home: Aftwards, police say, the caller pretends to be the resident they just called and then calls police to request emergency assistance at the resident home address, in order to intimidate the resident into paying, according to CBC. On Monday, police were called to a home on Ladyslipper Drive in Waterloo by an unknown female. The person making the calls has been demanding residents pay approximately $2,500 for a 'voucher,' and if the resident refuses, the person has been threatening to call the police. The female caller said two armed men with shotguns were trying to get inside the home. The family had, however, received a call from three men claiming to be from Immigration Canada. When police arrived, they found a family at home who all said they did not call police or see any men with guns near their house. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saka lawyer: Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church allegedly obtained the money from over 20 people under the guise of a sponsorship program to bring refugee families into Canada, according to CTV. London police say the investigation began in February with the co-operation of the Hamilton Catholic Diocese and spanned throughout Ontario, the United States and other countries where refugees were trying to come to Canada. Police say Amer Saka of the St. Saka, 51, was arrested on Wednesday and faces two charges -- fraud exceeding $5,000 and possess proceeds of property or thing exceeding $5,000. Saka lawyer told CTV London that her client remains devoted to his parishoners. "It a very difficult time for him," said Iryna Revutsky. "He is a man of God and these allegations, it very early in the process, so at this point in time we don't know how they're going to be resolved." The investigation is ongoing and anyone who may have had dealings with Saka is encouraged to contact London police. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

way: Mr, according to Globe and Mail. Zanotti takes the reins as the United Way undergoes a period of massive change. And our commitment is to give those individuals, wherever they are, that chance at a good life. The organization is going through a fundamental redrawing of the way it hands out the tens of millions of dollars to about 200 social-service agencies across the city. There is a lot riding on its success, as Toronto continues to grapple with rapidly growing inequality. And it is accelerating efforts to appeal to a new generation of donors as fundraising growth slows. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: It turns out that bringing 25,000 government-supported Syrian refugees to Canada before year-end was logistically impossible, according to The Chronicle Herald. If achieved it would have created huge problems with finding lodgings. The successful Liberal campaign in 2015 is no exception. It is self-contradictory to promise an open competition for Canada next fighter plane, but exclude the F-35, which happens to be the most advanced fighter on the planet and the most popular choice among our NATO allies. The government appears to be walking back from unwise commitments like these, and we should be glad they are. It is not smart to promise wholesale adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples when a literal reading of that declaration would, among other things, mean establishment of a third parliamentary chamber for aboriginal peoples and the need to buy back all of British Columbia and many other parts of Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian women: The women, who came from Syria as part of the federal government sponsorship program for refugees, were housed for months in hotels with no access to a kitchen to prepare food for their families, according to Hamilton Spectator. The Newcomer Kitchen in Toronto is the brainchild of Len Senater, founder and owner of The Depanneur, which hosts pop-up food events and workshops. Chopped onions bring a tear to the eye, the scents of lemon and mint mingle in the air, and amid the clatter of utensils and pots is the sound of happy chatter as Syrian women discuss combining the ingredients for yalanji — stuffed grape leaves — and gossip a little. When he heard about the plight of the refugee families, he decided to open his kitchen to them to cook and enjoy communal meals. The young couple, government-sponsored refugees from Sweida in Syria, did social work in their native country and worked as interpreters in refugee camps in Turkey. It wasn't easy to connect with the Syrian women until Rahaf Alakbani and her husband Esmaeel Abofakher became volunteers and then co-ordinators with the Newcomer Kitchen project. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

