detention centre: The organization says it has been in daily contact with the detainees, who are demanding a meeting with Public Safety minister Ralph Goodale, an end to immigrants being detained in maximum security facilities and a 90-day limit on immigrant detentions in general, according to The Waterloo Record. Dan Brien, a spokesman for the minister, says the organization is overestimating the number of detainees on hunger strike. Immigrant and refugee rights group No One Is Illegal says approximately 50 men at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay and the Toronto East Detention Centre began refusing food on July 11, but that several have since decided to resume eating. Brien said there were initially 41 detainees on hunger strike and that only two men are still refusing meals. No One Is Illegal says it the bigger picture that matters. "It not really about the exact numbers of people, it the fact that the strike is ongoing," said Tings Chak, a spokeswoman for No One Is Illegal. "The demands have remained unchanged, we still have not heard back a meeting with Ralph Goodale." The group says the hunger strike is taking a physical, psychological and emotional toll on the men still refusing food. He also said none of the participants have been at the Toronto East facility. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hungary-based szalay: I still am really moved," said Thien, 42, in a phone interview from Vancouver. "It still settling in, according to The Waterloo Record. It still quite unexpected." Previously open to writers from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth, the Booker expanded in 2014 to include all English-language authors. Thien and Montreal-born David Szalay were among the 13 authors named to the long list for the lucrative British literary award on Wednesday. "I was really moved. Despite fears of U.S. dominance, there has not yet been an American winner of the prize, which usually brings the victor a huge sales boost. Thien was recognized for "Do Not Say We Have Nothing" set in China before, during and after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Hungary-based Szalay got the nod for "All That Man Is" The story is set in various European cities and offers a window into the lives of men at different stages in their lives, from their teens through old age. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ontario mps: When I first won and I landed in Ottawa on a late June night, he recalls, I said, 'How did a young immigrant from Africa who grew up on the streets of Tanzania from a poor house, land in this place here, the majestic building of Parliament ' His success story is remarkable indeed, especially in a party recently described by one Conservative strategist as being known for its membership of predominantly "stodgy, uptight old white men."But that reputation won't last if Obhrai is elected leader of the Conservative Party next spring on his platform of inclusion and diversity for the Tories, according to National Observer. He tossed his hat into the ring earlier this month, joining hopeful Ontario MPs Tony Clement, Michael Chong and Kellie Leitch, and Quebec MP Maxime Bernier.A new era of inclusiveness for Conservatives My biggest and most important goal on the national stage is to stand up to my principles and talk about inclusiveness, he tells National Observer. "My message is trying to appeal to the wider base of the Conservative Party — that this is a diverse, inclusive party that has a place for everyone. He a visible minority, an immigrant, and reportedly speaks at least five languages. Obhrai knows he has his work cut out for him. But he confident his diverse background will help him do the job."During all my time that I have been in the reform caucus, I have learned one thing: people tend to make judgment based on ignorance, not based on facts," he explains. "My diversity and my experience allows me to talk on that stage, which is why in the 10 years I was parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs, my government respected my opinions and I was respected around the world as well. He recognizes that his party made mistakes in the last election, from the controversial niqab debate to proposing a 'barbaric cultural practices' call line that many viewed as targeting Muslims specifically. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shop decor: The original orange Koken chairs — complete with ashtrays in each armrest as reminders of the era they were built for — have been there since day one, as has a vintage radio that still used daily, according to Guelph Mercury. Posters on the walls reflect hairstyles over the years – from Elvis and JFK to 90210 TV star Jason Priestley. Tranquillo and his barbershop have been institutions in the downtown core since 1961, and the shop decor has changed little in the decades since. A well-worn passport documents the story of Trank journey to Canada. It the same place where thousands of immigrants first set foot on Canadian soil. One of 10 children born on a small farm in Treviso, Italy, he left by boat at the age of 19, arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax on Feb. 19, 1952. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

toxicology tests: Clark also called on the federal government to ask the Canada Border Services Agency to search small packages, including envelopes, for fentanyl in order to stop the drug from entering the country, according to Brandon Sun. Recent statistics from the coroners' service in B.C. show there were 371 deaths in the first six months of this year, about a 74-per-cent increase compared with the same period last year. Clark told a news conference Thursday she wants Ottawa to restrict access to devices involved with drug production, such as pill presses and tableting machines, and to pursue stronger penalties against people who import and traffic fentanyl. The service said the proportion of deaths where toxicology tests detected fentanyl jumped to about 60 per cent and that the drug was either used alone or in combination with other drugs."That scope is alarming. Paul Hospital in Vancouver, where she was flanked by police, ambulance and firefighting officials, as well as addiction experts. It frightening and it something that all of us should be concerned about," Clark said at St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

