immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

candidates hail: Now, although Calgary MP Michelle Rempel and Regina MP Andrew Scheer are both thinking about running to succeed Mr, according to Globe and Mail. Harper, all of the other major candidates or potential candidates hail from the eastern half of the country. The Canadian Alliance, Reform successor, essentially absorbed what was left of the PCs in 2003, with Calgarian Stephen Harper as leader. There are several good reasons for this. Just as the Liberal leadership traditionally rotates between an anglophone and a francophone, so too the Conservatives may be accepting that, after a long tenure by a western leader, the next one should come from the east. First, there may be an implicit principle of rotation emerging within the conservative movement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cocaine investigators: Cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth, opium, ketamine and fentanyl — 283 kilograms in total — were seized, along with 103 kilograms of cutting agents for cocaine, according to Hamilton Spectator. Investigators also seized eight firearms, including a Tec 9 machine pistol, an SKS rifle, a Springfield 40-calibre handgun and two 12-gauge shotguns, along with 418 rounds of ammunition. Police say the seven-month investigation has led to the arrests of 27 people on criminal organization and drug trafficking charges. Assets such as bank accounts, money counters and condominiums, worth almost $3.4 million, which police allege were proceeds of crime, and $2.4 million in cash were also seized. Supt. The investigation, dubbed Project Beyond, involved Toronto police, York Regional Police and the Canada Border Services Agency. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

forces: CBC INVESTIGATES Police diversity fails to keep pace with Canadian populations Halifax police force more diverse than community it serves Quebec police forces are still overwhelmingly white CBC News contacted local police forces on P.E.I. to see how the Island measures up when it comes to recruiting minorities, according to CBC. Charlottetown police have 81 officers and civilian staff. As police forces in major cities struggle to achieve diversity, on P.E.I. those goals are largely met by default due to the Island overwhelmingly white population. "We try to recruit visible minorities," says Edgar Mac Leod, executive director of the Atlantic Police Academy in Summerside. "It isn't easy to do." A national investigation by CBC News reveals police forces in most of the country fail to reflect the ethnic mix of the communities they serve. Three officers self-identify as members of a visible minority. Police continue recruiting efforts More than 90 per cent of Islanders claim roots in Scotland, England or Ireland. By contrast, more than 90 percent of P.E.I. population traces its roots to the British Isles. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration detainees: Sixty-eight immigration detainees in two maximum security prisons in Ontario -- Toronto East Detention Centre in Scarborough and Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay -- began a hunger strike on Monday to demand an end to indefinite detentions in maximum security prisons, according to Rabble. The immigration detainees, all racialized and undocumented men, will not end their hunger strike until they are able to meet with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. Goodale receptionist has refused to schedule a meeting between Goodale and the detainees, and maintains that Goodale cannot speak to members of the public. We can't take this no more," said Patrick, one of the hunger striking detainees in Lindsay, in an End Immigration Detention Network media release. When detainees phoned their local MP, Conservative MP Jamie Schmale, he refused to facilitate a meeting with Goodale. "We are in this together, we gotta make this happen 'cause we're really really tired of being in here. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

member states: Immigration Minister John McCallum speaks at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland in March 2016, according to Huffington Post Canada. In April, the Commission urged the European Parliament and council to "take a position" on the issue by July 12 — but neither did. The EU insists that since Canadians don't require visas to go to Europe, EU citizens should not need them to come to Canada. The commission notes that high-level political talks — including a visit last week by Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum — have demonstrated progress, but they still want the issue resolved. Full visa waiver reciprocity' "Achieving full visa waiver reciprocity for citizens of all member states is the objective for the European Commission and a fundamental principle of our common visa policy," he said in a statement Wednesday. Top EU interior affairs official Dimitris Avramopoulos says the commission will continue to apply pressure. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

