refugee claimants: Steve Russell / Toronto Star By Ainslie Cruickshank Staff Reporter Sun., July 23, 2017 The year Sebastian Commock spent waiting for his refugee hearing was the most agonizing, frustrating year of his life, according to Toronto Star. I'm still not fully recovered from that year, and that was just one year, he said. He has started an advocacy group to help support refugee claimants who have waited years to have their claims heard. With his own experience of being in limbo behind him, Commock has turned his attention to refugee claimants who've been waiting five years or in some cases more for hearings to decide whether they can remain in Canada. Their claims were filed before Dec. 15, 2012, which means they aren't subject to tighter timelines established by the former Conservative government. As of March, there were 5,514 so-called legacy refugee claimants whose cases haven't been decided. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ryan remiorz: Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO By Gail Vaz-Oxlade Special to the Star Mon., July 24, 2017 According to the Stats Man, the average Canadian will spend 420 a month on food in 2017, according to Toronto Star. This is one of the biggest categories in most families' budgets. Too little time and you'll be all stressed out and less likely to miss best-by dates. And it's one that can jump even higher if you don't watch your spending carefully. Discount supermarket shopping can knock 15-30 per cent off the cost of a basket of groceries. Some choices seem obvious; others, not so much.1 Shop in a less-expensive stores. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state courthouses: One of the state's police associations said the ruling applied to all state law-enforcement officials, according to Metro News. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that remaining in the U.S. when subject to deportation is a civil infraction, not a criminal one. The Supreme Judicial Court opinion applied specifically to officers who provide security in state courthouses, but the ruling also suggested that no Massachusetts police officer has the legal standing to comply with such federal requests. In its unanimous decision Monday, the Supreme Judicial Court pointed out there is no state law that provides authority for Massachusetts court officers to arrest and hold an individual solely on the basis of a federal civil immigration detainer beyond the time that individual would otherwise be entitled to a release from state custody. The decision is a major setback to the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration enforcement, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said. Conspicuously absent from our common law is any authority in the absence of a statute for police officers to arrest generally for civil matters, let alone authority to arrest specifically for federal civil immigration matters, the court wrote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trucking taxes: The IRS and others who say the company owes them money have often found no assets available to garnish, according to CTV. The company and its driver insist they know nothing about how dozens of immigrants became packed inside the trailer of its 18-wheeler, which was found parked in the searing heat outside a San Antonio Walmart over the weekend. Pyle Transportation Inc. failed to pay federal employment and trucking taxes for years, faced lawsuits from Iowa labour regulators over unpaid wages owed to drivers and has been ordered to pay major penalties for violations of federal safety rules, records show. Ten of those passengers died and more than 15 others were hospitalized with extreme dehydration, with one passenger telling investigators people were taking turns breathing from a hole inside the trailer. I'm absolutely sorry it happened. Pyle Transportation owner Brian Pyle denied knowledge of any human smuggling and expressed shock and bewilderment over how so many people could have been crammed into a trailer that had his name on it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

youth: Ever since, Otilla's wanted to continue in leadership roles, according to CBC. That's why after moving to Saint John with her parents and her sister a month ago, Otilla, who's 15 years old and going into Grade 10, applied to a new program for immigrant youth called Imagine NB. This New Brunswick Multicultural Council program is a two-year, bilingual leadership accelerator for immigrants 15 to 17 years old who are in high school. Making her classmates listen to her was the toughest thing she's done so far, but she said in the end, it was worth it. The program could help encourage more youth like me to embrace the differences we have, said Otilla. Arianne Melara, the program manager of Imagine NB, said New Brunswick needs more role models for immigrant youth. It will help youth improve skills like understanding and optimism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

