school gymnasium: The evening began with a question on how to better integrate immigrants into Canadian society and ended with Trudeau delivering an impassioned speech on the need to fight racism after a woman expressed concern over recent public demonstrations by far-right groups, according to The Chronicle Herald. There is much more we need to do as citizens to create neighbourhoods, a society, a political debate that is more respectful, less anchored in ignorance and insecurity and intolerance, he told the several hundred people in a high school gymnasium. Trudeau fielded a number of questions on immigration and the need to fight intolerance during his stop in the city, which is preparing to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 29, 2017 deadly mosque shooting where six men were killed. We all have our role to play. And that is done by remembering that this country we built didn't happen by accident and it won't continue without effort, he said in the nearly 10-minute long speech, which was met by applause. Trudeau, holding a microphone and with his shirt sleeves rolled up, encouraged Canadians to remember and protect its history as a welcoming society. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration lawyer: Her immigration lawyer blames government error, according to CBC. Each time, Alexandra Dickenson's application went back to the bottom of the pile. But for a Swedish woman living in Ottawa, the process has been anything but smooth, with her application being sent back not once, but twice. It's just ridiculous.'- Alexandra Dickenson, applicant It's just ridiculous, said Dickenson. They had two children and decided to move to Canada when Lou hung up his skates and retired. In 2011, Dickenson married professional hockey player Lou Dickenson who had spent a decade playing in Europe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rent space: His campus tour organizer asked this week to rent space at Kent State's Student Multicultural Center on May 4 the date when, in 1970, Ohio National Guard members fired into a crowd protesting the Vietnam war and killed four students, according to Metro News. Each year, the school remembers the shootings with events on campus. Spencer, a leading figure in the white nationalist movement, and his associates have sought to speak at universities across the country, leading to lawsuits and battles over the fundamental right to free speech at public universities. The university said it can't accept the request because the first two weeks in May are too busy with the end of the academic year. Spencer has been barred by several schools from speaking on campus and has lawsuits pending against some. Kent State values respectful dialogue from all points of view, including ideology that is controversial or offensive, the university said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

skills level: We should evaluate them and make sure they're going to be lawful they're not a threat to us, according to CTV. They have the education and skills level to prosper in America. When we admit people to our country we should be like Canada, Sessions told Fox News in a broadcast interview Wednesday. Sessions questioned the value of bringing in low-skilled, illiterate immigrants, saying That is not what a good nation should do and we need to get away from it. We need to tighten up on admission from dangerous area of the globe were we can vet, where we have high numbers of terrorists that live in those areas. He also voiced support for the U.S. ban on visitors from North Korea and six mostly Muslim countries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

system: The government must stop deporting people who never had a chance to become citizens because they were in the child welfare system, according to Toronto Star. Systems have to serve people, not the other way around. And he's not the only one. At a town hall in Halifax earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to a question asked by Abdoul's sister, Fatuma Alyaan. He added, We will do what Canada always does try to do the right things based on both rules and compassion ... In truth, Abdi and his family have not felt the compassion of the system. Trudeau said, We have a system that is based on rules and principles that is also compassionate and reflects on individual cases. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver: With Vancouver's sky-high rents, many workers live in surrounding communities, which are more affordable, according to Vancouver Courier. Their ability to work around a Vancouver restaurant's hours either early morning breakfast shifts or late night dinner shifts is therefore constrained by Translink's hours of operation. But making it easier for staff including new immigrants to get to work on public transportation is, says the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association.article continues below Trending Stories Updated police identify man found dead in stolen vehicle's trunk in East Vancouver Vancouver now has one of North America's biggest free Wi-Fi networks Trigger happy Tracing how guns make their way to Vancouver Online tool tracks empty homes across Metro roll up to Vancouver Tim Hortons in support of Ontario employees What happens when people can't afford to work in Vancouver How and why Generation Z needs to be treated differently in the workplace Let's make sure we can get people from where they are living to where they are working, Samantha Scholefield, project manager of the association's labour market study program, said at Tuesday's staff-shortage forum at the Italian Cultural Centre. In a survey, members said half of their staff members live within 15 minutes of work. We have to be more aware of how challenging that transportation piece is, Scholefield said. However, 42 per cent of respondents had no idea of where their staff live or how long it takes them to get to work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

