montreal gazette: Proving that politics always make for strange bedfellows and that parties are always ready to defend ideals they once rejected if it suits their campaign agenda, the Parti Qu b cois and the Liberals recently joined forces to gang up on the CAQ to publicly criticize and undermine the current frontrunner. ; The gloves first came off about two weeks ago, when, during an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Quebec Finance Minister and Liberal MNA Carlos Leit o described the CAQ as a party that's promoting an ethnic-based nationalism, according to National Observer. Pay attention to what the CAQ is saying; pay attention to the words they use in the National Assembly, because they have a very inward-looking approach, Leit o told the reporter.CAQ Leader Fran ois Legault immediately demanded an apology and accused Quebec Premier Phillippe Couillard of being guilty of playing dirty politics, deliberately trying to make him appear anti-immigrant and racist. The CAQ's questionable declarations regarding their yet-to-be-defined immigration values test which would require recently arrived immigrants to be expelled from the province if they fail to integrate into Quebec society culturally and linguistically within a three-year period drew accusations of identity politics from the other parties. A few days later, Nathalie Roy, the MNA for Montarville and the Coalition Avenir Qu bec spokesperson for immigration, penned an op-ed for the same paper, where she accused the Liberals of being in panic mode. The reason for a knowledge test for values, according to Roy, is to ensure that every candidate for immigration knows and integrates values in line with the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms before receiving the Quebec selection certificate. To immigrate to Quebec is to want to integrate into our community, our values, our culture and to learn our language, she wrote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pepper plant: The home of Tabasco, the now ubiquitous but uniquely branded condiment controlled by the same family since Edmund McIlhenny first stumbled across a pepper plant growing by a chicken coop on Avery Island, is under threat, according to National Observer. An unimaginable plight just a few years ago, the advancing tides are menacing its perimeter. But the state is losing land to the seas at such a gallop that even its seemingly impregnable landmarks are now threatened. Avery Island, home of Tabasco hot sauce, is under threat from climate change It does worry us, and we are working hard to minimise the land loss, said Tony Simmons, the seventh consecutive McIlhenny family member to lead the company. Simmons allows a silent pause as he mulls a situation where Tabasco is forced off the island. We want to protect the marsh because the marsh protects us. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

life: Now Ling has turned this key childhood experience into a life of social enterprise through an organization and series of pop-up events she's founded called Flavours of Hope.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver lawyer wants solicitor general to change impaired driving laws he criticized in opposition Vancouver doctor performs nearly 300 vasectomies on week-long trip to Haiti Will Wai Young scuttle the NPA's mission to win back city hall Fighting on the frontline of Vancouver's fentanyl epidemic Food is the catalyst The premise of Flavours of Hope is to offer refugee women who are passionate about food an opportunity to cook for members of their new community, according to Vancouver Courier. At the dinners, guests sit down and experience not only a taste of food prepared by the skilled hands of the refugee women in the kitchen, but also a taste of tremendous hospitality. Isolated because of the unfamiliar language and culture, Ling's mother kept to herself, while Ling says she was profoundly curious about their new surroundings, and food was one of the most powerful tools for forging new connections. The dinners are about dialogue not just in the sharing of stories by the resilient women doing the cooking, but also as the evening opens up the opportunity for guests to articulate their own stories. It's the opening up of the table for people to come together. Food is the catalyst, explains Ling. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights: She asked the government to end automatic citizenship rights for being born in Canada, known as jus soli, according to Vancouver Courier. Peschisolido maintains those rights are a fundamental pillar of freedom in Canada. I think it's a good petition, a little different from beforehand, said Peschisolido.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver lawyer wants solicitor general to change impaired driving laws he criticized in opposition Will Wai Young scuttle the NPA's mission to win back city hall Fighting on the frontline of Vancouver's fentanyl epidemic Police, Vancouver School Board officials counter clown crazinessrelated Richmond Hospital becomes passport mill Birth tourism not impacting maternity care VCHLetters special Richmond readers sound off over birth tourism Prior to this new petition, dubbed e-1527 online, an older one from 2016 was sponsored by Conservative MP for Richmond Centre, Alice Wong. Community activist Kerry Starchuk said that while the new petition is softened she is hopeful it will at least be discussed in the House, with Liberal support. By comparison, from 2004 to 2010 the hospital helped birth, on average, 18 new Canadians per year from non-resident mothers. There were 379 births to non-residents in Richmond, according to Vancouver Coastal Health's 2016-2017 fiscal year records. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

