Peat Marwick International Klynveld Main Goerdeler: Here a quick look at the company, the controversy and the island. — Last fall, the CBC reported that the Canada Revenue Agency had offered amnesty agreements to some KPMG clients who used its Isle of Man tax shelter. — The tax shelter had operated quietly for years before the revenue agency caught wind of it. — Opposition politicians have demanded explanations, claiming wealthy tax dodgers are getting an undeserved break. — KPMG is one of the world top four accounting firms, with about 174,000 employees worldwide. — The KPMG International network was formed in 1987 when Peat Marwick International and Klynveld Main Goerdeler merged along with their respective member firms. — The network reported revenues of $24.44 billion US for the 2015 fiscal year — The Isle of Man is a small island lying in the Irish Sea equidistant from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. — It is a political oddity, according to Brandon Sun. It a Crown dependency, although it is not part of the United Kingdom. The Canada Revenue Agency is looking at its offshore tax structures in the Isle of Man and a union representing government financial officers has lodged complaints of professional misconduct against the company. Its 90,000 islanders are British citizens, but aren't part of the European Union. — It has its own legislature, the Tynwald, which passes its own laws with the assent of the Crown granted in the British Privy Council. The Crown remains responsible for defence and diplomatic representation, although the island has its own controls on immigration and housing. — It has long been known for low taxes, both personal and corporate, although it has worked hard to shed its image as a tax haven. — The Economist reported last fall that one-tenth of the island income came from online gambling and one-third from financial services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

TV song contest: It time for Canada to get on board with the Eurovision Song Contest, according to The Waterloo Record. Founded in 1956, Eurovision is an annual competition to choose the best pop song in Europe and the granddaddy of all TV song contest formats. Europeans have been love-hating it for six decades, Australia got skin in the game and for the first time this year it being screened live in the U.S.A., featuring a live performance by Justin Timberlake. What makes it unique is that it a contest of nations, with broadcasters from participating countries sending along three-minute original pop songs. The competition began Tuesday night with a semifinal, in which 18 countries competed for 10 slots in Saturday night final; the exercise was repeated on Thursday. For its first four decades a sedate evening-long affair, the contest has ballooned into a whole week entertainment scene, which this year is taking place in the Swedish capital. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Peat Marwick International Klynveld Main Goerdeler: Here a quick look at the company, the controversy and the island, according to The Waterloo Record. Related Stories Financial officers file KPMG ethics... — Last fall, the CBC reported that the Canada Revenue Agency had offered amnesty agreements to some KPMG clients who used its Isle of Man tax shelter. — The tax shelter had operated quietly for years before the revenue agency caught wind of it. — Opposition politicians have demanded explanations, claiming wealthy tax dodgers are getting an undeserved break. — KPMG is one of the world top four accounting firms, with about 174,000 employees worldwide. — The KPMG International network was formed in 1987 when Peat Marwick International and Klynveld Main Goerdeler merged along with their respective member firms. — The network reported revenues of $24.44 billion US for the 2015 fiscal year — The Isle of Man is a small island lying in the Irish Sea equidistant from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. — It is a political oddity. The Canada Revenue Agency is looking at its offshore tax structures in the Isle of Man and a union representing government financial officers has lodged complaints of professional misconduct against the company. It a Crown dependency, although it is not part of the United Kingdom. The Crown remains responsible for defence and diplomatic representation, although the island has its own controls on immigration and housing. — It has long been known for low taxes, both personal and corporate, although it has worked hard to shed its image as a tax haven. — The Economist reported last fall that one-tenth of the island income came from online gambling and one-third from financial services. Its 90,000 islanders are British citizens, but aren't part of the European Union. — It has its own legislature, the Tynwald, which passes its own laws with the assent of the Crown granted in the British Privy Council. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Perspectives High School: Critics, such as history teacher John Commins, of Perspectives High School in Montreal, came forward earlier this year to say the course only presented the views of select Francophone Quebecers, and did not mention any achievements or actions by other ethnic groups, according to CTV. The history course also presented francophone Quebecers as being in perpetual conflict with the rest of Canada in a struggle for independence. Several officials in the Education Ministry have said that Minister Sebastien Proulx is not happy with the pilot project that was implemented this year at a handful of high schools in Quebec. The course defined everyone else in the province as an 'immigrant' that made no contribution to Quebec society. According to The Canadian Press the Education Ministry will continue working on the new curriculum to more accurately reflect the substantial work of migrants and non-francophones. The course, designed for high school students, was created by the Parti Quebecois government before it lost the 2014 election. