pride festival: The parade is part of the city 29th annual Pride Festival, according to The Chronicle Herald. For some people, it was an opportunity for parents to teach their children about diversity and acceptance. Thousands of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters traveled downtown Saturday to watch or march in the Halifax Pride Parade. Keri Ottway brought her three children to the parade as in previous years. I think that we're moving to a more open-minded society and I try to teach my kids that people can love everyone, said Ottway, who identifies as bisexual. She said the increase in families at pride is a sign of changing attitudes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

schoolmates: They said medication for his problems had been found his room, according to Metro News. But toxicological and autopsy results were still not available, so it not yet clear whether he was taking the medicine when he went on his shooting rampage Friday, killing nine people and leaving dozens wounded. Law enforcement officials piecing together a portrait of the 18-year-old shooter said he was seeing a doctor up to last month for treatment of depression and psychiatric problems that began in 2015 with inpatient hospital care followed by outpatient visits. The 18-year-old German-Iranian, identified only as David S. due to Germany privacy laws, had earlier been described by investigators as being bullied by schoolmates at least once four years ago and being fascinated by previous mass shootings. Late Sunday police said they had taken in for questioning a friend of the shooter who might have known of the attack plan. But none of those killed were known to him, investigators said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: The fun and games at this day camp are more than just a rite of passage for these new Canadians, they're a key step in easing their transition into a strange country with unfamiliar customs, according to CTV. H.appi Camper founder Mazen El-Baba says he tried to design a getaway that would offer the staples of any typical North American summer camp: drama, arts and crafts, and sports. It takes a moment for the middle-schoolers to grasp this peculiar game, but three tries later, they gel into a more-or-less unified chorus. "Five! Six! Seven! Eight! Weeeeeeee're great!" they holler, letting loose with exuberant cheers. But it would also offer much-needed lessons tailored to the specific needs of young Syrian refugees: intensive literacy classes, a crash course in Canadian cultural norms, and self-esteem exercises. El-Baba says it hard to know exactly how these kids are suffering because they have not been formally diagnosed with behavioural or mental-health issues. That last goal is possibly the most challenging, given the fact that most of these war-weary children -- 75 in all, ranging in age from five to 15 -- have been through horrific traumas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wasserman schultz: The resignation of Debbie Wasserman Schultz as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee made for a rocky start on Sunday, as the Florida congresswoman heeded Sanders' longstanding call to leave as party chief, according to Metro News. Her departure comes a few days after the publication of 19,000 hacked emails, which Sanders said confirmed his belief the national party played favourites for Clinton during the primary."The party now needs new leadership that will open the doors of the party and welcome in working people and young people," Sanders said. To do that, she must overcome lingering bitterness among supporters of defeated rival Bernie Sanders and clean up a resurgent political mess of the party own making. Wasserman Schultz abrupt departure was undoubtedly an effort to keep the Democrats' gathering from devolving into the tumult that marred last week GOP meeting, when runner-up Ted Cruz pointedly and publicly refused to endorse nominee Donald Trump. Never one to miss an opportunity to poke at his rivals, Trump appeared to relish the Democratic chaos Sunday, writing on Twitter: "The Dems Convention is cracking up." His campaign chief, Paul Manafort, went further and called on Clinton to drop out of the race altogether. As he demanded Wasserman Schultz resignation, Sanders made clear he wants to see Clinton in the White House."I'm going to do everything I can to defeat him, to elect Hillary Clinton and to keep focusing, keep focusing on the real issues facing the American people," Sanders said on CNN. Clinton and President Barack Obama both quickly praised the departed party chief, hoping to move past the ugliness and onto Monday launch of an optimistic celebration featuring high-powered elected officials and celebrities who will try to re-introduce Clinton to a general election audience. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

