leadership vote: Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS By Chantal H bert National Affairs Columnist Fri., May 26, 2017 It has been 20 years this spring since the Reform party ran English-only election ads inviting voters to withdraw their support for federal parties whose leaders hailed from Quebec, according to Toronto Star. The invitation backfired and Jean Chr tien secured a second majority mandate in no small part by winning every seat but two in Ontario. But what he could do next will depend on his support across the country. This weekend there are better than even odds that the reunited Conservative party will emerge from the second leadership vote of its short history under its current configuration with a francophone Quebecer at the helm. The Beauce MP is expected to win Quebec handily. Maxime Bernier has been the frontrunner in the lead-up to Saturday's finale. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

questions need: The positive correlation between immigration and growth, however, does not on its own mean that more immigration magically translates into economic acceleration more questions need to be asked, according to Globe and Mail. The key determination follows the proverbial which came first, the chicken or the egg' dilemma. For someone like me, who supports immigration within limits determined by experts like Carleton University economics professor Frances Woolley, this trend is welcome and directly applicable to Canada. Did immigration cause the economic boost Or were immigrants attracted by the stronger regional growth that already existed for other reasons I don't know the answer to this, nor would it affect my pro-immigration stance either way. A government policymaker who gets it wrong, might find that success in attracting new foreign residents just ends up with more people financially struggling while waiting around for economic activity to pick up. But it is important. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee status: I was prepared with my lawyers, according to Metro News. But I really didn't know how to express the fear I had of going back to my country, she said. I had all the facts. Metro has agreed not to print her last name in order to protect her privacy. She learned how to express herself at Matthew House's mock refugee board trial program. function set Cookie related path / ; Related More money needed to support shelter services for refugeesMP backs petition calling for government to do more for LGBT refugees Man who lost fingers to frostbite crossing Manitoba border gets refugee status We simulate more or less exactly what happens at the IRB, said Helton Achaye, who spearheaded the program's creation at the Toronto charity in 2012. Like many refugees, Biruktawit had to plead her case for asylum before the Immigration and Refugee Board IRB . She had three months to prepare. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

role model: Both men came to Canada from Kenya and connected in Swahili when Lokwa arrived in Winnipeg three years ago, according to CBC. Since then, Ano has been like a brother to him, Lokwa said. Jarso Boku Ano, 22, was a role model to the many kids he volunteered with, said Dalili Lokwa, a friend of Ano's. He's been my mentor. He always told us about how we should stay in school. He's been a mentor to a lot of kids, Lokwa said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shepherd: Not so long ago, most of its members arrived in Hamilton as immigrants from Cameroon, said association past president Gabsia Nyoungkam, according to Hamilton Spectator. Good Shepherd was there with food, clothing and help finding them a place to live, he said. It was with this mindset that members of the Cameroonian Association of Hamilton donated food, toiletries and clothing to the Good Shepherd Venture Centre Thursday afternoon. Our initial point of welcoming was Good Shepherd at the shelters, said Nyoungkam, who came to Canada five years ago. Barbara Ncho, the association's financial secretary, is one of those people. Most of us have been stable and we felt that it's a good thing that we should equally start giving back. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

statstics canada: While the percentage of people aged 65 and older was 12.3 per cent in Alberta, it was almost 20 per cent in Atlantic Canada, according to The Chronicle Herald. If anyone wasn't attuned the fact already, these numbers tell us how important it is to attract more immgrants to this region and to retain them. It showed that between 2011 and 2016 the Atlantic provinces experienced the largest drop in the country in the proportion of people aged 15-64. Immigrants arrived at record pace in 2016, due in large part to an influx of Syrian refugees. Statstics Canada said if current trends continue, this difference between the provinces with the highest and lowest proportions of seniors could reach almost 15 percentage points by 2031. The challenge is to make strong immigration a regular occurrence in the region, and not an exception or only related to an humanitarian crisis, as important as it is for us to provide refuge in such cases. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian students: The protest that's what made students feel unsafe, according to CBC. That changed the day of the school, that changed the culture of the school. We're trying to get back to business as usual, said Bruce Buruma, spokesperson for Red Deer Public Schools. We just want to get back to normal as quickly as possible. On Tuesday, more than 40 protesters demonstrated near Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School over false claims made on social media that Syrian students involved in two fights last week weren't as harshly disciplined as other students. Anti-immigrant protesters accused of 'fear-mongering' at Red Deer school following fight Syrian, Canadian students put best foot forward after altercation at Red Deer high school Before returning to class, the suspended students and their parents met with school staff to make sure that people understand what's expected and address any concerns, said Buruma. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

