executive chair: DeMarco has served as the longtime executive chair for the Environmental and Land Tribunal and as associate chair for the Conservation Review Board and Environmental Review Tribunal an independent and impartial body that makes decisions on environmental permits and assessments, and was recently recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme for its best practices, according to National Observer. It's a fantastic choice, said Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, who has known DeMarco for some 25 years. Environmentalists are applauding the appointment, noting that DeMarco brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that could serve him well, depending on how the environment office in the auditor general's office is allowed to function. I'm really happy he's filling that role. It shows that they are filling the position vacated by Dianne Saxe former environmental commissioner seriously, Gray added. I think everyone is interested in seeing the degree of independence and effectiveness the office will have now ... but having DeMarco there would bode well for the office. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ont .,: Wickens has posted periodic updates on his recovery following a horrific August crash during an Indy Car race at Pocono, according to CTV. He suffered a thoracic spinal fracture, spinal cord injury, neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, a fractured right forearm, fractured elbow, four fractured ribs and a pulmonary contusion. The 30-year-old driver for Guelph, Ont., announced the news Monday in a video on his Twitter feed. Wickens says he'll drive an Acura NSX with hand controls provided by Arrow, and he says he plans on going fast. I can't wait to get a helmet on and go around in an amazing car. I get to basically be pole position for the race, which is a blast, Wickens said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american drama: The American drama, based on the true story of a Planned Parenthood clinic director in Texas who becomes an anti-abortion speaker, will screen in 14 Cineplex theatres in Canada for a week beginning Friday, according to CTV. It will also screen in 10 Landmark Cinemas as well as some independent theatres in Canada, after a U.S. release that stirred up intense debate on both sides of the issue. Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex, has released a statement that follows up comments the company made last week to The Canadian Press about the film's release. Jacob says showing controversial films on the big screen is not new to him, Cineplex or the industry as a whole, and he's confident the company made the right decision. When I immigrated to Canada back in 1969, one of the things that I loved, and still love, the most about living here was that we didn't shy away from our differences -- we embrace them, Jacob, who was born in India, said in the statement issued Monday. He adds it's important to remember that Canada is a country that values freedom of expression, and that audiences can decide whether or not they want to see the film. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

