chief executive officer: John Peller, chief executive officer of Andrew Peller Ltd., is jovial as he surveys the vines that helped turn the company into Canada biggest publicly listed winery, according to The Waterloo Record. Peller, 59, credits his Hungarian-immigrant grandfather for his foresight. "When my grandpa started the business in 1961, he had this vision of bringing the culture of wine and food from Europe to Canada and we laugh because it was the right vision, but he was 30 years too early," Peller said in an interview at the winery. It a cool spring morning and the expansive lawn in front of the winery is edged by a patio that will host parties and tastings all summer. That vision is paying off now for his grandson, who took over the family business in 1994. Constellation Brands Inc., the Victor, N.Y.-based beverage company, announced last month it was exploring an initial public offering of some of its Canadian wine business, Vincor Canada, the largest producer in the country. "If Vincor does go public, it going to have a halo effect to our brand and to anybody that wants to invest in the industry," Murray Souter, CEO of Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd., said in his office in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Andrew Peller stock is trading near its record as a cheaper currency and looser liquor regulations draw investors to Ontario booming wine industry. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

good intentions: Its agenda will be dominated by governments, rather than the leading humanitarian agencies, according to Globe and Mail. And one prominent group, Médecins sans frontières , has already given up on the meeting. Its decisions will be vague and non-binding. The summit has become a fig leaf of good intentions, MSF said earlier this month in announcing its withdrawal from the summit. We no longer have any hope that the summit will address the weaknesses in humanitarian action and emergency response, particularly in conflict areas or epidemic situations. As shocking violations of international humanitarian law and refugee rights continue on a daily basis, summit participants will be pressed to a consensus on non-specific, good intentions, it said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration detainees: The End Immigration Detention Network said across Canada 15 people have died in immigration detention while in CBSA custody since 2000, according to CBC. Stop transfer of immigration detainees with health problems to jails, lawyer urges CBSA​Deaths in CBSA custody renew calls for immigration detention reform Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who has said previously that he concerned about the deaths, revealed in a statement released Sunday that the Liberal government is reviewing the detention program. "The government is examining CBSA National immigration detention program and how best to provide the agency with appropriate review mechanisms," Goodale office said. Two men held by the Canada Border Services Agency died in two separate incidents in Ontario this spring, while a 24-year-old man detainee died at the Edmonton Remand Centre on Saturday. The statement noted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees considers Canada refugee system as among the best in the world, but "we can and must do better." Anthony Navaneelan, staff lawyer at the Refugee Law Office at Legal Aid Ontario in Toronto, says prisons are not appropriate places to treat detainees. Michaela Beder, a psychiatrist at St. Anthony Navaneelan, staff lawyer at the Refugee Law Office at Legal Aid Ontario, and Dr. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian government: By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Tues., May 17, 2016 OTTAWA—Nimrat Randhawa family first tried to get into Canada in 1914, according to Toronto Star. Her great-great grandfather chartered the ship Komagata Maru, filled it with 376 Indian passengers, nearly all of them Sikhs, and they sailed to the shores of British Columbia in search of a new life. The ship filled with 376 Indian passengers, nearly all of them Sikhs, were turned away by the Canadian government. Fast forward more than a century and South Asians are the single largest visible minority community in the country, with Statistics Canada estimating that they will represent one in every three people in the Toronto area alone by 2031. It expected all will be on hand Wednesday for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau historic apology for what happened next with the Komagata Maru some 102 years ago. The community influence is also reflected in the corridors of power in Ottawa — 23 South Asians, 17 of them Sikh, were elected last fall. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada West Coast: Justin Trudeau to apologize for 1914 Komagata Maru Komagata Maru 100th anniversary The Komagata Maru arrived on Canada West Coast on May 23, 1914, anchoring in Vancouver Coal Harbour, according to CBC. Nearly all of the 376 passengers were denied entry and the ship sat in the harbour for two months. Nearly 102 years after the Komagata Maru sailed into Vancouver, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will tomorrow offer a full apology in the House of Commons for the government of the day decision to turn away the ship, which was carrying hundreds of South Asian immigrants, most of whom were Sikhs. It was ultimately forced to return to India and was met by British soldiers. With so much to contribute to their new home, they chose Canada and we failed them utterly," Trudeau said last month, announcing the formal apology. "As a nation, we should never forget the prejudice suffered by the Sikh community at the hands of the Canadian government of the day. Twenty passengers were killed and others jailed following an ensuing riot. "The passengers of the Komagata Maru, like millions of immigrants to Canada since, were seeking refuge and better lives for their families. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada immigration policy: On May 23, 1914, the chartered Japanese ship Komagata Maru steamed into Vancouver harbour, according to Toronto Star. The 376 people on board — British subjects within the British Empire — were challenging the empire to fulfill its promise of equality and justice. Rather, it was a decision consistent with a century-long white Canada immigration policy. By Jim Coyle News, Insight Tues., May 17, 2016 When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally apologizes in the Commons on Wednesday for Canada rejection in 1914 of hundreds of would-be South Asian immigrants aboard the Komagata Maru, Ali Kazimi will be among those listening closely. For Kazimi, a York University professor who has produced a film and written a book on the Komagata Maru, there was nothing incidental about Canada rejection of the ship passengers, most of them Sikhs from Punjab. One of the words he hopes not to hear is incident. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

