ban gender: The government's proud plan to road-trip consultations on racism, with an eye to infusing every policy with anti-discrimination measures, was quickly put on ice, according to CTV. Quebec MPs in the Liberal caucus sounded the alarm about the perils of cross-Canada hearings whipping up Islamophobia or worse. Amid a clear meltdown in Liberal government poll support, new moves on gender and tolerance issues were met by a head-shaking, eye-rolling, derision-snorting reaction from a public fed up with the excess of it all. And that bizarre Service Canada decree to ban gender specific terms like father' or mother', Mr.' or Mrs.' from all telephone communications had the government doing backflips to insist the policy had been refined. After all, the budget bellyflopped into a mosh pit of multi-billion-dollar gender measures that will do nothing to help a working mother if she can't find or afford child care. The message seems to be finally getting through Justin Trudeau has become so identified with kumbaya peoplekind priorities that he's lost the appearance of leading a serious government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border: The catch It was bait to win more money for President Donald Trump's precious border wall with Mexico, according to Metro News. The last-gasp White House attempt came as bargainers completed the huge spending measure that lawmakers aim to approve this week, participants and observers of the budget negotiations said Wednesday. That's why bargainers from both parties were surprised when the White House tried anyway. The effort failed, and Trump ended up getting just 1.6 billion for his wall and other border security steps, a year's worth of funds. Until they stop acting like idiots and stop trying to use Dreamers as hostages to pass their stupid xenophobic laws and stupid ideas like the border wall, nothing changes, Rep. That left prospects dim that Congress would act this year to renew the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, as Democrats eyeing a potential House takeover in November's elections become increasingly resistant to helping Trump build his wall. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cultures: For myself, it is very important that we bring that idea of unity that brings all the cultures together, said student Viktoriya Lee, according to CBC. When Lee, who is from South Korea, came to Canada, there was apprehension about whether or not she would fit in or if people would even talk to her. The celebration, which has been going on for about four years, was aimed at putting the spotlight on the various cultures in the school and in the city. It's okay to be new, she said. CBC Regina residents push for Davin School name change at special meeting Regina's Campion College celebrates 100th anniversary The event featured students from Canada, Indigenous communities and abroad showcasing dances, music performance and poems. When Viktoriya Lee, who is from South Korea, came to Canada, there was apprehension about whether or not she would fit in or if people would even talk to her. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jewish homes: On May 13, 1939, four months before the start of the Second World War, the luxury liner set out from Hamburg for a two-week transatlantic voyage to Havana, where the refugees hoped to live in peace, according to CTV. These were the elite. Louis who were escaping Nazi Germany were rejected by Ottawa, and forced back to Europe, where 254 passengers were killed in death camps. The cream of European Society, Canadian historian Irving Abella told CTV News. Only six months before, German Nazis had destroyed synagogues, Jewish homes and businesses in a ruthless wave of hate known as Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass, which littered German streets. But they were all Jews. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

law enforcement: Local police departments lack authority under state or federal law for such arrests, the lawsuit states, according to Metro News. Michael Gatti, an attorney who represents Palmer, said the city has received a copy of the complaint, and it is being reviewed. The lawsuit against the city of Palmer challenges the authority of local law enforcement to make civil immigration arrests, ACLU-Alaska attorney Tara Rich said. The case, filed on behalf of Alex Caceda kuh-SAY-duh on Thursday, seeks unspecified damages. He tried to help a female bartender who was being attacked and was himself punched and kicked by three men who left him bleeding from his head and face, the lawsuit says. Caceda's full name, according to the filing, is Andres Alexander to the lawsuit, Caceda was helping provide security at a bar in Palmer, about 40 miles north of Anchorage, when a fight broke out last August. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

legislation addresses: The White House later said the president backed the legislation, even as some conservative Republicans balked at the size of the spending increases and the rush to pass the bill, according to The Chronicle Herald. Talks continued into Wednesday evening before the 2,232-page text was finally released. As negotiators stumbled toward an end-of-the-week deadline to fund the government or face a federal shutdown, House Speaker Paul Ryan dashed to the White House amid concerns Trump's support was wavering. No bill of this size is perfect, Ryan said. Leaders still hoped to start voting as soon as Thursday. But this legislation addresses important priorities and makes us stronger at home and abroad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mass destruction: More than 4,500 U.S. service members were killed, seven of them as recently as last week, according to Rabble. Death and destruction on this scale would be more than enough to crush any society; yet the Iraqi people have persevered, countering war with determination and hope. Far from delivering the promised freedom and democracy and exposing stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, the illegal war killed, wounded and displaced millions of civilians. We have to name it as a criminal war, Zahra Ali told us on the Democracy Now! news hour, the destruction of Iraq as a functioning state and society. The post-2003 Iraqi regime has proven to be very anti-democratic, she added. A French-Iraqi sociologist, she was raised in Paris because her Iraqi parents fled Saddam Hussein as political exiles. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people non-monarchies: From Morocco in the west to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates in the east, monarchies have proven more stable than places that experimented with government of the people, according to The Chronicle Herald. Non-monarchies like Syria and Yemen, which before their wars did have functioning central governments, never made much of a pretense of democracy not even in the half-hearted sense of communist East Germany calling itself a Democratic Republic. But the bigger picture is that in the Middle East as a whole, democracy has largely failed to take hold. And today many argue that with so little democratic tradition and so much illiteracy in the case of Egypt, at least a quarter of the population some places are just not ready. That largely predetermines the result and diminishes democracy into something of a census. Countries that tried fairly free balloting like Iraq and Libya after the fall of Moammar Gadhafi tended to find the effort mired in tribal and sectarian voting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

