favourite song: How do you celebrate a great performance Sleep The best place in Toronto to enjoy winter weather is ... It used to be DAIS, now its the homie Omar's Car, according to NOW Magazine. What's the last performance/concert you saw Jay-z and Vic Mensa. Expand What's your favourite song at the moment Feels by Snoh Allegra. Name one other New Constellations artist you think audiences should see during this nationwide tour. Describe the best gig you've ever Constellations will bring together a lineup of Canada's Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. Lido Pimienta, A Tribe Called Red, Snotty Nose Rez Kids. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

visit canada: Even when a visa is required, it's usually easy to get, according to NOW Magazine. The distinctive maple leaf on a Canadian passport is often greeted with a smile and a handshake. Out of the world's 195 countries, Canadians can travel to 172 of them without a visa. So it often comes as a surprise when friends or relatives who wish to visit Canada are refused visitor visas and denied entry. Visiting Canada is made all the more difficult by the fact that the official government guide for would-be visitors does very little to inform applicants about what is needed for a strong visa application. The reality is that while the rest of the world looks upon Canadians with warm and welcoming eyes, Canadian immigration authorities scrutinize those coming from abroad with an unexpected degree of doubt, suspicion and skepticism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bank transaction: First, there was the trading company that required he pay high-priced rent of 1,500 for a small apartment belonging to the firm's owner, largely using up his 2,000 salary, he says, drawing arrows back and forth on the page, according to Toronto Star. He shows each bank transaction for the payments on his smart phone. He is explaining life as an employee at two businesses set up under P.E.I.'s controversial business immigration system. Then, there was the more recent job at a service firm, where the owner asked him to return about 500 monthly of his salary, he added, drawing a circle around the two hours a day, to emphasize what he'd be returning in cash. I felt angry about that. Article Continued Below When I refused, they just fired me, he said during an interview. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

death certificate: That was just weeks before the final paperwork was finalized and approved to sponsor his Belgian spouse, Sophie Thewys, and her son Louis Pollack as permanent residents in Canada, according to CBC. But when his death certificate was added to the file, the approval for Thewys's permanent residence was rescinded, even though the couple had a six-year-old daughter born in Canada. Nicolas Faubert was killed Dec. 24, 2016, in a tragic accident, when his elderly mother struck him when she accelerated her vehicle instead of putting on the brakes. Canada to bring in 1 million immigrants in 3 years Liberals to scrap policy that bars sick, disabled immigrants More flexible citizenship rules kick in An e-petition sponsored by Quebec NDP MP Matthew Dub tabled earlier this year called withdrawing permanent residence status under these circumstances cruel. The nearly 1,794 signatories urged Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen to use discretionary power to grant Thewys and her son permanent residency. Forcing them to leave Canada would greatly harm the child, it read. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border dispute: A long-standing border dispute and an increased military presence in the regions triggered the recent fighting, according to Toronto Star. Officials agreed to reconcile differences in April and troops were deployed to major roads, but clashes have continued. Spokesperson Negeri Lenco says 98 people were arrested in the Oromia region and five arrested in the Somali region. Fighting in September killed several dozen people and displaced tens of thousands of Oromos. Many people fled to the forest after troops . . . entered the area. People were fighting with whatever means they have against the Somali special police, Galagalo Daalacha, an ethnic Oromo, told The Associated Press of Friday's fighting in the Borana area. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: Educated as a civil engineer and fluent in both English and French, he found adapting to life in his new city less strenuous than many who fled the violence back home for a new start in Canada, according to CTV. It was somehow easy for me to integrate, but for others it might be harder with languages and with finding jobs, he told CTV Montreal on Saturday. Jad Chanko, 25, was among the more than 40,000 Syrians who resettled in Canada under the Liberal government's 2015 promise to help those impacted by the country's civil war. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not track a number of key metrics on Syrian refugee settlement between fall 2015 and the spring of this year, according to the federal auditor general's 2017 fall report. Chanko said high unemployment is one of many challenges his fellow refugees face when they arrive in Canada. The missing markers include the number of children attending school and how many received income assistance. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dominican man: One mural features a Russian couple who founded a local liquor store empire with a Dominican man who owns an electronic repair store, according to Metro News. Another depicts an Italian catering company owner and a Mexican community activist. The murals, which began cropping up this summer, juxtapose real life Boston immigrants from past generations with more recent newcomers. The works of art also include a quote translated into Spanish, Italian, Yiddish and other languages You will always be welcome in the city of Boston. It makes people feel safe and appreciated. It's a very powerful message of welcome, says Veronica Robles, the recent Mexican immigrant featured in one of the murals. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

