speculation tax: Premier Kathleen Wynne said the new tax would not target immigrants, and a rebate would be available to foreigners who work in Ontario, those who subsequently get citizenship or permanent resident status and international students, according to Hamilton Spectator. With this tax, we are targeting people who aren't looking for a place to raise a family they're looking only for a quick profit or a safe place to park their money, Wynne said. The 15-per-cent non-resident speculation tax was among 16 housing measures the provincial government announced Thursday, which also included a promise to expand rent control, allow Toronto to impose a tax on vacant homes and use surplus provincial lands for affordable housing. Fears of a potential real estate market collapse as well as diminishing housing affordability have put increasing pressure on Wynne's Liberal government to take action, at a time when the average price of detached houses in the Greater Toronto Area has increased more than 30 per cent since last year. Some economists were skeptical Thursday about the impact the new tax on foreign speculators would have on soaring house prices, noting that all three levels of governments have admitted they lack housing market data. Wynne said the measures were designed to help people afford to rent or buy a home, brushing off a suggestion that the move was more about boosting her approval rating, which has recently plunged to just over 10 per cent, according to polls. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

speculation tax: Here's a look at how the new tax would work, according to CTV. What does a non-resident speculation tax entail A 15-per-cent tax will be applied to the purchase of a residential property in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area, in addition to the general land transfer tax. The tax specifically targets foreign speculators who purchase property in the Greater Golden Horseshoe -- an area that stretches from the Niagara Region to Peterborough -- to turn a quick profit rather than to find a place in which to live. It will be retroactively effective as of Friday, once enabling legislation goes through. That area includes the Greater Toronto Area, and surrounding regions such as Niagara, Waterloo, the counties of Haldimand, Brant, Wellington, Dufferin, Simcoe, Peterborough, Northumberland and the Kawartha Lakes area. Who does it apply to The tax applies to buyers who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, non-Canadian corporations and taxable trustees for purchases of residential property in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lot: I think the biggest thing is the guys are being more physical, according to Hamilton Spectator. They know where to go ... and I think they're having a lot more fun doing it. Anytime you learn a new system, there's going to be difficulties, Babers said as he prepared for Saturday's spring-ending scrimmage in the Carrier Dome. With quarterback Eric Dungey healthy again and packing more muscle on his 6-foot-3 frame, the offence is poised to become more efficient after an impressive first season under Babers. Last year was a learning period, a lot of learning, said wideout Ervin Philips, who had 90 receptions for 822 yards and six TDs last season as a junior. We're able to open up the playbook a little more. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

values: This will be good for the applicants, good for the nation, underlining our Australian values at the very heart of Australian citizenship, Turnbull told reporters, according to CTV. This is not about administration. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the new citizenship test would reflect Australian values instead of the current multiple-choice format. This is about allegiance and commitment to Australian values, he added. Currently a permanent resident can become a citizen after one year. Budding Australian citizens would have to be competent English language speakers and have been permanent residents for at least four years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wong family: Toronto Archives Edward and Donna Pasquale pictured in 1945, according to Toronto Star. The Italian couple became the country's leading distributor of Mediterranean ingredients and products. Old City Hall is seen in the background. Courtesy of the Kalcevich family Newspaper Editor William C. Wong and his wife Elizabeth on their wedding day, June 21, 1938. Thomas Henry Jackson, the reverend of the British Methodist Episcopal Church and a prominent member of Toronto's black community. Courtesy of the Wong family At 8 o'clock on the plate is a picture of the Rev. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dozen deals: I have a cousin who sells cars and I know what he makes per car, according to Brandon Sun. You can make a lot more than that per house. My dad always said, 'If you're going to sell something, sell something expensive,' said the Torontonian. But Hamilton quickly realized that selling homes was a lot more work than he had anticipated. Today, Hamilton is a sales representative at the Condo Store Realty Inc. and he says in just the first months of this year he has closed around 50 deals. After closing about half a dozen deals in his first year, Hamilton took on a part-time job at a bar, where he worked for several years before returning to the real estate industry on a full-time basis last year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ismail royer: By the time he was 21, he had converted to Islam and changed his name to Ismail Royer, fighting in Bosnia alongside fellow Muslims against Serbian ethnic cleansing, according to Brandon Sun. By the time he was 31, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping friends who wanted to join the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks. Louis kid. Now age 44 and out of prison, he remembers Bosnia as both a highlight of his life and the place that launched him on a disastrous path. I spent so much time trying to recapture that feeling of Bosnia. There was so much meaning and purpose in what I was doing, he said of the Bosnian war. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