user data: Zuckerberg speaks Following five days of silence, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted mistakes and outlined steps to protect user data following a privacy scandal at the company. 2, according to CTV. St. Plus, a Halifax nun with a brown belt in karate. 1. Louis exhibit A new exhibit at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa examines a dark moment in Canada's past the rejection of more than 900 Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis in 1939. Austin bombing The family of Mark Anthony Conditt, the suspect in a series of bombings in Austin, Texas, is devastated and broken by Conditt's alleged involvement in the violence. 4. The refugees were sent back to Europe, where 254 later died in death camps. 3. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nova scotia: We look to support whoever wants to start a small business project and gain Canadian experience, said Osman, according to CBC. At the same time, I'm also building social connections between people, to see people exchange numbers and make friends. Manal Osman has founded 50/50 Nova Scotia, a non-profit organization that offers free workshops in cooking, soap-making and sewing in the hopes it will encourage people, especially newcomers, to sell what they make. Manal Osman is the co-founder of 50/50 Nova Scotia. Ever since I came here, I felt the need to become part of the community, so the idea started from there, said Osman, who is now a Canadian citizen. Robert Short/CBC Osman immigrated to Canada in 2010 to seek a better life. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sanctuary laws: He said a final order is imminent, according to Metro News. Homan must back up claims that the federal government is suffering irreparable harm from three California laws that limit co-operation with federal immigration authorities by employers and state and local law enforcement agencies, Newman said. The nation's top immigration enforcer is likely to testify in a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration over California's so-called sanctuary laws seeking to protect people in the country illegally, a federal judge said Wednesday.U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendall Newman said his strong inclination is to require four hours of sworn testimony by Thomas Homan, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's acting director. He rejected the argument by U.S. Justice Department attorney Lauren Bingham that such testimony would be too burdensome on a busy agency director. It doesn't fly anywhere, Newman said. You've made your point. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

william zochinsky: For every quarter since the second half of 2013, there were losses of people leaving Saskatchewan more than people moving in, said Claudine Provencher, an analyst with the demography division of Statistics Canada, according to CBC. Irish immigrant says boom or bust, Sask. is home now Saskatchewan family sells everything, moves to Alberta in search of jobs The province of Saskatchewan is losing people to Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, Provencher said, adding that's been the trend for at least the last two years. The data released Thursday, covering the last quarter of 2017, is reflective of what's happened with interprovincial migration during the last four years says an analyst with the agency. That includes people like William Zochinsky. It wasn't so much the economic downturn that drove his decision, but the nature of the province. He's lived in Regina for almost six years, but he's packing his bags and heading back to British Columbia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

joly: Joly said the government won't run broad consultations on racism, opting instead to speak with different stakeholders about spending on programs outlined in the budget, according to National Observer. Previous efforts to talk about racism have not gone well. The Liberals will soon launch small-scale consultations on a national anti-racism strategy promised in February's budget. ; Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly, who will oversee the work, said the government wants to find real solutions to real problems, particularly on fundamental rights and access to justice and jobs. Concerns about free speech forced their way into discussions around a Liberal MP's motion condemning Islamophobia. The Liberals are now looking to avoid the same pitfalls. Similarly, the Quebec government's plan to consult on systemic racism was met with objections that forced the province to tone down its plans. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pm: Thu and Fri 11 am-9 pm, Sat 10 am-5 pm, according to NOW Magazine. Free. Apr 5-7. This exhibition examines immigration and rejection, walls, fences, resettlement, detainment, and what it means for humanity and individuals when a decision is made to close borders and evict asylum seekers, when we treat people as other. Forced resettlement; regulations; treaties that set up separated geographical areas are part of this separation. Borders are not just between countries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dog tori: Humane Society International/Canada has been partnering with local organizations in South Korea for years to end one of the most complex animal abuse issues in the country the dog meat trade, according to NOW Magazine. While rooted in history, fewer South Koreans are eating what's known as aegogi due to a growing pet industry and shifting views on which dog breeds are meant for consumption. As Olympic venues shuttered their windows and crowds packed up their souvenirs, a few Canadians remained in Pyeongchang where unfinished work kept them focused. South Korea's president Moon Jae-in adopted his dog Tori from a meat farm, the first president to welcome a rescue dog into the Blue House. On these sites, dogs are crammed into paltry cages, exposed to harsh elements and provided little in the way of food, water or medical oversight. Despite this, roughly 2.5 million dogs are raised annually for slaughter on an estimated 1,700 farms across the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