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Commons committee: He says the government plans to bring in 25,000 government-sponsored refugees from Syria this year and is well on its way to that goal, according to CTV. That on top of the 25,000 brought in by the end of February in a mix of sponsorships. The minister is telling a Commons committee that the remaining two per cent should be housed by mid-June. McCallum says 17,300 of this year 25,000 government-sponsored refugees have already arrived and the remainder will be here by the end of December. McCallum says there is still a demand among Canadians to help Syrian refugees. "I'm probably the only immigration minister in the world whose major challenge is not being able to deliver enough refugees quickly enough to satisfy the amazing generosity of Canadian households, Canadian families who want to sponsor them," he said. "This is good problem to have in a sense that it underlines the welcoming nature of our people, but it still a problem." He said additional officials have been deployed into the region to help process more newcomers. He says challenges remain in the fields of language training and jobs, but resettlement efforts are proceeding. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

question period: He says the government plans to bring in 25,000 government-sponsored refugees from Syria this year and is well on its way to that goal, according to Huffington Post Canada. Immigration Minister John McCallum responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Thursday, March 24, 2016. The minister is telling a Commons committee that the remaining two per cent should be housed by mid-June. That on top of the 25,000 brought in by the end of February in a mix of sponsorships. He says challenges remain in the fields of language training and jobs, but resettlement efforts are proceeding. McCallum says 17,300 of this year 25,000 government-sponsored refugees have already arrived and the remainder will be here by the end of December. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lockdowns: In a judgment released this week, Superior Court Justice Douglas Gray ruled that lockdowns at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex violated the inmates' rights to freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, according to Toronto Star. The judge said he had little difficulty concluding that their treatment was degrading, disproportionate and excessive as to outrage standards of decency. By Amy Dempsey Feature Writer Thu., May 12, 2016 An Ontario judge has awarded $85,000 to two inmates after ruling their Charter rights were violated by staffing-related lockdowns at a Milton jail — a move lawyers say could open the door to a class-action lawsuit against the province. The conditions of detention during lockdowns are very close to segregation or solitary confinement, the judge wrote. The inmate is holed up with another inmate not of his choosing. In some ways they are worse. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government-sponsored: The minister is telling a Commons committee that the remaining 2 per cent should be housed by mid-June, according to Toronto Star. He says the government plans to bring in 25,000 government-sponsored refugees from Syria this year and is well on its way to that goal. By The Canadian Press Thu., May 12, 2016 OTTAWA—Immigration Minister John McCallum says 98 per cent of government-sponsored Syrian refugees have now found permanent housing. That on top of the 25,000 brought in by the end of February in a mix of sponsorships. Article Continued Below He says challenges remain in the fields of language training and jobs, but resettlement efforts are proceeding. McCallum says 17,300 of this year 25,000 government-sponsored refugees have already arrived and the remainder will be here by the end of December. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

curriculum: The province new two-year history course focuses heavily on conflict, one history teacher says, according to CBC. The curriculum had initially been scheduled to be rolled out in the new school year, but that timeline will now likely be pushed back. New Quebec high school history course called out for lack of diversity Why teach history The battle over Quebec high school history curriculum A spokesperson for Proulx told CBC News that Quebec Education Department will delay the implementation of the new curriculum, pending the results of a pilot project. "Many consultations have taken place, and improvements are constantly being made," Marie-Ève Dion said in an email. "The goal of the new program is to be as representative and inclusive as possible." Government troops scatter the insurgents and torch the church at the Battle of Saint-Eustache in 1837. An early draft of the proposed curriculum proved controversial to many observers, who pointed out it made little room for the experiences of Aboriginal people, anglophones and immigrants. It was a deeply conservative, nationalist take on Quebec past.'- EMSB history teacher John Commins "It good news for all students in Quebec," said John Commins, a longtime history teacher in the English Montreal School Board who had reviewed the proposed new curriculum. "This course didn't speak to every component of Quebec society." When drafts of the new history curriculum were circulated by the CBC earlier this year, Aboriginal activists pointed out there was little mention of residential schools. Critics of that early draft hope the delay is a sign the government is taking the time to address their concerns. