bobsled: But once he got back to full health, and with his competitive fires still burning, the Hamilton native searched for an outlet, according to The Chronicle Herald. He found one in bobsled. A standout defensive back in university, Poloniato had designs on attending a CFL training camp when his dreams were dashed by a broken leg. It kind of just hit me right in the face, said Poloniato. Obviously I knew about bobsled and I watched it, but I never made the connection that it could actually be me until the opportunity was right in front of me. I was so focused on playing football. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

british officials: Immigration was a key issue during Britain EU referendum in June, when Britons voted by 52 per cent to leave the 28-nation bloc, according to Metro News. Many who voted Leave backed Brexit because they want Britain to have more control over immigration, which is difficult under the EU freedom-of-movement principle. The agency said an unprecedented 284,000 EU citizens are estimated to have arrived in the year to June right before Britain voted to leave the European Union. British officials have vowed to take back control and curb the movement of EU nationals to Britain, but so far it is not clear how that can be achieved. The government has been clear that we are committed to reducing migration to sustainable levels, she said. Helen Bower, spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May, said the government stands by its ambition to reduce net migration below 100,000 a goal the Conservative government set several years ago, but appears increasingly unlikely to meet. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada study: Labour shortages within the sector have already doubled over the past decade and are expected to double again by 2025, reaching 113,800 unfilled jobs, said the Conference Board of Canada study, to be released Thursday, according to Toronto Star. A growing labour gap in agriculture is being driven by a combination of circumstances, including an aging workforce, large seasonal fluctuations in employment, the rural location of many operations, and negative perceptions about working in the sector, said the study, Sowing the Seeds of Growth. Tara Walton / Toronto Star/GETTY IMAGES By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Thu., Dec. 1, 2016 With a growing demand for unskilled agricultural workers, a new study warns a large portion of Canadian farmland will lie fallow without a robust migrant farm worker program. Simply paying Canadians more to work in the sector or buying more machines may not be possible and will not eliminate the sector need for TFWs temporary foreign workers . The report came on the eve of a soon-to-come announcement by Ottawa to overhaul its temporary foreign workers program. Twenty years ago, only five per cent of the farm workers were brought in from other countries. react-text 164 A new report says the labour shortage in Canada agricultural sector will double in 10 years, reaching 113,800 unfilled jobs by 2025. /react-text Tara Walton In 2015, the sector accounted for 58 per cent of the number of positive labour market impact assessments a review by federal officials to ensure there a labour shortage and the hiring of the migrant workers will not take jobs away from Canadians. Article Continued Below Currently, migrant workers account for 12 per cent of Canada agricultural workforce, filling about three-quarters of the sector labour gap, said the study. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian: The most striking revelation of this report was the grand scale of stereotyping and stigmatizing by Canadian media outlets in their sensationalistic coverage of HIV non-disclosure cases, said Eric Mykhalovskiy, a York University sociology professor, who leads the team, according to Toronto Star. It upsetting to read myths masquerading as news and repeating the theme of how black men living with HIV are hypersexual dangerous others. To mark World AIDS Day on this month, a team of Canadian researchers recently released the pioneering study identifying a clear pattern of racism toward black men in the reporting of HIV non-disclosure in Canadian newspapers. This approach not only demeans journalism, but it inflames racism and HIV stigmatization, undermining educational and treatment efforts. Of those reports 68 per cent, or 1,141 of the articles, focused on racialized defendants. Based on the database of Factiva, an English-language Canadian newspaper articles from 1989 to 2015, researchers from York, University of Toronto and Lakehead University identified 1,680 reports of HIV non-disclosure cases. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

death: Zhou was charged a week ago after 60-year-old Gloria Chivers of Thorndale was killed near Richmond Street and Sunningdale Road in a two-vehicle crash, according to CTV. Emergency personnel were called to scene around 3 a.m. last Thursday. Jinghao Zhou, whose case was in court Thursday, is charged with being in Canada illegally and with having forged documents, allegedly his passport. Police say upon arrival, it was determined that Chivers was deceased. Zhou has been remanded in custody and is expected back in court on Dec 7, when hell appear via video. Zhou, 23, of London, is charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death, driving with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in blood causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

