okroshka: Order this photo Executive chef John Horne and chef de cuisine Coulson Armstrong of Canoe, where Russian cold soup okroshka is gaining popularity, according to Toronto Star. Order this photo By Karon Liu Food Writer Thu., Aug. 11, 2016 Gazpacho gets the glory when it comes to chilled, summery soups, but for centuries Russian moms have been keeping it cool with okroshka , a silky cold yogurt soup containing diced cucumber, radish, dill, potatoes, eggs and ham. Canoe is adding Okroshka to a special menu that celebrates the cuisines across the Rocky Mountains region. But what it doing on the menu at Canoe, the city tent pole of Canadian fine dining Over the last year the downtown restaurant has been holding themed dinners exploring the country regional cuisine and historical roots. Now executive chef John Horne and his cooks have moved to the Prairie region, looking at the cuisine of eastern European settlers in the late 19th century through a new dinner series called Route to the Rockies, which runs till mid-September. A few months ago it looked at First Nations cuisine from Haida Gwaii in B.C., and before that Acadian food along the east coast. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

period year: The number of unfilled jobs in Canada fell by about 18 per cent in the first quarter of this year, from the same period a year earlier, Stats Can reported on Thursday, according to Huffington Post Canada. This survey has only been running since the beginning of 2015, so long-term comparisons aren't possible. But new numbers from Statistics Canada show that the labour shortage some employers have been complaining about is evaporating, even as the feds prepare to expand the temporary foreign worker program this fall. But the 328,000 vacant jobs recorded in the first quarter of this year are the lowest since the survey began. These results appear to be good news for businesses, since they reflect a smaller labour shortage in most activity sectors, Caisse Desjardins senior economist Benoit Durocher wrote in a client note. It down from around 400,000 vacant jobs in the same quarter of 2015. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

summer camp: They are the scenes etched in the memories of kids, aged 13-19, attending a summer camp for recent Syrian immigrants who landed in Windsor, according to CBC. It helping them adjust to life here and at the same time helping them work through the lasting trauma they experienced overseas. "Like one of the girls, she saw her sister dying ... and her mother got paralysed ... lost one of her eyes," said camp organizer Hiba Hijazi. Pictures of tanks, guns and bombing fighter jets, all drawn by young Syrian teens. The pictures will be sewn together to make a quilt they will take to their school, Westview Freedom Academy, next month. Pictures of tanks, guns and bombing fighter jets, all drawn by young Syrian teens attending a summer camp in Windsor. The camp began on July 13 at the offices of Windsor Women Working with Immigrant Women in downtown Windsor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wasn t: About 85 of the 110 people who came to Newfoundland this week have no direct connection to the events of August 11, 1986, he said, according to Metro News. It was a key moment for all Tamil Canadians."It touched all of us ... most of us came as refugees," said Kanapathipillai, 29, who wasn't even born when this group of refugees arrived and has no familial connection to the event. Organizer Sarujan Kanapathipillai said the 30th anniversary commemorations were not only for the four refugees who returned with their families. He was simply moved by the story. Mary Bay by fishing boat captain Gus Dalton. The two 10-metre-long open lifeboats carrying about 150 refugees were found in St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

years: Tamil 'boat people' returning to St, according to CBC. Mary Bay 30 years after rescue by local skipper The drama — then and now — is being made into a film by documentary maker Cyrus Sundar Singh, who accompanied former refugees and their families to Newfoundland. Mary Bay 30 years ago, returned to the area to be reunited with their rescuers. The return journey started in Holyrood, where the group saw the lifeboats that brought them to the province on Aug. 11, 1986, a sight that was overwhelming for some. Four of the Sri Lankans visiting Thursday were among 155 Tamils found adrift near St. Two of the former refugees are overcome with emotion as they remember their harrowing journey to Newfoundland. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hunger strike: Dear Immigration Detainee,I'm writing to update you on what been happening regarding your increasingly urgent struggle for human rights while you've been held in jail, according to NOW Magazine. While too many people still don't know about your plight, lately the media have been paying a fair amount of attention to people like you. Clair East July 19 called for the release of immigration detainees. The news has mostly been about the 60 detainees at the Toronto East Detention Centre and the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay who went on hunger strike in July. They want an end to their living nightmare. They did so to draw attention to their abysmal treatment by the Canada Border Services Agency and the fact that they're being held in custody without charge. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