whitehorse: One has registered almost 250,000 views, and Pandher said it helping promote the territory. "People are talking about the Yukon, people are talking about Whitehorse, even many, many people who didn't know that area," Pandher said. "This video spread across Europe, South America and people are wondering about this place." The video was taken at the Canada Day celebration in Whitehorse, according to CBC. It begins with Pandher and Haemmerli dancing, with many more people gradually joining in. Gurdeep Pandher has been posting videos online of himself and dancing partner Manuela Haemmerli at locales in the Whitehorse area. Pandher says he moved to Yukon because of the friendly people he encountered on a visit in 2011. That what multicultural is all about." The dance style began centuries ago in the Indian state of Punjab, performed in farming communities as a way to celebrate and relax after the completion of the harvest. Pandher said it works perfectly with his goal of showing the world Canada diversity. "We are one Canada, and we can bring people together and we can dance together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: The fun and games at this day camp are more than just a rite of passage for these new Canadians, they're a key step in easing their transition into a strange country with unfamiliar customs, according to The Waterloo Record. H.appi Camper founder Mazen El-Baba says he tried to design a getaway that would offer the staples of any typical North American summer camp: drama, arts and crafts, and sports. It takes a moment for the middle-schoolers to grasp this peculiar game, but three tries later, they gel into a more-or-less unified chorus. "Five! Six! Seven! Eight! Weeeeeeee're great!" they holler, letting loose with exuberant cheers. But it would also offer much-needed lessons tailored to the specific needs of young Syrian refugees: intensive literacy classes, a crash course in Canadian cultural norms, and self-esteem exercises. El-Baba says it hard to know exactly how these kids are suffering because they have not been formally diagnosed with behavioural or mental-health issues. That last goal is possibly the most challenging, given the fact that most of these war-weary children — 75 in all, ranging in age from five to 15 — have been through horrific traumas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wasserman schultz: The resignation of Debbie Wasserman Schultz as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee made for a rocky start on Sunday, as the Florida congresswoman heeded Sanders' longstanding call to leave as party chief, according to Brandon Sun. Her departure comes a few days after the publication of 19,000 hacked emails, which Sanders said confirmed his belief the national party played favourites for Clinton during the primary."The party now needs new leadership that will open the doors of the party and welcome in working people and young people," Sanders said. To do that, she must overcome lingering bitterness among supporters of defeated rival Bernie Sanders and clean up a resurgent political mess of the party own making. Wasserman Schultz abrupt departure was undoubtedly an effort to keep the Democrats' gathering from devolving into the tumult that marred last week GOP meeting, when runner-up Ted Cruz pointedly and publicly refused to endorse nominee Donald Trump. Never one to miss an opportunity to poke at his rivals, Trump appeared to relish the Democratic chaos Sunday, writing on Twitter: "The Dems Convention is cracking up." His campaign chief, Paul Manafort, went further and called on Clinton to drop out of the race altogether. As he demanded Wasserman Schultz resignation, Sanders made clear he wants to see Clinton in the White House."I'm going to do everything I can to defeat him, to elect Hillary Clinton and to keep focusing, keep focusing on the real issues facing the American people," Sanders said on CNN. Clinton and President Barack Obama both quickly praised the departed party chief, hoping to move past the ugliness and onto Monday launch of an optimistic celebration featuring high-powered elected officials and celebrities who will try to re-introduce Clinton to a general election audience. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

campaign promise: And of them, about 60 per cent thought there would be no change to the terrorism threat facing Canada in the next six months, according to Hamilton Spectator. However, 35 per cent of respondents didn't support the plan were concerned, and 55 per cent of them told pollsters they thought the threat of terrorism in Canada would increase in the next six months. About 44 per cent of those surveyed in November were in support of the plan. Overall, the results suggest that while people around the world may directly link immigration with terrorist threats, that generally not what is happening in Canada, said one expert. The poll was carried out just before the Liberals revealed how they were going to meet a campaign promise to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015. The telephone poll of 1,512 Canadians was carried out by Harris/Decima between Nov. 18 and 24, 2015 and had a margin of error of 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

