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.

barry goldwater: Donald Trump officially secured the Republican presidential nomination early in the evening, completing his once-unthinkable takeover of the party of Abraham Lincoln, Barry Goldwater and the Bushes, according to Toronto Star. But, for once, the proceedings were only occasionally about him. In practice, it was a second consecutive attack parade devoted to the party foremost goal: savaging the character and record of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Instead, speaker after speaker went after his opponent once more. They did so, however, with far less vigor than the speakers who appeared on Monday night, when a procession of angry Trump allies painted a dark picture of a country besieged by enemies foreign and domestic. Mostly abandoning the economic arguments the Trump campaign claimed would be the focus – the official title of the night was Make America Work Again – a procession of party politicians denounced Clinton as a liar, a phony, a weakling, a security risk. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian press: By Michael Mac Donald The Canadian Press Wed., July 20, 2016 Halifax police are perpetuating damaging stereotypes by using Middle Eastern to describe three unknown cab drivers suspected in a recent string of alleged sexual assaults, critics say, according to Toronto Star. There no such thing as a Middle-Eastern-looking person, said Raja Khouri, president of the Toronto-based Canadian Arab Institute. Categorizing them as such opens the door for negative stereotypes. Khouri, who is also member of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, said the millions of people from the 17 countries in the region come from disparate backgrounds, which means their physical attributes vary widely. You can be black. You can be white. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

carol king: McNeil says he looking for increased federal health-care funding to address growing pressure on the health budget, according to Metro News. Premier Dwight Ball of Newfoundland and Labrador also says his cash-strapped province faces a spike in medical costs as the population ages.NEWFOUNDLAND WOMAN'S FORMER BOYFRIEND CHARGED WITH HER MURDERAn Alberta man is due in court Wednesday to face a charge of first-degree murder in the death of a woman originally from western Newfoundland. Stephen McNeil is in the Yukon for the Council of the Federation meeting. Originally from Mattis Point, Carol King was 40 when she disappeared from her farm near Herschel, Saskatchewan on Aug. 6, 2011. Police say 53-year-old Joseph Caissie — who was charged with first-degree murder and offering an indignity to human remains — was King former boyfriend.NOVA SCOTIA PROVIDES FUNDING FOR SAILING PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMSThe Nova Scotia government is funding a program that allows young people with mental health and addictions problems to learn to sail. Her remains were discovered in a wooded area three weeks after she was reported missing and had to be identified through dental records. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

crimes: In 2015, our police department reported a 7 per cent bump in crimes from 2014, according to Metro News. Specifically, our city experienced a 9 per cent increase in property-related crimes, and a 6 per cent increase in violent crimes. That statistic was publicly revealed as a part of the service annual report, which was released Wednesday, the same day as The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics unveils its nationwide figures on crime. Our crime rate here in Winnipeg has been trending down for 10 years. 2015 is the first year where we've experienced a modest increase, deputy chief Danny Smyth told reporters during a news conference Wednesday. Smyth said that increase is consistent with how crime is trending across other Canadian cities. It is certainly our hope that 2015 is just a short term hiccup, and that we will continue to trend down. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

drivers: You can be black, according to Metro News. You can be somewhere in between," he said. "It an inaccurate description, and it leaves the door open to whatever stereotypes people have in mind for bad people."A recent spate of sexual assault allegations against Halifax taxi drivers has thrown the local industry into a state of crisis, cab drivers say. Khouri, who is also member of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, said the millions of people from the 17 countries in the region come from disparate backgrounds, which means their physical attributes vary widely."You can be white. There have been four alleged attacks in the past three months alone, compared with three alleged sexual assaults by cab drivers in all of 2015. I wouldn't accuse the police of racism ... it misguided. According to the most recent police reports, three of the four suspects were described as "Middle Eastern men." One police statement, from May 20, described the accused as "Middle Eastern or a light-complected black man with an accent."Khouri said the "Middle Eastern" identifier, when used in conjunction with criminal activity, is typically associated with stereotypical notions about terrorism suspects."You can be racist without meaning to be racist," Khouri said in an interview."But that doesn't make it any less racist in terms of its impact. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

