comedy school: She looked for inspiration by walking around the comedy school, cole nationale de l'humour, in Montreal enjoying past photos, according to National Observer. Some showed graduates with pets or children, one wore a pirate eye patch and another held a Tim Horton's coffee cup. Garihanna Jean-Louis wanted hers to be original. I know three black women doing humour in Quebec Dorothy Rhau, me and my sister, Garihanna Jean-Louis said. But she couldn't help noticing something was missing. I have to work twice as hard to get half as much because not only I am a woman but I am a black woman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

guillermina buzio: Free, according to NOW Magazine. Artists Laura Barr n, Guillermina Buzio, Jorge Lozano, Susana Reisman and Lorena Salom touch on the passing of time and how immigrants carry their past within them. Mar 8-Apr 14, opening 7-10 pm Mar 8; curator tour 1-2 pm Apr 5; closing reception 3-5 pm Apr 14. Through photography, video, installation and performance the artists inhabit movement, expose their past through place and explore immediacy as a tool of emotional and political survival. Curated by Tamara Toledo. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bowl champions: Press Taylor will replace John DeFilippo as quarterbacks coach, according to Metro News. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the team hadn't officially announced the moves. Running backs coach Duce Staley, who also interviewed for the offensive co-ordinator position, will add assistant head coach to his title. Groh replaces Frank Reich, who left the Super Bowl champions to become head coach for Indianapolis. He also played a role in Nelson Agholor's improvement. DeFilippo left to become Minnesota's offensive co-ordinator . Groh joined the Eagles last season and helped a receiver corps that included newcomers Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Mack Hollins. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

calalta figure: But over the last few years, many taking to the sport have cited the Ontario pair as motivation, crediting Virtue and Moir for injecting new energy into the discipline, according to CTV. Our sport has done really well for a long time because of Tessa and Scott, said Kimberley Weeks, manager of the ice dance program at the Calalta Figure Skating Club in Calgary. Ice dance, which has not always been the most high-profile among figure skating's disciplines, has experienced ebbs and flows in popularity since Virtue and Moir burst onto the senior competition circuit more than a decade ago, those in the field said. They have been around for such a very long time that they really have become mentors and role-models for Canadian ice dancers. That prestige is expected to grow after the dazzling competition that vaulted the pair into the history books on Tuesday. Virtue and Moir's consistently first-rate performances, such as the one they turned in at the Pyeongchang Olympics this week to the delight of fans around the world, have made them the face of the sport that has grown in prestige since the pair came on the scene, coaches said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cards i: The Knavses, formerly of Slovenia, are living in the country on green cards, according to Michael Wildes, a New York-based immigration attorney who represents the first lady and her family, according to Toronto Star. I can confirm that Mrs. Immigration experts said Viktor and Amalija Knavs very likely relied on a family reunification process that President Trump has derided as chain migration and proposed ending in such cases. Trump's parents are both lawfully admitted to the United States as permanent residents, he said. The Knavses are now awaiting scheduling for their swearing-in ceremony, according to a person with knowledge of the parents' immigration filings. The family, as they are not part of the administration, has asked that their privacy be respected so I will not comment further on this matter. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

choir practices: Being Ukrainian is pride, said Worobetz, speaking to CTV News between her dance and choir practices, according to CTV. It's a sense of community with other people. Instead, it's a chance to reconnect with her ancestral roots. It's an all-encompassing way to identify myself. The 26-year-old sings in Saskatoon's Lastiwka Ukrainian Orthodox Choir and dances with the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble. It's an identity shared by roughly 130,000 Ukrainian-Canadians in Saskatchewan, and an identity Worobetz continues to forge through dance and song. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

companies p.e.i: Hussen said the region-wide extension of Nova Scotia's Study and Stay program will act as a complement to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project announced in 2016 that connects immigrants and companies, according to CBC. P.E.I. immigration growing at fastest rate in the country Immigration drives P.E.I. population past 150,000 It is very explicitly about retaining people here, Hussen told a news conference following a meeting Tuesday of federal politicians and Atlantic premiers in Moncton, N.B. Atlantic Canada has never had a problem attracting skilled immigrants the problem is retention, so they come here and they don't stay. Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said Atlantic Canada has a retention rate for skilled immigrants that hovers at around 60 per cent, compared to rates of 90 per cent or higher in Ontario and Alberta. International students accounted for over 21% of UPEI's total population in 2016. We know that will vastly improve the retention rate, Hussen said. CBC Such programs are key because they involve companies in helping to establish local roots for skilled immigrants and their families, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