giant fraud: It one giant fraud, according to Toronto Star. A fraud perpetuated on the American people. Melania speech symbolized the whole Trump campaign and his candidacy. As you point out Donald Trump is so out of sync with the Republican Party from foreign policy to social issues and Republican values such as they are that many luminaries of the party did not show up at the convention, including the Republican Ohio governor in whose state the convention is being held. The party has become a nutty right-wing fringe operation, something Trump was easily able to hijack. Article Continued Below But as the Star and others have noted, the Republicans deserve what they get. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government officials: The government new pay system, Phoenix, has not been working properly, and this week officials acknowledged that more than 80,000 government employees — about a quarter of the work force — had had serious problems with their pay, according to Metro News. In scenes more often associated with emerging markets on the brink of debt default, government officials apologized, pointed to emergency funding and promised to make employees whole — all while admitting to breaches of private information. But instead of gabbing about the weather like usual, the small talk is all about who is getting paid and who is not. Meanwhile, the rest of the country reeled with the thought of Donald Trump as U.S. president; received brand new cheques from the federal government to spend on their children; and seemed to pay little heed to the handful of politicians left behind in Ottawa to discuss what else they can do for desperate refugees in the Middle East. But Donald Trump provokes such strong reactions that it was not too shocking to hear Canada defence minister issue some words of caution. Here how politics touched us this week: It a rule of thumb that even a rookie politician knows by rote: don't get involved in other countries' politics. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hazara community: In a statement late Saturday, the ministry, which controls the police, says "any kind of public gathering and demonstration is banned," starting immediately, according to Metro News. The ban follows an attack on a protest march by members of Afghanistan ethnic Hazara community that killed at least 81 people and wounded hundreds. Afghanistan Interior Ministry has issued a ban on public gatherings of all types for the next 10 days. The ministry announcement — which may be seeking to address concerns about sectarian violence — cites Afghan police law and the international covenant on civil and political rights.___11:30 p.m. White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Saturday the "heinous" attack was made more "despicable" because it targeted people at a peaceful demonstration in Kabul. The United States is condemning "in the strongest terms" the deadly attack in Afghanistan capital. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hillary clinton: Clinton said Kaine cares more about making a difference than making headlines, everything that Donald Trump and Mike Pence are not, according to Toronto Star. Clinton offered Kaine the vice-presidential spot on the Democratic ticket in a phone call on Friday night. By Ken Thomas Associated Press Sat., July 23, 2016 MIAMI — Hillary Clinton introduced running mate Tim Kaine as a progressive who likes to get things done, joining the Virginia senator in the crucial battleground state of Florida to help kick off next week Democratic National Convention. His selection completes the lineup for the general election. Kaine, 58, was long viewed as a likely choice, a former governor of politically important Virginia and mayor of Richmond who also served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Clinton and Kaine will face Republican Trump and his running mate, Pence, the Indiana governor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

magazine commentary: I was waiting for something "official," -- a newspaper article, an editorial or magazine commentary, and not just the random Facebook memes and posts that called Melania anywhere from a "Slovenian immigrant with a thick accent," to a "dumb bitch with big boobs" and "only good for blow jobs." I did not have to wait long, according to Rabble. On Wednesday, a Washington Post article written by Monika Nalepa, an associate professor of political science at the University of Chicago, was quick to draw the link between Melania hyped up plagiarism act and the so-called culture of cheating in Eastern European schools. Or, should I say, until the ready-made Eastern Bloc stereotypical rhetoric would tease out through the North American gaze. And here is Nalepa logical reasoning: since Melania is from Eastern Europe , and everyone cheats in Eastern Europe, Melania is, by extension, a cheater -- hence, no wonder she plagiarized. In other words, Melania act of plagiarism had nothing to do with a personal behavioral tendency to "borrow" content, nor with the volatility of Trump campaign, nor with in-house staff writers' predispositions , but rather with the fact that Melania originates from, and studied in the former Eastern Bloc. According to Nalepa, in the educational system, learning implied: a) memorization ; b) lack of critical questioning, since this went contrary to the state supported ideology of communism ; and c) systematic support for cheating ; hence d) the memorization practice coupled with cheating generally led to an easy appropriation of intellectual work, also explanatory for Melania fraud. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