landlords: Unfortunately, many people felt they had no choice but to provide that information to avoid missing out on a place to live, despite feeling uncomfortable doing so, according to Vancouver Courier. Landlords were asked to explain how the collection of personal information and use and retention of that information is compliant with the Personal Information Protection Act. McArthur reached that conclusion after conducting an investigation that included collecting residential tenancy application forms from eight for-profit and five non-profit landlords, and rental management companies.article continues below Trending Stories Burnaby home operating as nine-bedroom Airbnb hotelrelated Tiny den for 1,000/month, and more Vancouver rental gems Downtown Eastside hotels see average rent increase by 139 over previous year Former bottle depot site in Downtown Eastside now 32 million rental highrise I found a systemic practice of landlords asking tenants to provide an unreasonable amount of personal information during the application process, McArthur wrote in a report released Thursday titled Always, Sometimes, or Never Personal Information and Tenant Screening. McArthur also heard from people who reported several incidents that concerned me, including one case where a prospective tenant was asked for a copy of their child's report card. One person was asked to consent to an inspection of their current residence. Others told him they were asked about immigration status and had requests for detailed bank statements dating back three months from all bank accounts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wednesday afternoon: The spacecraft is set to dock at the orbiting outpost Friday, according to National Observer. Feustel met his future wife, Indira, a speech pathologist from eastern Ontario, at Indiana's Purdue University. Andrew Drew Feustel, who has dual Canada-U.S. citizenship, headed off Wednesday afternoon with fellow NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev. ; The trio are aboard a Soyuz rocket that left as scheduled from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan eight months before Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques leaves for the orbiting space laboratory in November for a six-month stay. They married and came to Canada, and Queen's University says he completed a PhD in geological sciences at the university in Kingston, Ont., in the 1990s. It will be Feustel's third flight into space, and his second to the space station where he will also take over as commander in June. The Queen's Gazette says their two children Ari and Aden, were born in Kingston and that the family still has ties to the city. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ben perryman: Abdi came to Nova Scotia as a refugee from Somalia with his sister and aunts when he was six years old, according to CBC. He grew up in provincial foster care, but officials never applied for his Canadian citizenship. He was incredibly relieved with the result and to learn that he's not going to lose his permanent resident status before he gets to have his day in court, said Ben Perryman, Abdi's Halifax-based lawyer, who will represent him at Federal Court. Abdi was detained by the Canada Border Services Agency earlier this year after serving nearly five years in prison for multiple offences, including aggravated assault. Former child refugee's deportation hearing temporarily paused Perryman has asked the Federal Court for a warning letter instead of a deportation order. He was subsequently released to a halfway house. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

census data: There were a lot of changes made under the government and the impacts of those changes are reflected in the latest census data, said Andrew Griffith, who will present his analysis at a national immigration conference in Calgary on Thursday, according to Toronto Star. Although the changes only came in 2010, immigrants who landed four or five years earlier were still subject to those changes. According to a new analysis, Canada's overall naturalization rate fell to 82.7 per cent from 85.6 per cent in that period, during which the former Conservative government, under then prime minister Stephen Harper, raised the residency, language and knowledge requirements, as well as the citizenship application fee. The changes were not just going forward, but they applied to people who had already submitted their applications. Article Continued Below Over 90 per cent of immigrants who came to Canada before 1981 were Canadian citizens in 2016, about the same rate for those who arrived in the two decades after them. Based on the latest census data, Griffith, a retired director general of the Immigration Department's citizenship and multiculturalism branch, examined citizenship rates by region of birth, province, education, age, income, gender and immigration class before and after the Harper government's citizenship reforms. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

civil-rights icon: Yet she remains unknown to most Americans, according to The Chronicle Herald. Among Mexican-Americans, however, she's a civil-rights icon. Robert Kennedy minutes before he was assassinated, inspired Barack Obama's 2008 Yes We Can presidential campaign slogan with her Si, Se Puede rallying cry and has continued her social activism as she approaches her 90th birthday. She draws excitement at rallies for ethnic studies in Arizona, gatherings for women's rights in Albuquerque and even for a cameo appearance at this year's Academy Awards. Dolores is scheduled to air on most PBS stations on Tuesday. Now the social activist is the subject of Dolores, a new PBS documentary from Independent Lens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

