How to donate to the relief efforts in Japan

Organizations helping earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged Japan have made it easy for Canadians to donate.

Canadian wireless customers with most major carriers can text ASIA to 30333, to donate $5 to the Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund and there is no charge for the text.

According to the Canadian Red Cross, a total of $3 million has already been donated by Canadians since the catastrophic 8.9 magnitude earthquake Friday.

Those wanting to help can donate online at redcross.ca or call 1-800-418-1111.

James Astleford, donor-relations director for ADRA Canada, a humanitarian agency established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, said his organization has representatives in Japan working with stranded residents.

The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee has set up a Japan donation website as well and says it is working with partners on the ground to determine what role its volunteers can play.

Donations to CRWRC can also be made by calling 1-800-730-3490.

Médicins Sans Frontières says two teams of three people are trying to reach the worst-hit areas in Japan’s Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.

“The MSF teams, composed of medical and logistics personnel, will try to reach the area by helicopter,” said spokeswoman Naomi Sutorius-Lavoie in an email Friday. “Once there, the two teams will liaise with local emergency-response authorities to assess medical needs. Another 25 MSF medical and logistical staff in Japan are on standby to respond once the situation has been assessed.”

UNICEF says it has already positioned supplies and personnel in countries throughout the Pacific region.

Plan International Canada had an emergency-response team on standby in Indonesia, where it has a warehouse stocked with 5,000 family kits available for immediate distribution.

World Vision Canada has also set up a webpage to solicit donations to provide disaster relief for victims of the earthquake.

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, a group that supports IsraAid, an Israel-based humanitarian organization sending teams of rescue personnel, emergency medical officers and water pollution purification specialists to Japan, is also accepting donations here.

CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Quebec and Save the Children Canada have formed a group called The Humanitarian Coalition and began accepting donations Saturday.

The Salvation Army announced it was allocating $75,000 to the earthquake relief effort in Japan and is accepting donations online here.

Canadians can also donate online through International Development and Relief Foundation or by calling 1-866-497-IDRF (1-866-497-4373).

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada says “the best way for Canadians to help is to donate money — not clothing or food.”


article published On Tue Mar 15 2011 in the Toronto Star

Canadian Statutory Holidays

It seems like the next holiday is so far away. What are the holidays in Canada anyway?

Statutory holidays are New Year's Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day and Christmas Day - these days are celebrated nationwide and are paid day off for employees. In addition to these Canadian statutory holidays businesses may choose to close on other holidays but they are not required to do so. Confused yet?

The next nationwide statutory holiday in Canada is Saturday, April 2, Good Friday

There are 5 nationwide and 4 provincial holidays in BC plus Easter Monday, which is a bank holiday and commemorated by federal employees.

The four provincial holidays are Victoria Day, British Columbia Day, Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day.

Boxing day is not an official holiday in BC but Remembrance Day is. Family day is also not a statutory holiday in BC.

Generally banks, municipal libraries, schools and some businesses will be closed on public holidays, however most entertainment venues, shops, grocery stores and tourist attractions remain open. Special events may also be held on these days in celebration or commemoration of the occasion.

BC Holidays for 2011 number nine. These nine stat holidays in British Columbia entitle most employees to a day off with pay.

* New Year's Day - Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011
* Good Friday - Friday, April 22, 2011
* Victoria Day - Monday, May 23, 2011
* Canada Day - Friday, July 1, 2011*
* B.C. Day - Monday, August 1, 2011
* Labour Day - Monday, September 5, 2011
* Thanksgiving - Monday, October 10, 2011
* Remembrance Day - Friday, November 11, 2011
* Christmas Day - Sunday, December 25, 2011

About Victoria Day

Held the Monday preceding May 25 each year, the Sovereign’s birthday has been observed in Canada since Queen Victoria’s (1837-1901) reign in honour of both Queen Victoria and the current sovereign’s birthday. Canada remains a voluntary member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

About Canada Day

Canada Day is a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of July 1 1867 enactment uniting Canada as a single country known as the Canadian Confederation. Many events are observed throughout Canada with no shortage of fun things to see and do to cap the day off in celebration of the ‘birth’ of Canada. In Vancouver, street festivals, parades and sporting events are held in many communities including Granville Island, Yaletown, Surrey, and in Canada Place. The
Canadian flag is proudly sported publically from homes, businesses and communities alike.

About British Columbia Day

Introduced in 1974 to honour the pioneers of BC and in celebration of achievements as Canadians in this province, many people have a day off work. This popular long weekend is often used to go camping or taking short trips out of town to enjoy the beauty of BC in summer. Various celebrations are held province-wide with events including fireworks, parades and cultural festivals.

Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Father's Day and Halloween are not official holidays but are celebrated nationwide, however, no paid vacation is given for these days.

On unofficial holidays - especially on Boxing Day and Remembrance day - most businesses are closed with the exception of select retail stores.

Every statutory holiday has some must-do activities. On New Year's Day you should either be on a cruise ship drinking champaign or have a snowball fight and party with your friends while on Canada Day its customary to rent a cottage if you don't have your own and travel "up north" for the long weekend.

Victoria Day marks the unofficial start of the summer and that's when people usually pull out the bbq from the garage and keep it on the deck until Labour Day, which is the unofficial end of the summer. Many travel agencies and parks have special family weekend getaway packages for the long weekends for those who prefer to spend the days hiking, camping, birdwatching, canoeing, etc.

Holiday Destinations

The majority of people travel during their time off from work. Popular travel destinations for Canadians include Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica and select European countries like France and Italy - it all depends of the season. During the winter people fly south to spend some time in hotels and beaches in Florida, Hawaii or Costa Rica for example, indeed a great alternative to snow shoveling.

In the summer there are countless travel deals to Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan and other not-so-warm countries and because of the relatively strong Canadian dollar it doesn't cost too much to rent a car and stay at nice hotels abroad. Well, except in the UK that is.

How to meet Canadians

Now it's the new year. 2011. Time to make some resolutions. Study harder, exercise more, practice English. Those are all pretty usual promises that are easy to make but hard to continue. How about make your goal this year to meet Canadians?

Making friends with Canadians is a great way to improve your English. It can also help you understand Canadian culture and make Vancouver life more interesting.

Many of you have asked this question but it is not an easy answer. Because of culture, language, and personality, it is difficult to know how to approach Canadians.

Here are some easy pointers for you to get you started.

1. Do something that Canadians like to do. This includes joining a Canadian activity club, yoga class or community centre. If you try to do an activity that has many Canadian participants, it won't be long before you start up a conversation with someone.

2. Volunteer at a Canadian organization or non-profit society. There are thousands of volunteer opportunities in Vancouver. If you volunteer you can get a chance to talk with Canadians and meet some people who have similar interests.

3. Join drop-in sports games and the community centres. There are many community centres in Vancouver. Most centres have drop-in sports games like volleyball, basketball and badminton. You can not only get a workout but also meet people are into sports.

4. Enjoy Vancouver's nightlife. Vancouver has various clubs, pubs, live shows and performances. Canadians love to go out especially on the weekend. Go somewhere out of downtown that doesn't have a large ESL population. Once you find a good spot that you can enjoy, don't be afraid to start a conversation with someone. Canadians love small talk especially when out on the town.

Check out the web list on the right for links.