western province: Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman, who also serves as the province health minister, will replace Notley as Alberta representative, according to Metro News. British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, who is hosting the annual gathering, said emergency management will be at the forefront of the discussions as the blaze in Fort McMurray, Alta., forces tens of thousands to flee the encroaching flames."Alberta in the midst of it at the moment, but every other western province experiences forest fires, floods, concerns about earthquakes and other disasters," Clark said on Wednesday. "So that going to be a major focus for us."Still, Clark said much of the conference would also centre around the economy, given what she described as Western Canada role in a national context."We have traditionally been the economic engine of the country for the last decade," she said. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley will no longer attend the 2016 Western Premiers' Conference, which is scheduled to run Thursday and Friday. The meeting will also focus on job creation, immigration and infrastructure investment, and she will push her counterparts to reach consensus on renegotiating a softwood lumber deal with the United States, Clark said. Brian Pallister was officially sworn into office in Manitoba on Tuesday, two days before the conference was scheduled to begin."Premier Pallister is very much looking forward to meeting and improving relations with our Western neighbours," said Olivia Billson, a spokeswoman for the premier. Two provincial elections have taken place since last year conference, and premiers will be making room for a new face at the table. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Hamilton Spectator: Those were the final words put to 24-year-old Noudga as she wrapped up a five-day stint on the stand Wednesday at her former lover first-degree murder trial, according to Toronto Star. I deserve you and you deserve me, Millard wrote to her in a secret letter from jail back in January 2014, despite a no-contact order. By Molly Hayes The Hamilton Spectator10:14 PM, Wed., May 4, 2016 Dellen Millard and Christina Noudga deserve each other. In the final moments of his cross-examination, lawyer Thomas Dungey pointed to these words — displayed on screens around the courtroom — and Noudga agreed they were her former boyfriend’s. Article Continued Below Millard, 30, is on trial with his friend Mark Smich, 28, for first-degree murder. With that, Dungey announced he had no further questions and Noudga was excused. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Cruz Ohio Governor John Kasich: Not out of fondness for Cruz , but out of fear for what his departure means, according to Toronto Star. Donald Trump, barring some unforeseen upheaval, will be the Republican nominee for president. Wed., May 4, 2016 It is a strange political season in which the failure of a Ted Cruz presidential bid inspires not uncomplicated glee, but queasiness. Let that sink in. That leaves Trump alone in the race. In the wake of Trump decisive victory in the Indiana Republican primary on Tuesday, both Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich suspended their campaigns. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Tonda Mac Charles Ottawa Bureau: In a wide-ranging news conference to mark his government six-month anniversary in power, Trudeau adopted a diplomatic silence over the rise of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP presidential candidate, according to Toronto Star. Trudeau said he looks forward to working closely with the next American president regardless of who that may be on issues of common interest like trade, economic growth and innovation — things that we’re going to be able to line up on. By Tonda Mac Charles Ottawa Bureau reporter Wed., May 4, 2016 OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau downplayed concern over protectionist trade talk on the U.S. campaign trail as he announced he will host President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in June and boasted of progress on bilateral irritants. I think one of the things we see in any electoral campaign, including electoral campaigns here in Canada, is a bit of rhetoric around protectionism that tends to dissipate a little bit once the election has come and gone, Trudeau told reporters. Article Continued Below Still, Trump has amped up the rhetoric during the 2016 debates. During the 2008 U.S. primary campaign, then-Democratic nomination rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama said they would renegotiate NAFTA, but once Obama was elected president and Clinton became his secretary of state, there was no bid to reopen the trade deal. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mental health services: The money – granted to the Catholic Centre for Immigrants, the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization and World Skills – will be used to subsidize Syrian refugees’ rent fees or resolve any landlord issues, according to Metro News. It will also be used to provide mental health services and help with the job hunt, including language training. The Community Foundations of Canada, which represents 191 community foundations across the country, announced the welcome fund donation on Wednesday. Newcomer families are already disproportionately represented in our family shelter system, said Carl Nicholson, executive director of the Catholic Centre for Immigrants. His organization has raised about $480,000 on its own. And so it absolutely critical that we invest in helping this newest and biggest community of newcomers avoid the need for shelter support. