liberals: It's the first time in 70 years that a Liberal has represented any portion of the riding, the boundaries of which have changed a number of times, according to National Observer. Hogg's squeaker victory marks the second upset win for the governing Liberals in as many months. The New Democrat took less than five per cent of the vote. They stole a riding in Quebec's nationalist heartland away from the Tories in a byelection in October. There was some consolation for Scheer in three other federal byelections Monday, in which the Liberals retained safe seats in Newfoundland and Labrador and Toronto, while the Conservatives held onto one of their own safe seats in Saskatchewan. For Andrew Scheer, the outcome marks the second byelection loss since he became Conservative leader in May. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

akayed ullah: But the attack sent terrified commuters fleeing through a smoky passageway, and three people suffered headaches and ringing ears from the first bomb blast in the subway in more than two decades, according to Toronto Star. This was an attempted terrorist attack, Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. In the end, the only serious wounds were to the suspect himself, Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant and former cab driver, authorities said. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. Such visas are incompatible with national security, the president said in a statement. In Washington, U.S. resident Donald Trump said the explosion highlighted the need to change immigration policies, including the type of family-based visa Ullah obtained to come to the U.S. in 2011. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

casey: I had a call from an employer last week that was looking for a permanent employee under an immigration program and they didn't know about this program, Casey said, according to The Chronicle Herald. Following the meeting, Casey said he reached out to some employers in his riding who also weren't aware of the program. After a meeting with federal immigration officials last week, Casey said he learned that the number of employers officially designated for the program in rural Nova Scotia is lower than in the Halifax region. Casey also noted that, as reported by The Chronicle Herald earlier this month, New Brunswick seems to have a higher uptake for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project AIPP than Nova Scotia. He said the AIPP is the simplest way for employers to bring in skilled workers and the quickest way for immigrants to get permanent residency, but those benefits need to be better communicated. Casey said he sees huge potential in the program to fill labour needs and grow the population. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian winters: For the past two years, it has been absolutely a tremendous change for us, he said, according to CTV. We had to go through a lot of change, but it eventually worked out. The engineering student spoke with CTV News Channel Sunday about the challenges of adjusting to life in Toronto, where he landed with his family in December 2015. Al Masri, who's studying computer engineering, shared what the toughest adjustments have been, such as learning to read a book from left to right instead of right to left, and those nasty Canadian winters. For all the details, including tragic details of his time in Syria, watch CTV News Channel's interview with Al Masri. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

churence rogers: With 75 of 199 polls reporting, that contest was still too close to call, according to CTV. Liberal contender Gordie Hogg had an early lead with 47 per cent of the vote, just five percentage points ahead of Conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay, a former Harper-era cabinet minister who represented a neighbouring riding for one term before being defeated in 2015. But the results were just starting to trickle in late Monday in the one riding -- British Columbia's South Surrey-White Rock -- where the Liberals were hoping to score an upset over the Conservatives. Should Hogg prevail, it would be the second byelection loss in as many months for newly minted Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. With all polls reporting, Liberal Churence Rogers captured 69.2 per cent of the vote -- 46 percentage points ahead of his nearest competitor, Conservative Mike Windsor, who nevertheless managed to double his share of the vote from the 2015 general election. In Newfoundland and Labrador, meanwhile, the Liberals easily retained Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, the safest Liberal seat in the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

decision-making bodies: Gender parity but little diversity in Val rie Plante's executive committee Quebec's controversial consultations into systemic racism get new mandate, name Among its objectives are highlighting major issues concerning discrimination and diversity, and identifying what practices need to be put in place, according to CBC. The roundtable will be expected to make recommendations on the best ways to diversify municipal decision-making bodies. Made up of about a dozen members of Montreal's different cultural communities, the roundtable will meet regularly at City Hall during the next year with the goal of making Montreal more inclusive, according to a source within the Plante administration. It will also look at the employment and recruitment of visible minorities in public services and their access to social housing. They will be expected to present a list of recommendations by December 2018. The roundtable is expected to meet with Mayor Val rie Plante, or if needed, her press attach every two months to go over their work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

