immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

campaign website: During the general election, he shifted his rhetoric to focus on temporarily halting immigration from an unspecified list of countries with ties to terrorism, though he did not disavow the Muslim ban, which is still prominently displayed on his campaign website, according to CTV. The president-elect, when asked Wednesday if the attack in Berlin would cause him to evaluate the proposed ban or a possible registry of Muslims in the United States, said, You know my plans. Trump proposed the Muslim ban during the Republican primary campaign, drawing sharp criticism from both parties. All along, I've been proven to be right, 100 per cent correct. A transition spokesman said later Wednesday that Trump's plans might upset those with their heads stuck in the politically correct sand. What's happening is disgraceful, said Trump, who deemed the violence an attack on humanity, and added, it's got to be stopped. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

man: Fowler has previously called for an inquiry into racism in the military, according to CBC. Rather than properly punishing the wrongdoers and deterring insidious behaviour, victims of racism within the Canadian Forces are forced into isolation, subjected to further trauma and, in many cases, catapulted toward early release from their careers, according to the claim. Cree air force member left suicidal after years of racist abuse'Systemic' racism in military needs inquiry, veterans say Read the full statement of claim here Marc Frenette, a 38-year-old Indigenous man from Ontario, Wallace Fowler, a 43-year-old black man from Nova Scotia, and Jean-Pierre Robillard, a black man of Haitian descent raised in New Brunswick, made the accusations against the Canadian Forces in a statement of claim filed Dec. 14 in Halifax. The statement of claim says people enroll in the Canadian Forces to protect and advance the ideals that Canada purports to uphold including equality and the right to live and work in a tolerant environment that fosters human dignity. From top to bottom, the Canadian Forces has failed to protect racial minorities and Aboriginal peoples from racism within the ranks. But unfortunately, the Canadian Forces has failed to look after its own with respect to these most basic human rights, the claim goes on to say. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

department tasked: That's a problem, Fusca says, because it means the department tasked with planning the entire city is only hearing from part of it, according to Metro News. To fix it, Fusca and his colleagues created the Toronto Planning Review Panel. The people who come to our meetings are generally white, generally affluent homeowners, said Daniel Fusca, head of stakeholder engagement for Toronto's planning department. They sent out 12,000 invitations, and used a lottery process to pick 28 applicants who, together, reflect a city where nearly half of residents rent, 49 per cent are visible minorities and the median age is 39. They even got the concept of safety by design the notion that the design of architecture and streets can impact safety enshrined in official planning guidelines. Over the past year, the panel members have reviewed the city's new complete streets guidelines and pushed for policies requiring more family-sized condo units. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

destin bujang: The book gives us quite a sense of accomplishment, according to Metro News. What we would like to do is to give ourselves a voice. We have all had these experiences coming to Canada, always in transit, said one of the writers, Destin Bujang, 25, who fled Cameroon to Toronto in 2012 and is still fighting to obtain his status here. When someone finds themselves in the same situation like ours, they should know they are not alone and they should not feel silenced. The Villegas, who themselves grew up without status with Mexican parents in San Francisco, came to Toronto in 2006 first as international students before earning their permanent status in Canada. The idea of the book project, made possible with a Art Reach Foundation grant, came from Bujang, who studied journalism back home, and the book's co-editors, siblings Francisco and Paloma Villegas, who drew on the inspiration from the book Underground Undergrads UCLA undocumented immigrant students speak out. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

facebook friends: The chancellor is exterminating the German people, Hopkins posted, and later switching to German wrote that the country should throw out all Muslims, according to Hamilton Spectator. Elizabeth Hopkins isn't alone. Within hours of a truck plowing into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin, she turned her focus on a new target Angela Merkel. Since Monday night's attack, Merkel's Facebook page has been flooded with hundreds of negative comments, many written by accounts with just a handful or no visible Facebook friends. There's a lot of evidence to suggest that Merkel's the subject of an attempted massive attack, said Simon Hegelich, a political scientist at Munich's Technical University who has studied the manipulation of social networks. On Twitter, dozens of users who backed Donald Trump are now posting identical text and images targeting Merkel, suggesting they are robotic accounts so-called bots waging a larger attack. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fbi statistics: Spencer Platt / GETTY IMAGES By Jonathan Lemire Julie Pace The Associated Press Thu., Dec. 22, 2016 PALM BEACH, FLA. Denouncing the deadly attack on a Christmas market in Germany, president-elect Donald Trump renewed his vow to stop radical terror groups and appeared to suggest a willingness to move ahead with his campaign pledge to temporarily ban Muslim immigrants from coming to the United States, according to Toronto Star. Trump proposed the Muslim ban during the Republican primary campaign, drawing sharp criticism from both parties. According to FBI statistics, hate crimes against Muslims in the United States rose 67 per cent in 2015, the highest levels since the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. During the general election, he shifted his rhetoric to focus on temporarily halting immigration from an unspecified list of countries with ties to terrorism, though he did not disavow the Muslim ban, which is still prominently displayed on his campaign website. All along, I've been proven to be right, 100 per cent correct. The president-elect, when asked Wednesday if the attack in Berlin would cause him to evaluate the proposed ban or a possible registry of Muslims in the United States, said, You know my plans. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian: Zaidan was at his mother Farha Khaleefah's side when she became a Canadian citizen on Thursday, according to The Waterloo Record. The pair is originally from Iraq and came to Canada in 2012 from Syria, where they had fled to escape the conflict in their home country five years earlier. No. 1 it's safe, he says. Khaleefah was among 47 people from 23 different countries who received their Canadian citizenship at a Kitchener ceremony on Thursday. Fluent in several languages, he has been helping Syrian newcomers transition to a new culture and life at The Working Centre. Zaidan became a Canadian citizen just over a year ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

