denver area: Only two and a half years ago, they were a world away living at the crowded Gihembe refugee camp, built on a sprawling and dusty expanse of land in northern Rwanda, according to Metro News. The brothers were born in the camp after their parents fled violence in 1996 in what was then known as Zaire. Boy Scouts Jean Tuyishime and Moise Tuyikunde sit around a crackling campfire under a canopy of stars in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, joking and teasing each other as adolescent brothers tend to do. They relocated with their family to the Denver area in 2014, and they gradually assimilated into their new surroundings, learning to speak enough English to get by and signing up for a quintessential American experience Boy Scouts. Troop 1532 is composed almost entirely of refugees who hail from far-flung places like Burma, Rwanda and Nepal. But the troop Jean, 15, and Moise, 12, joined is not like many others in the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

donald trump: At least 50 congressional Democrats are pushing Obama to take the rare if not unprecedented step of granting pardons to the young immigrants who have stepped forward to identify themselves in exchange for a promise that they'd be safe from deportation, according to CTV. The White House, though, has repeatedly ruled that out. His options appear few. Several Republican lawmakers are crafting legislative proposals to solidify the place of these immigrants, sometimes called Dreamers, before Donald Trump takes office Jan. 20. That leaves more than 741,000 immigrants wondering what's next. Similar efforts have repeatedly failed, even with Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, so the likelihood of a legislative Hail Mary isn't great. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deportation: Numerous Democrats are pushing Obama to grant pardons for the young immigrants who identified themselves to the government in exchange for a promise that they'd be safe from deportation, according to Metro News. The White House, though, has repeatedly ruled that out. His options appear to be few. Longshot legislative proposals from Republicans are unlikely to succeed, either. And that leaves more than 741,000 immigrants wondering what's next. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minimum-wage jobs: But life in the United States for them has proven a constant struggle, according to Metro News. These former translators, engineers and doctors awarded Special Immigrant Visas must start over in bug-infested, low-rent apartments with minimum-wage jobs while dealing with PTSD and other health problems, the Sacramento Bee reported than 2,000 such visa holders and their family members have settled in Sacramento since October 2010, and many of them say they are struggling with anxiety and depression that have developed or been greatly exacerbated by their struggles in the United States. California's capital has emerged as a leading destination for Afghan refugees who were awarded special visas because of their service to coalition forces in the war. They say they feel helpless and abandoned, lacking decent jobs, housing or an understanding of U.S. culture. A neighbourhood teenager and alleged member of a gang has been charged and is awaiting trial. One of them is Faisal Razmal, a former interpreter for U.S. soldiers battling the Taliban in Afghanistan who was shot in the face in front of his Sacramento apartment in August 2015 by an assailant wielding a flare gun. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police officer: The gunman shot his way into the Reina nightclub around 1 15 a.m., just over an hour into the new year, killing a police officer and a civilian as he entered before opening fire at random inside, according to CBC. At least 69 people were injured in the carnage. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office confirmed that a Canadian died in the attack. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the shooting. '845509187791', 'playlist Selector' 'container Selector' ' container85555455', 'ciid' 'caffeine13918138' ; Footage of Istanbul nightclub shooting suspect0 07 Trudeau issued a statement Sunday evening about the attack. On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of all of the victims of this horrible act, and we hope and pray that those injured have a rapid and complete recovery, he added. It is with deep sadness that I learned of the deadly terrorist attack on a nightclub in Istanbul that killed and injured innocent people celebrating the New Year and claimed the life of a Canadian citizen, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

st year: Octogenarian Arnie Ross took the inaugural leap off the wharf in Herring's Cove, N.S., wearing his coral swim trunks with the words Happy 2017 scrawled across his chest and back in permanent marker, according to CTV. This was his 21st year participating in the tradition. The so-called polar bear swims are held annually in a number of communities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax and Charlottetown. About 260 swimmers followed him into the murky water in the largest turnout the Herring Cove Polar Bear Dip has seen since it began in 1994. In Toronto, hundreds more ran into Lake Ontario, including Cait Caulfield. Two by two, Polar Bear Dip newcomers and veterans spanning nationalities and generations took the plunge. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vacation budget: Woodland, who owns a Ford dealership in Whitehorse with her best friend, spent her entire vacation budget for 2017 so that she could take part in the Women's March on Washington an event she believes will be a turning point in North America.'' Organizers say the event is meant to promote women's rights rather than oppose Trump, but for Woodland and others taking part, the president-elect who has come under fire for his comments about women is at the heart of the issue, according to Huffington Post Canada. Woodland's family lived through the Second World War before immigrating to Canada, and the mother of two said she has seen similar extremist views emerge and take hold during the presidential campaign. But when she heard that thousands of women were planning to march on the U.S. capital the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, the Yukon resident knew she had to join in. Marissa McTasney, left, and Kristi Honey are pictured in a coffee shop in Brooklin, Ont., on Dec. 29, 2016. What I see happening is scary,'' she said. Photo Chris Young/Canadian Press The Trump administration doesn't have any respect for women or minorities,'' said Woodland, who hopes one of her adult daughters will join her for the rally. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