terror attack: When not preoccupied with Trump's peregrinations and the terror attack in Manchester, the Canadian media have been paying considerable attention to the Conservatives' choice, according to Rabble. They have been much less interested in the next big event on the New Democrats' leadership calendar a debate, on Sunday, in Sudbury, that will involve all six candidates, including two new ones Jagmeet Singh and Pat Stogran. Please consider supporting his work with a monthly donation Support Karl on Patreon today for as little as 1 per month!Canada's Conservatives will choose a new leader this weekend. As for the party that now forms the Official Opposition in Ottawa, those who might have taken comfort from the departure of one narcissistic, bullying leadership candidate should take a good look at the remaining 13 and what they stand for. Bernier is now considered the front-runner, and while he has a more agreeable personality than the nausea-inducing O'Leary, his proposals are, arguably, more extreme. When the narcissist -- Kevin O'Leary, by name -- dropped out, he threw his support behind former Harper cabinet minister and MP for Quebec's Beauce region, Maxime Bernier. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

towers: Having worked on fire suppression, one is aware how quickly they can get out of control, according to The Chronicle Herald. The effectiveness of the towers became restricted when hours were reduced to eight per day. This decision also affects the safety of nearby communities. It is surprising and unfortunate the province, without input from private landowners, decided to eliminate the long-time and basically effective fire towers, opting to depend on the public and aircraft to report smoke from fires. In fires such as Maitland Bridge-Kedge, excessive costs for fire control and to landowners far outweigh those for the towers and observers. Fire towers might not have been ideal but for decades were an important part of fire detection and suppression. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

virginity: It's as forthright as Bialik herself is in conversation, with comic book-style graphics adding a lively touch, according to Hamilton Spectator. The book's roots stem from The Big Bang Theory episode in which her character, Amy, and boyfriend, Sheldon Jim Parsons lose their virginity. She joins her intelligence with experience in Girling Up How to be Strong, Smart and Spectacular, a wide-ranging handbook on navigating the emotional and physical hurdles of growing up. That prompted Bialik to write an essay for her website, Grok Nation, on what it's like to be a late bloomer and how complicated intimacy can be on TV and in real life, she said. She's also a mother of two boys, ages 8 and 11. Her discussion of modesty, absent religion or politics, caught the eye of publisher Philomel Books and Girling Up followed, said Bialik, who recently signed for two more years of Big Bang Theory. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