material effect: The attack came during a week of soul-searching in Canada defence community over the country appropriate role in this new world order — where terrorists hide amongst civilians, and where social inequities undermine global stability, according to Brandon Sun. Canadian policy-makers also wrestled this week with the fallout of Brexit and its effects on the Canadian economy. Sorrow quickly turned to despair for the state of international relations. And domestically, while some of our challenges may seem petty at a time of such ugly global fissures, the positioning of federal and provincial politicians this week on funding health care — the part of government that matters most to people — will eventually have a material effect on everyday life in Canada. At the same time, the federal government is in the midst of ramping up Canada presence in the Middle East in the war against ISIL, with the new Liberal effort to replace the previous Conservative version now taking firm shape. Here are three ways politics mattered this week:TROOPS, TENSIONS, In the space of just a few days, Canada offered up hundreds of troops, equipment, expertise, leadership and credibility to NATO in its deterrence efforts against Russia; and also signalled that we are ready to send peacekeepers to Africa — maybe Mali — to conbat the spread of terrorism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

november march: More than 1,200 have already settled in Waterloo Region, according to The Waterloo Record. More local groups wish to sponsor more refugees, McCallum heard on Thursday. "And they're still waiting," he said. "We're moving as fast as we can. Between last November and March, an initial wave of 25,000 Syrian refugees came to Canada at a federal cost of $319-million. This is a good problem to have in the sense it reflects how generous Canadians are." McCallum said the Syrian refugee process has taught his ministry how to do it faster, while doing the job well in terms of health and safety concerns. "That knowledge can be transferred to other kinds of immigration, family and economic immigrants," McCallum said in a media scrum after Thursday roundtable discussion with more than a dozen stakeholder participants from Waterloo Region and Guelph. "We can become more efficient, which means we can allow in more immigrants with the same amount of money." Canada aims to welcome 300,000 new permanent residents in 2016, up from last year target of 279,200. So McCallum — who, on Thursday, was flanked by Liberal MPs Bardish Chagger , Raj Saini and Lloyd Longfield — is travelling across Canada to gather public input on immigration matters. Come November, McCallum plans to announce how many immigrants will be brought into Canada for the next three years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pop-up dinners: The project, Newcomer Kitchen, has since enjoyed widespread news coverage and welcomed dozens of diners looking to welcome the newcomers to Canada . As a result of the success of the program, Depanneur owner Len Senater says, co-ordinating the dinners has required a considerable amount of capital and volunteer labour – everything from finding translators to lining up childcare and co-ordinating transport for cooks, according to NOW Magazine. To help ease that transition, he set up a Fundrazr page for the project. So when they donated their space to a group of Syrian refugees looking to start new lives in Canada for a series of pop-up dinners, it seemed like a match made in heaven. The campaign, which ends July 19, raised 55% of its $25,000 goal so far. Perks include discounts or prepaid meals at the kitchen, as well as a gift pack of LUSH products and signed cookbooks. The cash will go toward salaries for newcomer liaisons, legal and accounting fees incurred while incorporating a non-profit, and hiring translators and IT support, as well as developing a guide for other Newcomer Kitchen-style projects in other cities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saka lawyer: Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church allegedly obtained the money from over 20 people under the guise of a sponsorship program to bring refugee families into Canada, according to Brandon Sun. London police say the investigation began in February with the co-operation of the Hamilton Catholic Diocese and spanned throughout Ontario, the United States and other countries where refugees were trying to come to Canada. Police say Amer Saka of the St. Saka, 51, was arrested on Wednesday and faces two charges — fraud exceeding $5,000 and possess proceeds of property or thing exceeding $5,000. Saka lawyer told CTV London that her client remains devoted to his parishoners."It a very difficult time for him," said Iryna Revutsky. "He is a man of God and these allegations, it very early in the process, so at this point in time we don't know how they're going to be resolved." The investigation is ongoing and anyone who may have had dealings with Saka is encouraged to contact London police. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

woodworth: They might get a prestigious new job, or join a few boards, according to The Waterloo Record. But Stephen Woodworth, former Conservative MP for Kitchener Centre who was defeated in the federal election last fall, is not like most politicians. They return to their profession of law, academia, or medicine. In fact, you can barely tell that he is no longer the MP. Woodworth, 62, had a long career as a lawyer before he was elected to Parliament. He is working full-time as an unpaid politician and political activist. But he has moved on from that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

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.