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.

canadian parents: Donald Trump has young, undocumented immigrants living in fear Are Americans really going to flee to Canada after Trump win Of those people, Green said there's a big variety in who they are and why they are interested in moving north, according to CBC. He broke it down into four categories. We're probably doing two or three consultations a day, said Evan Green of Green and Spiegel on CBC Radio's Metro Morning. The 'wayward Canadians' Wayward Canadians are people who live in the United States but are either from Canada or have Canadian parents or grandparents. With that group, we're seeing action. Green said calls from this group are the most serious, with people trying to get their ducks in order to come. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chance: The tribunal is supposed to be immigrants' last resort as the Parliament has given it the discretionary power to give immigrants a second chance if they breach the law, said immigration lawyer Lawrence Wong, who obtained the data through an access to information request, according to Metro News. But that second chance in reality is hard to come by. Although these newcomers can appeal to a tribunal to restore their permanent resident status under humanitarian considerations, only one in 10 succeeds in the process, according to government data. The national sentiment is pretty much the same. If you do, we want to see you kicked out. If you are an immigrant, don't make a mistake. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

commander maj.-gen: Lucky Irabor confirmed an accidental bombardment in the northeastern town of Rann, near the border with Cameroon, saying some civilians were killed, according to CBC. A spokesman from Medecins Sans Frontieres MSF said at least 52 people were killed and 120 injured in an airstrike on a refugee camp in the country's northeast. Military commander Maj.-Gen. A Borno state government official, who was helping to coordinate the evacuation of wounded from the remote area by helicopters, had earlier said more than 100 refugees and aid workers were among the dead. In this image supplied by MSF, smoke rises from a burnt out shelter at a camp for displaced people in Rann, Nigeria, on Tuesday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

executive director: It feels good, according to CBC. The centreman is the third player of Punjabi descent to play in the league. You always picture it in your head, Khaira told reporters after the game. It's a relief... You always picture it in your head. Now, kids of Indian descent and kids who are quote-unquote 'brown' ... they're going to see somebody that looks like them in a professional league, said Moezine Hasham, co-founder and executive director of the charitable organization Hockey 4 Youth. It's a reality now & it feels good. jujhar94 on his first NHL goal Edmonton Oilers Khaira's goal is being celebrated by more than Oilers fans, however it's being viewed as a victory for those who want to see more diversity in the sport. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hockey game: It will be the first citizenship ceremony ever at a junior hockey game in the west, according to the team, according to CTV. We're thrilled to help welcome newcomers to Saskatoon and use this beautiful game to make them feel more a part of the community, Blades president Steve Hogle said in a media release. The junior hockey team is hosting a citizenship ceremony Jan. 22 at the Sask Tel Centre, during a game against the Swift Current Broncos. The ceremony is part of the team's Welcome to the World event, which brings hundreds of newcomers to the arena to take in the game and try out skating. This is a tradition that is very important to Canada and our country, but it's also a way to have fun in the winter, which is a big part of life in Saskatoon, Mayor Charlie Clark said during a press conference outside the Saskatoon Open Door Society on Tuesday. Almost 400 newcomers attended last year's game. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leadership debate: The losers though, well, that would be anyone who tuned in hoping to hear something new from the Conservative Party status quo, according to Rabble. The Conservative leadership debate in Quebec City, the largest yet, was Stephen Blaney and Maxime Bernier's night to shine, and they did, as the candidates who could pack the clearest and fastest punch. Winners in that they got the most attention. Blaney's riding just south of Quebec City in L vis made it easy for his supporters to pack the room. But the debate format didn't let them dominate, and to the delight of the crowd for more than 450, nearly all other candidates expressed themselves very well in French. Maxime Bernier's support was nearly equal and the two unsurprisingly outperformed the other candidates. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

millionaire businessman: Asked by his own attorney, Peter Bronstein, about attempts he had made to arrange visits with Luna, he said It wasn't difficult, it was impossible - it was constantly denied, according to Hamilton Spectator. I asked the mother to have an overnight. Arpad Busson took the stand in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday 01.17.17 as part of his custody battle with the 'Kill Bill' actress over four-year-old Luna and explained under questioning he had made numerous attempts to care for the little girl overnight since her birth, but had been repeatedly blocked by her mother. I asked for Luna to come down to the Bahamas. It just went on and on... The millionaire businessman also criticized the 46-year-old actress for not allowing Luna to have a French passport. I asked in May, there was understanding I would have her in summer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minister theresa: That, more or less, was what British Prime Minister Theresa May had to say on Tuesday about her plan to take the country out of the European Union, according to Toronto Star. There will be no compromises. ISABEL INFANTES / AFP/GETTY IMAGES By Matt O'Brien The Washington Post Wed., Jan. 18, 2017 Damn the torpedoes, full Brexit ahead. Britain will not try to stay in Europe's Single Market, and only on a limited basis in its Customs Union. In other words, Britain really is going to make itself poorer so that it can restrict immigration. It will instead try to negotiate new free trade deals with Europe, and the rest of the world for that matter. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

