anti-immigrant sentiment: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chats to the Nai Syrian Children's Choir made up of young Syrian newcomers after they performed at the House of Commons in December 2016, according to Toronto Star. Adam Scotti / Handout Photo But at least one critic is already slamming it as a propaganda campaign. Amid the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment in Canada and abroad, Ottawa is hoping its new online initiative can spark a constructive conversation on immigration that is based on facts and personal stories. Through Immigration Matters, launched in November, the immigration department is inviting the public to submit and share immigrant success stories in their communities, and is posting these accounts some with links to media stories and others provided by immigrant settlement agencies on the campaign website and social media outlets. People can also order Immigration Matters buttons or business cards for use at local events to promote immigration. The campaign includes a toolkit to help people find and spread positive immigrant stories with key messages to highlight newcomer contributions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

g summit: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a plenary session on the second day of the G20 Leader's Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Dec. 1, according to Toronto Star. The Associated Press Trudeau tweeted to Noah, who is hosting the festival, that Canada would give the money to Education Cannot Wait, an organization that funds education for children affected by conflicts, natural disasters and other crises. Celebrities gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa on Sunday for the Global Citizen Festival Mandela 100, a charity concert honouring Nelson Mandela a century after he was born. Global Citizen is an organization that wants to end extreme poverty by 2030. Article Continued Below Hey Trevornoah thanks for everything you're doing to celebrate Nelson Mandela's legacy at the Glbl Ctzn festival. Its Mandela 100 campaign sought to bring in US 1 billion in donations, and Global Citizen tweeted that the campaign surpassed that goal, bringing in over 7 billion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hector mantolino: The operator of Mantolino Property Services Ltd. was originally charged in June 2013 with 56 counts of immigration fraud following a Canada Border Services Agency investigation but those charges were rolled into a single indictment, according to CTV. Mantolino was accused by the federal Crown of advising 28 foreign workers to provide misleading and untruthful statements on their work permit applications between July 2010 and April 2013. Hector Mantolino pleaded guilty last December to misrepresentation under provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act which prohibit providing false or misleading information to the federal government. He was alleged to have counselled the workers to lie about their wages if they wanted to stay in Canada -- with some saying in court documents they had stated they would receive a Canadian wage but were paid as little as 3.13 per hour after various deductions. Blair Mac Donald, a federal investigator, was cross examined by defence counsel regarding corrections he made to a spreadsheet compiled by the border agency describing amounts workers were paid by Mantolino. Several Filipino temporary workers whom Mantolino allegedly underpaid were in Nova Scotia Supreme Court for the hearing on Monday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

houston gilfoy: Houston Gilfoy says the museum's social media team shared the story without fully understanding the historic context, and the timing demonstrated a lack of sensitivity, according to CTV. Houston Gilfoy did not elaborate on why the man's military service was of issue. Spokeswoman Beatrice Houston Gilfoy says the story of Vincenz and Kristina Bogatin was shared with the museum by their daughter, but her father's military service with the Austrian Gendarmerie is of issue. She says because it was a personal story donated by his daughter, the specifics of his military service with the Austrian Gendarmerie are unknown to us. The Canadian Museum of Immigration Pier21 has deleted this, uh, interesting celebration of a man who came to Canada for love. Houston Gilfoy says going forward, the social media team will work more closely with the museum's historians to ensure the historical context of stories are fully understood. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

press conference: Over the 14-month interval between the two conferences, voters forced three of Trudeau's staunchest Liberal allies in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick into retirement, according to Toronto Star. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a closing press conference at the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Dec. 1, 2018. Much has changed mostly for the worse for federal-provincial harmony since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last presided over the same gathering a bit more than a year ago. Trudeau will host Canada's provincial leaders in Montreal on Dec. 7 but the hand he brings to his fifth first ministers' gathering is weak, Chantal H bert writes. The Conservative governments of Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick have joined what initially started off as a rearguard Saskatchewan legal battle against a federal carbon tax. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS Some of the provincial leadership changes starting with the advent in Ontario of a Tory government hostile to Trudeau's plan to put a price on carbon pollution have resulted in a major realignment in the federal-provincial climate-change debate. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american contacts: But like many highly educated newcomers to the province, Ruiz has struggled to find work despite being selected as a skilled immigrant by provincial authorities. ; After failing to find a job, he decided to open his own consulting business to take advantage of his South American contacts, according to National Observer. He applied for a provincial program that assists budding entrepreneurs with grants, marketing and training. His French is excellent considering he arrived in Quebec in 2016 with little knowledge of the language. But he was rejected because the program was for people who were on welfare or who had received Employment Insurance and he fit neither category. I think there needs to be a reflection, Ruiz said over coffee at a strip mall in the Montreal suburb of Laval, where he settled with his wife and two children. It would become a common refrain, he said, as he tried unsuccessfully to navigate the Quebec bureaucracy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

