immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

canadian press: The opposition Conservatives included the reference in their version of the guide while they were in power, and criticized the government for initially cutting it out, according to National Observer. The Liberals have since said the reference would be restored. International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is to make the announcement of the four-year initiative on Tuesday, making it the first government project to target the controversial practice. ; The issue sparked domestic political discord in Canada after The Canadian Press revealed last year that references condemning the practice had been cut from a draft of the Immigration Department's new citizenship guide for new arrivals. Bibeau tells The Canadian Press that the reference belongs in Canada's new citizenship guide so that newcomers realize the practice is illegal in Canada. Bibeau has spearheaded the creation of a new feminist development policy, and she has been seized with trying to find a project worth funding. FGM is considered as gender-based violence and a criminal act in Canada and I think it's important to inform the new citizens that this cultural practice is absolutely not acceptable in Canada, she said in a telephone interview Monday from Cotonou, Benin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

world war: Here and pretty well everywhere else it was a strategy that had two major pieces slum clearance and freeway construction, according to Vancouver Courier. It was the time when the car was king and the middle class was moving to the suburbs.article continues below Trending Stories So you want to set up a marijuana dispensary Vancouver police officer going for Olympic goldrelated Final plan for Northeast False Creek goes before council Black community calls for tribute to Hogan's Alley Inevitably in most cities in North America that meant bulldozing homes and businesses populated predominantly by either blacks or Chinese. It was a course pretty well every major city in the western world was taking as they tried to shake off the economic lethargy following the Second World War. In Vancouver it meant both. Chinese Canadians living in Strathcona adjacent to Chinatown formed the largest number of residents to be displaced. None of this plan was put in place with either residents' consent or even their knowledge. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian press: The issue sparked domestic political discord in Canada after The Canadian Press revealed last year that references condemning the practice had been cut from a draft of the Immigration Department's new citizenship guide for new arrivals, according to CTV. The opposition Conservatives included the reference in their version of the guide while they were in power, and criticized the government for initially cutting it out. International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is to make the announcement of the four-year initiative on Tuesday, making it the first government project to target the controversial practice. The Liberals have since said the reference would be restored. FGM is considered as gender-based violence and a criminal act in Canada and I think it's important to inform the new citizens that this cultural practice is absolutely not acceptable in Canada, she said in a telephone interview Monday from Cotonou, Benin. Bibeau tells The Canadian Press that the reference belongs in Canada's new citizenship guide so that newcomers realize the practice is illegal in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chris coons: Sens, according to The Chronicle Herald. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Firing back, one senator pushing the narrowly focused compromise said Trump's unconstructive engagement has hurt congressional efforts to strike a broader deal. Chris Coons, D-Del., said their legislation would provide a pathway to legal status potentially including citizenship for immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children, known as Dreamers. Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. It would also require the government to strengthen border security by 2020, but stops short of specifically providing the 25 billion Trump wants for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

crash investigators: State Police said Monday that he's a citizen of Guatemala who gave officers a fake name when he was arrested following the pre-dawn crash, according to The Chronicle Herald. Investigators said he was deported in 2007 and 2009, and was again living illegally in the U.S. Police said Jackson, who grew up in Atlanta, and Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe, 54, were standing outside Monroe's car along I-70 after Jackson became ill while Monroe was transporting him for the ride-hailing company. Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, remained jailed Monday but has not been charged in Sunday's deadly crash along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. Both men were struck and killed by a pickup truck driven by Orrego-Savala, police said. Republican U.S. Rep. Investigators said they believe Orrego-Savala, who lives in Indianapolis, was intoxicated and driving without a license. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

delgado: The Dallas resident pleaded guilty to use of interstate facility to commit travel act, according to Metro News. Delgado was an officer with Dallas County Community Supervision and Corrections. Officials say 35-year-old David Delgado was sentenced Thursday and ordered to pay 2,900. Authorities say that in 2016, he was supervising someone without legal U.S. status who was on probation. The victim had receipts proving compliance but paid anyway. Records show that Delgado used a cellphone to arrange a meeting at a Dallas restaurant and then demanded 1,600 more in fees plus additional community service to help keep immigration officials away. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

