fall madness: With a full year under new leadership, matched with a fully engaged team, it's time to celebrate our success as a Chamber and look to how we can make 2018 even better for our membership, according to The Chronicle Herald. We began 2017 by celebrating 30 finalists at our Halifax Business Awards at a sold-out event in the Marriot. The fall madness has made way for a slew of holiday celebrations and as we get ready to flip the calendar, it's time to reflect on 2017. If you attended, you will remember being jam-packed into the pre-dinner reception, which led to some of the best networking I've ever witnessed. Gerry Mills, Executive Director of the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, Tareq Hadhad of Peace by Chocolate and Wadih Fares, President and CEO of WM Fares Group, addressed our 700-plus guests and drove home a powerful message that is still being talked about today. We survived winter and welcomed spring with our annual Spring Dinner, which featured a panel of keynotes speaking on the vital role immigration plays in growing our province. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

italian politicians: An undersecretary in Italy's foreign ministry, Benedetto Della Vedova, welcomed the softening of the Austrian position, according to CTV. He said Italy had read the proposal to grant Austrian citizenship en masse to speakers of German and the Romance language Ladino in the South Tyrol region as a provocative move. After Italian politicians balked at the unilateral proposal, Kurz said the citizenship offer outlined in the coalition government agreement between his Austrian People's party and the populist, right-wing Freedom Party only would be pursued in close co-ordination with Italy. Seventy per cent of the region's residents speak German, 25 per cent Italian and 5 per cent Ladino. The remain vote won, while dissenters relocated to Austria. South Tyrol, known as Alto Adige in Italian, became part of Italy after World War I, but tension lingered for decades after a post-World War II vote by citizens on whether to remain in Italy or join Austria. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jewish community: A photo on B'nai Brith Canada's website shows the letter containing the words Jewry must perish, and a swastika scrawled onto a blood-soaked Star of David, according to CTV. It's really unfortunate that, at this time of year, with the Jewish community celebrating Hanukkah ... you have a message of targeted hate that's going out to religious institutions across the country, B'nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said. Four synagogues in Toronto, two in Montreal, one in Hamilton and one in Edmonton have reported being sent the hate mail, the Jewish advocacy group said Tuesday. It's sad to see and it's actually quite terrifying for the individuals opening these letters with hateful genocidal messages. Officers are absolutely treating the incidents as hate crimes, said Staff Sgt. Police in all four cities confirmed they were investigating the letters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

justin trudeau: When I first ... came to Canada here, I was asking, 'Who's helping us Who's this man, who make this happen Who saved my life Who bring my life back ' Everyone told me, Justin Trudeau, she said, according to CBC. He give me a better life and new future. The Children's Wish Foundation flew 16-year-old Marwa Harb to Ottawa so she could thank the prime minister for saving her life. Parliament tour Harb said Trudeau gave her a tour of Parliament and she was able to thank him. What a pleasure to host the Harb family on the Hill today. Last year, Harb, her parents and seven siblings came to Canada as refugees after fleeing war in Syria. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leelabahen chaudhari: Vishnubhai Chaudhari, 50, and Leelabahen Chaudhari, 44, pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to conspiracy and alien harbouring for financial gain, the Omaha World-Herald reported . The two were managers of a Super 8 Motel in Kimball, a town near the Wyoming and Colorado borders, according to Metro News. The unidentified man was taken into immigration custody in Texas after entering the U.S. illegally in 2011. Federal authorities say two motel managers enslaved an Indian immigrant for more than a year in western Nebraska, forcing him to work without pay and abusing him. The Chaudharis, who also were living in the U.S. illegally, arranged to pay his bond in October of that year and then set up his transportation to Kimball, court documents and authorities said. The Chaudharis isolated the man from guests at the motel and hid him from police officers in the area. The pair then forced the man to clean rooms, wash clothes and do other chores for them seven days a week, investigators said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