evan siddall: When a white person buys a house, we dont notice, according to Hamilton Spectator. When somebody of a different colour does, we do. Evan Siddall delivered a pointed speech on Wednesday to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, where he said housing should not become a wedge that divides newcomers from longtime residents. That not good economics, he said. The British Columbia government introduced a 15 per cent tax on foreign buyers in July in response to those concerns. Vancouver skyrocketing housing prices have increasingly been blamed on foreign capital flowing from China. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

flyer claims: The flyer claims wealthy Chinese immigrants use Canadian social services without paying taxes and directs readers to visit an anti-immigration website, according to CBC. Richmond residents join in solidarity against racist flyers Richmond residents alarmed at racist flyers Racist video discussion on social media is a good thing, say community leaders An RCMP spokesperson said in a statement police are investigating and have consulted with the B.C. Hate Crimes Team. The latest flyers show a Caucasian family standing on a sidewalk, looking at a mansion portrayed as being Chinese-owned with the headline Immigration has turned into the plundering of Canada. Similar flyers 2 weeks ago The flyers come after another racist flyer was distributed in Richmond two weeks ago. Some of them even told me that they didnt feel safe to walk in the neighbourhood now, he told On The Coast guest host Michelle Eliot. Edward Liu organized a rally this past weekend denouncing racism in the city and says the latest flyer has people shocked. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

housing solutions: Upon arrival in Canada, obtaining housing is a top priority for newcomer families, but finding a suitable residence proves to be a profound challenge without social networks, employment prospects, and knowledge about the nature of both rental markets and neighbourhoods, according to Rabble. The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba IRCOM which is an organization that operates an apartment complex located in Winnipeg inner city, stands out as an exemplary and innovative model in the fight to seek sustainable and healthy housing solutions as it builds inclusive communities and contributes to positive outcomes for low-income families. Vulnerable and marginalized populations such as newly arrived immigrant and refugee families all too often suffer the indignity of scouring the private rental market for suitable housing only to face discrimination, unaffordable rental rates, poorly cared for buildings and undesirable neighbourhoods. Many studies find that newcomers struggles to find affordable and good quality housing are related to such challenges as lack of employment, low incomes, discrimination and language barriers. In addition to housing, newly arrived immigrants and refugees require a host of supports and services to gain the knowledge and tools necessary to settle. Therefore, newcomers all too often accept substandard living conditions as they navigate these difficulties. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

housing: When a white person buys a house, we dont notice, according to Huffington Post Canada. When somebody of a different colour does, we do. Evan Siddall delivered a pointed speech on Wednesday to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, where he said housing should not become a wedge that divides newcomers from long-time residents. That not good economics, he said. Photo Fred Lum/Globe and Mail via Canadian Press Vancouver skyrocketing housing prices have increasingly been blamed on foreign capital flowing from China. CMHC head Evan Siddall is warning against an us against them mentality in Canada housing markets. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration standards: The ruling could affect thousands of immigrants who are fleeing gang-related violence in Central America, immigration experts said, according to Metro News. We have so many asylum seekers form Central America, and we have a lot of people who are forced to join gangs, said Fatma Marouf, a professor at Texas A&M University School of Law who wrote a brief in the case. Three judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld federal immigration standards that exclude former gang members from social groups that can clearly qualify for protection. The ruling came in a deportation proceeding against a man from El Salvador, Wilfredo Garay Reyes, who left a gang in his home country and entered the United States illegally in 2001 at the age of 18, after being shot in the leg by a gang leader upset about his defection. Garay argued that former members of his El Salvador gang constituted a particular social group, and the gang members would kill him if he returned to El Salvador possibly by placing a gasoline-filled tire around him and burning it, a method they prefer, he said. Garay sought to stay in the United States under a law that prevents U.S. authorities from sending immigrants to countries where their lives would be threatened because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bernier shares: Clement says Bernier shares his values and is the right choice to lead the party and the country. ; Leitch, whose edgy campaign has been trawling the party right wing, says the law isnt clear on pepper spray it illegal to possess, but its use in self-defence doesnt necessarily lead to charges, according to National Observer. She says legalizing it for self-defence would strengthen the rights of women to protect themselves. Quebec rival Maxime Bernier, meanwhile, is adding a high-powered endorsement to his list of supporters former cabinet minister Tony Clement, who will also serve as a special adviser. The field of candidates for the Conservative leadership vote, scheduled for May of next year, has swelled to 14. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bernier shares: Quebec rival Maxime Bernier, meanwhile, is adding a high-powered endorsement to his list of supporters former cabinet minister Tony Clement, who will also serve as a special adviser, according to Guelph Mercury. Clement says Bernier shares his values and is the right choice to lead the party and the country. Ontario MP Kellie Leitch, who has already urged screening immigrants for what she calls anti-Canadian values, is now proposing changes to the law that would allow people to carry pepper spray for self-defence. Leitch, whose edgy campaign has been trawling the party right wing, says the law isnt clear on pepper spray it illegal to possess, but its use in self-defence doesnt necessarily lead to charges. The field of candidates for the Conservative leadership vote, scheduled for May of next year, has swelled to 14. She says legalizing it for self-defence would strengthen the rights of women to protect themselves. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