non-Indigenous: Comparatively only a small minority, 13 per cent, of children labeled "non-Indigenous, non-racialized and non-immigrant" live in poverty, a rate similar to the OECD average, said Macdonald and Wilson, according to CBC. The worst poverty rates facing children were those who live in Manitoba, found Macdonald and Wilson. The situation for children off reserve is not much better; 51 per cent live in poverty. In Manitoba, 76 per cent of First Nations kids on reserves live in poverty, a level the report authors called "obscene." "Something has to be urgently done. Poverty is a root cause of many issues facing Indigenous communities in the province — including the high number of children in care and suicide, she said.. "This poverty leads to so many other tragedies and traumas," said Morgan. "You know there a direct feed into child welfare." While Morgan said money isn't enough to eradicate child poverty she is calling the federal government to increase funding to reserves. "They are chronically underfunded. That an enormous amount of suffering for children," said Morgan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

psychiatrist: Michaela Beder, a psychiatrist at St, according to Metro News. Michael Hospital. These people are not charged with any crime but sometimes held indefinitely in dire circumstances and immigration detention is becoming more routine, said Dr. People were unaware of this because there so little information from officials on when and how people died. We are calling for an ombudsman and more oversight, and an end of transfers of detainees from federal immigration holding centres to provincial jails. We are shocked this is happening. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

federal immigration laws: These people are not charged with any crime but sometimes held indefinitely in dire circumstances and immigration detention is becoming more routine, said Dr, according to Toronto Star. Michaela Beder, a psychiatrist at St. By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Tues., May 17, 2016 Ontario health professionals are urging the province to stop jailing migrants for violating federal immigration laws, especially those with mental and physical health concerns.A group of 130 physicians, nurses and healthcare providers signed a petition sent Monday to Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Yasir Naqvi after a string of recent deaths involving immigration detainees, including one over the weekend in a facility in Edmonton. Michael Hospital. We are shocked this is happening. People were unaware of this because there so little information from officials on when and how people died. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

provincial nominations: Next week, Ontario could say we've stopped issuing provincial nominations and we can't do anything – you're stuck, he said, according to Globe and Mail. By November, the backlog is expected to be whittled down enough to accept applications again, the government says. As an international student who doesn't have any status in Canada, you don't have any voice, said Amir, an MBA graduate from Ryerson University who applied last fall and is still waiting for a response. However, students who are only entitled to a one-year work permit could lose status because of the delay. But changes over the past year have raised fears some students will choose to study elsewhere. Universities are increasingly fighting for international students and a rapid pathway to immigration has been one of Canada competitive advantages. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