migration policies: But the report from the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs said the percentage living in high-income countries rose from 9.6 per cent in 2000 to 14 per cent in 2017, according to The Chronicle Herald. Reliable data and evidence are critical to combat misperceptions about migration and to inform migration policies, said Undersecretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin. The biennial report released on International Migrants Day said the percentage of the world's people who are international migrants has increased modestly from 2.8 per cent in 2000 to 3.4 per cent this year. In September 2016, all 193 U.N. member states, including the United States under President Barack Obama, adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. The countries agreed to implement well-managed migration policies and committed to sharing more equitably the burden of hosting refugees. It said no one country can manage international migration on its own. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

policy analyst: My kids are born here and they love their grandparents, according to CBC. My father stood up for what was right.'- Faisal Arif Arif, a policy analyst with the federal government, first applied to sponsor his parents in 2007. I want my parents close to me, said Arif, a Canadian citizen. He's still waiting, thanks to a section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that forbids his 65-year-old father from setting foot in Canada. Taufiqul Arif and his wife, Farida, have spent most of their professional lives working as consultants with the United Nations, the World Health Organization and other aid agencies. Whether that's justified is very much a matter of perspective while Taufiqul Arif is regarded as a hero and humanitarian in his homeland, Canada has labelled the elder Arif a security threat. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee resettlement: That means she will no longer be in the custody of the Health and Human Services Department office that oversees shelters housing immigrant children, according to Metro News. In March, HHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement revised its policy to discourage and prohibit pregnant teens from having abortions. The Trump administration says in court papers filed Tuesday that it has obtained the teen's birth certificate and it shows she is 19 years old, not 17. The administration said the woman would be transferred to Department of Homeland Security custody. It's unclear when she might have the abortion, but other federal agencies appear to allow women in their custody to have abortions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

summer surge: Still, while the number of border crossers is down markedly since a summer surge, the number of people stopped in just those two months is more than the RCMP stopped in all of 2016, suggesting a major outreach effort by the Liberals hasn't entirely stemmed the tide, according to CTV. Just 2,500 people were apprehended coming into Canada between official ports of entry last year, compared with 18,615 so far in 2017. Data published Tuesday by the federal government show the RCMP stopped 1,623 people in November, down from 1,890 in October. In August, the RCMP had stopped over 5,000 people in Quebec alone as they crossed into Canada to seek asylum. The U.S. formally announced in November that temporary protected status for Haitians would be lifted in 2019, raising fears of new pressures at the Canada-U.S. border. Many were believed to be propelled north by an impending change to U.S. immigration policy that would see the resumption of deportations to Haiti, following a pause instituted after the 2010 earthquake. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

teaching rolls: They get together about once a week to exchange stories and catch up on each other's lives, according to Toronto Star. Fatima Darwish is telling the group about her life now, much different than the one she left behind in Aleppo, Syria. It's an unseasonably warm late November day, and the women, all newcomers to Canada, have travelled a long distance to get to suburban Scarborough, many having made the trip on public transit. Back then she was the equivalent of a junior high school teacher, instructing several subjects from physics to Arabic. Despite perfect fluency in English, she isn't optimistic of her prospects of teaching in the Canadian public school system. Now she's hoping to get onto the teaching rolls of a privately run Toronto Arabic school. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

throne speech: Rather, 2018 will be devoted to delivering on the agenda Trudeau's Liberals were elected on a year of relentless implementation, in the words of one insider, who spoke strictly on background, according to National Observer. In other words, a continued focus on spurring economic growth and job creation to ensure a more comfortable future for the middle class and those working hard to join it, as Liberals never tire of saying. He won't shuffle his cabinet or prorogue Parliament and come back with a throne speech laying out a new agenda for the second half of his four-year mandate the traditional ways governments try to signal a fresh start. That means a budget that once again emphasizes investments in infrastructure and preparing Canadians for a changing economy, where advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies threaten traditional jobs. It means hosting a G7 leaders' summit in June that focuses on investing in growth that works for everyone, preparing for the jobs of the future and advancing gender equality, among other things. It means getting the infrastructure bank, created this year, up and running and leveraging private capital for projects that governments alone can't afford. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