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: The mayor office denied Coderre intervened, according to Globe and Mail. Ste-Marie promised there would be another performance in the future and it will be even better. The hotel confirmed the event was cancelled but didn't give details. Quebec Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil said she was relieved Dieudonne was not allowed to stay in Canada. So, for social peace, it a very good thing he wasn't able to enter. I know people who have attended his shows, just to see, just to experience it, and it was very bothersome for them, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Liberals: Last month the Liberals announced they would allow municipalities to use a ranked ballot system — in which voters can rank candidates in order of preference — to elect local councillors and mayors, according to Toronto Star. It a great idea and one I championed as a board member of the Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto. By Desmond Cole Thu., May 12, 2016 As Ontario reviews the voting rules for its 444 municipalities, the governing Liberals have devoted much attention to the issue of how votes should be counted. We should change the method we use to count votes, but reform also includes voter eligibility: who is allowed to cast a vote in a local election, and why Hundreds of thousands of voting-age Ontarians cannot cast a ballot in local elections because they are not citizens and the current rules state that only citizens can vote in a municipal election. During the era of former premier Dalton McGuinty, I served as project coordinator of I Vote Toronto, a campaign to convince Queen Park to extend voting rights to non-citizen permanent residents of Canada. This has got to change — we need to acknowledge that non-citizen residents would derive the same benefits from voting as anyone else and they need and deserve these benefits in a democratic society. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

luxury home sales: In a report released Thursday, it surveyed 250 real estate advisors who specialize in luxury home sales across the Great White North, according to Huffington Post Canada. The result A hefty majority believe that foreign buying had risen in Canada between 2005 and 2015 — and in some places, it only likely to keep growing. But real estate firm Royal LePage has taken a crack at it anyway. A luxury home in West Vancouver, B.C. Royal LePage defined "foreign buyers" as anyone who lived outside of Canada "all, or most of the time." Luxury properties, meanwhile, were defined as homes that were worth more than four times the average price in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. More than half of the advisors said that foreign buyers came largely from China, and 60 per cent expected to see more interest in Canadian real estate from elsewhere in 2016. With that definition in mind, about a quarter of the advisors that the firm spoke to said that 25 per cent or more of the luxury homes in their cities were snapped up by foreign buyers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: Several days past Census Day, the day by which Statistics Canada had encouraged people to complete the questionnaires, the agency says it has received 7.6 million forms, a response so far that is slightly better than anticipated, according to Globe and Mail. It has mailed out questionnaires or notices to about 15.5 million households, and enumerators will determine in the coming months how many of those are unoccupied or not private dwellings. Not everyone, however, has rushed to fill out their forms. This is a catch-all ASF view; only displays when an unsupported article type is put in an ASF drop zone The reasons for the tardiness may vary – from time pressures to slow mail services. But it not unusual for lags in responses, said Doug Norris, senior vice-president at Environics Analytics and census expert. Some confusion may still exist over whether the census is voluntary , some may find it intrusive, others may be out of the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

income support: The government has provided consistent updates on the housing situation for Syrians, saying on Thursday that 98 per cent of government-assisted refugees have found permanent housing, according to Globe and Mail. Syrian refugees receive income support during their first year in Canada, after which they are in the same situation as other Canadians and permanent residents. McCallum could not say when the government will have the jobs data for Syrian refugees, adding that it harder to get those numbers than housing numbers. Mr. We're talking about people who begin without a word of English or French, people who often have little education, people who may have scars from their difficult previous experiences, so we're not going to have 100 per cent with jobs after one year. McCallum said that while he hopes that a large majority of Syrian refugees have found work within their first year, not all of them will. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Shahina Siddiqui: Don't make assumptions, be aware of your biases and don't be afraid to ask questions, according to Brandon Sun. Those were some of the main messages coming out of cultural awareness workshops on Wednesday focusing on Islamic and Muslim culture. "I don't expect people leaving here to say, 'Oh, now I'm going to wear a hijab,' or 'I agree with it,'" said Shahina Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Social Services Association. "They are free to disagree with me, but they have to give me the same right and respect to live my way as I would give to them. Service providers, representing justice, health care, education and family services attended the cultural awareness workshop. That what Canada is all about. Sandy Trudel, director of economic development, said as more Syrian refugees arrive in Brandon, it is important for service providers and the community at large to gain cultural knowledge and understanding. That what multiculturalism is all about." The City of Brandon hosted the workshops at Assiniboine Community College Victoria Avenue East campus. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

