immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

essay: Elsewhere on the list, Fifth Harmony Camila Cabello has been featured for her hit music and her activism, notably when she recently penned an essay about her experience when she arrived to the United States in the 2000s as an immigrant, according to Guelph Mercury. In the essay, she wrote: "This country was built on immigrants. The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star was once again featured on TIME magazine annual list for her "willingness to experiment with outsize looks - plumping her lips, dying her hair and using bright makeup in bold combinations" whilst Jaden has been honoured for "rebelling against mainstream culture". Lush Life' hitmaker Zara has made the list for the first time and has been dubbed "one of the most promising talents in pop music" whilst Shawn Mendes also gets a nod for "conquering singles charts" across the world. People who were brave enough ... to leave behind everything we know in hopes of finding something better. Behind that wall could be the next cure for cancer." Chloe Grace Moretz certainly isn't afraid of voicing her own opinion, which is no doubt how she secured herself a slot on the list after she slammed Kim Kardashian West for her nude selfie. And so next time, when anybody wants to tell you they want to build a 'wall' on our border, remember behind that wall is struggle, determination, hunger. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

european union: Most still live in tents at about 50 refugee camps, according to The Waterloo Record. Around 14,000 of them are confined to islands in the eastern Aegean Sea where they are being processed for potential deportation to nearby Turkey. "The leaders of Greece and the EU keep telling us this is a success, but it isn't. In the highly critical report issued Thursday, the agency commonly known by its French name, Medecins sans Frontieres, argued that the European Union and Greece had "collectively failed to establish humane and dignified reception conditions." More than 60,000 refugees and migrants — many escaping wars in Syria and Iraq — have been stranded in Greece following European border closures this year. The reception system for refugees in Greece has failed," said Loic Jaeger, country mission head for MSF. "There have been a few improvements but they are too little and too slow. How can I explain: I mean very bad," Syrian refugee Yousef Hanash said. "Can you imagine living in a tent with six persons and if you have a newborn baby how the situation will be " Hanash said he came to Europe as a last resort, unable to keep his family safe after his cheese factory was destroyed in the war and he moved around Syria. How much time should it take for the richest countries in the world to accommodate 40,000 people " At the garbage-strewn refugee camp of Ritsona, 85 kilometres north of Athens, children walk barefoot and families in tents used wooden pallets for flooring to stay above the mud and try to stay warm. "It very bad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ottawa: The suggestions comprise a first tranche of ideas from the group of external experts who have been enlisted by Finance Minister Bill Morneau to help Ottawa find ways to resuscitate Canada lacklustre economy, according to The Waterloo Record. The recommendations zeroed in on three areas: productivity-boosting infrastructure, attracting more foreign investment and opening Canada doors wider to a larger number of talented immigrants. "Now is the time where we have to take very bold actions," council chair Dominic Barton, who is global managing director of consulting giant McKinsey & Co., told a news conference in Ottawa. " may not be new, these have been talked about before — but they haven't been done. The objective, the experts say, is to double Canada projected growth trajectory and add an eye-popping $15,000 to the annual incomes of Canadian households by 2030. And so what we're keen to do is to jolt it." The group called on Ottawa to deliver more than $200 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next decade using as few taxpayer dollars as possible. The group also called on Ottawa to create an agency with a mandate to increase foreign direct investment into Canada that it believes could triple investment and add $43 billion to the gross domestic product in only a few years. "These actions would bring much-needed coherence to what is currently a disjointed approach to foreign investment," the report said. To get there, the council suggests the government create an independent infrastructure bank designed to seek out private capital by offering investors steady returns through user fees from projects like toll highways, bridges and airports. "Canada should leverage the trillions in institutional capital waiting on the sidelines and focus this investment productively," the council wrote in a report released Thursday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

silver camper: There was fun in collective viewing — complete with bingo cards with things said by the candidates — and ribs and brisket were served from the side of a silver camper, according to Brandon Sun. However, the campaign seems to have a real impact in Mexico where citizens have watched the peso swing in recent weeks with the polls and are flooded with news from the campaign trail. But among the 200 people gathered Wednesday night to watch the final U.S. presidential debate there was an awareness of how their neighbour to the north impacts their lives. Related Items Articles Trump, Clinton trade caustic barbs as roast turns bitter Correction: Campaign 2016-Debate story"It affecting us right now," said Alejandra Cardenas, a video director from Mexico City. "Our economy is clearly linked, that why we're all here together."That impact extends beyond Mexico though. Trump comments on immigration have been especially harsh. Colombian postdoctoral student Natalia Guevara Jaramillo said she opposes Trump stigmatization of immigrants."What happens in the United States directly affects the entire continent and a large part of the world," she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

