applicants show: The majority, 78.3 per cent, live in urban communities, and more than half are women, according to Globe and Mail. The data show that of the people who have applied, almost half have a university education and grade averages of more than 86 per cent. The data on the applicants show that 44.6 per cent — the largest cohort — come from Ontario, followed by Quebec, B.C. and Alberta. Most worked their way through school, and two-fifths experienced mental health issues or financial stress at home. There are also 31.3 per cent who identify as LGBTQ. The percentages don't add up to 100 because applicants were allowed to choose multiple fields. Of the applications received, 52.8 per cent identify as a visible minority, 11.1 per cent as a recent immigrant and 14.8 per cent identify as Inuit, Metis or First Nation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada switzerland: In the latest survey, Canada fell to tie for its lowest placement ever — second place, according to Huffington Post Canada. You can blame this brutal silver-medal finish on Sweden, which scored slightly better than Canada, at 78.3 out of 100, to our 77.8. We have dominated the Reputation Institute Country Rep Trak for years, placing first in four of the past six surveys — the only country to win gold more than once in that time. Even though it ranks first, Sweden is on par with Canada and Switzerland as countries with the best reputation, the institute said in its report. Countries' reputations take a long time to build, but can drop in an instant, the report said. The study, which used data from 58,000 respondents around the world, surveyed people attitudes about countries in three dimensions: Effective government and quality of institutions The level of economic development Lifestyle and environment Police in Diyarbakir, Turkey use tear gas and water cannon in 2015 to disperse people marching to protest a double suicide bombing in Ankara. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

child-minded ignorance: My mother is second-generation Italian, my father is first-generation Filipino, according to Huffington Post Canada. But only now, as an adult, can I truly comprehend the cultural divide that followed the divorce that I didn't recognize as a child. Adulting is challenging enough with having to pay for your own shit, but pile on divorced parents where you can't hide behind the security blanket of child-minded ignorance, and you're left with an insurmountable amount of pressure to make everyone "happy." It only gets harder with age, especially when your parents hail from two polar-opposite cultures. My earliest memories of shuffling back and forth from Mississauga to Ajax in my dad used Pontiac were punctuated with superstitions like holding your breath when passing cemeteries, lifting your feet when driving over railroad tracks and making the sign of the cross when you see a church. When we'd pull up to the driveway at my grandma house, I could barely contain my excitement to see my cousins, my "Filipino side." I am grateful for the time I spent with my Filipino family on the weekends papa had us. My dad made sure my sisters and I did that last one every time. "Good," he'd say, when we did it on our own without prompting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

day i: Solar-power and windmills provide the community power, autonomous planes ply the skies and self-driving cars cruise the city streets, according to Toronto Star. And all in the space of a table-top. Order this photo By Jesse Winter Staff Reporter Fri., Aug. 12, 2016 IRIS Robotic City is a high-tech place. The Lego city is part of Kidz Robotic & Sportz Summer Camp, a pilot program organized and run by the Somali Parents Liaison Coalition at Don Bosco Catholic secondary school in the city west end. The first day I came here I had no one to talk to or stay with, but I made new friends. I think this is a really educational camp and a fun camp, said nine-year-old Abubakar Hassan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

departments agencies: A further 22,027 started the application process, but had yet to finish it before Friday deadline, according to CTV. While only 30 will eventually be council to the prime minister, four-fifths of applicants said they were willing to share their thoughts with federal departments and agencies as part of a government push to create similar boards for other ministries. As of Friday morning, there were 9,929 applicants to be on Trudeau youth council, according to data provided to The Canadian Press. It at once a shrewd political and policy development move for the government, says David Coletto of Abacus Research, who has conducted research on the views of young voters during last year election. On policy development, Coletto says it a way for departments to bounce ideas off a focus group of interested Canadians, rather than passively posting a survey online and hoping people fill it out. Political, he says, because it a way for the Liberals to keep the young voters they won over in the last election in the fold for the next trip to the ballot box in 2019. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant children: Soccer is well-known all over the world, according to CTV. Any child that played soccer at some point, especially immigrant children, I knew that I would get cooperation from parents because the parents they love soccer and they used to play soccer when they were kids, said founder Jean-Claude Munyezamu. Soccer without Boundaries welcomes children of all ages and abilities to its program and caters to new Canadians, refugees, and low-income families. On Friday, the kids in the program challenged the Calgary police to play against them and then with them on mixed teams at a field in the city southwest. For the players, it was an opportunity to improve their soccer skills and to build friendships with officers. For police, it was a chance to meet with the new arrivals and to show them that they can have a good relationship with police. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