supreme court: Sabina Citron, president of the Canadian Holocaust Remembrance Association, was forced to make a private complaint under the Criminal Code to compel the government to act, according to NOW Magazine. Zundel was convicted but in the end the Supreme Court of Canada nullified the conviction when it found the law to be unconstitutional. In 1984, Ernst Zundel, a German national who had been living in Canada for decades, became the first person in Canada to be charged under the archaic false news law for anti-Semitic hatred. After many more years of legal and human rights actions, Zundel was finally deported to Germany where he was jailed for five years. Today, Canada has an anti-Muslim movement with many propagandists like Zundel who often escape responsibility for their actions and for the people they radicalize. He died last year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-fascist group: Some of the Walk on Locke's attendees wore jackets emblazed with Soldiers of Odin, which the U.S. Anti-Defamation League describes as an extreme-right group devoted to hatred and fear of immigrants and, especially, Muslims, according to CTV. Many of those with the so-called anti-fascist group wore red bandanas over their mouths, and sunglasses and hats that concealed their identities. The demonstration, billed as the Patriots Walk on Locke, was advertised as a walk in support of businesses on Locke Street that were damaged earlier this month by a group of black-clad vandals who police described as anarchists. One of them, Martin Rosso, told CTV Toronto that it was a real shame that police have decided to protect the fascist organizations and allowed them to march. Max Guerrero, from the revolutionary socialist group Fightback, said his group had joined the anarchists to stand against fascism, even though he believes their tactic had failed. He refused to comment when asked if he would condemn the vandalism spree on March 3, in which a group of about 30 people smashed windows with rocks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lima-marin end: Rene Lima-Marin, who was targeted for deportation after being pardoned by Colorado's governor for an armed robbery for which he spent two different stints in prison, is no longer behind bars, according to The Chronicle Herald. A smiling Lima-Marin walked out of an immigration detention centre in suburban Denver on Monday after winning his deportation case. A Cuban immigrant's long quest for freedom appears over. His lawyer, wife, father and a niece and nephew were there to greet him. A judge in October ordered that deportation proceedings against Lima-Marin end and that he be released, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security appealed that decision. It's hard to put into words really, but it's wonderful, he said of his release. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parks canada: The government says the investment in two popular day-use areas will provide new and improved visitor experiences, according to CTV. The tower and stationary section of the marsh boardwalk will be refreshed, and a brand new observation tower will be erected near the Tip to provide an all-new visitor experience of exceptional views of this iconic area of the park. The federal government has announced 5.5-million in infrastructure funding to support the renewal of the Marsh Boardwalk and the Tip area. The announcement was made Monday by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, as Canada's southernmost park prepares for its 100th anniversary and a year-long celebration of bringing people and nature together. These investments will help more Canadians, including youth and newcomers, discover and enjoy Point Pelee and the remarkable diversity of species found there, says McKenna. Through investments to protect and restore our national parks, the Government of Canada is preserving nature for future generations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pauline marois: Indeed, Trudeau's predecessors were often expected to go the extra mile to try to prevent the advent of a sovereigntist government in Quebec, according to Toronto Star. As recently as four years ago, then-prime minister Stephen Harper implored his opposition rivals and the other premiers to avoid providing Pauline Marois's PQ minority government with referendum and re-election ammunition. From Ottawa's perspective, the defeat of a federalist government in Quebec was considered a bigger national concern than any regime change in Ontario for the better part of four decades. Things are strikingly different this year. Its referendum plans are on the backburner until at least 2022. Article Continued Below The Parti Qu b cois is running in third place. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sahel region: In 2016, the military conducted nearly 500 airstrikes in the coastal city of Sirte over several months to destroy Daesh's stronghold there, according to Toronto Star. But the attack Saturday that the military's Africa Command said had killed two militants later identified by a spokesperson as belonging to Al Qaeda's branch in northwestern Africa took place in the country's southwest, a notorious haven for a deadly mix of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups that also operate in the Sahel region of Niger, Chad, Mali and Algeria. Until now, the Pentagon had focused its counterterrorism strikes in Libya almost exclusively on Daesh fighters and operatives farther north eight since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. This appears to be the continuation of expanding AFRICOM activity in Libya's ungoverned areas, said Deborah K. Jones, who served as U.S. ambassador to Libya from 2013 to 2015, referring to the Africa Command.A missile fired by the U.S. drone struck a house in Ubari, 700 kilometres south of Tripoli, in an area close to major oilfields that was wracked by violent ethnic feuding in 2015. Local residents were quoted by the media outlets as saying the house had been frequented by foreigners. Pictures in Libyan news media outlets showed a mutilated corpse lying in the rubble of a house, and a pair of shrapnel-ridden vehicles nearby. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

school bus: On the landing outside an apartment decorated with Buddhist prayer flags, she watched as a school bus turned down the block and the niece she had not seen in four years, hopped to the curb, according to Metro News. I am lucky, said Gurung, reunited with her sister's family just a few days earlier after spending more than half her life in a refugee camp. Only the teacher, Devi Gurung, was rewarded for her patience. The next morning, Amina Olow smiled, too, but faintly, as she recalled the daughters she has not seen in nearly a decade. She's heard nothing since. Then she unfolded a letter from U.S. immigration officials, dated more than a year ago, that seemed to promise the two girls would join her soon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stage moments: I just hope that we can all rise above negativity in our lives and just do what we believe in, said Arcade Fire's Win Butler as he accepted the band's album award for Everything Now, according to CTV. Speak your truth and don't be afraid to just do whatever the hell you want. Host Michael Buble set the tone early on Sunday night by announcing his wife's third pregnancy -- but other performers were quick to grab the tide of optimism during their own stage moments. Gord Downie's brothers Mike and Patrick echoed an unbounded sense of resolve as they accepted a posthumous award for the singer, who died last October of brain cancer. This is Gord's award. If we've learned anything from Gord it was the value of taking care of each other, said Patrick. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thousands: And some were comically obvious lies, according to Toronto Star. Trump twice claimed that big-time drug dealers who kill thousands of people get sentenced to 30 days in jail or a fine. Some of them were numerical exaggerations, some of them sneaky misrepresentations. Both claims are absurd individual drug dealers don't kill thousands, big-time traffickers do not get sentenced to mere fines. Democrats very obviously do Democratic president Barack Obama created the program; Trump cancelled it; Democrats have demanded that he immediately do something to secure the status of the immigrants who were aided by the program; Trump has refused, saying he will only agree to a path to citizenship if Democrats agree to billions in spending on his border wall and to make other changes to the immigration system. Trump claimed four times that Democrats do not actually want to save the DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects from deportation some of the young immigrants who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

users: Everyone knows the story of how Facebook evolved from a university social site into a global media juggernaut, with users in almost every country, according to The Chronicle Herald. It has many fine features, which we users must enjoy or there wouldn't be 2.2 billion of us. Lately, 10 years feels like enough. But Facebook's greatest value is as an advertising and data-gathering vehicle. But Facebook is not accountable, at least not to its users who contribute, often unknowingly, the personal information that Facebook sells for profit. That's why the company is worth 480 billion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lack genuineness: Immigration officers routinely find the most committed and long-standing relationships to lack genuineness or of having been entered into for an improper purpose, according to NOW Magazine. These negative decisions are often flawed and appealable. Even the strongest applications can be denied. So, wasting no time, affected couples appeal these negative decisions to the Immigration Appeal Division IAD of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, hoping for speedy resolutions. The IAD hears