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee resettlement program: McCallum committed to private groups to bring as many as 10,000 Syrians by the end of this year or early next, a response to the outcry that erupted when the government massive Syrian refugee resettlement program ended and the processing of applications returned to a far slower pace, according to Hamilton Spectator. Hundreds of groups protested, saying they'd raising thousands of dollars, rented apartments and lined up other supports for Syrians under the assumption that while the large-scale airlifts might be over, helping Syrians would remain a top priority for government. Existing and retired staff from the Immigration Department are set to head overseas this month to begin working through hundreds of applications submitted by private groups across the country, Immigration Minister John McCallum said Wednesday. "We're doing everything we can to honour our commitment to deliver the refugees who had been applied for by March 30," McCallum said. The fact it was now going to take more than a year to bring people over left many groups frustrated. What role the military could play in the second round hasn't been decided, McCallum said. "I don't know if military people will go back or not but we're in close conversation with them and certainly people from my department, and some retired people, are going to be going back certainly this month," he said. The government had resettled 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada between November and the end of February by deploying hundreds of staff overseas to process applications, including members of the Canadian Forces who helped handled medical and security screening. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Immigration Department: McCallum committed to private groups to bring as many as 10,000 Syrians by the end of this year or early next, a response to the outcry that erupted when the government massive Syrian refugee resettlement program ended and the processing of applications returned to a far slower pace, according to CTV. Hundreds of groups protested, saying they'd raising thousands of dollars, rented apartments and lined up other supports for Syrians under the assumption that while the large-scale airlifts might be over, helping Syrians would remain a top priority for government. Existing and retired staff from the Immigration Department are set to head overseas this month to begin working through hundreds of applications submitted by private groups across the country, Immigration Minister John McCallum said Wednesday. "We're doing everything we can to honour our commitment to deliver the refugees who had been applied for by March 30," McCallum said. The fact it was now going to take more than a year to bring people over left many groups frustrated. What role the military could play in the second round hasn't been decided, McCallum said. "I don't know if military people will go back or not but we're in close conservation with them and certainly people from my department, and some retired people, are going to be doing back certainly this month," he said. The government had resettled 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada between November and the end of February by deploying hundreds of staff overseas to process applications, including members of the Canadian Forces who helped handled medical and security screening. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ethnic community: Their dialogue is translated in subtitles in the film, which opens Friday in Toronto and Vancouver. "That decision to have everybody speak Russian was fundamental to making the film," says Bezmozgis, who twice been shortlisted for the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize. "I wouldn't have made it otherwise, according to The Chronicle Herald. In part, I think it anybody from a certain ethnic community who seen people play you, people play your community, and they're just not authentic to it, people putting on accents, et cetera. "Sometimes you can kind of understand why and other times you think, 'You should have just cast normal Russians to play Russians' or 'You should have cast Arabic speakers to play Arabs.' Also, the story demanded it." "Natasha" is Bezmozgis second film after 2009 "Victoria Day." He adapted it himself from his short story collection that won a slew of honours and praise, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for best first book. But he initially didn't think it could get done "because it needed all this Russian-speaking material in it." In telling the story of a teenaged son of Russian immigrants in Toronto who bonds with a newly arrived girl from Moscow, Bezmozgis was insistent that his characters actually speak in their native tongue. Russian-born, Toronto-based Alex Ozerov stars as 16-year-old Mark, who facing pressure from his Russian-Jewish family to get a summer job. She from New York and it was pure luck and