Change.org: Spanish skaters in Canada

[Saralala]

Hello! I've just posted this in the Spanish team thread at the Fan Fest area, but I think this is important and wanted to reach the most people possible. I hope I'm not breaking any forum rule...

What I wanted to share with you is that there is a started initiative on Change.org related to spanish figure skaters.
As you would know, we have several senior Spain team skaters training abroad (most of them in Canada): Javier Fernández, Javier Raya, Sonia Lafuente, Celia Robledo & Luis Fenero and Adrià Díaz (Sara came back to Spain a couple of weeks ago).
Their situation is far from being the most desirable for them, since they are living in Canada with a tourist visa they have to renew every 6 months and prevents them access to the National Health Care System or things like rent an apartment.
This is why we ask the Spanish Sports Council and the Spanish Olympic Comitee to make the necessesary arrangements/agreements/efforts to fix the athletes situation.

With this initiative we are trying to gather signatures to change this unfair situation and we will be very grateful if you join us and give your support by signing this request.
Help us to help our skaters :agree:
Here's the link, you will find the english translation of the petition just below the spanish text.
Thank you!

We want the situation of the Spanish skaters who are training in Canada to be regulated

 

[karne]

I'm sorry, but what do you want the Canadian Government to do? The situation would be the same for all elite athletes training in Canada from other countries. I daresay Hanyu has to do much the same.

With all due respect, they chose to go to Canada knowing what their situation would be. They also would have had the option, no doubt, to apply for a visa that would allow them to work. I am certainly not about to go signing a petition demanding that a Government change their visa regulations for a tiny handful of athletes, no matter how talented those athletes might be.

 

[Saralala]

I'm sorry, but what do you want the Canadian Government to do? The situation would be the same for all elite athletes training in Canada from other countries. I daresay Hanyu has to do much the same.

With all due respect, they chose to go to Canada knowing what their situation would be. They also would have had the option, no doubt, to apply for a visa that would allow them to work. I am certainly not about to go signing a petition demanding that a Government change their visa regulations for a tiny handful of athletes, no matter how talented those athletes might be.

I'm sorry, maybe I have not well explained the issue. I'm editing the first post to avoid this confusion.

We are not demanding any change in Canada's visa regulations. And I agree with you in the point that the athletes go to Canada knowing their future situation. What we want is the Spanish responsibles to change this, that they (the spanish sport council and the olympic comitee) work to make the necessary arrengements or agreements with the canadian government to fix the situation of the athletes. I hope this changes your mind.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I'm sorry, maybe I have not well explained the issue. I'm editing the first post to avoid this confusion.

We are not demanding any change in Canada's visa regulations. And I agree with you in the point that the athletes go to Canada knowing their future situation. What we want is the Spanish responsibles to change this, that they (the spanish sport council and the olympic comitee) work to make the necessary arrengements or agreements with the canadian government to fix the situation of the athletes. I hope this changes your mind.

Saralala, I think many of us are still confused here about what you are asking for. Perhaps there is a language translation issue involved. As karne stated, every govt has its own rules of law pertaining to those visiting/working in or training as athletes in their country. I am not sure what the situation is in the frame of reference of a Spanish athlete going to Canada as opposed to US athletes like our ice dancers Madison and Zack going to Canada, but if this is a Spanish issue, then the Spanish people need to change things there and not in Canada. As an a American, I certainly dont feel like I have any business petitioning the Spanish Sports Council, no matter how much I like Javier or Javier's girlfriend! Perhaps a more in depth explaination of what is happending here is needed.
Best wishes, the old coyote

 

[Violet Bliss]

I don't see them having particular difficulties with finding suitable accommodations. They can also share apartments with Canadian friends if a long term lease is desired but a problem to sign. As to health care, it is a privilege of Canadian citizens and landed immigrants, most of whom pay into the system.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I don't see them having particular difficulties with finding suitable accommodations. They can also share apartments with Canadian friends if a long term lease is desired but a problem to sign. As to health care, it is a privilege of Canadian citizens and landed immigrants, most of whom pay into the system.