education provider: Visa delays, concerns over being shut out of research projects and safety fears have turned off Chinese students, according to several admissions consultancies and nearly a dozen parents and students interviewed by AFP. Rival education powerhouses such as Britain, Australia and Canada are the biggest beneficiaries, a survey by New Oriental China's biggest private education provider said, according to CTV. Japan and South Korea -- traditional study abroad destinations for the Chinese elite -- and parts of Europe, especially Germany and Scandinavian countries with strong engineering programs, have also seen an uptick in applications, the survey found. China accounts for nearly a third of foreign students on U.S. campuses who pour billions of dollars into the economy, but in March their numbers dropped for the first time in a decade. The chilling effect started mid-last year, after President Donald Trump's administration slashed the visa duration of students in science and technology fields from five years to one in some cases. Over one third of the roughly 360,000 Chinese students in the U.S. study in STEM fields -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- according to the Institute of International Education in New York. Now there's a lot of uncertainty on whether they can even finish their studies, said Gu Huini, founder of boutique college consultancy Zoom In. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stephen plan: Perhaps there's a subtle distinction that escapes the uneducated layperson's eye, but can someone in Scheer's Conservative parliamentary caucus or Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party explain the difference between Trudeau's restrictions on bitumen exports and Stephen Harper's plan for the same thing Oh, I know, any real Albertan believes Prime Minister Trudeau's bitumen export plan calls for our province's vast resources to be land-locked and the Canadian economy destroyed in the name of airy-fairy environmentalism while former Conservative prime minister Harper's plan was a wise blueprint for their prudent and environmentally friendly development to the benefit of all mankind, according to Rabble. Seriously, though, on closer examination -- which is not easy amid the current nearly hysterical state of political discourse in Alberta fostered by our recent provincial election -- it would appear there's not actually a lot of light between Trudeau's plan now and that of Harper back in the day. Notwithstanding a lack of persuasive evidence, the popularity of this refrain here in Alberta never seems to wane. Leastways, 11 odd years ago, in September 2008, the Reuters News Agency was mildly complaining that Harper's plan would ban exports of tar-like bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to countries that do not match Canada's efforts to cut carbon emissions. The environmentalists because they didn't feel it went far enough, especially with regards to Canada's own emissions, and the industry because it claimed it needed more time to study the details. Say what! According to Reuters, both the fossil fuel industry and environmentalists were perplexed by this Conservative Party of Canada policy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cbsa immigration: Immigration holding centres, sometimes jails The Canada Border Services Agency can detain foreign nationals and permanent residents under certain conditions -- including if they pose security risks or are unlikely to appear for immigration proceedings -- but must first consider all reasonable alternatives, according to CTV. The CBSA says the physical and mental health and well-being of detainees are key considerations. Here's a look at how Canada deals with immigration detainees. A person may be detained at a CBSA immigration holding centre in Toronto, Laval, Que., or Vancouver. The Toronto centre can hold up to 195 detainees, while the Laval one can house up to 109. In other regions, people may be held in provincial jails. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hong: Hong Kong has been riven by huge marches and sometimes disruptive protests for the past month, sparked by proposed changes to extradition laws that would have allowed suspects to be sent to the mainland to face trial, according to CTV. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam suspended the bill and apologized for how it was handled, but protesters want it to be formally withdrawn and for Lam to resign. Chanting Free Hong Kong and words of encouragement to their fellow citizens, wave after wave of demonstrators streamed by a shopping district popular with mainland visitors on a march to the high-speed railway station that connects the semi-autonomous Chinese territory to Guangdong and other mainland cities. Organizers said 230,000 people marched on Sunday, while police estimated the crowd at 56,000. We want to show them the true image and the message of Hong Kongers. We want to show our peaceful, graceful protest to the mainland visitors because the information is rather blocked in mainland, march organizer Ventus Lau said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parking lot: She noticed a woman and two children in her rear-view mirror running for the bus, which closed its doors and drove away before they could make it, according to CTV. We were stopped at a red light, I didn't see any safety hazard why the bus couldn't stop and wait a few extra seconds, but instead, they closed the door and pulled up to the red light, explained Martin. Sunday morning, Martin was driving her car in front of a Halifax Transit bus. Being a mother herself, Martin immediately felt sympathy for the woman and offered to help. So, I turned around up at the next parking lot and swung back to see if they wanted a drive. At one point, I was a mom with a small child and had to take the bus, so, I really felt for her, said Martin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mainland cities: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam suspended the bill and apologized for how it was handled, but protesters want it to be formally withdrawn and for Lam to resign, according to Vancouver Courier. Organizers said 230,000 people marched on Sunday, while police estimated the crowd at 56,000. Chanting Free Hong Kong and words of encouragement to their fellow citizens, wave after wave of demonstrators streamed by a shopping district popular with mainland visitors on a march to the high-speed railway station that connects the semi-autonomous Chinese territory to Guangdong and other mainland cities.article continues below Trending Stories Being gay and grey in Vancouver better than ever Vancouver Pride Society rescinds UBC's entry into annual parade This deadly mushroom has been spotted in the City of Vancouver Scheer's climate plan will look at how Canada can cut emissions elsewhere Hong Kong has been riven by huge marches and sometimes disruptive protests for the past month, sparked by proposed changes to extradition laws that would have allowed suspects to be sent to the mainland to face trial. We want to show our peaceful, graceful protest to the mainland visitors because the information is rather blocked in mainland, march organizer Ventus Lau said. As the crowd broke up Sunday night, a few hundred remained and taunted police who had retreated behind huge barriers set up outside the railway station, while others moved to Canton Road, a street lined with luxury boutique stores. We want to show them the true image and the message of Hong Kongers, Chinese media have not covered the protests widely, focusing on clashes with police and damage to public property. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

