forest management: In the evening, he was to embark on his latest campaign victory lap, this time to Pennsylvania, which he wrested from decades in the Democratic column, according to Guelph Mercury. He also found time to hit Twitter, playing media critic and then stating anew his doubts about charges that Russia hackers tried to disrupt the U.S. election. Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary Thursday, picking a man who should fit smoothly into an administration favouring more energy drilling and less regulation. Trump praised Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, as having built one of the strongest track records on championing regulatory relief, forest management, responsible energy development and public land issues. As with several other cabinet selections, Zinke has advocated increased drilling and mining on public lands and has expressed skepticism about the urgency of climate change. Zinke, 55, was an early supporter of the president-elect and publicly expressed his interest in a cabinet post when Trump visited Montana in May. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

league: The league announced it is making progress on plans to add a team in Miami the high-profile bid that includes David Beckham that would bring the league to 24, according to Brandon Sun. Garber was not specific about the Miami team on a conference call with reporters Thursday, but said We are very focused on Miami being our 24th team. The Los Angeles Football Club will join the league in 2018 as the 23rd team. Minnesota paid a 100 million franchise fee. The fee does not cover the entire cost that owners will incur in starting up a franchise, like coaching staff salaries and stadium costs, which Garber said would bring the total cost well north of 300 million. In contrast, Toronto paid a 10 million fee in 2006. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

league: MLS is constantly expanding with Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC taking the competition to 22 teams when the new season begins in March, according to Guelph Mercury. The Los Angeles Football Club will join the league in 2018 as the 23rd team. MLS Commissioner Don Garber set a deadline of Jan. 31, 2017 for interested potential owners or ownership groups to apply. The league announced it is making progress on plans to add a team in Miami the high-profile bid that includes David Beckham that would bring the league to 24. Minnesota paid a 100 million franchise fee. Garber was not specific about the Miami team on a conference call with reporters Thursday, but said We are very focused on Miami being our 24th team. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nolan twerdoclib: Mark Liwiski's power-play goal early in the third period made it 3-2 and Carter Cockburn restored the two-goal lead, but Nolan Twerdoclib scored seven seconds later to make it 4-3, according to Brandon Sun. Lynden McCallum completed the comeback a second time when he tallied with 1 56 remaining. The fourth-place Wheat Kings 16-6-1-1 twice came back from two-goal deficits to beat the Rangers 8-15-1-1 . After Andrew Liwiski and Darrin Chrisp gave Parkland a 2-0 lead, Jared Twerdoclib and Curtis Ireland evened the game in a two-minute span. Jaymes Knee and Tate Popple scored in the shootout. The Brandon Sun Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition December 16, 2016 Trent Miner made 23 saves for the Wheat Kings, with Nicholas Arp stopping 30 shots for the Rangers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rim park: Eight Titans are American, some of whom like swingman Adam Wing, of Morehead, Ky. had never been to Canada before attending Titans camp which opened Dec. 5, according to The Waterloo Record. It's a bit shocking. The expansion National Basketball League of Canada pro team announced its final 12-man roster at RIM Park on Thursday. I don't mind the snow or the cold ... but I'm having a little trouble with the wind, said Wing, a graduate of the University of Evansville in Indiana, who turns 23 later this month. We are helping the newcomers out, said fellow Titan swingman Hichem Benayad-Cherif, of Laval, Que., one of the league-minimum four Canadians on the team's roster. Some players even reported to town without so much as a coat. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian government: DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo By Alexander Panetta The Canadian Press Thu., Dec. 15, 2016 WASHINGTON The number of Americans seeking refugee status in Canada has experienced a significant bump this year, increasing more than five times in November 2016 from the same period a year earlier, according to Toronto Star. The overall numbers, however, remain tiny. But overall the number remains tiny at 170. Few people seek to flee the world largest economy, and one of its oldest democracies, on humanitarian grounds A mere 170 Americans claimed asylum at Canada land borders through the first 11 months of this year. Was any of this driven by politics and Donald Trump Nov. 8 election Article Continued Below The Canadian government won t touch that question. Yet that was more than twice the total from 2015 and it was led by a noticeable five-fold increase in the month of November, with 28 people claiming refugee status last month compared with merely five in November 2015. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian government: Few people seek to flee the world largest economy, and one of its oldest democracies, on humanitarian grounds A mere 170 Americans claimed asylum at Canada land borders through the first 11 months of this year, according to CBC. Yet that was more than twice the total from 2015 and it was led by a noticeable five-fold increase in the month of November, with 28 people claiming refugee status last month compared with merely five in November 2015. The overall numbers, however, remain tiny. Was any of this driven by politics and Donald Trump Nov. 8 election Will Americans flee U.S. after Trump win Americans crash immigration law firm site The Canadian government wont touch that question. Therefore the CBSA will not discuss specifics of asylum cases. Refugee claims are protected under the Privacy Act, said Nicholas Dorion, a spokesman for the Canada Border Services Agency, which supplied the figures to The Canadian Press. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

