assembly act: We will not let go of this issue, said Marie-Claude Rioux, executive director of the Acadian Federation of Nova Scotia, according to The Chronicle Herald. Rioux told the legislature's law amendments committee that the proposed changes were unacceptable and would marginalize the Acadian Community of Nova Scotia. The revised House of Assembly Act would allow so-called non-contiguous'' constituencies ridings that are not connected geographically something the Acadian groups say shouldn't happen. Elaine Thimot, of the Acadian Society of Clare, said Acadians only make up a small percentage of the province's population of just under one million. The proposed legislative changes follow a Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling released in January 2017 that found a 2012 boundary redrawing that eliminated three Acadian ridings violated the voter rights section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These numbers show we must return to protected ridings, said Thimot. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

child care: In addition to the battle on choice, women were fighting for pay equity, affordable and accessible child care, and gender equality under the constitution, according to Rabble. There was already a network of rape crisis centres and shelters providing services to women and advocating for better laws and more awareness of male violence against women. The 1980s was the height of the women's movement in Canada. Young women had established co-operative daycare centres on campuses across the country and were working to get government support. And there were more women in professional jobs, which provided both a financial base and a certain access to power that we hadn't had during the previous decade, but women were still struggling for equality.I knew some of the women in what became the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics, who were active in IWD. Many of them considered themselves socialist feminists. We had the struggles of the '70s under our belts, having learned a lot about organizing and lobbying. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant activists: The construction and commitment of at least 1,600 Guard members from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas provoked fresh condemnation from immigrant activists and praise from border-state Republican governors, who will retain command-and-control of their state's Guard during a mission that for now has no firm end date, according to CTV. The only holdout border state was California, led by Democratic Gov. The Trump administration also announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will visit this week a stretch of new border wall breaking ground in New Mexico, putting additional focus on what Trump has called a crisis of migrant crossings and crime. Jerry Brown, who has not announced whether troops from his state's National Guard will participate and has repeatedly clashed with Trump over immigration policy. Tom Keegan, a spokesman for the California National Guard. The state was still reviewing Tuesday whether it will join the effort, said Lt. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: Belanger said the purpose of the LEAD class is getting students up to speed on where they should be in the Canadian school system, and filling gaps in students' education, according to Toronto Star. Just like any other high school students in Calgary, they're handling cash, and conversing in English, a language not their first, all despite some having huge gaps in their education stemming from displacement back in Syria. According to Carla Belanger, James Fowlers English language learning leader and teacher of the LEAD class, about 90 per cent of the class' 45 students are Syrian refugees who came to Calgary from the refugee influx two years ago. When we first came, the first day it was hard, because everything is new, but now it's better because we learned English, we can speak to the people, said student Murhaf Aolthman, who came to Canada two years ago as a Syrian refugee from a refugee camp in Jordan. They gave us a lot of chances to learn, to have friends, to have a new life, to have freedom, he said. Article Continued Below Canadians are good because they helped us to be confident in Canada, to get to school, to have work, to be the same as Canadians, said Aolthman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration investigation: Citizens are provided information which causes them to believe they are the subject of an immigration investigation, according to CTV. The threat of arrest and/or deportation is used to convince the person to provide personal and financial information. Individuals receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be an employee of Immigration Canada. In some cases, the caller becomes aggressive in nature in order to convince the individual to comply with their demands. Officers urge the public to never provide personal or financial information to anyone unless you know to whom you are providing it. Police say there are currently a number of different scams and frauds being used by criminals, but the end goal is to defraud you of your money. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim communities: It features a video shared by a nationalist monk on Facebook in January 2016 that provocatively reenacted a controversial rape and murder of a Burmese woman, according to Toronto Star. It took three days for the video to be removed, the organizations say, although it was clearly designed to ignite further tensions between Buddhists and Muslim communities. The presentation, sent to key American leaders who will be questioning Zuckerberg on Tuesday and Wednesday, highlights a number of examples of alleged negligence by Facebook that they say helped propel violence in the Southeast Asian nation. Read more Facebook's Zuckerberg to face public and possibly pivotal congressional hearing Article Continued Below Opinion A day of reckoning for social media Canadian company tied to Facebook data scandal got 100K from Ottawa in 2017Before being removed from Facebook, the video had been viewed more than 120,000 times, according to the presentation. The post was not found to violate the social network's community standards, but it was later removed when Facebook representatives were contacted directly, according to the presentation. Indeed, despite the removal of the original video, the groups found copies of it in at least eight places on Facebook. react-empty 142 In other examples, the groups pointed to a November 2016 post on Facebook that described a respected journalist working for international media as a terrorist and called for him to be killed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police officers: The army in January made a rare admission that its soldiers had killed 10 Rohingya villagers who were captured and accused of being terrorists during insurgent attacks last year in Inn Din village in northern Rakhine, according to CTV. The military said its soldiers confessed to carrying out the slayings. The military personnel also were permanently expelled from the army, according to a statement released by the army chief on an official Facebook page. The army's statement Tuesday said an investigative group under the military had interrogated 21 military personnel, three police officers, 13 security forces, six civil servants and six Inn Din villagers. For the military personnel under the Military Act 71, four military personnel and three soldiers will be sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour and to be permanently expelled from the army, the statement said. It said the investigation proved that the soldiers violated the law by killing the villagers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cent: The latest census data show that Indigenous women in Ontario face a 43 per cent gender pay gap, according to Toronto Star. Racialized women face a 38 per cent gap. It reflects how far women on average need to work into the New Year to earn what men earned by Dec. 31 of the previous year. Immigrant women face a 34 per cent gap. The gap isn't new. On average Ontario women earn 29.3 per cent less than men. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

