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Canada’s best seven cities for fresh immigrants

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Are you planning or thinking of going to Canada and at loss over the best city to stay?

Below is a list of best seven cities  you can choose from.

1. Ottawa 
The city of Ottawa is a favourite with immigrants. The city constantly receives high marks for life quality and cleanliness and is often seen as one of the nicest places to live in the world.

Ottawa is a vibrant, young city with beautiful architecture, a thriving city centre, and picturesque neighbourhoods because of its cultural diversity.

Enormous young people are drawn to the city by its two universities, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.

The city is home to just under 1 million people, but new investment and Canada’s immigration drive forecasts to increase population by 3% over the next three years. 

Another advantage is that Ottawa is incredibly green and clean. There are many options for an active outdoor lifestyle, and it is bike-friendly.

There are various trails, walkways, running tracks, and bike lanes along the magnificent Rideau Canal that runs through the city.

Moreover, the canal freezes over in the winter and turns into the longest ice skating rink in the world.

The city of Ottawa experiences four distinct seasons, which offer a change of scenery throughout the year.

The city’s winters are chilly and dazzlingly bright, and many winter activities are available. Conversely, summers can be fairly hot and muggy.

Ottawa offers many services in French and English because the city is officially bilingual. While knowing French is helpful, English is widely spoken.

You don’t need to be bilingual to lead a happy life there, but learning French may help you integrate quickly or land a specific job.

Despite being higher than average, Ottawa’s cost of living is still very reasonable. Apartments can be rented between CAN $700 and 1400 per month, depending on your desired area.

However, eating out and buying groceries can be expensive, mainly if they are imported.

Although incomes are higher than usual, Ottawa’s unemployment rate of 5.3% is one of the lowest.

Retail salespeople, computer programmers, and interactive media creators are among the top professions.

In addition, information systems analysts and consultants are also in high demand.

The federal government of Canada is headquartered in Ottawa, which also has significant municipal and provincial government employees.

In Ottawa, the public sector employs about 20% of the labour force. Natural and applied sciences, as well as fields related to them and occupations in education, law, and community, experienced the fastest employment growth.

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2. Burlington
Burlington, close to Toronto, is the ideal location for people who desire to live in a big city close to nature and the great outdoors.

It is located at the southwestern edge of Lake Ontario. Burlington preserves more than 580 hectares of parkland and has an excellent quality of life.

Many schools, universities, and healthcare services are available to residents, making for a decent quality of life.

In addition, Burlington offers wonderful and varied options, from the 115 parks spread around the city to the museums to the numerous annual festivals locals participate in.

The average home in Burlington costs approximately $500,000, four and a half times the average income.

As a result, Burlington is one of the more expensive cities. However, this city gets top grades for its low unemployment, lovely weather, minimal crime, high earnings, and excellent transit.

The city’s diverse economic basis contributes to its economic stability and guarantees that work opportunities are consistently available across many sectors.

Any one industry or employer does not dominate the economy of Burlington. Nevertheless, it’s not difficult to find work in Burlington, and the city’s low unemployment rate can be attributed to the diverse economy of the affluent Golden Horseshoe region.

The commuter train between downtown Burlington and central Burlington makes it simple to reach Toronto from Burlington.

The commute by rail lasts one hour. So many professionals decide to commute daily from Burlington to Toronto for business.

3. Oakville
Oakville, a charming suburban community in southern Ontario, is particularly proud of its excellent location in Halton Region on Lake Ontario, which provides residents with simple access to Toronto’s metropolitan centre and natural wonders on the one hand.

Toronto’s downtown is only 30 minutes away by car from Oakville, and it takes an hour to get to Niagara Falls and the US border.

Because of its exceptional catering for families and kids, it deserves to be included on the list of Canada’s greatest places to live.

There is no shortage of things to do for those who enjoy the arts, culture, and music.

These include performances at the nearby Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, trips to museums and galleries, and fantastic festivals like the annual Waterfront Festival, Festival of Classics, and Jazz Festival in Oakville.

There are many leisure options in the neighbourhood. For example, seven golf courses are available for play, including the PGA-recognized Glen Abbey Golf Course, which has frequently hosted the Canadian Open.