el salvador: There is no valid reason for this moot application to proceed to judgment, government lawyers argued in a court document, according to Brandon Sun. The respondents in the case are the federal attorney general, the ministers of both public safety and immigration, as well as the Canadian Border Services Agency. Lawyers representing the Canadian government urged a Federal Court judge in Vancouver on Wednesday to reject an application by Jose Figueroa to rescind an eight-year-old report linking him to a political group in El Salvador with alleged terrorist ties. Any debate around Figueroa inadmissibility has lost practical significance after Immigration Minister John McCallum brushed aside roadblocks to permanent resident status last December, on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, they said. Figueroa fled the country with his wife in 1997 after he began receiving death threats and came to Canada as a refugee. The report highlights Figueroa past membership in Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front in El Salvador, the same group that brought in a new era of democracy when it was elected in 2009. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fulfil election: It remains to be seen how far U.S. president-elect Trump and his emerging hardline cabinet will go to fulfil election promises he made to take a firmer stand on immigration, tear up international trade deals and erect walls against the outside world but some damage has already been done, according to The Waterloo Record. The mere prospect of Trump becoming president led to warnings from the tech community that he would be a disaster for innovation. With the energy industry slumping into a third year and the Canadian economy as a whole going sideways, growth in the high tech and education sectors could provide a meaningful boost. According to an open letter signed by senior executives at several tech companies, His vision stands against the open exchange of ideas, free movement of people, and productive engagement with the outside world that is critical to our economy and that provide the foundation for innovation and growth. This is potentially disastrous for the information technology IT sector in particular, with over half a million unfilled jobs across all sectors of the U.S. economy, according to the White House Tech Hire Initiative. No doubt Trump statements have many foreign workers, documented or not, feeling very uncomfortable and many potential immigrants second-guessing whether they wish to live, work or study in America. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hockey: What it does is it puts everybody united and supporting something, said Ron Toigo, majority owner of the WHL Vancouver Giants and co-chair of the 2019 host committee, according to Guelph Mercury. You put on an international event of this magnitude, everybody wearing Canadian jerseys, everybody proud about being a Canadian. Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League announced the tournament return to British Columbia on Thursday during a press conference at Rogers Arena. It a real good event for the community and the economy. I can only hope the energy and the synergy that we feel today is at plus-10 when we put this event on, said Hockey Canada president and CEO Tom Renney. The tournament in Vancouver and Victoria will mark the 13th time Canada has hosted the world juniors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