explanation: What went so horribly wrong was that when Bouhlel was halted at a police checkpoint he took his rented truck onto the sidewalk and so around the barrier, with, inexplicably, the officer not stopping him from doing this, according to Hamilton Spectator. That Bouhlel then went on to kill 84 individuals, 10 of them children, is all that matters. Not a scrap of evidence connects the killer — Lahouaiej Bouhlel — to Daesh and while he did accomplish his terrible objective, luck rather than training may well have been his principal weapon. Except in one respect. Legitimately, many would say, so what The difference does matter, though. Certainty is impossible, but what may have triggered the horror that Bouhlel unleashed was not the tempting explanation that he did it because he hated non-Muslims but that, as a deeply depressed man whose life had become an utter failure, he hated himself. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

family lawyer: An application to bring Brar brother to Canada on a temporary permit to care for them was denied last week, but now immigration officials have reversed their decision after the CBC told their story, according to CBC. Kidney transplant patients left without caretaker after visitor visa refused Canada immigration system vulnerable to fraud, says lawyer'Discrimination' in Canadian visitor visa system, says immigration lawyer David Mata " The family is obviously very excited. Visakha Brar was set to donate a kidney to his wife, but the transplant was complicated because both needed post-surgery care but have no family in Canada to help. They're happy that they can now focus on their health and getting back on their feet as quickly as possible," the family lawyer, Jasdeep Mattoo told The Early Edition host Rick Cluff. "It a bit confusing on my end because none of the evidence when we reapplied for the visa had changed, except that the surgery date for Mr. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada wouldn't elaborate on the reasons for the initial refusal or the reversal of that decision. Brar here in Canada had moved up and was a little bit closer, but otherwise everything else was the same." Refusal may have been caused by overworked staff According to an earlier letter the family received from immigration officials, Brar brother, Gurchet, has "not satisfied me immigration officer that you would leave Canada at the end of your stay as a temporary resident." Reasons cited included "travel history," "family ties in Canada and in country of residence, current employment situation" and "personal assets and financial status." Gurchet has a wife and three children in India and a farming business. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hadn t: The two accused sat wedged between a translator listening to a victim impact statement read out by a lawyer, according to CBC. London, Ont., boy rescued from 'squalid' house a 'child with resilience' Their now teenaged nephew wrote it about a month ago. The sentencing hearing for the victim aunt and uncle, who were charged two years ago with failing to provide the necessaries of life and forcible confinement, was held Tuesday in London. In it, the victim said he felt bored, nervous, lonely and jealous that he couldn't go outside. The teen wrote he used McDonalds napkins as toilet paper in a jammed-up toilet. The court heard that the boy had likely been locked in a squalid room, he hadn't had a bath in a year and was eating a fast food diet. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

half-informed opinions: I use to 'typeset' a newspaper in the old days and it was sometimes useful to find just that one paragraph, according to Hamilton Spectator. In this case, it may have been a paragraph that talked about something that is just too close to intolerance for me to ignore. I think that when you put together the letters to the editor the week of July 6 , you had a small space to fill and you used a short letter that would fit. The writer is just the third writer in a few weeks awarded precious space in our daily paper to express more than dislike of one of our Canadian core values, or just half-informed opinions for that matter. Not liking a particular province because it may have 'caused' our country to have two official languages, is just another indication that we have to make sure that history is being taught in school. I tried all week to ignore it, but it just has to be addressed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

haven t: Canada Border Services Agency spokeswoman Erin Steeksma said that due to privacy concerns, she could not discuss whether the players have made refugee claims, according to CTV. David Long of U.S. Customs and Border Protection also cited privacy issues, saying he can't confirm whether the women are seeking admission into the United States. Tournament spokeswoman Laura Ballance said she notified the RCMP when the women did not arrive for the first game on Sunday and that the Canada Border Services Agency is involved. "It complicated because they're actually on a six-month visitor visa so they technically haven't done anything wrong," she said in an interview Wednesday. "But they're not with their team." Ballance said it unclear whether the women were trying to defect instead of playing in the 10-day tournament involving 31 countries including Australia, Israel, Switzerland and Uganda. He said that generally, a Cuban national who arrives at a U.S. border and expresses fear of returning home is inspected and paroled while checks are done on any criminal or immigration history in the United States. "The Cuban national may be eligible under the Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act of 1966 to apply for lawful permanent residence one year after inspection and parole," he said in a statement. The team from Kenya, for example, donned worn-out running shoes and lost 28 to 0 against New Zealand, she said. "The went out that day and bought every single player on the Kenyan team cleats," Ballance said, adding the team from France has been overwhelmed by spectators bringing them flowers in the aftermath of a deadly attack in Nice. Ballance said 11 countries with players at the tournament had never before participated in any world championship. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