globe nominations: I'm not travelling to the States because of basically the Islamic travel ban, Ellis said in a phone interview after the Golden Globe nominations were announced, according to The Chronicle Herald. I write about refugees often in Islamic countries and it would make no sense for me to be able to go to this kind of a celebration when they can't get in. While Ellis is hopeful the nomination for best animated film will spark discussions about the story of a young girl and her family under Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in 2001, she doesn't plan to go to the Jan. 7 gala in Los Angeles due to President Donald Trump's ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens of mostly Muslim nations. The Trump administration has argued the travel restrictions are not anti-Muslim, but are necessary for national security. The important part is that the film has been nominated, people are seeing it and people are going to talk about it, and that's fantastic. But that's so unimportant, Ellis said of her personal opposition to the ban. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government report: Officers were dispatched to serve food at the mission and take part in training sessions led by its staff, according to CBC. But last Wednesday's meeting was abruptly cancelled. Pichet and Matthew Pearce were working on ways to improve relations between police and the city's homeless population. Pichet's work as police chief was damned in a government report released that morning and he was promptly suspended halting his work with Pearce. My concern would be that the kind of priority Pichet gave to this matter will also be given by the new police chief. We were on the right path and we have to keep going, Pearce said Sunday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration critic: It was the political version of the panto guy in the lime green clown suit putting his hands on his hips and terrifying the minion who scurries away with a little bucket, according to Toronto Star. It all took place in a House of Commons committee meeting. When I say staged, I meant a high school play level of acting, the equivalent of a Christmas pantomime with facial expressions stretched to snapping point. As the Globe and Mail reported, the Conservative immigration critic in every sense of the word Michelle Rempel said The Canadian Press had seen a draft guide back in July that no longer contained the advice that FGM is a crime. In its pages, no Canadian woman has ever invented anything, though they enjoy tobogganing, cuddling and walking on streets and bridges. Now the government's Discover Canada guide is a drab dated thing ripe for renovation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mario dion: Government House Leader Bardish Chagger made the announcement in the House of Commons Monday, according to CTV. Dawson's term is set to end Jan. 8, 2018. Mario Dion, the current chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, is set to replace current ethics watchdog Mary Dawson. Dion is a retired lawyer from Montreal, and has chaired the Immigration Refugee Board since 2015. The position comes with a seven-year term. Prior to that, he was the public sector integrity commissioner. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

soldiers burst: Without warning, seven soldiers burst into the house and charged into their bedroom, according to The Chronicle Herald. The woman, a Rohingya Muslim who agreed to be identified by her first initial, F, knew enough to be terrified. It was June, and the newlyweds were asleep in their home, surrounded by the fields of wheat they farmed in western Myanmar. She knew the military had been attacking Rohingya villages, as part of what the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing in the mostly Buddhist nation. This time, F says, the soldiers had come for her. She heard just days before that soldiers had killed her parents, and that her brother was missing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

way i: Kamara, who is under contract through 2018, joins 23-year-old Venezuelan striker Anthony Blondell as new players on the Whitecaps front line, according to Toronto Star. I'm really excited to come to Vancouver, the 33-year-old Kamara said. New England gets Vancouver's 2019 natural first-round Super Draft pick and a conditional 2020 second round Super Draft selection in return. I've been following the club, and I know that they have a very competitive team that suits the way I play. Most importantly, I want to bring success to the Southsiders, Curva Collective, Rain City Brigade, and all the supporters and fans of this club. I want to put pressure on myself to continue to score goals. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

prospect: They are perhaps those most affected by the election of Donald Trump Madi recalls the feeling of dread when she realized on Nov. 8. 2016, that he was going to win, according to National Observer. Later, she saw him announce the cancellation of her status. Despite having only once visited her native Venezuela since she was brought to the U.S. 15 years ago by her mother, Madi is among the 800,000 people now facing the prospect of being sent back forever. Now, she's pinning her hopes on a bipartisan deal. The date she's watching is Dec. 22. There's a lot of fear and anxiety about what's going to happen,'' said Madi, now a college graduate, writer, actress and activist. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

citizenship: At least 22 of them have citizenship from other countries, CBC News confirmed through queries to parliamentarians' offices, according to CBC. That figure does not include MPs and senators who hold citizenship through descent, naturalization or marriage. There are now at least 56 sitting parliamentarians 44 MPs and 12 senators born in countries outside Canada, according to information from the Library of Parliament and websites. Canadian MPs hold citizenship from various countries, including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Portugal, Poland, Pakistan, Syria, the United States and the United Kingdom. Several Australian parliamentarians have been forced to resign, produce documentation, or had their case sent to the High Court for review, leaving Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government without its majority and facing a possible early election. Australian deputy PM disqualified due to dual citizenship Why is there a parliamentary gender gap That dual citizenship would disqualify them from holding office in Australia, where Section 44 of the Constitution bars anyone who is a citizen of a foreign power from sitting in Parliament. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