several types of appeals. What they don't know is that, at that point, they still have years of agonizing waiting left ahead of them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shellmont street: Charges of assault and mischief are being considered against the protester, says RCMP E Division Cpl, according to Vancouver Courier. Tammy Douglas, but RCMP also turned the woman over to the Canada Border Services Agency, she said.A You Caring crowdfunding campaign for the woman launched by fellow protester Brett Rhyno, identifies her as Tia Chicome. The woman was arrested after police were called to the 8000 block of Shellmont Street just before 8 a.m. last Wednesday March 21 for reports several demonstrators had climbed onto a truck headed into the terminal.article continues below Trending Stories Dunbar Street construction mixed blessing for businesses Burnaby RCMP warns it won't tolerate Kinder Morgan pipeline protester hurting more Mounties Richmond will only have one summer night market this year Can you spot the lost hiker in this photo related Pipeline protester arrested after jumping onto semi headed into Kinder Morgan tank farm Trans Mountain completes work on time despite protests in Burnaby Number of arrests nears 200 in pipeline protest A security person began documenting the event using a video camera; a female allegedly ran toward the security person and slapped the camera out of his hand, causing it to break, stated an RCMP press release. She was arrested after stopping a tow truck trying to make its way into the terminal past another truck that had already peacefully stopped, according to Rhyno's description of the incident on Facebook. It did not stop and kept forcing the demonstrators backwards, pushing into their bodies with the grill of the truck. Land defenders put up their hands and yelled for the truck to stop, states his You Caring crowdfunding post. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dance: It's not just a flamboyant pastime, according to Metro News. For many minority French communities who feel alienated over tensions arising from divisive anti-gay marriage protests and the anti-immigration National Front, it's a statement of defiance. Vogue, the '80s dance movement Madonna popularized in her hit 1990 song of the same name, is experiencing a revival in France. Many gay black and Arab youths especially those from Paris' less affluent and religiously conservative suburbs see Vogue dance events as safe places in which their racial and sexual identities can be fully expressed without fear of reprisals. When they were lining the streets in France with angry anti-gay marriage signs, the others were expressing themselves with dance on the Vogue runway, said dancer Marion Tiger Melody. Not many people realize but voguing, it's political. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mar-a-lago estate: He said building his signature border wall is all about National Defence, according to CTV. Since grudgingly signing the bill on Friday after threatening a veto, Trump has faced fierce criticism from conservatives who have accused him of caving to congressional Democrats. Trump said on Twitter from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida that because of the military funding, many jobs are created and our Military is again rich. The president said Friday at the White House he was very disappointed in the package, in part because it didn't fully pay for his border wall. Trump sought 25 billion for his border wall, but the plan included much less -- 1.6 billion for building new sections of wall and replacing older sections. But Trump said he had no choice because the nation needed to fund the military. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

montreal gazette: One thing I will never accept is the dirty little politics of Philippe Couillard, said Legault, according to CTV. The sniping started when Finance Minister Carlos Leitao said the CAQ promoted ethnic-based nationalism, which Legault's party said was a veiled accusation of racism. With the Coalition Avenir Quebec leading in most polls, the Liberals took close aim at CAQ leader Francois Legault, leading to Legault accusing them of mudslinging. The people are used to Liberal lies, but now all those lies are against our party, said Legault. This week, CAQ MNA Nathalie Roy wrote an op-ed piece for The Montreal Gazette, arguing the CAQ is not anti-immigrant. So, we're going to be there just to put the record straight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim canadians: And despite being mandated to finish within six months, the M-103 report took almost a year to complete, according to Rabble. For the religious communities involved, it's fair to question whether the government really cares to concretely address the problem of Islamophobia and religious discrimination in Canada. The M-103 report itself was the result of hearings with 77 witnesses. Lest we forget, Parliament's recent report on religious discrimination was launched as a result of motion M-103, debated one year ago in Parliament. Motion M-103 and its resulting report were not some sort of academic exercise to assess a hypothetical problem. M-103 itself was motivated largely by an attack on a Quebec City mosque on Jan. 29, 2017 which left six Muslim Canadians dead. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee status: She's scheduled to be deported on March 27th and is currently in a detention centre in Laval, according to CTV. Several organizations, including Solidarity Across Borders and the Immigrant Workers Centre raised her case today. Lucy Francineth Granados has been living as an undocumented worker in Montreal for the last nine years. They're hoping to put pressure on the Federal government to stop the deportation. She made her way to Canada where she tried and failed to get refugee status in 2012. Granados left her native country in 2009 after the death of her husband. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