grosvenor school: He was among dozens of Grade 4 to 6 students at Grosvenor School who held a bake sale on Thursday, according to CBC. Money raised from the bake sale will go to N.E.E.D.S, Newcomer Employment Education Development Services, a resource centre for immigrants and refugees. It comes after the drowning deaths of two children whose families had immigrated to Canada from the Philippines. 2 children drown at Grand Beach over long weekend "We don't want them to drown in our lakes and stuff, so we just think we should help give them swimming lessons," said Grade 6 student Alex Sandre. The money will then go to a larger fundraiser called the "Burkini Pool Party" which will be held later this month. "I heard lots of them don't have very much money and they can't afford a lot of things, so we were challenged to raise $100," said Sandre who added he learned to swim at a young age. "I think I was five years old," he said. Searchers later recovered their bodies from the water. David Medina, left, and Jhonalyn Javier, right, are shown in this photo taken at Grand Beach in August. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

level: The federal level has the most stringent election financing rules among provinces and jurisdictions in Canada, Mr, according to Globe and Mail. Trudeau said in the House of Commons. Trudeau would not acknowledge whether it broke those rules. Canadians expect us to follow all of those rules, and that is exactly what we have done. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne unveiled campaign finance reforms after The Globe revealed corporations and lobbyists paid thousands of dollars for exclusive access to Ms. The style of fundraising known as cash-for-access has been controversial this year at the provincial level. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

made-in-canada hope: One felt that he had kept himself unspotted from the world…. He was made to be worshipped." - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray One year ago, we had our made-in-Canada Hope and Change moment, according to Rabble. A dark decade of brutish and nasty rule had been replaced overnight. All the candor of youth was there, as well as all youth passionate purity. Even hardened cynics like myself dared to feel the warmth of sunlight streaming through the windows the next morning. Friends had deserted monumentally decent and hard-working NDP stalwarts like Paul Dewar out of blind panic that the Dark Lord would somehow contrive to pull the One Ring out of the Crack of Doom just in time and rule us forever. "Strategic voting," they called it. It was a famous victory. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mediterranean region: Opens Friday at TIFF Bell Lightbox, according to Toronto Star. PGCloser to Africa than Sicily, the Italian island of Lampedusa has long played a key role in the ongoing refugee crisis besetting Europe and the Mediterranean region. By Bruce DeMara Entertainment Reporter Thu., Oct. 20, 2016 Fire at Sea Documentary directed by Gianfranco Rosi. 108 minutes. In fact, as filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi notes at the outset, the tiny windswept island has acted as a critical base of operations for the Italian navy and provided temporary refuge to more than 400,000 people from Africa and the war-torn Middle East for 20 years. It an intriguing and instructive approach. Article Continued Below But Rosi takes a very different storytelling tack in the documentary Fire at Sea, winner of this year Golden Bear prize at the Berlin Film Festival, juxtaposing the ordinary lives of Lampedusa citizens with those desperate enough to risk their lives on unsafe, overloaded crafts in the hope of a better life. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

