annual budget: The justice minister office had no immediate comment on the findings, according to National Observer. The multi-agency federal program, with an annual budget of about $16 million, tries to keep war criminals out of Canada, prevent those in Canada from obtaining citizenship, revoke the status of people complicit in atrocities, and investigate and prosecute suspects when appropriate. Overall, there were fears that Canada contribution to the global fight against crimes against humanity was "diminishing due to capacity and resource issues."A January 2016 presentation of preliminary evaluation findings about the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program was released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act."Resources have not changed since 1998 and are considered inadequate," says the presentation, prepared for the Justice Department by Prairie Research Associates. The consultants examined data, surveyed staff and interviewed 49 people — including federal employees and representatives of foreign governments, NGOs and academic institutions. There was "indirect evidence" the program had been effective, such as the denial of more than 3,000 visas over 10 years on grounds of war crimes or crimes against humanity. However, they found complete annual performance data existed only through 2010-11, making the assessment challenging and highlighting a desire for "more accountability," even among program personnel. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

The Canadian Press: Overall, there were fears that Canada contribution to combating crimes against humanity was "diminishing due to capacity and resource issues." A January 2016 presentation of preliminary evaluation findings about the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program was released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. "Resources have not changed since 1998 and are considered inadequate," says the presentation, prepared for the Justice Department by Prairie Research Associates, according to The Waterloo Record. Michael Davis, a spokesman for Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, declined to comment on the initial findings, noting the evaluation process is ongoing. The study also uncovered concerns about a trend toward using immigration law to expel war criminals rather than pursuing prosecutions or revoking citizenship. The multi-agency federal program, with an annual budget of about $16 million, tries to keep war criminals out of Canada, prevent those in Canada from obtaining citizenship, revoke the status of people complicit in atrocities and investigate and prosecute suspects when appropriate. However, they found complete annual performance data existed only through 2010-11, making the assessment challenging and highlighting a desire for "more accountability," even among program personnel. The consultants examined data, surveyed staff and interviewed 49 people — including federal employees and representatives of foreign governments, NGOs and academic institutions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

adult language programs: English language training Today, many of children are enrolled in schools and taking special English language training, according to CBC. The Halifax Regional School Board said as of June it has 320 students registered — with six more expected to start in September. Mills says when Nova Scotia began taking in Syrian refugees early this year, the focus was on their safety, finding them a place to live and making sure they were in good health. Mills said adults older than 25 are in adult language programs — programs that now have a wait list. ISANS has reassigned one of its instructors to start a summer program at the Cunard Centre along the Halifax waterfront. Language skills essential But it the 18-to-25-year-old demographic that of concern to ISANS. "There are so many of them who have missed a lot of education who need to get their language and do some career exploration," Mills said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian cabinet ministers: By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Mon., June 20, 2016 OTTAWA—Federal politicians meet a lot of people, but Syrian children don't meet a lot of federal politicians — let alone the same one twice, in two different countries, each a world apart from the other, according to Toronto Star. Hamza Ali, 13, remembers clearly the day last November when a trio of Canadian cabinet ministers trooped into an ad-hoc art gallery set up in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Hamza did the painting after he met McCallum at a refugee camp in Jordan last year. Ali, one of the artists, shook the ministers' hands and explained the concept behind his gripping paintings of women and men struggling with life and the war in Syria. Women do all the heavy lifting, McCallum remarked. Immigration Minister John McCallum told Ali he was struck by the symbolism of a painting showing a woman carrying a map of Syria on her back up a flight of stairs, a heavy red sky in the background. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Immigration Minister John McCallum: Ali, one of the artists, shook the ministers' hands and explained the concept behind his gripping paintings of women and men struggling with life and the war in Syria, according to Huffington Post Canada. Immigration Minister John McCallum holds a painting Hamza Ali, 13, presented him with as his father Mohammad Ali looks on at an event in Ottawa, Monday June 20, 2016. Hamza Ali, 13, remembers clearly the day last November when a trio of Canadian cabinet ministers trooped into an ad-hoc art gallery set up in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Immigration Minister John McCallum told Ali he was struck by the symbolism of a painting showing a woman carrying a map of Syria on her back up a flight of stairs, a heavy red sky in the background. "Women do all the heavy lifting," McCallum remarked. McCallum didn't have one — until Monday. That painting now hangs in Health Minister Jane Philpott office in Ottawa. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

