My New Card

After 94 days I have finally recieved my permanent residency card. The card itself held no real importance in getting a job, although it is necessary in order for  me to get my Alberta Teaching Certificate. All I need to do is send in a certified copy of the card and they should be able to process my license. Hooray! Almost there.

Easter in Canada

Of course it's snowing here before Easter weekend. I wouldn't have it any other way. We found these lovelies while perusing the Easter candy section at Wal-Mart, both of which are incredibly fitting, seeing that the Stanley Cup playoffs just started last night. 

Personally, I'd take the large Reese Egg below over a chocolate Stanley Cup.The only Stanley Cup I want to see is the real Lord Stanley's Cup raised over Joe Thornton's head in a month.

CBE -- that escalated quickly

In my first week I had three interviews for three very different jobs. The first was as a tutor with Sylvan Learning Center. They hired me and I've been working there a few nights a week. Next was an ESL teaching position, but I never got a call back. The third was for an aide at a special education preschool (Renfrew Educational Services), which I was offered, but turned down because I was hoping for something bigger. Something with the Calgary Board of Education.

The CBE is a monster. They are the only school district in Calgary, so they are huge. They actually do a good job at educating kids, but they have quite the bureaucracy, which always gives people something to complain about. Most teachers I have talked to say that it's not the best place to work for, but their compensation and benefits are incomparable. Apart from teaching at a special education school, this was my only ticket to teach in Calgary. It is very competitive to get on board with CBE. Here is the process:

1.     Apply online for a job as 'Teacher'.

2.     Get a screening interview. Your responses are typed out by the interviewer into a system that runs on a number of hoity-toity algorithms that will determine whether or not you are qualified to teach for the great and powerful CBE.

3.     You are sent a letter. If you pass the screening, you are added to their sub list. If not, you are not allowed to reapply for two years.

4.     Try to sell yourself to every school you sub at so they will hire you if they have an opening. If you do not sub, you are not known.

5.     Schools will choose candidates to interview from the pool of subs/applicants, favoring those they already are familiar with, obviously.

6.     Boom, you're in.

Creepy alien statues that make up the CBE logo

It's not exactly 'Boom, you're in', though, is it? I was lucky enough to know someone with a contact in recruiting and scored a screening interview. I went into a room where a man asked me questions and typed my repsonses. Hopefully the computers will deem me a worthy candidate, but I won't get my letter for two weeks. I feel like my interview went really well, but more importantly, apparently, is the fact that I am a man and can teach elementary (my masters degree qualified me for K-12. Ka-ching!). I've spoken with several teachers and administrators who all have said that any man in special education at the elementary level will be a shoe-in to find a job in the district. 

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I had seriously just written that when I received a phone call from my contact in recruiting who told me that they are officially hiring me. Apparently my offering was acceptable to their hiring gods (which are depicted in the statues in the logo), and the recruiter pulled some strings to make it happen for me now. I heard later from a friend that at her school a teacher couldn't get a sub and Lori had to call someone and tell them they could work even though their paperwork hadn't been fully processed. I really just feel blessed for what happened. Some people apply and reapply for years without ever even getting an interview, so this is exciting for me. I just have a lot less to write about getting a job in Canada.

Becoming a Teacher in Canada

It all started last year around this time. I started looking and applying for jobs in Calgary and the surrounding area. I applied for an Alberta teaching license online in May and hoped for the best. In June when we visited Calgary I spoke with people in HR for the four districts in the region and found out that they won't apply for work permits for foreign teachers, and that I'd have to wait until I had permanent residency. And the time ticked by...

In the fall, after we had moved to Canada, I called Alberta Education to check on the status of my application. I gave him the reference number and he told me that he didn’t have any of the required documents, nor the $200 application fee. And he told me all of this in a snotty French accent, which really made my blood curdle (but it’s something that you deal with in the bureaucracy because they need bilingual workers to handle the idiots from/in Quebec who won’t speak a word of English to save their life). I mean, I already did all of this, what’s the problem?

So I did what everyone does in this situation, you go to the supervisor. As it turns out, the reference number they emailed me was different than the one under which they had filed all of my application, and the money, which they had to have their boys in accounting track down. In November I was notified by Alberta Education that my profile was complete and that I just needed proof of permanent residency to get my license.