party leadership: To prove how serious he is about becoming Tory leader and taking on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019, the Shark Tank star pulled out his passport on live TV to make the case that Canadians don't have to live with Liberal government's stupidity, according to Huffington Post Canada. Kevin O'Leary stopped by CTV's studios on Wednesday shortly after officially announcing his candidacy for Conservative Party leadership. Celebrity businessman Kevin O'Leary formally announced his candidacy for Conservative leader on Wednesday, ending nearly a year of speculation over his possible now confirmed bid. Photo CTV screengrab Nowhere in this document does it say that I have to settle or in our constitution for mediocrity, for incompetence, and in some cases stupidity, O'Leary told Your Morning hosts Ben Mulroney and Anne-Marie Mediwake. We need a leader in the Conservative Party that can beat Trudeau. We need a leader who can actually deal with Trump. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

country: Limitless bounty, according to National Observer. Such opportunity we have to turn it around. What an opportunity we have in this country. I'm so excited. I'm dropping into this race right now. It's time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

farmers work: Blaney, one of only two francophones in the debate, said farmers work hard while Bernier likes to go jogging, according to National Observer. They farmers are not in the room tonight because they are working, Blaney said. Kellie Leitch quickly fired a salvo at rival Maxime Bernier, accusing him of being a liar for supposedly giving big corporations more than 200 million when he was industry minister while at the same championing himself as someone who wants to end corporate welfare.MP Steven Blaney also targeted Bernier, criticizing his rival's promise to get rid of the supply and demand system in agriculture. Bernier, the other francophone hopeful, defended his record as a cabinet minister in Stephen Harper's former Tory government even though he was not successful in getting the supply and demand system abolished. The other participants in the debate were Chris Alexander, Michael Chong, Erin O'Toole, Andrew Scheer, Pierre Lemieux, Rick Peterson and Andrew Saxton. Many of the anglophone candidates, including Lisa Raitt, Deepak Obhrai and Brad Trost, appeared to struggle in the debate and read pre prepared answers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

homeland inspector: Under U.S. law, any foreigner may claim asylum, according to Brandon Sun. Many are left with the impression that the U.S. is no longer considering asylum requests, according to the complaint filed Friday to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's inspector general. The groups said they began fielding reports in the summer that border crossers entering the country from Mexico were being told that they couldn't seek asylum, that they needed visas, or that that they first had to petition Mexican authorities for relief. Six groups, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association, American Civil Liberties Union and American Immigration Council, urged an investigation to fully address this alarming new trend. After clearing a credible fear interview, their cases move to immigration courts, a process that could take years and allow them to remain in the country until a decision is reached.U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which does the initial screening, said it had 92,071 cases in the 2016 fiscal year, nearly double the 47,928 cases it handled the previous year and more than 16 times the 5,523 cases in 2009. Requests for asylum and other forms of humanitarian relief have surged in recent years, with many crossers turning themselves in instead of trying to avoid capture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

maxime: Leitch accused Bernier of being a liar for supposedly giving big corporations more than 200 million when he was industry minister while, at the same, championing himself as someone who wants to end corporate welfare, according to Guelph Mercury. Maxime has no lessons of transparency to give, Leitch said. MPs Kellie Leitch and Steven Blaney, in particular, took aim at the former cabinet minister on different topics. Maxime is the liar and the impostor. When he was tourism minister, Maxime spent the following sums 8,000 on an Ottawa-Edmonton-Calgary flight and 23,000 to attend a conference in Laos via the beautiful city of Paris, Leitch said. Later, she fired another salvo at Bernier, the only francophone aside from Blaney in the Quebec City debate. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

millionaire businessman: Asked by his own attorney, Peter Bronstein, about attempts he had made to arrange visits with Luna, he said It wasn't difficult, it was impossible - it was constantly denied, according to Guelph Mercury. I asked the mother to have an overnight. Arpad Busson took the stand in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday 01.17.17 as part of his custody battle with the 'Kill Bill' actress over four-year-old Luna and explained under questioning he had made numerous attempts to care for the little girl overnight since her birth, but had been repeatedly blocked by her mother. I asked for Luna to come down to the Bahamas. It just went on and on... The millionaire businessman also criticized the 46-year-old actress for not allowing Luna to have a French passport. I asked in May, there was understanding I would have her in summer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