melania trump: The humanoid, haunting figure was carved from a tree stump using a chainsaw and painted to emulate the blue dress Melania wore to the 2017 U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony, according to CTV. The statue is the contrivance of American conceptual artist Brad Downey, known for other polarizing works such as Wisdom Testicles,' and was carved by Slovenian local artist Ales Zupevc known as Maxi who was born in the same year and in the same hospital in Sevnica as Melania herself. Who is this mysterious figure a goddess of fertility Is it a tribute to a fallen soldier or perhaps a civil rights movement forerunner Actually, it's none of those it's Melania Trump. Maxi is featured in a documentary explaining his artistic process and his thoughts on everything from the U.S., class division, and immigration while carving, buffing and painting the statue. Reaction to the work has been mixed, to say the least. On Downey's Instagram account, a photo showing the back of the statue named This Echo on a gallery pamphlet, is captioned with an explanation that the piece explores the motive of the tragic mythological figure Echo, who was punished for concealing the god Zeus's infidelity and could only repeat sounds that reached her, and her love for the self-absorbed Narcissus. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cadaver dogs: Officials say a 25-year-old man was paddle boarding when he slipped off his board and fell into the water, according to CTV. The man did not resurface. Lake Louise RCMP were called to the Herbert Lake area on June 30 at around 7 15 p.m. for reports of a drowning. A search, using dive teams, underwater cameras, boat and shore searches and cadaver dogs has been ongoing ever since. His name has not been released. On Saturday morning, police say they found the body of the victim, who was a citizen of India who was working in Lake Louise. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

copycat suicides: Before falling from a shopping mall on June 30, the 29-year-old woman left a message on Facebook that wished for the protesters' success but said she could not carry on, Hong Kong media have reported, according to CTV. A 21-year old student had fallen to her death the previous day, as did a man after hanging a protest banner about two weeks earlier. A mostly youthful gathering placed lit candles and incense at temporary memorials in a square in central Hong Kong. The three deaths have raised concerns about the possibility of copycat suicides among other disaffected people. Matthew Cheung, the chief secretary for administration, said Friday that the government feels deeply sorry and saddened by the suicides and will do all it can to stop the trend. The protesters say Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, has not shown empathy for the victims. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

schedule overruns: Despite his attempts to avoid scrutiny before the election, all he could do was win a minority government, according to Rabble. Ball admitted that Muskrat Falls was the greatest fiscal mistake in Newfoundland and Labrador's history in the public inquiry today. That's probably one of the major reasons Ball called the 2019 election early in order to avoid his own public inquiry testimony creating large political re-election problems for him. Liberal Premier Dwight Ball took the stand Thursday at the public inquiry into cost and schedule overruns that have plagued the controversial dam on Labrador's lower Churchill River. Ball, who called the inquiry under intense public pressure, has called Muskrat Falls the greatest fiscal mistake in Newfoundland and Labrador's history. The 824-megawatt dam has essentially doubled in costs to more than 12.7 billion since it was sanctioned by a former Progressive Conservative government in 2012. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media accounts: Now, we're also adding a weekly round-up to bring you a condensed version of the week in disinformation-related news, according to National Observer. This edition includes a viral video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G20 summit, a scandal-plagued robocall firm implicated in a mysterious mass text-messaging campaign, signs of foreign interference targeting Canada's election, evidence that Russia's 2016 influence operation may have boosted support for Donald Trump, not-so-great results from an external audit of Facebook and more. Through the Election Integrity Reporting Project, we're publishing exclusive investigations, in-depth analyses, fact-checks and breaking news, spanning topics from climate change to hate groups to fake social media accounts and beyond. Edited video of Trudeau Global News shared a video late last week that appeared to show Prime Minister Justin Trudeau being snubbed by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. The clip ended at that point. Trudeau was seen motioning to Bolsonaro, only to watch as the Brazilian president turned his back, seemingly giving Trudeau the cold shoulder and ignoring his attempt at a handshake. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