christmas market: Trump proposed the Muslim ban during the Republican primary campaign, drawing sharp criticism from both parties, according to The Waterloo Record. During the general election, he shifted his rhetoric to focus on temporarily halting immigration from an unspecified list of countries with ties to terrorism, though he did not disavow the Muslim ban, which is still prominently displayed on his campaign website. Denouncing the deadly attack on a Christmas market in Germany, President-elect Donald Trump renewed his vow to stop radical terror groups and appeared to suggest a willingness to move ahead with his campaign pledge to ban temporarily Muslim immigrants from coming to the United States. The president-elect, when asked Wednesday if the attack in Berlin would cause him to evaluate the proposed ban or a possible registry of Muslims in the United States, said You know my plans. What's happening is disgraceful, said Trump, who deemed the violence an attack on humanity, and it's got to be stopped. All along, I've been proven to be right, 100 per cent correct. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

climate change: Let's see what the president actually does once he becomes president and what he says and let's not overreact ahead of time, according to Guelph Mercury. But the challenge of climate change isn't a debate or linked to a political ideology. After a Calgary speech to business owners, Trudeau was asked whether he was committed to his climate plan, which includes a national price on carbon, even if it makes Canada less competitive with the U.S. under the incoming president, who has sent mixed messages on the climate issue. It's a fact, Trudeau responded Wednesday. He said that opportunity exists with investors who are looking 10 to 20 years down the road. We know that this is the way the world is going and if the United States wants to take a step back from it, quite frankly, I think we should look at that as an extraordinary opportunity for Canada and for Canadians. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

filmmaker jabaly: I was supposed to be sent away today Dec. 21 but my lawyer asked for more time to get my documents ready, thank God to the local police they understood, Jabaly told rabble.ca in a Skype interview, according to Rabble. The problem is I don't have a bachelor's in film. At issue is the case of a Palestinian filmmaker, Mohamed Jabaly, who could be deported Dec. 30. I have one in IT but I am a filmmaker! Jabaly arrived in northern Norway near the end of 2014 as part of a youth exchange between the northern city of Troms and Gaza -- which are twinned sister cities. He's never been a refugee, points out Norwegian producer John Arvid Berger. He was brought in to discuss life in Gaza but he also had footage from the last war in Gaza in the summer of 2014. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

foodie-focused website: He also took a shot at another chef, David Burke, for taking over Jose Andres' planned restaurant at the hotel after Andres pulled out in protest of Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants, according to CTV. The CNN host of Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown suggested the motivation for Borgognone and Burke is to get in good with the president and make money. Bourdain tells foodie-focused website, Eater that he will never eat in restaurateur Alessandro Borgognone's new sushi restaurant at Trump's hotel, adding that he has utter and complete contempt for Borgognone. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

