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.

Canadian experience: Al Sabery was faced with the classic immigrant dilemma. He needed Canadian experience to upgrade his qualifications, but no one would hire him without Canadian experience, according to The Star. Simply requiring Canadian experience is an excuse for not taking the time to evaluate international credentials and expertise and Al Sabery has an engineering degree from the University of Baghdad and wanted to become licensed in Ontario. However, to meet the requirements he had to work for a full year in Canada under the supervision of a licensed engineer. We come with very rich experience, says Al Sabery, who is president of the Canadian Network of Iraqi Engineers and Architects . (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Minister Jason Kenney: The exhibit "Enemy Aliens, Prisoners of War: Canada's First World War Internment Operations 1914-1920" marks the thousands of Canadians who were taken prisoner by their own country during the First World War, according to Huffington Post. Federal Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney said the event is something he recalls with "sadness and some shame." BANFF, Alta. - A little-known dark period of Canadian history is now a permanent exhibit in Banff National Park. The 8,500 civilian prisoners, most of Ukrainian descent, were arrested and held in internment camps only because they were originally from Eastern Europe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jason Kenney: This should not be seen as a Canada vs. Quebec issue, Kenney told s Question Period. I know that the separatist government would like to frame it that way, according to CTV. Kenney said that many Quebecers, including municipal politicians in the Montreal region and even very serious Quebec nationalist commentators, have criticized the PQs values charter, which needs approval from the legislature before it can become law and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney says Quebecs proposed charter of values, which would ban religious clothing and symbols in public-sector workplaces, should not be seen as a divide between the province and the rest of the country. Earlier this week, the provinces minority Parti Quebecois government unveiled a contentious plan to prevent public sector employees, including hospital workers, teachers and police officers, from wearing hijabs, niqabs, turbans, kippas and other ostentatious religious symbols, such as large crucifixes, while at work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Catholic theology: Failing the decency test, Editorial Sept. 12, according to The Star. Nothing in the Bible or Catholic theology requires the wearing of a cross, yet this will be permitted. Muslim women are supposed to dress modestly, but nothing in the Qur an calls for wearing a burqa or niqab or says that a womans face has to be covered this is an extremely narrow cultural interpretation, unlike the wearing of turbans by male Sikhs. Quebecs proposed charter is clearly not a level playing field and Re: Failing the decency test, Editorial Sept. 12 s editorial refers to minorities whose religions call for some visible declaration of faith. That is not the case of many of the things that would be banned or allowed by the proposed charter in Quebec. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Halifax Commons: They stretch, they lunge. They rotate their necks like boxers waiting for the bell to ring. Like schoolchildren, grown men who have competed for their countries on the world stage do jumping jacks, according to The Chronicle Herald. Some of the sounds are familiar for anyone who has ever set foot on a baseball diamond: the crack of wood against ball and the appreciative murmur that accompanies a dazzling catch or throw and Things move slowly late on a recent Saturday morning on the Halifax Commons, slower still on a July scorcher without a breath of wind to slack the throbbing heat. But, at 30 minutes to match time, the lads are there anyway, warming up in that languid way that seems to cut across all sports. When the last player drains a Tim Hortons iced cappuccino and another butts out his smoke, they jog as one up and down the hot grass. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Frank Planes: Frank Planes, 27, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the girl between June 2009 and December 2010, and to two charges of failing to comply with court-ordered conditions not to contact her and not to consume alcohol. , according to Times Colonist. Johnston also sentenced Planes to two months for breaching the no-contact order and to one month, to be served consecutively, for consuming alcohol. This means Planes will spend the next year in jail. A Sooke man who was expected to follow in his grandfathers footsteps as hereditary chief of the T Souke First Nation has been sentenced to nine months in jail for sexually assaulting a teenage girl. I bear in mind the impact these convictions have had, and will have, on Mr. Planes relationship with his aboriginal community, said B.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Johnston on Friday. Until these convictions, there was some chance he was to be the hereditary chief That may no longer be a real possibility, and this is a significant consequence to Mr. Planes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ambassador Francisco Suarez: Ambassador Francisco Suarez told The Canadian Press in an exclusive interview that Mexico is so upset that if the issue isn't resolved by next year, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto might have to postpone a planned visit to Canada, according to CTV. "We're now saying it's a major irritant," said Suarez, who assumed his new post in Ottawa three months ago and OTTAWA -- The Mexican ambassador to Canada says his country is "really mad" at the Harper government for the continued imposition of a visa on its travellers here. That would cast a shadow over the festivities that Mexico and Canada are planning for 2014 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ryan Remiorz: MONTREAL -- Thousands jammed the streets of Montreal on Saturday afternoon to denounce Quebec's proposed charter of values, calling on Premier Pauline Marois to put an end to "politics of division." , according to Winnipeg Free Press. A group from a local mosque walked with a large banner that read: "Multi-faith gathering for peace." Ryan Remiorz / The Canadian Press Demonstrators take part in a protest against Quebecs controversial proposed charter of values in Montreal on Saturday. CP The protest march, billed as an inclusive, multicultural event, drew many members of the Muslim and Sikh communities in particular. Others who claimed no religious allegiance also took part. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Noman Safdar: The protest march, billed as an inclusive, multicultural event, drew many members of the Muslim and Sikh communities in particular. Others who claimed no religious allegiance also took part, according to Huffington Post. This is a time for all religions to come together for what they believe in," said Noman Safdar, a 24-year-old engineer who was helping hold up the sign and MONTREAL - Thousands jammed the streets of Montreal on Saturday afternoon to denounce Quebec's proposed charter of values, calling on Premier Pauline Marois to put an end to "politics of division." A group from a local mosque walked with a large banner that read: Multi-faith gathering for peace." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Leader Darrell Dexter: On a day when he announced a New Democrat government would create 25 new long-term-care beds in Antigonish, Dexter said his party has proved during its four years in office they have the ideas and fiscal prudence to keep going, according to The Chronicle Herald. Those services include expanded dental care and insulin pumps for young people, initiatives to keep seniors in their homes longer and a recently announced plan to create new long-term-care beds, facilities and home-care services in the next few years and NDP Leader Darrell Dexter says he believes it will be one of the seminal questions in this election campaign : What party is best suited to deal with the continuing challenges facing health care? We took the money in the health-care envelope and used the ability to innovate in programs to supply much better services, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.