council members: It a target, according to The Waterloo Record. The 14-member council was assembled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau to provide "bold" advice on how best to guide Canada struggling economy out of its slow-growth rut. For two of the most prominent voices inside the Trudeau government influential council of economic advisers, it much more than a passing fancy. One of their first recommendations, released last week, called for a gradual increase in permanent immigration to 450,000 people a year by 2021 — with a focus on top business talent and international students. The council members — along with many others, including Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains — argue that opening Canada doors to more newcomers is a crucial ingredient for expanding growth in the future. That would be a 50-per-cent hike from the current level of about 300,000. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cbc news: Winners by default: No election needed in Bredenbury, Sask, according to CBC. Mayor Grant McCallum, acclaimed to lead the the next council, said decades of minimal tax increases in the 80s and 90s have left the town of about 500 people on the hook for some major increases in the coming years in light of big infrastructure projects the town needs to move ahead on sooner than later. "There are going to be some tough decisions to be made, unpopular decisions to come up with a plan to raise that money and it going to involve some tax hikes," McCallum told CBC News. In fact, the town about 215 kilometres northeast of Regina only had enough interest to fill the mayor seat and two town councillor positions, leaving four councillor seats vacant. He added this year municipal agenda includes a couple of multi-million-dollar projects including a lagoon expansion, upgrades to the water treatment plant and road resurfacing. To my knowledge this has never happened in the town.- Diane Jamieson, Saltcoats administrator "The way costs have gone up, the predicament we're in wasn't foreseen and the town is in a decent cash position, it just that we don't have reserves to pull off a number of these projects all at once so … there will be some tax increases which are more than what the folks are used to," he said. "Clearly we find ourselves in the 2000s without reserves to maintain or upgrade and even improve the current infrastructure." Province steps in to help Without enough candidates to even make quorum, the town administration reached out to intergovernmental affairs in the ministry of government relations to assist in filling those council vacancies. McCallum said Public Works also needs a suitable shop because right now they're using an old theatre. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fellow blacks: Some of the biggest complaints come from fellow blacks, who figure he too rich, too successful to possibly understand their struggles. "Like, those people say he not black anymore, he shouldn't speak on black issues," Barkley said. "I'm like, 'Dude, I'm always going to be black,' but that a double-edged sword I'm willing to deal with." So not only will he keep talking, he wants to lead the conversation, according to Hamilton Spectator. The basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst will debut "The Race Card" on the network in 2017, a show that won't just be about black and white, because Barkley believes America problems are more about rich versus poor. "I just want to do a positive dialogue because I'm sick of arguing over race all the time," Barkley said. "Like, I'm very aware that racism does exist, it always has and probably always will, but the media does a really poor job. When he talks about racial issues, it isn't only whites he risks angering. There more good than bad, but the bad pops off the newspaper and on television. In a Nike commercial during his playing career, he said himself he no role model , and he still doesn't like the term now. And like I said, the truth is somewhere in the middle." On one hand, he seems an unlikely choice to be looking for it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jana elshami: On Saturday, she went to the pumpkin-carving event at the Boys and Girls Club of Charlottetown, according to CBC. Jana Elshami is excited to celebrate Halloween. "We're still new here so we've never carved a pumpkin before," she said. "It awesome." It the first of many things she excited about for her first Halloween. "I'm going to wear a nice costume for school and we're going to have nice activities in school." Elshami said she also looking forward to the candy. Nine-year-old Jana Elshami and her family moved to Charlottetown about six months ago from Saudi Arabia. Emily Rogers, 10, also decorated a pumpkin to get in the Halloween spirit. Families at the event got to dig in and use their imagination. "We serve 49 children on a daily basis here and we wanted to do something that was geared towards their families," she said. Emily Rogers really enjoyed carving and painting her pumpkin. "I really like Halloween because you're going out with some of your friends and you're trick or treating." Carly Levy, the events coordinator with the club, said this is the first time the club has opened pumpkin carving up to the public. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mosque entrance: The event was part of the Muslim Council of Greater Hamilton "Know Your Neighbours" open houses at three city mosques for Islamic Heritage Month, according to Hamilton Spectator. Imam Ayman Al-Taher presented five of Ibrahim Jam-E neighbours with framed recognition certificates and thanked them "for saying 'this is wrong' and for acting upon it" when they saw the fire at the mosque entrance that night. The central Hamilton mosque held an open house on Saturday to welcome the community and to thank the fast-acting neighbours who put out the flames. Neighbour Lisa Bartlett said defending the mosque should be a normal act for anyone in such circumstances. "For us, it the right thing to do — to look out for your neighbours," she said. Steele, who has terminal cancer and walks with a cane, immediately called 911 and then followed the man who set the fire at a distance, unsure how far he could keep following him because of the limits imposed by his health, he said. Bartlett and her partner, Ernie Steele, were walking home near the mosque when they saw a man set its front entrance on fire. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