israel implements: Listen to the full exclusive interview with Elizabeth May Last weekend, delegates at the Green Party of Canada national convention in Ottawa adopted a policy resolution supporting the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, according to Rabble. The resolution declares Green Party support for "the use of BDS that are targeted to those sectors of Israel economy and society which profit from the ongoing occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories … until such time as Israel implements a permanent ban on further settlement construction in the OPT, and enters into good faith negotiations with representatives of the Palestinian people for the purpose of establishing a viable, contiguous and truly sovereign Palestinian state." Carried by a large majority in plenary session, the resolution also opposes "all efforts to prohibit, punish or otherwise deter expressions of support for BDS." Canadian Greens now stand on "the forefront of human rights in this country, on an issue with respect to which it has been very difficult for human rights advocates to speak out," according to the resolution author and the party Justice Critic Dimitri Lascaris. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. The resolution places Green BDS advocates in glaring opposition to their leader Elizabeth May. Should Elizabeth May resign as Green Party leader May was not present for last February House of Commons vote condemning BDS -- on the grounds that it "promotes the demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel" -- but she declared her opposition to that vote at the time. "You can't call pro-BDS groups anti-Semitic. May, the only sitting member of the Greens in the House of Commons, told rabble in an exclusive interview during the World Social Forum, the vote has left her "devastated," and on the verge of stepping down. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mobility scooter: He celebrating his 110th birthday on Aug. 23, and while there are no individual Statistics Canada records to point to, that will likely make him the oldest man in Canada, according to Globe and Mail. Today, Mr. Sarosy is the only man in Canada who remembers where he was when the First World War started. Sarosy lives in a seniors' home on Bloor Street West, across from High Park. He remembers the past but what amazes me is his short-term memory, says Elena Yeryomenko, lifestyle program manager at the Chartwell Grenadier Retirement Residence Mr. Though he now uses a wheelchair to get around – at 102, he finally conceded he could use some help and got a mobility scooter – his mind is still sharp, perhaps from a lifetime of chess. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

risk journey: The family decided to risk the journey to a refugee camp in Tanzania; it was the best bet for survival, according to The Chronicle Herald. That same year Makene Kitwanga, also nine years old, headed for the same place, the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Kigoma, Tanzania, setting out with her uncle after the death of her parents and grandfather. His father, pressed into service by the DRC Army on numerous occasions to haul equipment and supplies, was in poor health and unlikely to survive another round of forced service. Makene and Akili lived in Nyarugusu camp, housed in tents, with approximately 150,000 of their compatriots for the next 20 years. They left the camp, with their growing family, in March of this year, sponsored by a community group in Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia. It was there that they met and 'in the midst of hardship,' Akili said, they agreed to marry. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tech company: Unfortunately, according to the Canadian government, most Syrian refugees are unable to find a paying job within the first year of their new lives in Canada, according to Vancouver Observer. Globalme is a tech company focusing on the testing of emerging technologies and speech recognition optimization and dedicated to bettering the lives of those of need in their community. More than 2,000 refugees now call British Columbia home . Many refugees are educated and skilled professionals hoping to start providing for their own families as soon as possible. Through their Globalme Involved initiative, they help companies and people by providing them with free of charge services and unique working opportunities. Globalme is currently interviewing candidates to join their team for a three-month, fully paid employment opportunity similar to that of an internship. Globalme Involved goal this year is to provide jobs to refugees in the greater Vancouver area, giving them a running start to their life in Vancouver. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

terrorists spies: The government alleges the Egyptian-born Jaballah, 54, is a member of terrorist group al-Jihad, an accusation he denies, according to Metro News. It has been trying to deport him through a national security certificate — a tool for removing suspected terrorists and spies from abroad — but the case has meandered through the legal system for years. It is the latest twist in a saga that stretches back 17 years. Jaballah arrived with his family in Canada in 1996 using a false Saudi passport. In May, Federal Court Justice Dolores Hansen ruled the government had not established reasonable grounds to believe that Jaballah is a danger to Canadian security. He sought refugee status on the basis he was wanted by Egyptian authorities on charges of inciting violence, and that he would be killed if sent back.A Canadian Security Intelligence Service investigation led to the first of three security certificates being issued against him, the most recent dating from early 2008. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

terrorists spies: The government alleges the Egyptian-born Jaballah, 54, is a member of terrorist group al-Jihad, an accusation he denies, according to Hamilton Spectator. It has been trying to deport him through a national security certificate — a tool for removing suspected terrorists and spies from abroad — but the case has meandered through the legal system for years. It is the latest twist in a saga that stretches back 17 years. Jaballah arrived with his family in Canada in 1996 using a false Saudi passport. A Canadian Security Intelligence Service investigation led to the first of three security certificates being issued against him, the most recent dating from early 2008. He sought refugee status on the basis he was wanted by Egyptian authorities on charges of inciting violence, and that he would be killed if sent back. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

