The plan, which was tabled in the House of Commons, comes on the heels of Statistics Canada’s release of new data, which shows that the number of people who consider themselves immigrants in Canada is as high as it has been in almost 100 years. According to figures from the 2016 census, 21.9 per cent of Canadians consider themselves an immigrant or have permanent resident status. To find the last time such a high number of Canadians identified as such, you would have to go all the way back to 1921. As a result of the rise that has already occurred, StatsCan has projected that by 2036, 30 per cent of Canadians could be immigrants. This percentage could be even higher due to this latest announcement.

The census numbers shine some light on where newcomers to Canada are choosing to live. It should come as no surprise that immigrants prefer the big cities, i.e. Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, where they can more easily access cultural communities. 56 per cent of immigrants to Canada choose to settle in one of these three cities. Ontario is the most popular province for immigrant settlement but proportionally not as popular as it once was: 39 per cent of immigrants settle in Ontario, down from 55.9 per cent in 2001. Ontario’s loss has been Alberta’s gain, with 17.1 per cent of immigrants choosing the largest prairie province, up from 6.9 per cent just 16 years ago.

Asian countries are some of the most common birth-countries of immigrants to Canada. Seven of the top 10 countries of birth of recent immigrants are located in Asia: Philippines, India, China, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, and South Korea. The top-five countries of birth of refugees were Syria (26,550 refugees between 2011 and 2016), Iraq (15,505), Afghanistan (6,105), Eritrea (5,125), and Democratic Republic of the Congo (5,020).

The post Federal Government Announces Three-Year Immigration Plan first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

This week, new data from the 2016 Census has revealed that 20.9 per cent of Toronto residents live in condos, which is up from 18.7 per cent in 2011.

There are approximately 994,000 families with children living in Toronto, and 13 per cent called condos their home, compared to 8.4 per cent across Canada. Subsequently, condominiums are now making up one third of new homes built in Canada between 2011 and 2016.

Why is this happening? Jeff Randall, an analyst with Statistics Canada believes the long held views on family residences may be changing, “Condominiums represent an alternative to perhaps the traditional ideology of home ownership, which may be attached or steeped in this white picket fence, single-detached home ideal.”

Condo families are developing close relationships with one another that you would usually find in small-town neighbourhoods. Many families are stating that they were introduced to their closest friends through common areas they share, such as courtyards, pools and party rooms as they create a sense of community within the condo. Many condo buildings have social media pages, such as Facebook, which allow the residents to form a community forum useful for finding a babysitter or sharing household items.

However, there are pros and cons to everything. A definite downside to condo living is the fact that you can’t just open your door to a backyard and allow your children to run freely. Or, the fact that you have to wait for an elevator to get up to your home. Nonetheless, many condo families have chosen convenience over commuting, especially due to the traffic in Toronto during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Many families say they would rather live in a smaller space and pay a cheaper mortgage than spend 3 to 4 hours a day in a car and still be paying their mortgage when they are retired.

Debating whether condo living in Toronto is right for your family? Click here to read more.

The post Condo Living is Becoming the New Norm for Toronto Families first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

The country’s population has grown five per cent since the last census in 2011, when it was at 33.5 million, the highest rate of growth among G7 countries.

About two-thirds of the increase recorded in 2016 was due to net immigration into the country, while the rest was from new births.

Toronto remains the country’s largest metropolitan area at 5.9 million, increasing by 6.2 per cent since 2011!

Canada welcomes all individuals from all walks of life – we are looking forward to welcoming more individuals into our beautiful country, Canada!

For more information on the census, please click here.

The post Canada’s Population Hits an All Time High! first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.