houston gilfoy: The timing of sharing the story also demonstrated a lack of sensitivity for which we deeply regret, said Houston Gilfoy in an email, according to Vancouver Courier. Houston Gilfoy did not elaborate on why the man's military service was of issue. Spokeswoman Beatrice Houston Gilfoy said the story of Vincenz and Kristina Bogatin was shared with the museum by their daughter, but her father's military service with the Austrian Gendarmerie is of issue. article continues below Trending Stories Starbucks to unveil swanky new Reserve Bar in Downtown Vancouver Newsmaker of the Year 2018 City hall overhaul'Bella Dolls' sex doll brothel has opened in Vancouver New bus service linking Vancouver to Kelowna, Kamloops rolls out soon Houston Gilfoy said the museum's social media team shared the story without fully understanding the historical context. She said because it was a personal story donated by his daughter, the specifics of his military service with the Austrian Gendarmerie are unknown to us. A review of all older content in our story collection will begin to ensure that this kind of thing does not happen again, said Houston Gilfoy. Houston Gilfoy said going forward, the social media team will work more closely with the museum's historians to ensure the historical context of stories are fully understood. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

oleg kononenko: Their Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft launched from the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday at 5 31 p.m. 1131 GMT; 6 31 a.m, according to Vancouver Courier. EST then entered a designated orbit just under nine minutes later. The hatch of the capsule carrying NASA astronaut Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency and Oleg Kononenko of Russian space agency Roscosmos was opened while the station was flying over the southern coast of Yemen.article continues below Trending Stories Starbucks to unveil swanky new Reserve Bar in Downtown Vancouver'Bella Dolls' sex doll brothel has opened in Vancouver New bus service linking Vancouver to Kelowna, Kamloops rolls out soon My surreal weekend with Steve Fonyo The three were greeted upon arrival Monday by the station's current crew members, who had waited outside the hatch after the astronauts' capsule docked and underwent safety checks. The spacecraft made four orbits over six hours as it chased down the space station for the docking. The families of the crew, other astronauts and space officials from several nations breathed a sigh of relief after observing the flawless launch.NASA and Roscosmos said all onboard systems operated normally and the astronauts felt fine during the six-hour trip the space station. The astronauts were the first sent to be sent to the space station since a crewed Soyuz launch was aborted in October after a booster rocket failed to separate properly, crippling the rocket. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver: Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi have ousted him as chairman; the board of Renault SA of France says it's waiting for more evidence.article continues below Trending Stories Starbucks to unveil swanky new Reserve Bar in Downtown Vancouver Newsmaker of the Year 2018 City hall overhaul'Bella Dolls' sex doll brothel has opened in Vancouver New bus service linking Vancouver to Kelowna, Kamloops rolls out soon Nissan is among a growing list of top-name Japanese companies whose corporate governance has been found lacking in recent years, according to Vancouver Courier. Wait a minute. Ghosn, who headed the Motors auto alliance, was arrested Nov. 19 on suspicion he underreported his income by 44 million over five years, or about half of what he was really making. Who wrote the financial statements The accountants. How do you do this without other people being complicit Japanese prosecutors say Ghosn and another Nissan executive, Greg Kelly, an American suspected of collaborating with him, were arrested because they are considered flight risks. Who audited them The auditors, Christopher Richter, auto analyst for CLSA Securities Japan Co., said of the case. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dave kelly: Mira Abbra, who loved to dance while she lived in her homeland of Syria, says the experience with the Young Canadians is something else altogether, according to CTV. I'm really happy that I got to join the Young Canadians and I'm excited to be in the big Christmas show. Over a dozen newcomers to Canada will be singing and dancing alongside the Young Canadians for the Dave Kelly Live Christmas Special at the Jack Singer Concert Hall on December 7. She says that she's learned a lot of dance moves and has never been so happy before to do it. We get to perform with them on stage and share with them what we love to do. Michelle Choi, one of the members of the Young Canadians, says the show is a great opportunity for them to perform with the newcomers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fame star: Olympic medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, movie star Seth Rogen and retired astronaut Chris Hadfield were among those who received a star on the Walk of Fame in Toronto's entertainment district, according to CTV. I can't believe this is real life. Nine influential Canadians were inducted into the Walk of Fame for excellence in their respective fields, including sports, music, science, film and television. This is such a huge honour, said Moir. Virtue said she hopes her and Moir's 21-year partnership