b.c: But ministers are hightailing it back to Ottawa to try and salvage the pipeline project they green-lighted 17 months ago. ; Kinder Morgan announced late Sunday it was calling a halt to all non-essential spending on the project, giving Ottawa a deadline of May 31 to convince the company and its investors that the pipeline can prevail over the opposition that now threatens to block it, according to National Observer. The fight between B.C. and Alberta escalated Monday as Alberta Premier Rachel Notley promised legislation this week that would, once passed, give Alberta the ability to reduce domestic oil supplies into B.C. Such a move would cause already high gas prices in B.C. to spike, ramping up the pressure from pipeline proponents on the province to back down.B.C. Premier John Horgan, however, heads a minority NDP government that clings to power only with the support of three Green party members under an agreement to fight the pipeline. The House of Commons is in the middle of a two-week break, during which times cabinet rarely meets. So far, he's shown no sign of giving in. Notley said Monday she expects the federal government to follow Alberta's lead and put economic and fiscal pressure on B.C. to back off. The pipeline is within federal jurisdiction, but Horgan is trying to use provincial powers to limit how much oil ultimately destined for export markets overseas can flow through it, effectively killing any reason for expansion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

party: We don't intend to extend the previous term but instead we will open a new term, according to Vancouver Courier. Thus, significant changes and modifications can be expected. article continues below Trending Stories Near-complete election results show Orban's Fidesz party winning a supermajority of 134 seats in the 199-seat national assembly. We will not continue governing, but a new government will be formed instead, said Orban, who won a third consecutive term and fourth overall in Sunday's parliamentary election. Votes sent by mail from abroad were still being counted and could slightly alter the current result, but the sweeping victory of Orban, Fidesz, and its small ally, the Christian Democratic party, was not in question. Orban is also pursuing his stated goal of turning Hungary into an illiberal state modeled on countries like Russia and Turkey. Critics charge Orban with weakening the democratic system of checks and balances, enriching a new oligarch class of cronies with the help of funds from the European Union and greatly concentrating power. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