charles hood: One later died at a hospital, according to Metro News. San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said Saturday that the trailer didn't have a working air conditioning system and the victims were very hot to the touch. Authorities said they found more than three dozen people, including nine who were dead, in the truck's trailer after an employee at the San Antonio Walmart where it was parked overnight called the police. Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told The Associated Press that based on initial interviews with survivors, there may have been more than 100 people in the truck at one point, including some who were picked up by other vehicles or who fled. function set Cookie related path / ; Related Immigrants wept, pleaded for water and pounded on the truck This and other tragic instances of human smuggling, including a 2003 case in Victoria, Texas, in which 19 immigrants died, highlight the dangers that extreme heat poses to would-be TRAILERWith a high of 101 degrees 38 Celsius in San Antonio on Saturday, the temperature inside a parked car would have reached 120 degrees 49 Celsius in 10 minutes, said Jan Null, a meteorology professor at San Jose State University who tracks U.S. child deaths in vehicles on his website www. Within 20 minutes, the temperature would have risen to 130 degrees 54 Celsius . The lack of windows on the trailer in San Antonio may have reduced the temperature inside by a couple degrees because of the lack of direct sunlight, but the heat and moisture from the bodies of everyone inside would have added heat and humidity. NoHeat Stroke.org. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship exam: The working copy obtained by The Canadian Press suggests the federal government has completely overhauled the book used by prospective Canadians to prepare for the test, according to Toronto Star. The current Discover Canada guide dates back to 2011 when the previous Conservative government did its own overhaul designed to provide more information on Canadian values and history. Adina Bresge / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Sun., July 23, 2017 OTTAWA Respecting treaties with Indigenous Peoples, paying taxes and filling out the census are listed as mandatory obligations of Canadian citizenship in a draft version of a new study guide for the citizenship exam. Some of the Conservatives' insertions attracted controversy, including increased detail about the War of 1812 and a warning that certain barbaric cultural practices, such as honour killings and female genital mutilation, are crimes in Canada. But although work has been underway for over a year, there's no date set for publication of a final version. Getting rid of both those elements was what former Liberal Immigration Minister John McCallum had in mind when he said early in 2016 that the book was up for a rewrite. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

day journey: It's been quite a change, according to CTV. After her ordeal -- she was stuck for a week in Hungary as part of her 25-day journey to Germany -- Mardini wasn't exactly looking forward to coming back to the Hungarian capital. Now they protect the 19-year-old swimmer as an Olympic athlete competing at the world championships. I hated the country, I hated the people. It was bad. I said, 'I'm gonna come back one day, rich, a normal person, and then I can also enter as a normal person.' Because I was broken-hearted, Mardini told The Associated Press in an interview on Sunday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

graham hughes: Indeed, because Quebec has not yet signed the Constitution, one must realize that the Quebec nation is still not officially part of a federation in which even the most federalist Quebecers feel exiled, according to Toronto Star. This is why Premier Philippe Couillard rightly took advantage of this historic opportunity to embark on a wide-ranging dialogue on Quebec's place within Canada. Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS By Fabrice Rivault Sun., July 23, 2017 As Canadians celebrate the 150th birthday of their federation, Quebecers find it difficult to commemorate with the same enthusiasm as their compatriots in the rest of the country. Surely, one man alone will never be able to impose his views on the future of Quebec and that of the other provinces. But as we saw during this week's annual meeting of the premiers, it won't stop this important discussion from taking place. In that sense, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's immediate dismissal of the idea was quite regrettable. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

guide breaks: Voluntary responsibilities are listed as respecting the human rights of others, understanding official bilingualism and participating in the political process, according to Globe and Mail. Obeying the law, serving on a jury, paying taxes, filling out the census and respecting treaties with Indigenous Peoples are mandatory. Instead, the proposed new guide breaks down the responsibilities of citizenship into two categories voluntary and mandatory. Today, Canadians, for example, can own their own homes and buy land thanks to treaties that the government negotiated, the draft version says. They are agreements of honour. Every Canadian has responsibilities under those treaties as well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

halifax pride: I think it is a great message to the rest of Canada and actually to the rest of the world that our leader embraces pride and embraces the LGBTQ community in Halifax, said Leblanc, according to The Chronicle Herald. I think it's wonderful. And she was thrilled to see Halifax Pride Festival garner such high-power support after 30 years. But one year after Trudeau became the first Canadian Prime Minister to march in the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver pride festivals, some LGBTQ activists say that his presence overshadows that of others, such as ethnic minorities. For Leblanc however, Halifax Pride retained a simpler meaning. However, leading the Halifax Pride Festival parade was the Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance, representing LGBTQ First Nations people from across Atlantic Canada, another pride first for Nova Scotia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

honour killings: The current Discover Canada guide dates back to 2011 when the previous Conservative government did its own overhaul designed to provide more information on Canadian values and history, according to CTV. Some of the Conservatives' insertions attracted controversy, including increased detail about the War of 1812 and a warning that certain barbaric cultural practices, such as honour killings and female genital mutilation, are crimes in Canada. The working copy obtained by The Canadian Press suggests the federal government has completely overhauled the book used by prospective Canadians to prepare for the test. Getting rid of both those elements was what former Liberal Immigration Minister John McCallum had in mind when he said early in 2016 that the book was up for a rewrite. In the draft version, the reference to barbaric cultural practices is gone, as is the inclusion of getting a job as one of the responsibilities of citizenship. But although work has been underway for over a year, there's no date set for publication of a final version. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

