Latest news with #NewCanadians
CBC
18-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Citizenship ceremony held at one of the largest powwows in Canada
New Canadians take their citizenship oaths during the 20th edition of Winnipeg's Manito Ahbee festival, one of the largest celebrations of Indigenous culture in North America.
Cision Canada
28-04-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Convenience Store Operators Applaud Conservative Commitment to End Pharmacy-Only Rule for Nicotine Pouches
TORONTO, April 28, 2025 /CNW/ - As Canadians cast their ballots today, independent convenience store operators across the country are welcoming the Conservative Party of Canada's 1 pledge to end the pharmacy-only restriction on nicotine pouch sales — a decision that will directly help thousands of small businesses and support public health efforts to help smokers quit. The United Korean Canadian Industry Association (UKCIA), representing thousands of independent convenience stores, praised the Conservative commitment to restore the ability of corner stores to sell regulated, approved nicotine pouches — reversing a controversial decision made in 2024 by then-Health Minister Mark Holland. "We applaud the Conservative Party for recognizing the critical role that independent convenience stores play in serving their communities," said Kenny Shim, President of the UKCIA. "Convenience stores have a proven track record of responsibly selling age-restricted products. This commitment would allow us to once again offer smokers a safer, regulated option in a convenient location where they already shop." The previous ban pushed some consumers to purchase pouches from the black market, purchasing products that are unregulated, untaxed and potentially dangerous. This action jeopardized public safety, and cost small retailers millions in lost revenue. Most impacted were the thousands of convenience stores owned and operated by hardworking New Canadians — small family businesses operating in every city, town, and rural community across Canada. Today, the UKCIA is also calling on the Liberal Party of Canada to match the Conservative commitment and pledge to reverse Minister Holland's flawed decision. "Helping small businesses should not be a partisan issue. Supporting public health should not be a partisan issue," said Shim. "We urge Mr. Carney and the Liberal Party to show that they too support hardworking small business owners and adult smokers trying to quit, by matching the Conservative commitment." The UKCIA and its members are encouraging all their customers to vote today. We look forward to working with whichever party forms government after today and are committed to collaborating on smart policies that support public health, consumer safety, and Canada's small business economy.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
These new Canadians are voting in a federal election for the 1st time — and it's all about Trump
Gaurav Marik, who became a Canadian citizen two years ago, says the economic impact of tariffs and threats to annex Canada are the most important issues in this election and have him excited about voting federally for the first time. "I feel that when someone attacks you, and especially externally, you feel much more guarded and you try to defend saying that, OK, this is an identity … we all stand for," he said. As Canada's relationship with the U.S. has destabilized since President Donald Trump took office, many Canadians have been swept up by a wave of patriotism. And for newly eligible voters like Marik, that feeling of belonging in Canada has been amplified by the pressure coming from south of the border, galvanizing them to head to the ballot box this election. The Toronto resident was never really politically involved in his home country of India, but says he's become more politically engaged since coming to Canada. He says Canada's relationship with the U.S. is not just about him personally. "Since I've decided to live here long-term, it's going to really change the course of Canada going forward if these tariffs and this sort of confrontation just continues for years," he said. In Calgary, Evaristo Vocaj, who became a citizen in July 2024, also says the biggest issue for him is Canada's relationship with the U.S. Vocaj came to Canada from Albania as an international student and worked at Calgary's Centre for Newcomers for five years. And that spirit of being Canadian and fighting for Canadian values is weighing heavily on him. He says that for immigrants who've gone through the difficult process of becoming citizens, voting matters. "Because of that long process that we've gone through, we feel like we deserve this now and we feel like we definitely have started feeling, more recently as well, that spirit of being Canadian," Vocaj said. New Canadians less likely to vote According to Elections Canada, after the 2021 federal election, 89 per cent of new Canadians reported that they voted. That's less than the 92 per cent of established immigrant voters and 92 per cent of Canadians by birth who reported that they voted. Elections Canada noted that of those New Canadians who didn't vote, many indicated that the reason they didn't cast a ballot was due to having issues with the electoral process, like long lineups at the polls, or due to personal life reasons. But newly eligible voters were more likely to express satisfaction with the way democracy works in this country than those who are Canadian by birth. Naiwen Cao also works at the Centre for Newcomers in Calgary. He is voting for the first time in his life and doing a lot of research ahead of election day. While living in China, he says he was never encouraged to vote. "I feel a sense of responsibility," he said. "I must hear different voices. And I'm very excited to even discuss about my vote, before casting the vote. Because for me, the process is more important than the result." Concerns about immigration policy Though Cao is concerned about Trump's annexation threats, he's also closely watching how the parties are tackling immigration. He isn't opposed to cutting immigration levels, but he wants to see how each party plans to better integrate newcomers into society. "For me, it's more focused on how you settle the people that you have invited into this country, compared [to] how many people you're going to accept into the country," said Cao. Helping newcomers find jobs, affordable housing, access to health care and education are what parties should focus on when it comes to immigration platforms, he said. Even though Marik went through the process of immigration himself, he says he feels resources are being overwhelmed because Canada has accepted too many immigrants. Marik, who studied law, is experiencing first-hand the struggle of finding a job in his field. He says he has applied for more than 250 jobs and has only heard back from "maybe 20 of them, just for an initial interview." "There's too many applicants for one particular job in my sector," he said. Cao says setting immigrants up for success is key because it allows them to feel more accepted in this country. He says he himself felt welcomed by other Canadians and hopes "Canada can stay as Canada" amid ongoing tensions with the U.S.