face deportation: They face deportation to South Korea a place that Jo said is hostile to North Korean nationals, according to Toronto Star. Part of the issue identified in the Oct. 30 letter that Jo and her husband, Myungchul Kang, received is this the South Korean government automatically grants North Koreans citizenship. Instead, she and as many as 50 other North Korean families residing across the GTA recently received letters from the federal Immigration Department informing them that their requests for permanent residency are poised to be revoked. Canada recognizes South Korea as a safe haven for refugees. They told refugee board officials they'd travelled directly from China when, in fact, they'd lived for several years in South Korea. Another issue Jo admitted at a Saturday news conference with other affected families that she and her husband weren't truthful when they arrived in Toronto as asylum seekers in 2010. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

father work: My mother and father work 12-hour shifts and still sometimes we don't get enough food at home to last us a week, said Modi, a Fargo North High School senior who plans to study music and theatre in college next year, according to Metro News. She and a group of other students, most from poor refugee families, spent the Thursday before Thanksgiving handing out turkey and cranberries to the hungry of Fargo, which welcomed their arrival from places such as Nepal, Sudan and Liberia. She and her seven siblings know what it is like to be hungry. The students, nearly all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches, recently opened a food pantry as part of the Legacy Children's Foundation, a non-profit that helps them earn diplomas while finding out what they're good at doing. There are people on the street there who are eating from garbage. I come from a little, poor country, said Fargo North sophomore Puja Chhertri, one of the food pantry organizers whose family emigrated from Nepal. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

league game: Supporters of soccer club PAOK, based in the northern city of Thessaloniki, had gathered early Sunday afternoon in Omonia Square, in the Athens centre, before a league game against Panionios, according to The Chronicle Herald. At the same time, a procession of Pakistanis celebrating the Mawlid, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, passed through the same square. Police say there have been no serious injuries and no arrests. The PAOK fans began taunting and insulting them and soon after assaulted them. Source Source The Associated Press Riot police, responsible for escorting the fans to the game's venue, intervened and the clashes ended after a few minutes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

newcomer background: Together with the Ottawa Public Library and Capital Welcomes, Sakhniya will draw up a list of easy-to-read books and short stories aimed at young newcomers aged 10 to 15, and challenge them to read as much as they can, according to CBC. The goal, he said, is to foster a love of reading and encourage English literacy skills. Now, after moving to Canada in April 2016, Sakhniya has won a 1,000 grant from Awesome Ottawa for a new literacy project called Newcomer Reads. Coming from a newcomer background, I've seen that many of our youth are not too involved in reading books, and it's really something that makes my heart a bit broken, he said. Syrian children find comfort in numbers at Ottawa elementary school Syrian refugees clean Ottawa park to say thank you to community that welcomed them Sakhniya said as a child, reading wasn't a big part of his life. It's something I really want to change. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

