Canadian politics thread

[Infiniti]

Originally Posted by Harvey Specter

Imo, it’s too far gone. Limiting immigration now won’t suddenly fix affordability, a $1m livable single family house in Vancouver isn’t coming back, and jobs aren’t going to magically appear. Some might disagree but I believe immigration and immigrants are being unfairly used as scapegoats. The real issues in our housing market are the unchecked flow of foreign money and speculators, while the lack of jobs stems from the government not investing enough in real industries, infrastructure, and skills training.

That being said, I have no idea how, as a country, we’re going to address all these issues and combat population decline. We need more people, but we’re tapped out.

There's a growing body of research by demographers and economists alike showing that as other nations grow more industrialized/modernize, western industrialized nations are going to be racing to the bottom in a few decades to attract immigrants as competition will be fierce to gain any sort of influx of migrants to supplement very low birth rates.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by GLOW

ya i can see someone doing MBA research can get sucked in (not sure if tricked is a fair word). but then again if something is too good to be true it most likely is. it's like a fraction of an MBA from say SFU.

on top of that it can be done all online. i don't think i've seen an mba program offered as can be taken 100% online. i think the point is to meet folks and network like minded industry folks.

tbh i've found it difficult to find 100% online post bachelor programs in general. unless it's a micro-credential perhaps.

A lot of executive-level MBA programs are primarily done remotely with on-site residencies and are becoming more mainstream to accommodate working professionals (typically 10+ work experience in senior roles) but these are offered by S-tier and A-tier universities. You're also paying upwards of $120K+, all the way up to $250K USD. A fully online MBA program is less common, similar to the likes of University of Phoenix types, and Canada West fits that category.

[EvoFire]

One of my BUS teachers at SFU said, MBA is more for networking than actually learning anything useful. If you must pay for it yourself, go to one of the big schools so you can broaden your horizons. Only do it at UBC/SFU/UoT if your work is sponsoring you 100%.

[Infiniti]

Originally Posted by GLOW

ya i can see someone doing MBA research can get sucked in (not sure if tricked is a fair word). but then again if something is too good to be true it most likely is. it's like a fraction of an MBA from say SFU.

on top of that it can be done all online. i don't think i've seen an mba program offered as can be taken 100% online. i think the point is to meet folks and network like minded industry folks.

tbh i've found it difficult to find 100% online post bachelor programs in general. unless it's a micro-credential perhaps.

SFU offers their MBA in person, hybrid and 100% online.

[Traum]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

I was under the impression that the foreign student program has become harder and no terminated. I'd have expected the named schools to maintain similar level of foreign students and be able to maintain their revenue.

Or is this just inflation means even maintaining the current local/foreign mix isn't enough?

While I can't claim to say I know the situation inside out, my impression / understanding of the situation is -- public institutions are not killing their international students programs. They'd still want as many (international) students as they can get their hands on, since this body of students generate a larger revenue stream than local students do. But now they are constrained by the number of international student visas that are issued by the federal gov because the visa reduction isn't just being slapped on private diploma mills -- it is happening across the board for all post sec institutions, public or private. I personally would have expected / preferred IRCC (ie. Immigration Canada) to do some due dilligence and only kill off the private diploma mills and wild chicken "universitites", but that isn't what they are doing. So now the lack of international students is forcing the institutions to dramatically reduce the size of their various teaching programs, and it is hitting institutions hard. Presumably, bcos tuition fees and other spendings from international students were effectively being used to subsidize domestic students, I'd expect (public) post secondary institutions would have to reduce their domestic student population as well to make up for the lost of funding. This means closing programs, laying off staff, etc.

