Unfortunately, the lifetime of a cab driver in Toronto is a couple of months. Driver security sucks big time here. Also, they are mostly self employed. They rent the license from the owner - the system in Toronto is about 3 companies that control almost all the cabs - the owner charges most of the drivers' fares as rent, and the driver subsists on the pittance that is left without any real benefits. The worst of it is that a lot of these folks have degrees of one sort or another from reputable universities in their own countries. They are lured here with false promises, and the medical, engineering, whatever establishments tell them their education means nothing here and they pretty much have to start all over. Not to mention that we have shortages of qualified personnel in many of the areas that these people could fill if given half a chance.

A lot of them are now starting to pack up an move to the U.S. where supposedly qualification recognition is far better. Many are moving to already obtained jobs in their fields.

The system is truly broken and nobody in any position of authority seems to want to fix it.

>Is the Canadian pension system (and health system I might add) worth a lifetime working as a cab driver? It may well be for the immigrants.
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>>>Hi Jim AND all other Canadians here,
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>>>Today I've read an informative article in my newspaper about Canada and immigration. One of my thoughts was: But do they really need so many immigrants (as I understand, you prefer the word newcomers)? Why do they not try to deal with the economic problems with the potential of those who are already in Canada? Perhaps you Canadian guys here can elaborate on this a bit.
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>>The government has decided that in order to fund the Canada Pension system, we need to pyramidically add new people to the workforce. The fact that once they are here, the various systems are set up to make sure they are not allowed to work except as cab drivers, doesn't seem to faze our wise leaders in the least. Canada has one of the most highly educated cab driving forces in the world.
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>>Also, they seem to be of the opinion that, even though Ponzi schemes are illegal in Canada because they are frauds that cannot work, this one will.