Beautiful Trouble: Idling No More Changing the course of Canada, and the planet -- before it too late, according to Tyee. Beautiful Trouble: Make a Mini Utopia Imagine bluer skies with 'prefigurative intervention.' Fourth in a series. First in a series on creative activism. Read more: Rights + Justice, Politics, Media image: Sign Up for the Tyee Newsletter Editor note: This is one of three excerpts The Tyee is publishing from 'I'm Right and You're An Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up' by James Hoggan, published by New Society Publishers. When we look at the miserable state of public discourse today and how we are polluting the public square, it plain to see that many people believe the problem derives from evil on "the other side." But this kind of pollution comes from all around the square -- including our side -- and as long as we think somebody else is the source of it, we're unlikely to ever see our way through it. A public relations expert who co-founded DeSmog Blog, Hoggan will speak at the Vancouver book launch May 25; details here. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Stephen Harper: Trudeau theme: government investment is better than belt-tightening, according to Guelph Mercury. This approach will sound different to G7 leaders than the message they likely heard from Trudeau predecessor, Stephen Harper. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will promote Canada growth-boosting plan to his Group of Seven counterparts this week in Japan. The ex-Conservative leader, who lost power to Trudeau Liberals last fall, regularly called upon the global community to apply budgetary restraint. Most of the leaders have supported the use of fiscal tools to foster growth, but countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom are likely to stick to their cost-cutting approaches. Trudeau approach is expected to be well-received by most of his G7 peers at the two-day summit, which begins Thursday in Japan Ise-Shima region. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pipe smoke: It a Sunday evening at Cafe Tangiers, and owner Karim Raja Fallah is savouring the scene – and his own apple-flavoured water pipe smoke – while he can, according to NOW Magazine. That was several months ago, before council ban on shisha lounges went into effect on April 1. Clouds of aromatic smoke are accompanied by the hypnotic sound of bubbling hookahs. Full-on enforcement won't take place till next month. Last May, an electrical fire gutted his lounge. When it does, it will mark the second time in little more than a year that Fallah business has gone up in smoke, so to speak. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mahmoud Maria: Relatives were initially told Mira, her parents and three younger siblings — Yousef, Mahmoud and Maria — had drowned as they were making their way from Libya to Italy at that time, said Masalmeh, a friend of the girl father and uncle, according to Hamilton Spectator. The boat had more than 500 refugees aboard when it sank in the Mediterranean, he said. Mohamed Masalmeh, a cousin of the dark-haired girl, says he sure the photo shows Mira Akram Al Jawabrah after she was rescued from a boat that overturned off the coast of Italy in August 2014, when the girl was three years old. About 200 disappeared. "We completely lost contact with them, and we didn't know if they were alive or not," he said in an interview Wednesday. "We assumed that everybody was dead." However, relatives later spotted the girl picture among a series of photos on a Syrian news website showing survivors from the capsizing, he said. "They had hope that she was still alive, and the picture proved that she was still alive," he said. A longtime resident of Halifax, Masalmeh said he not sure who took the photo, and he says subsequent requests for information from the Red Cross, the Italian government and police have yielded no useful information. In the photo, the girl is holding at white card with the number 268 on it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Chiara Cazzaniga: The mystery of what happened to Mira Akram Al Jawabreh has haunted her family for 18 months — and on Wednesday, there was a development from Italy, according to CBC. A family member recognized her niece, Mira, on a news website after the boat she was on sank. Noor Al Jawabreh, who arrived in Kitchener in March as a government-sponsored refugee, says ever since a refugee boat disaster claimed her brother life in 2014, she been praying to find her niece safe. According to Italian journalist Chiara Cazzaniga, who works for the Italian public broadcaster Ria 3, Italian police in Syracuse said the little girl went with a Palestinian couple who registered the girl under the name Maria. Actually, we don't know where she is right now," said Cazzaniga. There is no word on where the couple and the girl might be. "They spend two or three or four days and then they take trains and they go away and land in Germany or in Norway where they usually have relatives. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ted McMeekin Monique Taylor: The Taliban retaliated by shooting her in the head in 2012, according to Hamilton Spectator. Malala miraculously survived, going on to write a bestseller, "I Am Malala." In 2014 she became the youngest-ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala began publicly promoting female education when she was only 11. Speaking on the importance of the equality of women in modern society, Yousafzai also told the crowd, which included Mayor Fred Eisenberger, newly minted police chief Eric Girt, and MPPs Ted McMeekin and Monique Taylor, that education action for Syrian refugees was vital. If action is not taken quickly, there is a significant chance that peace will be stalled for another generation, he said. " is not only the absence of war, but it is the absence of fear." As a self-proclaimed admirer of multicultural Canada, which granted his daughter honorary citizenship in 2014, Ziauddin says Canada performed well during the Syrian crisis — but they should "do the maximum possible" to have the dispute diplomatically resolved. Warning of the potential of another "lost generation," similar to what was seen in Afghanistan during recent conflicts, Ziauddin said that more than 2 million displaced Syrian children have no access to education. "If children are deprived for four to five years they are often unable to recover," Ziauddin told the Spectator. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: Today, more and more not-for-profit organizations are not only making a difference, they are making it by doing things differently, according to Huffington Post Canada. As the old proverb goes, necessity really is the mother of invention. But maybe it should be. Combine skyrocketing demands on social services and decreasing funding especially as markets and economies experience volatility -- and out springs innovation. The psyche of today new breed of not-for-profit organizations is all about innovation -- it entrepreneurial. Over my 25 years working with hundreds of not-for-profits, I have seen some truly awesome achievements, but nothing compares to the kind of innovation that going on in the not-for-profit sector these days. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrants: The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal commissioned the report that looked into the workplace and immigrants at 686 companies in the region, according to CTV. The majority of those companies had no immigrant executives, and that more than one third had no immigrant employees at all. Businesses in Montreal say the largest obstacle facing immigrants is a limited command of the French language. The study found that the overwhelming majority of companies in Montreal hired immigrants, but once off the island the number of immigrant employees dropped, to 45% in the Monteregie, and down to 27% north of Montreal. Right now executives only account for 14% of executives in private business according to the survey by SOM and Dun & Broadstreet. It found that even though Montreal was only behind Toronto and Vancouver as a destination for immigrants, it placed 15th among large and medium-sized cities in the U.S. and Canada when it came time for immigrants to find work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Israel: The addition of Avigdor Lieberman to the Cabinet comes at a sensitive time, according to Toronto Star. After a two-year breakdown in talks, France is preparing to host a conference next month aimed at restarting negotiations. By The Associated Press Wed., May 25, 2016 JERUSALEM—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named one of Israel most polarizing politicians as defence minister on Wednesday, solidifying his parliamentary majority at the risk of antagonizing the international community and his own military — and clouding already slim hopes for a resumption of peace efforts. At the same time, the U.S.-led quartet of international peace mediators is set to release a report expected to be critical of Israel. In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner expressed concerns with Israel right-wing tilt. While both Netanyahu and Lieberman pledged to pursue peace with Israel Arab neighbours, their tough positions on key issues, strained relationship with much of the international community and the makeup of the rest of the Cabinet would seem to make significant progress a long shot. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: During the rally, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee was interrupted repeatedly by protesters, who shouted, held up banners and resisted removal by security officers, according to Toronto Star. The banners included the messages Trump is Fascist and We've heard enough. Authorities responded by firing pepper spray and smoke grenades into the crowd outside the Albuquerque Convention Centre in what police later called a riot. At one point, a female protester was physically dragged from the stands by security. Article Continued Below Trump responded with his usual bluster, instructing security to remove the protesters and mocking their actions by telling them to Go home to mommy. Other protesters scuffled with security as they resisted removal from the convention centre, which was packed with thousands of loud and cheering Trump supporters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Lori Ewing: The WiFi was cutting in and out, according to Toronto Star. The online stream wouldn't work. By Lori Ewing, and Neil Davidson The Canadian Press Wed., May 25, 2016 Aboard a flight during a recent Toronto Raptors playoff game, Adam van Koeverden had to turn Mac Gyver to catch it. So the Olympic kayak champion Face Timed a friend, who set up his cellphone in front of his television. I go to all lengths to catch the