The Monday after I landed as a permanent resident I called AE to verify the document they wanted. Unfortunately, AE only accepts the actual permanent residency card as proof of residency, and I still have four to six weeks until that shows up in the mail. This was discouraging, but they do have a system in place for people like me to get a 'Temporary Letter of Authority', which would allow me to teach if a district wanted to hire me. So once I someone wants me, I can go ahead and work. Let the applications begin!

I've Landed!

I did not succeed in finding employment under a Labour Market Opinion. I interviewed for one last week, but I wouldn't commit to the length of the contract (two years) because let's face it, I wasn't going to work in the kitchen at Julio's when I could be making some real money elsewhere. It was then that I knew I wouldn't be getting an LMO, so we made one more effort--entrepreneurship. I am by no means a business-minded individual, but I do have some great ideas for education, so we picked my best idea (a series of learning game apps that provide special education students remediation of prerequisite materials before learning new concepts, connected to a web-based database so teachers can monitor progress and easily tie it in to IEP goals) and I started writing a grant proposal complete with business plan.

Space Cats GCF game
(Yes, I was going to hire an animator)

The whole thing was actually kind of exciting, but at the same time I had a tough time writing it up because starting a business like this is so risky, and risk-taking like that is not my nature at all. Well I was writing up proposals for game apps and modules on Friday when I got the call from my father in law that the letter came from Immigration Canada. The letter specifically has written that applicants living in Canada are to either go to a border or the airport in order to officially land as a permanent resident. So Saturday we dropped the kids off at Courtney's parents and went to the airport. Upon finding the border services office, we were told that they couldn't do the job unless I landed on a plane, which isn't what the paper work said, but they wouldn't help us, so we drove to the border. 

It was a beautiful day, and we enjoy driving down to the border, so we didn't mind so much. I dropped Courtney off at the Canadian border office because leaving the country for her means she'll have to surrender her permanent residency card, which we didn't want to do on the same day for time reasons. I went through to American soil and turned around to land in Canada. I was expecting a drawn out interview, but the guard asked me two questions, "Have you been convicted of any crimes since filing?" and "Have you ever been fingerprinted?" (Which I have, for my teaching background check - they still let me in). We waited while he did some paperwork and then he called me out and declared me a permanent resident of Canada, with all the rights and privileges of a Canadian citizen, sans voting. That's right, I can now be as apologetic and hockey-crazed as an ordinary Canadian citizen. But more importantly, I can work. I can't teach right away--my application for an Alberta teacher's license is still in evaluation and I'll write more on that process later--but I can do just about anything else. We drove home with a sigh of relief, but also with anxiety to start looking for work.

Canadian Citizenship Ceremony

Source: McGill University

I had the privilege of attending a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony today. No, not my own (I'm not even approved as a permanent resident yet), but my brother-in-law's wife, who is from Jamaica. The ceremony room was filled with friends and family of the new Canadians. A judge gave a speech before the 81 applicants took the oath of Canadian citizenship. It was an excellent speech; a few things stuck out to me

• Canada is the "Great Experiment": Every American has been told that the United States is the Great Experiment--in democracy. Canada is apparently the Great Experiment in multiculturalism. Long ago the United States was a "melting pot" of ethnicity, but after over 200 years of immigration, people in the US predominantly see themselves as American because they are so far removed from their family's immigration to the States. While the race statistics are even more predominantly white in Canada, and the ancestral breakdown is not as diverse, it seems like a more diverse place. One thing I've noticed here is how many people identify with their ethnicity more than in the states. I feel like people retain their English accents for a while here (I hear them a lot) and it's okay to speak speak your native language (especially if it's French, which is the co-national language). The most common theme I've noticed is a general acceptance of all cultures and a lack of racism. I think that is what is meant by the Great Experiment. They don't just want to have many cultures living together, but they want to do so in an inviting way that promotes the spirit of community, and I think they do that very well.
• 'Many of you have come seeking refuge from oppressive governments, war-torn countries of fallen economies': That we be us. The third one, yeah, that's what we did.
• 'The country is made great through volunteerism': The judge advised the new citizens to volunteer, to become part of the community and help others, and also take advantage of the many programs offered by individuals volunteering to teach youth. I thought this was very wise of him to suggest. 
• 'Canada is the greatest country in the world. Not the most famous. Not the richest. But it is the greatest because it is the best place in the world to raise a family': Whether or not this is true, I cannot say with a great deal of certainty. What I can say is that Calgary is a very family-friendly city, and I am happy to start raising my family here now. 