n.b .,: He dialled 911 and rushed down an embankment, across a busy street, down another embankment and over train tracks to the edge of the frozen Kennebecasis River, according to CTV. It was there he found a man in his 70s clinging to a sheet of ice. Chamberlain, 26, had just finished sweeping a chimney in Rothesay, N.B., on Jan. 19, 2014 when he heard a man desperate cries for help in the distance. Chamberlain said he reassured him that help was on its way, and the man managed to pull himself back up onto the ice. "But then he fell through the ice again, right in front of me," said Chamberlain in an interview Wednesday, after being decorated for bravery by Governor-General David Johnston in Halifax. "I'll never forget seeing that.... He was there and then he was gone. This man is big. He was completely submerged." The man did manage to resurface and grab hold of a sheet of ice. "I guess instinct kicked in and I started to try and make my way out to him," said Chamberlain, who waded through freezing waist-deep water before climbing on top of the ice and crawling the rest of the way on his stomach. "I didn't know how I was going to get this man out of the hole. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pearson airport: Investigators have still not declared what they believe caused the crash, according to CBC. Labour Canada has given the airline until Nov. 15 to complete the safety upgrades. Baggage handler Ian Henrey Pervez, 24, was killed April 22 at Pearson Airport when the enclosed truck he was driving flipped over and ejected him onto the tarmac. Man dies in luggage truck rollover Family remembers worker 'humble spirit' However, CBC News has obtained an internal Air Canada bulletin to staff dated April 30, one week after the accident, which confirms the vehicle involved was found to have had "mechanical failures" and has been "quarantined." A second memo reveals that federal labour investigators in early May also directed the airline to install seatbelts on all "ramp and baggage tractors, belt loaders and other motorized material handling equipment." Air Canada told CBC News the order affects 950 of the airline 2,200 ground vehicles across the country which were not manufactured with seatbelts. Nobody contacted us," Pervez Pervez told CBC News this week. Air Canada memo citing mechanical failures Air Canada memo citing seatbelt order Family wants answers The dead man father says he was unaware of the internal Air Canada memos and says he has been provided very little information about what caused his son death. "We don't know anything. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

person life: Many people think of motherhood as one of the happiest times in a person life, but for some mothers that not the case, according to CBC. Postpartum depression can affect up to a quarter of all moms. Joyce O'Mahony is spending her summer looking at the services available to moms in the interior. Joyce O'Mahony is an assistant professor with the School of Nursing at TRU. To hear the interview, click the link: TRU researcher studying services for immigrant moms (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pilot program: The group relies on funds from the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Program, a pilot program started by Citizenship and Immigration Canada in 2011, according to Metro News. The program funds three months of living costs and other start-up costs associated with refugee settlement. The Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia has sponsored several newcomers to Halifax who are escaping homophobic regimes in the Middle East and Africa. The pilot program was renewed for two years in 2015, but has not yet been set up as a permanent program. We're lucky to have made Canada into a relatively safe spot for the LGBTQI community. The federal financial support allows groups like ours to augment our fundraising efforts, and ultimately, allow Nova Scotia to offer a safe harbour for more newcomers, RRANS president Jennifer Powley said in a press release. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

scottish grandmother: I am Canadian because of my Scottish grandmother who turned 19 the year World War I ended, according to Huffington Post Canada. She looked around and saw that 'there were no young men left.' So she made a new life in western Canada. The tragic slaughter of hundreds of thousands of young men echoes through the century. Fast forward 100 years. The line between combatants and civilians is blurred. Armed conflict has changed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stephen harper: Others are stiff, lack charisma, recycle shopworn ideas and are delusional about their chances of winning, according to Toronto Star. Guess which category Tony Clement falls into Clement, who represents the riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka, is the fourth candidate to enter the race to replace Stephen Harper as head of the federal Conservatives. By Bob Hepburn Politics Thu., July 14, 2016 Some political leadership candidates are truly inspirational, energetic and brimming with bold, innovative ideas. He formally launched his campaign Tuesday in a veterans' hall in Mississauga, telling the small crowd of invited loyalists that he is tested and ready. Article Continued Below He issued no campaign promises, no policy ideas other than to cut taxes and be hard on terrorists, no glimpse of the optimistic modern conservatism that he talked about and no real path forward for the Conservatives. Clement showed up with a new haircut and glasses, but offered nothing new. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