force: Are we surprised No, according to Huffington Post Canada. The stage was set. Muslim tyrants move over -- open demagoguery has arrived at the White House. Especially in America. It is there where companies supporting the Dakota access pipeline threatened the environment, health of communities and native land rights and employed violence to quash peaceful opposition, against state and federal law. It is there, after all, where police used lethal force against innocent black citizens, sometimes with little or no accountability. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jason: The president-elect's statement also followed his meetings a day earlier with top Pentagon officials and defence contractors, according to The Chronicle Herald. Trump, who is spending the holidays at his palatial private club in Florida, did not expand on the actions he wants the U.S. to take or say why he raised the issue Thursday. His comments on Twitter came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said strengthening his country's nuclear capabilities should be a chief military objective in the coming year. Spokesman Jason Miller said the president-elect was referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation particularly to and among terrorist organizations and unstable and rogue regimes. If Trump were to seek an expansion of the nuclear stockpiles, it would mark a sharp shift in U.S. national security policy. Miller said Trump sees modernizing the nation's deterrent capability as a vital way to pursue peace through strength. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim immigrants: The post-9/11 registration program for immigrant men arriving mainly from the Islamic world hasn't been enforced since 2011, according to Hamilton Spectator. Although it never prohibited travel for men and boys from the more than 20 affected countries, including Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump's suggestions about banning Muslim immigrants from the United States have led to fears that it could be reinstated and used for new and enhanced purposes. If president-elect Donald Trump now wants to introduce an expanded version of the program, he will have to start from scratch. The decision to erase it from the books entirely marks one of President Barack Obama's last administrative actions on immigration and will at least slow any Trump effort to introduce even tougher requirements, as has been suggested by a top adviser. The registration system started about a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, requiring men and boys from a variety of mostly Middle Eastern countries to register with the federal government upon their arrival in the United States. The registration program is not only obsolete, said Neema Hakim, spokesperson for the Homeland Security Department, its use would divert limited personnel and resources from more effective measures. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

news release: The statement of claim was filed in federal court in Halifax on Dec. 14, according to The Chronicle Herald. Marc Frenette, Wallace Fowler and Jean-Pierre Robillard allege there is discrimination and harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces, which happens through derogatory slurs and racial harassment, a news release said. Stewart McKelvey initiated the suit, and the three plantiffs propose they will represent all those in Canada who are members of the Canadian Armed Forces and identify as racial and visible minorities or aboriginal peoples. Lawsuit against Forces alleges discrimination against gays and lesbians Former Canadian sailor launches military abuse class-action lawsuit Violent threats are tolerated or ignored, causing lost career opportunities and physical and psychological harm, it reads. The firm says those who have experienced racial discrimination or racial harassment as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces should contact The plaintiffs say that the existing system for responding to racism within the Canadian Forces is inadequate and has become a mechanism to simply silence the wrongs and isolate the victims. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parliament hill: Peter Harder said the Senate made some progress over the last 12 months with a new expense-disclosure regime that gives Canadians more details on how senators are spending public dollars, according to Hamilton Spectator. The upper chamber also posted attendance records online figures that were previously available for viewing by appointment only at the Senate's administrative offices near Parliament Hill. In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Sen. But the Senate has yet to respond as an institution to auditor general Michael Ferguson's recommendation to run regular internal audits, something he sees as a priority for the upper chamber, Harder noted. That kind of external validation would act as the same sort of reference government departments and private companies use to make sure they are adhering to so-called best practices, he added. He also said the Senate should heed Ferguson's call to have an outside body of experts provide spending oversight instead of relying solely on senators to police themselves. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