When he finished, the immigrants stood and took the oath, then each was called to the podium to receive their certificate of citizenship and shook hands with the judge and an RCMP officer, better known by Americans as a Mountie (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). I thought this was fitting because you'll be hard pressed to find anything more Canadian than a Mountie in full dress uniform.

The question obviously was asked if I would get Canadian citizenship when I'd become eligible. I could think of three possible advantages of becoming Canadian:

1. I could vote. But seeing that our current riding has given 70% of the vote for the last six elections to an MP who is likely the next Prime Minister of Canada, I'm not sure if that matters much (it would be more important for city elections, though).
2. I could run for office, like City Councilor or the School Board. But hmpf. 
3. I wouldn't have to deal with the US government for a passport, about taxes, about, well, anything. That alone actually might make it worth it.
4. I could be disappointed when my Olympic hockey team doesn't win gold instead of pleasantly surprised when they do well or satisfied as long as they don't trash the Olympic Village housing like they're the Rolling Stones--oops, I don't think that was one of the reasons. But the Olympics are coming! If Ryan Miller or Jonathan Quick get hot, this could be the year (hahaha).

I finally got a job...sort of

I suppose I should mention that I finally found a way to work. I applied for many online tutoring jobs based in the US last month, but none of them got back to me. I did, however, get a response from an English tutoring business based in Taiwan. The entails me sitting at the computer with a webcam, leading groups of 1-6 clients from Taiwan and China in discussions provided by my employer, TutorABC. I'm able to do this job because the company functions out of Taiwan, so I pay Tawianese taxes and the whatnot and they deposit my check into my paypal account. It sounds pretty sketchy, but I figure if they were actually a shady business they'd promise to pay me more than $8.50 a session + performance bonus.
So for this menial salary (which, on average ends up being $10/hr) I get up at 4:30 AM to tutor people across the Pacific Ocean before they go to bed, and sometimes get a session in the afternoon, when they wake up. I don't get great hours, and I don't get many hours, but it's better than nothing. And I don't have to wear pants to work, which is cool.
This is where I am now, but better things are on the horizon, I think. More on that, later.

Immigration Consultants

Back in October I wrote about Mexi-Can, the company that 'imports' Mexican workers to come work in Canada. Even though I have an in with some people at the top they have not been able to do anything for me by means of finding work. I have been able to find other companies that recruit foreign workers for business, though. As I searched for international recruiters I also found a few immigration consultant agencies that supposedly help people get LMOs. I explained what this is in my very first post and I have explained it to so many people since moving here that I never want to talk about it again.
Well, one day I was contacted by an East Indian guy who called himself an immigration consultant who asked for some information about my situation, and HE told me that I didn't need an LMO. He said since I had been approved for sponsorship I should be able to get a work permit. I couldn't believe it, mainly because everything on the CIC (Canada Immigration and Citizenship) website says that you can't when you apply from outside the country. So I was suspicious, of course, especially when he told me he could get me work permit in a month if I pay him $1000 to file my paperwork (it costs $150 to do it yourself). I tell him, "This is incredible. I was approved for sponsorship over three months ago. If we had known we could do this we would have applied for it three months ago. That's when he tells me, "Oh, you were applied three months ago? Don't worry about getting a work permit. Your permanent residency should be approved within the next three weeks."
First of all, I'm dumbfounded, especially since I thought I would be consigned to a long 15 month wait (as per the website's information). He told me that those times are the longest processing times, for like conjugal partners applying. As an American who has been married five years, it should be quick. Second of all, I really start to question this guy's credibility. He obviously knows nothing about immigrating to Canada. Except he really threw me of because he was no longer trying to sell me a $1000 service.
So I start calling around for other opinions of immigration consultants in Calgary. The first two wanted me to come in for a consultation session and pay them $100 or more for a session. Finally, I got another East Indian guy, and he answered my questions. He confirmed that in my position I was ineligible for a work permit. I pressed him for a time estimate for a married American and he told me six of seven months. This was a little longer than the other consultant's estimate, but still short enough to give us some hope that we should get it soon.
I'm not sure if an immigration consultant can really help you decrease your processing time. Mainly I think that they just make sure that you have all your documents so you don't end up getting your paperwork sent back. I'm lucky to have a detail-oriented wife who would actually be a great immigration consultant. Now it's just a matter of waiting. I don't think we'll have to wait as long as I used to think, though.