home country: Yazidis are a Kurdish minority group that practice an ancient faith, according to Globe and Mail. Because most of them have been unable to leave their home country of Iraq, the United Nations does not consider them refugees for resettlement in countries such as Canada. Our people have been suffering for the past two years and they must be helped. However, they face persecution by the Islamic State, which deems them infidels, according to Ms. They forced us to change our religion. Taha. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mp: Rempel met CTV Don Martin on the Hill to walk him through the basics -- although we're still not sure what a Pokémon gym is, according to CTV. Maybe Thornhill, Ont. Calgary MP Michelle Rempel is in Ottawa this week while the immigration committee meets, giving her the chance to track some of the virtual creatures on her way to and from work. MP Peter Kent can help us with that one. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

iraq syria: It means we can be murdered and raped and enslaved with moral and civil impunity, according to CBC. Without your intervention, my people will not survive." Naso is a member of Winnipeg Yazidi community, which totals about 200 people. I implore you to act to help save my people from extinction," Nafiya Naso told the House of Commons standing committee on immigration Wednesday in Ottawa. "The Yazidis have held a unique and terrible religious status in Iraq and Syria which is different from any other group. She is also part of Operation Ezra, a multi-faith grassroots group that brought two privately sponsored Yazidi refugee families to the city last week. Yazidi family fleeing ISIS violence finds new home in Winnipeg Yazidi refugees settle into life in Winnipeg After the hearing, Naso said she wants MPs to know that private sponsorship of refugees has its limits and a broader government program is needed to sponsor more Yazidis to resettle in Canada. "I could see in their eyes that they were very moved, and I think we've really touched them, so I am hopeful that they will take it into consideration and initiate a larger-scale program to sponsor Yazidi refugees," she said in an interview with CBC Radio Noon program. The group plans to bring another five families for a total of 42 people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

islamic militants: They committed crimes against us, they forced us to change our religion, they raped us, they sold us," she told the House of Commons immigration committee through a translator, according to CTV. Taha was living with her family in northern Iraq in August 2014 when ISIS militants stormed her village and chased her community into the Sinar mountains. Speaking at the House of Commons on Tuesday, Nadia Murad Basee Taha recounted to MPs the atrocities committed against the Kurdish minority group at the hands of Islamic militants. "When they took us, the girls and children, we were not simply held prisoner. Trapped in the remote wilderness, thousands of Yazidis were killed, taken hostage or starved to death. Taha managed to escape with the help of an Iraqi family who lent her an Islamic ID and snuck her away from the chaos under a hijab. Men were slaughtered and women were sold into sex slavery, and scores of Yazidis were killed if they didn't submit to their captors and convert to Islam. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minister goodale: Late on Tuesday afternoon, minister Goodale -- or likely his staff -- issued a press release that appears as a blog on the Huffington Post Canada, according to Huffington Post Canada. In it, the minister says he has heard the concerns and is working swiftly to remedy the problem -- but he just needs more time. The hunger strikers have three simple demands: to meet with Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale, to end indefinite detention and replace it with limited 90-day detentions, and an end to maximum-security imprisonment of immigration detainees. Yet, under his watch as minister of public safety, three people have died in immigration detention in the last five months. These three, Francisco Romero Astorga, Melkioro Gahungu and an unidentified man, all ran out of time. This is a tragedy and a political crisis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

speech: The passages in question focused on lessons that Trump wife says she learned from her parents and the relevance of their lessons in her experience as a mother, according to Huffington Post Canada. Manafort said Mrs. Trump star turn at the Republican National Convention Monday night captivated a GOP crowd that had rarely heard from the wife of Donald Trump. Trump was aware of "how her speech was going to be scrutinized'' and said any notion that she picked up portions of Mrs. Melania Trump was accused of directly lifting two passages from a speech first lady Michelle Obama delivered at the 2008 Democratic National Convention for her speech at the Republican National Convention. "I mean, this is, once again, an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, how she seeks out to demean her and take her down,'' Manafort said. "It not going to work.'' The White House declined to comment on similarities between the two prime-time speeches, but the issue is likely to arise at the daily White House briefing. Obama convention talk was "just absurd.'' He also tried to blame Hillary Clinton. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trade counsellor: Lyons, most recently, has been Canada ambassador to Afghanistan, a posting that gives her credibility in conflict zones, according to Globe and Mail. But prior to that is where her résumé gets really interesting. Ms. She served as deputy head of mission in Washington, as chief strategy officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa and as a trade counsellor for high-tech industries in Tokyo. Does this high-level appointment reframe Canada relationship with Israel and the Middle East Perhaps, but it depends on what policy changes follow the appointment. Few words give Israelis goosebumps more quickly than high-tech. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tv cameras: How did that happen But on Tuesday night, despite months of denial from disbelieving pundits, hand-wringing editorialists and moderate Republicans, if there still is such a thing, the Donald wrapped up his party nomination, according to The Chronicle Herald. The convention in Cleveland was more notable for who wasn't there than who was. How on Earth, you hear them say, can such a rich, dynamic, powerful country produce such a clown for a presidential candidate What can they be thinking Probably, many Americans woke up on Wednesday wondering just the same thing: Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president of the United States of America. Poor old doddering Bob Dole was trotted out but there was nary a Bush to be found. TV cameras panning back from the stage Tuesday night revealed thousands of empty seats in the arena. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell were there but dozens of their Congressional colleagues took a pass. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