housing project: Low income housing is a huge mountain to climb this is a really good base camp to look at, said Mayor Don Iveson at the grand opening of the Glenora project this week, according to Metro News. The housing project also produces the same amount of energy as it consumes due to green infrastructure. Now the city, province and housing agencies say they want to see more of this type of cooperative development, which includes 16 three and five-bedroom townhomes, plus a daycare and a replacement worship site for the landowners, Westmount Presbyterian Church. The residents can feel this is something special, said project designer/builder Peter Amerongen of Habitat Studio. The church and residents shouldn't see any energy bills thanks to the use of solar panels and geothermal systems so operating costs will be minimal. It's win-win-win. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leith johnson: Their two sons, then 14 and 11, were playing in the front yard, according to CBC. By the time they returned home, a man had cornered their oldest son in the garage. Leith Johnson and her husband, Les T. Johnson, were down the street from their home outside of Milwaukee for just minutes, talking to a neighbour. DJ Johnson, 12, is working on a book about his family's journey to Halifax. CBC He was calling the police and claiming that there was a black man breaking into our house and just kind of a danger to the neighbourhood it was our kid. Here, he's holding a picture of the incident with his brother that made the family decide to move to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

multicultural: We are hoping that it's going to be able to fill some of the skills gaps, that it will be able to help folks selling businesses attract people to the region, that we'll be able to grow our region in the areas that is needed, Thunder Bay Multicultural Association executive director, Cathy Woodbeck said, according to CBC. Cathy Woodbeck, the executive director at the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association, says since the launch of the Live Chat pilot project they've averaged more than 50 connections a day. MovetoNWOntario.ca now features a Live Chat service that allows settlement workers from the local multicultural association to communicate with potential newcomers in real time, six days a week between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 30 p.m. That's more than 10 times the number of people who used to contact the Association by phone or email. We are so excited that the Government of Ontario has chosen northwestern Ontario to pilot this Live Chat service, Woodbeck stated in an written release on Thursday. Supplied Funded by the Province of Ontario the Live Chat feature will allow settlement workers to provide immediate support, answer relocation questions and guide potential newcomers through the process of moving to northwestern Ontario. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

resettlement options: The report quotes the United Nations as saying that an additional 1.5 million Syrians will likely be displaced in 2018, according to Metro News. Daniel Gorevan, head of the NRC's regional advocacy, says the groups are concerned about an anti-refugee backlash in the region and in the West. The groups say in a report published Monday that for every Syrian returning home in 2017, three more were newly displaced by violence. He says this has translated into closed borders and few resettlement options for vulnerable refugees. In seven years of war, some 5.5 million Syrians have fled their homeland and millions more were internally displaced. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sperm years: DNA testing companies, such as 23andme, AncestryDNA and My Heritage DNA promise to reveal information about a client's ethnic heritage, according to CTV. But they can also help them learn about relatives they didn't know they had simply by matching their DNA to the DNA records of all the major genetic testing companies. But now some people who were conceived through sperm donation are using the testing services to track down their biological fathers whether the fathers want to be found or not. But that's causing problems for men who donated sperm years ago. Toronto-based lawyer Sherry Levitan specializes in assisted reproductive technology law and says these donor-conceived children are finding their biological fathers through a little bit of cybersleuthing and Facebook groups such as DNA Detectives. Many are finding that the children they conceived are now adults and tracking them down directly or through their relatives who used these DNA services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

unconstructive engagement: Americans are dreamers, too' Trump ditches the fog horn for state of the union speech Sens, according to CBC. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Firing back, one senator who was pushing the narrowly focused compromise said Trump's unconstructive engagement has hurt congressional efforts to strike a broader deal. Chris Coons, D-Del., said they were proposing legislation that would provide a pathway to legal status potentially including citizenship for immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children, known as Dreamers. Any deal on DACA that does not include STRONG border security and the desperately needed WALL is a total waste of time. It would also require the government to strengthen border security by 2020, but stops short of specifically providing the 25 billion Trump wants for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american way: We owe these heroes the greatest respect for defending our liberty and our American way of life, according to CTV. Their sacrifice is stitched into each star and every stripe of our Star-Spangled Banner, Trump said. Though many of our Nation's service members are unable to be home with family and friends to enjoy this evening's American tradition, they are always in our thoughts and prayers, Trump said in a statement about the game shortly before the matchup between the defending New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles got underway. We hold them in our hearts and thank them for our freedom as we proudly stand for the National Anthem. Trump says the practice is disrespectful to service members, and he has criticized the league and team owners for allowing the kneeling to continue. The president has been critical of NFL players who exercise their right to freedom of expression by kneeling during the national anthem to protest unfair police treatment of minorities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

italian flag: All of those shot were Black; Traini is white.A reporter for the ANSA news agency who witnessed the arrest said Traini had the Italian flag draped on his shoulders when he got out of a black Alfa Romeo near the city's war dead memorial, climbed the stairs of the monument and raised his arm in a fascist salute, according to Toronto Star. Military police officers then arrested him. Local news media identified the suspect as Luca Traini, 28. The only element that links the persons who were injured is the colour of their skin, Interior Minister Marco Minniti said during a news conference Saturday night, calling the shootings an evident display of racial hatred. The mayor called on residents to remain indoors, and the city's transportation system came to a halt. Around midday Saturday, the suspect drove through the streets of Macerata, firing from the Alfa Romeo, officials said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