service commission: The practice consists of removing names and other identifying information such as email addresses and country of origin from job application forms in order to combat bias against people of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, according to Brandon Sun. We believe that the public service should reflect the idea that our diversity is our strength and should be a model of inclusion for employers across Canada and around the world, said Scott Brison, president of the Treasury Board. The Public Service Commission of Canada project, unveiled Thursday at Toronto's Ryerson University, will compare the results of traditional screening methods with name-blind recruitment. The experiment will involve some externally advertised jobs in six federal departments, including National Defence, Global Affairs and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Brison said the pilot project is meant to identify best practices before rolling out the technique throughout the public service, which he said the government aims to do before the end of its mandate. A report on the findings is expected in October. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

speculation tax: Premier Kathleen Wynne said the new tax would not target immigrants, and a rebate would be available to foreigners who work in Ontario, those who subsequently get citizenship or permanent resident status and international students, according to Brandon Sun. With this tax, we are targeting people who aren't looking for a place to raise a family they're looking only for a quick profit or a safe place to park their money, Wynne said. The 15-per-cent non-resident speculation tax was among 16 housing measures the provincial government announced Thursday, which also included a promise to expand rent control, allow Toronto to impose a tax on vacant homes and use surplus provincial lands for affordable housing. Fears of a potential real estate market collapse as well as diminishing housing affordability have put increasing pressure on Wynne's Liberal government to take action, at a time when the average price of detached houses in the Greater Toronto Area has increased more than 30 per cent since last year. Some economists were skeptical Thursday about the impact the new tax on foreign speculators would have on soaring house prices, noting that all three levels of governments have admitted they lack housing market data.CIBC economist Benjamin Tal said he doesn't believe there are enough foreign buyers in the Toronto-area market for the tax to have a lasting effect. Wynne said the measures were designed to help people afford to rent or buy a home, brushing off a suggestion that the move was more about boosting her approval rating, which has recently plunged to just over 10 per cent, according to polls. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bfm television: Hamon is polling a distant fifth place ahead of Sunday's first-round election and has little chance of reaching the decisive May 7 run-off a failure that could crush his party, according to Hamilton Spectator. French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who has dominated the campaign with her anti-immigration, anti-EU proposals, is appealing to her electoral base in hopes of maintaining a shot at the run-off. Crowds danced on a Paris plaza as Socialist presidential candidate Benoit Hamon held what is seen as a last-chance rally and concert. She assailed recent governments for failing to stop extremist attacks in recent years and warned on BFM television that we are all targets. The candidates have increased security in recent days. All the French. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

country agreement: That brings the total for the first three months of 2017 to 1,860, according to CBC. Most of the illegal crossings occurred in Quebec, where 644 people were intercepted by the RCMP. That's up from 432 in February and 245 in January, and brings the total for the three-month period to 1,321. 3 of 135 border crossers in Manitoba deemed a danger How Safe Third Country Agreement is changing lives along the borderRCMP lay no charges against illegal border crossers 5 things to know about illegal border crossings Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, said the vast majority of immigration to Canada is carefully planned and managed and that spontaneous asylum seekers are much smaller and largely unpredictable. In March, the RCMP intercepted 887 people entering the country outside an official crossing point, up from 658 in February and 315 in January. These are people who feel they are in danger or at risk, and once they get themselves into Canada by whatever means, they claim asylum in this country for their personal protection, he said. Tracking trends He said authorities are tracking the trends, planning for possible developments and managing the increase in a measured way while respecting Canada's international obligations. They represent only a fraction of all the newcomers we welcome every year, and do not impinge on the regular system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

employment: The survey from Randstad Canada predicts an immense shift to what it describes as agile employment and non-traditional workers, according to Huffington Post Canada. And it sees this as a good thing. Now a new survey from a staffing agency suggests precarious work will increasingly become the norm over the next decade. Canadians, and especially millennials, are re-thinking their approach to employment, which is changing the way that employers look to fill their staffing needs, Randstad Canada CEO Marc- tienne Julien said in a statement. Photo Getty Images New technologies and new attitudes towards employment are having a profound effect on how the workforce will look in 2025. A new report from Randstad Canada predicts a massive shift to non-traditional employment in the coming decade. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration process: Mohammad made the decision to travel to Canada with five of her children and leave two-month-old Nasteha with Mohammad's sister, Ebla, denying that she had any family left back home, according to CBC. She was scared that if she told them the truth, they would send her back to Kenya, said Mohammed's eldest daughter, Sofiya, who acted as a translator. But during the immigration process, Mohammad became pregnant with her sixth child, Nasteha, and feared that trying to bring her along could ruin her application and undo all of the work she had put in so far. Ruth Beardsley, a social worker with Options Community Services in Surrey, said she couldn't believe that this had happened. As a mother myself, I could just understand how difficult a decision that must have been. My heart immediately went out to her, said Beardsley. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kurdish territory: As someone who has studied co-operative economies for the past two decades, I travelled to northern Syria in November to witness this work first hand, according to Vancouver Observer. What I saw there was a beacon of light and promise that belies the gloom and doom we normally associated with the area. But Syria today is also the site of a remarkable experiment in peace, co-operation, and progressive political change that has profound implications not only for the Middle East, but also for the rest of the world. Rojava is a narrow band of Kurdish territory that stretches across the northern rim of Syria bordering on Turkey to the north and Iraq in the east. When the Syrian uprising began in March 2011, the besieged Assad regime was forced to withdraw from the Kurdish regions of the north. Home to about 4.6 million Kurds, Rojava is an enclave whose inhabitants have fashioned a place of security, gender equality, economic cooperation, and a unique form of localized direct democracy that has no equivalent elsewhere. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