Over 2,400 acres of parkland contain many well-maintained hiking routes. In addition, two beautiful harbours and boating options are available in Oakville for boaters.

With manufacturing facilities run by UTC Aerospace Systems and General Electric, as well as Siemens and The Ford Motor Company’s Canadian offices based in Oakville, jobs are simple to get.

Oakville is a popular location for life science businesses, primarily focusing on pharmaceuticals and eldercare.

However, like Burlington, Oakville is a suburb of Toronto, and many locals travel to Toronto for work, where there are numerous and varied career options.

4. St. Albert
For several years running, St. Albert, Alberta, has been moving up the list of the greatest provinces in Canada.

More Canadians and foreigners are moving to Alberta because of its robust economy and well-paying jobs as people realize that the province offers more than simply oil.

It includes all the conveniences, including parks and facilities to support a healthy lifestyle, schools, health care, and recreational options.

More than 85 km of bike routes run alongside the Sturgeon River in St. Albert. There are also plenty of outdoor rinks.

A 55,000-person annual International Children’s Festival is held there as well.

Although the country’s winters can be brutal (with an average of 28 days per year with a minimum temperature below -20 C), there is still plenty of sunshine all year round, and crime rates are progressively declining.

St. Albert is a popular location for people who prefer a slower pace of life because it is only 30 kilometres from Edmonton, the regional capital.

Edmonton commuting services are convenient through the St. Albert Transit system. St. Albert may be a better option if living in Edmonton doesn’t appeal to you, but your employer is there.

With most residents travelling to Edmonton for work, St. Albert has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation (4.3%) and some of the highest earnings.

St. Albert can’t completely avoid the trend in the area even though it has a considerably smaller exposure to the oil and gas business.

Petrochemicals are the most significant industry in Edmonton’s nearby oil and gas hub.

Oil and natural gas are abundant in the area, earning Edmonton the moniker “Oil Capital of Canada.”

Many St. Albert people commute to Edmonton to work in the oil industry. However, there are numerous different career fields available in the region.

For example, information technology, banking, and biotechnology all offer opportunities.

5. Boucherville
With a population of about 43,000, Boucherville is one of the oldest municipalities in Québec.

The city’s unemployment rate is an exceptionally low 2.88 percent, and the typical household income is $92,253.

Boucherville’s proximity to Montreal and rapid population expansion, along with its bike-friendly streets and vibrant arts and sports scene, make it particularly appealing to foreign residents.

In Boucherville, the outdoors is undoubtedly an important aspect. One of the most incredible parks in Canada is the Iles-de-Boucherville National Park, which offers activities like sea kayaking, snow hiking, volleyball on sand, riding, and wildlife viewing.

It’s the ideal place for a family who enjoys golf, the outdoors, and scenic views but yet needs access to a big city’s facilities.

Most people in Boucherville speak French; about 2% of the population can speak English fluently.

About 90% of the population speaks French. Therefore, if you wish to relocate to Boucherville, understanding French is a need.

Bilingual people have higher employment prospects from an employment standpoint.

The city generally has a low unemployment rate, and personnel acquire top salaries. Boucherville’s commercial park is domestic to around 575 agencies, presenting employment to 23 000 people.

Given that Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city, is only 18 kilometres from Boucherville, many Boucherville inhabitants commute to Montreal for work. Montreal’s typical industries are aerospace, software, electronics, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and transportation.

Over 40,000 people are employed in Quebec’s aerospace industry, which includes firms like Bell Helicopter Textron, Bombardier Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and CAE. The city is one of North America’s main aerospace hubs.

6. Vancouver
It’s not surprising that Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the best cities in the world to live in.

The city has it all: mountains, beaches, islands, a coastline, an urban core, and lovely residential districts.

Vancouver genuinely offers everything. The real estate market in Vancouver is the only disadvantage if you intend to relocate there.

In the suburbs, the cost of a family house can soon exceed $1 million, and any properties that come on the market are quickly purchased.

As a result, finding a place to live can be challenging because even rent can be costly.

However, you may take advantage of all Vancouver offers after resolving your home situation.

It has excellent links to nearby islands and other countries, so leaving the city and entering nature is frequently simpler than going downtown.

