anti-tourism message: International arrivals and travel-related spending are up in 2017 compared with the same period in 2016, according to CTV. There might even be a Trump bump, says Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, a non-profit representing the travel industry. But those fears may have been premature. A few months ago, Dow and others warned that President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric and ban on travel from a handful of mostly Muslim countries could send an anti-tourism message. Right now we cannot identify a loss. But impending doom hasn't manifested itself, Dow said in an interview. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

army uniform: Rafeeq was eager as a teenager to translate for U.S. troops stationed in his hometown of Kirkuk in 2005, according to Toronto Star. He immigrated to Portland, Ore., to study seven years later, hoping to don an Army uniform after earning his graduate degree in civil engineering. State Department via Washington Post By Alex Horton The Washington Post Mon., July 17, 2017 Frustrated by delayed promises from the U.S. military for citizenship, and in fear of Daesh if he were deported back to Iraq, Ranj Rafeeq has given up the American Dream for a Canadian one. He signed an enlistment contract in January 2016, with a training date set in September. It was my dream to be a part of them, Rafeeq, now 29, said. I loved American soldiers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cases aren: The group's legal team, which consists of lawyers in Hong Kong and Montreal, accused Canadian officials of reversing a decision in April to expedite the refugee applications of the so-called Snowden's Guardian Angels, according to Toronto Star. They told reporters on Parliament Hill the asylum seekers would face possible arrest, torture or death if they are deported to their home countries of Sri Lanka and the Philippines, and are demanding an explanation from Ottawa about why the cases aren't being fast-tracked. Ballingall, Alex / For the Refugees By Alex Ballingall Ottawa Bureau Mon., July 17, 2017 OTTAWA A group of Hong Kong asylum seekers who sheltered the American surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013 is calling on the Canadian government to speed up their refugee applications in the face of concern they will be imminently detained, deported and separated from their children. The lawyers plan to submit a motion in Federal Court on Tuesday to force the government to hear their cases as soon as possible. He suggested the Justin Trudeau government, which has branded the country as a haven for refugees, is at risk of contradicting its own welcoming rhetoric. It's unacceptable, and it's immoral, said Marc-Andr S guin, one of the lawyers representing the four adults and three young children hoping to come to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cbc news: How Lyle Howe made race the centre of his disciplinary hearing Howe told CBC News he has mixed feelings about the panel's decision, according to CBC. I agree with some of the things that the panel said and I disagree with some of the things that the panel said, and I'm just going to need to digest it before I say anything further, Howe said in a phone interview hours after the 140-page decision was released. The decision, released late Monday afternoon, capped a hearing that took 60 days, spread over a year and a half. I'm really disappointed in Nova Scotia and part of that is identified or is acknowledged by the panel in terms of some of the issues that I was raising. He said the society's handling of his case breached his rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Howe, who is black, argued throughout the hearing that he was a victim of systemic racism and was often singled out for criticism because of his race. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cooking meals: This is a city of volunteers.'- John DeGrace An awful lot of people are pitching in, said DeGrace, according to CBC. For 7,000 refugees they have about 3,500 volunteers providing support to them. The area is safe from immediate fire risk at the moment, and thousands of people have arrived there after other areas were evacuated. So this is a city of volunteers, to be frank. He has been cooking meals to provide to the fire refugees. DeGrace said he has friends that have taken in a family of eight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

