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.

party lines: I am very excited about the prospect of delivering for the people of British Columbia what they voted for on May 9, and that was change, Horgan said, according to CTV. We can do great things when we work together. On Monday, John Horgan and Andrew Weaver announced their intention to use their parties' combined 44 seats in the provincial legislature to end Christy Clark's reign as premier and form an NDP minority government. We can do great things across party lines when we have a government in place that's anxious to do that. Few details of the NDP and Greens' plans have been shared yet, but the parties did confirm the agreement does not involve forming a coalition. Their announcement ends weeks of speculation that began after the election left Weaver and two other Green MLAs holding the balance of power, and ramped up significantly after the results were finalized by Elections B.C. last week. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nova: For everyone else, here's a quick rundown of how you can vote If you are a Canadian citizen who is 18 years or older on election day and have lived in Nova Scotia for the six months or more before the day the election is called, then you have the right to vote, according to The Chronicle Herald. You can vote at your polling station from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day. Representatives from the Shannex and Northwood facilities say polling stations will be set up within their buildings. To find your polling station, phone Elections Nova Scotia, visit their website or check the Voter Information Cards you received in the mail. You will be asked for your Voter Information Card and to show your driver's licence or Nova Scvotia ID card. There will be wheelchair access at all stations, as well as volunteers to assist people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

president: Some show the leaders in a group, while others depict them in individual portraits, according to CTV. The paintings are part of Syrian-educated, Brussels-based artist Abdalla Al Omari's Vulnerability Series, which is currently on display at the Ayyam art gallery in Dubai. The paintings depict such figures as U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Syrian President Bashar al Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin as sad, destitute individuals facing the daily struggles of migrant life. I wanted to take away their power not to serve me and my pain, but to give those leaders back their humanity and to give the audience an insight into what the power of vulnerability can achieve, Al Omari said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not appear in any of the paintings posted online. Individual portraits in the series include a disheveled Trump holding a tired child and a family portrait, Germany's Angela Merkel surrounded by chickens, and former U.S. president Barack Obama dressed as a homeless man. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

radio today: We wanted to have something for everyone, said Mike McDaniel, CEO and President of the PNE. Our fair, very similar to a number of fairs in North America, these are the acts that are doing those circuits ... there are ones that will play these events, or they won't, according to CBC. People say, 'Why don't you get any artist that's on the radio today,' but it doesn't work like that. This year's summer concert series has something from every genre, according to organizers including Mother Mother for the indie rock crowd, Billy Currington for country music fans, and Colin James for those who love the blues. Country music artist Billy Currington is one of over a dozen artists appearing at the PNE this summer. McDaniel said there are multicultural acts also planned for other stages within the fair. Debby Wong/REX/Shutterstock The series' shows are at the amphitheatre. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

residency program: Immigrants and their supporters fear President Donald Trump's skepticism about immigration means he will take a harder line than his predecessors on a program that began as a humanitarian gesture to temporarily defer deportations of people from countries that were considered too fragile to take them back especially Central American nations devastated by war or natural disasters, according to The Chronicle Herald. Vasquez said she is thinking about how she would sell her property and move back home. But the seemingly stable life that Vasquez and several hundred thousand others have built under that legal residency program now appears to be on shaky ground. She also wonders what she would do with her 11-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen by birth. We would be left with no protection. Imagine what would happen, she said in an interview in Rockville, Maryland, after a day of driving her food truck to construction sites. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saudi arabia: The 50-year-old Toronto man has worked as a truck driver in his native Syria, as well as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, where his family had stayed for four years before they arrived in Toronto in 2016 as government-sponsored refugees under Ottawa's massive Syrian resettlement program, according to Toronto Star. My family is grateful to Canada. Bernard Weil / Toronto Star By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Mon., May 29, 2017 Driving transport and dump trucks is all Ahmad Al Rasoul has known to make a living. We don't want to be a burden to the country. Everywhere I had been, I got my licence and worked right away. We just want to start working and support our family as soon as possible, Rasoul, who fled Homs in 2012 with his wife and six children, said through an Arabic interpreter. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shonda rhimes: Still Star-Crossed, created by Heather Mitchell and produced by Shonda Rhimes, along with her production partner Betsy Beers, is glitzy and melodramatic the stuff Shondaland not to mention, summer TV dreams are made of, according to Hamilton Spectator. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet are the jumping off point for this period drama, based on the 2013 book by Melinda Taub and premi ring Monday on ABC. The doomed couple played by Clara Rugaard and Lucien Laviscount are around long enough to wed in secret and meet their tragic fates. So it's fitting that the latest Shondaland drama takes place in fair Verona. But we already know that story. As Verona descends into mournful chaos, Rosaline is ordered, along with Romeo's cousin Benvolio, to make a politically motivated sacrifice. Still-Star Crossed follows Juliet's cousin, Rosaline Lashana Lynch a minor character in Shakespeare's play. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