on the ice has inspired a new generation of Canadian athletes. We can't believe we have a Walk of Fame star, and we're pretty excited about it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec bureaucracy: But like many highly educated newcomers to the province, Ruiz has struggled to find work despite being selected as a skilled immigrant by provincial authorities, according to CTV. After failing to find a job, he decided to open his own consulting business to take advantage of his South American contacts. His French is excellent considering he arrived in Quebec in 2016 with little knowledge of the language. He applied for a provincial program that assists budding entrepreneurs with grants, marketing and training. It would become a common refrain, he said, as he tried unsuccessfully to navigate the Quebec bureaucracy. But he was rejected because the program was for people who were on welfare or who had received Employment Insurance -- and he fit neither category. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ryan remiorz: But like many highly educated newcomers to the province, Ruiz has struggled to find work despite being selected as a skilled immigrant by provincial authorities, according to Toronto Star. Hugo Ruiz, who is a software engineer from Colombia, says he has trouble getting government help because he isn't on welfare. His French is excellent considering he arrived in Quebec in 2016 with little knowledge of the language. Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS After failing to find a job, he decided to open his own consulting business to take advantage of his South American contacts. But he was rejected because the program was for people who were on welfare or who had received Employment Insurance and he fit neither category. He applied for a provincial program that assists budding entrepreneurs with grants, marketing and training. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sex assault: I can't believe this is real life, according to Vancouver Courier. This is such a huge honour, said Moir. Nine influential Canadians were inducted into the Walk of Fame for excellence in their respective fields, including sports, music, science, film and television.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver police release sketch of suspect in sex assault in East Van park Vancouver police looking for witnesses after teen sexually assaulted in East Van park Burnaby woman killed in suspicious crash was student support worker at Templeton secondary Vancouver council wants 3.5 million from province to help tackle overdose crisis Olympic medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, movie star Seth Rogen and retired astronaut Chris Hadfield were among those who received a star on the Walk of Fame in Toronto's entertainment district. We can't believe we have a Walk of Fame star, and we're pretty excited about it. The thing with the Olympic movement and sport, in general, is that there's always another story, another athlete coming that is even more inspiring and is giving more to the Canadian public, said Virtue. Virtue said she hopes her and Moir's 21-year partnership on the ice has inspired a new generation of Canadian athletes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver: But like many highly educated newcomers to the province, Ruiz has struggled to find work despite being selected as a skilled immigrant by provincial authorities.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver police release sketch of suspect in sex assault in East Van park Vancouver police looking for witnesses after teen sexually assaulted in East Van park Burnaby woman killed in suspicious crash was student support worker at Templeton secondary Vancouver council wants 3.5 million from province to help tackle overdose crisis After failing to find a job, he decided to open his own consulting business to take advantage of his South American contacts, according to Vancouver Courier. He applied for a provincial program that assists budding entrepreneurs with grants, marketing and training. His French is excellent considering he arrived in Quebec in 2016 with little knowledge of the language. But he was rejected because the program was for people who were on welfare or who had received Employment Insurance and he fit neither category. I think there needs to be a reflection, Ruiz said over coffee at a strip mall in the Montreal suburb of Laval, where he settled with his wife and two children. It would become a common refrain, he said, as he tried unsuccessfully to navigate the Quebec bureaucracy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

justice department: The administration had still not shown that the ban was legal, or that any harm would come from continuing to implement existing immigration laws, Tigar said in his order, according to CTV. Nor have Defendants rebutted the significant harms that will be suffered by asylum seekers with legitimate claims and the organizations that assist them, he said. Judge Jon Tigar rejected the Justice Department's request to suspend his earlier order temporarily blocking the ban. An email to a spokesman for the Justice Department was not immediately returned. Trump issued the proclamation in response to caravans of migrants approaching the border. At issue is President Donald Trump's Nov. 9 proclamation that barred anyone who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border between official ports of entry from seeking asylum. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