riot police: Supporters of soccer club PAOK, based in the northern city of Thessaloniki, had gathered early Sunday afternoon in Omonia Square, in the Athens centre before a league game against Panionios, according to Metro News. At the same time, a procession of Pakistanis celebrating the Mawlid, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, passed through the same square. Police say there have been no serious injuries and no arrests. The PAOK fans began taunting and insulting them and soon after assaulted them. Riot police, responsible for escorting the fans to the game's venue, intervened and the clashes ended after a few minutes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syria crisis: Today that number has dropped significantly and organizations like Refugee 613 are trying to remind Ottawa that, while the Syria crisis is no longer top of mind, there's still a need for refugee sponsorships of Syrians and people in need from other parts of the world, according to CBC. We want to make sure sponsorship becomes embedded as a regular part of community life'- Louisa Taylor, Refugee 613 Louisa Taylor, co-founder and president of Refugee 613, said the outpouring of support for refugees two years ago was so massive that the only place to go was down. That photo spurred Ottawans into action, and refugee sponsorships jumped in the fall of 2015 and into 2016. She said she isn't concerned about the drop in support, although she is a little disappointed. We want to make sure sponsorship becomes embedded as a regular part of community life. But I also know that we did an incredible job of doing far more than we had done for a long time, Taylor told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadians struggle: Despite a strong economy, he said not everyone is getting a share of that success as Canadians struggle to find jobs that pay a living wage, according to National Observer. Over the past three decades, he said most Canadians saw their incomes grow by less than one per cent a year in real terms while the wealthiest less than one tenth of a per cent of the population saw their incomes nearly triple. Trudeau said that on the country's 150th anniversary, the promise of progress has become increasingly elusive. We have to tell the truth about income inequality and what it means for Canadians, he said. He added As uncomfortable as it might be to talk about it, it's a lot more uncomfortable to live it. We're Canadian and we're polite and we don't like to talk too much about money because it might make someone uncomfortable. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee status: Refugee status means that you have nowhere to go, you can not be protected by your home state, the prime minister said, according to National Observer. It's not just a question of, 'I'm looking for an economic future, so I want to come to Canada.' The Immigration and Refugee Board is working its way through more than 14,000 cases lodged by people who've crossed illegally into Canada from the U.S. since February. Statistics released this week show that of the 298 Haitian cases that had been heard by the end of October, only 29 were granted protection. So far, they've heard 1,572 and the overall acceptance rate is about 60 per cent. But though that country has economic challenges, it's far from a failed state, Trudeau noted. Haitians make up the majority of claims. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aliona savchenko: Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot were third at 72.55 despite Massot's fall on a triple salchow, according to CBC. While Canada's Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro finished seventh with 59.97. Duhamel and Radford scored 75.37, beating China's Yu Xiaoyu Yu and Zhang Hao at 73.67. Duhamel said the 2014 Grand Prix Final winners felt tight, and they struggled with their twist. The Canadians didn't think they'd stepped back. The two-time world champions won at Skate Canada this year but were disappointed to lose levels on three elements Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

centre: Out of the Shadows Inside La Meute Outside the convention centre, police in riot gear placed themselves between the far-right groups and a counter-demonstration of around 250 anti-racism and anti-capitalist activists, according to CBC. Quebec City police said they arrested 44 people in two waves. Between 300 and 400 members of far-right groups, including La Meute and Storm Alliance, marched in the rain to a convention centre that was hosting a major policy meeting of the governing Quebec Liberal party. They took 21 people into custody around 12 45 p.m. near the convention centre and confiscated disguises, a sling shot, a billy club and bottles containing an unknown liquid. A further 23 people were arrested when they failed to follow police orders to disperse later in the day. It's tough to say to which group they belonged, but it's clear they intended to counter La Meute's demonstration, said Andr Turcotte, spokesperson for Quebec City police. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

development council: Francophone summer internship program gets government funding French daycares on P.E.I. recruiting staff abroad Bonnie Gallant, executive director of RD E, the provincial francophone economic development council, says they've offered provincewide services for two to three years and found that not enough people knew they were available, according to CBC. It's important to grow our population and one of the means of doing that is to recruit francophone newcomers and help them settle and thrive in our communities, she said. The Francophone Newcomers Assistance Centre opened in Charlottetown during National Francophone Immigration Week late last month. She said the centre is a one-stop-shop for everything newcomers need to settle here on the Island and is part of a new marketing strategy that very clearly states that we are there to give services for francophone newcomers. MORE P.E.I. NEWS Charlottetown-Parkdale byelection sees 34% turnout for advance pollsMORE P.E.I. NEWS Decorate like a pro this Christmas 8 tips and trends The centre is located at cole Fran ois-Buote on Acadian Drive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

disparagement: Supporters of the movement say it's not intended as a criticism of the military, according to Metro News. But such a protest would be unthinkable for many at tribal events because the flag and veterans are so deeply intertwined - and revered. As fierce debate rages about taking a knee during the national anthem to protest social injustice, Native Americans have a unique take on the issue as the ethnic group with the highest military-service rate, and an enduring regard for warriors. I'll stand. Very rarely do I hear anything that negates the veterans' services, or the country's disparagement of whatever social issues might be happening at the time. I'll do whatever I think is appropriate to honour them first, and then over there, I can debate about whether the country is living up to its side of the deal when it comes to treaty rights, water rights, social issues that affect a lot of the tribes, said Erny Zah, a singer, powwow emcee and dancer from the Navajo Nation in the Southwest. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hao zhang: Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot were third at 72.55 despite Massot's fall on a triple salchow, according to The Chronicle Herald. The pairs free skate is Saturday, and the Grand Prix Final is Dec. 7-10 in Nagoya, Japan. Duhamel from Lively, Ont., and Radford from Balmertown, Ont., scored 75.37, beating China's Xiaoyu Yu and Hao Zhang at 73.67. Duhamel and Radford won the Grand Prix Final in 2014-15, finished second the next year, and third last year. Massot was competing for the first time since passing his German citizenship test. The pair is ranked second in the world. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