eritrean migrants: He also hoped to avoid the fate of compatriots who languished in a notorious desert jail for illegally staying in Israel, according to Toronto Star. So in an emotional confrontation with immigration officials one day last November, the 29-year-old sous chef accepted what Israeli authorities were offering 3,500 in cash and a one-way ticket to Uganda or Rwanda. He could not dare return to his native Eritrea, a country he risked his life to flee in 2010. Two weeks later he was on a flight to Uganda, together with five other Eritrean migrants he did not know. It's forced. They told me, If you don't leave you are going to jail,' Tesfagabr recalled. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant children: In a statement announcing the change, the government said that this will make it easier for minors, including immigrant children in the welfare system or in foster care, to become citizens, according to CTV. This change for minors who are permanent residents comes after amendments to the Citizenship Act passed in June. This change brings the fee in line with what it costs for minors who apply at the same time as a parent or who already have a Canadian parent. Among the changes, the government got rid of the requirement to be 18 years of age to apply for Canadian citizenship. The department is aiming to have the refunds made within 12 weeks of Feb. 14, 2018, when the change came into force. For anyone who has already paid the 530 fee for a minor applying alone, on or after June 19, 2017, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship officials will contact these applicants to guide them through getting the 430 refund. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pedestrians: Criminal charges stayed after two Fort McMurray pedestrians killed Fort McMurray mourns pedestrians killed in collision2 pedestrians killed in Fort McMurray crash No reason was given for the downgraded charge, but a statement from Alberta Justice said new evidence surfaced that made a conviction less likely, according to CBC. Here's the reply from AlbertaJSG about why it stayed criminal charges against a man charged with dangerous driving causing the deaths of Hadi 'Dani' Eljamal & Sana Elache in Fort McMurray ymm We also updated our web story. The 48-year-old male driver no longer faces two charges of dangerous driving causing death, and will plead not guilty to one charge of careless driving under the Traffic Safety Act, according to the Crown. CBCDavid The lives of Sana Elache, 52, and Hadi 'Dani' Eljamal, 56, were cut short on Sept. 6, 2017, when an SUV hit them on Real Martin Drive in the Wood Buffalo Estates neighbourhood. Anas said Elache was one of Fort McMurray's great champions, leading the region's multicultural association and starting a leadership program that empowered many in the community into key roles, including municipal councillors. Wife and brother killed Elache was the wife of Anas Eljamal and Dani was his brother. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

news conference: Hussen said the region-wide extension of Nova Scotia's Study and Stay program will act as a compliment to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project announced in 2016 that connects immigrants and companies, according to The Chronicle Herald. Atlantic immigration pilot failing to meet 2017 targets More immigrants coming in next three years Despite pilot program numbers, immigration rising in N.S. It is very explicitly about retaining people here, Hussen told a news conference following a meeting Tuesday of federal politicians and Atlantic premiers in Moncton, N.B. Atlantic Canada has never had a problem attracting skilled immigrants the problem is retention, so they come here and they don't stay. Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said Atlantic Canada has a retention rate for skilled immigrants that hovers at around 60 per cent, compared to rates of 90 per cent or higher in Ontario and Alberta. Such programs are key because they involve companies in helping to establish local roots for skilled immigrants and their families, he said. I think it's great because it addresses a real challenge that is a little bit more acute in Atlantic Canada than the rest of the country. We know that will vastly improve the retention rate, Hussen said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rebel groups: Min Aung Hlaing said officials were investigating whether a terrorist group was behind the explosion, according to Metro News. Several ethnic rebel groups are active in northern Shan state, whose capital is Lashio, and those that have not signed a cease-fire with the government are often described as terrorists. The Facebook page of army commander Senior Gen. The general's page identified the two fatalities as female employees of the Yoma Bank branch where the blast occurred. Photos posted by the Information Ministry and on private social media accounts showed considerable damage to the bank, at two entrances. Military explosive experts, medics, local police and Red Cross workers rushed to the bank after the explosion, which occurred as it was closing for the day. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tuesday night: John's, Bala author of the bestselling novel The Boat People, a finalist in CBC's Canada Reads competition this year said she is still struck by the similarities of watching someone trying to win at Plinko and the way some immigrants are granted entry into this country, according to CBC. Trying to apply as a refugee or show up and claim asylum, it's a bit like a game, Bala said at a forum at the Association of New Canadians ANC in St. Speaking Tuesday night to a jam-packed crowd in her adopted home of St. John's. The MV Sun Sea was intercepted off B.C.'s coast in August 2010 with 492 passengers on board. You're just hoping that you get in and whether or not you do is so much dependent on luck and timing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