language programs: The school's student union held the clinic because hundreds of students have had their French language proficiency certificates rejected, and they are being accused of filing false declarations about their knowledge of French, according to CTV. There is an atmosphere of fear about what is going to happen to these international students, said Walter Chi-Yan Tom of the Concordia Student Union. Concordia University hosted a special legal clinic for international students who are trying to gain permanent resident status in Canada. The students in question have passed French language programs approved by the provincial government, called the Quebec Experience Program, and administered by local school boards. Immigration lawyer David Chalk said that should not be happening. Normally this automatically leads to a Quebec Selection Certificate, but now the students are being interviewed, and their French tested again, which is leading to rejection by the Ministry of Immigration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

longstaff: It's now a question of who has the time, who will contribute workwise and funding, according to Hamilton Spectator. The counter-stereotype campaign under hashtag Hamiltonfor All will recruit newcomers to tell their stories in bus shelter ads or on social media, Longstaff said. The Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council HIPC mandated to co-ordinate settlement agencies, has an ambitious strategy that by 2020 includes a campaign to counter negative immigrant stereotypes; a yearly Newcomer Day; a mobile settlement information hub; an annual conference; an updated immigration profile of the city; university research on Syrian integration into labour market; The nine projects some modelled on partnership councils the government set up in other Canadian cities are in the formative stages, says HIPC project manager Nicole Longstaff. The Newcomer Day will be similar to Toronto's. Without it, we would be scrambling to put out fires all the time, Lumsden said. HIPC is key to helping agencies be proactive rather than reactive because it looks at the big picture to make Hamilton a welcoming and safe place for newcomers, says Lily Lumsden, the local YMCA's manager of employment and immigrant services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cbc: Truthfully, it's an almost impossible task cramming centuries of one of the largest, most multicultural countries in the world into a few hours -- and to pretend it forms some sort of coherent narrative, according to Huffington Post Canada. This is not a problem unique to Canada as Brexit and American red and blue states have shown, unifying national identities are often wishful thinking . CBC apologizes but won't update episodes of contentious Canada The Story of Us https //t.co/HoDSIAmbmE CBC News CBCNews April 11, 2017 Any time someone pontificates about Canada, they're going to get it in the neck -- from regionalists who get red faced when any region but their own gets a moment in the spotlight, from too cool for school hipsters who mock anything that smacks of Canadian self-confidence, from people who simply feel their agenda isn't being represented. And because this is Canada cue controversy. But those decrying the series' omissions are missing its intent. This is The Dragon's Den Guide to Canada. It's not intended as a comprehensive historical overview. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

myanmar: After several decades of brutal military dictatorship, there were democratic elections in 2015, according to Huffington Post Canada. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the vast majority of seats in parliament. Very few would mention Burma, now officially known as Myanmar, as a serious concern despite there being a large scale ethnic cleansing underway with implicit acquiescence, if not explicit sanction of the government; and that is because the apparent genocide underway there is not receiving the attention it deserves. But the 1.3 million Muslim minority Rohingyas in a country of 50 million Buddhists could be forgiven for believing that Myanmar's murderous military junta was still in charge, because there has been no let up in the violent persecution of the Rohingya. Under Suu Kyi's rule, with government usually looking the other way, the Rohingya continue to be massacred by the majority Buddhists, often led by Buddhist Monks. They were mercilessly butchered during the military rule. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: In total, 644 were picked up in Quebec in March, 170 in Manitoba and 71 in B.C. Alberta and New Brunswick both recorded one border crossing each, according to CTV. In February, 658 people were intercepted. The new figures, released by the federal government on Wednesday, show that the wave of people trying to enter Canada between official border points continues to rise. Dozens more are believed to have crossed in April, but those figures have not been released. The winter crossings are sometimes treacherous. You can find all the numbers provided by the Canada Border Services Agency here. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee board: Pei Jia Li peeks through the doors after his hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board in Vancouver in November, according to CBC. He was ruled 'inadmissible to Canada' for having fraudulent entry and exit stamps in his passport. Jin Fanny Ma, Wen Vivian Jiang and Ming Kun Makkie Wu were sentenced under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Income Tax Act and the criminal code Tuesday afternoon in a Vancouver courtroom. Harold Dupuis/CBC The women are former employees of Xun Sunny Wang and New Can Consultants and had pleaded guilty to several charges including passport offences, misrepresentation, forgery and tax evasion. Three others are going through the courts and the last three have warrants out for their arrest. Wang was charged in October 2012, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 900,000 in one of the biggest immigration scams in Canadian history A total of nine of Wang's employees were charged. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

