After two months of collecting nominations, boiling that list down to the top 10 most nominated individuals, and finally putting that list out to for another solid two months to be voted on by both members of the Canadian Expat community and by others around the world.  The Canadian Expat is thrilled to announce the winner of the Most Influential Canadian Expat.

Walk Off the Earth March to Their Own Beat

The Canadian Expat Talks to Marshall from WOTE About Becoming Famous & Touring the World

Have you ever wanted to watch someone play the song “Rude” by Magic on a guitar bigger than he is? Or hear a cover of Adele’s “Hello” played using a surfboard, trouser zips, plastic tubes and a tap solo? If so, there is a Youtube channel you should be following.

Walk Off the Earth are a Canadian band who have rocketed to international fame with their unexpected and quirky covers. From filming low budget homemade videos to signing a record deal and touring the world, their journey is a fascinating one.

Although many videos feature guest appearances from other musicians, the core members of the band are Ryan Marshall, Sarah Blackwood, Gianni Luminati, Mike Taylor and Joel Cassady. They grew up in the same town together and all played in different bands over the years, until they eventually started working together. Originating in Burlington, Ontario, the five piece ensemble are known for goose-bump-inducing vocal harmonies and their creative ways of making a beat.

In one of their recent videos they cover "Shape of you” by Ed Sheeran with drainage pipes, children's toys and some cereal in a Tupperware container. (Keep watching the video for something awesome at the 3:05 mark).

Element of Truth

Scientist and Canadian Expat Derek Muller Offers Entertainment and Education via Youtube 

Did you know that if the earth and the moon were the size of a basketball and a tennis ball, they would be about 8 metres apart? Or that the earth is roughly 4.54 billion years old, not millions of years as many people believe? 

Little Canada in Big Tokyo

Dru Tang is a Canadian blogger and honorary Tokyoite. The man behind HinoMaple’s Guidebook and their concierge service that helps travelers find their way across the sprawling metropolis and the rest of the country. Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C, Dru has lived in Tokyo since 2005. During the first 6 months of living here, he set out to explore every corner of Tokyo, getting lost hundreds of times while gathering a vast array of knowledge of the immense megalopolis’ unique culinary and cultural offerings. Dru takes us on a crash course through all the haut-eats in Tokyo, with one catch—they all have to be Canadian!

We first meet up to catch a coffee and an early bite at The Canadian Coffee House, or literally カナディアンコーヒーハウス (Canadian Ko-Hee House) in Tama city. This local staple, with its distinctive building and roof, has been a namesake of the area for over 34 years.

Virtual Food for Thought

A Canadian Couple’s take on the culinary world in Asia

Do you like to eat? And wish eating was your day job? Well, for two Canadians residing in Japan tasting the best food the world has to offer, this is their bread and butter (so to speak). Along with their cheerfully ‘ugly’ (as Simon likes to describe him) rescue dog, Spudgy, and their grumpy cat Meemers, these Canucks are taking over the YouTube foodie world one bite at a time.

Representing an incredibly rich and valuable resource for Canada and the world, Canadians living and working abroad are directly and indirectly responsible for billions of dollars in bilateral trade. They are exceptionally well educated, linguistically adept and culturally bilingual. They are cultural, economic and even political ambassadors.

Dear Canadian Expats,

On behalf of the International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA), it is a pleasure to extend an invitation to you to attend the 11^th Edition of the Toronto Global Forum that will take place from October 30 to November 1, 2017 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

We are pleased to announce that this year the IEFA will host a special edition of the Toronto Global Forum to mark the 150^th anniversaries of Canada and Ontario. Particularly, in conjunction with Ontario’s Ministry of International Trade, the IEFA has established a Canadian Expat Program, where you will have the opportunity to hear notable global business leaders with Canadian roots share their expertise and experiences from their industries. The Forum will feature a wide range of stimulating business opportunities whilst combining official visits to business programming venues and facilitating meetings with stakeholders. Prominent leaders and decision makers from across the international economic and political arenas will be in attendance.

           Expats give a lot to whatever society they live in; they do so economically, socially, and culturally. They shop, pay taxes and make donations. They create and perform art, entertainment and business. They support each other, share information, explore, worship, celebrate, and by and large practice good health, social behavior, family life and multiculturalism principles. In sum, they generally enrich the societies they inhabit.

Is there a right way to manage people on expat assignment? Empire Life is starting to research this topic, and your insights can make a difference.

When most university students are asked what they wish to do after graduation, for some, travel is usually at the top of the list. However, in a world of student loans, tuition payments, career goals and the simple need to make a living, the dream of travel can remain as just that, a dream. For those itching to explore distant cultures in far flung places, the easiest way to get to see the world is to study abroad. For Kyla Humphreys, an MBA graduate hailing from Maple Ridge, a sleepy suburb of Vancouver, the process allowed her the ability to sharpen her tools and skillset in a way that, as she states, beneficially granted her an edge among her peers. Even though the experience took the former student in an entirely new direction, eventually setting up an unrelated business venture in the process. As she logged in hours at SFU’s advertising program, for Kyla, the dream to travel was always in the back of her mind.