two-dozen-or-so men: Some of the old-timers needed to hold onto an arm for support, according to The Chronicle Herald. But when the two-dozen-or-so men and women were finally in place, each received a framed photograph from some earlier gathering. The procession, as you can imagine, was slow and stately. Then, in this community that venerates age, the applause began. As we sat and ate, Lee told me how he was 18 when he arrived the Chinese Exclusion Act which stopped all Chinese immigration into Canada for 23 years having prevented thousands of families, like the Lees, from reuniting. I was there at the invitation of one of the elders in the group Fred Lee, who came to Halifax in 1950, to join a father he hadn't seen since he was a year old, and live above the Charlie Wah Laundry at the corner of Barrington and Kent Streets. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

family reunification: While this is good news for those seeking to have their foreign spouses join them in Canada, the reality of making a spousal sponsorship application remains the same the application is far from simple, the process isn't transparent and the whole ordeal is more intrusive than one may think, according to NOW Magazine. At first glance, applying to sponsor a foreign spouse for permanent residence to Canada looks easy. Stressing the importance of family reunification, Minister Hussen said that under the current administration, average processing times for these applications have also been reduced from 26 months to 12 months. Spousal sponsorship is not restricted to formally married couples, and is also available to common-law and conjugal partners. Unlike parental sponsorships, there is no cap on the number of spousal sponsorship application that can be approved in a single year. A common-law partnership requires a couple to live together for at least one year, while a conjugal partnership is a marriage-like relationship where a couple was not able to live together due to some extenuating circumstances. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minute episodes: Suitably, the series steers away from the vaunted halls of fine dining in favour of honing in on a more human element, according to NOW Magazine. Over the course of eight 50-minute episodes only a few of which overstay their welcome Chang travels from New York City to Naples, the American south to Asia, interviewing the standard-bearers of various international cuisines. The title of David Chang's new docu-series is a tag the Momofuku chef's taken to slapping on honest, non-cheffy food, the kind of humble braises and stews you'd find in your folks' kitchen or at your fave neighbourhood eatery. Even when boldface restaurateurs like Noma's Ren Redzepi and SQIRL's Jessica Koslow show up on-camera, they're hanging out with their kids making dumplings or talking about wolfing down microwave popcorn as a post-service dinner. As the show hops between scenes and cultures each episode focuses on a single dish, from fried chicken to tacos to BBQ Chang and his cohorts meet a celebrated Mexican chef who lives under the risk of deportation, study the intricacies of Viet-Cajun cuisine in Houston and examine racist stereotypes and marketing surrounding fried chicken. Food becomes an entry point to explore racism, immigration, class and cultural cross-pollination. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anais sehmus: Hayfa Sehmus and her sister Serin arrived in Canada two years ago, according to CBC. They're originally from the town of Al-Hasakah in Syria. Thanks to help from an unlikely source, their struggle may end. Since they arrived, they've been trying to bring over their 26-year-old brother Anais. According to a medical document written by a Swedish doctor working in Iraq, Sehmus, who has been suffering from severe visual impairments since childhood, is in need of a corneal transplant after his eye rejected one performed 11 years ago. Anais Sehmus fled Syria's war and is living in Erbil, in northern Iraq. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-migrant violence: A 25-year-old Iraqi and a 19-year-old Syrian were also lightly injured, according to Metro News. Bettina Joerg, spokeswoman for Heilbronn prosecutors, said Tuesday that the suspect was drunk and wanted to send a signal about the current refugee policy. The 70-year-old, who has German and Russian citizenship, seriously wounded a 17-year-old Afghan in the attack Saturday near a church in the city of Heilbronn. Germany has seen a rise in anti-migrant violence following the arrival of over a million refugees in recent years. Joerg said the suspect is being investigated for dangerous bodily harm rather than attempted homicide because the assumption is he didn't intend to kill. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

connecticut couple: He was detained for two weeks and then deported to his native Jordan, according to CTV. Othman's supporters in the U.S. view such treatment as a particularly egregious example of the Trump administration's ramped-up deportation campaign that potentially targets anyone lacking the right papers, including long-time residents with American spouses and children. The Ohio entrepreneur, who came to the United States 38 years ago and won praise for helping revive once-blighted downtown Youngstown, was arrested during what he thought was another check-in with immigration authorities. Recent cases include a Missouri college lecturer and a Connecticut couple running a nail salon who won last-minute reprieves through local politicians but remain at risk of expulsion. Othman's battle to remain in the United States goes back to the mid-1990s, when immigration authorities refused to renew his green card, alleging his first marriage in 1980 had been fraudulent. Supporters of the crackdown say immigration rules must be enforced, regardless of family and community ties of those targeted. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