employment commitment: Under the old live-in caregiver program, an average of 8,000 caregivers received permanent status every year between 2006 and 2014 after they fulfilled the two-year live-in employment commitment and got their medical and criminal clearances, according to Toronto Star. The rule changes are a blow to the immigration dreams of foreign caregivers, who have seen their transition rate from temporary worker status to permanent residency slowly falling from a peak of 83 per cent in the 1990s. According to Immigration Department data, about 20 per cent, or 555 caregivers out of 2,730 applicants, were granted permanent residency in the country in the three years after the former Conservative government set out the new language and post-secondary education requirements in November 2014. Read more Article Continued Below Liberals plan to reduce permanent resident backlog for caregivers Immigrants are largely behind Canada's status as one of the best-educated countries In addition to the formal accreditation requirements for language and education, the former Conservative government made changes to cap the number of caregivers who can access permanent residency to 5,500 applicants a year and require employers to pay a 1,000 application fee to bring in caregivers. react-empty 174 The government also removed the requirement that caregivers must live with their employer, with the goal of reducing the potential for abuse and exploitation Despite the great demand for caregivers in looking after Canada's aging population and young children, critics say that overall the changes are part of a trend to create hurdles for low-skilled migrant workers to acquire permanent status, turning them into perpetual guest workers. Little has changed for the caregivers, said University of Toronto social work professor Rupaleem Bhuyan, who leads The Migrant Mothers Project, a community-university research initiative to study the effect of immigration policies. They also say the majority of current caregivers still live with employers because they can't afford transportation and rent to have their own place. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

italian city: The five men and one woman wounded in the two-hour drive-by shooting spree are from Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia and Mali, according to RAI state television, according to Toronto Star. Read more European leaders agree on new asylum policy for vulnerable migrants' in Africa Article Continued Below Far-right activists chartered this ship to repel migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Luca Traini, 28, remained jailed as police investigated him on multiple counts of attempted murder with the aggravating circumstance of racial hatred for the Saturday attacks in the Italian city of Macerata. Then part of its crew filed for asylum Italian authorities said they seized Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, other publications linked to Nazism and a flag with a Celtic cross, a symbol commonly used by white supremacists, from Traini's home Sunday. Italy's ANSA news agency quoted acquaintances saying he previously had ties with the neo-fascist Forza Nuova and Casa Pound parties. react-empty 162 Photographs released by police showed Traini with a neo-Nazi tattoo prominently on his forehead and an Italian flag tied around his neck. The suspect was an unsuccessful candidate last year in a local election for the anti-migrant Northern League political party. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jackson: To put to rest any speculation or rumours as to whether I will be performing at the Super Bowl tomorrow; I will not, Jackson said in a statement released Saturday, according to CTV. Thank you for your support and I do look forward to seeing you all very soon. Janet Jackson has shut down any rumours that she will be joining Justin Timberlake during this year's Super Bowl halftime show. Timberlake is returning to the halftime show 14 years after a wardrobe malfunction with Jackson caused a national controversy. Timberlake later described it as an unintended wardrobe malfunction. Timberlake was Jackson's special guest during her performance at that year's game and ripped off a piece of her clothing, revealing her nipple. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jeffrey bennett: The Kansas City Star reports Syed Ahmed Jamal was arrested in his front yard in Lawrence, Kansas, on Jan. 24 as he walked his seventh-grade daughter to school, according to Metro News. The 55-year-old Jamal, who is from Bangladesh, arrived in the United States in 1987 to study at the University of Kansas. Supporters of a Kansas chemistry instructor hope immigration officials will be lenient because he has lived in the United States for 30 years without problems and has a family. Most recently, he was teaching at Park University. President Donald Trump has toughened immigration enforcement. Jamal's lawyer, Jeffrey Bennett, says an immigration judge allowed Jamal to remain in the country on a supervised basis provided he checked in regularly. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leadership candidates: We have to build on the past, Wilkinson said Sunday, according to Metro News. We've got the heritage of having put together the values that have led to success in the past. Wilkinson's old-school, stick to our roots message carried the day Saturday as he defeated five other candidates, including newcomers Dianne Watts and Michael Lee, who called for massive changes. Those are things to build upon not to discard. But he also said leadership candidates who called on the party to widen its support must also be heard after the Liberals lost its 16-year grip on power last year. Wilkinson, 60, a doctor, lawyer and Rhodes Scholar, said the Liberals must unite and never forget the achievements of Clark and Campbell. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leigh line: Cory Paterson, with his first try as a member of the Wolfpack, gave Toronto a 16-12 lead its first of the game early in the second half, according to Metro News. Paterson intercepted a kick and ran it all the way down to the Leigh line for the score. Liam Kay scored three tries to lead the Wolfpack, the transatlantic rugby team that earned promotion from the third-tier following a dominant inaugural 2017 season. The Wolfpack powered through from there, scoring a total of 34 unanswered points. Kay scored his last try in the dying moments of the match. Kay scored his second of the match a couple minutes after Paterson and Ryan Brierley added another for a 26-12 Toronto lead. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