detainees: The Peterborough Council of Canadians chapter supported a public letter sent this weekend to local MP Maryam Monsef by End Immigration Detention Peterborough in solidarity with immigrant detainees on hunger strikes at jails in Lindsay about 45 kilometres west of Peterborough and Toronto, according to Rabble. The letter to Minister Maryam Monsef asked her to declare a clear position on the controversial practice of indefinitely detaining migrants in Canada as well as that she meet with the hunger-striking detainees within the next 45 days. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. This action follows on the tail of a rally the Peterborough chapter participated in on July 18th outside of the MP constituency office in solidarity with immigrant detainees on the seventh day of their hunger strike. One of the key strike organizers is being deported today, Monday July 25 after 26 months in prison. The End Immigration Detention Network shared the following updates today, as the detainees enter the third week of the hunger strike: "Disturbingly, we are seeing the prison authorities, likely under CBSA instructions, doing everything in their power to break the strike. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

indian accents: By Navneet Alang Special to the Star Tues., July 26, 2016 I don't quite remember how old I was when I realized my parents had Indian accents, according to Toronto Star. Gradually, though, it dawned on me that the English they spoke sounded different from that on TV or what I heard from my teachers. Many Bollywood stars, including Rai, speak a form of English that is modern, vibrant, and uniquely Indian, writes Navneet Alang. As I grew up — first in East London, then Toronto — I quickly learned that an Indian accent was used to connote something funny, something off. After arriving in Canada, I tried to hide my own British accent, adopting a faux-Canadian one to fit in. From the imitations I heard cast at me while walking down the street, to seeing teachers assume recent immigrants didn't know as much, I understood that to have an accent different from others didn't just mean you were an outsider — it meant you were somehow lesser. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

islamic state: In the most recent attack claimed by IS, a Syrian man on Sunday blew himself up outside a crowded music festival in the Bavarian city of Ansbach, injuring 15 people, according to CTV. The man had unsuccessfully tried to find asylum in Germany and was awaiting deportation. The attacks left ten victims dead and dozens wounded and have rekindled concerns about Germany ability to cope with the estimated 1 million migrants registered entering the country last year. "The Islamic State is waging a brutal war of aggression ... against our way of life," said Joachim Herrmann, the top security official in Bavaria, where three of the attacks took place. In the other attack, a 17-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker wounded five people with an axe before being killed by police near the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg. Authorities say he was undergoing psychiatric treatment and had no known links to terrorism. In the deadliest attack in the past week, the 18-year-old son of Iranian immigrants went on a rampage at a Munich mall, killing nine people and wounding dozens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jordan brooks: Duncan Lombard of the Fredericton Police Force, according to CBC. Const. In its eighth year, Kids and Kops is an opportunity for kids to learn about policing and have some fun. "It all about creating those positive memories with the kids," said Const. Duncan Lombard co-ordinates the Kids and Kops camp, guiding junior officers through various police-themed activities. "There a lot of negativity around the job we do every day and this just enables us to show a more positive side, a more human side, to what we do," he said. It was so fast — everything was going on," said 10-year-old Jordan Brooks. "It was crazy," said her fellow junior officer Mohammed Elbakush,10. "I kept on moving back and forth." ​ Mohammed Elbakush, 10, hops in the front seat for a simulated emergency response as part of Fredericton Police Force Kids and Kops camp. Tuesday morning the emergency response driving simulation found the campers - or junior officers as they're called - in police cars riding in the passenger seat, weaving through an obstacle course with sirens blaring. "There was so much noise. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lindsay daniller: The summer camps are a collaboration between many Edmonton groups, according to Metro News. Coordinated by REACH Edmonton, groups like the Boys & Girls Club, Islamic Family and Social Services and the ASSIST Community Services Centre are all pitching in. It one of nine summer programs for Syrian newcomers, made possible by $245,000 in funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Canada is working to ensure that Syrian refugees are connected to their new communities, in a meaningful way, as quickly as possible and REACH is proud to be a part of that, Lindsay Daniller, Director of Community Initiatives and Strategic Development for REACH Edmonton, said in a release. Refugees fleeing civil war began arriving in Canada late last year, with almost 3,000 settling in Alberta. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