news conference: The suggestions comprise a first tranche of ideas from the group of external experts who have been enlisted by Finance Minister Bill Morneau to help Ottawa find ways to resuscitate Canada lacklustre economy, according to The Chronicle Herald. The recommendations zeroed in on three areas: productivity-boosting infrastructure, attracting more foreign investment and opening Canada doors wider to a larger number of talented immigrants. The objective, the experts say, is to double Canada projected growth trajectory and add an eye-popping $15,000 to the annual incomes of Canadian households by 2030. Now is the time where we have to take very bold actions, council chair Dominic Barton, who is global managing director of consulting giant McKinsey & Co., told a news conference in Ottawa. may not be new, these have been talked about before — but they haven't been done. The group called on Ottawa to deliver more than $200 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next decade using as few taxpayer dollars as possible. And so what we're keen to do is to jolt it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nova scotia: Of course, Canada has a lot of land, but not a lot of people, and economically sleepy regions like Cape Breton in Nova Scotia have steadily leaked population, according to Hamilton Spectator. The island, a scenic 4,000-square-mile patch of rolling forest and farmland jutting into the northern Atlantic Ocean, has only about 130,000 residents and has been losing well over 1,000 people a year for the last two decades. The family expected a few dozen responses; more than 50,000 poured in — and the calls keep coming. "I expected a response, just not one as huge as this," said Sandee Mac Lean, a woman with multiple tattoos and copper red hair, who came up with the idea with her sister. As Cape Bretoners become increasingly frantic about stemming the tide of outward migration, giving away land just might be a solution. "It is validation that land is an attraction," said Chris van den Heuvel, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. Several economically depressed communities in the United States have tried the same idea in recent years, including towns in Iowa, Kansas and Minnesota. He hopes the strong response to the giveaway will help his group effort to create a land bank that would make farmland affordable and bring newcomers to the province. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ottawa: The suggestions comprise a first tranche of ideas from the group of external experts who have been enlisted by Finance Minister Bill Morneau to help Ottawa find ways to resuscitate Canada lacklustre economy, according to CTV. The recommendations zeroed in on three areas: productivity-boosting infrastructure, attracting more foreign investment and opening Canada doors wider to a larger number of talented immigrants. "Now is the time where we have to take very bold actions," council chair Dominic Barton, who is global managing director of consulting giant McKinsey & Co., told a news conference in Ottawa. " may not be new, these have been talked about before -- but they haven't been done. The objective, the experts say, is to double Canada projected growth trajectory and add an eye-popping $15,000 to the annual incomes of Canadian households by 2030. And so what we're keen to do is to jolt it." The group called on Ottawa to deliver more than $200 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next decade using as few taxpayer dollars as possible. The group also called on Ottawa to create an agency with a mandate to increase foreign direct investment into Canada that it believes could triple investment and add $43 billion to the gross domestic product in only a few years. "These actions would bring much-needed coherence to what is currently a disjointed approach to foreign investment," the report said. To get there, the council suggests the government create an independent infrastructure bank designed to seek out private capital by offering investors steady returns through user fees from projects like toll highways, bridges and airports. "Canada should leverage the trillions in institutional capital waiting on the sidelines and focus this investment productively," the council wrote in a report released Thursday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