resources time: English eventually became our home language, according to Globe and Mail. While it's unfortunate my family wasn't better able to hold onto our heritage language, it's great when families can. The weekend Chinese classes we attended were taught in dialects incomprehensible to us. However, I support the Ontario Education Act's restriction of the language of instruction in publicly funded schools to English or French. My family chose to immigrate to Canada and is confident our lives are better for it. Individuals, families and governments have to make choices about how to best use the resources time, energy and money available to them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian couple: They didn't speak English, couldn't talk to their sponsor and spent much of their time alone, according to Metro News. So first, Abou Hamrah enrolled the couple in an English class for seniors. The Syrian couple was in their early 70s, and had just arrived in Edmonton. Then he sorted out a ride to the downtown centre where they were held. Once they are in the class, they are so happy to be in the class, they are very interested to know the language, Abou Hamrah said. For good measure, he also signed them up for a choir so they'd meet more people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: Regina's Open Door Society held a media conference Wednesday to mark the occasion, according to CBC. Regina residents welcome the first group of government-sponsored Syrian refugees on December 21, 2015. In the 365 days since, Regina's become home to almost 650 fellow Syrian refugees, most of them children. Brian Rodgers/CBC A number of Syrian newcomers met with media to talk about their first year on the prairies and to put their new English language skills to the test. He and his wife along with their two children arrived in Regina back in January. I understand anything, but speaking is very hard, said Omar Ezzeddin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jefferson mall: Hey, tell them to go back where they belong, she then told the cashier, according to Guelph Mercury. If they come here to live, then act like everybody else. In that moment, which was captured on camera at a store at Jefferson Mall in Louisville, the belligerent woman screamed at the accused line-cutter, who is apparently Hispanic, to go back to wherever the f you come from, lady. Get in the back of the line like everybody else does - and be somebody. J.C. Penney and mall administrators said they are working to identify the woman seen screaming in the video, as well as the two women who were on the receiving end of her rant. And that's the way I look at it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim immigrants: The post-9/11 registration program for immigrant men arriving mainly from the Islamic world hasn't been enforced since 2011, according to The Waterloo Record. Although it never prohibited travel for men and boys from the more than 20 affected countries, including Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump's suggestions about banning Muslim immigrants from the United States have led to fears that it could be reinstated and used for new and enhanced purposes. If president-elect Donald Trump now wants to introduce an expanded version of the program, he will have to start from scratch. The decision to erase it from the books entirely marks one of President Barack Obama's last administrative actions on immigration and will at least slow any Trump effort to introduce even tougher requirements, as has been suggested by a top adviser. The registration system started about a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, requiring men and boys from a variety of mostly Middle Eastern countries to register with the federal government upon their arrival in the United States. The registration program is not only obsolete, said Neema Hakim, spokesperson for the Homeland Security Department, its use would divert limited personnel and resources from more effective measures. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parliament hill: Peter Harder said the Senate made some progress over the last 12 months with a new expense-disclosure regime that gives Canadians more details on how senators are spending public dollars, according to Brandon Sun. The upper chamber also posted attendance records online figures that were previously available for viewing by appointment only at the Senate's administrative offices near Parliament Hill. In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Sen. But the Senate has yet to respond as an institution to auditor general Michael Ferguson's recommendation to run regular internal audits, something he sees as a priority for the upper chamber, Harder noted. That kind of external validation would act as the same sort of reference government departments and private companies use to make sure they are adhering to so-called best practices, he added. He also said the Senate should heed Ferguson's call to have an outside body of experts provide spending oversight instead of relying solely on senators to police themselves. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state: The deal was supposedly reached with input from top politicians and industry leaders Charlotte agreed to eliminate its anti-discrimination ordinance on the condition that state lawmakers then repeal the legislation known as House Bill 2, which had been a response to Charlotte's action, according to Brandon Sun. But bipartisan efforts to return both the city and state to a more harmonious past fell apart amid mutual distrust, and neither side seemed to worry about retribution in the next election. The failure of state lawmakers to follow through instead shows how much faith each side has lost in the other, as Americans segregate themselves into communities of us and them, defined by legislative districts that make compromise unlikely. With GOP map-drawers drawing most legislative districts to be uncompetitively red or blue, politicians see little downside to avoiding a negotiated middle-ground. The failed repeal shows the same polarization, said David Lublin, a Southern politics expert in American University's School of Public Affairs. And since the day Republicans passed and signed it into law last March, HB2 has reflected these broad divisions in society. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump: The president-elect's statement also followed his meetings a day earlier with top Pentagon officials and defence contractors, according to Brandon Sun. Trump, who is spending the holidays at his palatial private club in Florida, did not expand on the actions he wants the U.S. to take or say why he raised the issue Thursday. His comments on Twitter came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said strengthening his country's nuclear capabilities should be a chief military objective in the coming year. Related Items Articles China 'closely following' Trump comments on nuclear policy Putin Russia's military is stronger than any potential foe Spokesman Jason Miller said the president-elect was referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation particularly to and among terrorist organizations and unstable and rogue regimes. If Trump were to seek an expansion of the nuclear stockpiles, it would mark a sharp shift in U.S. national security policy. Miller said Trump sees modernizing the nation's deterrent capability as a vital way to pursue peace through strength. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aid immigrants: The selected organizations will be announced during an event in January, according to Hamilton Spectator. No criteria are specified for applying charities, but Alexander has said he hopes to help organizations that aid immigrants and those that care for orphaned animals. The pledge was announced Tuesday, and prospective charities can go to Rockets to get information and register to be considered. Alexander took over as owner of the Rockets in 1993 and established the Clutch City Foundation in 1995. Alexander says you should have an obligation in your own mind to constantly give back if you have the means. The foundation funds and operates programs benefiting thousands of children every year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

airplane ticket: We're so relieved now that we know she's coming, Green said Monday in an interview in her Ottawa home, according to CBC. It was really up in the air. Lisa Dean who is currently living in Bournemouth, England, with Canadian-British citizenship has been issued a temporary passport so she can fly to Ottawa on Dec. 23 to be with her family, her sister Louise Green said. We didn't know what was going to happen. Lisa Dean, left, and her sister Louise Green split the cost of Dean's airplane ticket so they could spend Christmas together. Over the weekend we both just felt totally done-in with the whole process. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.