forces canadians: More than 630,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh since Aug. 25, when Myanmar's army began what it called clearance operations following an attack on police posts by a group of Rohingya insurgents, according to Metro News. Refugees arriving in Bangladesh said their homes were set on fire by soldiers and Buddhist mobs, and some reported being shot at by security forces. function set Cookie related path / ; Related Aid group At least 6,700 Rohingya killed in Myanmar21 Rohingya women recount rape by Myanmar armed forces Canadians have donated 12.5 million to Rohingya refugees, and the government will match it In late November, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement covering the return of Rohingya who fled across their mutual border to escape the violence in Rakhine. The New York-based rights group said buildings were destroyed in 40 villages in northern Rakhine state in October and November, increasing the total to 354 villages that have been partially or completely destroyed since Aug. 25. Satellite imagery confirms that dozens of buildings were burned the same week the agreement was signed, Human Right Watch said in a statement. The satellite imagery shows what the Burmese army denies that Rohingya villages continue to be destroyed. The Burmese army's destruction of Rohingya villages within days of signing a refugee repatriation agreement with Bangladesh shows that commitments to safe returns were just a public relations stunt, said Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch's Asia director. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

colleen hanabusa: Colleen Hanabusa, who is running for governor, according to The Chronicle Herald. Hanabusa is also a Democrat. Chin, a Democrat, seeks to replace Hawaii U.S. Rep. Chin made the announcement Monday saying that the last year of legal battles over White House actions sparked him to run for the U.S. House seat. Before Trump was sworn in, Chin and five other attorneys general asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject the nomination of Sen. Chin has been a vocal opponent to decisions by Trump's administration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

neo-nazi fringe: The two parties have pledged to tighten the country's asylum and immigration regulations while maintaining a firm commitment to the European Union, according to CTV. Kurz has moved his traditionally centrist party to the right, particularly on the issues of migration and Muslims, but has avoided the inflammatory rhetoric of the Freedom Party, which itself has publicly disassociated itself from decades of covert anti-Semitism, but continues to attract a neo-Nazi fringe. About 6,000 people protested outside President Alexander Van der Bellen's office with signs like we don't want any Nazi pigs and Nazis out as Kurz and his new Cabinet were sworn in, the dpa news agency reported. Political opponents have expressed particular concern that the Freedom Party has control of the important Interior, Defence and Foreign Ministries. Kurz served as foreign minister in the outgoing government led by Chancellor Christian Kern, a Social Democrat. Its leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, is now vice chancellor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

group: They headed by bus to a convent in Alsace in eastern France after their arrival, where they will stay for four months before being moved to lodgings, according to an Interior Ministry official, according to Metro News. The official, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said a second group of 25 refugees pre-selected in Niger will arrive Tuesday followed by another group Wednesday. The 19 Sudanese, including 11 children, were selected from a camp in Chad, where hundreds of thousands escaping war have taken refuge. More are due to follow. France plans to re-settle 7,000 others coming from points in the Middle East. France committed to welcoming 3,000 migrants from Niger and Chad within two years as part of an initiative, also involving Germany, Italy and Spain. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