work: I think we reached agreement and a fairly shared common purpose on these issues, and I think we'll see some good work coming out of it, Notley told reporters, according to Metro News. She and the leaders of Canada's provinces and territories met with National Chief Robert Bertrand of Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, and Francyne Joe, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said work was done discussing issues such as the socioeconomic challenges for Indigenous women and the state of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Referring to the absentees, Notley said, Although we regret that they were not here today, we are fully committed to engaging with these leaders face-to-face around a common table. Earlier Monday, the heads of the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Metis National Council announced in Toronto they were boycotting the meeting to draw attention to their bid for full and meaningful inclusion in the larger annual gathering of provincial and territorial leaders known as the Council of the Federation. We are also steadfast in our resolve to making progress on issues that are critically important to Indigenous people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health care: The survey was conducted by the Hurun Research Institute, in association with Visas Consulting group, according to CTV. Countries were evaluated based on investment opportunities, immigration policy, property purchasing, personal tax rates, health care, visa-free travel and ease of adaptability. The survey results show Canada has surpassed the United Kingdom as the second-most popular foreign country to live in for Chinese individuals worth between 10 million to 200 million yuan 1.8 million - 37.3 million Canadian . Vancouver and Toronto were also among the most popular cities for investing, with Vancouver moving up to fifth spot and Toronto surging into eighth place in the annual survey rankings. The United States remains the most attractive country on the Hurun list, although results show its popularity has dipped since U.S. President Donald Trump took over the White House. The Hurun Report cited pollution and education as the leading reasons for Chinese millionaires to emigrate, along with fears that the yuan will continue to depreciate. Australia ranked fourth on the list, followed by Malta, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Antigua and Dominica. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

home countries: Faced with imminent deportation, the parents can be arrested at any time and separated from their minor children, he said, according to Globe and Mail. They will be imprisoned or even killed if returned to their home countries. Seguin was blunt during a news conference in Ottawa Monday about what could happen next if immediate action isn't taken. The seven refugee claimants, including three children, are being specifically targeted for deportation by Hong Kong authorities, said Simkin, who could only speculate on why. The families sheltered Snowden for two weeks in May 2013, at the request of Snowden's lawyer Robert Tibbo, after the whistleblower leaked classified information about the U.S. National Security Administration's mass surveillance practices to journalists and an American filmmaker. It seems like the families' connection to Snowden has made them radioactive and put them in a uniquely vulnerable situation, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nations afn: Bellegarde said there have been attempts to sideline and segregate the AFN from participation in intergovernmental tables, and limit and marginalize Indigenous involvement, according to CBC. We are not just another special interest group. Assembly of First Nations AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and M tis National Council President Cl ment Chartier told reporters in Toronto that the current format subjugates Indigenous issues, because they cannot participate in meetings as full members of the Council of the Federation with province-like powers to be at the table for all talks. An effective process for intergovernmental participation must reflect our status under the Constitution and international law as peoples and nations with inherent rights, title and jurisdiction, Bellegarde said. Bellegarde said there have been efforts by some provincial governments to block Indigenous groups from participating fully in climate change discussions, and health-care talks, for example. First Nations will not accept an exclusionary and disrespectful approach. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