circumstance and coincidence that we found her and she found us." Bezmozgis, who was born in Riga, Latvia, says the story isn't autobiographical, but the context of it reflects his own childhood and upbringing in Toronto, where he and his parents moved in 1980. "That community of Bathurst and Steeles ... that Russian-Jewish immigrant family, all of that is where I come from." Bezmozgis updated the original story, which was set in the '90s, in part because of a pornography plotline involving Natasha. When his uncle enters into an arranged marriage with a younger woman from Moscow, Mark becomes close with her troubled 14-year-old daughter Natasha, played by Sasha K. Gordon. "Finding Natasha was very difficult," says Bezmozgis, who looked for his cast in Canada and Israel. "The woman who plays her, Sasha Gordon, it her first time on a real film set. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: Rating: NNNDavid Bezmozgis film adaptation of the title tale of his 2005 collection maintains the key kernel of the short story: how can you know who telling the truth It summer and 16-year-old Mark , the son of Russian immigrants to Toronto, is bored and horny, according to NOW Magazine. When his uncle buys himself a Russian bride, Mark is dubious about the marriage but fascinated by his new aunt 14-year-old daughter, Natasha . The girl is young but worldly, able to deploy her sexuality in a combination of desperate and cunning ways. Opens Friday . See listing. But her mother Zina may also be a sketchy character. Is Natasha for real or is Zina right that she can’t be trusted. As their conflict deepens, you never know who right and who wrong. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ethnic community: Their dialogue is translated in subtitles in the film, which opens Friday in Toronto and Vancouver. "That decision to have everybody speak Russian was fundamental to making the film," says Bezmozgis, who twice been shortlisted for the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize. "I wouldn't have made it otherwise, according to Brandon Sun. In part, I think it anybody from a certain ethnic community who seen people play you, people play your community, and they're just not authentic to it, people putting on accents, et cetera. "Sometimes you can kind of understand why and other times you think, 'You should have just cast normal Russians to play Russians' or 'You should have cast Arabic speakers to play Arabs.' Also, the story demanded it." "Natasha" is Bezmozgis second film after 2009 "Victoria Day." He adapted it himself from his short story collection that won a slew of honours and praise, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for best first book. But he initially didn't think it could get done "because it needed all this Russian-speaking material in it." In telling the story of a teenaged son of Russian immigrants in Toronto who bonds with a newly arrived girl from Moscow, Bezmozgis was insistent that his characters actually speak in their native tongue. Russian-born, Toronto-based Alex Ozerov stars as 16-year-old Mark, who facing pressure from his Russian-Jewish family to get a summer job. She from New York and it was pure luck and circumstance and coincidence that we found her and she found us." Bezmozgis, who was born in Riga, Latvia, says the story isn't autobiographical, but the context of it reflects his own childhood and upbringing in Toronto, where he and his parents moved in 1980. "That community of Bathurst and Steeles ... that Russian-Jewish immigrant family, all of that is where I come from." Bezmozgis updated the original story, which was set in the '90s, in part because of a pornography plotline involving Natasha. When his uncle enters into an arranged marriage with a younger woman from Moscow, Mark becomes close with her troubled 14-year-old daughter Natasha, played by Sasha K. Gordon. "Finding Natasha was very difficult," says Bezmozgis, who looked for his cast in Canada and Israel. "The woman who plays her, Sasha Gordon, it her first time on a real film set. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: Court documents show Do — who was then 26 — began communicating with M.F., 13, of Calgary, in September 2013 when she posted online that she wanted to meet guys, according to The Waterloo Record. The two pursued their contact via social media and text messaging, and he asked her to be his girlfriend. Authorities in Santa Ana, Calif., said Paul Binh Do, 29, was taken into federal custody this week after signing a plea deal involving two charges: travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and being in receipt of child pornography. They also exchanged nude and sexually explicit photos and videos, and he persuaded her to engage in "prohibited sexual conduct," according to the agreed statement of facts in the plea agreement. Do, of Garden Grove, Calif., told immigration officials he was planning to visit another 22-year-old woman in Calgary he had met online, the documents show. Despite knowing her age, Do flew to Calgary in May 2014 to have sex with M.F. on what would have been her 14th birthday, but was arrested on arrival by Canadian authorities, who found explicit images of the girl on his computer and phones. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: When we hopped off, Canadian border agents were there, ready to welcome us to our new home: "Sri Lankan refugees, this way."My story is not unique, especially in Canada, where an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Tamils reside, most in the GTA. We only make up one wave of refugees, according to NOW Magazine. The Vietnamese came in the 70s, the Somalis in the 90s and the Syrians today. We were escaping Sri Lanka after our home was looted and set ablaze during the 1983 Black July riots, an anti-Tamil pogrom in which years of ethnic tension boiled over and gave way to a full-out war between the nation army and the LTTE . We escaped to Hong Kong, then Tokyo, got a visa to Peru and a flight that connected in Vancouver. Next week, Toronto theatres will welcome a Palme d'Or-winning film that captures the Sri Lankan refugee experience like none before. They struggle to communicate in a new language, find work, acclimatize to a new culture and keep up hope. In Dheepan , a former Tamil Tiger lands in Paris with a woman and child who pretend to be his family. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

human beings: The song could be the first anthem for the Syrian refugee crisis, speaking not to the survivors but on their behalf while questioning western culture apathy toward them, according to NOW Magazine. This is the first time we’ve had such a massive migration of human beings since World War II, says M.I.A. over the phone from the UK. I feel like as an artist I can’t really ignore it. The singer, who also directed the video, stands among them contemplating pop culture expressions like slaying it and breaking internet. It the biggest thing that going on right now in the collective human experience. The refugee experience has always been a part of M.I.A. brand, and a formative part of her life. And yet no other pop star has tackled the subject in such a big way. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian citizenship: Pot problem: Auditor urges Veterans Affairs to rein in medical pot use, costs Canada army reserve lacking soldiers, equipment, training, audit finds The issue isn't the department alone — the auditor general found they weren't getting timely or enough information from border officials or the RCMP either to help flag suspect cases. "This finding matters because ineligible individuals may obtain Canadian citizenship and receive benefits to which they are not entitled," Ferguson wrote in his spring report, tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons. "Revoking citizenship that should not have been granted takes significant time and money." The problems range from immigration officials not routinely checking travel documents against a database of known fake papers to a failure by officers or their computers to flag problematic addresses that could point to residency fraud.. In one instance, it took seven years for official to cotton on to the fact a single address had been used by at least 50 different applicants during overlapping time periods, according to The Chronicle Herald. Of the 50, seven became Canadian citizens. Michael Ferguson audit of citizenship applications between July 2014 and last fall found the Immigration Department has granted citizenships based on incomplete information or without all the necessary checks because it not applying its own methods to combat fraud. A review of 49 cases where an individual address had been flagged as problematic concluded that in 18 instances, citizenship officials didn't follow up to see if the applicant actually met residency requirements. Two eventually became citizens; a third failed the knowledge test while the fourth abandoned their application. In four cases, the RCMP failed to tell the Immigration Department about criminal charges laid against people who'd already passed the criminal records check step of the citizenship process. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

systematic method: For instance, while it will not cover the cost of acetaminophen that exceeds the maximum recommended dose, no such limits exist for narcotics or sedatives.— Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada lacks a systematic method of identifying and documenting fraud risks among its applicants, resulting in people being granted citizenship based on incomplete information or background checks.— The RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency do not consistently share important details about criminal charges and potential residency fraud with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.— Between 2008 and 2015, 50 different applicants used the same single address on their citizenship applications during overlapping time periods; seven of the applicants became Canadian citizens before the address was flagged during a residency fraud investigation.— Citizenship officers did not always follow the standard procedure of checking travel documents against the department database of lost, stolen and fraudulent documents.— Out of 38 criminal cases since 2010 involving a permanent resident or foreign national, the RCMP shared the relevant details with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in only two of them.— Individual units of the Canadian Army reserve units lack sufficient soldiers — just 14,000 instead of a needed 21,000 — as well as access to key equipment for domestic missions and clear guidance on training, counter to National Defence stated goal.