time: I will keep you in suspense, according to Metro News. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called his answer horrifying. I will look at it at the time, Trump told moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace. Every time Donald thinks things are not going in his direction, he claims whatever it is is rigged against him, she said. This is how Donald thinks. This is a mindset. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trudeau: What it preaches is admirable, according to Toronto Star. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office almost one year ago, he gave his ministers mandate letters that emphasized they must observe the highest ethical standards in everything you do. Thu., Oct. 20, 2016 A troubling gap is opening up between what the Trudeau government preaches on ethics and access and what it practices. In particular, he told them not to let anyone buy influence. And to top it off, the prime minister told his ministers to err on the side of caution. Specifically, they were told to abide by the principle that there should be no preferential access to government, or appearance of preferential access, accorded to individuals or organizations because they have made financial contributions to politicians and political parties. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump: The Republican presidential nominee said Thursday he was reserving his right to "contest or file a legal challenge" if he loses, according to Hamilton Spectator. That came after he suggested in Wednesday presidential debate that he might not accept the results of what he has repeatedly alleged is a "rigged" election. Trump has stunned observers by saying he'll challenge the results of the Nov. 8 election if there a "questionable result," though he has teasingly promised to embrace the outcome if he wins. For Genc Tirana, Trump words brought back memories of living in Albania, a small country in eastern Europe that spent decades under communist rule. "It is surprising because we don't expect there to be a rigged system in the United States. Albania held its first free and democratic elections in 1991, but the handover of power in one of Europe poorest countries has since been often marred by violence and political unrest, with losing parties refusing to accept defeat. In our mind, the United States has the best democracy in the world," said Tirana, who immigrated to Canada about 15 years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump opponent: The debate moderator and Trump opponent both expressed astonishment over a statement they deemed unique in the recent history of one of the world oldest democracies, according to Guelph Mercury. When asked whether he'll respect the result Trump said: "I will tell you at the time. Related Stories Those nasty Little Women are so... A bit of geniality, along with... Donald Trump 37 lies in the final... Debate stunner: Trump won't say... Trump 'bad hombres' echoes on... Mexicans watch final US... Trump, Clinton trade caustic barbs... Allies struggle with Trump stance... Trump on Clinton: 'Such a nasty... Fox Wallace asks precise... Highlights from the final U.S.... That horrifying : Clinton... It wasn't just media reports that seized immediately upon the eye-raising exchange. I will keep you in suspense." This was after the last debate, where Trump discussed arresting his opponent over her use of emails. We've had free and fair elections... He is denigrating, he is talking down our democracy. Hillary Clinton replied Wednesday that he a sore loser who frequently raises conspiracy theories — including when he lost an Emmy award for his TV show, ''The Apprentice.'' She added, however, that this was far more serious. 'That horrifying,'' Clinton said of his refusal to commit to respecting the result. 'We've been around for 240 years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump words: The Republican presidential nominee said Thursday he was reserving his right to "contest or file a legal challenge" if he loses, according to Brandon Sun. That came after he suggested in Wednesday presidential debate that he might not accept the results of what he has repeatedly alleged is a "rigged" election. Trump has stunned observers by saying he'll challenge the results of the Nov. 8 election if there a "questionable result," though he has teasingly promised to embrace the outcome if he wins. Related Items Articles No regrets, Trump vows; Clinton pursues his supporters For Genc Tirana, Trump words brought back memories of living in Albania, a small country in eastern Europe that spent decades under communist rule."It is surprising because we don't expect there to be a rigged system in the United States. Albania held its first free and democratic elections in 1991, but the handover of power in one of Europe poorest countries has since been often marred by violence and political unrest, with losing parties refusing to accept defeat. In our mind, the United States has the best democracy in the world," said Tirana, who immigrated to Canada about 15 years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

video director: There was fun in collective viewing — complete with bingo cards with things said by the candidates — and ribs and brisket were served from the side of a silver camper, according to The Waterloo Record. However, the campaign seems to have a real impact in Mexico where citizens have watched the peso swing in recent weeks with the polls and are flooded with news from the campaign trail. "It affecting us right now," said Alejandra Cardenas, a video director from Mexico City. "Our economy is clearly linked, that why we're all here together." That impact extends beyond Mexico though. But among the 200 people gathered Wednesday night to watch the final U.S. presidential debate there was an awareness of how their neighbour to the north impacts their lives. Colombian postdoctoral student Natalia Guevara Jaramillo said she opposes Trump stigmatization of immigrants. "What happens in the United States directly affects the entire continent and a large part of the world," she said. He set the tone in declaring his candidacy last year when he talked about Mexico sending "rapists" to the U.S. His attacks of Mexico have only continued since, blaming the country for stealing jobs and filling the U.S. with heroin. Trump comments on immigration have been especially harsh. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wayne gretzky: An Edmonton Oilers VIP package with the Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Lowe fetched $17,000, but the biggest highlight came when gala-goers were simply asked to give to protect the future of our precious resource, according to Vancouver Courier. Attendees responded with donations ranging from $250 and $5,000, contributing to the $200,000 reportedly raised. A Swim Drink Fish ambassador, award-winning Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky headlined the gala-do, which included performances by Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard, Barney Bentall, Shari Ulrich, Rachelle Van Zanten and a special appearance by The Voice Season 9 winner Jordan Smith. Proceeds from the night of music and philanthropy will go to Swim Drink Fish Canada and B.C. Fraser Riverkeeper, founded in 2004 to protect and restore the Fraser River and its watershed, ensuring the right of all citizens to safely swim, drink and fish in B.C. waters. The organization marked its milestone anniversary at Festival MOSAIC, its annual fundraiser. For four decades, settlement service agency MOSAIC has been empowering newcomers to fully participate in Canadian society. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