order ottawa: Lawyer Michael Simkin says there are fears the families could be arrested any day, making it more difficult to have them resettled in Canada, according to CTV. The families, originally from Sri Lanka and the Philippines, have so far been denied asylum in Hong Kong, and launched appeals Monday to have deportation orders against them lifted. The lawyers have asked a Federal Court judge to order Ottawa to live up to it obligations to protect refugees, and process the families' claims immediately. They gained notoriety last year when their existence was revealed in Oliver Stone's film Snowden, and have since faced political persecution in Hong Kong, says lawyer Marc-Andre Seguin. The group said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen committed to expedite processing of the refugee application in early May, but that the Canadian consulate reported on July 7 that their files had not been fast-tracked. A Montreal-based not-for-profit, For the Refugees, filed to sponsor the families in January after raising funds from private donors to support them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parliament hill: Just days before the confidential Khadr settlement was leaked to the media -- no doubt by those very agencies responsible for his demonization and torture, from the Justice Department and Global Affairs to state security agencies CSIS and the RCMP -- armed agents of an acceptable Canada 150 message were arresting Indigenous people attempting to erect a teepee and conduct sacred ceremonies on the unceded, unsurrendered Algonquin territory that is illegally occupied by Parliament Hill, according to Rabble. Just as Indigenous people continue to be subjected to the ongoing continuum of racism that has always criminalized their ceremonies more appeared in court last week in Labrador facing criminal charges for conducting sacred ceremonies at the dreadful Muskrat Falls project Muslims in this country continue to face similar criminalization. Indeed, while the hundreds of millions of dollars poured into the sesquicentennial were ostensibly designed to create a space where diverse voices would be heard and celebrated although only at a surface level ultimate control of the message was directed by an unspoken but obvious white supremacy. They also face shadowy extralegal procedures that leave them in the limbo world of no-fly lists, incessant coercion to spy on their community, sudden closure of their bank accounts, listing of their charities as terrorist entities, infiltration of their mosques, indefinite detention, and deportation to torture. Indeed, C-51 was designed in part to address feelings of white fragility and its close cousin, spy fragility. And that's all before one factors in the newly legalized criminal acts authorized under C-51 that provide state security agencies free reign to abuse the human rights of anyone they deem suspect. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights obligations: Instead, it's a punishment for the misbehaviour of his country, Canada, toward one of its citizens, according to Toronto Star. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Canada actively participated in a process contrary to its international human rights obligations and contributed to K's ongoing detention so as to deprive him of his right to liberty and security of the person, guaranteed by s. 7 of the Charter, not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. The payout to Khadr is not a reward for his behaviour. Canada contravened the legal rights of one of its citizens and as such should compensate him for the injustice done to him. It's not about Khadr it's about us. The court's penalty is a legal victory for law and order and should be acknowledged as such by every citizen, liberals and conservatives alike because one day, this rule of law might be applied to them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

robert bertrand: AFN chief on why some Indigenous groups won't meet with premiers The Canadian Press I think we reached agreement and a fairly shared common purpose on these issues, and I think we'll see some good work coming out of it, Notley told reporters, according to Globe and Mail. She and the leaders of Canada's provinces and territories met with National Chief Robert Bertrand of Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, and Francyne Joe, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said work was done discussing issues such as the socioeconomic challenges for Indigenous women and the state of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Referring to the absentees, Notley said, Although we regret that they were not here today, we are fully committed to engaging with these leaders face-to-face around a common table. Earlier Monday, the heads of the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Metis National Council announced in Toronto they were boycotting the meeting to draw attention to their bid for full and meaningful inclusion in the larger annual gathering of provincial and territorial leaders known as the Council of the Federation. We are also steadfast in our resolve to making progress on issues that are critically important to Indigenous people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

skateboarding: He also learned he likes riding ramps more than flat ground, because he can go down them and go super far, with speed, effortlessly, according to Metro News. Ramps may be scary to some new skaters, but not Spencer. It's fun, said the boy, beaming, at The Forks Skatepark on Monday. Because I'm brave, he said. Participants just need a helmet and signed waiver to try skating for the first time with instruction and supervision. He may have known he was brave before Monday he said so very matter-of-factly but the rest of it was new to him, all thanks to a newly launched free skateboarding lessons being offered at The Forks Skatepark by the not-for-profit Winnipeg Skateboarding Outreach Organization WSOO . Beginning this week and running daily at 10 30 a.m. until August 18, the lessons hosted in conjunction with Sk8 Skates are not only free, but also make skateboards available for use. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

york park: A corrected version of the story is below 3 men indicted in New York massacre by violent street gang Federal prosecutors have quietly unsealed an indictment saying three members of the MS-13 street gang were among those responsible for the April massacre of four young men found hacked to death in a Long Island park By FRANK ELTMAN Associated Press Three alleged members of the MS-13 street gang have been charged in the murders of four young men found hacked to death in a New York park in April, according to an indictment that was quietly unsealed Monday, according to The Chronicle Herald. The three suspects were arraigned Thursday in U.S. District Court on Long Island, according to the attorney for one of the men. He is Omar Antonio Villalta, not Villata. Their next court appearance is likely in September. Attorneys for Ortiz-Flores and Hernandez declined to comment; the name of Villalta's attorney was not immediately available. The indictment identified the defendants in the Long Island case as Alexis Hernandez, Santis Leonel Ortiz-Flores and Omar Antonio Villalta. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

