepare yourselves, this is a big one...

A long & winding road
Immigrants may be highly skilled, but without 'Canadian experience,' work is hard to come by
Gina Teel, Calgary Herald
Published: Sunday, March 25, 2007

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/4065/12202937744ws0.jpg
Ana Engel came to Calgary from South America to start a better life for her family, but then spent six years trying to find work in her area of expertise, human resources.
Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald

When Ana Engel arrived in Calgary from South America in 2001, the human resources professional was confident she'd land a job in her field in no time, and was even willing to take a more junior position in the industry, if that was the price to pay for bringing her family to Canada.

What Engel didn't expect was that she'd spend the next six years trying to find a job in her field, without success.

It was a demoralizing process that saw the multilingual, university educated mother of two, and former longtime owner of a successful consulting firm that specialized in training and development, take basic jobs in unrelated disciplines.

Eventually she concluded that a career change was her only option.

Looking back on her experience, Engel says she still has no idea why she had such a tough time landing a job in her area of expertise, but surmises it may have been related to her lack of Canadian experience.

"That's basically the argument I received whenever someone got back to me, that I didn't have any Canadian experience. That was the barrier mostly, or some people would say, 'you're over-qualified,' even though I wanted to start over again in HR, I was willing to do that," Engel says.

Canadian work experience is one of the myths, issues and barriers facing skilled immigrants trying to find employment in their chosen fields, industry insiders say.

Unlike temporary foreign workers, who are recruited and therefore have their skills recognized and jobs to come to, many skilled immigrants that come to Canada find themselves trapped in the classic stereotype of a doctor driving the taxicab.

In 2004, a provincial government report on the underemployment of skilled immigrants in Alberta found that 50 per cent of the immigrants who arrive with post-secondary credentials have difficulty finding work in their profession or trade in Alberta.

And while recent immigrants are more educated and have better English skills than previously, the report noted they've achieved lower levels of employment and are experiencing more difficulty integrating into the labour market.

As Alberta employers from all sectors scour the world for temporary foreign workers, it begs the question why they're not looking to skilled immigrants already here -- and who, more importantly, are ready and willing to work.

Today, Engel is the HR manager at Calgary's Sizeland Evans Interior Design Inc.

She manages all the HR processes for the company of 42 employees, including orientation, staffing, recruitment selection, and performance evaluation.

"I'm really happy about the opportunity," she says.

The job came as a result of her involvement in the Immigrant Works program, a career lifeline she chanced upon just as she was giving up all hope of starting over in HR.

Operated by Bowen Workforce Solutions Inc. in partnership with the Alberta government and Calgary employers, Immigrant Works is a recruitment and training process that matches qualified unemployed or underemployed foreign-trained professionals with technical employment opportunities.

The program delivers professionally trained skilled workers in the areas of engineering, geology, geophysics, finance/accounting, field operations, land, and IT.

Under the program, Bowen places candidates as interns within corporate Calgary for periods ranging from four months to a year.

Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Canada as a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, landed immigrant or refugee. They must also be fluent in English.

Once a candidate is placed, Bowen provides individual coaching and a co-development plan shared by interns and managers as well as a third-party consultation service.

Marilynn Balfour, director of career resources for Bowen, says Engel's experience in trying to find a job is all too common.

"The perception is out there, 'Well, if she was any good, she'd already be employed,' so then it gets to be that vicious circle," Balfour says.

While the issues at play here are complex, Iris Evans, Alberta's minister of employment, immigration and industry, says its critical to find ways to make people who come here more anxious to stay.

This is particularly important, given the province's projected shortfall of 109,000 workers in the next 10 years.

Even though 70 per cent of people who land here as immigrants stay in the province, Evans says that figure needs to be at 85 per cent if we are to begin addressing worker shortages.

As for the 30 per cent of immigrants who leave Alberta, it appears underemployment and disillusionment are key factors.

"It's my understanding that some are leaving because they did arrive thinking the streets were paved with gold here, and they feel compelled to go back," Evans says.

"We don't know all the reasons why people leave. But when I met with the immigrant societies, generally people leave if they're not working to their full capacity, and if they're not feeling that they're able to gain the type of employment that they really wanted for the rest of their lives."