things right: I don't want to itemize them, according to Huffington Post Canada. But I think we got the big things right," he said, citing the government economic record specifically. The 55-year-old former Treasury Board president, industry, and health minister told The Huffington Post Canada Wednesday that he looking towards the future. "I think there are a few things that went wrong. Conservative leadership candidate Tony Clement is shown in his Ottawa office in July 2016. It was one example in a series of Conservative reversals — notably interim leader Rona Ambrose welcome of an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and of a much more relaxed attitude towards marijuana — that surprised political watchers. Last year, Clement made headlines for saying he wished, in hindsight, that he had not got rid of the mandatory long-form census. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

uninspiring opponents: Guess which category Tony Clement falls into Clement, who represents the riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka, is the fourth candidate to enter the race to replace Stephen Harper as head of the federal Conservatives, according to The Chronicle Herald. He formally launched his campaign Tuesday in a veterans' hall in Mississauga, telling the small crowd of invited loyalists that he is tested and ready. Others are stiff, lack charisma, recycle shopworn ideas and are delusional about their chances of winning. Clement showed up with a new haircut and glasses, but offered nothing new. This is Clement third bid to head a political party — and it likely will be the third time he fails miserably, even in a field filled with so undistinguished and uninspiring opponents as are lining up for Harper old job. He issued no campaign promises, no policy ideas other than to cut taxes and be hard on terrorists, no glimpse of the optimistic modern conservatism that he talked about and no real path forward for the Conservatives. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cocaine investigators: Cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth, opium, ketamine and fentanyl — 283 kilograms in total — were seized, along with 103 kilograms of cutting agents for cocaine, according to The Waterloo Record. Investigators also seized eight firearms, including a Tec 9 machine pistol, an SKS rifle, a Springfield 40-calibre handgun and two 12 gauge shotguns, along with 418 rounds of ammunition. They say the seven-month investigation has led to the arrests of 27 people on criminal organization and drug trafficking charges. Assets such as bank accounts, money counters and condominiums, worth almost $3.4 million, which police allege were proceeds of crime, and $2.4 million in cash were also seized. Supt. The investigation, dubbed Project Beyond, involved Toronto police, York Regional Police and the Canada Border Services Agency. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trades: Over the course of the past 200 years, since the first white settlers arrived here in what is now Waterloo Region, we have been changing here in Canada, according to The Waterloo Record. We have a more diverse demographic makeup. But the real thrust of his complaint came at the end when he asks just how these refugees are contributing to our society. We also have more social services we offer to our citizens and new arrivals. They own businesses, have acquired skills and trades that result in taxes being paid. All past groups of various ethnicities, races, religions, etc., have successfully become part of our nation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

volunteer-run group: After running a pilot project in Ottawa last winter, Roofs for Refugees Canada has started working with local shelters and settlement agencies to help place refugees in homes across the GTA. The idea came about when the government had announcement we'd be taking in an influx of Syrian refugees, says Yusra Uzair, who volunteers as the Toronto coordinator, according to NOW Magazine. Our national coordinator Steve Day was working with settlement agencies to see how to address the housing issue. As the city continues to try to find a way to regulate Airbnb, a local volunteer-run group dubbed the Airbnb for refugees has quietly launched in Toronto. He reached out to Refugees Welcome International in Germany to start Roofs for Refugees Canada, which is an affiliate of that organization. Volunteers helped vet the offers through phone interviews and home visits before they were added to an online database. In Ottawa, Roofs for Refugees received more than 150 housing offers from local landlords. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

billionaire ego: To understand why, consider the billionaire ego not just as mere mortals might see it but also as Trump himself understands it As Trump once put it: "People need ego; whole nations need ego."The race for the White House, then, may be Trump ultimate ego trip, guided by the same instincts he relied on in a lifetime of audacious self-promotion, ambition and risk-taking, according to Metro News. Those instincts allowed a fabulously wealthy businessman to pull off a mind meld with the economic anxieties of ordinary Americans, elbowing aside the Republican A-team and breaking every rule of modern politics to become the party presumptive presidential nominee."I play to people fantasies," Trump has acknowledged. When he thought about it, though, he decided it was true — and admitted as much in a big, big way."Almost every deal I have ever done has been at least partly for my ego," the billionaire declared in a 1995 New York Times piece titled, "What My Ego Wants, My Ego Gets."Flash forward two decades, and what 70-year-old Donald John Trump wants is the presidency. And plenty of voters fantasize about bringing some of that Trump braggadocio to the American psyche. He a champion. Trump candidacy has given rise to a whole nation of armchair analysts with their own theories to explain the man: He a bully. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