commencement exercises: The point was punctuated at Dillard's recent commencement exercises, which featured a keynote address from actress and singer Janelle Monae, one of the stars of Hidden Figures, according to Brandon Sun. The award-winning film tells the story of the black women scientists who fought Jim Crow while doing essential mathematical calculations for America's space program. With an enrolment of 1,200, Dillard ranks second in the country in black physics undergrads. To see that we have this significant number of women representing science and math in the way that they are is a blessing to America and our future, Monae told The Associated Press in an interview before the May 13 graduation. Nine of the top 10 physics departments in the country at black or white schools producing the most African American undergraduates in physics are at HBCUs, according to the American Institute of Physics. To have physicists coming out of New Orleans who are African-American women ... that's a huge deal. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lanka: Key dates in Sri Lanka's recent history of conflict and contributions to U.N. peacekeeping 1948 The United Nations deploys its first-ever peacekeeping mission to the Middle East.1960 Sri Lanka makes its first U.N. peacekeeping contribution, sending six soldiers to the U.N. mission in Congo.1983 Civil war breaks out in Sri Lanka, with rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam fighting government forces for an ethnic Tamil homeland in the island's north and east.1987 Indian peacekeepers begin a three-year deployment in Sri Lanka.2004 Sri Lanka opens a U.N. peacekeeper training camp in the hillside resort town of Kukuleganga.2004 Sri Lanka sends an infantry battalion of 950 troops to serve in the U.N. mission in Haiti, according to Brandon Sun. Over the next four years, it will join seven other missions in South Sudan, Congo, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liberia, Timor and Western Sahara.2005 The U.N. acknowledges sexual abuse and exploitation are a problem within some of its peacekeeping missions, and pledges to improve transparency, accountability and justice on the matter.2005 Mahinda Rajapaksa is elected Sri Lanka's president, and leads the military campaign against the Tamil rebels.2007 A U.N. investigation details evidence of a sex ring involving at least 134 Sri Lankan military troops and at least nine Haitian children. Yet, even as Sri Lanka refused to investigate alleged war crimes by its troops during that conflict, the U.N. continued to deploy thousands of Sri Lankan peacekeepers to guard some of the world's most vulnerable populations. Sri Lanka responds by repatriating 114 peacekeepers still on deployment. It refuses to give the AP any details on how it investigated the case, or to explain why so few were punished or what exactly those punishments entailed.2009 Sri Lankan troops declare victory in the civil war after defeating the Tamil rebels. Years later, it acknowledges it forced one officer to retire and dismissed one soldier from service, while imposing unspecified punishments on up to 21 others. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

team owner: Together, the two men have shaped The Greatest Spectacle in Racing in ways neither could have ever imagined, according to Brandon Sun. Foyt has been a presence since the 1950s, winning four times before becoming a team owner, and Penske has been coming since the '60s, reaching victory lane 16 times with his venerable team. There's A.J., fans say, and there's Roger. Foyt turned 82 in January, though. And that begs a question What will the future hold for two of Indy Car's iconic teams With any Penske plan, Team Penske president Tim Cindric said, it evolves over time. Penske turned 80 a month later. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

appeals court: In a 10-3 vote, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit said the ban likely violates the Constitution, according to CTV. And it upheld a lower court ruling that blocks the Republican administration from cutting off visas for people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Trump's administration vowed to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th Circuit is the first appeals court to rule on the revised travel ban unveiled in March. A second appeals court, the 9th U.S. Circuit based in San Francisco, is also weighing the revised travel ban after a federal judge in Hawaii blocked it. Trump's administration had hoped it would avoid the legal problems that the first version from January encountered. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chang: They own Lulu Island Winery in Richmond, B.C. They were travelling to China meeting with vendors when they were detained while checking out of their hotel in Shanghai, according to CTV. Chinese officials allege they underreported the value of their wine. Amy Chang's parents, John Chang and Allison Lu, have been detained in China for the last 14 months. The winery exports 80 per cent of its wine, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of all Canadian wine exported to China, according to a profile of Chang in Canadian Immigrant magazine. I'm urging that Prime Minister Trudeau puts his hands into this, Amy Chang told CTV Vancouver Wednesday in an interview this week. The couple produces 50 per cent of British Columbia's ice wine, of which 70 per cent is exported to China, Japan and Taiwan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