india: One last, last chance accused in honour killing case appeal for clemency Jaswinder Sidhu's mom, uncle ordered extradited to India over her slaying According to documents filed in the case, Darshan Singh Sidhu became a permanent resident on May 4, 2008, when he landed at Vancouver International Airport along with his wife and son, according to CBC. He was on parole at the time after being convicted, in India, of murder three years earlier. The revelation the latest twist in a story that dates back to a notorious slaying in the province of Punjab in 2000 is laid out in a recent federal court ruling. The court documents say the family was sponsored by his daughter, who is married to the son of one of two Canadians currently fighting extradition to India for allegedly masterminding Jassi Sidhu's killing. The federal court file includes a photocopy of the form. Darshan Singh Sidhu first applied for permanent resident status in 2007. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

college conference: About 30 members of the group, wearing hats and T-shirts bearing the group's logo, took seats in the audience at a library at C GEP douard-Montpetit Wednesday just ahead of a presentation by sociology professor Martin Geoffroy on the extremist characteristics of La Meute, according to Toronto Star. Geoffroy's presentation demonstrated the ways in which La Meute's activities and communications met the definition of an extremist group. Dozens of members of the right-wing group La Meute showed up to a college conference on extremism south of Montreal to challenge academic researchers describing their anti-immigration movement as radical. He said such groups generally subscribe to conspiracy theories, decry political elites, exercise strict control over members and call for a return to the traditions of the past. I am guilty of wanting to protect our identity, our culture, our heritage. The disgruntled mumbling and snickering of La Meute members turned into heckling, followed by outright denunciation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

faith goldy: Ontario university won't stop talk by anti-immigration speaker Faith Goldy 13 people named to Wilfrid Laurier freedom of expression task force More than 100 people protested outside the centre, yelling shame and no Nazis at Laurier! as the event was about to take place, according to CBC. No nazis at Laurier protestors sing to show dissent against tonight's public talk featuring Faith Goldy at Wilfrid Laurier University peggylam The talk was set to start at 7 15 p.m. More than 175 people lined up at Paul Martin Centre in Waterloo, Ont., to see her speak about keeping Canada's borders closed to immigration. ET. At approximately 7 20 p.m, a fire alarm was pulled and police evacuated the building, preventing anyone from entering the Paul Martin Centre. Organizer 'super disappointed' Shepherd, the co-founder of the campus group Laurier Society for Open Inquiry, said she's super disappointed at the outcome. Event attendees then moved to Veterans' Green park, on the other side of campus, where Lindsay Shepherd, the organizer of the event, announced the talk was cancelled. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

home language: We still speak Tagalog at home because they should still look after their roots, Michelle Silvestre said, according to CTV. Almost three years ago, Silvestre and her family left the Philippines for life in Canada. But his mother, Michelle Silvestre, hopes Quentin will learn the song in his home language too. Friends already in the country suggested the Silvestre's move to prairies. Saskatchewan's small communities and economic opportunities are a draw for the thousands of Filipino immigrants who've moved to Saskatchewan, according to Minister of Immigration and Career Training Jeremy Harrison. They recommended living in Regina because it's quiet and peaceful, and there's a lot of job opportunities, Silvestre said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

joly: Heritage Minister M lanie Joly, who will oversee the work, said the government wants to find real solutions to real problems, particularly on fundamental rights, access to justice and jobs, according to Toronto Star. Read more Report says Indigenous people in Toronto are far more likely to be homeless, unemployed and hungry Article Continued Below Census vastly undercounts Indigenous population in Toronto, study says Justin Trudeau promises new focus on rights of Indigenous peoples Joly said the government won't run broad consultations on racism, opting instead to speak with different stakeholders about spending on programs outlined in the budget. react-empty 144 Previous efforts to talk about racism have not gone well. The Liberals will soon launch consultations on a national anti-racism strategy promised in February's budget. Concerns about free speech forced their way into discussions around a Liberal MP's motion condemning Islamophobia. The Liberals are now looking to avoid the same pitfalls. Similarly, the Quebec government's plan to consult on systemic racism was met with objections that forced the province to tone down its plans. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

liberties affiliates: The lawyers say U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been searching buses more often to check the immigration status of travellers singling out people based on race or their appearance, according to Metro News. Border Patrol has the power to operate immigration checkpoints and conduct other activities within 100 miles 160 kilometres of a U.S. land or coastal border according to a federal law. The American Civil Liberties Union's affiliates in 10 states sent a letter Wednesday to officials for the Greyhound bus company asking them to deny agents permission to board without a warrant or on the U.S. border. But the letter says the statutes cannot override the Fourth Amendment, which protects people and businesses against illegal search and seizures. Last month, advocates in Florida warned immigrants about the checks when travelling to the state. The advocates say the checks have taken place in at least seven states including California, Florida and Vermont. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.