toronto aerie: As if a smile will make much difference!Well, you have to give it to whatever is left of Canada's elite media -- conservatives all, presumably, to a man and woman -- their faith in the notion the Canadian electorate is pretty dull and easy to fool is boundless, according to Rabble. These are, after all, the media corporations that before the 2015 federal election sent orders to their supposedly independent local franchises to run editorials supporting Harper or whoever the local Conservative was, or which, like The Globe and Mail, advised B.C. readers from its new Toronto aerie high above King Street East to hold their noses and vote for Christy Clark. The way most corporate media outfits summed up the change atop the Conservative Party of Canada was that Scheer, the Saskatchewan MP and former Speaker of the House of Commons chosen by the Tories after several hours of faux suspense the night before, is Harper with a smile. The results Not that effective. Never mind that in October 2015, the same voters sent the grimly self-righteous Harper and his neoliberal government packing, presumably fed up with its harsh tone, destructive market fundamentalism, and anti-science, anti-labour, anti-immigrant and anti-social policy agenda. So the thought that a new Stephen Harper with a human face will fix everything, restoring God to His heaven, order to His universe and Tories to Ottawa is a bit of a reach, even for them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

typhus fever: What is now a parking lot was a mass grave in the 1800s for 6,000 Irish immigrants killed by typhus fever in 1847, according to CTV. The annual procession marks the darkest time in the Irish community's history. The giant tombstone sits near the Victoria Bridge and commemorates the site of a burial ground. Today it also marked a turning point in a battle to have it properly recognized. Many say the sacred ground has been ignored for far too long. For five years, members of the community have been fighting for a memorial park and museum that would replace the parking lot, but recently learned Hydro Quebec is buying the land. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year fight: The Associated Press file photo By Dan Perry The Associated Press Mon., May 29, 2017 JERUSALEM It may well be remembered as a pyrrhic victory for Israel in six days it stunned the world by vanquishing several Arab armies, only to be saddled with a deeply corrosive 50-year fight with the Palestinians for the Holy Land, according to Toronto Star. For several weeks in 1967, the underdog Israelis genuinely feared that their young Jewish state would be wiped out, even with memories of the Nazi Holocaust in Europe still fresh. It may well be remembered as a pyrrhic victory for Israel a six-day war in which it vanquished several Arab armies, only to be saddled with a 50-year fight with the Palestinians for the Holy Land. They mobilized reserves to face Egyptian troops arrayed at the border. They barricaded the streets with sacks of sand. They appointed the eyepatch-wearing military hero Moshe Dayan as minister of defence. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

israeli army: They mobilized reserves to face Egyptian troops arrayed at the border, according to Brandon Sun. They appointed the eyepatch-wearing military hero Moshe Dayan as minister of defence. For several weeks in 1967, the underdog Israelis genuinely feared that their young Jewish state would be wiped out, even with memories of the Nazi Holocaust in Europe still fresh. They barricaded the streets with sacks of sand. A pre-emptive airstrike on June 5 destroyed the Egyptian air force on the ground, and the Israeli army also pushed back Jordan and Syria. Then it was over in a shocking flash. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nyansapo festival: In a new series of tweets on the topic, Hidalgo said her firm discussion with organizers had yielded a satisfactory clarification the parts of the festival held on property would be open to everyone and non-mixed workshops will be held elsewhere, in a strictly private setting, according to Brandon Sun. MWASI, the Afro-feminist collective sponsoring the three-day event, responded to the mayor's latest comments by saying it hadn't changed the festival program an inch. Mayor Anne Hidalgo had strongly criticized and threatened to cancel the upcoming Nyansapo Festival a day earlier because it was forbidden to white people. That's what was planned from the beginning, the collective said of how the public and private spaces would be assigned. France defines itself as a country united under one common national identity, with laws against racial discrimination and to promote secularism to safeguard an ideal that began with the French Revolution. Anti-racism associations and far-right politicians in France both had criticized the event over the weekend for scheduling workshops limited to a single gender and race. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