n.b .,: The Quebec town was rocked by a huge train explosion in July 2013 that killed 47 people, according to The Waterloo Record. The prime minister will later visit a Tim Hortons at Bishop's University in Sherbrooke and meet with the media there before heading to a restaurant in Granby to chat with members of the public Trudeau touched on a variety of issues Tuesday during his visits to Fredericton, N.B., and Sherbrooke. Trudeau, however, will begin his day by holding a private meeting with Lac Megantic Mayor Jean-Guy Cloutier. In Fredericton, he said his government inherited a high degree of mistrust from the previous Conservative government that has left Canadians skeptical about consultations on pipelines and environmental protection. At an earlier news conference, Trudeau affirmed Canada's support of NATO, days after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's called the military alliance obsolete, but stopped short of saying he would spend more so Canada could meet NATO's spending target for its members. Trudeau said that's why his government has turned around and enhanced the process for pipeline approvals to make sure there's more public input. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

point season: Despite some brief stretches of good play, they sit last in the Eastern Conference at 17-17-8 and the inconsistency cost coach Jack Capuano his job on Tuesday, according to Hamilton Spectator. We have 40 games left, Weight said Wednesday after the Islanders' first practice since the coaching change. Coming off their second straight 100-point season and the franchise's first playoff series win in 23 years, the Islanders stumbled from the start of this season. We believe in what we can do on the ice. The Islanders are just eight points out of the second wild-card spot in the East, and they have played fewer games than almost every team ahead of them. It's not like there's just 20 games left and we have to win 19 of them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

record numbers: Record numbers of immigrants are changing the way we look and paving the way for a rosier future in Atlantic Canada, according to The Chronicle Herald. However, as an Atlantic Provinces Economic Council Report report recently showed, we need to find better ways of keeping those new faces here. They arrived at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in January of last year, among the first wave of the now 40,000 Syrian refugees living in Canada. The report, which is based on information from Statistics Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, says 8,300 immigrants arrived two years ago. This represented a tripling of numbers since 2002, according to APEC, which attributes the increase to expanded use of provincial nominee programs. More arrived the following year, 11,600 came during the first nine months of 2016, largely due to the wave of Syrian refugees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

residency obligations: Although these newcomers can appeal to a tribunal to restore their permanent resident status under humanitarian considerations, only one in 10 succeeds in the process, according to government data, according to Toronto Star. The tribunal is supposed to be immigrants' last resort as the Parliament has given it the discretionary power to give immigrants a second chance if they breach the law, said immigration lawyer Lawrence Wong, who obtained the data through an access to information request. Government of Canada By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Wed., Jan. 18, 2017 An average of about 1,400 Canadian immigrants are intercepted at the border each year and ordered removed from the country for not fulfilling their residency obligations, the Star has learned. But that second chance in reality is hard to come by. If you are an immigrant, don't make a mistake. The national sentiment is pretty much the same. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rick peterson: Bernier said the policy, which heavily subsidizes farmers, reduces competition and results in higher prices for Canadian consumers, according to CTV. He also said that language skills were paramount. Maxime Bernier, arguing on his home turf in his mother tongue of French, proved to be the target of most of his rivals especially over his pledges to abolish supply management. The only way to beat Justin Trudeau in 2019 will be to have a leader who is able to express himself fluently in our two official languages, said Bernier. Michael Chong argued that the party needs to regain the support of immigrant communities, a position that was echoed by Rick Peterson. Steven Blaney, the other Conservative candidate from Quebec, argued that First Nations reserves should be restructured, saying the isolation of rural communities has enabled drug and alcohol abuse. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saima jamal: Volunteers have been taking on donations themselves in their homes or garages it can get really overwhelming, said Andrea Richards, who helped the group find the much-needed storage space, according to Metro News. Through her husband, Richards knew Jim Estill, a man from Guelph, Ont. who sponsored 50 Syrian families. This is the best news that's happened to us in a long time, said Saima Jamal, co-founder of the SRSG. The group has functioned without a warehouse since April 2016. Jennifer Friesen/For Metro Volunteer Kimberley Tubrett sweeps the floor in the new warehouse. They were able to track down not one, but two warehouses for the group to utilize for the next five months completely free of charge. After hearing the Syrian Refugee Support Group of Calgary needed a storage space, Richards asked Estill if he knew anyone who could help. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