University of Toronto International Human Rights Program: The 54-page report is based on interviews with more than 50 Mexican healthcare workers, human rights activists, journalists, LGBT community members, and HIV patients, according to CTV. It found that, while Mexico has enacted an "impressive" array of human rights legislation including universal healthcare for all, vulnerable Mexicans actually have little legal protection. According to the report, published by the University of Toronto International Human Rights Program on Monday, failure to remove Mexico from Ottawa designated countries of origin list could mean that Canada is violating its international legal obligations. This is especially true for people living with HIV and sexual minorities, the report said. "We uncovered that the scene that Mexico portrays in terms of its announcement of universal access to healthcare is not really the case on the ground," the report co-author and supervising lawyer Kristin Marshall told CTV News Channel. For example: In June 2015, unknown armed assailants beat and shot a transgender woman in the head, before wrapping her body in a Mexican flag. Marshall said that, while Mexico has legislation in place to prevent the discrimination of sexual minorities, "these rights are not respected and there no recourse when there is a violation." The report noted some of the violence sexual minorities face in Mexico. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Deepak Chopra: It was later discussed in other seminal texts -- the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, according to Huffington Post Canada. In the 4th century CE, Maharishi Patanjali is believed to have organized the diffuse practice into a set of structured principles. The concept of yoga was first mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures of the 6th century BCE, the Rig Vedas. The word yoga in Sanskrit means union. Modern guru Deepak Chopra explains it more simply as the union of mind, body, and soul. The official website of the International Day of Yoga defines yoga as the process whereby the individual is united with the Cosmic Consciousness. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

unemployment rate: Mulroney, who signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1992, said Trump proposal to slap large tariffs on imports from countries like China, Mexico and Canada would shut down the American economy, according to CTV. He said NAFTA proved to be a huge success for the U.S., where it has created millions of jobs and led to a five per cent unemployment rate. If you talked to anybody who has been in government in a serious way in the last 50 years, they'll tell you all you've got to do is look at the 1930s, he told Power Play on Monday. Mulroney also said Trump plan to block immigration of Muslims would be perilous for the economy. We need more immigration, not less. Great countries like Canada and the United States are built on immigrants, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: Where are you really from is the common enough subtext directed at minorities, according to Toronto Star. As a relatively recent immigrant, this doesn't offend me. By Shree Paradkar Toronto Star Mon., June 20, 2016 Where are you from is a common enough question in multiracial Toronto. I did come from somewhere else. For second-generation and older minority immigrants, however, I can see why that can be offensive. This country is a beloved home as is my country of origin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Statistics Canada: The growth was entirely the result of a modern high 1,994 immigrants, who came to the province between January and March, at least 60 per cent of those Syrian refugees, according to CBC. According to Statistics Canada, the number of international immigrants arriving in New Brunswick last winter was double anything the province has experienced since comprehensive record keeping began in 1971. Overall, New Brunswick grew by 1,133 people during the first quarter of the year, the single largest gain in six years. New Brunswick welcomes first Syrian refugees Maritime provinces lead the way in resettling Syrian refugees New Brunswick is 'crying out' for Syrian refugees, John McCallum says But it also widely beat any of the less reliable quarterly immigration counts which date back to 1946. New Brunswick has welcomed the most Syrian refugees per capita in Canada. Patrick Charbonneau, agency population analyst, said although New Brunswick continues to face serious demographic problems, the rush of immigration this year has so far overwhelmed all other issues. "New Brunswick had the highest proportion of Syrian refugees in Canada and the gain outnumbered the losses that occurred," said Charbonneau. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian cabinet ministers: Ali, one of the artists, shook the ministers' hands and explained the concept behind his gripping paintings of women and men struggling with life and the war in Syria, according to Hamilton Spectator. Immigration Minister John McCallum told Ali he was struck by the symbolism of a painting showing a woman carrying a map of Syria on her back up a flight of stairs, a heavy red sky in the background. "Women do all the heavy lifting," McCallum remarked. Hamza Ali, 13, remembers clearly the day last November when a trio of Canadian cabinet ministers trooped into an ad-hoc art gallery set up in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. That painting now hangs in Health Minister Jane Philpott office in Ottawa. The ministers left the camp and went on to open a massive refugee processing centre near Amman that would eventually see thousands of refugees interviewed and screened to come to Canada. McCallum didn't have one — until Monday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pariah state: Or she may not, according to Metro News. That just one more secret of the world pariah state. Yonah Martin may have a living, breathing cousin. Before she was born and before the Korean War that split the country along the 38th parallel, Martin father fled southward, but he left behind a sister unable to travel. The few defectors who actually escape are automatically granted South Korean citizenship. She was nine months pregnant."We don't know what happened to them," Martin recalled Monday. "Because of the armistice and the war that technically continues to this day, I have no way for knowing if my family survived."That personal connection infused Martin work in preparing a Senate report, released Monday, that calls on the government to do more to help North Korea defectors, who are caught in an international legal limbo. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