Raptors. My best trick this year, Van Koeverden said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Raptors: The online stream wouldn't work, according to CBC. So the Olympic kayak champion Face Timed a friend, who set up his cellphone in front of his television. "My best trick this year," Van Koeverden said. "I go to all lengths to catch the Raptors." Van Koeverden has squeezed in watching games between training and competitions on his final run-up to this summer Rio Olympics. The WiFi was cutting in and out. A trip home to Oakville, Ont., coincided with Saturday 99-84 victory over Cleveland at the Air Canada Centre. Historic run draws stars Montreal Canadiens star P.K. Subban has become a regular fixture, including at road games in Indianapolis and Miami. So Van Koeverden was there, in a luxury box next to Canadian sprint sensation Andre De Grasse. #WeThe North @vankayak "I've been a fan of the Raptors since the Vince Carter days," said De Grasse, who twice flown home to Toronto from his training base in Phoenix to watch playoff games. "It amazing to see the team get this deep into the playoffs, and I would love to see the team make the finals, the energy in TO will be crazy." The Raptors are just two wins away from the NBA finals and their historic run through the post-season has drawn stars along on the way. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Air Canada Centre: The online stream wouldn't work, according to Hamilton Spectator. So the Olympic kayak champion Face Timed a friend, who set up his cellphone in front of his television. "My best trick this year," van Koeverden said. "I go to all lengths to catch the Raptors." Van Koeverden has squeezed in watching games between training and competitions on his final run-up to this summer Rio Olympics. The Wi-Fi was cutting in and out. A trip home to Oakville coincided with Saturday 99-84 victory over Cleveland at the Air Canada Centre. Montreal Canadiens hockey star P.K. Subban has become a regular fixture, including at road games in Indianapolis and Miami. So van Koeverden was there, in a luxury box next to Canadian sprint sensation Andre De Grasse. "I've been a fan of the Raptors since the Vince days," said De Grasse, who twice flown home to Toronto from his training base in Phoenix to watch playoff games. "It amazing to see the team get this deep into the playoffs, and I would love to see the team make the finals, the energy in T.O. will be crazy." The Raptors are just two wins away from the NBA final and their historic run through the post-season has drawn stars along on the way. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel Trudeau: Some G7 countries agree with that view, but not German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to Brandon Sun. Trudeau will be holding bilateral meetings with both Merkel and French President Francois Hollande during the summit.___ Stephen Harper is going to step down as a member of Parliament and launch his next career as an advocate for international causes that dominated his foreign policy when he was prime minister. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Highlights from the news file for Wednesday, May 25:____G7 When the G7 Summit opens Thursday in Japan, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be promoting his plan to stimulate the Canadian and global economies through increased government spending. Plans are slowly coalescing for a foundation or institute that would focus on advocacy for Israel and Ukraine as well as maternal, newborn and child health. Gen. Harper may give some hints as to his future plans when he addresses the Conservative convention in Vancouver on Thursday night.___ The chief of the defence staff says Canadians need to accept that the days of decisive military victories are long gone. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Syrian refugee crisis: That caller was a stark reminder that millions of Canadians remain highly critical of federal Syrian refugee programs. "I say scrap the whole stupid program," another reader wrote, according to The Waterloo Record. Others argued the refugees aren't war refugees at all, but rather economic migrants who cannot or will not be assimilated into what one termed "mainstream Canadian society." Indeed, a new Nanos Research poll released May 9 indicates that while most Canadians support Ottawa handling of the Syrian refugee crisis, a significant 30 per cent of those surveyed oppose or somewhat oppose it. Don't I know that Islamic State terrorists may be hiding among the innocent refugees, the caller asked in responding to a column I wrote about how Ottawa has mishandled the Syrian refugee private sponsorship program Don't I care about the safety of women and children on our streets And don't I know that if Canada is so eager to bring refugees here, then a good move would be to stick them in remote, abandoned outports in Newfoundland until we can fully screen them. Such opposition should be a wake-up call to Canadians who support the refugee plan that little has been done to ease the fears, and in some cases the loathing, of many of their neighbours, friends and even family. One of the quickest ways to address this issue is for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister John McCallum to start taking advantage of the huge outpouring of support for the Syrian program. That important because such concerns should not be ignored or simply dismissed as irrational, bigoted or self-centred. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mac Gyver: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent ElkaimTORONTO - Aboard a flight during a recent Toronto Raptors playoff game, Adam van Koeverden had to turn Mac Gyver to catch it, according to Brandon Sun. The WiFi was cutting in and out. Aboard a flight during a recent Toronto Raptors playoff game, Adam van Koeverden had to turn Mac Gyver to catch it. The online stream wouldn't work. A trip home to Oakville, Ont., coincided with Saturday 99-84 victory over Cleveland at the Air Canada Centre. So the Olympic kayak champion Face Timed a friend, who set up his cellphone in front of his television."My best trick this year," Van Koeverden said. "I go to all lengths to catch the Raptors."Van Koeverden has squeezed in watching games between training and competitions on his final run-up to this summer Rio Olympics. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Stephen Harper: This approach will sound different to G7 leaders than the message they likely heard from Trudeau predecessor, Stephen Harper, according to National Observer. The ex−Conservative leader, who lost power to Trudeau Liberals last fall, regularly called upon the global community to apply budgetary restraint. Trudeau theme: government investment is better than belt−tightening. Trudeau approach is expected to be well−received by most of his G7 peers at the two−day summit, which begins Thursday in Japan Ise−Shima region. One of Canada closest G7 allies in the anti−austerity camp is Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who met with Trudeau and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday in Tokyo. Most of the leaders have supported the use of fiscal tools to foster growth, but countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom are likely to stick to their cost−cutting approaches. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Air Canada Centre: The online stream wouldn't work, according to The Waterloo Record. So the Olympic kayak champion Face Timed a friend, who set up his cellphone in front of his television. "My best trick this year," Van Koeverden said. "I go to all lengths to catch the Raptors." Van Koeverden has squeezed in watching games between training and competitions on his final run-up to this summer Rio Olympics. The WiFi was cutting in and out. A trip home to Oakville, Ont., coincided with Saturday 99-84 victory over Cleveland at the Air Canada Centre. Montreal Canadiens star P.K. Subban has become a regular fixture, including at road games in Indianapolis and Miami. So Van Koeverden was there, in a luxury box next to Canadian sprint sensation Andre De Grasse. "I've been a fan of the Raptors since the Vince days," said De Grasse, who twice flown home to Toronto from his training base in Phoenix to watch playoff games. "It amazing to see the team get this deep into the playoffs, and I would love to see the team make the finals, the energy in TO will be crazy." The Raptors are just two wins away from the NBA finals and their historic run through the post-season has drawn stars along on the way. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

DC: The Man of Steel is set to be killed off in an upcoming issue, only to be reborn as part of DC new Rebirth series, which, as Beguiling owner Peter Birkemoe puts it, hits the reset button on core DC characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, according to Metro News. It so convenient that with the imminent death of Superman and DC re-launching its whole universe that we can give local comic fans the chance to see a piece of history, he said. The iconic comic store timing couldn't be better. Superman #1 was first published in 1939, and according to Birkemoe, only about 200 copies are still in existence. However, the comic at The Beguiling has been restored, and is expected to sell for a comparatively paltry $45,000. Mint condition copies of Superman #1 can fetch as much as $500,000, Birkemoe said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration office: I am not saying it is easy, according to CBC. But these are kids that are helpless. It been two years since Caroline Ijang adopted the orphans from Cameroon, but she still has no idea where the case stands. "I know in the immigration office they have a tough job," Ijang said. "I know there are millions of people, they apply from all over the world. If this was your own child, what would you do They've already been through a lot." The two adopted children, Will-Norman and Faith, were 10 and eight respectively, when they lost both parents. Ijang recalled the difficult conversation she had with her sister in her final days. "She said, 'You know I am struggling and if anything were to happen to me please take care of my kids.'" Following her sister death, Ijang flew to Cameroon for the funeral. Their father died in a car accident and shortly after their mother — Ijang sister — died in hospital from health complications. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

