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File Your Taxes Online With NETFILE

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:40:41 +0000

Most Canadians can file their income taxes over the Internet using NETFILE. When you file your taxes online with NETFILE you'll get an immediate confirmation that your return has been received, and the Canada Revenue Agency claims you'll get a faster refund, possibly within two weeks. In 2010, the NETFILE service is open from February 15 to September 30. Your 2009 income taxes are still due by midnight April 30, 2010.

More on Canadian Income Taxes
Canadian Income Tax Basics
TELEFILE - File Your Taxes by Phone
Your RRSP Contribution Limit

File Your Taxes Online With NETFILE originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 09:40:41.

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Cypress Mountain Snow Challenge

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:14:57 +0000

Unusually warm weather on Cypress Mountain, the venue in West Vancouver scheduled to host freestyle skiing and snowboarding at the 2010 Olympics, has left organizers using every way imaginable to make sure the mountain is ready for the scheduled events.

Official training days have been cancelled or moved to Whistler, which has no snow problems;

snow was stockpiled at higher elevations, then pushed down the mountain;

snow has been trucked in from as far as Manning Park, 260 km (160 miles) away;

snow has been flown in by a Sikorsky S64 Skycrane helicopter, the world's second largest helicopter;

other helicopters have been flying in bales of straw to build up the courses; and

an artifical freezing technology has been used, involving pipes filled with dry ice under the snow to harden it. This technology works for snow for the aerial events, though it's not used for ski cross and snowboard cross events.

Forecasts are still calling for warmish weather. If you're planning to attend an event on Cypress Mountain, you might want to bring an umbrella or poncho.

Photo: Grooming Snow on Cypress Mountain
Kim Stallknecht / Getty Images

More on 2010 Vancouver Olympics
Cypress Mountain - About.com Skiing
2010 Vancouver Olympics Freestyle Skiing Schedule - About.com Skiing
Snowboarding at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
More 2010 Vancouver Olympics Sports

Cypress Mountain Snow Challenge originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 23:14:57.

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File Your Canadian Income Taxes by Phone

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:22 +0000

If you have a simple income tax situation, consider filing your Canadian income taxes by phone with the TELEFILE service from the Canada Revenue Agency. It's a free service, and it's easy to use and quick. With TELEFILE you'll get an immediate confirmation that your return has been received, and you'll get a faster refund than filing by mail. The TELEFILE service accepts basic income tax information, such as employment income, pension income, interest income and registered pension plan contributions. This year the TELEFILE service opens on Monday, February 15.

More About Canadian Income Taxes
Canadian Income Tax Basics
Income Tax Service for Seniors
File Your Taxes Online

File Your Canadian Income Taxes by Phone originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 14:00:22.

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Harper Appoints New Senators

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:58:05 +0000

Prime Minister Harper has appointed five new Conservative Senators. This gives the Conservatives a small advantage over the Liberals in the Senate, and with the prorogation of Parliament allows them to reconstitute the makeup of Senate committees in order to get more of their legislation passed. Harper used to say he would never appoint Senators, however this brings to 33 the total number of his Senate appointments.

Clara Hughes to Be Canada's Olympics Flag-Bearer

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:37:42 +0000

Canadian speed skater Clara Hughes will be Canada's flag-bearer at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, leading the 206-member Canadian team into BC Place at the opening ceremonies. Heading into her fifth Olympics, Clara Hughes has won five Olympic medals so far: two bronze medals in cycling at the Atlanta Summer Olympics in 1996, and three since then in speed skating - a bronze, a silver and a gold. She is a major contender in speed skating at the Vancouver Olympics. The 37-year old native Winnipegger, who now lives in Quebec and is completely bilingual, will be retiring from speed skating after these Olympics, and it's great to see her as the Canadian flag-bearer.

Photo: Canadian Speed Skater Clara Hughes
Robert Laberge / Getty Images

2010 Vancouver Olympics
Speed Skating at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
Ladies' Speed Skating Schedule at the Vancouver Olympics
Canadian Women Speed Skaters Racing Towards Olympics
More Sports at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics

Clara Hughes to Be Canada's Olympics Flag-Bearer originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 21:37:42.