Max Hall, CFL quarterback

Max Hall was the starting quarter back for three of my five years at BYU. His record was 30-6. I watched him throw some great passes to win big games. I also was present for a nightmare rivalry game on the road (5 INT, 1 Fumble lost), watched him track every intended receiver from the snap, and saw his top two receivers actually make great contributions in the NFL before being sidelined with injuries (Collie and Pitta). Hall's NFL career ended in glory--with a concussion on a daring play to make the end zone to lead his team to victory, and now he is settling out the twilight of his football career in Winnipeg. The following photos came from a search for Max Hall Winnipeg Blue Bombers and another Max Hall throws ball off goal post (He hit the goal post passing to a receiver in the end zone. And he hit it REALLY high). I hope you enjoy.

http://www.windsorstar.com/

o.canada.com/

www.winnipegfreepress.com

cbc.ca/

www.chrisd.ca

www.edmontonjournal.com

www.cbc.ca

www.windsorstar.com

www.chrisd.ca 

The Grey Cup

Let me first relate how I was bedazzled, upon moving to Calgary, by the Calgary Stampeders. I just happened to be moving to a city where the CFL team with the best record also called its home. Two weeks ago the ended their season on top and by so doing had home-field advantage in the Western Finals. Just so you know, this is amazing luck to walk into a winning sports team. At the time my sport-fan spirit was crushed by the average play of the 49ers, the sub-par play of the Bulls, another quick playoff exit for the A's, and a Sharks team that had just lost, like 4 of their last 6 games, and did not look nearly as super-human as they did in the first 8 games of the season. So I was excited to see them make it to the playoffs, but was not surprised when they promply lost to were steamrolled by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

The Stamps are one of eight CFL teams, the others residing in Vancouver, BC, Edmonton, AB, Regina, Saskatchewan, Hamilton, Ontario, Toronto, ON, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Montreal, Quebec. The most prominent differences with American football are that there are 12 men on a 110-yard field, only three downs to get a first, legal forward movement before the snap by receivers (like the arena league), and the goal posts are positioned on the goal line of 20-yard deep end zones. The game is played a bit differently due to the rules, and I think it's entertaining, plus I like finding players from the states who I knew from their college ball days, like CJ Gable, and BYU's very own Max Hall (who led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a horrific season. In his defense, his O-Line was even worse than the one that protected him in his two-game starting stint with the Cardinals).
So last week we watched the Roughriders play the Hamilton Tiger Cats (affectionately known as the Ti-Cats) in the 101st Grey Cup. Yep, since 1909 when the University of Toronto Varsity Blues beat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club 26-6, the Grey Cup has been a staple of early winter in Canada (minus four years during The Great War). Courtney's dad watched the game with me with interest, rooting for Saskatchewan if for no other reason, just to see the West beat the East (it's a thing, a blog post should follow), because as far as I knew the only other game he had watched all year was the Stamps game a week before. Around town, though, people have the Stamps' logo on their car and on flags, just like the Flames (actually, due to the unfortunate season ahead for the Flames, I think I see more Stampeders logos). The city really supports their team, which is fun. For the Grey Cup kids on hockey teams sell tickets with game scores on them as a fundraiser (For a $2 ticket win $500 if your score is the endgame score, and so on). It most certainly is a part of Canadian culture, which I didn't think it would be.
Saskatchewan won this game quite easily behind a superb pass-rush and a record-breaking game by their running back. Maybe next year, Stamps.

American Thanksgiving in Canada

I love Thanksgiving. If for no other reason, for the pumpkin pie. It's my favourite. We were going to do a big American Thanksgiving feast, but as it approached, I just wasn't feeling it. I was craving some pie, though, so I made a couple on Thanksgiving to eat as I watched football on the couch all day. And that's when it hit me, if I'm not going to be with my whole family on Thanksgiving, the holiday is really just about football and pie. I don't need no stinkin' turkey. (Okay, who doesn't love leftover turkey. Next year for sure)

Quick note: Watching the two classic games (the Lions' and Cowboys' games) I realized Thanksgiving separates football fans into three groups of gratitude. 1) Lions fans: At least we have one of the most talented players to ever touch the planet (Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson) 2) Cowboys fans: At least we aren't Lions fans 3) Everyone else: A least we aren't fans of THOSE teams.