deflategate suspension: Not Tom Brady finally serving his four-game Deflategate suspension to begin season, according to Metro News. Not Rob Gronkowski's season-ending back surgery in December. Nothing stopped New England in 2017. Not even its 28-3 Super Bowl deficit to Atlanta, which it overcame to complete largest comeback in Super Bowl history and capture franchise's fifth ring. Brady continued to defy his age at 39 to throw 28 TDs and just two INTs. Lots of things went right along way. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dwight freeney: Offensive co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan, whose play-calling chemistry with QB Matt Ryan was crucial to big season, left to become San Francisco's coach, according to Metro News. Steve Sarkasian was hired as offensive co-ordinator and Marquand Manuel was promoted to defensive co-ordinator . DT Dontari Poe, DE Jack Crawford, FB Derrick Coleman, WR Andre Roberts, rookie DE Takkarist McKinley, Sarkasian. Collapse left Falcons still seeking first NFL championship. DT Jonathan Babineaux, OG Chris Chester, FB Patrick DiMarco, TE Jacob Tamme, LB Paul Worrilow, DE Dwight Freeney, WR Eric Weems, SS Dashon Goldson, LB Philip Wheeler. Uncertainty about McKinley's status grew when he missed minicamp due to NFL rule that forced him to complete academic year at UCLA, where he continued rehabilitation. Team hopes first-round pick McKinley has recovered from off-season shoulder surgery. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government website: Nationally, the RCMP intercepted 884 people who crossed into Canada between regular ports of entry in June, up from 742 the month before, says the report posted on a government website, according to CTV. Of that total, 781 were caught in Quebec, compared to 576 the previous month. The federal government data, including preliminary figures for June, show a drop in the number of people being apprehended in Manitoba, but a major increase in Quebec. In Manitoba on the other hand, 63 people were apprehended, down from 106 the month before. The report listed 39 interceptions in British Columbia in June, just one in Alberta and none in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Ontario. While the total number of irregular border crossers in June is in line with recent months, there has been a pronounced shift in the entry location; the reductions seen in Manitoba have been accompanied by increases in Quebec, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale's office acknowledged in a statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

home: But some parents worry that these new ways of playing mean their children are losing touch with their family's cultural heritage, according to CBC. Omar Chab is from the Berber community in Algeria but moved away when he was in his early twenties. For kids from immigrant families who are settling in Canada, play can be a way to fit in and adapt to a new home. He has strong memories of how he grew up playing in Algeria with his five brothers and three sisters. By the time you come back at six o'clock, you feel like the days are so long and unfinished. We were not allowed to come home, we had to go outside and play all day, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lesean mccoy-led: Coach Rex Ryan failed to deliver on vow to build bully and address high-priced under-performing defence leaving owner Terry Pegula little choice but to fire him in final week of season, according to Metro News. Sean McDermott was hired to replace Ryan, then GM Brandon Beane was hired to replace Doug Whaley, who was fired in April. John Fisher College, Pittsford, New York. Lost four of final five games, extending playoff drought to 17 seasons longest active streak in North America's four professional sports. LeSean McCoy-led running attack paced NFL in yards rushing for second consecutive season. Defence allowed 240-plus yards rushing three times; generated combined six turnovers in final nine games; and allowed 29 straight points in final 20 minutes of 38-24 loss to Oakland on Dec. 4. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

perry: CTV News Toronto By Laura Howells Staff Reporter Fri., July 21, 2017 As the sun set on C. W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute, a tearful crowd mourned a life cut short, sharing hugs and lighting candles in memory of Jeremiah Perry, the 15-year-old boy who died too soon, according to Toronto Star. Around 100 classmates, school staff and community members joined his parents and siblings at the Friday night vigil on the grounds of the school where Perry had been a Grade 9 student. Laura Howells / Toronto Star Order this photo Fifteen-year-old Jeremiah Perry, a student at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute, is seen in a photo provided by his family. His family gathered at the front of the crowd, embracing and lighting candles to remember the young teenager who died on what was supposed to be a harmless outdoor class trip. Our family is short one of our beloved children. Jeremiah's life was too short, said Jocelyn Anderson, Perry's aunt, speaking through tears on behalf of the family. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tournament: AT. On the day, he shot 4-under 66, according to CBC. The tournament is being held at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Austin Connelly, 20, has dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship and was 5-under par for the tournament after his round Saturday, good enough to sit in a tie for third place, as of 3 40 p.m. Connelly finished the third round in dramatic fashion, making a birdie on the 18th hole. For more videos visit https //t.co/Y0Ljiq6Hze. Birdie finish! austinconnelly9 finishes on -5. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