The economy of Vancouver is vibrant and diverse. Since the city is the third-most-popular filming destination after New York and LA, the film and television industries are major employers in the region.

Vancouver jobs are simple to locate and pay well, thanks to the 2010 Winter Olympics, which attracted investment that facilitates locating a home!

However, Vancouver has a fairly high overall cost of living. 

In most of Canada, Vancouver boasts the best public transportation, shopping areas, harbour, and well-maintained parks (Stanley Park is renowned worldwide).

It also offers the best schools, hospitals, and medical services.

Since Vancouver’s weather is milder than other cities, outdoor activities are more available all year round. Vancouver is amazing if you can afford it.

7. Calgary
There is a good probability that you will have to choose between Calgary and Edmonton if you are going to Alberta.

Anyone moving to Canada will find that Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, has a lot to offer.

It is a vibrant metropolis with 1.5 million residents that is constantly alive and deeply rooted in the natural world and its surroundings.

Life in Calgary is undoubtedly picturesque due to the city’s location at the elbow and bow of two rivers at the base of the Rocky Mountains.

The railway’s westward expansion initially caused Calgary to develop from a small village into a city.

As a result, it combines all the city’s facilities with all the charm of a mountain village.

The entire region got enormous investment when Calgary was chosen as the host city for the 1988 Winter Olympics.

However, despite having some of the best sporting facilities and transportation options, Calgary residents continue to profit financially.

Calgary is one of the most diverse cities in Canada thanks to its 180 distinct neighbourhoods, each of which has its history and culture.

There is constantly something new to discover because redevelopment occurs in several older neighbourhoods.

The city’s parks and outdoor areas are exceptionally maintained, particularly Prince Island Park, which hosts several festivities like a music festival and a cowboy stampede.

The great amenities and ongoing redevelopment are driving up house costs. For example, a condominium typically costs around CA$300,000, but a home typically costs around CA$500,000.

Calgary is an easy area to move to if you’re seeking work because there are many positions in the tourist, film, manufacturing, aerospace, health, financial services, and transport sectors.

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Features

UN appoints new senior leadership for UNHCR

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The United Nations has announced a new set of senior appointments to the leadership of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), with Secretary-General António Guterres naming Tressa Rae Finerty as Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, Antón Leis García as Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, and Edem Wosornu as Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.

The appointments, announced on Saturday, are expected to take effect in the coming weeks.

The three officials will occupy the most senior positions within UNHCR, supporting the High Commissioner in leading the agency’s global response to the protection and assistance of refugees, stateless persons and other people forced to flee their homes.

Welcoming the appointments, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih expressed confidence that the incoming officials would strengthen the agency’s response to the growing global displacement crisis.

“I warmly welcome these appointments and look forward to working closely with Tressa, Anton and Edem,” Salih said.

“Their leadership, experience and commitment will be invaluable as UNHCR responds to displacement challenges around the world. Together, we will work to continue strengthening protection, expanding opportunities for self-reliance and pursuing lasting solutions that help refugees rebuild their lives with dignity.”

Finerty, a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. She previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Geneva and Deputy Executive Secretary in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of State. Her diplomatic career has also included postings at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York and embassies in Malaysia, Iraq, Armenia and Thailand. In addition, she has taught refugee policy at New York University and Georgetown University.

Leis García currently heads the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Spain’s development and humanitarian agency. He has previously held senior positions at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Office of the President of the Spanish Government, and international financial institutions including the African Development Bank and the World Bank Group.

Wosornu currently serves as Director of the Crisis Response Division at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and chairs the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Emergency Directors Group. She has held several senior headquarters and field positions within OCHA and began her United Nations career as an intern at UNHCR before working in the private legal sector in the United Kingdom.

The newly appointed officials will replace Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner; Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations; and Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, whose terms are coming to an end.

Paying tribute to the outgoing leaders, Salih praised their contributions to the agency’s humanitarian mission.

“The organization owes a profound debt of gratitude to Kelly, Raouf and Ruven for their exceptional service and dedication,” he said. “Their leadership has strengthened UNHCR’s ability to protect and assist millions of displaced and stateless people around the world.”

