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March 27th is Budget Day in Ontario. You may watch the budget speech live starting at 4:00 p.m. It should be posted to the Ministry of Finance website shortly thereafter.

The 2012 Federal Budget will be tabled in the House of Commons on March 29th.  It will be published on the budget web site  after the budget has been tabled at approximately 4:00 p.m.  

To find out more about how budgets are tabled in the House of Commons, what happens to budgets after they are tabled, and how they fit into the government’s annual financial cycle, refer to this  information on the Parliamentary website.

The first data from the 2011 Census was released by Statistics Canada on February 8, 2012.  Population and dwelling counts were released.  Canada’s population increased 5.9% between the 2006 and 2011 censuses. Read about this newest release in The Daily.  Statistics  Canada’s website is designed to offer easy access to census data.  Start by consulting the general census webpage or the census Topics page.  The Visual Census is a fascinating tool that illustrates the power of electronic data.  You can use it to access population charts and graphs for Canada, the provinces, and cities (census metropolitan areas).

Learn about new regulations, policies and procedures related to immigrating to Canada. Â
Find out about the new Super Visa, sponsoring a family member, extending a work  or study visa, how to become a permanent resident, and how the provincial nominee program works.   

18 years+
Wednesday March 21, 2012 from 6:30pm-8:00pm
Thursday May 17, 2012 from 7:00pm-8:30 pm CANCELLED
Tuesday Aug 14, 2012 from 6:00pm -7:30pm
Central AuditoriumÂ
Free
To register please call the Newcomer Information Centre at 905-875-3851 ext 5008. or call the Library at 905-815-2039 ext 3596.

November 23, 2011

The first session of the 40th Parliament of Ontario opened on November 21, 2011.  The first order of business was to elect a new Speaker - Dave Levac.  He has been an MPP for Brant riding since 1999.    A Speech from the Throne was delivered by Lieutenant Governor David C. Onley on November 22, 2011. 

There are 107 seats in Ontario’s parliament.   They are currently held by 53 Liberals, 37 Progressive Conservatives, and 17 New Democratic Party members, making this the first minority government since 1985.  The Legislative Assembly of Ontario‘s website is an excellent source of information about the MPPs and the bills they introduce in the Legislature.

November 8, 2011

Veterans Affairs Canada’s website has incredible resources for Veterans’ Week.  There are photo galleries, posters, listings of Remembrance Day events across Canada, and many other features.  For teachers, there are learning resources that may be ordered to be used in the classroom.  A “Youth and Educators” page is an interactive site with tips and resources for researching school projects.  Full-text electronic publications are available on many aspects of the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the Canadian forces.  These publications are from the Canada Remembers Series, and they offer three- to four-page summaries of important issues, campaigns, or battles.

October 31, 2011

Parents who are busy getting their children ready to trick or treat may find excellent Halloween safety advice from the Government of Canada.   Health Canada’s  October 2011 edition of It’s Your Health is devoted to Halloween safety with regard to costumes, decorations and trick or treating.  Links to Health Canada’s website with tips about having a safe and spooky  Halloween, children’s costumes and dress-up, and children’s jewellery are also included. Happy Halloween!

Community Development Halton recently published an interesting issue of Community Lens titled  “Ontario Election.” It “provides some key socio-demographic and voter turnout statistics for each of the Electoral Districts (EDs) in Halton Region. “  Population information such as median age, percentage of seniors, visible minorities and low-income persons, and median income is presented for Halton’s four electoral districts.  Total voter turnout percentages as well as percentage of votes cast for each of the parties in the 2007 Ontario election are also presented.   Voter turnout at advance polls is also examined, and “votes cast for each political party at the advance poll reflect a similar pattern as on Election Day.”

Ontario residents will head to the polls on October 6, 2011.  Provincial elections are held every four years.  Here are some key websites with essential information: 

Elections Ontario – www.elections.on.ca

“Elections Ontario is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering provincial elections, by-elections and referenda.”  Here you will find information about how, where and when to vote, and who is eligible to vote.  Information about electoral districts is available, including Oakville’s two ridings – Oakville and Halton. Voters who aren’t sure of their riding may use the Find Your Electoral District application.   Voters who need to confirm that they are registered to vote may use the Am I on the Register? application.  

Here are some other important links:

• Information about individual candidates in Halton riding.  
• Information about individual candidates in Oakville riding.
• Information about advance poll locations.

Links to the websites of individual parties are also available.  Thirteen political parties are registered in Ontario.  Here are the websites of the three major parties:

• Liberal Party of Ontario:  www.ontarioliberal.ca
• Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario:  www.ontariopc.com
• New Democratic Party of Ontario: www.ontariondp.com