My personal impression with public post secondary programs are -- at least over the past 10 - 15 years, their focus have already shifted towards offering stuff that is more directly related and applicable to helping students find work after graduation. For example, I know the nursing programs at Kwantlen and Douglas have expanded quite a bit, as did the computer science program at Douglas. STEM programs in general seems to have grown while arts programs are seeing declines.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Traum

While I can't claim to say I know the situation inside out, my impression / understanding of the situation is -- public institutions are not killing their international students programs. They'd still want as many (international) students as they can get their hands on, since this body of students generate a larger revenue stream than local students do. But now they are constrained by the number of international student visas that are issued by the federal gov because the visa reduction isn't just being slapped on private diploma mills -- it is happening across the board for all post sec institutions, public or private. I personally would have expected / preferred IRCC (ie. Immigration Canada) to do some due dilligence and only kill off the private diploma mills and wild chicken "universitites", but that isn't what they are doing. So now the lack of international students is forcing the institutions to dramatically reduce the size of their various teaching programs, and it is hitting institutions hard. Presumably, bcos tuition fees and other spendings from international students were effectively being used to subsidize domestic students, I'd expect (public) post secondary institutions would have to reduce their domestic student population as well to make up for the lost of funding. This means closing programs, laying off staff, etc.

My personal impression with public post secondary programs are -- at least over the past 10 - 15 years, their focus have already shifted towards offering stuff that is more directly related and applicable to helping students find work after graduation. For example, I know the nursing programs at Kwantlen and Douglas have expanded quite a bit, as did the computer science program at Douglas. STEM programs in general seems to have grown while arts programs are seeing declines.

To paraphrase, I think Hehe, wtf are you doing with an arts degree (not that you learn anything really useful in CS anyways).

My stance after being in tech with an Econ degree for 13 years. It's the thought processes, problem solving, communication, and ability to prioritize that most companies are after that isn't in a particularly niche space. Unless you are gunning for a job in a CA firm, becoming a real engineer (not a fake software one like me, I don't got a ring), get into med school, or trying to get into post grad/doctorate/research, it doesn't matter too too much.

BCIT doesn't seem to pop up in any of these discussions so they seem to be doing well. Even in tech, the boot camp fad has come and gone. It got to point where no one was hiring a boot camp grad unless they had some kind of partnership going on.

[bcrdukes]

BCIT is in a unique situation because of their focus on trades and specialized fields (i.e. aviation, manufacturing, nursing etc.) Their programs are not catered to, or designed to target international students.

Re: Software development boot camps - I know of a handful of people who went through them and never got a job in software development. Only one guy I know was successful but he had all the soft skills to be successful and is still doing well today.

[Badhobz]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

One of my BUS teachers at SFU said, MBA is more for networking than actually learning anything useful. If you must pay for it yourself, go to one of the big schools so you can broaden your horizons. Only do it at UBC/SFU/UoT if your work is sponsoring you 100%.

wait, youre driving a bus now?

[bcrdukes]

Driving the bus up to SFU? Nice! Congrats!

[RabidRat]

Originally Posted by Badhobz

wait, youre driving a bus now?

No! He's going to school for it! Reading comprehension, jaysus croist.

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

BCIT doesn't seem to pop up in any of these discussions so they seem to be doing well. Even in tech, the boot camp fad has come and gone. It got to point where no one was hiring a boot camp grad unless they had some kind of partnership going on.

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

BCIT is in a unique situation because of their focus on trades and specialized fields (i.e. aviation, manufacturing, nursing etc.) Their programs are not catered to, or designed to target international students.

i quite like BCIT as a school overall, and would recommend it as a path for engineering vs traditionally going straight in to a 4 year engineering uni program. not sure how their non-technical programs are (marketing, business, etc). main campus is in a great location & relatively easy to get to.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by GLOW

i quite like BCIT as a school overall, and would recommend it as a path for engineering vs traditionally going straight in to a 4 year engineering uni program. not sure how their non-technical programs are (marketing, business, etc). main campus is in a great location & relatively easy to get to.

Do you qualify for a ring if you went through the BCIT program? Or is it a starter program and you'll need to transfer to a university after?

[GLOW]

no ring for a 2 year diploma program. i *believe* their 4 year degree program can, if it's as smooth as a traditional route i'm not sure, the program was past my time and i've only heard about it. but with a 2 year diploma, bcit has (or had) bridging programs to a couple canadian universities where when you graduate those, then ya it qualifies as an accredited institution (and you get a ring).

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

No! He's going to school for it! Reading comprehension, jaysus croist.

who, EvoFire?

[Badhobz]

Fired Evo? bus? ZUT!? (all his problem would go away once he buys that RX for his wife)

[BIC_BAWS]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

Do you qualify for a ring if you went through the BCIT program? Or is it a starter program and you'll need to transfer to a university after?