remorse: Michael McCaul said, according to The Chronicle Herald. He did refer to himself as a psychopath. Investigators are still looking into what motivated 23-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt, but the recording he left on his cellphone shows that he was a sick individual, U.S. Rep. He did not show any remorse, in fact questioning himself for why he didn't feel any remorse for what he did, McCaul said. The first three victims were minorities. Conditt makes no mention of a racial motivation on the recording, but investigators are still looking into that as a possibility, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saturday night: I'm in line for my passport, the American told reporters after members of the Montreal rock group accepted the international achievement prize at Saturday's Juno Awards gala industry event, according to Metro News. Butler is married to bandmate Regine Chassagne, who was born in Montreal, but wedlock is only part of the qualification for becoming a Canadian citizen. After playing a Canadian-accented version of himself on Saturday Night Live earlier this month, Butler says he still doesn't have an official stamp of approval from the federal government. An applicant must also be physically present in the country for at least 1,095 days within five years, according to the Government of Canada website. Ironically I would just have to not achieve any international success in order to become Canadian, so tonight hits particularly close to home, he joked. Butler says the international achievement Juno organizers have recognized him for is also what's hindering him from meeting those requirements. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stage moments: I just hope that we can all rise above negativity in our lives and just do what we believe in, said Arcade Fire's Win Butler as he accepted the band's album award for Everything Now, according to Metro News. Speak your truth and don't be afraid to just do whatever the hell you want. Host Michael Buble set the tone early on Sunday night by announcing his wife's third pregnancy but other performers were quick to grab the tide of optimism during their own stage moments. Gord Downie's brothers Mike and Patrick echoed an unbounded sense of resolve as they accepted a posthumous award for the singer, who died last October of brain cancer. This is Gord's award. If we've learned anything from Gord it was the value of taking care of each other, said Patrick. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

information meeting: Steves told the Richmond News that his tweet had been misread and that he will not recuse himself from the council vote on Monday.article continues below Trending Stories The dirty truth about Vancouver real estate Burnaby RCMP warns it won't tolerate Kinder Morgan pipeline protester hurting more Mounties Greater Vancouver home prices to drop 21 per cent by 2019 analysis Federal court rejects provincial appeal on Burnaby Trans Mountain decision On March 1, Steves tweeted about an open house on proposed modular housing for homeless people, according to Vancouver Courier. It read, 500 Asian people go to a Public Information meeting. Harold Steves for dividing Richmond residents based on their ethnicity, and asked Steves to recuse himself from an upcoming vote on farmland size. The librarian gets Karate Kicked by an opponent to housing for homeless people. The librarian gets Karate Kicked by an opponent to housing for homeless people. South Asian landowners are campaigning for 10,764 sq ft houses in the ALR. Is this multiculturalism What on earth is happening to RichmondBC The tweet got more than 100 likes and nearly 100 retweets.500 Asian people go to a Public Information meeting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dhillon: It sparked a large discussion on who we are as a country, said Dhillon, now an RCMP inspector, according to CBC. Insp. Rather than give in, he vigorously campaigned against the RCMP dress code, eventually becoming the first officer to wear a turban on duty. Baltej Singh Dhillon is now a 27-year veteran of the RCMP. But when he applied to join the RCMP in 1988, he had to fight for his right to wear a beard and turban. The event was held to stimulate ideas for a new community plan that aims to provide support for people who experience racism and discrimination. Canada The Story of Us Dhillon was one of a group of community leaders participating in an-anti racism forum in Surrey on Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.