maternity motels: Waiting to become Canadian: Citizenship ceremonies delayed by judge shortage Canada a top destination for highly skilled immigrants, World Bank finds McCallum says 50% increase in immigration to 450,000 might be too ambitious She said "birth houses," which are sometimes dubbed "maternity motels," have sprouted up, operating as temporary lodging for pregnant women from other countries, according to CBC. Some are waiting to qualify for health insurance, while others pay for the hospital services, Wong said. "Immigration and our diversity is what makes Canada unique. The 8,886 signatories want to change Canada birthright citizenship law they say "enables an abusive and exploitative practice" where "expectant mothers who are foreign nationals with no status in Canada can gain automatic citizenship for their children born within Canada." Wong said the issue is "significant" in her riding of Richmond Centre, as well as other large cities like Toronto and Calgary. It is also important to protect the integrity of our immigration system and ensure that new Canadians join our country in a way that is fair," she said in an email. The U.K. does not have birthright citizenship, but British Prime Minister Theresa May recently suggested establishing passport checks on pregnant women at hospitals to crack down on the growing number travelling from other countries to take advantage of free hospital services. The petition notes that Canada is one of only two developed countries that have not moved to end automatic citizenship due to "widespread abuse." The other is the U.S., where Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has controversially called for an end to "anchor babies." But the issue of "birth tourism" is flaring up in other countries as well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

security efforts: Never more so than now, according to Metro News. Illegal immigration goes to the heart of Donald Trump presidential campaign. The questions of what to with them and how to curb future illegal immigration have been a campaign issue for more than a decade. It a source of his strength among supporters, contention among critics and confusion over what he really intends to do. Efforts to overhaul the country immigration laws have routinely been defined by Republicans supporting an enforcement-first approach with Democrats preferring a path to legal status for those here while working on security efforts at the same time. The long debate over immigration in Congress has focused on which should come first: stiffer enforcement at the border and inside the country or a path to legal status for the millions of people who are already a part of their communities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

supreme court: Citing a need to combat fraud, Republican-controlled legislatures are tightening voter laws by limiting early voting and same-day registration, by requiring IDs at polling places, and more, according to Metro News. In 2013, declaring "our country has changed," the Supreme Court invalidated a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which required mostly Southern states with a history of discrimination to get advance federal approval to change election laws. Voting rights are in flux in the final months of Barack Obama two terms as the first black president. The court decision made it easier for states to impose new restrictions. Among them: the more contested states of Arizona, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. This year, 14 states have restrictions involving voter ID or other requirements for the first time in a presidential election. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: Other countries are taking in more, though vast numbers of Syrians remains dispossessed, according to Metro News. And even the limited number of Syrians coming to America is a source of hot contention in the presidential campaign as humanitarian impulses tangle with security worries in the debate.___WHERE THEY STANDRepublican Donald Trump has repeatedly called for a moratorium on accepting Syrian refugees. But of the millions of exiles from the Syrian war, only about 10,000 have reached U.S. shores. His position is part of a broader stance on immigrants that has ranged from a complete ban on foreign Muslim immigrants entering the United States "until we know what the hell is going on" to "extreme" vetting and an ideological test for would-be immigrants from countries and regions plagued by extremism. This would be in addition to the tens of thousands of refugees accepted from around the world every year. Democrat Hillary Clinton has said she would expand President Barack Obama refugee program to accept about 65,000 Syrian refugees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fellow blacks: Some of the biggest complaints come from fellow blacks, who figure he too rich, too successful to possibly understand their struggles. "Like, those people say he not black anymore, he shouldn't speak on black issues," Barkley said. "I'm like, 'Dude, I'm always going to be black,' but that a double-edged sword I'm willing to deal with." So not only will he keep talking, he wants to lead the conversation, according to The Waterloo Record. The basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst will debut "The Race Card" on the network in 2017, a show that won't just be about black and white, because Barkley believes America problems are more about rich versus poor. "I just want to do a positive dialogue because I'm sick of arguing over race all the time," Barkley said. "Like, I'm very aware that racism does exist, it always has and probably always will, but the media does a really poor job. When he talks about racial issues, it isn't only whites he risks angering. There more good than bad, but the bad pops off the newspaper and on television. In a Nike commercial during his playing career, he said himself he no role model , and he still doesn't like the term now. And like I said, the truth is somewhere in the middle." On one hand, he seems an unlikely choice to be looking for it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