prevention: The Ontario Police Services Act lists the core police services as: crime prevention, public order maintenance, emergency response, assistance to victims and law enforcement, according to Globe and Mail. Crime prevention is wisely listed first because an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of enforcement. But police officers are not meant to be primarily law enforcers. Yes, officers put themselves at risk every day, responding to crimes and taking criminals out of circulation on behalf of the community. The enforcement-dominant policing model is the most expensive and most likely to put officers and members of the public in conflict. The police would be even more appreciated if they could do more to prevent the crimes from happening in the first place. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rush hour: The oldest child, an 11-year-old was the only one who could speak English, so he was looking for help finding their way to travel to family outside of Toronto. "They had two baby strollers and three other kids and heavy bags so I helped them get to the train," Taylor writes. "But other random strangers picked up strollers and bags to help them up the stairs as well." Partway through the journey, they realized that their directions were wrong, Taylor writes, according to Huffington Post Canada. The family was actually trying to reach London, Ont. not Ancaster, Ont. which Taylor and others thought initially. Taylor, a Toronto-based psychiatrist, was commuting out of the city on GO Transit during rush hour when she was met a family of seven who had just arrived from Syria four months ago, she writes in a now-viral Facebook post published Wednesday. The two cities are 100 kilometres apart, would require tickets on a separate train line and would cost hundreds of dollars more, CBC News reports. "That what we do in Canada. She passed her stop to help with the situation, another passenger called a friend who spoke Arabic to help translate, and others pooled money to help cover the family ticket costs. "... That what we do in Canada. We help." Taylor wrote that everyone around her sprang into action. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver: To was a longtime advocate for immigrant rights and multiculturalism in Vancouver, according to CBC. She passed away in 2005. "This is a rare occasion and a great occasion for our city," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson at the event, which was kicked off by traditional Chinese lion dances. "It so appropriate that it is Lilian To given the amazing work that she did." Shanghai Alley in Vancouver Chinatown is now Lilian To Way. New street signs were unveiled today on the Chinatown street, now known as Lilian To Way. Robertson strongly commended the work of the Vancouver-based immigrant services non-profit, SUCCESS, where To was the CEO for nearly three decades. "Lilian was the one who grew the organization from a small initiative into the multi-service, multi-lingual, international organization that it is today," Robertson said. "I've heard many stories over the years in my time as mayor about Lilian dedication and her selflessness." SUCCESS executive director Queenie Choo also spoke fondly of To tireless work for the organization. "I believe Lilian had walked Shanghai Alley thousands of times, and most likely the sidewalk we're standing on still has her size 5 shoe prints on them," Choo said. Raymond Louie. Robertson said the campaign to rename the street began 10 years ago as a motion put forward by Coun. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wayne gretzky: I'm very proud to play for my country, to represent my family," he said, adding that 95 per cent of his relatives still live in Tunisia, according to CBC. Znaki is currently in Tunisia visiting with family and training for the tournament. Wayne Gretzky promoting hockey Down Under The 24-year-old Rosemont resident started playing hockey shortly after his arrival in Canada as a five-year-old immigrant, and says he keen to apply the skills he acquired here with the Tunisian squad. "It means a lot. But with no ice rinks in the country, training involves running on the beach and working out, he said. The small size of the ice rink in Rabat means the teams will play three-on-three. The round-robin tournament begins July 24 and will pit Tunisia against the national teams of Morocco, Algeria and Egypt. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