Accountant Muhannad Al Zadgali is one such person.

The landed immigrant left Calgary for Toronto in October after spending seven months trying to get a management-level job in the financial sector -- even though financial auditors are in such short supply they're included on Alberta's Occupations Under Pressure list.

Despite his qualifications and an MBA in business administration from Hull University in the U.K., a BA in administrative science from Yarmouk University in Jordan, and a certified fraud examiner designation in the United States, Al Zadgali was unable to find employment.

He didn't experience the same problem in Toronto, however. On Jan. 2, Al Zadgali started a job as a temporary employee, in his area of expertise, at a large corporation in the Greater Toronto Area.

There's a big possibility that he'll be offered a permanent position, he says.

"It wasn't like Calgary, where I heard lots of excuses like I was overqualified," he says. "And they always say, the lack of Canadian experience."

Al Zadgali finds the whole Canadian work experience issue a bit of a mystery, given there's no way to measure it.

It's not like there's a benchmark for it, or even a licence. If there were a licence for it, he suggests most skilled immigrants could go out and get one.

Al Zadgali adds the pre-occupation with the Canadian experience is not Alberta's alone.

"They all say the Canadian experience, but it's something impossible to get," he says.

It's hard to get that experience when no one will offer you a job because you lack it, he says.

Of all the employment barriers facing skilled immigrants, the myth of the Canadian work experience is among the biggest, says Janice Clark, manager of the Immigrant Works program.

Clark notes she has had plenty of discussions with employers and line managers about the term, asking them to articulate what they mean, and how that is really relevant.

"Often I can't get an answer out of these folks as to why that's important for the job," she says.

Another myth out there is that if a really great resume comes along, employers think a candidate is overqualified for a job or that they won't want the job.

Clark says, in reality most candidates are happy to work at a junior level for a year, as it gives them the time to adjust to the cultural changes and it's better to have a foot in the door than no job. Another common scenario is that employers will see a candidate with fabulous experience and expect the individual to hit the ground running.

Alternatively, they may see the foreign background and balk at the perceived time involved to bring a candidate up to speed, she says.

"The reality is, it doesn't actually take that long, but they might not necessarily be able to hit the ground running," Clark says.

What really needs to change is the system, she adds.

"All of our systems are really designed to screen out talent, but that's not what the market is saying. The market is saying we need to screen talent in."

The current system got its start in the aftermath of the National Energy Program, when the streets were awash with all kinds of talent, particularly in the oil and gas industry.

Clark recalls a familiar old joke that was all the rage in Calgary at that time: How do you find a geologist in Calgary? Just call out "Waiter."

But the reality was, with 200 resumes from really qualified individuals for one job, the systems were designed to screen out talent to get down to the exact candidate.

Technical systems and recruitment processes were developed around that model, and they're still operating under that model, Clark says.

"Now we need to figure how to screen talent in, and that means, how do I interpret transferrable skills, how do I utilize different skill sets? The systems have not changed to support that," she says.

Other barriers include the fact that Calgary is a huge networking town, which makes it a closed market in a lot of ways.

Internal referral systems, where a corporation's employees recommend someone to hire usually for a cash incentive, also make it difficult for those who don't have the network of people to refer them into that job, and have an education and experience that looks different.

Clark, who has 15 years of experience in the international HR world, recognizes of the value of the diversity and the innovation that comes from working with cross-cultural teams.

But in a western Canadian market that has been very insular, often that recognition is overlooked. She suggests the integration process is taking a lot longer, simply because it's a different way of doing things.

"It's change, it's a paradigm shift and it's a cultural shift for Alberta, and like any change, it's uncomfortable," Clark says.

"We're no longer hiring the good old boys from Saskatchewan, but that's what we know and that's what we understand."

gteel@theherald.canwest.com

[Reesonov]

I've volunteereed with the Calgary Immigrant Aid Society for two years and I have heard similar stories many times. It is a very common and very absurd problem.

[Wooster]

Agreed. There a so many professionals badly underemployed because of recognition of foreign credentials. It is particularly stupid given that many immigrants get in because of their education or professional status, but then can't practice in their field here. The problem needs to be fixed!