york university: Whether Felipe Montoya, his wife and two children were allowed to stay in Canada affected mostly just themselves, according to Toronto Star. On another level, though, their story says something important about what kind of society we are. Fri., Aug. 12, 2016 In the greater scheme of things, the fate of one family may not matter a great deal. And the fact that they will now be allowed to settle in Canada is a small victory for compassion and common sense. Earlier this year they were told by Citizenship and Immigration Canada that their application had been denied because his 13-year-old son Nicolas has Down syndrome and could be expected to cause excessive demand on the health system. Montoya had been teaching environmental studies at York University when he and his family applied to remain in this country as permanent residents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mary bay: 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 The Waterloo Record. 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. Related Stories Reunion planned in Newfoundland for... Gary Anandasangaree: Accepting... 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.

terrorists spies: The government alleges the Egyptian-born Jaballah, 54, is a member of terrorist group al-Jihad, an accusation he denies, according to Brandon Sun. It has been trying to deport him through a national security certificate — a tool for removing suspected terrorists and spies from abroad — but the case has meandered through the legal system for years. It is the latest twist in a saga that stretches back 17 years. Jaballah arrived with his family in Canada in 1996 using a false Saudi passport. In May, Federal Court Justice Dolores Hansen ruled the government had not established reasonable grounds to believe that Jaballah is a danger to Canadian security. He sought refugee status on the basis he was wanted by Egyptian authorities on charges of inciting violence, and that he would be killed if sent back.A Canadian Security Intelligence Service investigation led to the first of three security certificates being issued against him, the most recent dating from early 2008. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

birth tourism: There are more and more people coming in and approaching us, according to CTV. Davidson said he typically sees two types of clients. We sense there a growing demand in birth tourism from several countries, especially considering the instability in today world, Alex Davidson, an immigration consultant and managing partner of the Toronto-based LP Group, told CTV News. Some are wealthy individuals, often from European countries, who want a second passport for their children and are able to pay anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000 to deliver a baby in Canada. Others are people from poor, crime-ridden countries who want to provide security for their children, and hope that their Canadian babies can provide an anchor in the country for the rest of the family. Davidson said some of his recent clients have included U.K. residents worried about the post-Brexit future once their country leaves the European Union. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: The story of Jonathan Nicola made headlines around the world in April when Canada Border Services Agency detained the 6-foot-9 Grade 11 student at Catholic Central High School for misrepresenting himself as a 17-year-old so he could study in Canada, according to Toronto Star. Nicola was to appear at an admissibility hearing Friday before an Immigration and Refugee Board tribunal to determine if he should be allowed to remain in Canada or be immediately deported. By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Thu., Aug. 11, 2016 Canadian border officials have withdrawn their request for an admissibility hearing for a 29-year-old Sudanese man who allegedly posed as a teenager to play on a Windsor high school basketball team. However, CBSA made a surprise application to cancel the hearing.CBSA spokesperson Nancy Thomson would not comment on Nicola case but said there are a number of reasons why a case could be withdrawn or adjourned including the nature of the evidence, issues related to procedural fairness or another process that may deem the hearing unwarranted at the time. But there have been times even if officials were wrong, they would stick to it once they started the proceedings. Article Continued Below There are a minority of cases where CBSA has withdrawn the request for a hearing, said veteran immigration lawyer Raoul Boulakia. (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 Hamilton Spectator. 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.

st edition: This year jury will be announced at a later date, as TIFF continues to spend the summer unveiling its full lineup, according to Globe and Mail. The 41st edition of TIFF runs from Sept. 8 to 18. Those visions include Jenkins already-buzzy awards contender Moonlight, which focuses on one young man struggle with his sexuality; Kurosawa supernatural fantasy Daguerrotype ; Bonello Nocturama, a sure-to-be-controversial look at young terrorists on the loose in Paris; and Larrain Jackie, a biopic of Jacqueline Kennedy starring Natalie Portman . Last year jury consisted of an impressive array of international talent, including France Claire Denis, Poland Agnieszka Holland and China'a Jia Zhang-Ke, whose 2000 film Platform helped inspire the program. Report Typo/Error Follow us on Twitter: @Globe Arts (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

