FUSION

People. News. Information.

VOLUME 19, ISSUE 5 2022

Group Publisher Sanjay Agnihotri

Editor Ramya Ramanathan rramanathan@metroland.com

Editorial Design Safi Nomani

TINO DOGO

A passion for sustainable innovation

Sr. Ad Manager Ricky Bajaj rbajaj@metroland.com Tel: 905 273 8170

By Ramya Ramanathan

Assistant Manager Laura Jackman ljackman@metroland.com

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ISSN 1910-4146

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TORONTO 3145 Wolfedale Road, Mississauga Ontario, L5C 3A9

Tel: 905 273 8111, Fax: 905 277 9917 I n 2018, Zimbabwe-born Tino Dogo moved to Canada to study biology with a minor in political science at the University of Manitoba. He brought with him dreams of changing the world for the better through setting up a social impact-driven business.

Dogo believes our world’s most pressing issue is climate change. As an elected student leader at the University, he leads sustainability campaigns and advises sustainability policy on campus and through the Manitoba Government Youth Advisory Council on Climate.

He has co-founded Badaya, a carbon-neutral vertical farming initiative based out of Winnipeg, with the primary objective to balance adapting to the changing climate and mitigating further warming of our planet in agriculture. Dogo says he recognizes that industrial agriculture is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which threatens the stability of the food supply chain. Still in the development phase, the vision for Badaya is to grow and produce food vertically and hydroponically, housed in an energy-efficient growth building that uses renewable energies to sustain itself.

What brought you to Canada?

I came to Canada for a new, challenging experience as part of my university education. I chose the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg because of its reputation for world class education and research. Part of my decision in choosing Canada over another country was its friendly immigration policies and opportunities to stay after completing my degree.

What were your first impressions?

I started school in the winter semester, so my first taste of Canada was a cold, Winnipeg January. I remember my breath condensing in the cold outside. This was made up for by the friendly warmth of the people I met.

Is there a reason you picked Winnipeg?

In addition to its reputation for education and research, affordability at the University of Manitoba, and Winnipeg, influenced my decision. My best friend from high school also came to the university in the fall semester, so having someone I knew around was a big plus.

Tell us about your venture, Badaya.

We are interested in creating more sustainable systems. Right now, we’re focused on farming and the wider impact of Canadian agriculture on climate change. We want to both make farming a more sustainable practice and more resilient to the effects of climate change by creating indoor, vertical farming solutions. This summer, we had the incredible opportunity to complete the Press Start CoLab innovation accelerator program and that really helped us to make industry connections with fellow young innovators, and helped entrepreneurs to really hone in on our core vision for Badaya. We’re currently experimenting with an aeroponic tower garden in our apartment.

What inspires you?

The Montreal Protocol really inspires me; they identified CFCs [chlorofluorocarbons]and other ozone depleting chemicals to ban, which successfully reversed the damage to the ozone layer. I hope we can be a part of finding and implementing solutions that tackle really big environmental concerns facing our planet.

What challenges have you faced as an international student?

Although part of the reason I came to Canada was to have space to explore my own identity, I do still experience homesickness. Even with the time difference, technology has played a large part in helping because with just a phone call I can see and talk to my family. Adjusting to a different culture can sometimes be challenging but approaching everything with curiosity and an open mind transforms it into a fun learning experience.

What is your advice for other international students or youth moving to Canada?

Finding a community to feel connected with is an easy way to make new friends and helps with homesickness. I strongly encourage newcomers to try new things, even if they seem difficult. This helps with expanding your network and learning valuable lessons.

International students to be allowed more off-campus work hours

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has announced the temporary lifting of the current 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours that eligible post-secondary students are allowed to work off-campus while class is in session.

According to this announcement, from November 15, 2022, until December 31, 2023, international students who are in Canada and who have off-campus work authorization on their study permit will be allowed to work over 20 hours per week. Foreign nationals who have already submitted a study permit application will also be able to benefit from this temporary change, provided their application is approved.

These measures will provide many international students with a greater opportunity to gain valuable Canadian work experience and will increase the availability of workers to sustain Canada’s post-pandemic growth. In addition, this will address the challenges employers are facing in finding and retaining workers during this period of economic recovery and growth.

New census data reveals population trends

Census data released in October 2022 provides an updated statistical portrait of the immigrant population in the country. Conducted every five years by Statistics Canada, the population census helps understand how Canada is changing over time. Highlights include:

• Almost one in four people (23 per cent) are or have been a landed immigrant or permanent resident in

Canada. This topped the previous record of 22.3 per cent in 1921, and is the largest proportion among G7 countries.

• Just over 1.3 million new immigrants settled permanently in Canada from 2016 to 2021, the highest number of recent immigrants recorded in a

Canadian census.

• The share of recent immigrants settling in Atlantic Canada almost tripled in 15 years, rising from 1.2 per cent in 2006 to 3.5 per cent in 2021.

• Over half of recent immigrants living in Canada were admitted under the economic category. Of these 748,120 economic immigrants, just over onethird, were selected through skilled worker programs and another onethird through the Provincial Nominee Program.

• Most recent immigrants came from

Asia, including the Middle East (62 per cent). Almost one in five recent immigrants (18.6 per cent) were born in India, making it the leading country of birth for recent immigrants.

• In contrast, the share of recent immigrants from Europe continued to decline, falling from 61.6 (per cent) in 1971 to 10.1 (per cent) in 2021.

• The share of second-generation Canadians (children of immigrants) younger than 15 years with at least one foreign-born parent rose from 26.7 per cent in 2011 to 31.5 per cent in 2021.

Visit the Statistics Canada website for more data.

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