Jack Layton, leader of the opposition dies at 61

I need to move to Canada.

Yes.

@Breadloaf: The Green party is a joke to me.

What's the holdup, then?

As for the Greens being fiscally conservative, I wouldn't know about that, but at the same time I wouldn't find it too surprising. I know there are cases for which the more mainstream interventionist perspective contrasts with the environmentalist one; using gov't money to pay for oil and gas for seniors and the poor, (which, IIRC, was the NDP approach) for example.

Lack of money, mostly. A friend said if he and his wife ever get a 3 bedroom then I can move in with them, but they live in a 1 bedroom now :/

Also? It's cold. Also? I'm sure immigration is harder than we Americans take it for.

Immigration into Canada isn't too hard, especially as an American.

Well, I don't want to derail this thread to be about immigration into Canada...

What were Jack's thoughts on that topic? :D

edited 24th Aug '11 11:54:09 AM by TheyCallMeTomu

What if you're a subject of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II?

edited 24th Aug '11 11:54:25 AM by whaleofyournightmare

Dang, he seemed like a very nice man. I didn't think the cancer was going to get him that early.

I guess they never actually got the cancer the first time, that's bad thing about our medical technology these days.

Jack Layton was fairly open to immigration, and as much as tories might talk about whatever, they're letting in record number of immigrants as well. So overall, all the parties want massive immigration, they just want to handle the problems about it differently. Tories want a more top-heavy approach, Liberals want a cleaner bureaucracy to do it, the NDP never really got a chance to do much but it looked very much like they just wanted refinement of the points-based system (that is, how we prioritise who gets in first).

Man, seeing the outpouring of support for Layton is pretty amazing. They have a very large wall filled with statements written in chalk for him, plus an online book of condolences and so many people are going to see his casket. Olivia Chow was standing by the casket for a long time to greet everyone there. The line up was apparently snaking around the parliament buildings.

Canada lets in roughly 250,000 immigrants a year, the highest per capita of any country. We use a points system for immigrants, mostly based around education and language skills. so if you've got a degree and can speak french/english you're welcomed here.

Sweet, brb, moving to Canadaland

They added in money requirements recently, like having 50k in your bank (for your whole family). However I think you game the system there by having family temporarily put money in your account. Don't quote me on this, I just heard it from a lot of recent immigrants who were complaining about requiring lots of money.

A university degree is definitely a plus, typically in medicine or engineering.

All I have is a BA in Economics :(

I don't know if it'd actually work but some people try to come here on a visa and then stay FOREVER.

However, statcan estimated the number of illegal immigrants to be around 35,000 and 120,000. That is... it's basically nothing. So it would appear very few people are capable or willing to do this. Don't know why.

Update: impromptu memorial shows up in Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square

This is just bypassers with chalk writing what came to mind. Completely spontaneous.

Follow on Flickr.

More pic.

After rain washed that away? They returned to keep filling it in.

edited 28th Aug '11 6:17:37 AM by RadicalTaoist