report: The report looked at issues such as child welfare services on First Nations reserves, the rights of transgender children, children with disabilities and migrant children locked up in detention centres alongside their parents as their cases are processed, according to Hamilton Spectator. The federal government has been promising a fix for child welfare services on reserves, but First Nations groups say no real progress has been made. The agency said it aimed to shine a light on the problems of children in its 2016 annual report to Parliament, released Thursday. The report said transgender children often report bullying and harassment. It quoted a University of Toronto estimate that between 2010 and 2014, an average of 242 children in Canada were detained annually for immigration reasons. Children with disabilities reported similar problems. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

residency status: Between 2006 and 2013, over 1,600 clients of New Can Consultants and Wellong International Investments paid over 10 million for its services, according to Metro News. The three women were individually fined between 50,000 and 96,000 in addition to their jail sentences. Jin Fanny Ma, Ming Kun Makkie Wu and Wen Vivian Jiang took part in a large-scale immigration fraud that included creating the appearance of Canadian residency so their clients could obtain permanent residency status and obtain Canadian citizenship. The Canada Border Services Agency says the investigation was the largest it has every pursued. CBSA is now reviewing the list of New Can and Wellong clients, and says it will actively investigate anyone who may have misrepresented themselves to maintain permanent residency in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

review: The president added more uncertainty to the future of U.S. immigration policy this week, ordering a review of the American H-1B visa program, which he argues allows tech companies to avoid hiring American workers in favour of cheaper international ones, according to CTV. The review bodes well for Canada, said Robert Watson, president of Information Technology Association of Canada. But what they'll be watching for now is whether the planned June launch of their Global Talent Stream program could be a way to benefit from what Trump has done in his tenure so far. Even if the executive order is just to do a review of it, it becomes tone from the top, he said. American technology firms argue the H-1B program is needed because it encourages students to stay in the U.S. after getting degrees in high-tech specialties -- and because companies can't always find enough American workers with the skills they need. Companies have to start looking elsewhere and ensure there's something better to do. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights tribunal: Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS By Azeezah Kanji Wed., April 19, 2017 Canada's newest honorary citizen, Malala Yousafzai, has been feted globally as an icon in the fight for children's rights, according to Toronto Star. Shot by the Taliban when she was 15, Malala is easy for Canadians to embrace because the Taliban is easy to revile. Blackstock has been advocating for the rights of indigenous children at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for the last 10 years. It is more difficult and yet, more important for us to see how Canada also participates in children's suffering, both through action and through silence. Among them are the children of Afghanistan, already traumatized by a lifetime of war, who had the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. military's arsenal dropped on their country last week. Remember the children who are assaulted not by the bullets of those we call enemies, but by the bombs of those we call friends. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

robert watson: The president added more uncertainty to the future of U.S. immigration policy this week, ordering a review of the American H-1B visa program, which he argues allows tech companies to avoid hiring American workers in favour of cheaper international ones, according to The Chronicle Herald. The review bodes well for Canada, said Robert Watson, president of Information Technology Association of Canada. But what they'll be watching for now is whether the planned June launch of their Global Talent Stream program could be a way to benefit from what Trump has done in his tenure so far. Even if the executive order is just to do a review of it, it becomes tone from the top, he said. American technology firms argue the H-1B program is needed because it encourages students to stay in the U.S. after getting degrees in high-tech specialties and because companies can't always find enough American workers with the skills they need. Companies have to start looking elsewhere and ensure there's something better to do. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

week: Their report was realeased was released last week, according to Toronto Star. ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO By Noor Javed News reporter Kristin Rushowy Queen's Park Bureau Wed., April 19, 2017 York Region trustees have dismissed their controversial director of education, one week after a report by provincial reviewers detailed disturbing concerns about his leadership and following months of turmoil at the school board.J. Philip Parappally is no longer at the helm of the province's third largest board, according to an internal memo first obtained by the Star that was sent to all staff Wednesday morning. COLE BURSTON / FOR THE TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO Education Minister Mitzie Hunter appointed two troubleshooters to look into concerns about the scandal-plagued York Region District School Board in January. Trustees, together, publicly promised to make positive and immediate changes, board Chair Loralea Carruthers said in an interview. He worked at the York board for many years. We wish the former director the very best. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.