militants paint: One of the attackers had tried twice to leave for Syria; the second was not identified."To attack a church, to kill a priest, is to profane the republic," French President Francois Hollande told the nation after speaking with Pope Francis, who condemned the killing in the strongest terms, according to Metro News. The Rev. It was the extremist group first attack against a church in the West, and fulfills longstanding threats against "crusaders" in what the militants paint as a centuries-old battle for power. Jacques Hamel was celebrating Mass for three nuns and two parishioners on a quiet summer morning in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray when the attackers burst in and forced the 85-year-old priest to his knees before slicing his throat, according to authorities and a nun who escaped. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said the other hostages were used as human shields to block police from entering. The nun described seeing the attackers film themselves and give a sermon in Arabic around the altar before she fled. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ottawa: By Christopher Reynolds Staff Reporter, and Bruce Campion-Smith Ottawa Bureau Mon., July 25, 2016 A 37-year-old man who was rushed to hospital in critical condition Sunday morning following a confrontation with Ottawa police has died.A smartphone video, more than 27 minutes long and obtained by the Ottawa Citizen after being filmed by a bystander, appears to show that at least eight minutes went by during which police made no attempts to revive the man while he lay handcuffed near the entrance of an apartment building at 55 Hilda St, according to Toronto Star. Nimao Ali and Heba Mounieziel, family friends who live in the same apartment building, identified the man as Abdirahman Abdi. The 37-year-old man, who was taken to hospital in critical condition following a confrontation with Ottawa police, later died. The Special Investigations Unit did not identify the individual. His family, however, said a doctor assessment concluded the man had been dead for 45 minutes before arriving at intensive care. Abdi was taken off life support Monday afternoon at Ottawa Civic Hospital, the SIU said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

twitter success: Brexit and Trump -- and Twitter success -- stupefied the overwhelming majority of experts in politics and technology, respectively, according to Huffington Post Canada. Today Twitter is the public square for announcing royal births -- as well as where both Presidential candidates revealed their running mates. It tough to make predictions, even about the present. What we think all the experts know to be true now may, in fact, be false. Big Data and artificial general intelligence companies, the new darlings of Silicon Valley and organizations concerned with international security, should pay heed. This matters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver: Early data shows foreign nationals buying 5% of Metro Vancouver homes sold The data — which included all properties registered between June 10 and July 14 — revealed that within Metro Vancouver, the cities of Burnaby and Richmond had the highest number of foreign buyers at 18 per cent, according to CBC. Eleven per cent of the real estate transactions in the City of Vancouver involved foreign buyers. The money represents about 10 per cent of the value of all real estate purchased in the region over that span, the government said. According to the government data, foreign buyers favoured the Metro Vancouver region, which accounted for 73 per cent of all their purchases. The government did not release data about the buyers' specific countries of origin. In comparison, the Victoria-Capital region housing market only had 3.5 per cent of its real estate transactions attributed to foreign buyers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