doaa elghobashy: And if Doaa Elghobashy further chooses to wear a hijab in competition — unlike teammate Nada Meawad — as an act of piety, guess that would render Kristina Valjas and Jamie Broder godless harlots, according to Toronto Star. When the implication was put to the Canadians in the mixed zone Thursday, after they defeated the duo from Egypt in straight sets — 21-12, 21-16 — in their last pool group match, they were momentarily nonplussed. By Rosie DiManno Columnist Thu., Aug. 11, 2016 RIO DE JANEIRO—If the Egyptian lady beach volleyball players in their shin-length pants and long-sleeved tops are modest Muslims, does that make their Canadian opponents in flesh-flashing itsy-bitsy bikinis shameless exhibitionists Because if one posit is true, and a statement of propriety, then surely the opposite concept would hold. Believe me, nobody wants to express an opinion that might be interpreted as Islamaphobic. We're comfortable playing in bikinis and that what we choose. I think it great that everyone is able to choose what they're comfortable playing in, said Broder. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration officer: I was denied entry into Dubai because I am transgender and it absolutely disgusts me that this kind of discrimination still goes on, she said in a You Tube video recorded in the airport departures lounge and posted Thursday, according to CTV. It so not fair and it so sad, to be honest, because I knew this kind of discrimination existed. Immigration officials denied Gorgeous entry into the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, she says, forcing her to leave the country. The model, who was born and raised in Canada and later moved to the U.S., said she was excited to visit Dubai despite knowing about discriminatory laws against LGBT people in the United Arab Emirates. After a 12-hour flight, an immigration officer refused to stamp her passport and instead asked her and her body guard to step into a separate room. I wanted to see Dubai, I've heard great things amongst the negative, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jonathan nicola: Nicola was to appear at an admissibility hearing Friday before an Immigration and Refugee Board tribunal to determine if he should be allowed to remain in Canada or be immediately deported, according to Metro News. However, CBSA made a surprise application to cancel the hearing.CBSA spokesperson Nancy Thomson would not comment on Nicola case but said there are a number of reasons why a case could be withdrawn or adjourned including the nature of the evidence, issues related to procedural fairness or another process that may deem the hearing unwarranted at the time. The story of Jonathan Nicola made headlines around the world in April when Canada Border Services Agency detained the 6-foot-9 Grade 11 student at Catholic Central High School for misrepresenting himself as a 17-year-old so he could study in Canada. There are a minority of cases where CBSA has withdrawn the request for a hearing, said veteran immigration lawyer Raoul Boulakia. Officials will ask that an admissibility hearing be cancelled if the subject has left the country, agrees to leave voluntarily or has filed an asylum claim. But there have been times even if officials were wrong, they would stick to it once they started the proceedings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lieutenant governors: Other Lieutenant Governors and Territorial Commissioners from across Canada were also in attendance, according to The Chronicle Herald. H Capt George was a member of the Armed Forces in his home country of Lebanon when civil war broke out in 1975, and his experience in that conflict before coming to Canada involved the death of close friends in combat. H Capt Fred George, O.N.S., M.S.M. was presented the honour by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, during the Presentation of Canadian Honours ceremony held at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on July 13. He said he has always been supportive of the CAF and RCN, and after his retirement as President of mining firm Gammon Gold in 2009, decided to devote a significant amount of his time and resources toward the CAF community. I look at them differently than some other civilians might. So that is why I've always had a soft spot for all the men and women in uniform. (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 The Chronicle Herald. 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.

lopez alonzo: Now 38, Osorio Cristales said he is willing to travel to Guatemala to testify against that former soldier, Santos Lopez Alonzo, who was deported Wednesday from the United States, according to Metro News. He is wanted in the 1982 massacre of more than 200 people in the Guatemalan village during the height of the country civil war."There nothing left for him but to face justice," Osorio Cristales told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Canada, where he was given asylum. "He has to pay for what he did."The more than three decades-long civil war in Guatemala claimed at least 200,000 lives before ending in 1996, with the U.S.-backed army responsible for most of the deaths, according to findings of an independent truth commission set up to investigate the bloodshed. Ripped from his village, which was decimated by the soldiers, Osorio Cristales said he found himself living with a soldier who ordered him to call him "Dad," refused to answer questions about where he came from and made him toil in the pineapple crops while subjecting him to years of physical abuse. Soldiers were sent to the village of Las Dos Erres in December 1982 to search for weapons believed stolen by rebels, but rounded up innocent men, women and children, raping girls and bludgeoning the villagers with a sledgehammer. Authorities issued arrest warrants for 17 soldiers, including Lopez, and five who have been sentenced to more than 6,000 years in prison. Years later, investigators dug up more than 160 skeletons at the village well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nature: If anything become clear while watching the star-spangled spectacle unfold south of the border, it this: nature -- in this case, human nature -- abhors a vacuum, according to Rabble. The context is evident. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. Growing inequality. The rise of the precariat. Gutted infrastructure. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.