islamic state: The operation had been expected for months and is seen as a pivotal moment in the fight to defeat ISIL.a In anticipation of the attack, the United Nations as well as a number of aid groups have been pre-positioning supplies for months to deal with an expected flood of civilians fleeing the fighting, according to The Waterloo Record. Mosul is home to an estimated 1.2 million people. Iraqi and Kurdish forces this week launched a massive assault on Iraq second-largest city to free it from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. But those efforts have been marred by a shortage of funding. Canada is the fifth-largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Iraq, after the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and European Commission. The UN asked the international community in July for $284 million in aid for the Mosul offensive, but less than half has been pledged. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mosque entrance: The event was part of the Muslim Council of Greater Hamilton "Know Your Neighbours" open houses at three city mosques for Islamic Heritage Month, according to The Waterloo Record. Imam Ayman Al-Taher presented five of Ibrahim Jam-E neighbours with framed recognition certificates and thanked them "for saying 'this is wrong' and for acting upon it" when they saw the fire at the mosque entrance that night. The central Hamilton mosque held an open house on Saturday to welcome the community and to thank the fast-acting neighbours who put out the flames. Neighbour Lisa Bartlett said defending the mosque should be a normal act for anyone in such circumstances. "For us, it the right thing to do — to look out for your neighbours," she said. Steele, who has terminal cancer and walks with a cane, immediately called 911 and then followed the man who set the fire at a distance, unsure how far he could keep following him because of the limits imposed by his health, he said. Bartlett and her partner, Ernie Steele, were walking home near the mosque when they saw a man set its front entrance on fire. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

william mensah: Maria Szabo Berces, her daughter Anita, Zoe Dickson, Laura Rowley, Felicia Joh, Killarney Mayor Rick Pauls, William Mensah, Emma and Mason DeRuyck, Tim DeRuyck, Isaiah Rowley, Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire and Danny Groening, according to Brandon Sun. Killarney refugee sponsorship group has joined a growing list of Canadian communities that have waited on families who didn't arrive by the specified date. From left, Rev. Chairperson Danny Groening said their committee has paid rent since July on a house for an eight-person family from Congo. It now October, and they have no explanation for the delay. The expected arrival for the refugees was mid-July to mid-September. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-muslim paranoia: At first I thought I was just against the kind of race-based, Trump-echoing version of "Canadian values" that Kellie Leitch is building her run for the Conservative leadership on, and which she advocated while backing the "barbaric cultural practices tip line" last election, according to Rabble. Our variation on right-wing U.S. "values voters." But there also a Quebec version. There nowhere else to go. Its Liberal government has introduced an update of the failed provincial "Charter of Values," which helped defeat the last Parti Quebecois government there. The Liberal bill focuses on face coverings. It clearly played on anti-Muslim paranoia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

calgary centre: The award is being presented to her on behalf of the Calgary Centre for a Global Community . Metro reported on Khanchat humanitarian efforts back in May, when she mobilized the Calgary Syrian refugee newcomer community, asking them to donate whatever they could to help buy care packages those being forced from their homes by the fires, according to Metro News. We understand totally what they're feeling because we've passed through the same situation—we lost everything in just one second, maybe not from burning, but it still feels the same, she told Metro at the time. Saturday, Khanchat will be honoured with the People Choice and Human Rights Award for the work she did during the Fort McMurray wildfires. Arthur Clark, spokesman for the CCGC said Khanchat embodies what it means to be a humanitarian. Here is a person who fled a war in Syria and it obviously a horrible situation, and she comes to Calgary, opens a small business and then gets other newcomers involved with helping those fleeing the fires in Fort McMurray, he said. How could you find a better example. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

captain humayun: The nominees retrenched behind familiar arguments a day after appearing together at a charity event that veered into cutting personal attacks, an unexpected metaphor for this year take-no-prisoners presidential campaign, according to The Chronicle Herald. Clinton new ad features Khizr Khan, whom Trump assailed after Khan spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Trump vowed to go all-out in the final three weeks so he'll have no regrets — even if he loses. In the minute-long ad, which Clinton campaign said was airing in seven battleground states, Khan retells how his son, Captain Humayun Khan, died in Iraq seeking to protect his U.S. military unit from a suicide bomber. Trump, would my son have a place in your America the father asks, tearing up as the ad fades to black. Mr. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

