New fund helps students get supports through Camosun
Minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion Carla Qualtrough recently announced $6.3 million in funding to the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Capital Canada Access Innovation Fund. The money will be delivered over three years to the new fund and is from the federal government’s Goal Getters program, which works with community organizations to help youth who are facing barriers complete high school and transition to post-secondary or the workforce. One of the organizations receiving funding is Northern Youth Abroad, who will use the money for a pilot project to connect over 20 Indigenous students from the Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories to online education, as well as academic and other supports through Camosun.
International students offered new pathway to permanent status
Canada’s minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship recently announced that the federal government is creating three new streams to grant permanent status to international graduates and temporary workers “who are already in Canada and possess the skills and experience we need to fight the pandemic and accelerate our economic recovery,” according to a press release. As of May 6, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began accepting 40,000 applications for international students who have graduated from a Canadian institution. The IRCC will keep accepting the applications until November 5, or until they have 40,000 applicants. There will be a total of up to 90,000 new residents from the new streams, which also include streams for temporary workers in health care and temporary workers in other selected essential occupations. Head here for further information.
City brings back plastic bag bylaw
After a hiccup with its initial rollout, the City of Victoria has brought back its plastic bag bylaw. The bylaw, which came into effect yesterday, bans single-use plastic bags in stores. The City of Victoria initially brought the bylaw in in 2018, but the following year a decision in the BC Court of Appeal said that because the City did not seek approval from the minister of environment the bylaw was a no-go. Read the entire bylaw here.