montreal business: Celebrating Black History Month, in ways large and small The event, in its second year, was held at the Montreal Science Centre and brought together forces in Montreal business, including Frantz Saintellemy, founder and CEO of Groupe 3737, an incubator for entrepreneurs in Saint-Michel, Amina Gerba, who created Afrique Expansion, and Ben Marc Diend r communications director of La Coop f d r e, according to CBC. Quebec Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Dominique Anglade, who is of Haitian descent, also spoke at the forum and said afterward that she felt energized. The Black Economic Forum in Montreal aims to act as a catalyst for economic and entrepreneurial development in the city's black communities and to fight inequities in those spheres. Quebec Deputy Premier Dominique Anglade says the government will be making an announcement on the subject of networks and mentorships in business for visible minorities. They really want to make a difference, Anglade said. CBC You see people who really want to contribute. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pop culture: Racicot is both a television and radio host whose past work includes Musique Plus and FLASH, a French daily entertainment magazine, according to CBC. The Dynastie Gala is an award ceremony that highlights prominent members of the Black community in media, sports, business and arts. Seat at the Table is a 2017 podcast which features conversations with guests shaping pop culture. Celebrating Black History Month, in ways large and small Tr s heureuse d' tre au galadynastie ce soir. Henry was also nominated for best anglophone TV personality. Isabelle Racicot Other members of CBC Montreal's team who were nominated in the category include Daybreak writer/broadcaster Shari Okeke, The Bridge host Nantali Indongo, Seat at the Table co-host Martine St-Victor and weekend newsreader Sean Henry. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

emad: But a spokesman for the group says they never heard back from Trudeau, and decided to try to see him at the forum at the University of Manitoba on Wednesday, according to CTV. Hadji Hesso says when Emad arrived at the venue with his uncle, political staffers approached him and brought him to a dressing room, where he met Trudeau for about five minutes. Thirteen-year-old Emad Mishko Tamo made a video appeal to Trudeau that was posted to social media by the Yazidi Association of Manitoba last month. Emad was reunited with his family in Winnipeg last year after a relative saw his picture, taken in a refugee camp, on social media. It was not the meeting that we were looking for, said Hesso, who is a spokesman for the family. Hesso says they'd hoped for a much longer meeting with Trudeau, so Emad could talk more about the plight of other Yazidi children and bringing more refugees to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

yazidi children: Emad was reunited with his family in Winnipeg last year after a relative saw his picture, taken in a refugee camp, on social media, according to National Observer. Hesso says they'd hoped for a much longer meeting with Trudeau, so Emad could talk more about the plight of other Yazidi children and bringing more refugees to Canada. Hadji Hesso says when Emad arrived at the venue with his uncle, political staffers approached him and brought him to a dressing room, where he met Trudeau for about five minutes. It was not the meeting that we were looking for, said Hesso, who is a spokesman for the family. We requested a further meeting, another meeting, to discuss more details if possible in Ottawa but nothing has been confirmed yet. But hopefully this is just the beginning. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

attestation form: Labour Minister Patty Hajdu announced the extension in a news release today, giving employers until Feb. 9 to submit their grant applications, according to CBC. This is a tremendous opportunity to give work experience to energetic, enthusiastic students, and to keep our economy growing. This week a group of religious leaders called the attestation form fascist and pure discrimination, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau staunchly defended it. I invite all employers who haven't yet done so to apply today to get support to hire students this summer, she said. The extension also gives MPs a chance to do a final push with not-for-profit organizations, faith-based groups and small businesses in their ridings. Trudeau defends summer grants policy'Fascist' summer jobs form under fire from religious leaders There were similar extensions to the deadline in 2016 and 2017 as well, which saw a spike in applications. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

children: The sad part is that not much has changed since her first research project in 1995, she said, according to CBC. The people who tell me racism doesn't exist are the people that don't have non-white children. I have yet to talk to a parent who has non-white children in the school system who says, 'No, my kids haven't experienced anything.'- Manju Varma Varma, who works in employment equity and diversity with the federal government, has been examining youth and racism in the province for more than 20 years. I have yet to talk to a parent who has non-white children in the school system who says, 'No, my kids haven't experienced anything. All of those kids said it wasn't the threat of violence, it was the name-calling that really got them because it's constant, she said. Varma said the children she's spoken to as part of her research often report name-calling at school. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.