herb gratton: She might as well have been disappeared in a dictatorship for all the detail the agency provided, according to Toronto Star. As the Star's Brendan Kennedy reported, the CBSA would not disclose the woman's identity, country of origin or her cause of death. A 50-year-old woman had died in a maximum-security jail in Milton. We now know the woman was Teresa Michelle Gratton, a permanent resident of Canada from the United States, a mother of three sons and wife to Herb Gratton, her partner of 32 years. The circumstances of her imprisonment and death are unconscionable on a number of levels. We also know she was being held indefinitely in a maximum-security prison, based on the decision of one border services officer, though she did not pose a danger to anyone. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jennifer galdames: Jennifer's mother was permitted to voluntarily return to Guatemala with Jennifer's 8-year-old sister, according to Metro News. Her biological father was killed in Guatemala years earlier due to the violence that has sent many fleeing north. Jennifer Galdames was a year and a half from graduating high school when her stepfather and mother were detained in October while dropping off her sister at school, the Des Moines Register reported . Jennifer's stepfather was detained for deportation to his home country of Mexico. Jennifer applied for legal residency by seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. So Des Moines Schools Superintendent Tom Ahart and his wife, Jami Bassman Ahart, offered to take her in and serve as her temporary legal guardians so she can complete her high school degree. Her mother planned to send her to a relative in New Jersey, but Jennifer didn't want to leave Iowa. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rakhine state: More than 630,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh since Aug. 25, when Myanmar's army began what it called clearance operations following an attack on police posts by a group of Rohingya insurgents, according to CBC. Refugees arriving in Bangladesh said their homes were set on fire by soldiers and Buddhist mobs, and some reported being shot at by security forces. The New York-based rights group said buildings were destroyed in 40 villages in northern Rakhine state in October and November, increasing the total to 354 villages that have been partially or completely destroyed since Aug. 25. In late November, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement covering the return of Rohingya who fled across their mutual border to escape the violence in Rakhine. This combination of satellite images show four villages in Maungdaw township, northern Rakhine state, Myanmar, on Nov. 25 top and Dec. 2 bottom . Satellite imagery shows that Rohingya villages in Myanmar continued to be destroyed even as Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement last month to return refugees from the ethnic Muslim minority who had fled their country amid violence, Human Rights Watch said Monday. Satellite imagery confirms that dozens of buildings were burned the same week the agreement was signed, Human Right Watch said in a statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump opposition: Both girls arrived in the country as unaccompanied minors and are being held in federal shelters, though it is not known precisely where, according to The Chronicle Herald. The American Civil Liberties Union went to court on behalf of the two girls, as it did in the case of a third 17-year-old girl who was able to obtain an abortion in October following a high-profile court fight. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said the Republican administration can't prevent the 17-year-old girls from exercising their right to an abortion. The current controversy stems from the Trump administration's opposition to abortion and its decision to change the policy of the Obama administration concerning minors who are detained trying to enter the country. One teen is about 10 weeks pregnant, and the other is now about 22 weeks pregnant, Chutkan said. Earlier this year, the office in the Health and Human Services Department that oversees the shelters prohibited them from taking steps to facilitate an abortion without its direct approval. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rexall place: It's just a whole pile of memories, good times, said Bailey, who took her seat in the building which used to be known as Rexall Place for the last time on Sunday, according to CBC. With the Oilers now playing at Rogers Place the new arena which took over hosting duties for many of the other major events coming to the city the Coliseum is set to close at the end of the month. From her plastic chair, she watched Wayne Gretzky lead her favourite NHL team to Stanley Cup victory after Stanley Cup victory in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Final farewell To offer the public the chance to say a final farewell, Northlands opened up the facility on Sunday, partnering with the Candora Society to host a multicultural round dance. Martin Weaver/CBC Tim Reid, the president and CEO of Northlands, which operated the venue, said its the perfect way to end things. People prepare for a multicultural round dance at the Coliseum, the final event to be held at the 44-year-old venue. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian crisis: In 2013, Talal Al Do, an engineer who had just graduated from the University of Toronto, started working with UOSSM to introduce solar energy to the country's hospitals after Syria's crippled electricity system started causing problems with aid efforts, according to CTV. Parts of Syria that the government doesn't control relied entirely on diesel generators to keep their hospitals running. The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations UOSSM is an international medical aid organization that was set up in 2012 to provide medical care for the Syrian crisis, and currently has 2,000 people working in the country. But Al Do says using diesel was troubling because armed groups like ISIL had seized the pipelines and were profiting from the sales of diesel. Where you actually procure diesel to sustain service, but at the same time you empower the forces that are sustaining the war. It created a very vicious cycle of the war economy, said Al Do. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump visit: A formal motion passed by the borough's councillors vowed that Trump would not be welcome in Greenwich should the trip materialize, according to Toronto Star. The council expressed alarm at the decision of President Trump to retweet Islamophobic Propaganda and sadness at the President's bigoted attitude toward women and ethnic minorities. During a meeting last week, the Labour-held borough in southeast London called for the government to abandon plans for a Trump visit. Read more Trump to unveil America First' national security plan in bid to boost U.S. influence Article Continued Below 52 per cent of Americans think country worse off under Trump, poll finds Trump's administration is blocking 2 illegal immigrant teens from getting abortions lawsuit Denise Hyland, leader of the Greenwich council, said, On a daily basis, we work hand in hand with residents from all communities to ensure this borough is a peaceful and welcoming place that celebrates difference and diversity, but in the case of President Trump we are willing to make an exception. react-empty 163 She went on to say We are one of 32 London boroughs, all different, all individual but all home to people from across the world. It enriches our lives on a daily basis. This diversity strengthens our borough. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wildfires funding: The emergency aid would provide 26 billion for community development block grants, which would help Florida, Texas and the Caribbean rebuild, along with Western states recovering from wildfires, according to The Chronicle Herald. There's funding for prevention of future flooding, highway repairs and help for small businesses. GOP leaders promised a vote this week on the measure, which would bring the total provided in response to this year's devastating round of hurricanes to more than 130 billion exceeding the cost to taxpayers of Hurricane Katrina. There's almost 28 billion for the government's chief disaster aid account, 4 billion of which could be used to help cash-strapped governments such as Puerto Rico's stay afloat. They deserve our continued support, and we must provide the necessary resources for them to recover from these emergencies. We have a commitment to our fellow citizens that are in the midst of major rebuilding efforts, said Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., who sponsored the measure. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