That being said, I did miss being with my family. First of all, because I love them. Second of all, I had no one to tell that great thought about gratitude of football fans. Courtney was out that night, so I had leftover pasta for dinner with the girls. Here's the spread for our three year old. In addition to pasta she wanted a pomegranate, orange melon, and tortilla chips. What more could one possibly ask for at Thanksgiving time?

The next day, of course, was Black Friday. Canadian retailers, for the first time ever, celebrated with huge sales like the stores in the States. The main flaw: everyone's working still. Some people did go out at 7:00 and got some good deals (Courtney went with a friend and saw a guy at Target try to sell a $100 32' TV. There was a whole display full of them. Untouched). The sales extended through the weekend, though. We went in the afternoon to Toys R Us, where it was busy, but not anything close to a Black Friday Toys R Us. It was nice to almost finish shopping for the girls in one stop. So it was different Of course Boxing Day comes up at the end of the month, and that's a different story. But we'll get there when we get there.

Remembrence Day

PANARAMA!

Out here in the Commonwealth the holiday is known as Remembrance Day. It's a big thing. It's purpose is still to remember the fallen of the Great War. If it falls on Monday or Friday it's a day off. If not, there are assemblies in school. There is a moment of silence at 11:00 AM to commemorate the Armistice. But most apparent are the poppies.

In the states the holiday is called Veterans Day and is observed on a Monday or Friday close to the actual day, which is November 11th. Growing up I don't remember much hoopla or anything for this holiday. It fell in with Arbor Day and other holidays that kids get neither a day off school or a party at school. The reason for the holiday is simple enough to understand from its name--to celebrate all veterans for their service. It was only 60 years ago that this became official, though. Before then the holiday was called Armistice Day. The day was called such for the Armistice with Germany to end World War I, which occurred at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month 1918, thus Novemeber 11th being the day of the holiday.
People start wearing poppies mid-October. I remember thinking, "Why is Mike Babcock wearing a flower?" Then I realized it was a poppy. Something tells me this is comparable to Christmas creep in the states. Every year some broadcaster wears the poppy one day earlier to try to one up everyone else. The poppy is a symbol from a poem written by a Canadian serviceman in WWI, "In Flanders Fields." The poem, in full, appears at the end of the post. It's a touching reminder to always remember the great sacrifice of those who gave their lives in serving their country. It was recited at the ceremony we attended today.
We attended the ceremony at the Calgary Museum of the Regiments. The perfect venue for a tribute to a nation's veterans. Inside are displays of Canadian troops and missions, and outside are my favorite--tanks. On hand for the event were distinguished veterans and the honourable Jason Kenny, MP, Minister of Employment (He was in charge of immigration up until two months ago, so he's kind of the guy who isn't really doing enough for me right now.) The ceremony was nice, although we had to leave after the moment of silence because the kids needed naps.
All in all, Remembrance Day is a well-respected and celebrated holiday.

Courtney, the baby and a tank

More tanks

My daughter, learning how to fortify her territory

"Hold the line!"

One last shot of the festivities

In Flanders Fields

Lieutenant Colonol John McRae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row, 

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep , though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

California Winter

The day after Halloween we were on a walk down by the river around dusk. Courtney commented on how beautiful the scenery was. I looked out and said, "It reminds me of winter when I was a kid." The bare trees, the light chill (10 C), the dead grass. Courtney laughed and said, "Oh, Keith, this is fall."

So it was, because Saturday, this happened:

And four days later, it's still here. This morning I left the house and it was -13 C (8 F).

This is what winter will look like. This is what winter will feel like. And it starts now.

It's not like I don't know what winter is like. I lived in Utah for the past six years. In Provo I learned that it snows and in Roosevelt I learned what -30 is like. But even in Roosevelt it's 10 C warmer than it is here now, and will be for the rest of the month. We're sub zero and we're in for the long haul up here in the great white north.

Ice Dancing with the Stars

I have never seen Dancing with the Stars. Not my thing. One problem is the name. It seems a little bland to me. You know what sounds more awesome?