eu: In April, the Commission urged the European Parliament and council to "take a position" on the issue by July 12 -- but neither did, according to CTV. The commission notes that high-level political talks -- including a visit last week by Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum -- have demonstrated progress, but they still want the issue resolved. The EU insists that since Canadians don't require visas to go to Europe, EU citizens should not need them to come to Canada. Top EU interior affairs official Dimitris Avramopoulos says the commission will continue to apply pressure. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

condo pool: The woman, a public school teacher who had come to see me in order to file a human rights complaint, had been living in Canada for more than 35 years, according to Toronto Star. She knew perfectly well how things were done here. By Faisal Kutty Wed., July 13, 2016 This is not how we swim in Canada, said the elderly man to a mom supervising her two kids at a local condo pool. He had different ideas. The single mom advised the man their outfits were made of swim material and she would not be leaving. The man asked them to leave the Scarborough pool because my client son and daughter were wearing long shorts and T-shirts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

european union: Among the projections, the bank for the first time released numbers on the potential impact of the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union, also known as Brexit, according to CTV. It said the fallout from the vote will lower global GDP by 0.2 per cent by the end of 2018, with most of that expected to be tied to an extended period of uncertainty around investment. "The impact on the level of Canadian GDP over the projection period is likewise anticipated to be modest, about -0.1 per cent, reflecting, among other factors, Canada small direct trade exposure to the UK," the bank said in its latest monetary policy report. The central bank forecast was released Wednesday along with its scheduled announcement on its benchmark interest rate, which governor Stephen Poloz left at its rock-bottom level of 0.5 per cent, as expected. The bank underlined the difficulty of determining the scope of Brexit impact on factors like financial conditions, trade and confidence. "Assessing all of these effects is particularly challenging, since many important elements will be understood only as the process unfolds," the report said. The disaster forced the temporary shutdown of key oilsands facilities, led to Fort McMurray evacuation and destroyed more than 2,000 structures. The report also provided a more-detailed assessment of the effects of the huge Alberta wildfires that erupted in May. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

member states: In April, the Commission urged the European Parliament and council to "take a position" on the issue by July 12 — but neither did, according to Metro News. The commission notes that high-level political talks — including a visit last week by Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum — have demonstrated progress, but they still want the issue resolved. The EU insists that since Canadians don't require visas to go to Europe, EU citizens should not need them to come to Canada. Top EU interior affairs official Dimitris Avramopoulos says the commission will continue to apply pressure."Achieving full visa waiver reciprocity for citizens of all member states is the objective for the European Commission and a fundamental principle of our common visa policy," he said in a statement Wednesday. Officials from McCallum department travelled to Romania last month to examine progress by that country and are making a similar trip to Bulgaria this month. To decide whether to lift visa requirements, the Canadian government looks at several factors including how many visa applications are refused as well as immigration violation rates. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minister bennett: Good Morning, Elders, youth, National Chief, Regional Chiefs, Chiefs, Grand Chiefs, Minister Bennett, ladies and gentlemen, according to Huffington Post Canada. Thank you the Elder for the opening prayer and to Chief Ava Hill, our host, and Regional Chief Isadore Day for your welcoming comments. Here are her prepared remarks. ******** Gilakas'la. I acknowledge the Haudenosaunee and the peoples of the Six Nations of the Grand River on whose ancestral lands we are gathering. And Indigenous voices are increasingly shaping our country. Yes, National Chief this has been a momentous year - and yes the momentum is gaining. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