arab people: There's a very unique form of discrimination that people on social assistance and people who are homeless experience, according to CBC. That was a very important insight for us, Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane said on Friday. Just 39 per cent of respondents had at least somewhat positive feelings toward people receiving social assistance, the lowest percentage of any group, although transgender people, refugees, Muslims and Arab people did not fare much better. Human rights complaint launched against GTA tennis league Probe into racial profiling by Toronto police will only prove what black community knows, says activist With this first-of-its-kind public opinion survey, titled Taking the pulse People's opinions on human rights in Ontario, the commission looked to gain a better understanding of the state of discrimination in the province. It's the kind of information that will help us gauge where we're at, but also help us more effectively advance the public discourse around rights, Mandhane said. Environics Research Group surveyed 1,501 people from across the province, including 720 from the Greater Toronto area. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

century ce: Islamic militants, including the local affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ISIS consider Sufis heretics because of their less literal interpretations of the faith.... How ironic to hear Sufism described as a heretics, when most scholars recognize Sufism brought major concepts to Islam's early development, according to Rabble. Within Islam, Sufism emerged at the beginning of the tenth century CE and flowered in the 1200s. CBS News reported that the attack targeted a mosque frequented by Sufis, members of a mystic movement within Islam. Best known for their whirling dervishes, who spin in place as a form of prayer, Sufis are also renowned poets and musicans. Sufism has also entered the Western canon. Their art is credited with spreading the word of Islam throughout Persia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

moment i: I felt Canadian the moment I stepped in this country but to get citizenship it is an honour and I feel very blessed to have a country to call my home, said Obidah Abdul Basir, according to CBC. Canada not only gives you a land of opportunity but the people and the country opens up its heart and takes you under its wings. Viva Canada, Oh Canada' 17 new Canadians get citizenship just in time for 150th'It's such a good life' New citizens reflect on becoming Canadian Forty-eight people were sworn in as Canadians during the ceremony, which fell on international Human Rights Day, honouring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Winnipeg's ceremony fell on international Human Rights Day, which honours the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. She was only 19 years old when she arrived in the country and always knew she wanted to get her citizenship. CBC Her family left Afghanistan and eventually went to Tajikistan before coming to Canada in 2005. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

corbyn: He creates them in order to help with a cause that is close to him, according to CTV. We support mental health, part of the proceeds go back to the Canadian Mental Health Association, said Corbyn George, Vendor, during an interview on Saturday. One of the vendors at the event is Corbyn George, 11, who makes Paracord products in his free time. Corbyn and his mother donated 40% of their signature items to the Regina branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. It's important for us because both me and my mom suffer from mental health illnesses, said Corbyn George. So far, the team of two has donated 400. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ghazaal salehian: They had even less in common with Tivii, the film's Inuktitut-speaking protagonist played by Natar Ungalaaq in the 2008 Genie-award-winning fictional film Ce qu'il faut pour vivre The Necessities of Life . But when the movie about dislocation and human connection ended, when the lights came on and director Beno t Pilon emerged to answer questions, Ghazaal Salehian was one of the first to speak up, according to Toronto Star. There is a connection between me and Tivii, she said in French. The audience was united only by their recent arrivals in Canada and their participation in government-run language classes to learn or improve French. Both of us are immigrants his was a forced immigration, but I decided to immigrate myself . . . I was shocked, like Tivii. The goal is to instruct the language while introducing newcomers to the province's distinct culture and history. Article Continued Below Such reactions are recurring themes in a new program that uses French-language Quebec films as a teaching tool for new immigrants. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government aid: To do so, Salvini needs to build support in the south, an underdeveloped area of Italy the League has long denigrated as living off government aid, according to Metro News. Many of the thousands of people who turned out for his Rome rally did come from southern Italy. Matteo Salvini wants to propel his anti-migrant Northern League, which was founded in 1991 as a regional party in Italy's affluent north, to its first premiership in the national election set for early 2018. One of them was Adriana Domeniconi, who travelled by bus from Matera in the instep of the boot-shaped Italian peninsula. Domeniconi was referring to the hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers and economic migrants that have received shelter in Italy after being rescued at sea from traffickers' boats setting out from the Libyan coast. We're no longer about north vs. south, but against those invading our country, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian: This is the office of Canada's first Syrian and Arab community newspaper, The Migrant, according to Toronto Star. The monthly publication's editor in chief is Kameel Nasrawi, a refugee from Syria, who came to Canada with his wife of more than 10 years and two young children in January 2016. Tucked away, somewhere in the tidy room, are two laptops. The family was inspired to make the move after a pledge by the Liberal government to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees through sponsorships. Benedict's Parish, the family came here with four bags, weighing 20 kilograms each. Article Continued Below With the help of Nasrawi's younger brother, already settled in Toronto, and St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trudeau referenced: He'd been to China before, of course as a child, with his father visiting on official political business but this trip was different, according to National Observer. The landscapes I got to see, the discovery of myself through travelling through China was extraordinary for me. He and his two friends didn't have tickets, but it didn't matter. ; It was wonderful, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week in Beijing as he recalled his first adult excursion to the country. Trudeau referenced the formative influence of his backpacking experiences in China repeatedly this week as he tried to sell the merits of doubling the number of Chinese tourists next year. The attempt to create a tourism boon comes amid concern over a more malevolent form of cross-cultural influence a deliberate and unprecedented effort by Chinese President Xi Jinping to project the power of his country in ways that some say amounts to international political meddling. With his pursuit of free trade, it is one part of a major plan to deepen relations with the economically ascendant People's Republic, the country Pierre Trudeau established relations with the year before he was born. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