assault accusations: And that's the long-term you have to look at, according to National Observer. Saamanen's sentiments reflect many of those in the film and TV industry as the flood of sexual harassment and assault accusations shows so signs of abating. I feel good that there's actually something starting to be done about sexual misconduct Saamanen says, adding he doesn't want to be lining the pockets of someone like Louis C.K. It's taking the Band-Aid off.... There are going to be people who suffer from that, but in the end it's going to be better off for us. There are concerns about the cancelling of projects and job insecurity not just for the alleged perpetrators but also for those who work on their productions. There will be collateral damage, unfortunately, but it's like we have to make a clean sweep. I think we're going to go through a rough patch of these things happening, says Canadian actress Maxim Roy, whose credits include the film Allure and the TV series Bad Blood and 19-2. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

arab citizens: Arab citizens comprise more than 20 per cent of the country and Arabs have the right to study, worship and protest peacefully, as do all other citizens, according to Toronto Star. Arabs and Israelis work and study alongside each other at Israel's fine hospitals and universities. There is no apartheid in Israel. Israel currently has two Arab Supreme Court justices, who sometimes rule against Israeli Jews. Article Continued Below If Arabs are allowed to live in any part of Israel, why would it be illegal for Israel to build homes for Jews in the eastern part of Jerusalem Should it be free of Jews Most of the Jewish holy sites are in East Jerusalem. Arab East Jerusalem residents could be citizens but choose not to because many prefer to continue seeing Israel as the enemy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border protection: The VACIS exam revealed an anomaly within the commodity, it said, according to CTV. Customs officers then inspected further and found the bundles allegedly containing marijuana. In a news release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the driver was supposedly taking a load of fire-starter wood to Wooster, Mass. on Monday when he crossed the border at the Peace Bridge port of entry near Buffalo, N.Y. CBP Officers utilized the Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System VACIS to X-ray the truck and its contents after the primary officer became suspicious of Singh's demeanor. The agency said the VACIS provides an x-ray-like image of a fully-loaded truck in less than a minute. He has been turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials pending arraignment, it said. Gurmit Singh, 40, of North York faces the following charges importation of controlled substancesconspiracy to import a controlled substancepossession of a controlled substancesmuggling goods Singh is a citizen of India and a landed immigrant of Canada, according to the release. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.