english pub: Traffic along the busy road is just as varied -- hipsters on vintage race bikes zoom past a mother in full-face veil pushing a stroller, according to CTV. A block away, Paulette Greig, the daughter of a Jamaican Indian and a white English woman, drinks water in the Albert Inn, a traditional English pub. A hungry diner can now choose Halal snacks from Beirut, kebabs from Afghanistan or garishly colored sweets from India, among many others. The kaleidoscope of Mancunians -- as the city's residents are known -- reflects the proudly multiethnic city's long history of welcoming migrants and, on the whole, successfully integrating them. Manchester's race relations have been in the spotlight since suicide bomber Salman Abedi, a British citizen of Libyan descent, killed 22 people and injured dozens more on Monday night outside an Ariana Grande concert. Obviously, you get the odd idiot, but you get them everywhere, Greig said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government: A government needs the support of a majority in parliament to be able to survive, according to Globe and Mail. There has been some analysis to the effect that the Liberals have won a minority government. The first is that parliamentary politics is a confidence game. During the Harper minority governments, the prime minister used to make a point of emphasizing that he had won a mandate to govern, and that any arrangements between other parties was illegitimate. It misstates the fundamental truth about parliamentary democracy it's the House of Commons, or, in the case at hand, the British Columbia legislature, that ultimately decides who forms the government. Partisanship aside, this simply isn't true. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

grocery shopping: Establishing a routine can help you settle and integrate into life in Canada, and setting you and your family up for success from the beginning means prioritizing the aspects of everyday life that will build the foundation for a fulfilling life in Canada, according to Huffington Post Canada. The first 100 days in a new country are often the most important. It's a time of change, and being prepared and knowledgeable about the first few things to get done can go a long way in feeling settled in your new home. Getting acclimatized to your new surroundings, meeting new neighbours, and getting a better sense for how everything from health care to grocery shopping is done in your new home would enable an easier transition. These include a social insurance card, which you'll need to work or to apply for government programs and benefits; a health card that provides coverage for a range of services; and a driver's license. Here are five tips on what to prioritize when you first arrive Apply for government-issued documents Make a visit to your local government service office to apply for important government-issued documents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hilltop compound: They also claim east Jerusalem as their capital, and live in neighbourhoods under Israeli control that suffer from poverty, neglect and poor services, according to The Chronicle Herald. These stark contrasts are on display this week. But for Palestinians, there is little to celebrate. Parades, light shows and festivals are being held throughout the city as Israeli Jews celebrate the capture of Jerusalem's Old City from Jordanian troops half a century ago. The Old City is home to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, and the adjacent hilltop compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the spot where the biblical Temples once stood. The victory was hailed by Jews as marking the symbolic return of control over Judaism's holiest sites after 2,000 years in exile. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

it-related employment: The program, Computer Science to First Nations Schools, is being run by Cyber Launch Academy, which was founded last year to provide opportunities for children to learn coding, robotics, animation and other skills, according to The Chronicle Herald. The current programming is being offered at Chief Harold Sappier Memorial Elementary School in Fredericton and at Natoaganeg School in Eel Ground First Nations Community on the Miramichi River. A new five-week program in New Brunswick is helping boost knowledge among First Nations' elementary and middle-school children. Computer science is a field that provides unique employment opportunities, said Dr. In the U.S. alone, IT-related employment will increase by 22 per cent by the year 2020, she said. Natalia Stakhanova, course designer and Cyber Launch Academy cofounder. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jamaican kitchens: It has made its way out of Jamaican kitchens and bakeries, to immigrant enclaves and bodegas, and into major retailers like Walmart and Costco, according to Hamilton Spectator. The New York City school system served more than 3 million during the 2016 fiscal year. While it may not yet have achieved the popularity of the taco or the pizza, the Jamaican beef patty is expanding its reach. Lowell Hawthorne has been introducing Americans to Caribbean food for decades. He and his family watched it grow. In 1989, he took a gamble on the food of his homeland, Jamaica, in the hopes that many Americans would embrace it, opening a bakery in New York. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