easter weekend: He warned Monday that it could lead to overworked border security staff and longer wait times at ports of entry across the country as the busy summer travelling season sets in, according to CTV. The union is raising huge concerns, he said, questioning how officials will cope with a summer influx given the number of asylum seekers already pouring into the country this spring. Jean-Pierre Fortin, national president of Canada's Customs and Immigration Union, says the government's preparations for another wave of irregular migrants this summer consist largely of reallocating of staff from other areas of the country. He pointed to a spike in illegal border crossings over the Easter weekend. The union wants the government to commit to hiring more customs and immigration staff. Approximately 600 people entered Canada illegally through Quebec over the four-day weekend. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hollywood princess: Meghan A Hollywood Princess which is due out in Britain on Thursday, details how the 36-year-old Suits star ditched her first husband in a way that also cost her a lifelong friend, according to CTV. The biography was authored by Andrew Morton, the British royal writer who penned the blockbuster Diana Her True Story with the late princess's covert assistance. The U.S. actress, who is set to marry her royal beau on May 19, is fiercely protective of Brand Meghan and sidelines people as she moves ahead in life, according to people who know her cited in the book. Diana comparisons Morton also details her fascination with Harry's mother Diana around the time of her death in 1997, watching her funeral in tears and old tapes of her marriage to Prince Charles. She wants to be princess Diana 2.0. Family friends said she was intrigued by Diana not just for her style but for her independent humanitarian mission, seeing her as a role model . Her childhood friend Ninaki Priddy is cited as saying She was always fascinated by the royal family. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

janos halasz: That would allow Fidesz and its small ally, the Christian Democrats, to push through the so-called Stop Soros bills, said Janos Halasz, the party's parliamentary spokesman, according to The Chronicle Herald. Orban alleges that the opposition collaborating with the United Nations, the European Union and wealthy philanthropist George Soros wants to turn Hungary into an immigrant country, flooding it with mostly Muslim migrants and threatening its security and Christian identity. Election officials Monday were still counting mailed ballots, which added another seat to the Fidesz party's super-majority and gave it control over 134 of 199 seats in parliament. Approval of the draft law targeting the advocates for refugees could come as soon as May, the party said. The laws would force the NGOs working with migrants and asylum seekers to get government permits; income received from abroad would be taxed; advocacy groups could be banned from going closer than 8 kilometres 5 miles from Hungary's borders, where asylum-seekers file claims; and foreigners without authorization to help refugees could be banned from Hungary. The new laws could make it hard for groups working with asylum-seekers to continue their activities in Hungary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

others focus: An editorial from a prominent national paper asks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to yield to Tory measures by tightening the border, according to Toronto Star. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen recently said that he has no qualms about using the term illegal . As MPs Jenny Kwan and Gary Anandasangaree have both argued, word choice is important and the term illegal is harmful. One newspaper speaks of illegal migrants while others focus on illegal border crossers. Irregular is used by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada to describe border crossings between ports of entry. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights protects this right. This is not about people trying to sneak across the border undetected, but about the right to seek asylum from persecution. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pledge monday: The protests are seen, in part, as an attempt by Hamas to break the blockade, according to Toronto Star. Read more Israelis open deadly fire as Hamas protest continues Article Continued Below Number of Palestinians killed by Israel this week rises to 21 after Gaza airstrike Israel blamed for missile strike on major airbase in Syria that killed 14Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh renewed a pledge Monday that the marches would pave the way for a return of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. react-empty 142 We will return to Palestine, our villages and Jerusalem, Haniyeh said in a fiery speech at one of five protest camps set up along the border. Since late March, 26 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by Israeli fire in mass border protests led by Hamas, but also driven by widespread desperation over the territory's decade-old border blockade by Israel and Egypt. He stopped short of threatening a mass breach of the border, though another Hamas leader has done so in recent speeches. It has said some of those at the border tried to damage the fence, planted explosives or hurled firebombs. Israel has accused Hamas of using the protests as a cover for carrying out attacks and bringing infiltrators into Israel. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