law: The new plan will eventually be rolled out nationwide, although it remains to be seen how many law enforcement agencies will volunteer, according to Metro News. During a news conference Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deputy director Thomas Homan and law enforcement from several Florida sheriffs' agencies said the new protocol will allow jail operators to legally comply with federal detainer requests that have drawn lawsuits. Seventeen Florida law enforcement agencies have agreed to co-operate with the federal government on immigration enforcement, offering what officials say is a template that can be used nationwide to overcome legal obstacles preventing tight working relationships. Essentially, the local agencies will hold immigrants who have been arrested for other crimes and are in the country illegally, in custody for ICE. Officials stressed that the policy targets immigrants with criminal records, or those who have been arrested. Matthew Albence, the Executive Associate Director of ICE's enforcement removal operations, said 92 per cent of the people arrested by the agency in fiscal year 2017 were either convicted of a crime, charged with a criminal offence removed from the country and re-entered, or ordered removed and then fled. The aim is to prevent the release of criminals back into the community, they said, citing cases where an immigrant facing a removal order was released from custody pending deportation, and committed crimes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lebanese-canadian neurologist: The Lebanese-Canadian neurologist learned from a reporter Tuesday afternoon that the White House had selected the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to test the president's faculties after days of speculation about his state, according to Toronto Star. This was the test Nasreddine developed as a young researcher two decades ago, in an effort to quickly assess, within 10 or 12 minutes, whether someone has suffered light cognitive impairment or the onset of Alzheimer's disease, by asking them to perform tasks such as drawing a clock, identifying animals and remembering words. That person was Ziad Nasreddine, the man who designed the test. Read more Article Continued Below White House to share more details about Trump's health later today react-text 155 Presidential physician Dr. He said he talks to Donald Trump daily, and didn't feel he even needed the test. /react-text Olivier Douliery / Abaca Press/Tribune News Service Trump set for first medical checkup as president in wake of Fire and Fury revelations, stable genius' comments He says it has now been used in 200 countries, in 60 languages, and has been deployed in one developing country to demonstrate its leader was no longer fit to govern. Ronny Jackson said he never doubted this president's cognitive ability. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

entry: Under a 2011 continental security pact, Canada and the U.S. agreed to set up co-ordinated systems to track the entry and exit information of travellers, according to Toronto Star. Read more Proposed Canada-U.S. border police teams on hold over legal jurisdiction questions Article Continued Below Canada Border Services Agency sharing information on American border crossings with Homeland Security The effort involves exchanging entry information collected from people at the land border so that data on entry to one country serves as a record of exit from the other. The federal government has flagged more than 1,000 possible cases of people overstaying their visas or committing other immigration infractions based on information provided by the U.S., newly obtained memos show. Canada says the information will be helpful in everything from tracking known fugitives to responding more effectively to missing-child alerts. react-empty 163 The federal NDP and privacy advocates are watching closely, however, out of concern the data could be used to build invasive personal profiles with little accountability. The first two phases of the program were limited to foreign nationals and permanent residents of Canada and the U.S., but not citizens of either country. The data includes the traveller's name, nationality, date of birth and gender, the country that issued their travel document and the time, date and location of their crossing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