residency program: Immigrants and their supporters fear President Donald Trump's skepticism about immigration means he will take a harder line than his predecessors on a program that began as a humanitarian gesture to temporarily defer deportations of people from countries that were considered too fragile to take them back especially Central American nations devastated by war or natural disasters, according to Brandon Sun. Vasquez said she is thinking about how she would sell her property and move back home. But the seemingly stable life that Vasquez and several hundred thousand others have built under that legal residency program now appears to be on shaky ground. She also wonders what she would do with her 11-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen by birth. We would be left with no protection. Imagine what would happen, she said in an interview in Rockville, Maryland, after a day of driving her food truck to construction sites. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border cities: DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS By Tiffany Gooch Sun., May 28, 2017 Marijuana legalization was a key pillar of the Liberal platform in the 2015 election and the successful implementation of this promise will be a defining moment for the Trudeau government and its legacy, according to Toronto Star. The definition of success for this mammoth policy file varies greatly depending on who is being consulted. While amnesty was not among the promises made in the Liberal platform, it's simply the right thing to do. Businesses large and small are jockeying for influence in the new cannabis economy. Border cities are grappling with the tourism implications. Provincial governments are watching closely to identify their own steps forward. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian press: The Canadian Press By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Sun., May 28, 2017 Conservatives around the world have sought to shake up the political status quo in the last year, voting for Britain to leave the European Union, electing a complete political neophyte as president of the United States, according to Toronto Star. For a time, it looked like Canadian conservatives were headed down a similar path. Trudeau made the comments while visiting Amatrice, an Italian town devastated by an earthquake in August 2016. For the first 12 rounds of counting Saturday night, the leader they were poised to elect was Maxime Bernier, a Quebec MP with a libertarian bent whose policy proposals included slaying sacred cows like supply management in agriculture and federal health care funding. Scheer's campaign slogan was Scheer excitement, and there was no doubt in the aftermath of his win supporters were vibrating with just that. Read more All your Andrew Scheer questions answered Article Continued Below Andrew Scheer's got the style, but success will depend on the substance Editorial react-text 153 In his platform with boutique tax cuts, tough talk on extremism, even his release of his five key priorities, Andrew Scheer was also the candidate many saw as any echo of Stephen Harper. /react-text Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS Scheer, the man with the impish grin, will grow into his job Tim Harper Trudeau, Scheer discuss Parliament, U.S. trade in first call after Conservative leadership race react-empty 163 But in the end, the Tories couldn't bring themselves to do it, instead handing Andrew Scheer the keys to the Opposition leader's residence, giving him 50.95 per cent of the available points over Bernier's 49.05. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

clayton body: Dan Moskaluk said the Ashcroft fire department found Clayton Cassidy's body in the water at about 10 30 p.m, according to The Chronicle Herald. Saturday, during its daily patrol of Cache Creek. RCMP Cpl. Cassidy had been missing since May 5, following heavy rainfall and intense flooding. He was thought to have been swept away by the flood water, and was presumed dead after several days. He was last known to be checking water levels in Cache Creek, and his vehicle was later found at the site. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

flood water: Saturday, during its daily patrol of Cache Creek, according to Metro News. Cassidy had been missing since May 5, following heavy rainfall and intense flooding. Dan Moskaluk said the Ashcroft fire department found Clayton Cassidy's body in the water at about 10 30 p.m. He was last known to be checking water levels in Cache Creek, and his vehicle was later found at the site. Moskaluk said the discovery appears to confirm that theory. He was thought to have been swept away by the flood water, and was presumed dead after several days. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government minister: The Associated Press By Jill Lawless The Associated Press Sun., May 28, 2017 LONDON British police made two more arrests and stormed three more locations Sunday as they hunted for suspects in the Manchester bombing, while a government minister said members of attacker Salman Abedi's network may still be at large, according to Toronto Star. Greater Manchester Police said two men one 25 years old and the other 19 were arrested in the city on suspicion of terrorist offences. Another man was also arrested in Gorton, Manchester. Eleven other men between the ages of 18 and 44 also were in custody. Read more U.K. police release photo of Manchester bomber, appeal to public for information Article Continued Below Ariana Grande vows return to Manchester to perform benefit concert for victims react-text 153 Police close the road leading to Quantock Street in the Moss Side area of Manchester where a raid was carried out earlier on Sunday. /react-text Anthony Devlin / GETTY IMAGES U.K. opposition leader links extremism to foreign wars after Manchester attack Police say that 1,000 people are working on the investigation, trying to track down Abedi's accomplices and piece together his movements in the days before he detonated a bomb at an Ariana Grande concert. Most of the searches and arrests since Monday night's bombing have been in multi-ethnic south Manchester, where Abedi the son of Libyan parents was born and raised. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

israel apologists: On Israel Independence Day earlier this month Justin Trudeau delivered a speech by video to a rally in Montr al and published a statement marking the occasion, according to Rabble. Today, while we celebrate Israel's independence, we also reaffirm our commitment to fight anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, declared the PM in a rare reference by a top politician to Israel's state ideology. But, even when anti-Semitism was a significant political force in Canada, Zionism largely represented a chauvinistic, colonialist way of thinking. Israel apologists often link anti-Zionism and anti-Jewishness, but it's disingenuous. When anti-Semitism was a social force of consequence in Canada it was not uncommon for anti-Jewish politicians to back Zionism. Canadian Zionism has long been comfortable with anti-Jewish sentiment and it has never been primarily an anti-prejudicial ideology. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