protests: The protests are seen, in part, as an attempt by Hamas to break the blockade, according to CTV. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh renewed a pledge Monday that the marches would pave the way for a return of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Since late March, 26 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by Israeli fire in mass border protests led by Hamas, but also driven by widespread desperation over the territory's decade-old border blockade by Israel and Egypt. We will return to Palestine, our villages and Jerusalem, Haniyeh said in a fiery speech at one of five protest camps set up along the border. Israel has accused Hamas of using the protests as a cover for carrying out attacks and bringing infiltrators into Israel. He stopped short of threatening a mass breach of the border, though another Hamas leader has done so in recent speeches. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sunday evening: John's Centre, to the top position in the provincial party, according to Rabble. Rogers replaces interim leader Lorraine Michael, who served as leader following the resignation of Earle McCurdy, past head of the province's fisheries union, in September 2017. John's with the election of Gerry Rogers, the MHA representing St. The leadership convention that selected Rogers also featured a keynote address by federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Coffin ran as a provincial candidate in Waterford Valley in 2015 and performed well. Rogers won 971 vote 67 per cent to 479 votes 33 per cent over economist and university instructor Alison Coffin, the party reported on Sunday evening, April 8. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian man: Shokran means thank you' in Arabic, Harb explains, according to The Chronicle Herald. The people and the government of Canada gave us everything, Harb says. The event has been organized by Mohammad Harb, a Syrian man who came to Canada with his wife and family in 2016 as government-sponsored refugees, as part of Harb's ongoing Shokran Canada project. They gave us a chance at a new life. I want to say thank you' to the Canadian people. My wife and my children have safety and education now. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

gop accomplishments: Trump started picking apart some GOP accomplishments, including the big budget bill, and complaining that others, namely his border wall, remained undone.article continues below Trending Stories Senior awarded 93K for fall into West Vancouver sidewalk hole Dianne Turner quietly exits role with the Vancouver School Board Vancouver Tenants Union 'encouraged' by formation of Rental Housing Task ForceVPD debuts new, four-legged members Now, Congress returns from spring break Monday scrambling to compile a to-do list that will satisfy a president they desperately need to be promoting their achievements, not undermining them, as they prepare to hit the campaign trail, according to Vancouver Courier. A lot of members would prefer to spend the rest of the year focusing on getting re-elected, but there's pressure from the White House ... to deliver more policy wins before facing voters, said Alex Conant, a GOP strategist. But President Trump was not impressed. But belittling lawmakers and badgering them to work doesn't help instil voter confidence in Republicans already facing an enthusiasm gap with Democrats fired up to go to the polls, strategists say. Every day that Trump attacks Congress, he hurts Republicans' chance of keeping the majority, Conant said. They need Trump on their side, not piling on. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

summer influx: The union is raising huge concerns, he said, questioning how officials will cope with a summer influx given the number of asylum seekers already pouring into the country this spring, according to Vancouver Courier. He pointed to a spike in illegal border crossings over the Easter weekend. Jean-Pierre Fortin, national president of Canada's Customs and Immigration Union, says the government's preparations for another wave of irregular migrants this summer consist largely of reallocating of staff from other areas of the country.article continues below Trending Stories Senior awarded 93K for fall into West Vancouver sidewalk hole Dianne Turner quietly exits role with the Vancouver School Board Vancouver Tenants Union 'encouraged' by formation of Rental Housing Task ForceVPD debuts new, four-legged members He warned Monday that it could lead to overworked border security staff and longer wait times at ports of entry across the country as the busy summer travelling season sets in. Approximately 600 people entered Canada illegally through Quebec over the four-day weekend. But Fortin said the opposite is happening, with the government not replacing every staffer who moves on. The union wants the government to commit to hiring more customs and immigration staff. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tamara taggart: Finally, Canada, a country they knew next to nothing about, took them in and they ended up in Burnaby when the boy was old enough for kindergarten.article continues below Trending StoriesCTV Vancouver parts ways with Tamara Taggart and Mike Killeen Greater Vancouver home prices to drop 21 per cent by 2019 analysisVPD debuts new, four-legged members Senior awarded 93K for fall into West Vancouver sidewalk hole At first, it was hard on him because he didn't know the language, although within a month or so he began to connect with other students, according to Vancouver Courier. Turns out he's quite sociable. All they wanted was to find a free and safe country to live in. One day, his class at Forest Grove Elementary went ice skating. He went home and told his parents they'd learned about hockey. Although he struggled to skate, he loved it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tradition dates: The tradition dates back centuries in some places, according to CTV. In the Greek town of Ermioni, it has been observed the past 25 years. The ritual burning of Judas is a custom also observed by Roman Catholics in parts of Latin America as a symbolic punishment for Judas' betrayal of Christ for a monetary reward. About 20 small boats circled around a raft bearing a wire model of Judas that floated off Ermioni and then the figure was set ablaze. In older times, the Judas effigy was made of straw. More than 1,000 locals and visitors watched from shore and also listened to music and saw a laser show. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