— Between the 2012–13 and 2014–15 fiscal years, the number of Canadian Army reservists has dwindled by about five per cent, or about 1,000 soldiers per year.— The process of choosing fund managers for the government $400-million "Venture Capital Action Plan," established in the 2012 budget, was onerous, laden with red tape and insufficiently fair, open and transparent, resulting in just nine submissions out of a possible 100 would-be candidates.— The Immigration and Refugee Board has long-standing vacancies that are contributing to decision-making delays: 21 positions are vacant, leading to wait times of an average of 18 months.— Via Rail lacks a long-term plan or direction approved by the federal government, receiving federal approval only for short-term funding and its five-year plan — a "significant deficiency" that makes it impossible for Via to "fulfill its mandate as economically, efficiently and effectively as desired., according to Metro News. The audit estimates the cost could reach $25 million in 2016-17, nearly one third of the drug costs of the Veterans Affairs health benefits program.— Veterans Affairs also lacks a "well-defined approach" for monitoring drug use among veterans, and does not monitor trends that could indicate "high-risk" behaviour. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

RCMP: The issue isn't the department alone — the auditor general found they weren't getting timely or enough information from border officials or the RCMP either to help flag suspect cases. "This finding matters because ineligible individuals may obtain Canadian citizenship and receive benefits to which they are not entitled," Ferguson wrote in his spring report, tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons. "Revoking citizenship that should not have been granted takes significant time and money." The problems range from immigration officials not routinely checking travel documents against a database of known fake papers to a failure by officers or their computers to flag problematic addresses that could point to residency fraud, according to Hamilton Spectator. In one instance, it took seven years for official to cotton on to the fact a single address had been used by at least 50 different applicants during overlapping time periods. Michael Ferguson audit of citizenship applications between July 2014 and last fall found the Immigration Department has granted citizenships based on incomplete information or without all the necessary checks because it not applying its own methods to combat fraud. Of the 50, seven became Canadian citizens. In four cases, the RCMP failed to tell the Immigration Department about criminal charges laid against people who'd already passed the criminal records check step of the citizenship process. A review of 49 cases where an individual address had been flagged as problematic concluded that in 18 instances, citizenship officials didn't follow up to see if the applicant actually met residency requirements. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

plant: Donald Trump prompts celebrities to threaten to move to Canada When plans leaked out, though, there was no celebration, only furious opposition that culminated in residents packing the fire hall to complain the roads couldn't handle the truck traffic, the stench from the plant would be unbearable and immigrants and out-of-towners would flood the area, overwhelming schools and changing the town character. "Everyone was against it," said Jackie Ladd, who has lived there for more than 30 years. "How many jobs would it mean for people here Not many." Plant nixed The village board unanimously voted against the proposed $300 million plant, and two weeks later, the company said they'd take their plant — and money — elsewhere, according to CBC. Kathy Drawbridge was at the recent town hall to discuss whether or not to allow the chicken plant. Regional economic development officials thought it was the perfect spot for a chicken processing plant that would liven up the 400-person town with 1,100 jobs, more than it had ever seen. Deep-rooted, rural agricultural communities around the U.S. are seeking economic investments to keep from shedding residents, but those very places face trade-offs that increasing numbers of those who oppose meat processing plants say threaten to burden their way of life and bring in outsiders. Nickerson fought against Georgia-based Lincoln Premium Poultry, which wanted to process 1.6 million chickens a week for warehouse chain Costco. Immigrants outpace native born Canadians at creating businesses, Stats Can says Immigrants get fewer jobs and earn less, study finds "Maybe it just an issue of the times in which we live in which so many people want certain things but they don't want the inconveniences that go with them," said Chris Young, executive director of the American Association of Meat Processors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada calling: They may face criminal charges, according to The Chronicle Herald. The group issued a manifesto denouncing immigration policies in Canada and calling for an end to deportations. They were apprehended for alleged mischief and assault, while another protester was nabbed outside in connection with an incident involving a police vehicle. While most of the protesters entered the downtown building, some chose to stay outside to chant about legislation they say is needed for undocumented immigrants. Most of the infiltrators left the premises but about 20 people stayed behind. Montreal police spokesman Manuel Couture said authorities were contacted at around 9 a.m. and that an eviction notice was read out two hours later. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: The cases flagged represent just a fraction of the nearly half a million people who've become Canadian citizens in the last two years, but that doesn't mean improvements aren't necessary, Immigration Minister John McCallum said Tuesday."The vast majority of the cases are clear but we are not happy if even one case is fraudulently obtained and that is why we are vigorously implementing the recommendations of the auditor general," McCallum said, according to Metro News. Recommendations related to improving information sharing between departments will be implemented by the end of the year, McCallum said. Michael Ferguson report uncovered instances of people with serious criminal records and others using potentially phoney addresses among those who managed to secure Canadian citizenship thanks to holes throughout not just the Immigration Department but the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency as well. Another suggestion — that officers be given more power to seize fraudulent documents — is currently in a bill being debated in the House of Commons. The audit also revealed it took seven years for officials to cotton on to the fact a single address had been used by at least 50 different applicants during overlapping time periods. Among the cases caught by Michael Ferguson team: four people who were granted citizenship despite having criminal records that would render them ineligible, and two who were approved despite having committed crimes after passing a criminal background check. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Emergency Management Office: As of mid-March, more than a thousand Syrian refugees have settled in Nova Scotia, according to the provincial government, according to CBC. Eight in 10 Canadians have put together some kind of plan to prepare for emergencies, but recent immigrants are less likely to have an emergency plan or emergency kit in place, the province said in a news release. It part of the province work to promote Emergency Preparedness Week. Be prepared The province Minister of Emergency Management Zach Churchill said the province will be able to increase emergency preparedness by reaching out to Arabic-speaking Nova Scotians in their own language. Information on emergency preparedness in English, French and Arabic can also be found on the Emergency Management Office website. The province is also working with the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia to make sure the printed Arabic brochures are available to recent immigrants. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Salaam-Shalom: Langer, a founder of an inter-faith group called Salaam-Shalom committed to fostering dialogue between Muslims and Jews, said his community should never cast an intolerant eye toward other minority groups. "If one minority is treated badly, it won't be long before all minorities will be treated badly,'' Langer, 25, told The Associated Press during an interview in Berlin Neukoelln district, home to many Muslim immigrants, according to Huffington Post Canada. Langer also participated in a small protest outside the Central Council headquarters in Berlin, the day after Joseph Schuster told German newspaper Die Welt last November that "sooner or later, we're not going to get around upper limits .'' Armin Langer said his community should never cast an intolerant eye toward other minority groups. The student, Armin Langer, was kicked out of the Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam after he wrote that the leader of Germany Central Council of Jews was wrong to seek a cap on Muslim immigration. Looking back, Langer says he now regrets the harshness of his language in his newspaper op-ed in daily die tageszeitung criticizing Schuster, but he also says the college was wrong "to try to suppress my personal opinions.'' Many in Germany 250,000-strong Jewish community expressed outrage at Langer remarks following their publication last year as Germany absorbed a wave of 1.1 million overwhelmingly Muslim migrants. Schuster had already warned earlier that Jews shouldn't wear their traditional skullcap, or kippa, in areas with large Muslim populations. "Many refugees are escaping the terror of Islamic State and want to live in peace and freedom,'' Schuster said in his November interview. "At the same time, they come from places where hatred of Jews and intolerance are an integral part of the culture." Jewish fears of Muslim immigration reflect a spike in anti-Semitic attacks and anti-Israel protests by Muslim youths in Germany during Israel 2014 war in Gaza and the more recent mass killings by Muslim extremists in Paris, Copenhagen and Brussels, where Jewish institutions also have suffered deadly attacks. They expressed support for Schuster stance that anti-Semitism was growing once again in Germany, driven by newcomers with attitudes hostile to Jews and Israel. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Citizenships: The federal government stated goal is to have a reserve force of 27,000, according to The Chronicle Herald. Citizenships being granted without all checks being carried out: auditor Pot problem: Auditor urges Veterans Affairs to rein in medical pot use, costs The audit goes into detail about how National Defence has not only failed to recruit for the part-time force, but reservists are quitting at a rate faster than they can be replaced and doing so before they are fully trained. Michael Ferguson latest audit conducted a detailed examination of the problems faced by the military part-time branch and found that even though there are 21,000 positions on the books, only 13,944 reservists are considered active and ready for service. In late 2015, National Defence set a goal to increase the Army Reserve by 950 soldiers by 2019. The sweeping review also looked at training and found that many reservists don’t receive certain basic weapons training, such as the use of a pistol or grenade launcher. In our opinion, this goal will be difficult to achieve given the present rate of attrition, said the auditor report. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

House of Commons: People were granted citizenship based on incomplete information or without all of the necessary checks being done, Michael Ferguson wrote in an audit of the citizenship program tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons, according to Toronto Star. Since revoking citizenship after it has been granted is costly, while the cost to grant it is far less, it is important to ensure that only eligible applicants receive it in the first place. By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter11:10 PM, Tues., May 3, 2016 Despite the former Conservative government anti-fraud efforts, ineligible immigrants have continued to beat the system and secure Canadian citizenship, the auditor general says. The auditor general investigated citizenship applications between July 2014 and last fall and found Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not have a systematic method of identifying and documenting fraud risks and that existing guidelines were not followed consistently by staff. We have thoroughly reviewed all cases flagged by the Office of the Auditor General to determine if citizenship fraud may have occurred. In response to the report, Immigration Minister John McCallum said he is working with the Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP to improve information sharing and to put in place a new integrity system by December. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Kelly Gallagher-Mackay: The made-in-Canada option of private refugee sponsorship is lauded internationally as an exciting innovation, according to Toronto Star. Within Canada, sponsors enact values of active citizenship, humanitarianism and solidarity – while providing financial and individualized social support to refugees. By Kelly Gallagher-Mackay Tues., May 3, 2016 My school community, my neighbours and I are among those newly involved in refugee sponsorship. But the sponsorship system is in a rocky place. Further, there is a profound gap between resources available to privately sponsored refugees and government-assisted refugees, the ones adrift in hotels and unable to start their new Canadian lives. Now that the 25,000-refugee target has been met, sponsors and refugees are being told to accept a reversion to insufferably slow processing – with arrival times in 2017 or later. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

federal election campaign: Borden won the October 1911 election on the strength of his xenophobic indulgences betrayed by a telling slogan: "A White Canada." The 1911 federal election campaign played on voters' phobias and patriotism, according to Huffington Post Canada. Robert Borden Conservatives were happy to harvest the fear of foreigners on the road to their electoral victory. As Canadians look down upon the severe tone of the Republican primary season, they might console themselves by saying: "We would never resort to that kind of hateful dialogue, and it would never work here -- in the multicultural haven that is Canada." Prime Minister Robert Borden might prove them wrong. No to 'free trade'Voters viewed with trepidation the proposed free trade deal with outsiders -- those south of the 49th parallel. Arthur Hawkes was in charge of the special appeal to British-born Canadians, 250,000 of whom had immigrated to Canada in the three years leading up to the election. In Toronto, the Canadian-British Association lobby group was formed to spread its malicious message of anti-Americanism across Ontario in the months preceding the election. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Dipendra Jha: The former Kelowna, B.C., software developer had been been living in Nepal for the last four years, working for a technology outsourcing company, Cloud Factory, according to Globe and Mail. This is a catch-all ASF view; only displays when an unsupported article type is put in an ASF drop zone Mr. Police had taken Robert Penner into custody on Monday at the request of immigration officials. Penner lawyer, Dipendra Jha, told The Globe and Mail that his client was in good shape after a night in detention. Jha said officials allege that Mr. Mr. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.