drivers: You can be black, according to Brandon Sun. You can be somewhere in between," he said. "It an inaccurate description, and it leaves the door open to whatever stereotypes people have in mind for bad people."A recent spate of sexual assault allegations against Halifax taxi drivers has thrown the local industry into a state of crisis, cab drivers say. Khouri, who is also member of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, said the millions of people from the 17 countries in the region come from disparate backgrounds, which means their physical attributes vary widely."You can be white. There have been four alleged attacks in the past three months alone, compared with three alleged sexual assaults by cab drivers in all of 2015. I wouldn't accuse the police of racism ... it misguided. According to the most recent police reports, three of the four suspects were described as "Middle Eastern men." One police statement, from May 20, described the accused as "Middle Eastern or a light-complected black man with an accent."Khouri said the "Middle Eastern" identifier, when used in conjunction with criminal activity, is typically associated with stereotypical notions about terrorism suspects."You can be racist without meaning to be racist," Khouri said in an interview."But that doesn't make it any less racist in terms of its impact. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dozen languages: They're doing this by writing a letter directed at parents, grandparents and community elders that addresses anti-Black and systemic racism, the legacy of colonialism in Canada and what it means to be an ally, according to NOW Magazine. The letter has been translated into over a dozen languages. In light of the recent backlash against Black Lives Matter – Toronto and the ongoing anti-Black racism across North America, a group of Asian-Canadians are showing their support for BLM by confronting anti-Black racism within their own communities. Race and its impact on our lives, even here in Canada, was a topic that I never grew up talking about within my community; however as part of the younger generation, it becoming such an integral part of my life, says Nam Hoang, who helped translate the letter into Vietnamese. Hoang is one of more than 100 Asian-Canadians involved in this project that started in early July. I wondered how this conversation would go with my parents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

england i: It was a vile act, and it seemed so unlike the England I thought I knew, according to Guelph Mercury. It was the latest unbelievable event in the unbelievable fever dream that was the Brexit campaign. She was a British MP, and she was gunned down at 41 by a madman. I felt at the time that such a senseless, brutal act, in its sheer depravity, had to be the thing that finally shocked the nation into sanity, that its very senselessness would awaken the insensate to the nightmare they were facing. The valid criticisms of the EU — and there are many — were sacrificed on an altar of tribalism, xenophobia and reactionary myopia. Jo Cox died last month, and then a week later 52 per cent of the British people rejected everything she stood for. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

haven t: Canada Border Services Agency spokeswoman Erin Steeksma said that due to privacy concerns, she could not discuss whether the players have made refugee claims, according to The Waterloo Record. David Long of U.S. Customs and Border Protection also cited privacy issues, saying he can't confirm whether the women are seeking admission into the United States. Tournament spokeswoman Laura Ballance said she notified the RCMP when the women did not arrive for the first game on Sunday and that the Canada Border Services Agency is involved. "It complicated because they're actually on a six-month visitor visa so they technically haven't done anything wrong," she said in an interview Wednesday. "But they're not with their team." Ballance said it unclear whether the women were trying to defect instead of playing in the 10-day tournament involving 31 countries including Australia, Israel, Switzerland and Uganda. He said that generally, a Cuban national who arrives at a U.S. border and expresses fear of returning home is inspected and paroled while checks are done on any criminal or immigration history in the United States. "The Cuban national may be eligible under the Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act of 1966 to apply for lawful permanent residence one year after inspection and parole," he said in a statement. The team from Kenya, for example, donned worn-out running shoes and lost 28 to 0 against New Zealand, she said. "The went out that day and bought every single player on the Kenyan team cleats," Ballance said, adding the team from France has been overwhelmed by spectators bringing them flowers in the aftermath of a deadly attack in Nice. Ballance said 11 countries with players at the tournament had never before participated in any world championship. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mosul raqqa: A second day of meetings is scheduled for Thursday, according to The Waterloo Record. U.S. officials said the militant group forces had squeezed into the Iraqi city of Mosul and its Syrian stronghold, Raqqa. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan were in Washington on Wednesday, where they and representatives from dozens of other countries heard that the fight against ISIL was going better than expected. Preparations are currently underway to liberate Mosul, and while the effort isn't expected to be easy, success would eliminate the last real vestige of ISIL presence in Iraq. But he did describe the pending battles for Mosul and Raqqa as the "final push" in the military campaign. "We also need to keep in mind that even though Daesh will be defeated in that region, we want to make sure that the next step is also looked at," he said, using another name for ISIL. "That we look at the political situation. Sajjan, who said Canada will deploy up to 60 military personnel to a hospital in northern Iraq, wouldn't say how long he expects the fighting to last. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