islamic state: In the most recent attack claimed by IS, a Syrian man on Sunday blew himself up outside a crowded music festival in the Bavarian city of Ansbach, injuring 15 people, according to Brandon Sun. The man had unsuccessfully tried to find asylum in Germany and was awaiting deportation. The attacks left ten victims dead and dozens wounded and have rekindled concerns about Germany ability to cope with the estimated 1 million migrants registered entering the country last year."The Islamic State is waging a brutal war of aggression ... against our way of life," said Joachim Herrmann, the top security official in Bavaria, where three of the attacks took place. In the other attack, a 17-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker wounded five people with an axe before being killed by police near the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg. Authorities say he was undergoing psychiatric treatment and had no known links to terrorism. In the deadliest attack in the past week, the 18-year-old son of Iranian immigrants went on a rampage at a Munich mall, killing nine people and wounding dozens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abdi arrest: Witnesses said several police officers were involved in the arrest and that they used batons to subdue Abdi in front of the non-profit building where he lives. "They were really, really going at him and he was screaming," said David Thyne, who said he watched the situation from his balcony across the street, according to CTV. Abdiraman, 37, was cuffed when he was being beaten, Thyne said. "He was pleading with them to stop." Miriam Ali said she went outside after hearing screaming and saw a man lying on the ground. "He was unconscious and he was sitting in a pool of blood…I came out here and he was lying on his front and there were just like five of six police officers on him," she said. Ontario Special Investigations Unit is probing Abdi arrest on Sunday, which is leading to accusations of police brutality and anti-black racism. Gentle young man' Family friend and neighbour Nimao Ali took cellphone video after the arrest that shows Abdi on the ground in handcuffs, with two officers standing over him administering first aid. I'm speechless right now, she said. She told CTV Ottawa that the family has asked for prayers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abdirahman abdi: The province Special Investigations Unit is investigating, according to CBC. Abdirahman Abdi, 37, had been on life support at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus since the incident Sunday morning.​ Ontario police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, confirmed Abdi death. Abdirahman Abdi, 37, has died after an incident involving Ottawa police on Sunday. The SIU investigates whenever there is a death, serious injury or allegation of sexual assault involving police in the province. SIU investigating after Ottawa man taken to hospital critically injured following arrest Witness who recorded arrest that left man critically hurt describes emotional toll Officers responded to report of coffee shop assault The SIU says at around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday officers with the Ottawa Police Service were called to Wellington Street West and Fairmont Avenue, in downtown Ottawa, for reports of a man allegedly groping people at a coffee shop. It has assigned five investigators and one forensic investigator to the case. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

community cup: The grassroots of community-building, according to Hamilton Spectator. On Saturday, at a parched Woodlands Park on Barton , some new Hamiltonians shone proudly under the stately shadows of the old city, represented by the Westinghouse building on one corner and the handsome old Livingston United Church on the other. But the soccer was even hotter, and the grassroots supple and strong. The Newcomers, a group of Syrian refugees in Canada mere months, narrowly edged The Strikers, a spirited team of men and women representing Hamilton Police Services, to win the fourth Hamilton Community Cup. The Community Cup is a kind of open city, meet-the-neighbours party disguised as a soccer tournament. The score was 1-0, but the victory was huge for the cause of integration and togetherness in diversity."It was a long day, everyone gave their all and they really deserve it," said the goalie for the police team. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

germany ability: It was the fourth attack to shake Germany in a week, and the second claimed by Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL. Three of the attacks were carried out by recent immigrants, rekindling concerns about Germany ability to cope with the estimated 1 million migrants registered entering the country last year, an influx that has since dwindled as the flow of newcomers slowed, according to Toronto Star. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said a laptop with extremist videos was found at the apartment of the suspect, a 27-year-old Syrian identified only as Mohammad D, in line with German privacy laws. The assailant set off a backpack laden with explosives and shrapnel Sunday night after being refused entry to a crowded music festival in the Bavarian city of Ansbach because he didn't have a ticket. A video on his cellphone showed him declaring loyalty to Daesh and announcing a revenge act against Germans because they are standing in the way of Islam. I think after this video there no doubt that the attack was a terror attack with an Islamist motivation. The suspect also declared Germans won't be able to sleep peacefully anymore, Herrmann said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

germany ability: It was the fourth attack to shake Germany in a week, and the second claimed by the Islamic State group, according to Metro News. Three of the attacks were carried out by recent immigrants, rekindling concerns about Germany ability to cope with the estimated 1 million migrants registered entering the country last year, an influx that has since dwindled as the flow of newcomers slowed. The assailant set off a backpack laden with explosives and shrapnel Sunday night after being refused entry to a crowded music festival in the Bavarian city of Ansbach because he didn't have a ticket. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said a laptop with extremist videos was found at the apartment of the suspect, a 27-year-old Syrian identified only as Mohammad D in line with German privacy laws. Germany is not involved in combat operations but has contributed reconnaissance aircraft to the effort. A video on his cellphone showed him declaring loyalty to the Islamic State group and announcing a "revenge act against Germans because they are standing in the way of Islam."The suspect also declared Germans "won't be able to sleep peacefully anymore," Herrmann said. "I think after this video there no doubt that the attack was a terror attack with an Islamist motivation."In its claim of responsibility, the extremist group said the attack was carried out by "one of the soldiers of the Islamic State."The IS-linked Aamaq news agency said the attacker acted in response to the extremist group call to target countries of the U.S.-led coalition fighting it in Iraq and Syria. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration detainees: Over 50 immigration detainees -- all black and brown men -- have continued their hunger strike for a second week to demand a meeting with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and protest indefinite detention of migrants, according to Rabble. The detainees have not eaten anything, only had water, for 14 days. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. Despite calls from community organizations, lawyers, activists, and health professionals, Goodale shows no signs of agreeing to meet with the strikers. In Ottawa last Thursday, nearly 20 people gathered outside of the Headquarters of Public Safety Canada to demand Goodale schedule a meeting with the strikers. Protestors confronted Immigration Minister John McCallum in Toronto last week and Colonialism No More - Solidarity Camp Regina protested his appearance at the University of Regina and eventually spoke with the minister. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