care families: The 33-year-old mother of four young daughters, who was born in England but left at the age of eight when her parents moved to Ontario, only became aware that she was not a Canadian citizen following a recent drug conviction and incarceration. "I hope there people out there can see this and can help," said Cramman, her face red and puffy from crying. "My kids are my world and I'm scared I'll never see them again." The Canada Border Services Agency looked into her status while she was in custody, discovering that her parents and several foster care families that took her in at the age of 11 failed to secure her Canadian citizenship, according to CTV. As a result, the agency says it wants to deport her as early as Dec. 16. I just kind of want to go back to my room and cry," Fliss Cramman said through tears on Friday after her detention review hearing at the Dartmouth General Hospital, where she is recovering from surgery. A doctor for the Canadian Border Services Agency has deemed Cramman fit to travel with a nurse by that date, despite her surgeon assertion that she is in fragile health and needs to remain in the country for about 18 months to properly recover from a series of colon surgeries done after she was rushed to hospital from a prison facility in Dartmouth on Aug. 12. "If she needs a nurse to travel with her to Heathrow, well holy smokes, what happens to her when gets off the plane " her lawyer John O'Neill said during the hearing, adding that the agency physician did not examine Cramman and did not review her medical records. It has said it will help Cramman address long-standing mental health issues, and a drug addiction that set in following years of physical and sexual abuse. The Elizabeth Fry Society has asked that Cramman be removed from the border agency detention list and released into the group care. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship: They also say the shortage of citizenship judges is also affecting those with uncomplicated applications. "There are people in Edmonton that have been waiting months just for the grant of citizenship," said Vance Langford, a Calgary immigration lawyer and president of the Canadian Bar Association immigration section. "They have met the requirements, they've been notified that they have been approved and they have been waiting simply for the ceremony so that a judge can grant them citizenship, and that is taking many months and it is due to a lack of judges being available." Justice minister announces 24 new judges in effort to end national shortage Canada caught off guard by number of Syrian refugee children Trudeau government has backlog of more than 300 appointments Immigration Minister John McCallum said the government is identifying candidates to fill the position now. "I know that for some citizenship ceremonies we have, on occasion, had other people officiating, so I think we're managing, according to CBC. Obviously it would be better when we have our full complement, but I think that will come fairly soon," he said. Lawyers say wait times for more complicated citizenship cases have been getting worse. The problem centres on the Liberal government appointment process. The government says the delay is in part the result of its decision to introduce a more balanced, merit-based appointment system. In its first year in office, it has accumulated a backlog of more than 300 appointments that are either vacant or occupied by someone whose appointment is past its expiry date. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

confidence: Everything, according to Globe and Mail. But here I had to start again, he says now. I had people working for me. I somehow lost my confidence. Fortunately, a friend who had been living in Canada for a few years recommended that he look into taking some college courses. I thought maybe I was lacking something. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian municipalities: The federation says Ottawa has already opened the door to more federal involvement in fixing the housing crisis by putting forward some funding in the last budget, according to Guelph Mercury. But now, the federation says the housing strategy needs to carve out $12.7 billion over eight years to protect existing social housing, prevent homelessness, build new units and provide a portable housing allowance to needy renters who can't find affordable housing. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities says wait lists for social housing are growing, and one out of five renters spends more than half their pre-tax salary on shelter. "We know that safe and affordable housing is the bedrock of communities where people want to live, raise their families and start businesses, said federation president Clark Somerville. "Instead, we're facing a housing crisis, and we need to fix this now." Especially vulnerable are newcomers to Canada, Aboriginal Peoples, single moms and seniors living alone. The request from cities across the country reinforces similar demands from the big-city mayors made earlier this month. "We finally have a window of opportunity to tackle the housing crisis," Somerville said. "The federal government has a big mandate to invest in social infrastructure. The deadline for submissions is today and the results are to be released Nov. 22, which is National Housing Day. Now we need that big decision to make affordable housing a priority." The Liberal government opened a national consultation on a housing strategy in June. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

direction: In an open letter, which comes two months after she blasted Zayn, 23, again, this time with a transphobic comment, Azealia said: "There are no words that can fully express how sorry I am, according to The Waterloo Record. Recent events have taught me the importance of taking accountability for one actions. Five months after she first lashed out at the former One Direction singer in a racist attack, calling him a "curry scented b***h", Azealia has finally said sorry. I want and need to say I am sorry, I was wrong. "I reached out, on Twitter, to congratulate you on leaving One Direction and finding your own path. I applaud you for this. Many artists sell their souls to this business and sacrifice their happiness for a career; walking away took bravery, strength, formidable principles and a powerful sense of self-worth. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