winery: John Chang contain many speculative information that are inaccurate, according to CBC. The information has not been ... verified with Lulu Island Winery." Lulu Island winery owner John Chang exports 80 percent of his product to China. In a news release, the winery states "recent media articles regarding Lulu Island and its founder Mr. But the Chinese-government run website "legaldaily.com.cn" claims there has been a crackdown on ice wine being imported into China from Canada, and states a Canadian winery chairman by the name of Zhang has been arrested. Photos accompanying the online article show Chinese customs officials inspecting boxes bearing the Lulu Island name. Zhang is a common Chinese variation of Chang. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government officials: The government new pay system, Phoenix, has not been working properly, and this week officials acknowledged that more than 80,000 government employees — about a quarter of the work force — had had serious problems with their pay, according to The Waterloo Record. In scenes more often associated with emerging markets on the brink of debt default, government officials apologized, pointed to emergency funding and promised to make employees whole — all while admitting to breaches of private information. But instead of gabbing about the weather like usual, the small talk is all about who is getting paid and who is not. Meanwhile, the rest of the country reeled with the thought of Donald Trump as U.S. president; received brand new cheques from the federal government to spend on their children; and seemed to pay little heed to the handful of politicians left behind in Ottawa to discuss what else they can do for desperate refugees in the Middle East. But Donald Trump provokes such strong reactions that it was not too shocking to hear Canada defence minister issue some words of caution. Here how politics touched us this week: It a rule of thumb that even a rookie politician knows by rote: don't get involved in other countries' politics. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

boy body: Staff at the hospital noticed swelling and bruising on the little boy body that were not consistent with activities of a child his age, according to CTV. He died a week later and an autopsy determined that he died from blunt force trauma to his head. The five-year old boy was taken to the Alberta Children Hospital on July 10, 2015 with injuries that family members claimed were due to numerous accidents. His death was deemed a homicide and earlier this month police issued a plea to the public to locate Allan Perdomo Lopez and Carolina Del Carmen Perdomo, who were believed to have information in the case. Police believe the accused are the boy grandfather and step-grandmother. Death of Calgary child in 2015 deemed homicide On Friday, Allan Perdomo Lopez and Carolina Del Carmen Perdomo were arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with Eneas Emilio Perdomo death. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

campaign promise: And of them, about 60 per cent thought there would be no change to the terrorism threat facing Canada in the next six months, according to The Chronicle Herald. However, 35 per cent of respondents didn't support the plan were concerned, and 55 per cent of them told pollsters they thought the threat of terrorism in Canada would increase in the next six months. About 44 per cent of those surveyed in November were in support of the plan. Overall, the results suggest that while people around the world may directly link immigration with terrorist threats, that generally not what is happening in Canada, said one expert. The poll was carried out just before the Liberals revealed how they were going to meet a campaign promise to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015. The telephone poll of 1,512 Canadians was carried out by Harris/Decima between Nov. 18 and 24, 2015 and had a margin of error of 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

employment minister: She said this money will go largely towards helping regulatory bodies recognize or upgrade newcomers' credentials more quickly. "We have an existing skilled workforce that is not firing on all cylinders," said Minister of Advanced Education and Skills, Gerry Byrne, who said this will also help grow Newfoundland and Labrador population, according to CBC. Not the dream I was thinking about' Jalil Hussin, an immigrant from Iraq, said he was excited to hear about the funding. Attracting more immigrants to N.L. focus of new federal agreement Mary Ann Mihychuk, the federal employment minister, said often times immigrants will wait years before they get Canadian accreditations in their line of work. He came to Canada in 2009 as a professional interpreter. His wife, a doctor, waited three years before she could work. It took two years before he got his Canadians certifications. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

