IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
A recent report sheds light on the Canadian population residing abroad-- estimated at around four million people in 2016, which constitutes just over 11 per cent of the country’s total population, according to Statistics Canada.
The report, published Monday from the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, was commissioned by Senator Yuen Pau Woo, who is calling on Ottawa to create a strategy for how to better support Canadian expats.
The figure marks a significant increase of about 36 per cent since 1990, marking a growing trend of Canadians choosing to relocate.
While data on the Canadian diaspora remains limited, the report found that citizens by descent make up 51 per cent of Canadians living abroad, with those born in Canada representing 33 per cent and naturalized Canadians making up the remaining 15 per cent.
The report said one of the challenges to tracking this diaspora is that motivations to reside abroad vary, including permanent emigration and reverse migration from Canada.
For naturalized Canadians—those who acquire citizenship later in life—the Institute for Canadian Citizenship said the country is seeing a steady rise in onward migration after four to seven years of arrival in Canada.
Between 2017 and 2019, onward migration patterns were 31 per cent higher than average, impacting Canada’s immigration targets.
As well, a recent study from Statistics Canada found that more than 15 per cent of immigrants decide to leave Canada within 20 years of admission as permanent residents, either to return to their homeland or immigrate to another country.
The McGill report said the trend of onward migration is likely linked to “increasing costs of living in Canada,” and “unrealistic pathways towards recognizing foreign degrees.”
The Canada flag on the Peace Tower is lit up by morning light on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, May 9, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Data from the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APFC) suggest the largest Canadian population outside of Canada is found in the United States, followed by Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Australia.
According APFC’s data, Canadians have strong ties to East Asia, with South Korea, China and Japan ranking among the top 10 countries Canadians reside in.
But while the number of Canadians abroad may be growing, the McGill report notes that Canada's relationship to its diaspora is defined by a lack of support and attention.
Areas like health care coverage, taxation and voting are indications of that relationship, the report says.
For example, while provinces have their own set of guidelines that allow residents to retain their provincial health coverage during extended absences, their coverage may be cancelled if they relocate permanently.
The report calls for greater transparency to help the diaspora access relevant information prior to and during their stay abroad.
For taxation, two groups of Canadians are still required to file annual tax returns and pay taxes on their Canadian income— residents temporarily outside of Canada and those who commonly reside in other countries and pay taxes only on income received in Canada.
In the area of voting, the most lenient rules apply to residents of Ontario and Québec, where the provincial governments accept voting from abroad for up to two years after the date of departure. The McGill report suggests provinces need to re-examine the efficacy of the current mail-in voting method and consider adopting electronic voting from abroad.
The report calls for policy recommendations across taxation, health care coverage and consular services to ensure active support for the diaspora and an official government strategy towards Canadian expats.
“An engaged and active support for the diaspora creates a stronger Canadian international network; a community that not only votes and pays taxes, but that has the ability to promote Canada abroad,” the McGill report said.
If you previously immigrated to Canada and have since left the country, or are thinking of leaving the country, CTVNews.ca wants to hear from you.
What factors might have influenced your decision to leave Canada? Did you face any obstacles in Canada that contributed to your decision leave? What made you move to Canada in the first place?
Share your story by emailing us at dotcom@bellmedia.ca with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.
1. United States
2. Hong Kong
3. United Kingdom
4. Australia
South Korea, China and Japan also rank among the top 10
With files from The Canadian Press
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.