claims processing: Only five families were relocated to an alternate location through this program before it ended, according to CTV. While successful as a proof of concept, it is apparent that a larger or more sustained program would require close provincial support, said Marie-Emmanuelle Cadieux, spokeswoman for Border Security Minister Bill Blair. The federal government says it needed buy-in from the province of Ontario for this program to be fully implemented -- something it was not able to secure. The triage program was announced last year after the Quebec government and the city of Toronto called on the federal government for help in dealing with an influx of asylum seekers flooding their temporary housing. That wait can take up to two years due to backlogs in claims processing. Ottawa's response was a plan to triage arriving migrants to see if they would be willing to settle in areas outside of Montreal or Toronto to await the outcomes of their refugee claims. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant parents: Not only are French classes free for immigrants in Quebec, but the state pays them to take the courses, according to CTV. It also subsidizes daycare costs for immigrant parents who study French. One of the Coalition Avenir Quebec's main pitches to get elected last fall was to temporarily reduce immigration and ensure the newcomers who are accepted can integrate by learning the province's only official language. Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette told reporters Friday he's sweetening the pot to gently push more newcomers to register for courses. Immigrants who take part-time French will now receive 15 a day, up from nothing. His department will spend an extra 70 million a year, he said, to create 300 new classes, hire 80 more teachers, and increase the weekly stipend for people who take full-time courses from 141 to 185. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

malaysia show: I'm sorry to the fans that came out to the Malaysia show, she wrote in an Instagram post, according to CTV. I was detained and arrested midway through my set and...confined in a living hell. The 20-year-old Pretty Girl singer, who found fame after posting videos on social media, was doing a show at a Kuala Lumpur shopping mall on June 21 when she was detained. Kuala Lumpur immigration chief Hamidi Adam said she was arrested for failing to have the correct permit for an artist performing in Malaysia. She wants to do a show in our country, she has to apply for a professional visit pass, he told AFP. But the organizer did not listen to advice and they proceeded with the show. Immigration officers detained her after a tip-off and she was released the following day, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee movements: Yet, in the frenzy of consumeristic celebration, we risk leaving behind those most marginalised within the LGBT community, according to Rabble. That is the case of LGBT refugees, as the one we recently saw in BBC's recent series Years and Years. To make these year's Pride festivals even more special, the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising is being celebrated as well. The series depicts a not so distant dystopia, full of rabble-rousing politicians, military interventions, refugee movements, nuclear conflicts, omnipresent technology, and glaring socio-economic inequality. Sexual minorities who claim asylum the UK are often treated appallingly some are detained indefinitely without having committed any crime, they are barred from working no matter how long their asylum claim takes, and good legal representation is hard to find. In this daunting scenario we meet Viktor Goraya, a gay man escaping torture and persecution in Ukraine seeking international protection as a refugee in the mpu mobile top mpu tablet Years and Years gets many things right. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

centre stage: As rain fell on him, Trump called on Americans to stay true to our cause during a program that adhered to patriotic themes and hailed a mix of history's heroes, from the armed forces, space, civil rights and other endeavours of American life, according to CTV. Trump largely stuck to his script, avoiding diversions into his agenda or reelection campaign . But in one exception, he vowed, Very soon, we will plant the American flag on Mars, actually a distant goal not likely to be achieved until late in the 2020s if even then. Supporters welcomed his tribute to the U.S. military while protesters assailed him for putting himself centre stage on a holiday devoted to unity. A late afternoon downpour drenched the capital's Independence Day crowds, and Trump's speech unfolded in occasional rain. By adding his own one-hour Salute to America production to capital festivities that typically draw hundreds of thousands of people anyway, Trump became the first president in nearly seven decades to address a crowd at the National Mall on the Fourth of July. The warplanes and presidential aircraft he had summoned conducted their flyovers as planned, capped by the Navy Blue Angels aerobatics team. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

executive director: Intolerable, according to CTV. Brutal. Shameful. Mounting revelations about squalid and dangerously overcrowded conditions at Border Patrol holding centres have fueled public outrage heading into the Fourth of July weekend, with protesters taking to the streets and social media to decry the situation as un-American and unacceptable. Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, called that troublesome given the government's track record on abuses and child neglect that we have seen nationally. The swelling furor over U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration polices comes as the administration said Wednesday that it is looking for more properties to permanently hold unaccompanied children who cross the border. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

naomi campbell: Here are some highlights from Wednesday's fall-winter 2019 couture displays, according to CTV. VALENTINO IS ORIGINAL Luscious green trees that were installed inside the Valentino venue scraped the ceiling, wafted in fresh air and provided some shade for celebrities Paltrow, Dion, Naomi Campbell and Kristin Scott Thomas as the Paris sun scorched guests. Meanwhile, Jean Paul Gaultier followed through on his pledge to go fur free, as Elie Saab reached a creative high with inspiration from China. This season, Pierpaolo Piccioli celebrated the organic In its literal sense, through floral and bird-shaped embroideries, and figuratively, with ethnic fringes, crystals, gold baubles and sections that seemed to grow out of dresses and headpieces. Collar bands that were constructed with beautiful black feathers mixed with long, Renaissance-looking intarsia capes. It made for a highly original show. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