news conference: Hussen said the region-wide extension of Nova Scotia's Study and Stay program will act as a compliment to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project announced in 2016 that connects immigrants and companies, according to CTV. It is very explicitly about retaining people here, Hussen told a news conference following a meeting Tuesday of federal politicians and Atlantic premiers in Moncton, N.B. Atlantic Canada has never had a problem attracting skilled immigrants -- the problem is retention, so they come here and they don't stay. Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said Atlantic Canada has a retention rate for skilled immigrants that hovers at around 60 per cent, compared to rates of 90 per cent or higher in Ontario and Alberta. Such programs are key because they involve companies in helping to establish local roots for skilled immigrants and their families, he said. I think it's great because it addresses a real challenge that is a little bit more acute in Atlantic Canada than the rest of the country. We know that will vastly improve the retention rate, Hussen said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

areas west: Visionary, according to The Chronicle Herald. A spectacular success. Bold. The words in an online promotion for a new museum exhibit in Washington, D.C., describe an 1830 U.S. law that forced thousands of American Indians from their lands in the South to areas west of the Mississippi River. Bold and visionary in imagining a country free of American Indians. Provocative, yes, says the co-curator of the exhibit Americans that opened last month at the National Museum of the American Indian. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian winters: I love it so far! said Ahmad Alsaadi, according to CBC. The 22-year-old came to Canada two months ago and he's warming up to Canadian winters. Most have only been in the country for a few weeks, and some remain separated from their families overseas. I grew up in Saudi Arabia and it's like a desert and so hot so it's totally different for me here. Aizick Grimman/CBC Alsaadi arrived in Toronto on his own, but speaks with his family almost daily, which helps keep him from feeling homesick. Ahmad Alsaadi from Saudi Arabia is experiencing snow for the first time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

english: But he says, since the drivers licence combined with the medical services card, he can't not without legally changing his given name, according to CBC. Vancouver woman petitions against dual name crackdown on new IDs When I renewed my driver's licence at ICBC, they asked me to remove my English name. Richmond resident Pat-Shing Tung, who immigrated to Canada 40 years ago, would like to have his chosen English name Kenneth on his B.C. Services Card. Otherwise, I have to do a legal name change, Tung told On The Coast guest host Michelle Eliot. On my passport, I have my English name on it. On my citizenship card, I have the English name on it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

politicians: I'm sure they don't mean to sound condescending, but the term smacks of elitism and suggests that those people in a position of authority and power are somehow better than the rest of us, according to The Chronicle Herald. They do this even though it's the average Canadian that really makes this country tick. I have a lot of pet peeves, but one of my biggest is politicians and bureaucrats who use the phrase average Canadians to describe everyday working Joes like you and me. Furthermore, it's those average Canadians who gave said politicians and bureaucrats their power and authority in the first place, so they would do well not to lose sight of that reality. For the record, I consider myself to be an average Canadian and I'm proud of it. I understand that some Canadians are better financially positioned than others and that some, because of the country's societal, economic and political structures, have more authority and power than others, but the little hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention every time I hear one of those influential individuals refer to the rest of us as average. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugees: Some, however, became stranded at the Tombru border point after Myanmar reportedly began building bunkers and threatened the refugees to leave and enter Bangladesh, which denied their entry, according to Metro News. Ali Hossain, the top government administrator in Cox's Bazar district, said officials from the countries agreed that Myanmar would identify the stranded refugees and then resettle them. About 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled army-led violence in Buddhist-majority Myanmar since August and are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. He said Myanmar invited Bangladeshi officials to visit the Tombru border point in Naikkhongchhari and talk to the refugees. We said that is the duty of Myanmar as they have not entered Bangladesh territory, he said. There was a dispute about who will verify them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

region-wide extension: Hussen said the region-wide extension of Nova Scotia's Study and Stay program will act as a compliment to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project announced in 2016 that connects immigrants and companies, according to Toronto Star. Read more Ottawa awards 950 million to five innovation superclusters' It is very explicitly about retaining people here, Hussen told a news conference following a meeting Tuesday of federal politicians and Atlantic premiers in Moncton, N.B. Article Continued Below Atlantic Canada has never had a problem attracting skilled immigrants the problem is retention, so they come here and they don't stay. Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said Atlantic Canada has a retention rate for skilled immigrants that hovers at around 60 per cent, compared to rates of 90 per cent or higher in Ontario and Alberta. Such programs are key because they involve companies in helping to establish local roots for skilled immigrants and their families, he said. I think it's great because it addresses a real challenge that is a little bit more acute in Atlantic Canada than the rest of the country. react-empty 159 In Nova Scotia, Study and Stay provides targeted support and services for up to 50 international students during their final year of post-secondary studies. We know that will vastly improve the retention rate, Hussen said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.