country: The Saudi embassy blamed logistical reasons for its last-minute change of plans when contacted Monday and a spokesperson said the country decision was not motivated by fear of protesters, according to Globe and Mail. Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion office had already said he would not be attending the Saudi Cultural Days in Canada. The May 18-21 festival appeared to be a Saudi charm offensive aimed at federal policy makers as the Trudeau government fields questions about its decision to grant export permits for the armoured vehicles to a country that U.S. watchdog Freedom House regularly ranks among the worst of the worst on human rights. Peggy Mason, an opponent of the Saudi arms deal, who served as Canada UN ambassador for disarmament from 1984 to 1994, said the now-delayed festival had struck her as an odd move in the midst of a national debate over a weapons sale and given the eroding human-rights situation within Saudi Arabia. Mason, president of the Rideau Institute, an advocacy and research group. The timing seemed very bizarre, so perhaps this postponement indicates they, too, have come to realize this might be problematic, said Ms. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government: Last time I checked in on Brian and Jean Kirkham of First United Church in Waterloo, their congregation had spent $6,000 on rent to pay for a townhouse to sit empty for six months, according to The Waterloo Record. Because the Trudeau government in Ottawa has slowed the flow of refugees from Syria down to a trickle, the arrival of a family of seven expected by the Waterloo group has been delayed for months. Especially by a government that claims to be on the same side as them. After pulling out all the stops to get 25,000 refugees here last winter this government has stalled on processing other refugees who are supported by thousands of citizen groups across the country. Never mind that, because their costs are partially paid for by private groups, it costs the public less to bring them to Canada. Never mind that the family supported by First United was in the system before the 25,000 came through. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ottawa South Asians: Fast forward more than a century and South Asians are the single largest visible minority community in the country, with Statistics Canada estimating that they will represent one in every three people in the Toronto area alone by 2031, according to Guelph Mercury. The community influence is also reflected in the corridors of power in Ottawa — 23 South Asians, 17 of them Sikh, were elected last fall. Related Stories Komagata Maru: a chronology of... Prof hopes Komagata Maru apology... Brampton MP unveils Komagata Maru... Her great-great grandfather chartered the ship Komagata Maru, filled it with 376 Indian passengers, nearly all of them Sikhs, and they sailed to the shores of British Columbia in search of a new life. It expected all will be on hand Wednesday for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau historic apology for what happened next with the Komagata Maru some 102 years ago. The ship was forced back to India, where 19 were killed in a skirmish with British authorities and dozens of others were imprisoned or forced into hiding, including Randhawa great-great grandfather. Canadian officials refused to allow the Indians in, arguing the ship passengers were violating immigration laws even though they were British subjects just like every other Canadian of the time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minority community: Fast forward more than a century and South Asians are the single largest visible minority community in the country, with Statistics Canada estimating that they will represent one in every three people in the Toronto area alone by 2031, according to Brandon Sun. The community influence is also reflected in the corridors of power in Ottawa — 23 South Asians, 17 of them Sikh, were elected last fall. Her great-great grandfather chartered the ship Komagata Maru, filled it with 376 Indian passengers, nearly all of them Sikhs, and they sailed to the shores of British Columbia in search of a new life. It expected all will be on hand Wednesday for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau historic apology for what happened next with the Komagata Maru some 102 years ago. The ship was forced back to India, where 19 were killed in a skirmish with British authorities and dozens of others were imprisoned or forced into hiding, including Randhawa great-great grandfather. Canadian officials refused to allow the Indians in, arguing the ship passengers were violating immigration laws even though they were British subjects just like every other Canadian of the time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

South Asians: The community influence is also reflected in the corridors of power in Ottawa — 23 South Asians, 17 of them Sikh, were elected last fall, according to National Observer. It expected all will be on hand Wednesday for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau historic apology for what happened next with the Komagata Maru some 102 years ago. Fast forward more than a century and South Asians are the single largest visible minority community in the country, with Statistics Canada estimating that they will represent one in every three people in the Toronto area alone by 2031. Canadian officials refused to allow the Indians in, arguing the ship passengers were violating immigration laws even though they were British subjects just like every other Canadian of the time. The family would continue their lives in India, the dream of moving abroad deferred for more than 70 years, until 2003 when — despite their family history — the Randhawas applied again to enter Canada and were accepted. The ship was forced back to India, where 19 were killed in a skirmish with British authorities and dozens of others were imprisoned or forced into hiding, including Randhawa great-great grandfather. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