[Distill3d]

this is why the "Skilled Labour Shortage" is so hard to take.

many cab drivers, 7-11 employees, and others that do come from overseas are educated people. in fact, i've been driven around in cabs in this city who in their home countries have degrees in engineering, medicine, and the likes. however, no one here will take them seriously because they are not Canadian or North American.

[JBinCalgary]

its a shame

[feepa]

Oh come on... Some of these people refuse to take a simple test to prove if they are credible or not. I've come across immigrants that come here with the doctorates in another country, but think its absurb that they have to "re-test" to make sure they are up to snuff in the medical world in this country.

Just because you went to school at the university of tickety-boo in fuckoffityland does not mean you are up to snuff in the current practices of this country. A quick test, and possible refresher course to hone your skills to Canadian practice, and you'll soon be coming from behind the 7-11 counter, or yellow cab. Not everything should be given to you on a silver platter just because you move here and have some sort of "unproven" education.

[Distill3d]

Oh come on... Some of these people refuse to take a simple test to prove if they are credible or not. I've come across immigrants that come here with the doctorates in another country, but think its absurb that they have to "re-test" to make sure they are up to snuff in the medical world in this country.

Just because you went to school at the university of tickety-boo in fuckoffityland does not mean you are up to snuff in the current practices of this country. A quick test, and possible refresher course to hone your skills to Canadian practice, and you'll soon be coming from behind the 7-11 counter, or yellow cab. Not everything should be given to you on a silver platter just because you move here and have some sort of "unproven" education.


a good deal of these individuals that have doctorate degrees that are recognised in "fuckoffityland" were more often then not educated in European countries and returned to "fuckoffityland" to make better of themselves. however, because of conditions or circumstance, they choose to come to our damn country in hopes of having a better life then they can in "fuckoffityland". least we could do is recognise that we have a labor shortage in specific skill set (lets face it, any regular schmuck could put fries in a deep fryer at McDonalds or wash dishes at Swiss Challet) and actually hire people that are trained and educated to perform these duties.

[e909]

I think all of these individuals need to be up to our standards, whether they are doctors, engineers, scientists, etc.

Just because somebody holds a degree in medicine does not make them qualified to practise medicine in Canada. They need to have the knowledge, language skills, and experience first, like everybody else.

With that being said, we need to be more honest to potential immigrations about what is going to happen. Canada is not always a dreamland, it is hard to find suitable employment, and at times it will be an uphill battle.

[big W]

Retiring ATB chief predicts growth in financial sector
Homegrown opportunities excite Bob Normand
Gary Lamphier, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Saturday, March 24, 2007
EDMONTON - When Bob Normand agreed a decade ago to become an executive vice-president at ATB Financial, the provincially owned bank was in a bigger funk than the current version of the Edmonton Oilers.

With oil and gas prices down, the farm sector struggling and real estate markets still moribund after a brutal meltdown in the 1980s, ATB -- then known as

Alberta Treasury Branches -- looked like a financial basket case.


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ATB Financial CEO Bob Normand says Alberta has a golden opportunity to build a more broadly diversified financial services sector.
Ed Kaiser, The Journal

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Font: ****Its assets were puny, it had negative

equity of $152 million and it was about to report a whopping 1997 net loss of $124.3 million.

Some figured ATB might even fold, as two other Alberta-based banks had done a decade earlier.

But somehow ATB survived, and in 2001, Normand became CEO. It proved to be a very timely ascension to the bank's top job.

Since oil and gas prices began their big run in 2002, ATB's growth has been spectacular. For the latest nine-month period, ended Dec. 31, net earnings soared more than 53 per cent, to $225.2 million.

Assets jumped 14 per cent, to almost $20 billion, and ATB's equity now stands at a very positive $1.6 billion. Results for the full 2007 fiscal year, which ends a week from today, are all but certain to hit record territory.

Almost every line of ATB's business has grown exponentially. And some ATB services that didn't even exist a few years back -- such as investor services and commercial financial services -- are profit spinners.

For Normand, 59, who's set to retire in June, it's been a mighty sweet run. He'll be a tough act to follow for incoming CEO David Mowat, who has built Vancouver's Vancity Credit Union into the nation's largest in recent years.

"I'm not sure Canadians or Albertans always celebrate their own homegrown successes, but ATB is a true homegrown success. The numbers speak for themselves," says Normand.