direction: In an open letter, which comes two months after she blasted Zayn, 23, again, this time with a transphobic comment, Azealia said: "There are no words that can fully express how sorry I am, according to Hamilton Spectator. Recent events have taught me the importance of taking accountability for one actions. Five months after she first lashed out at the former One Direction singer in a racist attack, calling him a "curry scented b***h", Azealia has finally said sorry. I want and need to say I am sorry, I was wrong. "I reached out, on Twitter, to congratulate you on leaving One Direction and finding your own path. I applaud you for this. Many artists sell their souls to this business and sacrifice their happiness for a career; walking away took bravery, strength, formidable principles and a powerful sense of self-worth. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government team: The suggestions comprise a first tranche of ideas from the group of external experts who have been enlisted by Finance Minister Bill Morneau to help Ottawa find ways to resuscitate Canada lacklustre economy, according to Huffington Post Canada. Finance Minister Bill Morneau looks on as Dominic Barton, chair of the federal government team of economic advisers, answers a question in a press conference on Oct. 20. The objective, the experts say, is to double Canada projected growth trajectory and add an eye-popping $15,000 to the annual incomes of Canadian households by 2030. The recommendations zeroed in on three areas: productivity-boosting infrastructure; attracting more foreign investment; and opening Canada doors wider to a larger number of talented immigrants. "Now is the time where we have to take very bold actions,'' council chair Dominic Barton, who is global managing director of consulting giant McKinsey & Co., told a news conference in Ottawa. " may not be new, these have been talked about before — but they haven't been done. To get there, the council suggests the government create an independent infrastructure bank designed to seek out private capital by offering investors steady returns through user fees from projects like toll highways, bridges and airports. "Canada should leverage the trillions in institutional capital waiting on the sidelines and focus this investment productively,'' the council wrote in a report released Thursday. And so what we're keen to do is to jolt it.'' The group called on Ottawa to deliver more than $200 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next decade using as few taxpayer dollars as possible. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hospital bed: This is my homeland." The 33-year-old mother of four young daughters, who were all born in Ontario, only became aware that she was not a Canadian citizen following a recent drug conviction and incarceration, according to Hamilton Spectator. The Canada Border Services Agency looked into her status while she was in custody, discovering that her parents and several foster care families that took her in at the age of 11 failed to secure her Canadian citizenship. Propped up in a hospital bed and groggy from pain medication, Fliss Cramman said she is terrified of being forced to return to England, where she was born but left at the age of eight when her parents moved to Ontario. "I'm just so scared to go back — I don't know anybody, I don't know anything," she said through tears, while two corrections officers stood guard in her drab hospital room. "If I leave here, I'm leaving my heart behind big time. As a result, the agency says it wants to deport her by Dec. 16, despite her physician assertion that she is in fragile health and needs to remain in the country for about 18 months to properly recover from a series of colon surgeries done after she was rushed to hospital from a prison facility in Dartmouth on Aug. 12. I came over when I was eight, I have a social insurance number, I have a health card, I pay taxes, I had kids in Canada, I voted, I say sorry and that a huge Canadian thing. At a hearing in the basement of the hospital late last month, the Immigration and Refugee Board agreed Cramman would not be able to travel for "at least a couple of months." It said it would review the matter, along with a possible release from custody, at another hearing Friday. "I just want to stay here," Cramman said in a voice thin from fatigue, but buoyant when questioned about her citizenship. "Hell yeah, I'm Canadian. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police: There have also been no reported extremist attacks since shortly after the restaurant killings, according to The Chronicle Herald. The police raids followed an unprecedented crackdown over the summer, during which authorities arrested more than 14,000 people before July — most for petty crimes including theft and small-time drug smuggling. Their evidence Police raids that have killed about 40 suspected Islamist militants; hundreds of suspects detained in police dragnets; and new information on how the attack was financed by local sympathizers. The arrests have continued, netting 1,200 suspected militants, some of whom are giving up useful information under questioning, intelligence officials say. When asked to quantify the anti-militant operation success, Monirul Islam, the head of the police counter-terrorism and transnational crime units, said it was "60 to 70 per cent." "Still, we need to apprehend some command-level people. But they refuse to say how many in total have been detained in recent months. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

public-infrastructure projects: It means private ownership of highways, ports, water systems, public transit, according to Globe and Mail. The government has already engaged Credit Suisse to study the benefits of privatizing airports; that would mean reversing the policy of former Liberal PM Jean Chrétien, who won political points by killing a privatization plan. And the council call for the creation of an infrastructure bank, designed to lure hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment into what would otherwise be public-infrastructure projects means, by definition, privatization or partly privatization. But the council immigration recommendation may be the one that gets the most attention. More important are the types of newcomers, and the demographic arithmetic behind the numbers. The big number – a call for 450,000 immigrants a year – will get the headlines. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.