restlessness: People would tell me to consult his poems, as though they were some kind of elixir that cured the restlessness and doubt that ailed those of us itching to feel a sense of belonging in this country.I started with Whylah Falls, a poem that won Clarke early praise and launched his identity as, what he calls, an Africadian writer.I discovered these lines: There a black wind howlin' by Whylah Falls; There a mad rain hammerin' the flowers;There a shotgunned man moulderin' in petals;There a killer chucklin' to himself; I was and remain mesmerized by this book, not only because of its haunting language but because it was the first time I had encountered so stark an account of Black love, life and death within contemporary Canadian literature, according to NOW Magazine. In the telling of the stories of the fictionalized Whylah Falls community, Clarke showed that Black people have been inextricably part of the Canadian story for centuries, that our lives are and have been deeply enmeshed with the collective project that is Canada. Clarke work kept surfacing in those days. And it pained me to realize it had taken so long for me to know that. I plumbed and devoured a hidden history, one that featured Mathieu da Costa, Mary Ann Shad, Thorton and Lucie Blackburn and many other Black people who had lived extraordinary and very Canadian lives. From this important literary discovery I went about revising the Canadian story in my own mind. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

House of Commons: A ruling from the tribunal would have a precedent-setting effect for the federal government, even as it takes steps to extend human rights protections to transgender Canadians in the form of legislation to be tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons, according to CTV. The bill would be the latest attempt to make it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their gender identity and extend hate speech laws to include transgender persons. The outcome is one possibility in an ongoing dispute in front of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal over a piece of information that internal documents show isn't central to identifying the owner of a social insurance number, or critical for preventing fraud. But even on the eve of its introduction, the government appears no closer to making it easier to change the gender attached to a social insurance number without requiring the holder to go through a bureaucratic paperwork process. The changes were simple: her address, legal name and an update to the gender field to female. Christin Milloy, the Toronto-based trans rights activist at the centre of the tribunal case, said there is no need for the federal government to collect and store information on sex and gender. "It not necessary to identify an individual," Milloy said of the gender field. "Name and birthdate and mother maiden name -- these things are enough and storing creates opportunities for discrimination and oppression of all transgender people and women." It has been almost five years since Milloy first downloaded a government form needed to make changes to a social insurance number record. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

transgender persons: The bill would be the latest attempt to make it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their gender identity and extend hate speech laws to include transgender persons, according to Metro News. But even on the eve of its introduction, the government appears no closer to making it easier to change the gender attached to a social insurance number without requiring the holder to go through a bureaucratic paperwork process. The outcome is one possibility in an ongoing dispute in front of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal over a piece of information that internal documents show isn't central to identifying the owner of a social insurance number, or critical for preventing fraud.A ruling from the tribunal would have a precedent-setting effect for the federal government, even as it takes steps to extend human rights protections to transgender Canadians in the form of legislation to be tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons. Christin Milloy, the Toronto-based trans rights activist at the centre of the tribunal case, said there is no need for the federal government to collect and store information on sex and gender."It not necessary to identify an individual," Milloy said of the gender field."Name and birthdate and mother maiden name — these things are enough and storing creates opportunities for discrimination and oppression of all transgender people and women."It has been almost five years since Milloy first downloaded a government form needed to make changes to a social insurance number record. The sex or gender category on a social insurance number record is set at birth when a number is issued. The changes were simple: her address, legal name and an update to the gender field to female. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Tommy Douglas Institute: The annual Tommy Douglas Institute at George Brown College invites stakeholders from classrooms to communities to dialogue, debate and advance ideas on educating for change in the twenty-first century, according to Rabble. Past speakers Henry Giroux, Judy Rebick, and Chris Hedges have spoken to themes of social citizenship, critical pedagogy and resistance to neoliberalism. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. On Thursday May 19, Canada Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke will deliver the opening address on this year theme, Canada: A Different Story. We know the popular stereotypes: Polite, quiet and apologetic. From the challenge of detangling a national culture from our multicultural mosaic to the interminable riddle of Canadian identity , the story of Canada has long been tied to a need to make sense of Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