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Parliament Buildings Fire 1916

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:41:43 +0000

While World War I was raging in Europe, the Canadian Parliament Buildings in Ottawa caught fire on a freezing winter's night in 1916. Rumours were rife that the Parliament Buildings fire was caused by enemy sabotage, but a Royal Commission into the fire concluded that the cause was accidental. Here's a summary of what happened that night and also a photo gallery of historic Pictures of the Parliament Buildings Fire.

More on Parliament in Canada
Pictures of the Parliament Buildings Fire in 1916
An Introduction to Parliament in Canada
Canadian Members of Parliament
Canadian Parliament Glossary

Parliament Buildings Fire 1916 originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 22:41:43.

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Income Tax Service for Seniors

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:12:42 +0000

If you're a low-income senior, the Income Tax Service for Seniors offers a simplified system for filing your Canadian income tax returns by phone. If you qualify, all you have to do is identify yourself, answer a few yes or no questions, and the system does all the calculations. In late January about 275,000 eligible Canadian seniors will be sent a personalized letter from the Canada Revenue Agency inviting them to use the service. The letter contains an information sheet and an access code. In 2010 the service will be available from February 15 to September 30. Your taxes are still due by midnight April 30.

More About Canadian Income Taxes:
Canadian Income Taxes - The Basics
Where to Get a Canadian Income Tax Package
File Your Income Taxes by Phone - TELEFILE
File Your Income Taxes Online - NETFILE

Income Tax Service for Seniors originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 21:12:42.

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Canada to Speed up Haiti Immigration

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:18:40 +0000

The Canadian federal government is doing its best to speed up the immigration process for those directly and significantly affected by the recent catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, although it won't be able to do a lot immediately for new immigration applications in Port-au-Prince. The Canadian embassy itself was seriously damaged and is currently limited to providing emergency assistance to Canadians in need. They are planning to resume visa and immigration services as soon as possible in Port-au-Prince and open another office.

What they are trying to do now is speed up processing immigration claims that are already in the system - including family sponsorships and adoptions, and put in place special measures to allow Haitians who are already in Canada - visitors, students and temporary workers - to extend their stay.

Photo: Refugees Take Shelter in Tents After Haiti Earthquake
Frederic Dupoux / Getty Images

Canada and the Haiti Earthquake
Canada's Response to the Earthquake in Haiti
Statement by Canadian Governor General Micha�lle Jean
Canadian Embassy in Haiti

Canada to Speed up Haiti Immigration originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 10:18:40.

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Quick Access Income Tax Service

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:08:50 +0000

The Canada Revenue Agency has an online service that provides fast and easy access to some basic personal income tax and benefit account information. The Quick Access Income Tax Service is an abbreviated version of the My Account tax service, but with Quick Access you don't need to register for a government e-pass account first. With the Quick Access service you can get the status of your tax return, the status of Canada Child Tax Benefit, GST/HST credit and Universal Child Care Benefit payments, and your RRSP contribution limit.

More About Canadian Income Taxes
Canadian Income Tax Basics
Where to Get a Canadian Income Tax Package
File Your Canadian Income Taxes Online
File Your Canadian Income Taxes by Phone

Quick Access Income Tax Service originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Sunday, January 17th, 2010 at 22:08:50.

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RRSP Season Starts

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:47:37 +0000

While you can contribute to your RRSP at any time during the year, many Canadians wait until January and February to take advantage of this tax break. This year the deadline to make RRSP contributions eligible for deductions on your 2009 income tax is midnight Monday March 1, 2010. RRSPs - the Great Canadian Tax Break explains the basics on RRSPs. If you're not sure what your RRSP contribution limit is for your 2009 taxes, here are 4 ways to find out your RRSP contribution limit.

RRSP Season Starts originally appeared on About.com Canada Online on Saturday, January 16th, 2010 at 22:47:37.

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