His short-term retirement plans include a bit of travel -- including a trip to France in the fall -- a bit of sailing, and a bit of golf.

But Normand says he and his wife, Bonnie, will keep their home in Edmonton, where their daughter and close friends live.

Among other things, he serves on the board of a local pension fund and he's agreed to serve a three-year term on the board of Capital Health.

I would be very surprised if Normand isn't also named to the board of Alberta Investment Management (AIM) Corp., the new $70-billion Crown corporation that's being formed to manage the province's fast-growing public sector pension funds, endowment funds and other financial assets.

With his solid track record and extensive experience in financial services, he would bring a lot to the table. And it's clear that he sees a lot of work that remains unfinished.

Indeed, Normand gets quite excited when he talks about the enormous opportunities that lie ahead for Alberta to leverage its energy wealth and build a much larger, homegrown financial services sector.

"The financial services sector represents about 30 per cent of the value of the Toronto Stock Exchange. And the last numbers I saw, in 2003, showed the industry had been growing at over seven per cent a year, compounded, since the mid-1990s, with a $35 billion payroll," says Normand.

"There aren't many industries in Canada that have sustained that level of growth. So it's a sector that's dynamic, it's growing, it produces very high relative incomes, and attractive returns on equity," he adds.

"Now if we look at Alberta today, it's generating a disproportionately large share of the wealth in this country. We all know that. And yet, when you look at our share of the financial services business, it's disappointingly small."

While Canada's major banks dominate the Toronto skyline, and have long ranked at the top of the nation's corporate heirarchy in terms of profits and sheer scale, only three of Alberta's 100 top corporations are financial services firms.


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Font: ****And while most major Canadian cities have thriving investment sectors -- complete with specialized money management firms, fully integrated investment dealers, venture capital firms, and private equity boutiques -- Alberta, and Edmonton in particular, are virtual no-shows in many of these areas.

"If there's an opportunity for us to make Alberta's economy more diversified and more stable, looking forward, the financial services area has got to be it," says Normand.

"I mean, Calgary is second only to Toronto in the number of head offices. And yet, other than ATB and Canadian Western Bank, who of any size is headquartered in Alberta in the financial services industry?" he asks.

"Look at Bahrain. It's just a sandy (island) in the Persian Gulf. But they've become a fairly significant financial centre, and the only evident resource I can see is the oil wealth that's coming out of the ground," he says.

"But they've decided they are going to be a player in the financial services realm. Well, if Bahrain can do it, certainly Alberta can do it."

glamphier@thejournal.canwest.com

[big W]

Looks like AIM Corp might be a start to continued diversification of the Alberta economy.

[Xelebes]

So... what were the two Alberta banks that folded in the 80's? I'm curious...

[feepa]

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/2449/dscn2826bv2.jpg

[Xelebes]

What building is that?

[feepa]

something I found in the Calgary thread...

[JBinCalgary]

river west or something.

the pride and joy of POV

[itom 987]

^ Principal Group was one of them.

[itom 987]

That River West building looks worse than Panache

[mersar]

RiverFront Pointe I, and RiverFront Pointe II is whats going in that hole they've dug behind it if I am correct.

[Rob D]

So... what were the two Alberta banks that folded in the 80's? I'm curious...

I think they were Northlands Bank and Canadian Commercial Bank.

[Wooster]

Yeah, it is quite an old one. What a piece of shit on such prime property.

[Boris2k7]

IIRC, that was an old affordable housing development. Riverfronte Pointe I/II is the hole being dug (which seems to have stalled for quite a while). Quite frankly that thing is on prime property, but it is also right next to the Cecil...

[mersar]

Ah, my mistake.

But yeah, that is prime property. The fact its across from the Cecil is the only problem.

[Kilgore Trout]

Oh come on... Some of these people refuse to take a simple test to prove if they are credible or not. I've come across immigrants that come here with the doctorates in another country, but think its absurb that they have to "re-test" to make sure they are up to snuff in the medical world in this country.