settlement areas: Our HRM Alliance says that a greenbelt would both preserve local ecosystems and redirect growth to downtown cores, suburban main streets and rural areas across Halifax Regional Municipality, according to The Chronicle Herald. The planner in me says get the true cost-accounting of urban sprawl and then your decision is easy. Condemning mushrooming suburban growth as a great failed experiment, Toronto-based attorney David Donnelly is joining forces with the Our HRM Alliance to push for a full-on greenbelt around Halifax. Let people live downtown and in existing settlement areas and save taxpayers a lot of money, Donnelly told the Chronicle Herald. While new buildings and neighbourhoods can be built on such terrain, servicing them with roads and water/sewer lines is costly and existing taxpayers end up footing the bill. He said that the problem of urban sprawl in Halifax is worsened by the city's geography, which includes thick forests, rocky outcrops, lakes, coastal inlets and wetlands. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

steve peoples: Now, four years later, with Donald Trump's inauguration nearing, the authors of the Republican National Committee's 2013 Growth and Opportunity Project concede their report is little more than an afterthought as members gather in Washington to celebrate their party's success, according to Toronto Star. The authors tell The Associated Press they continue to believe the GOP must improve its standing with women, Hispanics and black voters in the age of Trump, but they disagree on a path forward. Evan Vucci / The Associated Press By Steve Peoples The Associated Press Wed., Jan. 18, 2017 WASHINGTON Together, they delivered a Post-election autopsy with a dire prediction Republican survival requires embracing a message of tolerance and respect in an increasingly diverse United States. One of the five authors quit the Republican Party to protest Trump. I don't think there's an issue. The others stayed, but as their party prepares to control the White House, House and Senate for the first time in nearly a decade, they have abandoned any sense of urgency to address Republicans' persistent struggles with women and minorities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

umbrella organization: The group will take their oaths of citizenship with both the Blades and the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League looking on, and will also get a chance to don skates, grab a stick and learn a bit more about the game, according to Metro News. Steve Hogle, president of the Saskatoon team, says it should be a very touching moment and a great reminder of all we have in this nation. That might be the idea behind a ceremony to be held this weekend at a Saskatoon Blades hockey game, where 20 new Canadians will be sworn in as citizens. He says the ceremony is believed to be the first of its kind in western Canada, and possibly the Canadian Hockey League, the umbrella organization that includes the WHL as well as hockey leagues in Ontario and Quebec. Adesina Adeyeno, who came to Saskatoon from Nigeria five years ago, is looking forward to becoming a citizen at a hockey game. It won't be the first citizenship ceremony held at a hockey game, however, as last September 100 new citizens, including Ottawa Senators legend Daniel Alfredsson, were sworn in at a World Cup of Hockey game in Toronto. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

uploaded: Now, it has been revealed that Lindsay - who was baptized as a Catholic as a child - is not following any specific religion but has made the decision to learn as much about different faiths from around the world as she can so she can be enriched by all the different teachings, according to Hamilton Spectator. A friend of the actress told the New York Post newspaper Lindsay is educating herself on different cultures and their practices to be able to better understand the people and communicate. The 'Mean Girls' star sparked speculation she had become a Muslim after changing her profile on Instagram to read Alaikum salam an Arabic greeting which translates to and unto you peace and deleted all previous images she had uploaded to the photo sharing site. Lindsay has been intrigued by Islam and the faith's holy book the Quran since 2015, and was seen with a copy of the text when she was doing community service in Brooklyn, New York, back then. We all believe in something and at the end of the day it all ties to a god or a spiritual adviser. In recent months, the 30-year-old beauty has spent a lot of time in Turkey visiting Syrian refugees and admitted last year she was intrigued by Islam because is a spiritual person . Lindsay said I'm a very spiritual person and I'm really open to learning. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

west african: But Mauritania's leader appeared to be making a last-ditch diplomatic effort, meeting with Jammeh and then flying to Senegal to meet with its leader and Gambia President-elect Adama Barrow, according to CTV. Earlier, a military commander with the regional bloc known as ECOWAS announced that troops were positioning along Gambia's borders with Senegal. After a midnight deadline set by the West African regional bloc to step down, there was no word from Jammeh. The mandate of the president is finished at midnight, declared Seydou Maiga Moro, speaking on Senegalese radio station RFM. All the troops are already in place, he added, saying they were merely waiting to see whether Jammeh would give in to international pressure to cede power to Barrow. The Mauritanian leader left Gambia shortly before midnight, telling Gambia state television that I am now less pessimistic Jammeh will work on a peaceful solution that is in the best interest for everyone. As midnight approached, Jammeh met with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on the crisis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saria: She said Democratic U.S. Sen, according to Brandon Sun. Bob Menendez intervened with federal officials to grant her mother permission to travel to the United States. Egg Harbor City resident Nina Saria, 34, said Tuesday she got a kidney last month from her mother, who lives in the Republic of Georgia. It's been difficult for us, but we kept fighting, Saria said. She began dialysis and a search for a kidney donor. In 2014, Saria learned that her kidneys were failing due to an autoimmune disease. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.