christian theology: And she expects to do all of those things while lighting the menorah when the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah kicks off Dec. 24, according to The Chronicle Herald. It easy to get swept away in the whole Christmas hoopla, says Mark, whose husband comes from a Protestant family. The tinsel-loving mom happily embraces the seasonal traditions of shopping for gifts, decorating the tree and chatting about Santa with her toddler. I happily got sucked into the machine. Made famous by the defunct teen soap The O.C. the hybrid holiday has grown to become a full-fledged festivity in its own right, say its celebrants, who dismiss critics who fear it promotes Christian theology. This year perfect calendar overlap in which Hanukkah will begin on Christmas Eve and end on New Year Day is the epitome of what come to be known by some as Chrismukkah. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

drug dealers: Andres has argued that the comments made it difficult to attract Hispanic staff and customers and to raise money for a Spanish restaurant, according to Globe and Mail. Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. Andres, who was born in Spain and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, has said he canceled the project after Trump denounced Mexican immigrants in June 2015 as drug dealers and rapists. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian also pulled out of a restaurant deal at the hotel, citing Trump remarks. Andres suggested in a tweet on Tuesday that the two sides wrap up the lawsuit and donate money to a veterans group instead. Trump has sued Zakarian for breach of contract and was deposed in that case in June. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

event lin: But you wouldn t know it from the organization shameful treatment of Anastasia Lin, the Scarborough beauty queen who for the second consecutive year was chosen to represent Canada at the event, according to Toronto Star. Lin is a Chinese immigrant who has always used her pageant platforms to raise awareness of human rights abuses in her homeland. Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Thu., Dec. 15, 2016 The Miss World pageant claims it cares less about how its contestants look than about what they have to say. For this, she has paid a price. It didn t work. Not only was she prohibited from participating in last year pageant in China due to her advocacy, but Chinese security officials attempted to intimidate her into silence by threatening her father, who still lives there. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fellow edmontonians: Labbe remembers traveling to the city in 2008 and still keeps in touch with a family there and is now calling for fellow Edmontonians to help Aleppo residents in any way they can, according to Metro News. She said she watched with growing alarm as the city has been overwhelmed by civil war over the last five years, and in recent days as President Bashar al-Assad forces have bore down on Aleppo and reports of mass executions and rapes fill the news. As residents trapped in the Syrian city of Aleppo post videos to social media asking the world to help them or to remember them before they die, Jessica Labbe feels connected, half a world away in Edmonton. I think the most heartbreaking thing over the last five years is hearing those sanitized words, like civilian and refugee, but those are people, Labbe said. He added that much remains to be done for those escaping the war as refugees in Edmonton. Mohamed Huque, executive director of the Islamic Family and Social Services Association, known as IFSSA, said recent events are just another burden for Syrian refugees in the city, still working hard to adjust to a new life in Edmonton. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

francisco valdivia: No one was inside, and to this day, the 30-year-old mother of four has yet to be found, according to Hamilton Spectator. Investigators think her husband, Francisco Valdivia, killed her. Police later found her car fully engulfed in flames. Authorities also say Valdivia has another wife and that she helped kill Cecilia Cabrera. Valdivia has been charged with murder and arson, while Lopez has been charged with being an accessory after the fact, the prosecutors in Tulare County, Calif., announced Wednesday. Valdivia, 37, and his other wife, Rosalina Lopez, 39, have been arrested in connection to Cabrera suspected death. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pot: In a sense, this is easy to understand, according to The Chronicle Herald. The Trudeau Liberals are facing very little effective criticism on their promise to legalize pot from people who think they are being too slow, stodgy or old-fashioned about it all. Lord forbid anyone suggest that the point of legalizing marijuana in Canada is to increase the amount of fun anybody might be having. Of course there are Canadians who think pot should be legalized yesterday and that it should be promoted and celebrated as a universal panacea. And at least one, the Vancouver pot evangelist Jodie Emery, actually sought to run as a Liberal candidate in the last election. But pot activists tend not to be a formidably organized voting bloc, for reasons of general lethargy and perhaps an occasional serious case of the munchies. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

