How the pandemic is disrupting the lives of people seeking their Canadian physio licences
CBC
Sampada Keluskar moved from Toronto to northern Alberta because of an exam.
Keluskar is one of at least 2,000 physiotherapist candidates across Canada who have been unable to get their full licence because of ongoing issues with the national clinical exam, which has been cancelled five times since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a foreign-educated physiotherapist and newcomer to Canada working on a post-graduate work permit, Keluskar says she was worried that her interim licence would expire before she could successfully pass the clinical exam, potentially putting her permanent resident application in jeopardy.
She said dealing with the uncertainty in Ontario, where an interim licence previously lasted a year, was taking a toll on her mental health. In Alberta, interim licences last two years.
"Considering the exam situation, the COVID situation and my immigration situation, all of these three together, I think Alberta was a better option for me," said Keluskar.
The Canada Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) last held a full clinical exam in November 2019, leaving 832 people in Ontario with only an interim licence. The backlog comes at a time of increasing demand for physiotherapists as people recover from COVID-19. It's also making life difficult for physiotherapist candidates left in limbo, prompting some, like Keluskar, to make drastic changes to cope in the meantime.
"Starting everything from scratch in Grande Prairie was a really daunting experience for me," said Keluskar, who knew no one when she moved to the city in December 2020.
The Saskatchewan NDP's pace in 2025 has been frenetic.
If you’re ever walking down this east Hamilton neighbourhood during the holiday season, there’s a festive house that just might grab your attention.
It was just a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump told the world he doesn’t want Canadian cars.
Flu cases across Canada are on the rise and may push hospitals to their limits over the holidays and into the new year, leading health officials in regions across the country to warn people not to visit emergency rooms unless it's absolutely necessary.
More than 30 years after Canada's military allowed women to serve in combat roles, it's now specifically designing uniforms and body armour to fit their bodies.
The holiday season has arrived in Thunder Bay, and that means reduced hours, or closures, for businesses, city offices, and other amenities.
As Toronto’s food scene continues to grow, some in the industry say the pool of professional chefs hasn’t kept up with demand.
Police have charged a truck driver from the Hamilton area in a hit-and-run crash that killed a tow truck operator who had been stopped while helping a driver on the side of Highway 401 outside Woodstock, Ont.
Power has been restored to most of Haines Junction after a problem earlier on Monday at the local generating station.
A 56-year-old man will return to court on Tuesday for a charge of second-degree murder, laid in a case London police have called an act of femicide.
The chairman of the committee leading Newfoundland and Labrador's independent review of the Churchill Falls memorandum of understanding with Quebec is backing the impartiality of his three-man team.
The province has taken a major step toward restarting its onshore natural gas industry.
Allan Legere, serving a life sentence at a maximum security prison in Alberta, has been denied a request for full parole.