certification program: Four of those counties along with six others not in the certification program allow federal agents to stash detained immigrants in their jails, the Austin American-Statesman reported Sunday, according to Metro News. At least 16 counties nationwide participate in both programs. Eight counties have joined a federal program that allows sheriff's deputies to become certified immigration officers. Lubbock County recently started having deputies certified as immigration officers under a program named 287 g for the law that created it. With federal pressure on illegal immigration growing, immigrant advocates worry that more counties will act to participate in both programs. It also collects 65 daily per immigrant it houses after detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

focus: The report, based on questions posed to a half dozen focus group sessions in mid-January, found there was a widespread impression among participants that Canada's broadcasters have improved their portrayal of certain segments of the population in their programming, according to CTV. But near equal numbers indicated that, compared with visible minorities, women and members of the LGBTQ community, they saw fewer TV shows portraying Indigenous people and the disabled. The findings were provided to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in March, shortly before Heritage Minister Melanie Joly launched public consultations to examine how the federal government could support the creation of Canadian content, but were only released last week on the government's public opinion and polling database. Research firm Phoenix SPI, which conducted the focus groups in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax, stressed that the views of participants could not be extrapolated to represent the beliefs of Canada's overall population. Participants were asked to rate their level of agreement or disagreement with the statement Canadian television is becoming a mirror in which all Canadians can see themselves. Rather, the findings were a snapshot of how specific groups of people from divergent backgrounds saw themselves reflected in the broadcasting system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ms: Supplied photo By Joseph Hall News reporter Sun., July 16, 2017 Ms, according to Toronto Star. Sheila Michaels died last month at the age of 78. The now-ubiquitous Ms. that Michaels helped popularize was meant to replace the sexist Miss. and Mrs. honorifics. Is the two-letter honorific she helped to popularize in the 1970s a decade of feminist ferment soon to follow Quite possibly as are Miss and Mrs., the sexist honorifics that Ms. was meant to replace. Use of the common honorifics has declined over recent decades as issues of gender equality and identity have risen, says Sali Tagliamonte, a University of Toronto linguist. Oh, and Mr., you're likely on your way out, too. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

queen pageant: It was definitely a homecoming, according to CBC. We have such a large family that has left the community, but they remember to come back, organizer Michelle Cain said on Sunday. This weekend one of Canada's oldest black communities celebrated the 10th annual North Preston Day with a parade, fireworks and a king and queen pageant. The community is my everything. Eight-year-old Rion Smith, left, and Audrina Borden, 10, said they love that everyone in North Preston is family. It's my beginning, my present and my future. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee hearing: I'm safe here but they are not, he says, according to Toronto Star. Rick Madonik / Toronto Star By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Sun., July 16, 2017 Hafiz Fiaz Ahmad left behind his family and fled repeated threats from religious extremists in Pakistan to seek asylum in Canada in March. In the mean time the Pakistan native is separated from his family. The 37-year-old native of Lahore was quickly scheduled for a refugee hearing on June 21. I was prepared. However, a week before the proceedings, he received a letter from the Immigration and Refugee Board informing him that his hearing was cancelled because his security clearance by border officials was still pending. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