permanent resident: He was also sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to submit a DNA sample, according to CTV. Frater launched the appeal after receiving a letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that said he was potentially inadmissible as a permanent resident because he had been convicted of an offence with a jail sentence of more than six months. Court documents show Nigel Frater pleaded guilty last year to assault and two counts of breach of probation and was sentenced to six months in jail, which he had already served while awaiting trial. The three-judge appeal panel says it wasn't known at the time of sentencing that the penalty imposed would have a "potentially devastating immigration consequence" for Frater, a Jamaican citizen and permanent resident of Canada. They say prosecutors did not object to the request, and found the revised sentence to be "within the acceptable range for this offence and offender." Court documents show Frater, 53, immigrated to Canada in 1989 and has lived here ever since. As a result, the judges have agreed to reduce his sentence to six months less a day. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees: Andrew Chunilall, chief operating officer of Community Foundations of Canada, a national network of 191 community foundations, said the funds will help 1,800 government-sponsored Syrian refugees stay in permanent housing and will bridge the gap between the amount they receive from the federal government for rent and the actual cost of a rental unit in Toronto. "Although people are in permanent housing, they need money to stay on it," he said, according to CBC. He said the money will help Syrian refugees already in Toronto for a period of six to 12 months. The money is coming from what is called the Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees, established by Manulife, CN and General Motors to help the 25,000 government-sponsored Syrian refugees who have come to Canada. Young Syrian refugees sing O Canada at an event in Toronto on May 22, 2016. Calla said COSTI Immigrant Services, which has resettled 1,800 government-sponsored Syrian refugees in Toronto since last December, expects another 1,100 in the city by the end of the year. Mario Calla, executive director of COSTI Immigrant Services, said the new pilot program will identify "new rent-reduced units" for Syrian refugees. "The most difficult part of resettlement has been finding suitable accommodation," Calla said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Cape Breton: The financial impact for the island and its many tourism operators won't be known for several months, but signs are pointing to a record season, according to The Chronicle Herald. When the year-end financials are eventually calculated, much of the credit will be given to one fateful day in February. Yet as a new tourism season begins, Trump is on top and the Destination Cape Breton website is seeing unprecedented traffic. It was Family Day at about 9:30 at night and I did what I wasn't supposed to be doing, I sat down to check my email and log into Facebook, said Mary Tulle, CEO of Destination Cape Breton. I was really impressed with how our story had been told and I sent it to my marketing team right away. I saw article about a 'Cape Breton If Trump Wins' website. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: By Murray Whyte Visual arts Tues., May 24, 2016 The big, dense, more-than-slightly ominous works by the British painter Hurvin Anderson will take you by surprise and not just because you likely don't know his name, according to Toronto Star. The surprise comes not just in novelty. Hurvin Anderson, Beaded Curtain – Red Apples, 2010 94 1⁄2 x 59 in. At the Art Gallery of Ontario, where Backdrop, an exhibition of Anderson works, opens Saturday, great big canvases toggle back and forth between the dense, organic rot of overgrown flora and rigid structures that contain them. Look more closely, though, and the specific can be divined. If Anderson trying to say something about our modern impulse to control nature with the mechanical means our great big brains produce, mission accomplished. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Morris: Canadian Border Services Agency says Morris made job offers between 2007 and 2010 to three people in the Philippines to induce them to come to Canada to work for her company, according to CTV. CBSA says Morris, who is 46, did not pay the wages promised, or the required amount of overtime pay stipulated in the contracts, and did not employ the workers in the positions approved in the contracts. Jennilyn Morris was also ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution to 13 of those workers. It says she also employed at least 68 foreign nationals between 2006 and 2010 who were not authorized to work in Canada. Morris was charged in June 2014. "The CBSA takes violations of Canada immigration laws, including fraud, very seriously and works to identify, investigate, and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who violate our immigration laws. The CBSA executed two search warrants in April 2011 and seized over 12,000 evidentiary documents relevant to the investigation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Sen Bob Kerrey: Kerry, McCain and former Sen, according to Metro News. Bob Kerrey all served in the Vietnam War. John McCain say President Barack Obama visit to Vietnam proves that old enemies can become new partners. They say in a joint op-ed that there are few easy answers about what lessons were learned from the war. They say U.S. leaders must be honest about the goals when deploying troops. The three veterans say the U.S. must never again confuse a war with its warriors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.