u.s .,: They found a piece of a vehicle that they recognized as likely being from a pickup truck spotted nearby 10 minutes later, according to CTV. Agents tried to stop the pickup, but it fled, entering and exiting Interstate 8 twice and weaving through traffic at speeds up to 100 mph, according to witnesses. The incident began Thursday afternoon when U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered tire tracks for several cars that ran from the international border north into the U.S. The agency calls such incidents drive-throughs -- instances in which cars illegally enter the U.S., often through remote areas. Agents then deployed a tire deflation device, and the truck lost control within a minute, crashing and rolling over. California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Travis Garrow says a male driver and a female passenger were believed to be seated in the cab of the truck, and nine men were in the bed. California authorities say one woman and two men were killed in the crash on westbound I-8 about 60 miles 96 kilometres east of San Diego. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver: He has not reacted publicly.article continues below Trending Stories Veteran Vancouver radio host celebrates 35 years at CKNWPoint Grey condo owners can't stop the music Lace up! Vancouver's Robson Square Ice Rink opens PHOTOS Vancouver salmon researcher receives national nod Attorney General Sylvestre Nyandwi said the suspects allegedly were involved in the planning and execution of the killing of Melchior Ndadaye in 1993, according to Vancouver Courier. It sparked a civil war between the East African nation's two dominant ethnic groups, the Hutu and Tutsi, in which an estimated 300,000 people died. At the top of the list is former president Pierre Buyoya, now the high representative of the African Union. Regarded by many in Burundi as the hero of democracy and the country's first elected Hutu leader, Ndadaye was killed in an attempted coup by hard-line Tutsi soldiers four months after Buyoya, a Tutsi, stepped down. In events marking 25 years since the assassination in October, Burundi's justice minister told lawmakers that those suspected had held powerful positions for many years, delaying efforts at accountability. Buyoya, who ruled Burundi from 1987 to 1993 and from 1996 to 2005, has denied any role in the killing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chinese government: Their grins were tight-lipped, mirthless, according to Vancouver Courier. Her sister had posted the picture on a social media account along with a caption punctuated by a smiley-face.article continues below Trending Stories Look, I have a Han Chinese mother now! his sister wrote. One was his 39-year-old sister; standing at her side was an elderly woman Idris did not know. Idris knew instantly The old woman was a spy, sent by the Chinese government to infiltrate his family. According to the ruling Communist Party's official newspaper, as of the end of September, 1.1 million local government workers have been deployed to ethnic minorities' living rooms, dining areas and Muslim prayer spaces, not to mention at weddings, funerals and other occasions once considered intimate and private. There are many like her. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

francophone services: But did anything new come out of it No, May said, according to National Observer. Franco-Ontarians reacted to the Ontario government's planned cuts with a fury that spread to Quebec the city halls in Montreal and Quebec City raised the Franco-Ontarian flag and the immensely popular Tout le monde en parle current-affairs television show devoted an episode to the issue. Trudeau met with Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, the NDP's Jagmeet Singh, Green Leader Elizabeth May and interim Bloc Quebecois Leader Mario Beaulieu a rare cross-party leaders' confab Scheer requested Monday after reductions to francophone services announced two weeks ago by Ontario's Progressive Conservative government. ; The mood after the Parliament Hill meeting was that it was largely symbolic a show of support for francophones outside Quebec. A backbench Tory legislator for a heavily francophone riding in Eastern Ontario broke ranks and criticized her government's moves. And after having demoted francophone affairs from a distinct ministry to a mere area of responsibility for Attorney General Caroline Mulroney upon winning power, Ford gave it back its cabinet status on Tuesday. Premier Doug Ford rapidly backtracked on a plan to abolish the independent office of the French-language services commissioner; the position was restored, though it's to move under the supervision of the province's ombudsman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health care: The PBO projects that costs per migrant will rise to 16,666 in the fiscal year ending March 2020 because of longer wait times for migrants waiting to complete the entire asylum-claim process, which will mean the federal government will be responsible for their health care for longer, according to National Observer. Giroux warned that 340 million or more could become an annual cost if Canada doesn't see any decrease in the number of irregular asylum-seekers. Claimants accepted at their first hearings cost the federal government less; those who exhaust all legal avenues and are eventually removed from Canada cost more. Canada has experienced an influx of irregular migrants through the border with the United States since early 2017, shortly after the Trump administration took steps to end temporary protected status for tens of thousands of migrants living in the U.S. Since then, almost 35,000 asylum seekers have filed refugee claims at the Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada's arm's-length agency that deals with refugee claims and appeals.A quirk in Canada's laws means that if someone makes an asylum claim on Canadian soil, Canada has to evaluate it. Many claimants have avoided official border checkpoints where they would have been turned back to the U.S. under an agreement that defines the United States as a country where refugees can safely stay. The same claim made at an official crossing from the United States would be rejected on the spot. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