andrei lysenko: He hasn't been formally charged, but prosecutors say he colluded with Ukrainian businessmen tied to Russia to topple President Petro Poroshenko, according to CBC. Saakashvili rejects the allegations, pointing to his long record of opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Saakashvili, the former governor of the Odesa region who was stripped of his citizenship this summer, was arrested Friday night. Saakashvili must be brought to court for arraignment within 72 hours of arrest. A spokesperson for the prosecutor-general's office, Andrei Lysenko, said Saturday that officials will likely ask for him to be held under house arrest after his court appearance. No day for that has been announced. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

employees dollar-for-dollar: While this is an excellent contribution to the less fortunate, I refuse to participate, according to Toronto Star. It goes against my ethics to support a company that relies heavily on contract work, loves to hire new immigrants who work for free and gets rid of people as soon as they are redundant. They match money raised by employees dollar-for-dollar. Am I wrong boycotting something beneficial, in order to stand up for what I believe in Yeah, you sure are. First, and most obviously, by not participating in the food drive, you aren't punishing the company you're penalizing the hungry, would-be recipients of your withheld largesse. For three reasons. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government shutdown: Despite having only once visited her native Venezuela since she was brought to the U.S. 15 years ago by her mother, Madi is among the 800,000 people now facing the prospect of being sent back forever, according to Toronto Star. Read more U.S. Congress avoids government shutdown, sends Trump stopgap spending bill Article Continued Below High school and college DACA recipients march on Capitol HillU.S. Congress has lengthy to-do list before Christmas deadlines with Trump an ever-present wild card They are perhaps those most affected by the election of Donald Trump Madi recalls the feeling of dread when she realized on Nov. 8. 2016, that he was going to win. It could be decided by Christmas. Later, she saw him announce the cancellation of her status. The date she's watching is Dec. 22. Now, she's pinning her hopes on a bipartisan deal. react-empty 159 There's a lot of fear and anxiety about what's going to happen, said Madi, now a college graduate, writer, actress and activist. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

holiday productions: Until December 22 at a secret location in the Bloor West area. are spoiled for choice when it comes to holiday productions of A Christmas Carol this year there's the annual Soulpepper Theatre version, it's the new annual winter production at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the Ross Petty pantomime gave its own clownish spin on the Dickens tale of a grumpy miser who's reminded of the spirit of Christmas through ghostly visitations, according to Toronto Star. But while the appeal of this story can pack some of Toronto's largest houses year after year, there's another production that goes to the opposite extreme. Directed by Daniele Bartolini. An Italian Christmas Carol, produced by Dopo Lavoro Teatrale DLT in partnership with Istituto Italiano di Cultura, transforms the story into a dreamlike experience of an Italian immigrant alone at Christmas, and one audience member into the main role. They're like the theatrical equivalent of gaslighting, with artistic instead of malevolent intent. Article Continued Below DLT, whose past productions in Toronto include the Summer Works hit The Stranger and the Luminato Festival's Off Limits Zone, specialize in productions designed for one audience member at a time, and imbue their stories and performances with surreal, otherworldly encounters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.