british columbia: Two of my brothers were captured by the Assad regime, according to National Observer. I havent been able to talk to them in four years. An interpreter slid him a box of tissue paper, and he thanked her as he dabbed away hot tears falling down his cheeks. ; Everybody seems to be laughing and having fun here, but Im still struggling with some things in Canada, he said quietly. I looked down, at a loss for words, as a settlement worker comforted him. Ali is a portrait of resilience, surviving war, supporting his wife through cancer treatments in Syria, and relocating to a new life and job in Langley, British Columbia. This was the second time Id met Ali, and the pain in his voice was as raw as it was the first time Id interviewed him in June, when he broke down crying at the mention of his family caught in war. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

langley kids: Related stories Photos Is this for real We are going back to school Districts likely in violation of B.C. School Act lawyerB.C. school rules impede children access to education newcomer advocate New West schools ponder policy to enrol undocumented kids It just seems unfair Langley kids booted from school over mom in citizenship limbo Langley School District reversed its Sept. 23 order to remove them their mother Nayeli Orozco Diaz asked to pull them from class in front of their friends and home-school them because of a paperwork glitch in Orozco Diaz and her husband work permit application, despite the fact theyve been legally working in Canada for nine years and the children are Canadian citizens, according to Metro News. All morning she was so happy, the 30-year-old mother, who trained and cared for horses at Hastings Racecourse since 2007, told Metro via Facebook. We are going back After Metro broke the Langley, B.C. family story on Monday, Yethali and her brother Aleyan, 5, were finally allowed back into North Otter Elementary School. She felt overwhelmed, and when I left her in the gym with her classmates and teacher she was crying and wanted to go back home. School district spokesman Ken Hoff explained that staff met with the family and it has been positive, but that its policy to only allow enrolment from Canadian citizens or permanent residents, not simply catchment area residents as required by the B.C. School Act, will remain in place. It been too many emotions for her lately. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police: Andrew Pfeifer who has been with the Hamilton Police Service roughly nine years is facing a discreditable conduct charge under the Police Services Act for allegedly conducting an arbitrary and unjustified street check in connection with Ward 3 Coun, according to Hamilton Spectator. Matthew Green complaint of being stopped by the officer while waiting for a bus on April 26. Const. Pfeifer made his first appearance in front of the police tribunal Thursday. The stop was absolutely not racially motivated, Twolan said, noting Pfeifer has been waiting an awful long time to give his side of the story. It was after that appearance at the police station that Clint Twolan, president of the Hamilton Police Association, criticized Green for creating this circus to further his own political agenda. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

protection agency: The uniformity is particularly striking in the president-elect picks for the highest-profile Cabinet and White House jobs, according to Metro News. While he has selected a handful of women and minorities for lower-profile posts, his choices for the big four Cabinet slots Treasury, State, Defence and Justice and his top White House jobs chief of staff, national security adviser and senior adviser are all white men. Trump, who railed against what he called politically correct crap during his no-holds-barred presidential campaign, is on track to create the least diverse Cabinet in a quarter-century. So, too, will white men run the departments of Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services as well as the Environmental Protection Agency. That number could grow to 12 if he picks a white man for Agriculture secretary. Should Trump be unable to complete his term as president, the top eight people in the line of succession are white men from the Cabinet and Congress. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

