Victor Lotto: To celebrate the concept, I made an advance visit to the home and studio of Victor Lotto. In addition to a lifetime of gainful employment, parenting three sons, and travelling the world, Lotto has since childhood made time for painting. With his wife, Nicky, he shares a home filled with art by those he admires Jack Reid, Owen Goward, Brian Travers-Smith, Allan Edwards, Harry Heine and Keith Hiscock to name a few. We repaired for a chat in his basement studio which opens out onto the backyard. , according to Times Colonist. In telling the tale of his extraordinarily varied career, Lotto mentioned a few positions he held with the Canadian government. Early on he was a junior consular officer in Beirut, travelling to Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Baghdad. He came back to reality with a posting to Detroit. Then, he and his wife and first son were based in Milan. I got to do a little painting and see an awful lot of Italy, he recalled. I had the opportunity to meet Jean Paul Riopelle when he had a show in Milan and I was acting consul general. We had a long chat and, of course, I gave him advice in how to paint, he chuckled. The 12th Oak Bay Artists Studio Tour takes place this weekend, a show that gives you a chance to visit artists not represented by commercial galleries. Twenty-seven artists welcome you into their studios in many cases in their homes. This way of doing things is an old and honourable Victoria tradition. Lotto, born in Toronto in 1935, was selected by his elementary-school teacher for classes at the Art Gallery of Ontario. At Jarvis Collegiate he edited the school magazine and went on to the University of Toronto. While studying political science and economic history there, he also painted with Aba Bayefsky and worked with Douglas Duncan at the legendary Picture Loan Society. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Commissioner Ann Cavoukian: Her office will investigate the matter and ensure that the personal health information of Ontarians is not being compromised by any organizations under my jurisdiction, Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian said in an email to Ontarios New Democrats, who requested her help, according to 660 News. NDP provincial health critic France Gelinas said shes been contacted by three people who have been denied entry to the U.S. based on their personal health history and TORONTO Ontarios privacy watchdog is probing reports that private health information is being shared with U.S. border services, saying its a matter of grave concern to her. Cavoukian added that shes already contacted the Health Ministry to confirm that no personal health details are being provided to U.S. border services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Commissioner Ann Cavoukian: Her office "will investigate the matter and ensure that the personal health information of Ontarians is not being compromised by any organizations under my jurisdiction," Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian said in an email to Ontario's New Democrats, who requested her help. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. NDP provincial health critic France Gelinas said she's been contacted by three people who have been denied entry to the U.S. based on their personal health history. TORONTO - Ontario's privacy watchdog is probing reports that private health information is being shared with U.S. border services, saying it's a matter "of grave concern" to her. Cavoukian added that she's already contacted the Health Ministry to confirm that no personal health details are being provided to U.S. border services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

IWK Health Centre: has been telling Nova Scotians stories, in one form or another, since 1824. But this year has been a period of unprecedented change, according to The Chronicle Herald. We also doubled the output of Herald Magazine, launched a new magazine Izaak in partnership with the IWK Health Centre, expanded our flyer pack and produced two new books: Drawing Opinions, featuring cartoons by Bruce MacKinnon and Michael de Adder and related articles, and Unstoppable, the story of the Halifax Mooseheads and the road to the Memorial Cup and We redesigned our Monday to Friday newspaper, ended our Sunday Herald, launched our Weekend Chronicle Herald, paid online subscriptions and local weekly newspapers and enhanced our website. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Chris Brillinger: The programs should be a core part of the system, said Chris Brillinger, the citys executive director of social development, finance and administration, according to The Star. The province implemented a youth action plan after the Eaton Centre and Danzig shootings last year, providing funding for a number of initiatives such as summer and after-school job creation and more outreach workers to benefit all young people and City officials are asking the province to fund critical gang-intervention programs which are missing from a youth action plan put in place after gang-related violence in 2012 . We need to be more specific, more deliberate in looking at youth most at risk of violence and victimization, said Brillinger. Right now, those kids, they re not in the system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Alon Nashman: Theatre preview, according to Winnipeg Free Press. RMTC Warehouse Writer-actor Alon Nashman with a statue of his muse, John Hirsch. MIKE DEAL / Photo Store Hirsch (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ditch Records: When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. doors at 7 , according to Times Colonist. Tickets: $20 at Lyles Place, Ditch Records and ticketweb.ca What: Shad with We Are the City Where: Sugar Nightclub (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

labour laws: The Official Opposition wants to change labour laws so employees in unionized workplaces are no longer compelled to pay dues even if they don't join the union, according to CTV. "We need to modernize our labour laws and that starts with giving workers a choice, and it's simple: do they want to join a union and pay union dues or not." TORONTO -- The Liberals and New Democrats went on the attack Thursday, warning a Progressive Conservative proposal to make Ontario a so-called "right-to-work" province, would kill jobs, not create them. "Ontario is one of the only places in the world where people have to be forced to join a union in order to take employment, and that's wrong," said PC labour critic Monte McNaughton. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Lev Tahor: Members of the group, known as Lev Tahor, left Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Que., last week for Chatham, Ont., where they were busy on Monday unloading mattresses and appliances into new homes, according to CTV. The group insists its doing nothing illegal and An ultra-Orthodox Jewish community that fled Quebec for Ontario amid an investigation into alleged child neglect says its being targeted by authorities for its religious practices. The sudden move has authorities on alert, as Quebec social services was investigating the group for alleged child neglect, including failing to provide proper healthcare, hygiene and education. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Torontos Chinese Canadian Community Service Centre: Chinese-language classified and online ads are forever seeking yue-sao or postpartum doulas who tend to a new mother and her babys emotional and physical needs for the first month after birth, according to The Star. A three-day course at Torontos Chinese Canadian Community Service Centre is so popular that theres a waiting list and Part nurse, Chinese medicine practitioner, nanny and caregiver, Sharon Keung has job skills much in demand by new parents in the Chinese-Canadian community. The demand is so high that recruitment services for experienced yue-sao have sprung up and social agencies are starting to offer short-term training programs in Greater Toronto and Vancouver. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.