Originally Posted by GLOW

no ring for a 2 year diploma program. i *believe* their 4 year degree program can, if it's as smooth as a traditional route i'm not sure, the program was past my time and i've only heard about it. but with a 2 year diploma, bcit has (or had) bridging programs to a couple canadian universities where when you graduate those, then ya it qualifies as an accredited institution (and you get a ring).

Typically BCIT programs are 2 year diploma program + 1.5-2 year bachelor program of choice and field relevancy. Not sure about civil engineering, since you're referring to a ring, but my friend did finish his EE there and is now a P.Eng. The only schooling he's had is via BCIT.

[whitev70r]

The engineering pinky ring is an artifact of the dark ages from the old boys club. So many engineers don't wear one or even bother going through that cult ceremony to get one. Only important for boomers. Do you know of any female engineers that wears it?

[underscore]

Originally Posted by GLOW

no ring for a 2 year diploma program. i *believe* their 4 year degree program can, if it's as smooth as a traditional route i'm not sure, the program was past my time and i've only heard about it. but with a 2 year diploma, bcit has (or had) bridging programs to a couple canadian universities where when you graduate those, then ya it qualifies as an accredited institution (and you get a ring).

If you're talking about the ones I'm thinking of the 2 year diplomas are for "Engineering Technologies", which is different from Engineering. They're somewhat like engineering but more hands on and you're not an Engineer since that's a protected term up here. You can become a registered Technologist which does let you do some extra stuff like stamping certain types of documentation but I can't remember the specifics.

Back when I was in school UVic/Camosun and Lakehead were the only places with bridge programs where you do some filler courses and then go into 3rd year Engineering. But that was a long time ago now so things may have changed. One friend of mine went the UVic route and is an Engineer.

Apparently the Electrical Engineering Technology diploma can also bridge into an Electrician apprenticeship but I never looked into how that worked.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by whitev70r

Only important for boomers. Do you know of any female engineers that wears it?

In my industry, yes. Many females do wear their iron rings.

But they are not hot. Trust me on this.

[RabidRat]

Originally Posted by whitev70r

The engineering pinky ring is an artifact of the dark ages from the old boys club. So many engineers don't wear one or even bother going through that cult ceremony to get one. Only important for boomers. Do you know of any female engineers that wears it?

Eh. I think the non-wearers are taking it too literally. I've heard someone even say they don't wear theirs because it feels pretentious. Those are sadly negative takes.

Here's the original legend: the rings were made of scrap iron from the Quebec Bridge, which collapsed by negligent engineering, and killed 75 bridge workers.

The ring is serrated, and you wear it on your working hand. This is constant remembrance for what happened, a reminder of your responsibility to prevent harm.

You receive the ring in a bright and polished state. Then as the decades go, the ring is meant to wear down through the grit and sacrifice of hard labour. You can tell an experienced engineer by the state of their ring.

When an engineer retires, they return their ring. This marks the end of their obligation.

Does the ring actually cut into your hand, and is it literally made from the iron of the collapsed bridge? Nah.

Most people don't even opt for the original iron because it rusts: you get a steel one by default.

They came up with this in a past era; I'm sure there are not-great aspects that I'd instinctively ignored and forgotten at the ceremony. As with most things, it's what you make of it.

[bcrdukes]

Aren't you a cult member?

[RabidRat]

Looks like last summer, they actually ratified updated language for the ceremony:

They switched it out from Rudyard Kipling's original text:

Spoiler!

to this, by Gisela Hippolt-Squair:

Spoiler!

...I liked the original ><

[bcrdukes]

What sparked the change? There was some hubbub about it at the office about the original text and associations with racism or something like that. But as part of the riff-raff garbage cleaner society, I wouldn't know.

[whitev70r]

I like the original meaning, the pledge to your craft and work, reminder of the seriousness of the profession. Kind of like the doctor's hippocratic oath.


... before the disillusionment and cynicism set in.

[noclue]

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/0...earlier-crown/

Tragic story. I always heard to be careful of contractors and getting a taxi ride to the airport as some will scope your place out. Also it's interesting how people lose their minds over US ICE deporting illegals and in the same breath openly call on social media to round up and mass deport buddy guys in Canada.