law partners: He retired from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Hamilton in 2010, according to Hamilton Spectator. He was just so easy to get along with. Borkovich died May 19 at the age of 81. He was a wonderful man, says his longtime pal, Walter Stayshyn, a retired Superior Court justice who had an enduring and close friendship with Borkovich these past 67 years. After articling separately for high-profile Hamilton lawyers Borkovich for the late John Munroe and late Jack Pelech, and Stayshyn for the late John Agro the two friends became law partners, opening their practice in Hamilton in 1963. The two, both east-end Hamilton boys and both the children of hard-working immigrant parents, went through McMaster University and Osgood Hall Law School together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

news release: The government's previous target was 150,000 for this year, which it should come close to reaching, according to CBC. Census brings P.E.I.'s 150K population goal into questionP.E.I. population growing quickly, but so is out-migration If we hope to sustain our prosperity and quality of life, we need to square-up to our opportunities and challenges related to population, said Premier Wade Mac Lauchlan in a news release. The target is 160,000 people by the end of 2022. Focus on rural communities The plan will focus on growing the population in rural communities across the Island. People are finding new ways to do things. That's ultimately what it's about, is to see that for communities to do well, there have to be people, there have to be opportunities, there have to be businesses that are starting, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

novak djokovic: It's also the latest reason to wonder when a new face will emerge among the elite, because there eventually will come a point yes, there really will when the group that was once known as the Big 3, then came to be called the Big 4, and now is considered by some to be a Big 5, is no longer running the sport, according to The Chronicle Herald. With the French Open starting Sunday, No. 1 Andy Murray, No. 2 Novak Djokovic, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and No. 4 Rafael Nadal No. 5 Roger Federer is skipping Paris all have designs on another major trophy. For the first time in the history of the ATP computer rankings, which date to the early 1970s, the men sitting at Nos. 1-5 are all 30 or older, the latest sign that the current crop of stars has enviable staying power. But could someone such as Alexander Zverev, who just turned 20 last month, or the supremely talented and supremely enigmatic Nick Kyrgios, 22, or Dominic Thiem, 23, make a breakthrough for the up-and-coming kids We're probably coming to the end of one of the greatest eras of tennis that, certainly, I've ever seen, ATP Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode said, and what we need to do as a sport is look to the next generation of players. That quintet has won 46 of the last 48 Grand Slam titles, a dozen-year stretch of dominance. Federer is 35, Wawrinka is 32, Nadal turns 31 on June 3, and Djokovic and Murray turned 30 this month. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pepper spices: Steve Russell / Toronto Star By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Wed., May 24, 2017 With the aroma of traditional Syrian delicacies permeating the air, what's usually the drivers' support centre at Uber's Toronto office was transformed into an intimate story-telling party Wednesday night, according to Toronto Star. The guests from Matthew House, a refugee shelter in the city, were welcomed by Uber staff, mingling over faruj batata, a chicken dish with potatoes, a Syrian rice concoction with seven pepper spices, and ouzi, a puff dough pastry stuffed with ground beef and green beans. The dinner is one of a series and is aimed at fostering understanding and building communities. The food, for Toronto's first Refugees Welcome dinner, was prepared by Syrian couple Amir and Nour Fattal, who arrived here from Turkey in July after they were sponsored by a group of Toronto residents. We had problems in our country. It's great to meet new people, said Ali Mahmud, 37, who fled Eritrea for Canada in January and was granted asylum two months ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pope francis: And a big ol' we feel ya, girl to Trump, who seemed caught off-guard by the question, which took place Wednesday during President Donald Trump's visit to the Vatican, according to Hamilton Spectator. To further complicate the situation, it involved a translator. So props to Pope Francis for trying to chat up first lady Melania Trump about potica, a baked specialty from her native Slovenia. According to accounts from such sources as the Associated Press and the Guardian, the pope gestured toward the president and asked something along the lines of, What do you give him to eat Potica Now here's where it gets interesting. The AP concluded that she eventually caught on and said, Potica, ah yes, while the Guardian suggested she said pizza. Interpretations on the scene differ, though it seemed that at least momentarily the first lady thought the Pope was talking about pizza. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.