gay men: He said Canada "stands with the people of Afghanistan in their struggle against terrorism in all its forms."____ Health Canada is making it easier for gay men to give blood, so long as they have been celibate for one year, according to Brandon Sun. Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec will now be allowed to accept blood from men who have had sex with men as recently as one year ago. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion also came forward Monday to condemn the attack. The government says the change comes after those agencies provided scientific data that the change would not compromise safety. Canada lifted the lifetime ban on gay men donating blood in 2013, requiring instead that potential male donors not have had sex with other men for five years.___UN SAYS 65 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED IN 2015: The United Nations refugee agency says one in every 113 people around the world is either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee. The move brings Canada in line with a number of other countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland and France. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

federal Conservatives: As benefits increase, so potentially will the premiums deducted from workers' paycheques, according to Brandon Sun. The federal Conservatives say that amounts to a payroll tax hike. Any improvements to the CPP will come at a cost. But Frank Graves, president of EKOS Research Associates, says it appears Canadians are prepared for that.———CANADA DOING ITS PART TO STEM GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISISThe United Nations' refugee agency has released some sobering statistics today to mark World Refugee Day. The U.N. agency says that by the end of last year, 65.3 million people had been forcibly displaced from their homes. It says one in every 113 people around the world is either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jane Philpott: Immigration Minister John McCallum told Ali he was struck by the symbolism of a painting showing a woman carrying a map of Syria on her back up a flight of stairs, a heavy red sky in the background."Women do all the heavy lifting," McCallum remarked, according to National Observer. That painting now hangs in Health Minister Jane Philpott office in Ottawa. Ali, one of the artists, shook the ministers' hands and explained the concept behind his gripping paintings of women and men struggling with life and the war in Syria. McCallum didn't have one — until Monday. Five of them ended up being the Ali family. The ministers left the camp and went on to open a massive refugee processing centre near Amman that would eventually see thousands of refugees interviewed and screened to come to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian cabinet ministers: Ali, one of the artists, shook the ministers' hands and explained the concept behind his gripping paintings of women and men struggling with life and the war in Syria, according to The Waterloo Record. Immigration Minister John McCallum told Ali he was struck by the symbolism of a painting showing a woman carrying a map of Syria on her back up a flight of stairs, a heavy red sky in the background. "Women do all the heavy lifting," McCallum remarked. Hamza Ali, 13, remembers clearly the day last November when a trio of Canadian cabinet ministers trooped into an ad-hoc art gallery set up in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. That painting now hangs in Health Minister Jane Philpott office in Ottawa. The ministers left the camp and went on to open a massive refugee processing centre near Amman that would eventually see thousands of refugees interviewed and screened to come to Canada. McCallum didn't have one — until Monday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pariah state: Or she may not, according to The Waterloo Record. That just one more secret of the world pariah state. Yonah Martin may have a living, breathing cousin. Before she was born and before the Korean War that split the country along the 38th parallel, Martin father fled southward, but he left behind a sister unable to travel. The few defectors who actually escape are automatically granted South Korean citizenship. She was nine months pregnant. "We don't know what happened to them," Martin recalled Monday. "Because of the armistice and the war that technically continues to this day, I have no way for knowing if my family survived." That personal connection infused Martin work in preparing a Senate report, released Monday, that calls on the government to do more to help North Korea defectors, who are caught in an international legal limbo. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Cochrane: They're among the ones who will be part of the upwards of 30,000 Syrians settled in Canada by the end of this year, according to CTV. When Cochrane visited them this week, someone had been playing his classic song "Life is a Highway." It was a moment of connection during a visit that impressed upon the Canadian musician the importance of the West making enduring connections to all refugees, not just the ones who may settle in Canada or elsewhere one day. A Syrian mother and her sons smile and wave from a group of shacks and tarps. After all, most just want to go home, he said. "If there is going to be peace in our world, it got to start with the kids and they have to know that the West cares and they have to know that we care," he said in an interview. Cochrane was in Lebanon to help draw attention to the issue; he been working alongside World Vision for years, one of many celebrities who've long lent their star power to promoting humanitarian causes. About half of those affected by the Syrian crisis are children; World Vision and others help fund education programs but the money is running out, putting the programs and the children they help at risk. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: When Cochrane visited them this week, someone had been playing his classic song "Life is a Highway."It was a moment of connection during a visit that impressed upon the Canadian musician the importance of the West making enduring connections to all refugees, not just the ones who may settle in Canada or elsewhere one day, according to Metro News. After all, most just want to go home, he said."If there is going to be peace in our world, it got to start with the kids and they have to know that the West cares and they have to know that we care," he said in an interview. They're among the ones who will be part of the upwards of 30,000 Syrians settled in Canada by the end of this year. About half of those affected by the Syrian crisis are children; World Vision and others help fund education programs but the money is running out, putting the programs and the children they help at risk. But much has changed since the days a single star-studded concert could raise millions in a matter of hours for relief, including the scope and size of the need. Cochrane was in Lebanon to help draw attention to the issue; he been working alongside World Vision for years, one of many celebrities who've long lent their star power to promoting humanitarian causes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mexican government: The previous Conservative government imposed visas in 2009 to stop thousands of asylum claims being made by Mexican citizens later ruled to be unfounded, according to Huffington Post Canada. It was a controversial decision that sparked outcry from industry and the Mexican government. But multiple sources tell The Canadian Press negotiations are still underway on whether the plan will contain a fixed date to remove the visas as Canadian officials push to link it to the implementation of new border controls still in their infancy. "We shall see,'' Immigration Minister John McCallum said when asked whether a deal will be reached by June 29. The Liberals promised during the election campaign the visa would be lifted. Pressure to do so intensified as part of Trudeau decision to convene the Three Amigos summit — the meeting between the leaders of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico that the Tories postponed last year. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laughs as he speaks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto during a session on carbon pricing at the United Nations climate change summit on Nov. 30, 2015 in Le Bourget, France. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