eva sajoo: CBC-Angus Reid Institute poll Canadians want minorities to do more to 'fit in' Immigrants more likely to consider Canadian symbols important to national identity The first study presented a curious look at what it means to be Canadian, she told CBC host of On The Coast Gloria Macarenko, according to CBC. It was really a fascinating look at how identity changes over time, Sajoo said. Eva Sajoo, a researcher at Simon Fraser University, looked at Italian identity in Vancouver in a survey three years ago and has been asked by the city to expand her project for Canada 150. The original study showed marked generational differences when it comes to how immigrants feel about their identity. Love Italian food Here are 4 ways to celebrate Italian Heritage Month The third generation, the grandkids, were way more interested in where their grandparents had come from and in learning to speak Italian and learning to cook Italian than their parents were, Sajoo explained. First generation immigrants, she said, often feel a strong connection to their country of origin, while their children, born in Canada, who want to assimilate more. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lebanese palace: The business had alleged the City's ban on hookahs and water pipes violated Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, according to CTV. The section guarantees against discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability. In a memo, City Solicitor Rick O'Connor says the The Lebanese Palace Inc., owner Brian Mahmoud, and patron Fadi Itaif have withdrawn their application, which was to go before Ontario Superior Court next month. O'Connor says, in response, the City is withdrawing its sole by-law charge against the Lebanese Palace, which was issued last June. Further, O'Connor confirms the City has received 15,761.69 owed in legal fees from the same plaintiffs, after their previous attempt to obtain an emergency injunction to block the by-law was dismissed by the court. O'Connor says the business has been complying with the by-law since last summer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lgbt populations: Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef made the announcement at a sexual assault centre in Peterborough, Ont. today, according to CBC. Monsef calls MeToo 'inspiring'Atwood faces backlash over MeToo Does MeToo divide generations The money will give groups with scarce, or no, resources up to 30,000 to develop project proposals. That includes programs targeting Indigenous, immigrant and LGBT populations, as well as seniors and disabled women and those living in remote and northern communities. If they are accepted, they could get funding for up to five years as part of the 20-million envelope. It comes as the MeToo movement gains momentum across North America and around the world. The funding is part of the government's national strategy to tackle gender-based violence, called It's Time, which will fund research, prevention and groups that support survivors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deal: The overwhelming number in our caucus have said they don't like this deal and they believe if we kick the can down the road this time we'll be back where we started from next time, Schumer said, according to The Chronicle Herald. So there's very, very strong support not to go along with their deal. Democrats' votes are needed to advance the stopgap measure through the Senate, but they have been rebuffed in their demands to add protections against deportation for younger immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children. Talks among a bipartisan group of leaders of both the House and Senate convened Wednesday, but participants reported little progress. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a negotiator but one whose loyalties lie chiefly with separate compromise legislation on the so-called Dreamer immigrants that he's co-authored with Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., some of the Senate's most dovish Republicans on immigration. Good will but no progress, said Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rranxburgaj: The Rranxburgaj family will stay at an apartment in the church indefinitely, church leaders and Michigan United officials said, according to Metro News. Immigration officials told Ded Rranxburgaj in October that he was going to be deported. Central United Methodist Church officials announced at a news conference Tuesday that the church is offering sanctuary to Ded Rranxburgaj, 48, of Southgate, who is scheduled to be deported Jan. 25. The administration of President Donald Trump has cracked down on illegal immigration since he took office in January. He's not a threat to your country. This person is not a terrorist. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wednesday morning: Abdi grew up in foster care in Nova Scotia, but never got Canadian citizenship, and was held by the Canada Border Services Agency after spending five years in prison for multiple offences, including aggravated assault, according to CTV. Abdi's case has become a rallying point for advocates who say it was wrong for the province to fail to apply for citizenship on his behalf. Benjamin Perryman, Abdi's lawyer, says he was released Wednesday morning from the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont., to a halfway house in the greater Toronto area. Perryman said Abdi told him Wednesday it felt unreal to be free after five years, and thanked his supporters and wanted to say thank you for being given a chance. The lawyer continues to fight Abdi's deportation in Federal Court. No deportation hearing has been scheduled yet. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

women canada: The program is aimed at helping smaller, grassroots organizations that might not yet have the ability to tackle a major project, according to Toronto Star. Organizations have until March 1 to pitch a high-level concept to the government agency, which could then provide up to 30,000 to help the group develop a full proposal. Status of Women Canada says the money will go to developing services for survivors in Indigenous, LGBTQ and immigrant populations, as well as seniors, people living with disabilities, minority language communities and those in remote, rural and northern areas of Canada. If that proposal is chosen, Status of Women could give the organization up to 1 million in project funding for up to five years. Do you want to help shapethe Toronto Star's future Join our team of readers who are passionate about journalism and share your views. Article Continued Below The agency says the two-step process cuts down on the amount of paperwork required, giving smaller organizations a greater chance at success. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