maxime bernier: Kellie Leitch is shown at a debate in Saskatoon in Nov. 2016, according to Huffington Post Canada. Photo Liam Richards/CP Quebec rival Maxime Bernier, meanwhile, is adding a high-powered endorsement to his list of supporters former cabinet minister Tony Clement, who will also serve as a special adviser. Ontario MP Kellie Leitch, who has already urged screening immigrants for what she calls anti-Canadian values, is now proposing changes to the law that would allow people to carry pepper spray for self-defence. Clement says Bernier shares his values and is the right choice to lead the party and the country. She says legalizing it for self-defence would strengthen the rights of women to protect themselves. She says it would strengthen rights of women Leitch, whose edgy campaign has been trawling the party right wing, says the law isnt clear on pepper spray it illegal to possess, but its use in self-defence doesnt necessarily lead to charges. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mohamad bakhash: Mohamad Bakhash arrived in Canada a year ago and is still struggling to become independent, according to CTV. There was a lot of help we got from the government, Bakhash told CTV News through an interpreter. Promised financial support for a year from the federal government, thousands of families are now about to be cut off, leaving provinces to pick up the tab. But, as well, we had a lot of things that we were trying to do but we were struggling with. In Syria, Bakhash supported his family of seven as a real estate agent. Such things include learning English and finding a job. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

month period: Community Services Minister Joanne Bernard said Thursday an Arabic-speaking case worker will be hired in the coming weeks as her department readies for an expected influx of Syrians requiring income assistance, according to CTV. Bernard said she expects an initial group to begin seeking help in January, as federal sponsorship support for refugees expires after a 12-month period. About 1,300 Syrian refugees have come to Nova Scotia since last December, sponsored both federally and privately, with more expected to arrive before January. We have French-speaking case workers, we have Mikmaq-speaking case workers, Bernard said. She said there are always strains on the income assistance budget, but the department has the capacity to provide the needed help. Were trying to be pro-active -- it much easier for people to come seek services from government if there someone there that can speak their language. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parliament months: The bill a response to a Quebec Superior Court decision proposes amendments to address differences in the ways indigenous men and women acquire status and how it is handed down to family members, according to Huffington Post Canada. Last year the court ruled in favour of three women from a Quebec First Nation and declared that portions of the Act violated equality provisions under the Charter of Rights, but gave Parliament 18 months to make legislative amendments. While speaking to a Senate committee on Wednesday night, Bennett admitted time constraints caused mistakes and for less engagement with First Nations than she would have liked. In certain situations men could pass their status on to their descendents, but women could not. Photo CP The government faces a time crunch because the court required a response be in place by February, Bennett said. Carolyn Bennett admitted time constraints caused mistakes and for less engagement with First Nations than she would have liked. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

passenger traffic: And they want Ottawa to rethink visa demands that currently deter some international travellers from using Toronto to make connections, according to Hamilton Spectator. The report, prepared for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, argues that those investments will pay off, putting Pearson in position to capitalize on growing air travel and double its annual passenger traffic to 80 million a year by 2035. The operators of Pearson are appealing for assistance to solve the traffic woes that clog area highways and, within the terminals, new funding to eliminate backlogs at security checkpoints and customs and immigration inspections. The report, titled Growing Canada with a Mega Hub Airport, will be released Thursday at a Canadian Club of Toronto event featuring Howard Eng, CEO of the airport authority, and Ben Smith, president, passenger airlines, at Air Canada. Mega hubs are becoming increasingly important in facilitating routes and global trade, the report says. It says Pearson has the potential to join the ranks of London Heathrow, Los Angeles International and Dubai, so-called mega hub airports characterized by high passenger volumes and a wide selection of international connections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