law degree: Back home in Pakistan, I was a lawyer, according to NOW Magazine. After high school, I did my BA in social sciences and history and my master degree at the University of the Punjab in Lahore. I took driving instructor training at Centennial College in-car instruction program and then got the in-class diploma. After that I did my law degree at the University of Karachi and started working as a lawyer. In the beginning, I did various jobs - working at a donut shop and at different companies - and then decided to do the driving instructor course. Later I decided to immigrate to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lopez alonzo: The now-64-year-old Lopez served with an elite unit of the Guatemalan army and is among four former soldiers accused in the massacre who were arrested after heading to the United States, according to Brandon Sun. Two are now serving time in American prisons for immigration crimes related to the killings and one was deported and sentenced to more than 6,000 years in prison. Soon after Santos Lopez Alonzo landed in Guatemala City Wednesday on a charter flight for American deportees, advocates for victims' relatives said they hoped he'd be held accountable for the onslaught that wiped out the small village of Las Dos Erres in 1982."We are very happy they deported him and that he must now face Guatemalan justice, above all, for the victims, who have always demanded justice," said Francisco Vivar, an advocate for victims. In an interview last week at a California immigration detention facility, Lopez said he guarded women and children during the massacre but killed no one. He fought his deportation but a federal appeals court last month refused to block his return to Guatemala. He told the Associated Press that he didn't fear Guatemala investigation of the killings, but was afraid he would be tortured in his country as payback for assisting the U.S. government with its prosecution of one of his ex-comrades. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wasn t: About 85 of the 110 people who came to Newfoundland this week have no direct connection to the events of August 11, 1986, he said, according to Brandon Sun. It was a key moment for all Tamil Canadians."It touched all of us ... most of us came as refugees," said Kanapathipillai, 29, who wasn't even born when this group of refugees arrived and has no familial connection to the event. Organizer Sarujan Kanapathipillai said the 30th anniversary commemorations were not only for the four refugees who returned with their families. He was simply moved by the story. Mary Bay by fishing boat captain Gus Dalton. The two 10-metre-long open lifeboats carrying about 150 refugees were found in St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aren t: Just six per cent told the firm they aren't worried at all in a survey conducted last week, according to Huffington Post Canada. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C. By comparison, 42 per cent said they are "very" or "moderately" worried about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton becoming president. According to numbers from Insights West released on Tuesday, 79 per cent of Canadians say they are "very" or "moderately" concerned about the possibility the wildly-controversial Republican could win the White House. Forty-nine per cent said they are "not too concerned" or not concerned at all about the possibility she could win. Sixty-four per cent told the firm it would be "very bad for Canada" if Trump wins, while another 14 per cent said it would be "bad." That represents a 16-per cent spike from when the question was asked the same time last year. A strong majority also thinks a Trump presidency would be a nightmare for this country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship immigration: The family bid was denied on the grounds that 13-year-old Nicolas Montoya has Down Syndrome and would place an excessive burden on the Canadian health-care system, according to CTV. Rules stipulate that if one member of a group application is inadmissible for permanent residency, the ruling applies to everyone else as well. Felipe Montoya had been working at York University as a tenured professor of environmental studies when he and his family submitted their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. But Montoya says the decision handed down earlier this year was overturned last week through "ministerial intervention" on compassionate grounds. The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration did not immediately respond to request for comment. Montoya and his family returned to their native Costa Rica in June, but say they will now begin the process of preparing to move back. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government policy: A study underway at Western University is examining how the war-torn experiences of newly arrived young Syrian refugees might affect their ability to cope in the classroom, and researcher Mazen El-Baba hopes the findings will go a long way towards improving everything from teachers' lesson plans to community programs to government policy, according to CTV. He says many new arrivals have not been to school in years and will almost definitely struggle in September. "My fears are of the teacher not being able to understand where to begin," El-Baba says of what sparked the study, still in its data-gathering phase. "It different than teaching another kid the basics because you're dealing with more mature children who are well aware that their level is way behind their actual class. For those shattered by early psychological trauma, it can be especially fraught with emotion. There a lot of difficulties. Then there bullying, which he calls "a huge, huge problem" given the experiences of some Syrian kids who ventured into Canadian classrooms this past spring. "All the kids we know that went to school, all the parents were telling us: 'We need help in September because our kids are being beaten up and spit at at school.' I know a six-year-old who was being hit by various other in his class." The study involves 81 children and a battery of tests conducted in English and Arabic. I really, really hope the school boards are prepared for it." He points to a nine-year-old he knows who will enter Grade 5 despite not knowing what plus and minus are, and a 16-year-old who will enter Grade 10 despite only having a Grade 5 education. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