Yeee-yah. Pairing random celebrities with dancers. Meh. Pairing hockey players with ice dancers and pairs skaters. Sweet.  My Freshman year of college I saw the movie 'The Cutting Edge', which is the best figure skating movie I've ever seen (and the only one). It's about a hockey player and a figure skater who get fail in the '88 Olympics and train for the next one together. Starring Moira Kelly. Win. So Battle of the Blades was a no-brainer when we stumbled upon it. Judged by Kurt Browning, Jaime Sale (Canada's sweetheart ice dancer, robbed of a gold medal by the cheating French in 2002) and ex-NHLer P.J. Stock, and previous competitors including Theo Fleury, Val Bure and Claude Lemieux. I laughed so hard the first routine I saw. Because generally, when I think of male figure skaters, I think of this:

But on the show, I saw this:

http://www.cbc.ca/battle/skaters/amanda-scott

Big difference. Courtney said it's the most the Canadian thing on TV because 1) it's a rip-off of an American show and 2) it's on ice. The only thing that could make it more Canadian is if they had a female hockey player on the show. After a quick trip to google, we found that they did, and she won last year (paired with Sale's partner David Peltier, of course).
Only five couples left. Can't wait to watch next week. The most Canadian thing on television.

The Passion of Every Canadian

(I'm a little late with this one. Forgot to post it when I wrote it last week)

Every Wednesday night I go down to the church and play basketball. We don't talk about much, but after the game a number of guys go to Filo's down the street for appetizers. I went this week to get to know some of the guys and talk sports, but I found myself in over my head when the conversation ranged between Flames hockey and, well, Canadian hockey on a broader sense. There were at least 5-10 minutes we talked about other sports--baseball playoffs, the NBA (but mainly the fact that another Canadian could go as the #1 pick), and even a couple of other subjects, but other than that it was all hockey, and we were there for over an hour. And most of that hockey was about the Flames, although there was some discussion about who the Maple Leafs would decide on as their starting goalie

For years I have followed every major sport--baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and even hockey--and I have a pretty good knowledge of all of them. But hockey is definitely in the backseat to the others. Being from Northern California my favorite team growing up was the San Jose Sharks, who made the playoff nearly every year, but I wasn't as interested as I was the other sports, simply because no one else was. It wasn't televised or covered in the newspaper as much (that's right, I followed sports in the newspaper). The Sharks have been really good recently, but I honestly haven't followed the entire league other than standings. So to sit down and try to be part of a discussion about players on a team in a rebuilding season was beyond me, even if it was my new home's team.
TSN (the equivalent of ESPN) is the same way. I'm looking for football highlights on Monday and analysis during the week, and every time it takes the backseat to hockey. And the brunt of the coverage goes (deservedly) to the Cannucks, Flames, Oilers, Jets, Maple Leafs, Senators, Canadiens and Sidney Crosby, but I still get a whole lot more Sharks news than I did before I came here (like highlights of the team improving to 6-0-0 and 20 minute of analysis of this).
Out of all the cultural changes that I've had to and I foresee myself needing to adjust to, becoming a real hockey fan--the way I am a baseball and football fan--may just be the most difficult, or at least take the most work (although recycling isn't always easy for me to remember, either).

Happy Thanksgiving

Source: www.123rf.com

Thanksgiving in Canada comes a bit earlier than in the States. Just as Thanksgiving in the States is celebrated at harvest time, the same goes for Canada, but harvest time is a little earlier. It is held the second Monday of October, and has been a national holiday since 1957. Since being married, Courtney and I have been to or hosted a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner for our friends every year. Yesterday Courtney was home for Thanksgiving for the first time in seven years, and it made her really happy. It was my first time in Canada for the event, and I noticed that some things were the same and others different.

• Vacation Aspect: The vacation aspect of Thanksgiving compared to the States is low. Since the holiday is on a Monday, people get a day off work and children miss a single day of school. That's a huge difference to me, as kids get at least two days off, three in some districts (and at most universities). Because people go to work and kids go to school the following day, traveling long distances for the holiday is not as prominent. We went to the walking trail around Glenmore Lake, seeing many other families enjoying their day together.



Source: thimbleanna.co

• Dinner: We had dinner on Sunday instead of Monday, but I believe Monday is the day of choice for feasting for most Canadians. The dinner was the same--turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, thand other veggie sides. The one difference was dessert. Apparently it's not as important to have five different types of pie for dessert as it is in the states. Granted, there were only six adults (and two children) and my family probably eats more pie than most due to the four sons and a hereditary sweet tooth (thanks, Mom), so maybe one apple and one pumpkin is actually normal for dinner. But to me it seems like the more desserts it has, the more American it is. (I feel like you need at least 2 pumpkin, 1 chocolate chip, 1 banana cream pie and 1 pecan to make Thanksgiving official.)
• Family: Spending time with family is just as important in Canada. However, because it is only a one-day holiday your Aunt Margret isn't going to fly in to Calgary from Halifax for dinner (your brother, Liam, might drive up from Lethbridge, though). You spend the day with whatever family is near, which is really nice. 