oil prices: The central bank forecast was released Wednesday along with its scheduled announcement on its benchmark interest rate, which it left at the rock-bottom level of 0.5 per cent, as expected."Essentially, the underlying forces that support a strengthening of growth in Canada remain the same, and the adjustment process of the economy to the lower oil prices is well underway," Carolyn Wilkins, Bank of Canada senior deputy governor, said in French after the announcement."That said, international and national factors have led us to lower our projections for growth in the ."Among its predictions, the bank for the first time released numbers on the potential impact of the U.K. referendum last month to exit the EU, also known as Brexit, according to Metro News. It said the fallout from the vote will reduce the level of global GDP by 0.2 per cent by the end of 2018 — and fall by 0.1 per cent in Canada over the same period. The effects of the disaster, which temporarily shuttered key oilsands facilities, took hold as the national economy struggled with disappointing exports numbers, feeble business investment and uncertainty around the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union. According to the bank, the "modest" effect on Canada was largely due to the country small direct trade exposure to the U.K. It stressed that the scope of Brexit impact remained uncertain and will only be understood as the process unfolds. The fires cut oil production, led to Fort McMurray evacuation and destroyed more than 2,000 structures. The report also provided a more-detailed assessment of the effects of the huge Alberta wildfires that erupted in May. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec city: Here are quick sketches of the candidates in the race so far, according to CTV. Maxime Bernier MP for Beauce, south of Quebec City Held cabinet posts including foreign affairs and industry Was demoted from foreign affairs minister after leaving sensitive documents at girlfriend homeA libertarian, he broke with his party over the 2009 General Motors and Chrysler bailouts Supports privatizing Canada Post, abolishing the CRTC, expanding free trade and ending supply management Says Conservatives need to offer Canadians not solutions involving Ottawa redistributing more money from some regions to others, but solutions based on a freer economy, on responsibility and fairness" Michael Chong MP for Wellington–Halton Hills, outside of Toronto Served as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport Resigned from cabinet over the Conservative government motion to recognize the Quebecois as a nation Disagreed with Harper policy of banning face coverings at citizenship ceremonies Supports lower taxes and preserving the environment, in part by using carbon pricing to lower income taxes. The party will vote on Stephen Harper replacement on May, 27, 2017. Championed a bill to try to give caucus more power Endorsed by former environment minister Peter Kent Child of Dutch and Chinese immigrants Told CTV Power Play that the party must reach out to new Canadians and re-earn their trust Tony Clement MP for Parry Sound--Muskoka in rural Ontario Served as industry minister and President of the Treasury Board An avid Twitter user Opposed usage-based billing for Internet Faced controversy for directing $100,000 in G8 summit infrastructure funds to a gazebo in his riding Said at his campaign launch that he will usher in an optimistic modern conservatism that appeals to urban Canadians, first-time voters, newcomers – while preserving those values that unite us Kellie Leitch MP for Simcoe--Grey, a rural Ontario riding Former Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for the Status of Women Worked as a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto Drew criticism for encouraging citizens to report "barbaric cultural practices to a government tip line Told CTV News in April she wants to rebuild a Conservative party that unifies the country Who else is considering running Peter Mac Kay, former Minister of Defence said he is undecided Kevin O'Leary, businessman and TVcontributor, "sees no advantage" in declaring early Lisa Raitt, former transport minister and current finance critic, said she hasn't decided (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

scarborough pool: She knew perfectly well how things were done here, according to Hamilton Spectator. He had different ideas. The woman, a public school teacher who had come to see me in order to file a human rights complaint, had been living in Canada for more than 35 years. The man asked them to leave the Scarborough pool because my client son and daughter were wearing long shorts and T-shirts. The man became irritated and mumbled something about people bringing their ways and changing this country. The single mom advised the man their outfits were made of swim material and she would not be leaving. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stephanie levitz: The EU insists that since Canadians don't require visas to go to Europe, EU citizens should not need them to come to Canada, according to Toronto Star. In April, the Commission urged the European Parliament and council to take a position on the issue by July 12 — but neither did. By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Wed., July 13, 2016 OTTAWA—The European Commission has again pushed off a decision on whether to require Canadians to have a visa to enter the EU. The commission says it now looking ahead to the Canada-EU summit this fall to see more progress on the issue of Canada removing visa restrictions on citizens of Romania and Bulgaria. The commission notes that high-level political talks — including a visit last week by Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum — have demonstrated progress, but they still want the issue resolved. Achieving full visa waiver reciprocity for citizens of all member states is the objective for the European Commission and a fundamental principle of our common visa policy, he said in a statement Wednesday. Article Continued Below Top EU interior affairs official Dimitris Avramopoulos says the commission will continue to apply pressure. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.