labour shortage: This means the industry is facing a looming labour shortage that could reach 48,000 drivers by 2024, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, according to CTV. The average age of a truck driver is over 47 -- up from 45 in 2013 -- and almost 30 per cent of the driving force is 55 or over, which makes it one of the oldest workforces in Canada, according to the organization president. "Tens of thousands of them are nearing retirement and we're not getting anywhere near our commensurate share of new drivers into the business," says David Bradley. And after driving five million kilometres, the 57 year-old still enjoys the freedom of the road. "For the most part, there nobody looking over my shoulder telling me what to do," says Fielding, who hails from McKellar, Ont. "I have an assignment and I'm left to do it at my own pace and how I think it should be done." But as Fielding and thousands like him near retirement age, the industry is struggling to recruit young people who share his enthusiasm for the job. There are multiple reasons for the looming shortage, but many believe the lifestyle simply isn't attractive to a younger generation. Schedules are not set in advance, and drivers often work 12 hours or more a day. "You're not home with your friends on Friday nights having parties," he says. "If you have a family you might miss out on birthdays and things like that." Bradley says this makes it harder to attract younger people or those with families, who tend to place a higher emphasis on work-life balance than older generations. Fielding, for example, usually works 10-14 days straight, with three days off between trips. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

visa offices: Staffing boost underway for privately sponsored Syrian refugees amid complaints Syrian refugee sponsors in Collingwood, Ont., receive good news, but frustration remains "Over 40 additional dedicated staff are joining employees already working in visa offices in the Middle East to process these applications in May and June," said Lisa Filipps, an immigration spokeswoman, in response to a query from CBC News. "Employees are located in different countries, with the bulk of the processing occurring in Beirut, according to CBC. These efforts are supported by dozens of staff in Canada," Filipps said in an email. The update comes after Immigration Minister John McCallum told a Commons committee last Thursday that a staffing boost was underway, though no details were immediately available. Last week, the Immigration Department told CBC that "more than 65 full-time employees" are working in visa offices in Amman, Ankara and Beirut. Priority for 'cases in the pipeline' Sewell said he did receive some "positive news" from Adam Vaughan, the Liberal MP for Spadina -Fort York, who called him over the weekend to say the Immigration Department "will try to prioritize" those refugees who have been matched with Canadian sponsors but have yet to arrive in Canada. "Vaughan said the department is going to give priority to some of those cases in the pipeline." "That good news," Sewell said. John Sewell, the former Toronto mayor who has become a spokesman for private sponsors in Ontario and is now in the process of forming a national group, says it a step in the right direction, but it not enough to process thousands of applications. "It a start," said Sewell in a phone interview Monday. "It better than nothing, but I don't think it responds to the actual need." Approximately 500 government officials worked on the Liberal government initiative to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees between last November and the end of February. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration thresholds: Starting at 60,000 immigrants a year, however, the work force would continue to grow well into the future, according to Globe and Mail. A healthy discussion of immigration thresholds would consider these factors while reviewing the longer-term evidence. This is a catch-all ASF view; only displays when an unsupported article type is put in an ASF drop zone A recent government white paper warned that maintaining immigration at the current 50,000 annual level would lead to a marked decline in the working-age population between 2016 and 2031, putting a damper on economic growth and everything that flows from it. Since the adoption of the province Bill 101 in 1977, requiring the children of immigrants to attend French-language schools, several cohorts of new Quebeckers have embraced la langue de Molière and successfully integrated into francophone society. Yet, despite such reassuring evidence, opposition politicians showed the usual reflexes in denouncing the government for merely raising the possibility of an increase in immigration. The proportion of Quebeckers speaking French at home remained a robust 82.5 per cent in 2011, while almost 95 per cent of all Quebeckers could speak French, according to Statistics Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: This means the industry is facing a looming labour shortage that could reach 48,000 drivers by the year 2024, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, according to Huffington Post Canada. Trucks on the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., 2014. And after driving five million kilometres, the 57 year-old still enjoys the freedom of the road. "For the most part, there nobody looking over my shoulder telling me what to do," says Fielding, who hails from McKellar, Ont. "I have an assignment and I'm left to do it at my own pace and how I think it should be done." But as Fielding and thousands like him near retirement age, the industry is struggling to recruit young people who share his enthusiam for the job. The average age of a truck driver is over 47 — up from 45 in 2013 — and almost 30 per cent of the driving force is 55 or over, which makes it one of the oldest workforces in Canada, according to the organization president. "Tens of thousands of them are nearing retirement and we're not getting anywhere near our commensurate share of new drivers into the business," says David Bradley. Fielding, for example, usually works 10-14 days straight, with three days off between trips. There are multiple reasons for the looming shortage, but many believe the lifestyle simply isn't attractive to a younger generation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