Source: http://slam.canoe.ca

• Football: There actually is football on Thanksgiving here! We got 14 people from the church to show up for a game in the morning, but apparently that's more than most years. Plus, the CFL plays two games on Thanksgiving, like the NFL, but different teams play every year. That's actually a plus, because you don't have to A) see Jerry Jones on TV B) struggle though years of watching a horrible Lions team. On the flip side, it is CFL, and I the transition to CFL fandom hasn't been as easy ( even though the Calgary Stampeders are in first place and ex-BYU quarterback Max Hall is starting for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers). I'm sure that in time I will learn to love it.
• Shopping: There is no Black Tuesday accompanying Canadian Thanksgiving. Their big shopping discount day is called Boxing Day (December 26th). More on that in a couple of months.

We had a great little weekend and it's back to real life today. We have so much to be thankful for here, even if some things haven't gone our way.

Canadian Corruption?

They actually never smile. Never. (thestar.com)

There is actually plenty of corruption in Canada, the brunt of it occurring in Quebec (see here, here, here, here, and here). I'll write more on Quebec later, it's an entirely different place than Alberta, but while the government stays out of corruption, I've seen quite a bit of shifty business during my job search. I am still unemployed due to my inability to find a business with an open LMO. It has been six weeks since I had someone apply for me to work for his concrete business and there has been no word back from him. It will likely take another six weeks for the paperwork to finish, which will be no good seeing that he'll be done working for the season. I have received some offers, however, to work without an LMO for cash. Upon entering the country I was given a visitor's permit which clearly states that I am not authorized to work in Canada. The officer I spoke to told me to not do anything for money, because I was not authorized to do so and would risk being deported and jeopardize my pending permanent residency. So when I am told by these employers that they'll hire me and write a check to my wife for the amount, I simply decline their offer. There are many who are working illegally in this province, and they successfully evade detection and deportation, and I think it has a lot to do with the labour shortage here. While I could probably get away with it, I won't be putting my status in the country on the line anytime soon. This is not a blog about moral fortitude, so I'll refrain from an honesty speech, but it is a blog about my completely legal move to a foreign country and my adventures trying to fit in.
I did make contact with a recruiting agency that finds workers in Mexico for Calgary businesses with LMOs--Mexi-Can. It has been a week and a half, however, and they have no results, but it seemed like a good prospect at the time, and still could pull something out of their hat for me. When they do I will still have to wait a month to be approved by the government to be on their LMO. Needless to say, it's a lengthy process--moreso than we previously thought it'd be. But our house sold, so there's no turning back now.

Canadian Government Primer

If you know me, you knew this post was coming. With a government shutdown looming in the States, I thought it good timing. This is just a brief overview about how things work here. I will try to actually make it brief.

Source: myrts.org

The capital of Canada is Ottawa and is located in the province of Ontario 200 km from Montreal and 450 km from Toronto on the Ottawa river. I live in Alberta, which is on the other side of the country. Canada was part of Great Britain for a very and in 1931 Canada was given nearly entire legislative independence, much like Scotland today. Eight years later Canada declared its independence by declaring war on Nazi Germany a week before Britain. As part of the Commonwealth the country is still loyal to the Queen, who is head of state, and officially the Queen of Canada. The Prime Minister of Canada appoints a Governor General to carry out all constitutional and ceremonial duties the British monarch would if it were possible. But as far as governmental power the governor general and Queen Elizabeth have none. Those powers are reserved to Parliament.

Parliament of Canada (Source: wikipedia)

Canada runs on a parliamentary form of government similar to that seen in Great Britain with a House of Commons and a Senate. The best way I can think of to describe it for those who are only familiar with US politics is to imagine the US House of Representatives. Just as in the House, Canada's House of Commons is made up of democratically-elected representatives from different districts (ridings, they call them) and they are members of national parties and each has a leader, the majority party leader being in charge. Differing from the States, though, the majority leader is the Prime Minister, the head of government--it is not a separately elected office. Just as clarification, if a single party has a majority they can do practically WHATEVER THEY WANT. There's none of this fighting the house and the senate and the White House because they are all run by different parties. If the guys in charge want to get something done, they do it. The Senate is different in every way. Its 105 members are appointed by the PM according to region (24 for Ontario, 24 for Montreal, 24 for the west, 24 for the Maritimes and 9 for the remaining territories). They can be from all walks of life and review legislation more than anything, sort of like a thinktank would review policies and make recommendations. A short but informative article on their present role can be found here from the Canadian magazine McLeans.