winnipeg: She and her four other sons escaped to Winnipeg in February, according to CTV. An image of Emad surfaced online last week, showing the boy dazed, emaciated and covered in dust. An Islamic State attack in August 2014 separated Nofa Mihlo Zaghla from two of her sons and her husband. Later, a video emerged showing Emad pleading to come to Canada. I didn't think he would make it out alive, she said. Zaghla told CTV Winnipeg through a Kurdish translator Friday that she was so surprised when she saw her son that she couldn't breathe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abigail hauslohner: Astrid Galvan / The Associated Press By Abigail Hauslohner The The Washington Post Fri., July 21, 2017 There weren't a ton of people commenting on U.S. Senate hopeful Deedra Abboud's campaign Facebook page before Tuesday, according to Toronto Star. Then Abboud, a little-known candidate in Arizona's 2018 Democratic primary, posted a short tribute to the Founding Fathers, religious freedom and the separation of church and state and the flood gates opened. Jeff Flake the person whose seat she is trying to take after people online bombarded her with attacks on her Muslim faith. Sorry no room for Muslims in our government, wrote Chris Siemers. Abboud, a liberal 45-year-old attorney and first-time political candidate, might be a long shot in red-state Arizona. Towel headed piece of expletive wrote Brian Zappa. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian officials: Filipps says all Yazidi cases are being expedited, according to Metro News. She says the government is working with partners in the region to identify vulnerable Yazidi women and children. Immigration spokeswoman Lisa Filipps tells CTV Winnipeg in a statement that the department is aware of the case of Nofa Mihlo Zaghla and her son, Emad, and is acting accordingly. The Yazidi Association of Manitoba, the Kurdish Initiative for Refugees and Winnipeg Friends of Israel went public with the story this week in an effort to get Canadian officials to act quickly to bring the boy to Canada. The United Nations has called for countries around the world to accelerate the asylum applications of Yazidi victims of genocide. The Yazidi are a Kurdish minority which practise an ancient faith and have been persecuted by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant also known as Daesh, ISIL or ISIS for their religious beliefs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

june: In Quebec, however, there were 781 illegal crossings in June compared with 576 the previous month, according to CBC. It was the largest number of illegal crossings in that province since January. Most notably, the number of illegal border crossings went down in Manitoba and British Columbia from 106 and 60 in May to 63 and 39 respectively in June. While the total number of irregular border crossers in June is in line with recent months, there has been a pronounced shift in the entry location; the reductions seen in Manitoba have been accompanied by increases in Quebec, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a statement. 5 things to know about illegal border crossings into Canada No plans to change refugee target in wake of U.S. travel ban Should Liberals let asylum seekers from U.S. enter at border crossings In the first six months of the year, there were 4,345 illegal border crossings to Canada, with the vast majority, 3,350, occurring in Quebec, followed by 646 in Manitoba and 332 in B.C. New Brunswick has had only had one case all year, Alberta two and Saskatchewan 14. Safe Third Party Agreement Asylum seekers are crossing the border illegally to avoid being ensnared in the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, which only applies to those trying to enter at official land border crossings, by train or at airports Under the agreement, refugee claimants are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, unless they qualify for an exception spelled out in the agreement. Canadian authorities are continuing to effectively manage the arrival of asylum seekers, applying our laws and procedures to keep Canadians safe while fully respecting all of our international obligations, Goodale said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

child: A semi-autobiographical novel of a M tis mother's grief for her son, Winter Child shifts between first- and third-person, a device that allows the mother to narrate her loss from both within and outside herself, according to Globe and Mail. The winter child's early death seems fated from birth. Visual artist and writer Virginia P s map o Bordeleau, who is of Cree origin, has published several significant works of French Indigenous writing Ourse bleue; De rouge et de blanc . Winter Child, however, is her first book translated into English. Yet Winter Child isn't fatalistic; instead, its logic is of lineage, as much about the mother's relation to her father as to her son. May more French Indigenous writing find its way into English. How is she to live past the death of her child Both raw and poetic, P s map o Bordeleau's novel is ultimately about healing and continuance, through dreams, ceremony and the partner who is meant for the time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bags: He looked in the college dorms where the six teens -- ages 16 to 18 -- had been staying, according to CTV. Their bags were packed and gone. As the competition was finishing Tuesday, their chaperone discovered his kids were missing. Officers swept through DAR Constitution Hall. Police now say that two of the six were seen crossing into Canada, and they don't suspect foul play with any of them. They were nowhere to be found. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

container: The stowaways arrived in the Port of Montreal in a container that came off a Hong Kong-flagged ship that had last visited Hamburg, Germany. 4 stowaways found alive in shipping container at Port of Montreal Where it may have been before then, and at which port of call the men came aboard, is still unknown, according to CBC. I guess it was just a matter of time before people were desperate enough to actually try this again, Taillefer said. The four men, who are believed to be in their 30s and 40s, were taken to hospital and treated for heat stroke and dehydration. In a way, it's not more different than what we've seen at the border in the past few months. The men were found by a Port of Montreal container checker after they made noise and stuck a white flag out of the shipping container. It's just much more dangerous, he added. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.