topsy-turvy world: Until Oct. 16 at the Festival Theatre, 10 Queen Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake. shawfest.com or 1-800-511-7429The story of the little girl who tumbles down the rabbit hole into a topsy-turvy world will never, it seems, go out of style — Lewis Carroll original tale is the second most published book in history after the Bible — but Alice is also having a theatrical moment, according to Toronto Star. In the past four years the national theatres of both Ireland and the U.K. have produced major adaptations: Alice in Funderland at Dublin Abbey was a clubland musical satirizing the corruption that ran the Irish state into bankruptcy; while wonder.land at London National Theatre interpreted Wonderland as online culture, the space we enter when we fall into our mobile phones and computer screens and can't seem to find our way out . Article Continued Below Now the Shaw Festival — one of Canada de facto national stages, thanks to its large budgets, expansive repertoire and capacity to employ artists on season-long contracts — has taken on this iconic story in one of this season blockbuster shows. By Karen Fricker Theatre Critic Mon., May 16, 2016 Alice in Wonderland Adapted by Peter Hinton from the book by Lewis Carroll and directed by Hinton, with music by Allen Cole. This Alice, three years in development, is the brainchild of director/adapter Peter Hinton, an enticing prospect given Hinton extraordinary capacity to create complex, multi-layered stagings that excavate the meanings of his chosen scripts, as with his recent Shaw productions of Pygmalion, Cabaret and Lady Windermere Fan, and his queer take on Anosh Irani Bombay Black at Factory this season. Certainly, the visual world that he and his many collaborators have created on the Festival stage is sumptuous: the great pleasure of this production is watching image after amazing stage image unfold. Hinton has said in interview that he interested in challenging perceptions of the Victorian era — when Carroll, and indeed Shaw, wrote — as restrained and wants to rather celebrate it as a time of vivid imagination. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Brian Bowman: Interim-NDP Leader Flor Marcelino said the party was happy the speech was short, but she was concerned that it lacked details. "We're heartbroken that there are several sectors that are not mentioned, and we want them mentioned because they're very important, according to CBC. They're Manitobans – part of our society," said Marcelino, specifically pointing to the province Indigenous community and immigrants. "So many people were not mentioned. Tory Myrna Driedger elected Speaker of Manitoba legislature Throne speech kicks off Manitoba legislative session Monday The NDP called the speech "heartbreaking," while Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said it was "very encouraging." The speech stuck closely to Tory campaign promises made throughout the election and had few surprises. We want to see what they will do with education, with teachers. How about the Indigenous population How about the North How about newcomers " Marcelino said talk of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls was absent from the speech, as was any mention of reconciliation. "We'd like fulsome discussion on those," she said. We want to see how they will treat people with disabilities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

official announcement: I'm running to attract new people to the party, and I'm very excited, according to Huffington Post Canada. Chong, 44, made the official announcement in Ottawa Monday morning, with his wife, Carrie, and his three young boys, William, Alistair, and Cameron, at his side. I'm running to win, Chong told The Huffington Post Canada. Michael Chong walks with his wife Carrie and sons Cameron , Alistair and William to a news conference Monday. I bring a very different life experience to this leadership race. In an interview before the announcement, Chong said he views himself as someone who can expand and modernize the party, while doing a better job of telling Canadians how the Conservative party is the best vehicle for their hopes and aspirations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.