growth innovation: And it seems like governments are also starting to take notice, according to Huffington Post Canada. The Vancouver Economic Commission has produced this slick video to promote the city to the global tech community, while the provincial government introduced a $100 million venture capital fund in support of growth and innovation late last year. The word is out on the economic impact that the industry has on the B.C. economy , and there is palpable and boundless optimism for the future. But while the VEC trumpets Bloomberg Businessweek designation of Vancouver being a "new tech hub" that offers "world-class talent and few immigration headaches" as well as "great views in a convenient time zone," I believe that the tech community has a duty to be far more discerning with labels and premature designations. Digging deeper into this 2015 Compass Global Startup Ecosystem Rankings report, however, provides some concerning facts when it comes to considering the city current and future competitiveness. Don't get me wrong - I am very aware of Vancouver status as one of the top 20 global cities in which to launch a startup. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

guatemalan authorities: They were wanted on allegations of participating in the killing of more than 200 people in the village of Las Dos Erres in 1982, according to Metro News. The slaughter went unpunished for years — even after Guatemalan authorities issued 17 arrest warrants. Santos Lopez Alonzo is one of four such former soldiers arrested by U.S. authorities since 2010. In 2009, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights demanded the country prosecute the perpetrators. A year later, another suspect deported by the U.S. was sentenced. Four former soldiers were sentenced in 2011 to more than 6,000 years for the killings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

home prices: Immigration Minister John McCallum, according to Huffington Post Canada. Immigration Minister John McCallum met with officials in Beijing this week in an effort to increase the number of offices across China where nationals can obtain visas to Canada, to 10 from five, and eventually to as many as 15 offices, the Globe and Mail reported. The move, designed to give Canada economy a boost in the midst of a soft patch, comes as concerns grow that illicit cash from China is pumping up house prices, particularly in Vancouver. It part of an effort to increase the number of Chinese students and high-tech workers in the country and expand Chinese investment in Canada, even if that means adding to housing demand at a time of overheated home prices, as the Globe put it. He said the government is looking for the highest growth we can of tourists coming to Canada, of qualified foreign students who want to study in Canada. In terms of Chinese migration to Canada, we want to get it even bigger, McCallum said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

month end: This comes ahead of an expected visit to China by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau starting at month end, before the G20 summit in Hangzhou in early September, according to Globe and Mail. Mr. Chinese can currently apply for Canadian visas in five locations, including Hong Kong. Trudeau has charged International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland with expanding Canada economic relationship with China. Canada also wants a further five visa application locations in the future to smooth the path for Chinese to come to Canada – bringing the total number to 15 – and is asking for additional air links between the two countries. Accordingly, the Liberals are trying to pry open the door wider for Chinese visitors to swell university enrolments in Canada, place foreign talent in high-tech jobs and bring in new investment cash – even if that means adding to housing demand at a time of overheated home prices. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