years: All they knew was how to torture anyone who was against them, according to CTV. Myanmar, long isolated both by choice and by international sanctions, has undergone a transformation in recent years. The military government was so brutal for many years, he said of the former junta, which ruled the country for decades until 2012 and then by proxy four more years -- and still has a final say on security matters. Another former political prisoner, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was elected the head of a civilian government, which led to the easing of most sanctions and an influx of foreign investment. While most of the outside world is appalled by what U.N. and U.S. officials have called ethnic cleansing that has grown into Asia's worst refugee crisis in decades, many in Myanmar support it. Yet the most striking change may be the majority Buddhist Burman population's view of its military An institution once despised has seen its popularity surge alongside a rise in nationalism that has accompanied a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state in western Myanmar that has left thousands dead and more than 650,000 displaced. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saturday january: On Saturday January 20 from noon to 2 pm, protestors will take over downtown again, according to NOW Magazine. But this year's event, Women March On Toronto Defining Our Future, takes the focus off Trump. Over 60,000 people rallied at Toronto's Women's March, one of 200 satellite demonstrations in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington, which was organized in reaction to Trump's presidential inauguration. Instead, organizers are dedicated to providing a platform for local issues. Because the fight for gender equality is far from over Women continue to be underrepresented in political and leadership roles, and still earn less than men for the same work done. We spoke to co-organizer Kavita Dogra on why it's more important than ever to attend. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

legislature january: In response to the example of New Zealand introducing a foreign buyer ban in October 2017, he said, New Zealand is a small set of islands in the South Pacific, according to Vancouver Courier. B.C. is the gateway to Canada, and I don't believe we should be curbing people coming here. Premier John Horgan told a press conference at the B.C. Legislature January 16, I just don't believe that in an open economy a non-resident buyer ban is an appropriate way to proceed.article continues below Trending Stories Body found in parked vehicle in East Vancouver Vancouver's small businesses struggle amid tax, property crunch22-year-old Ferrari driver fined for another high-speed bridge run Residents concerned about temporary' closure of Adanac overpass to private vehiclesrelated Foreign buyer debate heats up as Greens hint at ban It's a very, very aggressive agenda' Horgan I do believe we need to knock back speculation and make sure we are penalizing that behaviour in the interest of reducing demand and softening prices. He added, I'm a child of an immigrant and virtually everyone I see here is a child of an immigrant. However, the tax has likely been a factor in continued slowing price growth at the higher end of the detached-home market. The previous B.C. Liberal government introduced a 15 per cent foreign buyer tax in August 2016 on Metro Vancouver home purchases, which had the temporary effect of slowing down sales, but the market recovered within a year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

motion: The move to re-name the school is being brought forward by Vision trustee Allan Wong, whose motion calls for a re-naming committee to be struck to get the new moniker process started, according to Vancouver Courier. The intention of Wong's motion is to settle on a name that's more culturally and historically significant.article continues below Trending Stories Body found in parked vehicle in East Vancouver22-year-old Ferrari driver fined for another high-speed bridge run Residents concerned about temporary' closure of Adanac overpass to private vehicles Palatial Shaughnessy home hits market for 35 millionrelated Crosstown elementary invites cross-town derision Things are looking up for new Crosstown elementary There are currently over 110 schools in the district and none reflect an Asian name, Wong's motion reads. Vancouver school trustees and members of the public will weighed in on the downtown school's seemingly controversial name at a committee meeting last night Wednesday, Jan. 17 and the issue has been referred to the Jan. 29 board meeting. A name that binds the Asian and Indigenous community would show a powerful understanding and appreciation between the two historical communities. Cumyow was a Chinese-Canadian activist, court interpreter and legal advisor from the late 1800s and up until his death 1955. At least one half of the proposed dual name has some traction and support Alexander Won Cumyow elementary school. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

african nations: Dick Durbin misrepresented what he had said about African nations and Haiti and, in the process, undermined the trust needed to make a deal, according to The Chronicle Herald. On a day of remembrance for Rev. President Donald Trump turned his Twitter torment Monday on the Democrat in the room where immigration talks with lawmakers took a famously coarse turn, saying Sen. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump spent time at his golf course with no public events, bypassing the acts of service that his predecessor staged in honour of the civil rights leader. That message was a distinct counterpoint to words attributed to Trump by Durbin and others at a meeting last week, when the question of where immigrants come from seemed at the forefront of Trump's concerns. Instead Trump dedicated his weekly address to King's memory, saying King's dream and America's are the same a world where people are judged by who they are, not how they look or where they come from. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