Just because you went to school at the university of tickety-boo in fuckoffityland does not mean you are up to snuff in the current practices of this country. A quick test, and possible refresher course to hone your skills to Canadian practice, and you'll soon be coming from behind the 7-11 counter, or yellow cab. Not everything should be given to you on a silver platter just because you move here and have some sort of "unproven" education.

a "quick test," eh? well i guess we can chalk it all down to laziness!

i think you're ignoring the huge barriers erected by many professional organizations towards immigrants. many people aren't even allowed to take the proverbial "test" to prove they are qualified in the first place.

and of course you're also ignoring that persistent problem that nobody likes to talk about, racism. a recent example from here in quebec. a moroccan-born agrologist named kamal el batal applied for a job in his profession, at quebec's federation of agricultural co-operatives, more than a dozen times. each time he was rejected. so he submitted his CV but changed the name to marc tremblay. lo and behold, he got a 45-minute phone interview and was praised extensively for his qualifications.

i'm making no claims as to the preponderance of racism in the workforce but i am saying that the whole issue is much more complex than you make it out to be. there's more to it than taking a "quick test."

[rapid_business]

There is a 2 storey building which is now about one year old located on 127 Street & approx. 150 Avenue, home of a Remax Office and a pub called Duke's, built by NOVA Builders WHICH IS BY FAR THE UGLISET BUILDING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!!!

Has anyone else seen this abortion??

I will try to get a photo of it to post here, (if my camera lens doesn't crack from it's pure ugliness!!):yuck: :yuck: :yuck:

Drove by it the other day. Ugly, yes. But ugliest you've ever seen? come on... There are 50+ uglier buildings in Edmonton alone.

[freeweed]

Oh come on... Some of these people refuse to take a simple test to prove if they are credible or not. I've come across immigrants that come here with the doctorates in another country, but think its absurb that they have to "re-test" to make sure they are up to snuff in the medical world in this country.

I'm sure that's part of it - hell, in many professions you can't move between PROVINCES without re-testing and skill upgrading, let alone countries.

I've also come across "professionals" from other countries that are basically drones who could memorize a set of textbooks. Argue that our University system is like that all you want, but you've seen nothing until you've worked with computer engineers from SE Asian schools. Some of them even got their degrees in Canada, but the method of learning is so ingrained from childhood that they never learned how to actually think creatively.

That being said, a lot of it is due to stupid government red tape. Why don't we have "re-certification" schools here? Where we formally do skills upgrading and testing, specifically for immigrants? I know for a fact that you can't just take Canadian credentials and immediately work in any country in the world; in many fields you specifically have to prove yourself. Why would we be any different?

[Champion3]

Provincial governments need to put foot to ass when it comes to professional associations.

[SHOFEAR]

I found the graphic showing the personnal required at the larger projects across the province. Thought i'd share it. It's pretty cool and really shows the massive size of some projects.

http://www.coaa.ab.ca/LinkClick.aspx?link=pdfs/AIC_Projects_Graph-Oct-2006.PDF&tabid=81

[Kevin_foster]

Your link does not work. Newb!

edit: ok I had to wait, its a PDF

[ExcaliburKid]

^Worked ok for me :shrug:

[feepa]

Link works here as well. Great information! 36000 people needed for these projects is huge...

[yads]

What surprises me is in a province that is severely short on certain positions, that companies are still turning away immigrants. Mind you, I know 2 recent immigrants that were able to find jobs in their field within 6 months.

[Blue_Cypress]

if there wasn't a labour shortage, there will be by the end of the year. That's insane.

[psych1]

Oh come on... Some of these people refuse to take a simple test to prove if they are credible or not. I've come across immigrants that come here with the doctorates in another country, but think its absurb that they have to "re-test" to make sure they are up to snuff in the medical world in this country.

Just because you went to school at the university of tickety-boo in fuckoffityland does not mean you are up to snuff in the current practices of this country. A quick test, and possible refresher course to hone your skills to Canadian practice, and you'll soon be coming from behind the 7-11 counter, or yellow cab. Not everything should be given to you on a silver platter just because you move here and have some sort of "unproven" education.


The old "I've come across a ______" argument is the mainstay of biggoted argumentation but not particularly convincing.

[Mayo]

what % of calgary's land use goes towards mixed use? i know about 2/3 of calgary is low density housing and about 75% of us live in low density housing... but how much of the land is mixed use communities bc a portion of it has to be commercial land use as well.