visa holders: But these former translators, engineers and doctors must start over in bug-infested, low-rent apartments with minimum-wage jobs while dealing with PTSD and other health problems, according to The Chronicle Herald. The Sacramento Bee reports http //bit.ly/2hBy7yv that more than 2,000 such visa holders and their family members have settled in Sacramento since October 2010. California's capital has emerged as a leading destination for Afghan refugees who were awarded Special Immigrant Visas because of their service to coalition forces in the war. Many Afghans in Sacramento say they are struggling with anxiety and depression that have developed or been greatly exacerbated by their struggles in the United States. They say they feel helpless and abandoned, lacking decent jobs, housing, or an understanding of U.S. culture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

african descent: In an overnight tweet, police had described them as being seemingly of African descent, prompting online criticism that people were being detained based on their appearance alone, according to Brandon Sun. I reject this negative criticism, Police Chief Juergen Mathies told reporters. The men had gathered late Saturday at Cologne's main train station and in the Deutz district, across the Rhine river. The clear aim was to prevent similar events to previous year. The crimes were blamed largely on men of North African origin who had taken advantage of chaotic and crowded scenes around the city's cathedral. Hundreds of people were robbed and sexually assaulted during New Year's celebrations in Cologne last year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

christian revellers: The group said Christian revellers were targeted in response to Turkish military operations against ISIL in northern Syria, according to The Waterloo Record. The claim came after an IS propaganda video urging attacks on Turkey, which is home to an airbase used in the U.S.-led effort against IS in Syria and Iraq. It was the first claim of its kind for IS in Turkey. Nearly two-thirds of the dead in the upscale club, which is frequented by local celebrities, were foreigners, Turkey's Anadolu Agency said. Citing Justice Ministry officials, Anadolu reported that 38 of the 39 dead have been identified. Many of them hailed from the Middle East. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saudi arabia: Many were from the Middle East, including Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, although countries from India to Belgium reported their citizens among the casualties, according to Guelph Mercury. The private Dogan news agency in Turkey said Sunday the dead also included one Canadian. Foreigners accounted for 24, or nearly two-thirds of the attack's victims, Turkey's state-run news agency reported. Close to 70 others were injured in what authorities described as a terror attack. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vehemently condemned the terror attack in Istanbul's Ortakoy neighbourhood in the first hours of 2017 and offered condolences for those who lost their lives, including foreign guests. Three of the wounded were in critical condition, Turkey's prime minister said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cent right: The best part of it was the signs, my 5-year old daughter said when it was all done and we had exited into Mirvish Village to shop for comic books, according to Toronto Star. And if she wasn't 100 per cent right, by the end, she wasn't far off. Marcus Oleniuk/Toronto Star / Toronto Star By Edward Keenan Columnist Sat., Dec. 31, 2016 Towards the very end of Honest Ed's long goodbye more than three years after the store closing was announced, and about two weeks before its final checkout we took the kids on a pilgrimage, introducing them to the longtime Toronto institution just so they could bid it farewell. The signs, starting with the instantly recognizable 1,000-points-of-light marquee spelling out the name across the width of an entire blinking city block, defining the vista of the Annex for generations. Once upon a time, in a city whose retail landscape was dominated by staid WASPy surnames like Simpson and Eaton, Ed Mirvish virtually invented the discount retail store in this place, and it was a lifeline to generations of students and immigrants and people in plain old hard times. And in around those light bulbs, those eccentrically punctuated, terrible puns Honest Ed's a monkey! You can buy his bargains for peanuts!!' And down beneath Don't just stand there, buy something'!! By the end, if we're being candid, if you were actually looking to buy something, there were better places to do it, and plenty of them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