province population: I always wanted to be a nurse and it was hard, but I made it through, according to The Chronicle Herald. I love what I do and where I live. It was tough, coming to a new place and starting over, says the licensed practical nurse at the Veterans Memorial building in the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. Nova Scotia population is on the rise. The influx of immigrants is driving much of the population growth. According to Statistics Canada data, the province population is now 949,500 compared to 944,900 in 2012. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec chapter: They stomped their boots in the cold, shared a cigarette or two, then set off to patrol the historic streets of the city, armed only with a flashlight and the belief they were protecting Quebecers from a vague but dangerous threat, according to CBC. Inside Quebec far right Part 1 - La Meute Leading the group that night was a 47-year-old father of four, Dave Tregget, who paints cars by day, but on evenings and weekends was in charge of the Quebec chapter of Soldiers of Odin. One was a professional hunter, another a wood-factory worker. We are Canadians helping Canadians, said Tregget as he steered the group through Saint-Roch, a neighbourhood where urban renewal meets poverty in Quebec City. Weve got to fight to keep these rights. I want to protect our Canadian charter of rights and liberties. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump: Few people seek to flee the world largest economy, and one of its oldest democracies, on humanitarian grounds A mere 170 Americans claimed asylum at Canada land borders through the first 11 months of this year, according to Huffington Post Canada. Yet that was more than twice the total from 2015 and it was led by a noticeable five-fold increase in the month of November, with 28 people claiming refugee status last month compared with merely five in November 2015. The overall numbers, however, remain tiny. Was any of this driven by politics and Donald Trump Nov. 8 election In this Nov. 8, 2016 file photo, Donald Trump casts his ballot, in New York. Refugee claims are protected under the Privacy Act, said Nicholas Dorion, a spokesman for the Canada Border Services Agency, which supplied the figures to The Canadian Press. Photo AP The Canadian government wont touch that question. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee status: On the whole, Americans represented less than three per cent of the 5,939 people who claimed refugee status upon arriving at Canada land borders, in the first 11 months of 2016, according to Globe and Mail. Yet the claims from 170 U.S. citizens was more than twice the 73 who did over the same period in 2015. Therefore the CBSA will not discuss specifics of asylum cases. Mario Bellissimo, a Toronto immigration lawyer, said he not surprised. I don t think it surprising at all, she said. Such bumps are often driven by political changes, said Bellissmo Saw some of this when Bush assumed office in 2000 . In an interview, University of Ottawa professor and lawyer Jamie Liew said she concurs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights abuses: Samantha Nutt of War Child Canada has visited some of the world most brutal war zones, according to CTV. She says many of the 22 active conflicts around the world will become more deadly in 2017. Those hopes were dashed within hours as shelling and bombing resumed on Wednesday -- a fitting reminder of the ongoing need for Canadians to do what they can to help those caught in the crossfire of global conflicts. I think you are going to see an ongoing displacement of civilians, human rights abuses, atrocities, and a population that is extremely traumatized in a region that is heavily, heavily divided, she told CTV Power Play of the situation playing out in Syria. South Sudan has witnessed a tremendous increase in violence in recent months, and over the past couple of years, said Nutt. That violence is unfortunately going to continue for quite some time. ---- How you can help Charities offering humanitarian aid to Syrians Doctors Without Borders Red Cross Syria Crisis Fund War Child ---- While chilling accounts from within Syria has prompted an outpouring of generosity from Canadians, Nutt reminds donors to consider lesser known conflicts in places like South Sudan, Yemen, and Libya. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

today announcement: For many Syrians who have fled the besieged city and sought refuge in Canada, the conflict feels inescapable, according to CBC. University student Abdulrahman Saeed moved to Vancouver from Aleppo with his family in February, as part of the Canadian government Syrian refugee resettlement plan that began a year ago this month. The respite comes after weeks of intense fighting as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad swept through Aleppo, in a military operation that the U.N. has described as a complete meltdown of humanity. Saeed cousins and aunts are still trapped in Aleppo, and he worries about them despite today announcement that the ceasefire is back on. It is a very bad situation there. Everyday, my mum and my father talk to them to see how they are doing, said Saeed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

winter coats: Volunteers, including many Unifor members, offered advice on everything from finding a job to using public transit, according to Huffington Post Canada. It was a great initiative of which all Canadians are rightfully proud. Bewildered after a long flight, they were handed new winter coats as they arrived at the airport, and across the country Canadians helped them find places to live and to furnish their new homes. The need was there, and we answered the call. Photo REUTERS/Mark Blinch As we prepare to mark International Migrants Day this coming Sunday, many of us -- myself included -- will reflect fondly on how our country responded to the needs of Syrian refugees. Syrian refugees arrive at the Pearson Toronto International Airport in Mississauga, Ont., Dec. 18, 2015. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian government: Few people seek to flee the world largest economy, and one of its oldest democracies, on humanitarian grounds A mere 170 Americans claimed asylum at Canada land borders through the first 11 months of this year, according to The Waterloo Record. Yet that was more than twice the total from 2015 and it was led by a noticeable five-fold increase in the month of November, with 28 people claiming refugee status last month compared with merely five in November 2015. The overall numbers, however, remain tiny. Was any of this driven by politics and Donald Trump Nov. 8 election The Canadian government wont touch that question. Therefore the CBSA will not discuss specifics of asylum cases. Refugee claims are protected under the Privacy Act, said Nicholas Dorion, a spokesman for the Canada Border Services Agency, which supplied the figures to The Canadian Press. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

francisco valdivia: No one was inside, and to this day, the 30-year-old mother of four has yet to be found, according to Guelph Mercury. Investigators think her husband, Francisco Valdivia, killed her. Police later found her car fully engulfed in flames. Authorities also say Valdivia has another wife and that she helped kill Cecilia Cabrera. Valdivia has been charged with murder and arson, while Lopez has been charged with being an accessory after the fact, the prosecutors in Tulare County, Calif., announced Wednesday. Valdivia, 37, and his other wife, Rosalina Lopez, 39, have been arrested in connection to Cabrera suspected death. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.