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Sixth batch of Nigerians stranded in South Africa return home

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The final batch of 40 stranded Nigerians evacuated from South Africa has arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, bringing to a close the Federal Government’s evacuation exercise that returned a total of 1,174 citizens.

The returnees landed on Friday night aboard a chartered Air Peace flight, marking the sixth and final phase of the evacuation programme.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the exercise was carried out through six flights operated by Air Peace and ValueJet.

According to the commission, the first five batches brought home 258, 266, 262, 282 and 66 Nigerians, while the final chartered Air Peace flight evacuated the remaining 40 stranded citizens.

Balogun said the returnees expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for approving the evacuation from South Africa. They also thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Acting Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, Temitope Alexander-Ajayi, and NiDCOM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for facilitating their safe return.

The evacuees were received at the airport by NiDCOM officials, who also announced a series of support packages from government agencies, corporate organisations and individuals.

According to the statement, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State approved a grant of N1 million for each returnee from the state. Telecommunications company MTN also donated free SIM packs with N50,000 worth of data and pledged to credit each returnee’s bank account with N100,000.

Officials from the Edo and Delta State governments similarly announced assistance for their indigenes among the evacuees.

The commission added that the JAAL Foundation pledged empowerment support for 50 female returnees, while the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Dr Chibuzor Gift Chinwe, was commended for providing free accommodation for about 52 returnees, skills acquisition opportunities for their families and free education for their children up to university level.

The returnees also acknowledged Pastor Bolaji Idowu of Harvesters Church for donating N100,000 each to 66 evacuees, while real estate firm Cruxstone provided financial support to the first batch of returnees.

Balogun said officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other security agencies were present at the airport to receive and document the returnees.

“The returnees were full of gratitude for the donations, support and warm welcome received,” the statement said.

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EU Pact offers hope for better migration management and fairer asylum systems- IOM, UNHCR

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The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and the UN Migration Agency, IOM have welcomed the entry into force today of the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum as an opportunity to move beyond crisis-driven responses and implement a more predictable, fair and effective approach to the issues across Europe.

EU Member States should seize this moment to strengthen migration management and refugee protection while advancing solidarity and responsibility-sharing in line with European values and international obligations, the agencies’ chiefs said.

“The Pact’s entry into full effect today is an important step toward a more predictable and coherent European migration system. What matters now is steady implementation over time that is effective, humane, sustainably resourced and grounded in cooperation,” said Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration. “The priority is turning the reforms into practical results for States, communities, and people on the move.”

The Pact aims to make EU asylum systems more efficient and consistent, offering a structured framework for Member State cooperation. This can reduce backlogs while maintaining the quality of assessments, provide greater certainty for asylum-seekers, and enable refugees to begin rebuilding their lives and contributing to their communities sooner.

“This Pact is an important step in the right direction, advancing shared responsibility and more predictable, sustainable approaches across the European Union,” said Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “UNHCR stands ready to support all Member States in strengthening asylum systems – ensuring access to protection for those in need, upholding human rights and dignity, and enabling safe, lawful and dignified returns for those not in need of international protection.”

IOM and UNHCR welcome the EU’s renewed focus on partnerships with all affected countries. Reducing irregular movements means addressing root causes, ensuring access to protection, tackling smuggling networks, and enabling safe, regular pathways. The organizations will continue to support route-based approaches that ensure policies deliver on protection, dignity and shared responsibility, while contributing to sustainable solutions that benefit both countries and communities along migration routes.

UNHCR and IOM welcome several key elements of the Pact, including earlier identification of people with specific needs, strengthened legal assistance, and new independent monitoring mechanisms at external borders. Returns of those with no legal right to stay must be both effective and humane. Alongside enforcement, they should ensure access to informed voluntary return, early case management, and reintegration support, working with countries of origin, transit and first asylum as part of a balanced approach that upholds dignity and fundamental rights.

These measures can help ensure that asylum processing and return procedures are faster and fairer, reducing uncertainty for asylum-seekers while strengthening public confidence in the migration and asylum system.

UNHCR and IOM stress that implementation will be the decisive test. Procedures must be carried out with adequate safeguards to ensure that no one is returned or transferred to a situation where they may face persecution, conflict or other forms of serious harm.

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