christmas market: Closer to home, she pledged to step up security measures as required after a series of terrorist attacks in 2016 culminating in the Dec. 19 truck assault on a Christmas market in Berlin that killed 12 people and was claimed by the Islamic State, according to Hamilton Spectator. As we pursue our lives and our work, we tell the terrorists They are murderers full of hatred, but it's not they who determine how we live and want to live, Merkel said, according to an advance copy of the nationally televised speech on Saturday. In her New Year's Eve speech to the nation, Merkel predicted a contentious political climate in a year that'll include Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president on Jan. 20 and elections in France and the Netherlands. We are free, humane, open. Our state is stronger. Together, we are stronger. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

donald inauguration: Woodland, who owns a Ford dealership in Whitehorse with her best friend, spent her entire vacation budget for 2017 so that she could take part in the Women's March on Washington -- an event she believes will be a turning point in North America, according to CTV. Organizers say the event is meant to promote women's rights rather than oppose Trump, but for Woodland and others taking part, the president-elect -- who has come under fire for his comments about women -- is at the heart of the issue. But when she heard that thousands of women were planning to march on the U.S. capital the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, the Yukon resident knew she had to join in. Woodland's family lived through the Second World War before immigrating to Canada, and the mother of two said she has seen similar extremist views emerge and take hold during the presidential campaign. What I see happening is scary, she said. The Trump administration doesn't have any respect for women or minorities, said Woodland, who hopes one of her adult daughters will join her for the rally. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

donald trump: But when she heard that thousands of women were planning to march on the U.S. capital the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, the Yukon resident knew she had to join in, according to Toronto Star. Woodland, who owns a Ford dealership in Whitehorse with her best friend, spent her entire vacation budget for 2017 so that she could take part in the Women's March on Washington an event she believes will be a turning point in North America. Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS By Paola Loriggio The Canadian Press Sat., Dec. 31, 2016 Before this year's American election, Tina Woodland had never protested anything in her life. Organizers say the event is meant to promote women's rights rather than oppose Trump, but for Woodland and others taking part, the president-elect who has come under fire for his comments about women is at the heart of the issue. The Trump administration doesn't have any respect for women or minorities, said Woodland, who hopes one of her adult daughters will join her for the rally. Woodland's family lived through the Second World War before immigrating to Canada, and the mother of two said she has seen similar extremist views emerge and take hold during the presidential campaign. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

english classes: Twice a week, the buffet in the breakfast room was cleared out after the morning serving to accommodate English classes for the many children, and the front desk was always a place for household items to be donated to the families, according to Globe and Mail. A year on, Mr. Ali and his staff tried their best to make the hotel feel like a home. Ali still keeps in touch with a handful of the families, coming to their new homes to catch up or translate some nagging bit of legalese to help them complete an important contract. Ali last week as he was preparing to deliver a box of Christmas presents to a refugee family that has now moved into a home in Metro Vancouver. The Globe and Mail caught up with Mr. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

i couldn: Arriving on Jan. 13, 2016 with my wife and three kids on a chartered plane of Syrian refugees my journey had just begun, according to Globe and Mail. I knew a little about Canada and its people, but I really didn't know anything about Canadian life. When I saw this message, I couldn't believe my eyes. On the plane, my daughter asked me, Will we see my grandparents there What about my uncles, my aunts Are we going to find friends here When we landed, I was in shock. In Syria, it is very rare for us to see snow and on the rare occasions there is snow, it only lasts for a few hours. Looking out the window, it was all white. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

issue tangentially: Instead, as a white, relatively comfortable Canadian, I'd like to come at the issue tangentially in particular, regarding the question of identity itself, according to Rabble. A friend strongly rooted in her Jewish identity once challenged me, in a manner similar to the Indigenous where are you from gambit. I would be foolhardy indeed to attempt to recapitulate the eloquence of indigenous writers and scholars like Hayden King, and will not make any such attempt here. She was puzzled that I didn't seem to have a clearly marked identity of my own. I have dwelt on that question ever since. I was uncharacteristically speechless. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kiwanis: We were thinking, and three of our members were in the curling club, according to The Chronicle Herald. We knew they would have time at the Christmas period, said Dermot Jardine, with the Kiwanis club. The Dartmouth Curling Club played host to a two-hour session, with the Kiwanis Club of Dartmouth among the groups whose families they sponsored getting a chance to try the sport. We wanted to bring them out and it was an excellent way to expose them to this national sport. The Kiwanis club has sponsored a family of four who were in attendance including a mother, father, a three-year-old and an eight-year-old. We invited families out. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