job offer: At the same time, he says, there are occupations and professions that are not being filled, according to CBC. If a business cannot find a particular skilled labour, then of course that business suffers, and then the economy suffers, and then we all suffer if the economy is not firing on all cylinders, he said in an interview on CBC's Labrador Morning. Advanced Education, Skills and Labour Minister Gerry Byrne says the province's aging population means fewer people entering into the workforce over the long term. Byrne said a foreign national must have a job offer one that can not be filled by a person in the province. With this in mind, we asked several newcomers to Labrador to share their stories of settling into life in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. He admits boosting immigration by 50 per cent in the next five years will take a lot of work, but says the sense of community will draw immigrants to the province, especially to Labrador. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

monday bombing: Eleven other men between the ages of 18 and 44 also were in custody, according to Hamilton Spectator. Most of the searches and arrests since Monday night's bombing have been in multi-ethnic south Manchester, where Abedi the son of Libyan parents was born and raised. Greater Manchester Police said two men one 25 years old and the other 19 were arrested in the city on suspicion of terrorist offences. Police say that 1,000 people are working on the investigation, trying to track down Abedi's accomplices and piece together his movements in the days before he detonated a bomb at an Ariana Grande concert. Abedi died in the blast. The explosion killed 22 people including seven under 18 and injured more than 100. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parks day: On May 27-28, road cyclists from all over Atlantic Canada will meet at the park to compete in individual time trials, a criterium and a mass-start road race sanctioned by Bicycle Nova Scotia, according to The Chronicle Herald. June will have special events inside the park as well. They opened their gates on May 19 and are offering new programs in celebration of Canada 150 to help enable youth and newcomers experience the outdoors and learn about Canada's history and heritage. On National Aboriginal Day June 21, the park invites visitors to celebrate Mi'kmaw culture with Parks Canada interpreters and special guests by participating in tours, demonstrations and more. Later that month, for the first year, the park is holding Bio Blitz on Parks Day on July 15. And don't miss Canada Day in the park on July 1 when it will host the first Keji Tintamarre an Acadian tradition of marching and making noise with improvised instruments and noisemakers followed by a group campfire, lemonade and cupcakes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

water levels: Ashcroft RCMP say Cassidy's body was discovered late Saturday night by the Ashcroft fire department during their daily patrol of Cache Creek, near the washed-out bridge, according to CBC. Cassidy had been checking water levels at the creek located an hour west of Kamloops when he was last seen, ahead of several weeks of flooding in the Interior. Clayton Cassidy was reported missing after his vehicle was found near a washed-out bridge where he was last spotted on May 5. A golden saint of a man' He's just a golden saint of a man and everybody meets him wishes that they could be a little more like Clayton Cassidy, said Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta. Clayton was a friend of everybody in the community, he said. Ranta said Cassidy was a stalwart in the community who was loved by everybody for his service with the fire department, as a minor hockey coach and the way he would volunteer for anything that would be of assistance to his community members. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

water levels: Cassidy had been missing since May 5, following heavy rainfall and intense flooding, according to CTV. He was last known to be checking water levels in Cache Creek, and his vehicle was later found at the site. Around 10 30 p.m., the Ashcroft fire department alerted the RCMP that they found Cassidy's body in the creek while performing their daily patrol of the area. He was thought to have been swept away by the flood water, and was presumed dead after several days. Dan Moskaluk said the discovery appears to confirm that theory. RCMP Cpl. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian conservatives: For the first 12 rounds of counting Saturday night, the leader they were poised to elect was Maxime Bernier, a Quebec MP with a libertarian bent whose policy proposals included slaying sacred cows like supply management in agriculture and federal health care funding, according to Brandon Sun. Related caucus embraces Scheer as leader, presents united front to Liberals But in the end, the Tories couldn't bring themselves to do it, instead handing Andrew Scheer the keys to the Opposition leader's residence, giving him 50.95 per cent of the available points over Bernier's 49.05. For a time, it looked like Canadian conservatives were headed down a similar path. Scheer's campaign slogan was Scheer excitement, and there was no doubt in the aftermath of his win supporters were vibrating with just that. He's the kind of person the whole team can rally around. He just hit the right balance of values and experience and he was a very genuine person, said supporter Leslie Whicher. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

flood water: Saturday, during its daily patrol of Cache Creek, according to Brandon Sun. Cassidy had been missing since May 5, following heavy rainfall and intense flooding. Dan Moskaluk said the Ashcroft fire department found Clayton Cassidy's body in the water at about 10 30 p.m. He was last known to be checking water levels in Cache Creek, and his vehicle was later found at the site. Moskaluk said the discovery appears to confirm that theory. He was thought to have been swept away by the flood water, and was presumed dead after several days. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.