policy change: The analysis predicts those costs will be partially offset by an estimated 171.6 million in economic benefits through increased tourism from Mexico and a boost in trade and investment opportunities, according to CBC. The federal government will need to make significant investments in immigration and border control processes to support a sustainable visa lift, the report reads. A regulatory impact analysis statement, just published on a Canadian government website, pegs the overall cost of the policy change that kicks in today at 433.5 million over 10 years due to extra enforcement resources and added costs associated with a potential spike in refugee claims. Federal and provincial/territorial governments will need to manage potential increases in asylum claimants from Mexico who may seek to exploit their new visa-free status in an attempt to migrate to Canada permanently. Screening, processing costs Some of the anticipated costs listed include Receiving and processing asylum claims. Mexican visa could be reimposed Officials prepare for potential flood of Mexican migrants Canada drops Mexican visa requirement While the majority of costs for dropping the visa requirement, and replacing it with an electronic travel authorization, will be borne by the federal government, provincial and territorial governments will also be impacted by increased asylum claims, the report says. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

transition period: The federal government promised one year of financial support for the refugees it sponsored, according to CBC. That means the first wave of refugees to arrive in Canada a year ago will either have to support themselves or fall back on provincial social assistance. December is the start of Month 13, the name given to the transition period when federal funding winds down. There is a little bit of fear of Month 13, especially with their income being stopped and some of their benefits that they have, they dont have anymore. - Sam Jisiri, director of Syrian Active Volunteers The Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia ISANS said 61 government-sponsored refugees arrived in the province last December. This graph shows when Syrian refugees arrived in Nova Scotia. In January, around 391 more government-sponsored refugees came to Nova Scotia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tuesday morning: What is this The 1980s Trump apparently woke up Tuesday morning and decided that weighing in on settled law would be a good idea, according to Hamilton Spectator. He reached for his smartphone and, before the sun was up, tweeted, Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag if they do, there must be consequences perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! By sheer coincidence, Fox News was about to do a segment on a protest at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. Louis Post-Dispatch So now President-elect Donald Trump wants to strip citizenship rights from anyone burning an American flag and subject them to a year in jail. The college had forbidden the flying of all flags after someone burned one in protest of Trump presidential victory. Trump has an absolute gift for the inflammatory and distracting. So a stupid, but legal, decision by a small college in reaction to a stupid, but legal, decision by an individual prompted the president-elect of the United States to make a stupid, but legal, comment on social media. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver board: When a white person buys a house, we dont notice, according to The Chronicle Herald. When somebody of a different colour does, we do. Evan Siddall delivered a pointed speech on Wednesday to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, where he said housing should not become a wedge that divides newcomers from long-time residents. That not good economics, he said. The British Columbia government introduced a 15-per-cent tax on foreign buyers in July in response to those concerns. Vancouver skyrocketing housing prices have increasingly been blamed on foreign capital flowing from China. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

voting system: She said she still hopes to introduce legislation in the spring, according to The Chronicle Herald. But Monsef flabbergasted opposition parties with a dismissive, hostile response to the majority report of the opposition-dominated committee on electoral reform, which recommended that the government design a new proportional voting system and hold a national referendum to gauge public support for it. Maryam Monsef continued to insist that the government remains committed to Trudeau campaign promise and to working collaboratively with opposition parties on replacing the first-past-the-post electoral system. Did the feds promise electoral reform only with broad support Liberal members of the committee dissented, arguing that Canadians are not sufficiently engaged in the issue as they urged Trudeau to abandon his self-imposed deadline to change the voting system in time for the October 2019 election. She then expressed disappointment that the committee didn t recommend a specific voting model. Pressed by Conservatives and New Democrats in the House of Commons to accept the majority report, Monsef asserted that the only consensus that the committee found was that there is no consensus on electoral reform. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

month period: Community Services Minister Joanne Bernard said Thursday an Arabic-speaking case worker will be hired in the coming weeks as her department readies for an expected influx of Syrians requiring income assistance, according to Brandon Sun. Bernard said she expects an initial group to begin seeking help in January, as federal sponsorship support for refugees expires after a 12-month period. About 1,300 Syrian refugees have come to Nova Scotia since last December, sponsored both federally and privately, with more expected to arrive before January. We have French-speaking case workers, we have Mikmaq-speaking case workers, Bernard said. She said there are always strains on the income assistance budget, but the department has the capacity to provide the needed help. Were trying to be pro-active it much easier for people to come seek services from government if there someone there that can speak their language. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.