Federal Open Market Committee: The loonie advanced 0.4 of a cent to 94.38 cents US as the greenback weakened in the afternoon after having gained ground against other currencies earlier following the passage of a budget agreement in Congress Thursday night, according to Times Colonist. But a string of strong data last week, capped by a solid employment report for November, has raised concerns that the Fed could act when the Federal Open Market Committee meets Dec. 17-18 and TORONTO - The Canadian dollar closed higher Friday with traders focused on the Federal Reserve and whether the central bank will move to cut back on monetary stimulus at its interest rate meeting next week. Expectations about the Fed tapering its US$85 billion a month of bond purchases have changed over the last month. Previously markets largely expected that the central bank would hold off until March when incoming chair Janet Yellen is settled in her new job. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Federal Reserve: TORONTO The Toronto stock market closed little changed Friday with buyers not inclined to do much on hopes that a meeting of the Federal Reserve next week will provide clarity on whether the central bank is set to start reducing its monetary stimulus, according to The Chronicle Herald. The Canadian dollar closed up 0.4 of a cent at 94.38 cents US and The S P/TSX composite index was 11.31 points higher at 13,125.7. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Government Whip John Duncan: Staffers must sign the agreement, which was approved by the all-party Board of Internal Economy in March and came into effect on April 1, in order to receive a raise or if they change jobs, according to CTV. When asked on s Power Play Thursday if he was prepared to do the same, Duncan said sure and Government Whip John Duncan says he will work collaboratively with the NDP to revisit the language in a controversial lifetime confidentiality agreement that MPs staffers are being asked to sign. The agreements strong language raised questions on Parliament Hill earlier this week, and the New Democrats pledged to revisit the document. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Halifax Regional Municipality: Sometime early in the new year, Halifax Regional Municipality is going to roll out its new 2014 immigration strategy. The federal funds have been secured, the new co-ordinator has been hired and the initial three-year budget has been approved. The new strategy will replace the old 2005 immigration strategy, which many politicians and most local business and academic leaders agree has mostly been a failure, according to The Chronicle Herald. As a new immigrant to Halifax, I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a waste of money this is. Halifax doesnt have an international branding problem. The world loves Halifax. Its a beautiful city, on a beautiful harbour. It has a rich sense of history. Halifax has some of the cleanest air in the world. It has great neighbourhoods and a strong sense of community. It has a multitude of universities and all the amenities a family would need and The new strategy will follow on the heels of the recent announcement that the city will be spending $217,000 to have a Bedford ad agency rebrand the Halifax name with the hope of making the city a destination" for new immigrants. Halifaxs immigration strategy, in effect, is getting a 2014 reboot. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Kyle Lowry: Expect Kyle Lowry to be the target for the next little while, according to The Star. He isnt sitting around fretting and worrying about what the future holds. His teammates arent going to let him get the least bit bent out of shape and It is the gallows humour of professional sports, those dead man walking moments when teammates are hanging out in the privacy of the locker room trying to drown out the noise of the rumour mill churning. Lowry is seen as the most marketable of the trade-anxious Raptors at the moment, a handful of NBA teams have called to inquire about him, and a Thursday frenzy hammered that point home. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Richard Jerman: Richard Jerman is scheduled to go before a detention review hearing with immigration officials at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada in Vancouver at 2 p.m. , according to Times Colonist. If there is any justice or common sense or compassion in this world they would say why did even go nab this guy away from his family? May said. Hes not a public security threat. Hes lived quietly, and peaceably, and hes been a major healing force in the community and the community garden where the residential school used to be. Update: Jermans lawyer and supporters are fighting to keep the father and grandfather in the country. If officials decide upon a removal order, Green leader MP Elizabeth May said she will ask Canadas Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney to intervene. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Steve Ellis: Steve Ellis was convicted of breach of trust and bribery in 2010 and sentenced to 18 months behind bars, according to The Star. He told the anxious woman he hadnt yet decided her case, but was leaning towards rejecting her claim. What Ellis didnt know is that the woman and her boyfriend were covertly taping the conversation. Ellis was arrested two weeks later and A former immigration judge who tried to bribe a refugee claimant into having sex with him by suggesting he d sway a decision in her case has once again put off serving his time in jail. In 2006, Ellis, then a married man, told the anxious woman while meeting for coffee that he wanted to do things together on the side. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Thunder Bay-Superior North riding: Hyer made the announcement on Friday morning in his Thunder Bay-Superior North riding, accompanied by May, according to The Star. Our three largest parties are trapped in old style, 20th century politics, with little compromise or co-operation. The Greens are the party of the 21st century. They are the party of the future. They are putting principle ahead of political partisanship. They have the best platform and they have the best leader and OTTAWA The tiny Green Party caucus has just doubled in size, with the announcement that former NDP MP Bruce Hyer is teaming up to sit as a Green in the Commons, beside leader Elizabeth May . Yes, I am joining the Green Party , Hyer says, in remarks prepared for the press conference at Finlandia restaurant in Thunder Bay. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Christine Melnick: The report of the Manitoba ombudsman into the alleged partisan action of a senior civil servant speaks to the grey areas and blurred lines that make it difficult to offer precise guidelines for appropriate relations between elected officials and administrators. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Then-immigration minister Christine Melnick was at the centre of the storm because it was her assistant deputy minister, Ben Rempel, who invited civil servants and others to the legislature last year to back a government motion on immigration. She said the invitation was not her idea, a falsehood that raised questions about the integrity and political neutrality of her deputy, who was merely following Melnick's orders. DALE CUMMINGS / It does not, however, say a word about the deceit and deception that characterized the conduct of several ministers who dodged, ducked and evaded every question in the legislature about the affair. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Nova Scotia: Economically, immigrants in Nova Scotia are doing better than those in other parts of Canada. Immigrants here have higher average incomes, lower unemployment rates and depend less on employment insurance. In addition, immigrants in Nova Scotia are more likely to work in their fields than those in other regions. Over the last several years, the immigrant retention rate has continued to rise, with about 75 per cent of all immigrants to Nova Scotia staying here. This is a significant improvement over the previous decade, when only about 48 per cent stayed, according to The Chronicle Herald. There are also other reasons for our improved retention rate. The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration has always focused on retention and has carefully designed programs to attract those who will be able to settle and integrate in our province. In addition, for several years, it has been funding more targeted settlement programs both onsite as well as online across the province and around the world, pre-arrival. These programs provide very specific and practical support for improving English and pre-employment skills and With a new provincial government prepared to make immigration a priority for Nova Scotia, just what is the current situation? The answers may be surprising. Clearly, this is a good-news story that is not told often enough. Most people prospective immigrants included expect that newcomers would do better economically in larger centres with significant ethnic communities. However, research shows that immigrants in small centres may in fact benefit from not being part of large ethnic groups. Those in small centres improve their English language skills more quickly, as they are more immersed in the language. While immigrants in large cities often find work quickly through their ethnic networks, that work is frequently in the form of survival jobs with low pay and not much chance of advancement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.