i m: When you have people coming in as immigrants, it really important to engage them and help them become a part of the community and sports like this , said Abraham Somavarapha, director for development with the Nova Scotia Cricket Association, according to The Chronicle Herald. In the long term, there a huge role for organizations like the NSCA to take part in immigration programs and sport development programs. The provincial team for Nova Scotia is primarily composed of Indian immigrants who've moved to Canada fairly recently. The cricket community helps in more ways than helping immigrants adjust to Canada. I'm super impressed by the community they've developed, said Somavarapha, who been working with the NSCA for only a couple of months. Some more veteran players can help newcomers with language skills and have the connections to find them a good job. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

language support: Churchill Roe says there is usually funding for language instruction at the school for newcomers between September and May, but because they "never really had this many newcomers in the Annapolis Valley before," there was no need for a summer school until now, according to CBC. Giving back "We felt it was imperative that they have a bit of linguistic support, language support, as well as integration and settlement support in these first months that they have just arrived. But to have a gap of two to three months with no English, they would have started right back at the beginning," said Sharon Churchill Roe, the manager of English-language programs at Acadia University. It kind of a crucial time for them to get settled into their new lives here ... We felt this was something we could do for our community," said Churchill Roe. While some volunteers spend their time in the classroom, others are driving the students to and from school and monitoring the children during lunch hours. Thirty volunteers are working with 40 newcomers — 25 children and 15 adults. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abdi: Witnesses said Abdirahman Abdi got scared when police arrived and ran to his home – just three blocks north to an apartment building on 55 Hilda Street, where he had been living since arriving in Ottawa from Somalia in 2009, according to Metro News. Witness 'shocked' by Ottawa Police arrest Man critically injured in police altercation, has died: SIUNeighbours – many of them friends and family – then watched from their balconies as Abdi was forcefully arrested. On Sunday, police received a 911 call at 9:30 a.m. from the Bridgehead coffee shop on Fairmont Avenue and Wellington Street West, where a man was reportedly causing a disturbance and touching a female patron. Witness Shukri Samater said people were yelling as Abdi was handcuffed and hit by officers on the stone steps just outside the building entrance. He was bleeding from the back of his head. That was the most disturbing part of it all, what happened after he was handcuffed, Samater said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

racism directorate: Two weeks ago, Regent Park bore witness to possibly the most candid public discussion on racism with high level decision-makers in Ontario history, according to Rabble. With racial tensions bubbling to the forefront, it was both appropriate and timely for the province fledgling Anti Racism Directorate to hold a public forum on systemic racism. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. One by one, top politicians from Premier Kathleen Wynne, to Mayor John Tory, to the new Ontario Minister of Anti-Racism, Michael Coteau sat silently while listening and taking heat from the emotionally charged crowd. In this respect, the new Anti-Racism Directorate aims to tackle systemic racism at a broad level through policy, research, public awareness and community collaboration. As was expected, the atmosphere at the meeting was a complex amalgam of pain, frustration, but also of hope and opportunity -- particularly with respect to a coordinated government strategy addressing systemic racism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ralph goodale: Jasmine Abdullah was convicted but she can be pardoned by Governor Jerry Brown of California, according to Rabble. Sign the petition here They are demanding No more political prisoners! No more prisoners! Support hunger strikes by incarcerated people across Ontario! Overturn all charges against BLM Pasadena Freedom Fighter Jasmine Abdullah! ASL Interpreting available and children programming includes writing letters to incarcerated people in the community If you can't make it, you can still call for an end to immigration detention by contacting Ralph Goodale and ensuring the end of immigration detention here. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.