algonquin park: Wakami Wailers Concert Sunday July 24 - Algonquin Park The award winning Wakami Wailers are scheduled to play an open air concert at Algonquin Park Outdoor Theatre, according to CTV. The Ontario-based Wakami Wailers will get your toes tapping through lively music sharing Canada logging history, plus much more. Take in the demonstrations around the Logging Museum trail, try the old-time loggers' lunch served in the sawlog cookery and enjoy the musical sounds of the Wakami Wailers throughout the day. Join the Wailers for a fun-filled evening of entertaining stories and songs from their popular releases - The Last of the White Pine Loggers, Waltz With the Woods, and River Through the Pines. You also have the option to purchase a meal ticket so you can enjoy a plate full of blueberry pancakes and sausages, along with some coffee and juice. Blueberry Pancake Festival Saturday July 23 and Sunday July 24 - Barrie Hill Farms Come out to Barrie Hill Farms to help kick off the start of blueberry picking season! You can pick your own or buy from The Farm Market on site. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada borders: The vast majority of border encounters are brief and routine, according to Huffington Post Canada. But a few present serious problems - especially when an individual wanting to enter or remain in Canada has not met the legal requirements set by Parliament to do so and cannot be identified with certainty, is a flight risk or threatens the safety of Canadians. CBSA carries a serious and difficult responsibility under the law - to protect the integrity of Canada borders and to keep Canadians safe, while also facilitating the free and legitimate movement of both people and trade. In these limited circumstances, CBSA officers are empowered to detain that person until the defects in their status are corrected or security issues are resolved. Given the huge volume of people seeking entry to Canada virtually all the time, it is probably not surprising that there are an average of 400 individuals detained under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act at any given time. It is probably not surprising that there are an average of 400 individuals detained under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act at any given time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

delay things: Syrian refugee girl at a refugee camp in Suruc district of Sanliurfa, Turkey, July 1, according to Huffington Post Canada. Now, political instability in the country in the wake of the military failed efforts to seize power last week is expected to delay things more. "We are continuing to work with the government of Turkey to obtain exit permits as quickly as possible and are continuing to monitor the situation,'' said Sonia Lesage, a spokesperson for the Immigration Department. "However, given recent events, we do expect delays." There are an estimated 549 Syrian refugees in Turkey who have been approved to come to Canada but haven't been cleared to travel, and a further 3,815 applications from that country are in progress. "They committed crimes against us, they forced us to change our religion, they raped us, they sold us." Among them are several Yazidi families, a Kurdish minority group whose plight is the subject this week of hearings at the House of Commons immigration committee. Securing exit permits for Syrians in Turkey has been a difficult process already, holding up the Liberal government plans last fall to resettle thousands of people from there as part of their landmark program to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada in a matter of months. Their treatment at the hands of Islamic militants was recently termed a genocide by the United Nations human rights panel, and MPs heard graphic testimony Tuesday about some of those atrocities. They committed crimes against us, they forced us to change our religion, they raped us, they sold us," she told the committee, through a translator. "This continues today against more than 3,000 women and children." Liberals should fast-track Yazidi resettlement: Tories That situation is why the Conservatives argue the Liberals should now fast-track the resettlement of Yazidis to Canada. Nadia Murad Basee Taha recounted living in Iraq as militants chased her community up the Sinjar mountains in 2014, a siege that saw thousands killed and taken hostage. "When they took us, the girls and children, we were not simply held prisoner. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.