I personally love the parliamentary system. Stuff gets done. Sometimes, though, it's bad stuff, and I'll talk about what Albertans think about Trudeau another time. Currently the government is run by the conservatives with Calgarian Steven Harper at the head. Again, this is just the primer, more on politics later

A Canadian Candy Sampler

I've always enjoyed care packages from my mother-in-law containing the exotic tastes of Canada since before she was even my mother-in-law. So my wonderful wife, knowing my sweet tooth and infatuation with Canadian snacks presented me with a sampler of Canadian snacks for my first birthday celebrated in Canada. Americans don't know what most of these things are, although I have seen Kinder Eggs and ketchup chips in stores. For this reason I have decided to review these delicacies--so you'll know what you're missing. Because I have been influenced greatly by the likes of ESPN I have made a non-comprehensive Canadian Candy Power Rankings.


1. Wunderbar--The greatest candy bar of all time. Caramel wrapped in peanut/peanut butter goodness covered in milk chocolate.
2. Caramilk--I'm a sucker for caramel. This is what we know in the States as a Caramelo.
3. Kinder Buenos--Hazelnut cream inside wafers covered in chocolate. These are just so light and delicious.
4. Eat-More--This is a glorified energy bar--a chewy bar of chocolate, dark toffee and peanuts, and it is absolutely delicious. When I finish eating one I only ever wish I could eat more. No joke. Very well named.
5. Wine Gums--I opened the bag and it smelt like Dionysus' birthday however there was no actual wine used to make them. I eat them like crazy. Each piece has a name on it "champagne" or "port" or "burgandy". It's possible that they taste similarly to the named beverage, but as a teetotaler, I wouldn't know. My brother in law says, "They're the best. When they're cold you can't even eat them."

I just ate those four pieces and I want more.

6. Big Turk Bites--I have not actually experienced a Big Turk, just the bites. It is a chocolate-covered Turkish delight. Wikipedia describes a Turkish Delight as a "gel based on starch and sugar" but I'm not really sure that does it justice. My first impression was that they were strange, and although I keep going back to the bag, that's still how I feel. But like I said, I keep going back to the bag.
7. Coffee Crisp--I was skeptical, but pleasantly surprised. Like the Wine Gummies, upon opening the Coffee Crisp I feel like I walked into a Starbucks. While I don't drink coffee, as a kid I loved the smell of the coffee section at the grocery store, and this is how it felt to open the package. That being said, the taste of coffee was microscopic. The wafers had a good chocolate taste, but you need a glass of milk to get it down.
8. Kinder Milks--I love eating milk chocolate chips straight from the bag. That is what this tastes like.
9. Mack Toffees--Soft toffee chews that you don't want to chew unless you think your dentist is hurting for a new Lexus. I just pretend that they're a hard candy. They taste a little better than a Werthers, and are also something grandparents frequently have on hand for the kiddies
10. Crunchie--Sponge toffee. Covered in chocolate. I was intrigued and then not impressed. It tasted good, but it wasn't amazing. On an American candy scale this would rank right behind a Skor bar and right above a Butterfinger. I'm taking a lot of heat from my mother in law for this ranking, who used to save up her pennies to buy a Crunchie when she was a kid.
11. Aero--I like the chocolate, but the air pockets (which have finally found there way to the States in Hersey's Air) don't add enough to the experience.
12. Hickory Sticks--These were really fun. Essentially they are julienne barbeque potato chips. The taste wasn't incredible, but good, and there's something about them that's just fun.

13. Kinder Eggs--The eggs are chocolate on the outside and white chocolate on the inside and they don't taste that great. They do come with an equally unimpressive toy, which was cooler when they came with really small parts requiring detailed assembly. I did pull in a Princess Jasmine, though.

14. Wagon Wheels--Known as a Moon Pie south of the border, the Wagon Wheel is refreshingly smaller, and thus easier to eat. But they taste the same. 
15. Ketchup Chips--ugh