real estate: Royal LePage defines foreign buyers as buyers who live outside of Canada all or most of the time, according to Vancouver Courier. In Vancouver, 83 per cent of agents surveyed said they had seen an increase of foreign buyers in 2015. The survey of 250 Royal LePage real estate advisors showed that 24 per cent of those surveyed believed that 25 per cent or more of luxury properties in their area were bought by foreign buyers. Half of all the agents surveyed said China was main source of international interest in Canadian real estate. The luxury market has been driven purely on the demand from investors and the appeal is the perfect storm of geographical appeal, Jason Soprovich, a real estate agent with Royal LePage Sussex who specializes in the West Vancouver market. Prices in Point Grey and West Vancouver, two high-end markets in Vancouver, have gone up 135 per cent over 10 years; the next highest increase was Toronto Lawrence West neighbourhood, up 76 per cent over 10 years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government plans: The minister is telling a Commons committee that the remaining two per cent should be housed by mid-June, according to Brandon Sun. He says the government plans to bring in 25,000 government-sponsored refugees from Syria this year and is well on its way to that goal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Immigration Minister John McCallum says 98 per cent of government-sponsored Syrian refugees have now found permanent housing. That on top of the 25,000 brought in by the end of February in a mix of sponsorships. He says challenges remain in the fields of language training and jobs, but resettlement efforts are proceeding. McCallum says 17,300 of this year 25,000 government-sponsored refugees have already arrived and the remainder will be here by the end of December. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Syrian refugees: Syrian refugees: Horrific torture haunts new Canadians The clinic solves several issues for visitors, say health officials, according to CBC. It groups patients who can't speak English and provides them with translators and staff who are equipped to deal with refugee needs, including mental health struggles and culture shock. It will serve more than 600 Syrian refugees who have already arrived in Windsor and Essex County. Afef Zghal, registered nurse from VON. "I think it a very important role to be playing, helping these individuals," said Afef Zghal, a registered nurse with VON. "A lot of them have come as new immigrants and find there a gap in care. The clinic includes a nurse practitioner, registered nurse, registered practical nurse and administrative support. Hopefully, we're able to bridge that gap for these people." Care will be offered in English, French and Arabic. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada multicultural policies: This in turn makes it difficult for them to establish a proper connection with Canada, according to Huffington Post Canada. Defenders of this view rarely provide supporting empirical evidence. Some observers insist that Canada multicultural policies encourage newcomers to maintain their attachment to their countries of origin. On the basis of data from the 2013 General Social Survey of Statistics Canada, in a previous text, I established that Canadians reporting a very strong sense of belonging to "people with the same ethnic/cultural background" as themselves also report a strong sense of belonging to Canada. Hence it remains unproven that it only when immigrant ties to their country of origin diminish that there can emerge a meaningful attachment to Canada. The same body of data further reveals that immigrants reporting a strong sense of belonging to their country of origin report a stronger sense of belonging to Canada than persons with a weak sense of belonging to their country of origin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Toronto Public Health: According to recently released data from Toronto Public Health, the city performs better than the rest of the province in a number of key health areas, including obesity, incidences of cancer and life expectancy, according to Metro News. Torontonians as a whole tend to have better health as a result of a range of influencing factors including education, income and access to health care. The city new moniker is Toronto the Fit. In addition, Toronto has a strong population of recent immigrants who tend to bring better health status with them, said Toronto Public Health spokesperson Paul Fleiszer. She credited the results to the prevalence of cycling and walking in many parts of Toronto. The news didn't come as a surprise to Nancy Smith Lea, the director of the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: On the burner are stockpots of cinnamon-scented beef simmering in creamy spiced yogurt, according to Toronto Star. Pans of golden-brown semolina cakes are cooling on the counter, glistening with the syrup they were brushed with. Order this photo By Karon Liu Food Writer Wed., May 11, 2016 Inside a tiny corner west-end restaurant on a sunny Thursday afternoon, the sounds of someone playing the bongos and women singing Syrian folk songs fill the room as the dozen or so Syrian women sing and chat away at the stoves. These women aren't just cooking; they're preserving the cuisine of a country where millions of its people are being displaced. It in jeopardy, as there are people who don't have a way to continue with these cooking traditions as they leave Syria. The women — the moms, the grandmothers — they are the culinary stars of the region and own the culinary history, says Len Senater, owner of The Depanneur, a culinary incubator of sorts, where professional and amateur cooks use the space to cook nightly pop-up dinners. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: The promoters for Dieudonne Quebec tour say they have reviewed his material and don't believe he will run foul of Canada hate-speech laws, according to Globe and Mail. His expected arrival was met with public outcry as well as an alleged act of vandalism against the Montreal venue where he is scheduled to speak, organizers said Monday. Dieudonne fans say he is misunderstood and that they appreciate his comic performances, which offer pointed critiques of France cultural and political elites. He remains popular in France and around the world; his official Facebook page has more than one million likes. It up to to make a decision based on his past, said Joly, who represents a Montreal riding. On Monday, federal Heritage Minister Melanie Joly said she wouldn't go to his show, but stopped short of saying he shouldn't be allowed into Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Dieudonne: He was never let through customs and returned to Europe, according to CTV. Dieudonne has been convicted of hate speech multiple times in Europe, most recently in France just a few hours before he touched down at Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, known as Dieudonne, landed in Montreal from France on Tuesday in advance of a series of sold-out shows. He had announced on his Facebook book page he would still perform his Wednesday evening show through video conference, telling his fans the venue would change from an art gallery to a hotel in the city downtown. Coderre has been an outspoken critic of the comic and blasted him on Twitter days before his scheduled arrival. Hours later, however, the comic tour promoter, Gino Ste-Marie, told The Canadian Press the video conference event had also been cancelled after Mayor Denis Coderre put pressure on the venue. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: Sometimes, the worst times create the best moments, according to Rabble. My nominee, among many, for last week best moment is a Calgary woman named Rita Khanchat. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. But I'm getting ahead of myself. One week ago, Wildfire MWF-009 -- now more colloquially and correctly known as "The Beast" -- flared out of control in too-dry-for-too-long woods southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, leaped a kilometre over the Athabasca River and wreaked nature havoc on Canada quintessential frontier town. Let start with those worst times. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Vietnam: For every bowl of rice sold at the sushi and rice bowl restaurant, they try to give back the same weight of rice to kids in need living at orphanages in their home country of Vietnam. "All the owners and managers at Charlie are immigrants to Canada," said manager Robert Nguyen, whose brother Peter is the owner. "We are thankful for the opportunity that this country has given us." Since January, they've been able to provide 2,425 pounds of rice, plus cases of formula and congee, clothes, sugar, salt, bottles of cooking oil and boxes of noodles, according to Hamilton Spectator. A friend of the family planned to travel to Vietnam in April, so the eatery expected to give him cash to buy more supplies for the orphanages. "The money goes a long way back there," Robert said. Good karma is the business mantra at Charlie Chopsticks, which has a Hamilton location on Upper James Street that opened in 2015 and another in Welland. They also support other causes. They also donated a dollar to the cause for every Facebook "Like" received over those two days. Proceeds from both locations for two business days in December — more than $1,000 — went to helping Syrian refugees settle in Ontario. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Perez: She made the request because she has a young, Canadian-born daughter and felt it would be in the child best interest for both of them to remain in Canada, according to CBC. The immigration officer disagreed, saying Perez had failed to show her daughter would be negatively affected by forcing the two to return to her native Philippines and apply from there. Sheryl Yutuc Perez applied for permanent residency and asked, on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, if the Department of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism would waive its normal requirement that she leave Canada to make her application. Perez has lived in Nova Scotia for five years. The judge found the officer analysis failed to consider all the evidence. Failed to consider the evidence Perez appealed the officer decision to the federal court. "In the absence of getting reasons from the immigration department, we don't know whether the case was properly adjudicated," her lawyer, Lee Cohen said. "And by going to federal court in this matter, Miss Perez was able to get the reasons and we were able to see that the reasons were, indeed, substandard and so we pursued the federal court case." In a ruling released earlier this month, Justice James O'Reilly sided with Perez against the department. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.