manus island: It was a situation that you wouldn't want to put any human being in, according to CTV. Taghinia, who was born in Iran, spent more than four years in the Manus Island camp after trying to reach Australia by boat with a group of asylum seekers. When I was leaving Manus Island, it was not good, Amir Taghinia told CTV News Channel from Vancouver on Saturday. He finally managed to leave Papua New Guinea on Oct. 31 thanks to Canada's privately sponsored refugee program. Following a three-week standoff, security personnel in Papua New Guinea finally managed to shutter the remote immigration camp on Thursday, relocating nearly 400 men who had holed up in the facility without power, running water or food supplies after it was officially closed last month. Australia pays Papua New Guinea, its closest neighbour, and the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru to hold the more than 2,000 African, Middle Eastern and Asian asylum seekers who have tried to reach Australia by boat since mid-2013. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pot: For years, or about a third of his life, Galloway's universe was defined by the colour of his skin, according to Toronto Star. His whiteness was his identity, his greatest source of pride and his sole reason for living. It wasn't always this way. It's why he joined the movement, as he calls it today. It's also why he lost his old friends and was nearly beaten to death. And why he shot up the white nationalist ranks like the mercury level on a thermometer in a pot of boiling water. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

plan: Among them is Jad Chanko, according to CTV. Canada wasn't some sort of plan A or plan B for me, he said. More than 6,000 refugees have adopted Montreal as their new home. It was my only choice. The 25-year-old Chanko is fluent in English and French and was educated as a civil engineer. It's like, I can't go home to Syria to do my career. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

plant processes: The plant processes more than 30,000 hogs a week, slaughtering the swine, derinding, deboning and slicing them into primo cuts for Canadian grocery chains and for export to China and Japan, according to Toronto Star. The hiring sign has become part of the grass for me, said Morreale, Conestoga's vice-president of operations, zigzagging around the conveyor belts carrying carcasses to be cut by butchers wearing helmets, earmuffs, goggles and white robes. Outside Conestoga Meats, a huge hiring sign has become a fixture in front of the 115,000-square-foot facility located in this community near Kitchener. We just can't find enough Canadians to do the job, said Morreale, whose company has 950 employees, including 70 temporary foreign workers. We have temporary foreign workers, but these are year-round jobs and we want them to stay permanently. The industry is such that we have difficulties attracting and retaining individuals, said Morreale. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

suu kyi: Francis has defined his papacy by his frequent denunciations of injustices committed against refugees, and he would be expected to speak out strongly against the Rohingya plight, according to Toronto Star. But he is also the guest of Burma's government and must look out for the well-being of his own tiny flock, a minority of just 659,000 Catholics in the majority Buddhist nation of 51 million. Francis will thus be walking a fraught diplomatic tightrope during the Nov. 27-Dec. 2 visit, which will include separate meetings with Suu Kyi, the powerful head of Burma's military as well as a small group of Rohingya once Francis arrives in neighbouring Bangladesh. Read more Burma's cardinal defends Suu Kyi against very unfair' criticism over Rohingya crisis Article Continued Below Burma, Bangladesh sign agreement covering return of Rohingya MuslimsU.S. declares Burma is committing ethnic cleansing' against Rohingya Muslims Let's just say it's very interesting diplomatically, Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke responded when asked if Francis' 21st foreign trip would be his most difficult. react-empty 159 The Rev. Reese argued that Francis' legacy as an uncompromising champion of the oppressed will come up against the harsh reality of blowback for Burma's minority Christians if he goes too far in defending the Rohingya against the military's clearance operations in Rakhine state. Thomas Reese, an American Jesuit commentator, was more direct I have great admiration for the pope and his abilities, but someone should have talked him out of making this trip, Reese wrote recently on Religion News Service. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

appeal division: The agency also alleges he misrepresenting himself before the appeal division of the Immigration and Refugee Board so that he could remain in Manitoba, according to Metro News. The alleged offences took place between August 2007 and April 2016. The Canada Border Services Agency alleges Alfredo Arrojado, who is 66, has been charged with acting as an immigration consultant without proper authorization. Arrojado is to appear in Winnipeg provincial court on Monday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.