west wing: He may be a good father or a husband but he is not a public servant, according to Guelph Mercury. He is a real-estate builder, he a businessman and not a very good one. "He a braggart and a bully. Sheen, who played a U.S. president on "The West Wing" and is a Clinton supporter, said he thought Trump "would be a pushover" and the "easiest one for the Democrats" to beat during the primaries. "It turned out to be the contrary and he is the most loathsome man that I could possibly imagine in the Oval Office," the American star said in an interview last week. "He totally unqualified.... This man has no business in the White House," he continued. "He a selfish, self-serving, ignorant man. When I think of him, I think of the phrase that most describes him and that is 'arrogance is ignorance matured,' and that about the best I can say about him." ——— Barr, who was a 2012 presidential nominee for the California-based Peace and Freedom Party, has a more positive opinion of Trump. "He a great communicator," she said during an interview for Toronto JFL42 comedy festival in late August. "He filling stadiums ... the things he says resonates with about half the voters." Asked about concerns over Trump views on immigration and building a wall along the Mexico border, she said: "I think it a Democrat talking point to make those things bigger than they are. To try to demonize that idea is kind of backfiring on Democrats. "I don't think it was a smart choice they made there because that isn't what he said. And certainly, every country on Earth has the right to control immigration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

appointments process: His small-town roots, training and experience as an international lawyer, and activist tendencies all make him exceptionally suited to the task, according to Toronto Star. That he rose to the top of the Prime Minister new appointments process is telling, as are his thoughtful and erudite answers to the Independent Advisory Board questionnaire. By Ranjan Agarwal Wed., Oct. 19, 2016 Let be clear: Justice Malcolm Rowe is likely to be a fine Supreme Court of Canada justice, if not one of the finest on that bench. But let also be clear: the appointment of Justice Rowe is a missed opportunity to make our Supreme Court more diverse and inclusive and, in doing so, more reflective of a modern Canada. There are some critics of the Prime Minister call for a more diverse judiciary who assert that appointing an aboriginal or visible minority to the Supreme Court is identity politics. Though the Prime Minister has made diversity in federal judicial appointments a priority, including charging the Independent Advisory Board to expressly consider diversity, there is no denying that Justice Rowe is not the diversity candidate many had in mind. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

barton group: The measure would target skilled, entrepreneurial newcomers in an attempt to stimulate economic growth, according to Hamilton Spectator. The 14-member panel, chaired by Dominic Barton of the firm McKinsey and Co., is to deliver a set of recommendations to Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Thursday. McCallum said Wednesday he read the report by the Advisory Council on Economic Growth that calls for a 50-per-cent increase in targets to 450,000 people a year. McCallum said meeting the target suggested by Barton group would be costly and might not find broad national support. "The figure he gives is a huge figure," McCallum said. "But this is not a universal view across the country." Discussions are continuing and the government will announce immigration targets for 2017 next month, McCallum added. But he stopped short of endorsing the target in Barton report. "Clearly he demonstrating an opportunity for Canada," Bains said. "We value our diversity, we value our multicultural society and we recognize immigration is an opportunity to create jobs." Bains said the government would need to sell the idea of higher immigration levels to the public. "We, as a government, need to focus on communicating the benefits of growing the economy and part of that growth is investing in people and part of that equation is immigration." Bains said bringing in more skilled workers is part of the government broader agenda that includes investing in research and development, creating jobs and helping companies grow. McCallum cabinet colleague, Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains, told The Canadian Press on Wednesday that he "worked very closely" with Barton panel, and favours increased immigration levels. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