branch: The multicultural community choir will launch A Celebration in Song on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 6 30 p.m. at the Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road, according to The Chronicle Herald. Following performances are at the Woodlawn Branch Library on Wednesday, Feb. 14, the Captain William Spry branch on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and the Cole Harbour branch on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Martin Luther King Jr. tribute concert The Dream Continues, the Nova Scotia Mass Choir continues to bring its joyous, inspiring sound to audiences with a free series of performances during African Heritage Month. All of the final three concerts start at 7 p.m. For more information, visit and nsmasschoir. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

brian bonney: Butcher said Bonney provided confidential information to seven people he supervised as they worked to woo ethnic communities ahead of the 2013 election, which was won by then-premier Christy Clark's Liberals, according to CBC. The court should send a strong and clear message to those involved in politics that breach of trust will be treated in a serious manner, Butcher said after outlining Bonney's decades of political involvement. David Butcher told provincial court Tuesday that Brian Bonney should serve a community sentence of 12 to 23 months after pleading guilty to breach of trust last October for his part in the partisan use of taxpayer resources to garner support of multicultural communities. Company owned by former B.C. government director pleads guilty to Elections Act violation Targeted voters in 18 ridings Bonney was charged in May 2016 for what was outlined as a quick wins strategy in a document Butcher presented in court. The number of people from each of those communities could easily determine the outcome in each of those swing ridings, Butcher told Judge David St. He said it shows the plan went beyond simply reaching out to involve visible minorities in the political process and targeted them in about 18 swing ridings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadians: That's one-third of all applicants seeking visas to work in the U.S. Thanks to NAFTA, Canadians have the ability to apply for special work visas that aren't available to other nationalities, according to CTV. However, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to rip up the agreement and reform his country's immigration system, some Canadians applying for visas are encountering stricter guidelines and longer waits. In 2016, more than 1.1 million Canadians were granted temporary visas to work in the United States. Immigration lawyer Nan Berezowski told CTV's Your Morning that border officers tasked with adjudicating these cases are receiving additional pressure from the government to follow new policy guidelines. It's narrower than it used to be. Often this policy guidance is restrictive, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

florida resort: Angry pro-Haiti protesters and Trump supporters yelled at each other from opposite sides of a street near the president's Florida resort, according to Toronto Star. At gatherings across the nation, activists, residents and teachers honoured the late civil rights leader on what would have been his 89th birthday and ahead of the 50th anniversary of his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. The Associated Press Mon., Jan. 15, 2018 ATLANTA Two of Martin Luther King Jr.'s children and the pastor of his historic Atlanta church marked the national King holiday Monday with sharp denunciations of U.S. President Donald Trump, focusing on disparaging remarks he is said to have made about African countries and Haitian immigrants. But in the many speeches delivered from pulpits and podiums across the country, Trump's name came up nearly as often as King's, with speakers indicating that his turbulent presidency was undermining efforts to ease racial tensions in the U.S. The president spent his first Martin Luther King Jr. In Washington, King's eldest son, Martin Luther King III, criticized Trump, saying, When a president insists that our nation needs more citizens from white states like Norway, I don't even think we need to spend any time even talking about what it says and what it is. Day in office buffeted by claims that during a meeting with senators on immigration last week, he used a vulgarity to describe African countries and questioned the need to allow more Haitians into the U.S. He also is said to have asked why the country couldn't have more immigrants from nations like Norway. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

friend p.k: Fring's on King W. being the first, according to Metro News. Drake's longtime head of security Nessel Chubbs Beezer is a partner. It is the second restaurant affiliated with Toronto's unofficial global ambassador. While the official opening date has not been announced, it is known that Park, who has two restaurants in Montreal, Park Restaurant and Lavanderia, and is the culinary leader Yorkville's Kasa Moto, is in charge of the menu.I asked Park about the menu, Drake's favourite vegetable and representing The Six. We all met through friends and hanging out together. How did you get involved with Pick 6ix Last year, or two years ago, I got to go to a party for LeBron James with former Montreal Canadiens player and longtime friend P.K. Subban and that's how I met some of these guys. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.