controversial decision: The previous Conservative government imposed visas in 2009 to stop thousands of asylum claims being made by Mexican citizens later ruled to be unfounded, according to CTV. It was a controversial decision that sparked outcry from industry and the Mexican government. But multiple sources tell The Canadian Press negotiations are still underway on whether the plan will contain a fixed date to remove the visas as Canadian officials push to link it to the implementation of new border controls still in their infancy. "We shall see," Immigration Minister John McCallum said when asked whether a deal will be reached by June 29. The Liberals promised during the election campaign the visa would be lifted. The visa issue was among the diplomatic irritants at the time, though the Tories had promised to lift some restrictions through a new electronic travel authorization system that was supposed to take effect in March 2016, but has been delayed. Pressure to do so intensified as part of Trudeau decision to convene the Three Amigos summit -- the meeting between the leaders of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico that the Tories postponed last year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fresh produce: The kids involved with Hope Blooms plant, tend and harvest vegetables, according to CTV. The fresh produce is then used to make salad dressing and sold for $8 per bottle. Hope Blooms was started eight years ago for a community that had a lot of stigma around it, according to Jessie Jollymore, the organization executive director. Proceeds go toward a scholarship fund for the entrepreneurial gardeners. He plans to study commerce in the fall. Mamadou Wade, one of the gardeners, is the first to head off to university. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Paul Wells National Affairs Sun.: The organizers were mostly groups working for gay rights — Equality Florida, Human Rights Campaign, the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida, Come Out With Pride and a half-dozen others, according to Toronto Star. The venue was a big park in front of the city new performing arts centre. By Paul Wells National Affairs Sun., June 19, 2016 ORLANDO, FLA.—On Monday in Orlando, as the sun set on a day that was unseasonably hot even for June in Florida, I attended a vigil for victims of the massacre at Pulse nightclub. The crowd was huge and diverse: more than 10,000 people came to light candles and hear messages of comfort, mourning and defiance. At one point somebody on the stage called for a group hug. Buddy Dyer, the city popular mayor, was on a long list of speakers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

informal opportunity: Organized by local MPs Michelle Rempel and Blake Richards, the gathering, billed as Conservative Next, was an informal opportunity for the hopefuls to meet some of the grassroots, according to CBC. Rempel, who hinted at a potential run for the leadership on Twitter last year, said the point was for leadership candidates, and those exploring a run, to meet local organizers and activists. At least for the most part. She also said she wanted to get a sense of how people are feeling after the party first session in opposition. "I've never gone through a leadership race before as an elected MP," she said. "It weird. I don't feel like there these big sort of frictional battles that you sometimes see in leadership races. A lot of our caucus is getting along really well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pit bull: Coderre Quebec City counterpart, Régis Labeaume, felt the threat was so severe that he will force even current pit bull owners to get rid of their dogs by the new year, according to CBC. Outrage, threats in response to Quebec City pit bull ban At the source of this most recent wave of concern was the death of a Montreal woman who was mauled by what police believe was a pit bull. Montreal pit bull ban could be in place by September Neighbour describes dog attack on woman killed in her backyard Existing owners will be allowed to keep their pets under certain conditions. Much of the discussion so far has been about whether the bans are legal, and whether they're politically wise. Or, more generally, about what responsibilities us humans have to the animals we keep as pets. But so far little has been said about whether they are moral. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

: This summer of horror in the U.S., the U.K. and France is perhaps one where Canadians should be counting our blessings, according to Toronto Star. We not have — barring very occasional tragic exceptions — to live with the nightmare of urban terror in our cities. Order this photo By Robin V. Sears Sun., June 19, 2016 My beloved Scottish Presbyterian grandmother most impenetrable diktats, hurled whenever one of the many grandchildren swirling about her knees on summer vacations, whined about getting a smaller drink or less time in the kayak was, Just stop that! You should count your blessings, young man! The concept of blessings and how one would go about counting them was a mystery for many summers, but we knew it meant, Stop whingeing, or else. We do not have to endure vulgar opportunistic politicians, attempting to feed their ambition on the grief of families. We have built the most socially tolerant high-immigration nation on the planet, and continue to surprise ourselves with our success at the integration of greater and greater numbers of citizens from cultures as different from Canada host culture as it is possible to be. We have no one of consequence politically who would dare champion looser access to deadly weapons, as a remedy to gun violence. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.