richard balmforth: A scuffle broke out and two senators were slightly injured, according to Globe and Mail. Gentiloni said the law, which would require one or both parents to have a long-term residence permit before they could apply for citizenship, was just . I remain personally committed, as does the government, to approving it in the autumn, he said. Opponents proposed some 48,000 amendments to the citizenship law by the time it reached the Senate for discussion in June, more than 1-1/2 years after it was approved in the lower house. Reporting by Massimiliano Di Giorgio; Writing by Isla Binnie; Editing by Richard Balmforth This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rutgers university: Cisgendered describes people whose gender identity matches their birth sex, according to Toronto Star. Mott, a professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and Cockayne, who teaches at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, argued that scholars or researchers disproportionately cite the work of white men, thereby unfairly adding credence to the body of knowledge they offer while ignoring the voices of other groups, like women and Black male academics. Geographers Carrie Mott and Daniel Cockayne argued in a recent paper that doing so also perpetuates what they call white heteromasculinism, which they defined as a system of oppression that benefits only those who are white, male, able-bodied, economically privileged, heterosexual, and cisgendered. Although citation seems like a mundane practice, the feminist professors argue that citing someone's work has implications on his or her ability to be hired, get promoted and obtain tenured status, among others. Mott and Cockayne did not immediately respond to questions from The Washington Post, but Mott told Campus Reform last week that they decided to write about citation practices after observing that research done by white men are relied upon more heavily than those done by experts from other backgrounds. react-empty 155 Work done by women and other minorities have often been overlooked by their peers, hindering their professional advancement and depriving disciplines of diverse perspectives, she argued. Read more Toronto neuroscientist tackling science, sex and sexism in women's health Article Continued Below Toronto women on the future of feminism This important research has drawn direct attention to the continued underrepresentation and marginalization of women, people of colour . . . To cite narrowly, to only cite white men . . . or to only cite established scholars, does a disservice not only to researchers and writers who are othered by white heteromasculinism . . . they wrote in the paper published recently in the journal Gender, Place and Culture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

edmonton mother: I said 'Maybe I cannot come again to my country,' the woman told CBC News, fighting back tears, according to CBC. And it happened we didn't come back to Turkey. One young mother who fled Turkey for Edmonton a year ago recalled the last moments with her husband, and her chilling prediction. Maybe I cannot come again to my country.'- Edmonton mother who fled Turkey The woman left Istanbul and arrived in Edmonton in the spring, via the U.S. A travel ban imposed by Turkish authorities prevented her husband, who had been in and out of detention, from joining them. CBC News is not revealing their identities or certain details due to their fear of reprisals. He escaped to Greece shortly afterward. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government study: The head of an organization for descendants of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study said the money could help fund college scholarships the group provides, and members would like to develop a memorial garden dedicated to the men, according to Metro News. Some of the funds also could go to a county-owned museum located in Tuskegee that has separately requested the funds, but the decision should be up to the descendants, said Lillie Tyson Head, president of the Voices of our Fathers Legacy Foundation. Descendants of hundreds of black men who were left untreated for syphilis during an infamous government study want a judge to give them any money remaining from a 9 million legal settlement over the program. It was meant to go to the descendants in the first place, Head, who lives in Virginia, said in an interview Friday. Fred Gray, an attorney who heads the museum and represented study participants in the lawsuit, said he had not seen the group's letter and declined comment on the request. The Voices group has sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson asking him to withhold a decision on the money until they have time to hire a lawyer and file documents in the long-running, class-action lawsuit over the study. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hatem mcdadi: Those countries are as varied as Montenegro, Israel, Serbia, Russia, Kenya, Cameroon, Poland, Czech Republic, the United States and Spain, according to Globe and Mail. And that doesn't include 16-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who wasn't at Wimbledon and learned the game from his father, who's from Togo. Of the 13 Canadians competing, all but one Bouchard have a direct parental connection to another country. Tennis is, for sure, very international and many of the European, Asian and South American countries have a great culture of tennis, said Hatem McDadi, senior vice-president of tennis development at Tennis Canada. Indeed, studies show that when it comes to sports, new Canadians tend to gravitate to activities they knew best in their homelands. There's an affinity, a love for tennis, from many new Canadians. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant activists: He's been granted a number of temporary reprieves while pursuing legal options, according to Metro News. His case has become a flashpoint for local labour and immigrant activists opposed to President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. Rodriguez has been in the U.S. since 2006 and was denied asylum in 2011. The Republican president says he wants to keep the country safe. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey and Rep. Democratic U.S. Sens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.