al: Al Kontar was immediately welcomed by his sponsor and the rest of the community with open arms, according to Toronto Star. A Syrian national, Hassan Al Kontar, and his sponsor Laurie Cooper meet for the first time at the Vancouver airport. He arrived at the Vancouver airport with only thin clothes and a pair of slippers. Al Kontar was stranded in a Malaysian airport for seven months before Cooper raised money for his refugee sponsorship. I have to keep reminding myself, he said in an interview from his new Whistler home. Jen Grover / Contributed I'm here now and I'm safe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

david zalubowski: Stevenson, a Scottish grandfather, said he made an honest mistake, but it might ruin his plans to fly with his wife to New York City on Monday, according to Toronto Star. Travelers wait in long lines to pass through a security checkpoint in Denver International Airport Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018. The question that asked whether he was a terrorist. The questions asked by ESTA and other immigration procedures have evolved alongside security concerns in the United States. David Zalubowski / Associated Press He ran into trouble filling out the automated online form on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, known as ESTA, that allows people from selected countries to apply for travel to the United States without a visa. The Immigration and Nationality Act, which sets out the eligibility of people to enter the country, was amended after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to expand the grounds for denying entry to people who the government said had ties to terrorist activities or groups and, in some cases, for denying entry to their families. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leadership race: He left the party earlier this year to start the People's Party of Canada, according to CTV. Bernier visited CTV Saskatoon and spoke with Mike Ciona and Sean Leslie. The ex-Conservative Party MP and former cabinet minister narrowly lost to Andrew Scheer in that party's leadership race. Here are parts of those conversations, edited for length and clarity. What are you mad about I'm still mad about the Trudeau government, the huge deficit. Your website asks people to join the Mad Max party. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

peace agreement: But most important, they said, is whether implementing the peace agreement improves the lives of the civilians, many of whom expressed to the experts profound distrust of a high-level political process that appears increasingly removed from their suffering, according to CTV. The report, which was circulated Thursday and covers a 45-day period in September and October, stressed that competition for South Sudan's natural resources including oil, gold, teak wood and charcoal remains central to the conflict both locally and nationally. The panel of experts said in a report to the Security Council that the world's newest nation must deal with the fragmentation of armed groups and grave human rights abuses, including against children, in addition to the profound deficit of trust among almost all signatories to the September peace deal. The panel report details cases where armed opposition groups profited from the teak trade in Western and Central Equatoria through taxation and protection payments. The experts said they are aware of a number of agreements for advanced payment and direct payment for oil, which accounts for almost 90 per cent of the government's revenue. It said illicit exploitation and trade in gold continue to benefit both government forces and armed groups. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec: The report is the result of work by three historians commissioned by the English Montreal School Board last June to review the controversial history program, which has been criticized by Quebec's Indigenous, anglophone and other cultural communities, according to Toronto Star. Shutterstock The report is the result of work by three historians commissioned by the English Montreal School Board last June to review the controversial history program, which has been criticized by Quebec's Indigenous, anglophone and other cultural communities. Students in the Grade 9 and 10 Canadian and Quebec history classes are being taught a skewed, one-sided view of the past that distorts the historical record, according to the committee report, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press. The program, compulsory in all high schools across the province since September 2017, focuses narrowly on the experience of and events pertaining to the group of French Quebecois from contact until present day, the report says. Article Continued Below The texts largely ignore the contributions of Irish, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, Haitian and other immigrants while offering no indication these groups helped to transform the city of Montreal, it continues. It says Indigenous peoples are presented throughout the course as other and antagonists, rather than human beings whose place was colonized by outsiders. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.