Immigration, Citizenship, and Culture Blog

New Music Director of the OSM brings his “El Sistema” experiences to Montréal
By Stephen Fogarty January 17, 2021

Classical music in reality is far from its stereotype as a numbingly dull form of audio entertainment only suitable for people in their twilight years, nor is it a tool for social oppression, as some critical theorists would argue. This was illustrated during a recent virtual meeting I attended with the newly chosen Music Director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) as a member of their Honour Circle of major donors. Our new 40-year-old Maestro Rafael Payare described his experiences growing up in Venezuela where he fell in love with the arts, through the El Sistema method of music education.  Read More





Can you request an exemption from language testing for Canada’s Express Entry program?
By Stephen Fogarty February 28, 2018

Canada’s immigration selection system allows immigration officers some discretion “to substitute … their evaluation of the likelihood of a foreign national’s ability to become economically established in Canada.” This general rule was cited in a legal challenge to compulsory language testing of principal (main) applicants seeking permanent residency under Canada’s … Read More



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