month end: This comes ahead of an expected visit to China by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau starting at month end, before the G20 summit in Hangzhou in early September, according to Globe and Mail. Mr. Chinese can currently apply for Canadian visas in five locations, including Hong Kong. Trudeau has charged International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland with expanding Canada economic relationship with China. Canada also wants a further five visa application locations in the future to smooth the path for Chinese to come to Canada – bringing the total number to 15 – and is asking for additional air links between the two countries. Accordingly, the Liberals are trying to pry open the door wider for Chinese visitors to swell university enrolments in Canada, place foreign talent in high-tech jobs and bring in new investment cash – even if that means adding to housing demand at a time of overheated home prices. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saturday morning: He was catching up with a family friend who was doing the Ride for Refuge, to raise money for refugees, according to The Chronicle Herald. He asked his friend: Why are you doing this when you could be sleeping The answer he received was one that got his wheels spinning. The idea came to 24-year-old Bauman one cold Saturday morning last October. Sometimes with problems of this scope, it can seem like it hard to make a difference, said Bauman, a Waterloo, Ont., native. felt like that was one small way he could. Just before he turned 10 years old, he lost his cousin to suicide. Bauman started thinking about mental health — a cause that not only affected him, but the lives of his family and friends. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sister tania: By Michelle McQuigge The Canadian Press Wed., Aug. 10, 2016 Ottawa has overturned a decision that saw an Ontario university professor denied permanent residency in Canada because his son has Down syndrome, according to Toronto Star. Felipe Montoya had been working at York University as a tenured professor of environmental studies when he and his family submitted their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Nicolas is pictured here, right, with his mother Alejandra Garcia and his sister Tania. The family bid was denied on the grounds that 13-year-old Nicolas Montoya has Down Syndrome and would place an excessive burden on the Canadian health-care system. But Montoya says the decision handed down earlier this year was overturned last week through ministerial intervention on compassionate grounds. Rules stipulate that if one member of a group application is inadmissible for permanent residency, the ruling applies to everyone else as well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