everyone voice: Donald Trump apocalyptic acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland was easily the scariest political event I've ever witnessed outside of 1930s newsreels, according to Huffington Post Canada. As CNN Anderson Cooper summed up: "He painted a dark and frightening picture of America, he talked about people being attacked by criminals, attacked by terrorists, betrayed by their leaders, the game is fixed. It seems forever ago that Justin Trudeau made the world swoon by matter-of-facting that his cabinet would be gender-balanced and racially diverse "because it 2015." Unfortunately, now it 2016. And he said he can be their voice." Ah, but not everyone voice. Or when, after yet another string of police shootings of unarmed black men, most recently a therapist lying on the ground with his hands up, Trump promised to restore law and order, to "liberate our citizens from the crime and terrorism and lawlessness." The thing about this tactic -- a far cry from conservative saint Ronald Reagan inspirational "shining city on a hill" much less Obama hope and change optimism -- is that it captures the zeitgeist of white America. If the lack of melanin in the crowd wasn't enough of a clue, the racially charged subtext rose to the surface when he couldn't help but use the term "them" when discussing "inner cities." Or when he warned of 180,000 illegal immigrants "tonight roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens" and of more "being released by the tens of thousands into our communities with no regard for the impact on public safety." The thing about this tactic... is that it captures the zeitgeist of white America. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

flag patches: Jonathan Vance recently approved the flag patches in part to show solidarity with "a region facing existential threats," but that they should not be construed as support for an independent Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Metro News. That may be wishful thinking, say experts, one of whom compared it to a foreign military force wearing the Quebec flag in Canada. National Defence says Gen. The Kurds' distinctive red, white and green flag with a sun emblem has been on the Canadian soldiers' uniforms since they arrived in northern Iraq to help the Kurdish peshmerga fight ISIL in 2014. At the time, Canada had several dozen special forces operatives in the region, though the Trudeau government is expanding the contingent to 200. The practice wasn't publicly known until Vance led a group of Canadian journalists on a tour of the mission in April. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

generosity warmth: No-one exemplified the party split personality more than Trump, who alternately promised to protect LGBTQ citizens from violence, and to build a wall to keep out illegal immigrants, according to Toronto Star. We will be a country of generosity and warmth, but we will also be a country of law and order, Trump said. In one direction, the party sees the road to reform in an embrace of women and minorities, while in the other direction, it sees it in a retreat back to its base. For an hour and 15 minutes, Trump painted a dark picture of America that can only be rescued by a firm hand unafraid of smiting external threats such as those posed by illegal immigrants and foreign nations. The theme of the night was Make American One Again, which struck a note with voters frustrated by recent attacks against police and growing racial tension. Article Continued Below No one knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it, Trump promised. react-text: 148 In an address to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump painted a dark picture of an America that can only be rescued by a firm hand unafraid of smiting external threats such as those posed by illegal immigrants and foreign nations. /react-text But which direction he will take remains to be seen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government casuals: Some Arctic federal workers not getting isolation pay Government casuals working contract to contract Phoenix payroll system blamed for 2 privacy breaches "We are working with Public Services and Procurement Canada to resolve these issues as quickly as possible." Resettling families fleeing the civil war in Syria was a key election promise for the Liberals, according to CBC. More than 500 people worked on the Trudeau government initiative to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees between last November and the end of February. But now the workers who helped the government achieve this goal are the latest to get caught up in Ottawa payroll fiasco. "We are aware that some employees have yet to receive the overtime pay connected to work on the Syrian refugee resettlement initiative," said Nancy Caron, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Caron did not say exactly how many employees have been affected. The prime minister has called the situation "unacceptable" and has asked the Privy Council clerk to oversee the program. When the first phase of the project was complete, Immigration Minister John McCallum was publicly supportive of everyone involved in "Operation Syrian Refugees." In late February, McCallum told reporters: "It important that we're sending a message to the world, it important that we're helping 25,000 people from desperate conditions have a happy and productive life in Canada. "Many countries from around the world today are making it more difficult for refugees to come … and they are setting up more barriers, and we are among the few countries who are saying, 'No, come on in, we want to welcome 25,000 quickly.'" A spokesperson for the minister said Friday "of course" staff should be compensated for the work they've done. "We understand this issue is being resolved as quickly as possible." The Citizenship and Immigration Canada staffers are among the more than 80,000 public servants who are experiencing pay problems after the federal government implemented a new computerized payroll system called Phoenix. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.