columbia: The party has a policy requiring any departing MLA to be replaced by a woman or "equity-seeking candidate," including racial minorities, Indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ community, according to CBC. Hawes is a woman with a disability, and after losing the race, she questioned how Taft could be the candidate. "The spirit of the policy is to increase representation. Gerry Taft, the mayor of Invermere, won the NDP nomination for Columbia River-Revelstoke last Saturday by defeating Spring Hawes, who sits on Invermere council. 2017 British Columbia election: Columbia River-Revelstoke riding profile The current MLA is the NDP Norm Mac Donald, who is retiring after three terms in office. I am at a loss to understand how that could happen if you don't claim membership in whatever equity-seeking group that you are a member," said Hawes. "Maybe there needs to be more clarity around that policy in that if you use that policy to qualify then you should probably be comfortable sharing what equity group you belong to." On Monday, Taft, who is married with a one-year-old son, told The Vancouver Sun that he had been given approval by the NDP to run as a minority, but preferred to keep the reason private. I believed that my privacy would be respected and that I would be able to make my disclosure in my own time, and in my own way, if I chose to do so," he wrote in a statement. "Over the last few days, it has become clear that there are those, including the person I defeated for the nomination, who will continue to insist that my equity status be publicly disclosed.… I am choosing to disclose now because it will allow us to turn our attention away from the equity mandate towards the issues that really matter to this region." When nomination battles for the 2017 provincial election began in earnest last month, NDP President Craig Keating said there hadn't been any consideration of changing the policy. "We have a policy in place that reflects the diversity of the province and promotes the diversity of the province," he said. "We've got energetic contests everywhere you go. But by Tuesday, he decided to come out publicly. "Due to my family situation and my belief that an MLA should represent all people, I chose to keep my equity status private. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fight poverty: Savage says he'll work for diversity Mike Savage wants Halifax to be a 'better city' — not just a bigger one The final aim Growing Halifax into a city of 550,000 people by 2031, up from about 400,000 today, according to The Chronicle Herald. If you're asking what I'd like the next four years to look like, it will be a continuation of progressive leadership of one of the strongest cities in the country, Savage told the Chronicle Herald. Now entering his second term, Savage is also determined to slash red tape stifling businesses, build more sustainable transit, fight poverty and homelessness, and oversee the continued revival of downtown Halifax. Recent numbers back up his optimism: Halifax boasted Canada second-fastest-growing city economy, beaten only by Vancouver, according to Conference Board of Canada statistics released in March. While shipbuilding has long been an economic mainstay, real estate, construction, banking and commerce, service industries, telecoms, beer-brewing and tourism are also major industries in Halifax. Halifax projected growth of 2.9 per cent was at the time predicated on the building of new Arctic patrol vessels. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hooked-nose jews: It was after all the early 1960s, according to Huffington Post Canada. Racism, bullying and ethnic stereotyping hardly seemed to matter. I vividly remember what it was like for me as a young boy growing up in Ottawa attending a public school to be referred to as" Jewboy" or "kike." Sadder yet were the cryptic antisemitic notes and roughly drawn caricatures of hooked-nose Jews that would appear on my desk from time to time. It did however matter to me. Almost 60 years later as I watch the same pain being expressed by Canadian indigenous leaders over the "Chief Wahoo" logo used by Cleveland, I more than get it. And having had to endure this form of baiting as a young person, I suppose it fair to say that its pain stuck. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

barton group: The measure would target skilled, entrepreneurial newcomers in an attempt to stimulate economic growth, according to The Waterloo Record. The 14-member panel, chaired by Dominic Barton of the firm McKinsey and Co., is to deliver a set of recommendations to Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Thursday. McCallum said Wednesday he read the report by the Advisory Council on Economic Growth that calls for a 50-per-cent increase in targets to 450,000 people a year. McCallum said meeting the target suggested by Barton group would be costly and might not find broad national support. "The figure he gives is a huge figure," McCallum said. "But this is not a universal view across the country." Discussions are continuing and the government will announce immigration targets for 2017 next month, McCallum added. But he stopped short of endorsing the target in Barton report. "Clearly he demonstrating an opportunity for Canada," Bains said. "We value our diversity, we value our multicultural society and we recognize immigration is an opportunity to create jobs." Bains said the government would need to sell the idea of higher immigration levels to the public. "We, as a government, need to focus on communicating the benefits of growing the economy and part of that growth is investing in people and part of that equation is immigration." Bains said bringing in more skilled workers is part of the government broader agenda that includes investing in research and development, creating jobs and helping companies grow. McCallum cabinet colleague, Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains, told The Canadian Press on Wednesday that he "worked very closely" with Barton panel, and favours increased immigration levels. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

knile davis: Their trade of running back Knile Davis to the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday for a conditional late-round draft pick started a wave of roster transactions, according to Brandon Sun. They also placed defensive end Allen Bailey and linebacker Justin March on injured reserve and waived defensive lineman Nick Williams. The Kansas City Chiefs did precisely that this week. As a result, four newcomers were on the 53-man roster for practice Wednesday. The Chiefs also signed defensive end Kendall Reyes, who has been with the Chargers and Redskins the past few years. Defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches and linebacker Ramik Wilson were drafted by Kansas City, and cornerback Terrance Mitchell has been with them on the practice squad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.