assistance mission: It was the catalyst that effectively destroyed the old order and changed the course of central African history, according to Toronto Star. Which is what RPF leader Paul Kagame and the RPF were aiming for all along, while paying lip service to the UN, to the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda UNAMIR and to the peace process. His assassination set the stage for a level of mass killings that Rwanda has not yet recovered from. The following account of the shooting down of Habyarimana's plane is based on separate testimonies from former RPF to the 2006 French inquiry under Judge Jean-Louis Brugui re and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The commanders present at the meetings were Col. Kagame and his inner military circle held a series of three meetings in late 1993 and early 1994 to plan to shoot down the plane. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

church leaders: The father of two finds the church so welcoming that he's introduced many reluctant Indian friends to Rockcliffe, according to CTV. I tell them my story, he says. Over the years, a few other non-white members joined Rockcliffe Pentecostal Church, which Johnson describes as one big family. They all come to this church and they have positive experiences. The immigrant and minority population is expanding beyond big cities, and leaders believe their churches must do a better job of serving an increasingly diverse population, especially as attendance plummets. Many church leaders want to give minorities a similar welcome. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

family reunion: That's certainly reflected in the 15-member cast list for this Caribbean-flavoured musical rehash of the Romeo/Juliet story, according to Vancouver Observer. Performers range from septuagenarian Vancouver William S. Taylor to 13-year-old sparkplug Arta Negahban. The company aims to showcase talents of all races, ages, genders and abilities. Current and recent drama school enrolees predominate; many, in their playbill bio's, stress their ethnic or hapa roots. Jang, the director, did double-duty as a quondam usher, personally presiding over the seating in the half-moon arena of Granville Island's Red Gate Revue Stage, like the host at a family reunion. This eclecticism was reflected in the opening night audience yesterday, many of whom appeared to be relatives of the cast and crew. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

two-thirds majority: The right-wing nationalist Jobbik party placed second with 26 seats, while a Socialist-led, left-wing coalition ran third with 20, according to Toronto Star. Only two other parties, former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's Democratic Coalition and the green Politics Can Be Different party, were expected to surpass the 5-per-cent threshold needed to form a parliamentary faction. With 84.7 per cent of the votes counted, Fidesz and its small ally, the Christian Democrat party, had secured 133 of the 199 seats in the legislature, the minimum needed for a two-thirds majority. Read more Hungary's collaboration with Nazi Germany was a mistake,' PM Orban says Article Continued Below Hungary asks EU to help pay for anti-migrant fences on southern borders Hungary votes to detain' all asylum seekers in camps built from shipping containers Orban won his fourth term overall on a platform that openly demonizes migrants to Europe. react-empty 144 Opposition parties feared that another super-majority would allow the autocratic leader to more easily push through constitutional changes, continue his crackdown on civic groups that he claims work against Hungarian interests and further strengthen his grasp on the highly centralized state power structure. He claims that the opposition is collaborating with the United Nations, the European Union and wealthy philanthropist George Soros to turn Hungary into an immigrant country, threatening its security and Christian identity. Orban has campaigned heavily on his unyielding anti-migration policies. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.