louis suburb: Michael Brown Sr. and Lezley McSpadden, in December court filings, asked U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber in St, according to The Chronicle Herald. Louis to at least limit if not scuttle altogether a push by the St. Michael Brown's parents are objecting to a request from Ferguson for their son's medical and academic records as the city defends itself against a lawsuit the parents filed over the 2014 police shooting death of the unarmed 18-year-old. Louis suburb of Ferguson, its former police chief and the officer who shot their son to turn over the documents. Brown's parents argue in their lawsuit that the death of their son during an August 2014 confrontation with Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson deprived them of financial support through his future potential wages. The parents say the documents are irrelevant and that the repeated demands for them are harassing and invasive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police: Michael Brown Sr. and Lezley McSpadden, in December court filings, asked U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber in St, according to Metro News. Louis to at least limit if not scuttle altogether a push by the St. Michael Brown's parents are objecting to a request from Ferguson for their son's medical and academic records as the city defends itself against a lawsuit the parents filed over the 2014 police shooting death of the unarmed 18-year-old. Louis suburb of Ferguson, its former police chief and the officer who shot their son to turn over the documents. Brown's parents argue in their lawsuit that the death of their son during an August 2014 confrontation with Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson deprived them of financial support through his future potential wages. The parents say the documents are irrelevant and that the repeated demands for them are harassing and invasive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

policy alternatives: It wouldn't be fair to say that the Harper government was hostile to the region or the province, according to The Chronicle Herald. It did OK with the massive naval shipbuilding program for the Halifax shipyard, and financially supported the capital city's iconic new library. Indeed, Trudeau's overall approach to government comes as a bit of a relief in Atlantic Canada and Nova Scotia. But Mr. The Trudeau government is taking a different approach to economic development, by supporting programs that could fundamentally alter the region's economy. Harper himself never seemed to get the region, or to consider policy alternatives that might revive its economy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rock-bottom prices: The building, with its famously bright signage and aggressive marketing of rock-bottom prices, was sold by the family of former owner and theatre mogul Ed Mirvish in 2013 to developer Westbank, which plans to rebuild the area, according to CBC. It's kind of sad' to see the store go, says Dwayne Batchelor, who has been coming to Honest Ed's since he was a child. Now, after 68 years in business, the Toronto discount store that boasted about price-cutting, decades before Walmart, is closing. Sarah Bridge/CBC Today is the last chance for customers to hunt for bargains at Honest Ed's, which has long sold everything from white socks to canned tuna, and has maintained a timeless presence as Canada's biggest city has evolved in countless ways around it. Sarah Bridge/CBC You could certainly go so far as to say that this is an iconic Canadian business, says Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet. After 68 years in business, Honest Ed's closes its doors on New Year's Eve. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wedding clothes: Today, The Spectator's Jeff Mahoney takes a look at the lives some of them have lived since they arrived here one year ago, according to Hamilton Spectator. Wedding bells A few weeks ago, Salma Hag Omar tells me, she was shopping for her wedding clothes, with help from Canadian friends. Since November 2015, nearly 38,000 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Canada some 1,500 in Hamilton. She looks at me, her expressive face framed in a woollen head cover, her eyes a striking hazel bronze and enlarged with feeling when she says of those friends, in her increasingly confident, musically accented English, I love them. Not all the way. A year after arriving, alone, Salma, 27, is going back. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

christmas market: Closer to home, she pledged to step up security measures as required after a series of terrorist attacks in 2016 culminating in the Dec. 19 truck assault on a Christmas market in Berlin that killed 12 people and was claimed by the Islamic State, according to Guelph Mercury. As we pursue our lives and our work, we tell the terrorists They are murderers full of hatred, but it's not they who determine how we live and want to live, Merkel said, according to an advance copy of the nationally televised speech on Saturday. In her New Year's Eve speech to the nation, Merkel predicted a contentious political climate in a year that'll include Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president on Jan. 20 and elections in France and the Netherlands. We are free, humane, open. Our state is stronger. Together, we are stronger. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

court filings: Louis to at least limit if not scuttle altogether a push by the St, according to Brandon Sun. Louis suburb of Ferguson, its former police chief and the officer who shot their son to turn over the documents. Michael Brown Sr. and Lezley McSpadden, in December court filings, asked U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber in St. The parents say the documents are irrelevant and that the repeated demands for them are harassing and invasive. An attorney for Ferguson, Wilson and the former police chief have countered in court filings that Brown's lifelong medical records are pertinent to determining his potential life expectancy and future income. Brown's parents argue in their lawsuit that the death of their son during an August 2014 confrontation with Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson deprived them of financial support through his future potential wages. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.