st shotts: By Gary Anandasangaree Wed., Aug. 10, 2016 Thursday is a special day not only for Tamil-Canadians and Newfoundlanders, but for all Canadians alike, for it was 30 years ago that 155 Tamil refugees were found drifting off the shores of St, according to Toronto Star. Shotts, Newfoundland by three local finishing boats. Fraser Harvey at Old Fort York in Toronto, shows an old musket to Tamil refugee family mother, Nagammah, father, Ponnuthurai Nadajarah, 8-year-old daughter, Jajamthimi, 7-year-old son, Jajamthah , and 5-year-old son, Jajarajani on Aug. 16, 1986. The rescue on that fateful day on Aug. 11, 1986, not only allowed 155 Tamils to start a new life in Canada, but it was also a turning point in Canadian refugee and immigration history. Gus Dalton and his crew from Admirals Beach, St. Capt. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: He says many new arrivals have not been to school in years and will almost definitely struggle in September."My fears are of the teacher not being able to understand where to begin," El-Baba says of what sparked the study, still in its data-gathering phase."It different than teaching another kid the basics because you're dealing with more mature children who are well aware that their level is way behind their actual class, according to Metro News. There a lot of difficulties. For those shattered by early psychological trauma, it can be especially fraught with emotion.A study underway at Western University is examining how the war-torn experiences of newly arrived young Syrian refugees might affect their ability to cope in the classroom, and researcher Mazen El-Baba hopes the findings will go a long way towards improving everything from teachers' lesson plans to community programs to government policy. I really, really hope the school boards are prepared for it."He points to a nine-year-old he knows who will enter Grade 5 despite not knowing what plus and minus are, and a 16-year-old who will enter Grade 10 despite only having a Grade 5 education. They include tests to assess numerical fluency and cognition, language proficiency, impulsivity, and how subjects respond to positive, negative or neutral feedback. Then there bullying, which he calls "a huge, huge problem" given the experiences of some Syrian kids who ventured into Canadian classrooms this past spring."All the kids we know that went to school, all the parents were telling us: 'We need help in September because our kids are being beaten up and spit at at school.' I know a six-year-old who was being hit by various other in his class."The study involves 81 children and a battery of tests conducted in English and Arabic. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship immigration: The family bid was denied on the grounds that 13-year-old Nicolas Montoya has Down Syndrome and would place an excessive burden on the Canadian health-care system, according to Guelph Mercury. Rules stipulate that if one member of a group application is inadmissible for permanent residency, the ruling applies to everyone else as well. Felipe Montoya had been working at York University as a tenured professor of environmental studies when he and his family submitted their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. But Montoya says the decision handed down earlier this year was overturned last week through "ministerial intervention" on compassionate grounds. The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration did not immediately respond to request for comment. Montoya and his family returned to their native Costa Rica in June, but say they will now begin the process of preparing to move back. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lopez alonzo: The now-64-year-old Lopez served with an elite unit of the Guatemalan army and is among four former soldiers accused in the massacre who were arrested after heading to the United States, according to Brandon Sun. Two are now serving time in American prisons for immigration crimes related to the killings and one was deported and sentenced to more than 6,000 years in prison. Soon after Santos Lopez Alonzo landed in Guatemala City on a charter flight for American deportees, advocates for victims' relatives said they hoped he'd be held accountable for the onslaught that wiped out the small village of Las Dos Erres in 1982."We are very happy they deported him and that he must now face Guatemalan justice, above all, for the victims, who have always demanded justice," said Francisco Vivar, an advocate for victims. In an interview last week at a California immigration detention facility, Lopez said he guarded women and children during the massacre but killed no one. He fought his deportation but a federal appeals court last month refused to block his return to Guatemala. He told the Associated Press that he didn't fear Guatemala investigation of the killings, but was afraid he would be tortured in his country as payback for assisting the U.S. government with its prosecution of one of his ex-comrades. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mexico canada: Harking back to a nonexistent period "when we were governed by an America First policy," Trump blamed the economic collapse of Detroit, and many other untoward economic trends, on trade, specifically free-trade agreements — such as the North American Free Trade Agreement- which the postwar GOP has generally supported, along with many Democrats, according to The Waterloo Record. Not only would Trump scrap the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership with 11 other Pacific Rim nations, he would "renegotiate" NAFTA and "walk away" if Mexico and Canada don't do what he wants. The kudos end there, however; Trump economic policy speech to the Detroit Economic Club managed to embrace the worst of traditional Republican doctrine while repudiating the best of it. You may or may not like NAFTA and similar deals; they create winners and losers across the $17 trillion U.S. economy. On taxes, though, Trump reverted to GOP orthodoxy, offering cuts for upper-income Americans as a growth elixir. Even critics must agree that, by now, they are firmly woven into the American economic fabric — and that unravelling them would be profoundly disruptive, perhaps creating "jobs and higher wages" for some, as Trump promises, but destroying them for many, many others. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mulunda mother: As he points out, those words are not helpful when trying to carry on a conversation, according to The Waterloo Record. It was Mulunda mother who learned about the multicultural theatre company mentorship program last summer, its inaugural year. Mulunda is now brimming with confidence but he was a very different kid when he arrived in Canada, unable to speak a word of English other than naming common items such as chairs and tables. Young Company was created to give youth from diverse and indigenous backgrounds a platform to express their thoughts and ideas on subjects as far reaching as culture, identity and power. This company is about letting the seven participants, age 15 to 22, write their own script. For Mulunda, Young Company was the first step in being able to express such feelings. "My mother was into acting when she was young," he said. "My mom said 'You should go.'" Mulunda said that the program not only helped improve his English, but gave him an opportunity to express himself in profound ways. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abdirahman abdi: Chelby Daigle said people have been experiencing racism in policing, hiring practices, the school system and society generally for decades, according to CBC. She and other organizers saw momentum in the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States and in Toronto as a way to get people talking about the issue locally. The event, organized by the City for All Women Initiative and the Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership, was in the works even before Abdirahman Abdi died after a confrontation with police in late July. Chelby Daigle, one of the organizers of the anti-racism forum, said the idea was to get people talking and working together to fight racism, especially in light of the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement. It has to be about planning and organizing and more of a long-term, sustained effort to take action on these issues in our city," Daigle said. Come together' "But we needed to take advantage of it in a way that not so reactionary in terms of rallies and marches. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.