I am ignorant about the apt. issue....would a Canadian have to co-sign a lease for say, one year? Being near the US/Can border, I have never heard of a US citizen unable to obtain health care in Canada while traveling, at least on an urgent basis. I have heard of kind of a duel system in Canada where one can obtain "right now" health care for cash from Docs, but those docs have been excluded from the national system? Perhaps some of our Canadian members will pipe in here and fill us in on both issues.

 

[4everchan]

I am ignorant about the apt. issue....would a Canadian have to co-sign a lease for say, one year? Being near the US/Can border, I have never heard of a US citizen unable to obtain health care in Canada while traveling, at least on an urgent basis. I have heard of kind of a duel system in Canada where one can obtain "right now" health care for cash from Docs, but those docs have been excluded from the national system? Perhaps some of our Canadian members will pipe in here and fill us in on both issues.

i'm surprised with this as i know many international students having no issues signing leases

 

[dorispulaski]

Is it different in Québec than the rest of Canada?

 

[CoyoteChris]

Is it different in Québec than the rest of Canada?

Hmmmm....good point. When I was at Worlds London Ontario I enjoyed talking to many Canadians about their country and was surprised to learn the many differences between Quebec and the rest of Canada.

 

[4everchan]

apartments: it's a provincial file... so every province has slightly different laws... I am wondering why you are asking about Quebec being different since half of the skaters mentioned above train in toronto...

from my experience, apartments are cheaper and easier to get in quebec than in toronto or BC.

and from my experience,

there is no discrimination about international students or people on a visa... as long as they can pay the rent... that's why i am dubious about this petition... especially coming from figure skaters, including the world champion... even at 1000 a month (which is way higher than i have ever had to pay) rent would come up to 12K a year... which is way less than what a figure skating career costs...

Is it different in Québec than the rest of Canada?

 

[4everchan]

well... quebec is french... of course it's different... there is just as much difference between alaska and hawaii or texas... but people don't make a big deal out of it.

Hmmmm....good point. When I was at Worlds London Ontario I enjoyed talking to many Canadians about their country and was surprised to learn the many differences between Quebec and the rest of Canada.

 

[4everchan]

and PS... for the national heatlh care system, one has to be a true resident.... not a visitor... what do you expect? we pay high taxes for these benefits... when I was in spain, i didn't have privileges either... i don't know .. this is very weird to me... these skaters made a choice to come to canada, and if i sympathize as life is tough for many of us, i am not sure my two cents would go to spanish figure skaters when across the street from my place, there is a homeless shelter... seriously.

 

[lyndichee]

I wish there was more clarification. I mean it would be fair to petition the federation and government to provide them with travel health insurance and to have them arrange with the Canadian government so they don't have to do paperwork every 6 months however beyond that I don't see what else. Healthcare is really expensive and the system is over capacity as is. Most of my friends at university also have no problems renting apartments; I can foresee finding leases for let's say the 8-10 months of the year they are in country difficult but that's not really the government's problem.

Hmmmm....good point. When I was at Worlds London Ontario I enjoyed talking to many Canadians about their country and was surprised to learn the many differences between Quebec and the rest of Canada.

It is very different. There are still many in Quebec who want to separate from Canada all together. It's a heated political issues for a few but has definitely died down in the last couple of elections. They make huge efforts to preserve their language. Other than Montreal, many cities can also be quite hostile to those who attempt to speak English first so as a tourist always try a few French words first! Also a classmate's aunt was fined for having a sign with the same font size for both English and French in Quebec City; they made her change it so French was larger and more visible.

 

[Tonichelle]

well... quebec is french... of course it's different... there is just as much difference between alaska and hawaii or texas... but people don't make a big deal out of it.

I beg to differ. We in Alaska are thought to be foreign to the rest of the US even though we are the 49th state of the Union. And we're not *that* much different than Texas (our little sister).