illness: The theme served to provide a sense of continuity for Viard's couture debut -- but it was a display that proved the relatively-unknown 57-year-old can hold her own, according to CTV. Here are some highlights of Tuesday's fall-winter couture collections, including celebrity-magnet Armani Prive. ------ BOOKISH CHANEL Lagerfeld's personal library of around 300,000 books, with its several librarians, featured prominently during a poignant memorial for him last month. For Viard's first-ever solo couture show, both Chanel, the woman, and Lagerfeld, the house's longtime German-born designer who died in February, were invoked through their well-known passion for books. It's an illness, I'm not afraid to admit it, he once said. Viard did not need a crutch to sell her couture, however. So, it was a touching gesture by Viard -- his longtime head of studio -- to keep his memory alive at the Chanel fall-winter couture show by creating a two-level library in the Grand Palais, bursting with tomes of classic French writers such as Baudelaire and Verlaine on wooden shelves, to display the designs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: In responding to a question about whether his own reincarnation could be a woman, and suggesting that if she were she should be attractive, His Holiness genuinely meant no offence, the statement said, according to CTV. He is deeply sorry that people have been hurt by what he said and offers his sincere apologies. The Tibetan spiritual leader made no apology however for saying that U.S. President Donald Trump had a lack of moral principle and complicated emotions. The comments, which attracted criticism around the world, were made in an interview with the British broadcaster aired last week from the Nobel Peace Prize winner's exile in Dharamsala in northern India. If female Dalai Lama, oh, oh... that people, I think prefer, not see her, that face. If female Dalai Lama comes, then she should be more attractive, he had said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trade practices: Two former Chrysler executives who worked with him, Bud Liebler, the company's former spokesman, and Bob Lutz, formerly its head of product development, said they were told of the death Tuesday by a close associate of Iacocca's family, according to CTV. In his 32-year career at Ford, and then at Chrysler, Iacocca helped launch some of Detroit's bestselling and most significant vehicles, including the minivan, the Chrysler K-cars and the Mustang. He was 94. He also spoke out against what he considered unfair trade practices by Japanese automakers. During the peak of his popularity in the '80s, he was famous for his TV ads and catchy tagline If you can find a better car, buy it! He wrote two bestselling books and was courted as a presidential candidate. The son of Italian immigrants, Iacocca reached a level of celebrity matched by few auto moguls. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

starbucks canada: I always wanted to do the right thing, Feistner said, according to National Observer. I have to try so I can sleep better at night, I've got to do something. So they decided to spend a few more cents per cup so that customers of the caf on Toronto's eastside could sip their on-the-go lattes and cappuccinos from biodegradable cups. A plastic-free cup from Kotkamills could help cheaply solve Canada's throwaway coffee cup problem -- so why are Tim Hortons, Starbucks Canada, Second CupCanada and McDonalds Canada dragging their feet 5th Estate sips espressos and investigates But a couple of years later, he learned the city does not collect and sort the throwaway items into compost and they instead end up in landfill. City officials say they have always used an anaerobic digestion process that cannot break down the cups. Feistner's well-meaning efforts to reduce his livelihood's waste output were foiled. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bond hearings: Attorney General William Barr announced in April that the government would no longer offer such hearings, but instead keep them in custody, according to CTV. It was part of the administration's efforts to deter a surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman ruled Tuesday that people who are detained after entering the country illegally to seek protection are entitled to bond hearings. Pechman said that as people who have entered the U.S., they are entitled to the Fifth Amendment's due-process protections, including a longstanding prohibition against indefinite civil detention with no opportunity to test its necessity. The court reaffirmed what has been settled for decades that asylum-seekers who enter this country have a right to be free from arbitrary detention, Matt Adams, legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, said in a written statement. Immigrant rights advocates including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project sued to block the policy, which was due to take effect July 15. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.