bloc quebecois: Scheer sees an opening for the Tories now that the Bloc Quebecois appears to be tearing itself apart, according to Vancouver Courier. And the refugee crisis at the Quebec-New York state border is providing him with talking points in the province that positions his party in stark contrast with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals. Party leader Andrew Scheer like his predecessors says Conservative policies such as low taxes, strong borders and respect for provincial jurisdiction make his party the natural choice at the federal level for Quebecers.article continues below Trending Stories Top 10 Star Wars accessories to awaken your vehicle Fan Expo Vancouver Wrap-up Robin Dunne Vancouver bike path critics ready to fight Cross-country runners race in best-of-five rivalry But while the message might be similar to the one trotted out by the Tories before the 2015 election, the context is not. On Friday, the second day of the Conservatives' cross-Quebec tour, Scheer sat down with Cogeco Nouvelles for a radio interview in Trois-Rivieres, about halfway between Montreal and Quebec City. It's been more than one year and the Trudeau government has done nothing, Scheer said in the French-language interview. The Conservative leader hammered home his message on what he called illegal immigrants. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

centennial greene: His previous documentaries emphasize actors performing in staged scenarios to draw out emotional truths, and his latest is even more ambitious an absorbing meta-doc with the sweep of a classic American western, according to NOW Magazine. In 1917, a copper mine in the Arizona-Mexico border town Bisbee conspired with deputized citizens to illegally round up roughly 1,300 striking workers mostly immigrants and deport them 1,600 miles away. Rating NNNNNRobert Greene's films linger in the cracks between fiction and non-fiction. The social cleanse has been erased from history books, so on its centennial Greene and local residents decide to reenact it. Working with painterly DP Jarred Alterman, the director makes the most of Bisbee's beautiful terrain, using striking framing and slow pans to suggest a haunting sense of emptiness. The collaboration brings together an eclectic cast of citizens, each distinct and with strong senses of their identities who come to see echoes of their own lives in the story they are to inhabit. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

employment standards: This is excellent news, Mike Eso, Victoria Labour Council president, said Thursday, adding it's something that the organization has been advocating for, according to Vancouver Courier. Minimum employment standards should apply to everyone. Reaction is mixed as some complain it doesn't go far enough and others argue it goes too far.article continues below Trending Stories Top 10 Star Wars accessories to awaken your vehicle Fan Expo Vancouver Wrap-up Robin Dunne Vancouver bike path critics ready to fight Cross-country runners race in best-of-five rivalry New higher wage levels some to be phased in apply to liquor servers, piece-rate farm workers, resident caretakers in apartments, live-in camp leaders and live-in home-support workers. The wage hikes come after a report from B.C.'s Fair Wages Commission, which recommended increasing the minimum wage to 15 per hour over time. No one working for minimum wage, full-time, year-round should be living in poverty Minister of Labour Harry Bains said in a statement. The province accepted its recommendations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee vessel: Several required medical attention for dehydration and exhaustion, local authorities said.article continues below Trending Stories Top 10 Star Wars accessories to awaken your vehicle Fan Expo Vancouver Wrap-up Robin Dunne Vancouver bike path critics ready to fight Cross-country runners race in best-of-five rivalry Fariq Muhammad said he paid the equivalent of about 150 for a place on the boat that left from Myanmar's Rakhine state, where a violent military crackdown on Rohingya has sparked an exodus of some 700,000 refugees over land into neighbouring Bangladesh since August, according to Vancouver Courier. The refugee vessel was intercepted by a Thai navy frigate and later escorted by a Thai patrol vessel until sighting land, said Fariq. The eight children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore on Friday afternoon at Bireuen in Aceh province on the island of Sumatra, the third known attempt by members of the ethnic minority to escape Myanmar by sea this month. The group believed the Thais understood they wanted to reach Malaysia and were dismayed when they realized they were in Indonesia, said Fariq, who gave the identification numbers of the Thai vessels. Our identity card was not given, so we were forced to go, he told The Associated Press on Saturday. We were forced to leave because we could not stay, could not work, so our lives became difficult in Myanmar. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

angeles: Ciman can prove Garde wrong when his new team Los Angeles FC visits Saputo Stadium on Saturday.article continues below Trending Stories The Sellution is moving back to Main Street SeaBus hero 'The important thing is that you do something in these situations'Vancouver police looking for witnesses after parishioners locked in church Richmond lawyer claims bank failed to spot suspicious transactions The 32-year-old didn't hide his shock and disappointment at being traded by the club he joined in 2015, partly to experience life in Major League Soccer but moreso because Montreal offered better treatment for his autistic daughter than she was getting in his native Belgium, according to Vancouver Courier. But Garde cast a critical eye on the Impact squad that finished well out of the playoffs last season, particularly a defence whose 58 goals allowed ranked among the league's worst. One of Remi Garde's first moves when he took over as coach of the Impact was to trade Ciman, who was one of the team's most popular players. On Dec. 12, Ciman was sent to MLS newcomers LAFC for two players who had been selected in the expansion draft midfielder Raheem Edwards and left back Jukka Raitala. I watched a lot of games and I listened a lot to all the people who were with this football club for a long time and I thought that it was the best decision, Garde said Thursday of the Ciman deal. Garde has since restocked the central defence with French veterans Rod Fanni and Rudy Camacho. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border crossings: I just really feel that unless we address this issue this is going to be unending and it's unsustainable, she said, according to The Chronicle Herald. Immigration advocates have been calling on the government to suspend the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, which has been cited as a major factor in the spike of irregular border crossings. Making such a change would give the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency more tools to deal with an ongoing influx of asylum seekers crossing the border at unofficial entry points in Quebec and Ontario, Rempel said in an interview Thursday. The agreement prevents asylum seekers from asking for refugee protection when they present themselves at an official port of entry. If Ottawa doesn't close that loophole, turning the entire border an official port of entry could offer an alternative solution, Rempel said. They can only claim refugee status from inside Canada, which is why thousands have been crossing through unofficial entry points on foot. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

campaign trail: And it says more than half of them have never attended a convention before a testament to the party's decision to throw open its doors to all comers but also a crucial ingredient for success in the 2019 election, according to The Chronicle Herald. This I see as the kick-off on an organizational front to getting organized and getting ready for 2019, says Suzanne Cowan, a lifelong Liberal who has been acclaimed as the party's new president. The party expects about 3,000 supporters will have registered by the time its national convention kicks off tonight, making it one of the largest, non-leadership conventions in its history. She sees the convention as a chance to get all those newcomers further energized and engaged and raring to hit the campaign trail. This is the first gathering since the Liberals did away with paid party memberships two years ago. Unless we have a strong volunteer base and are growing that year over year between the last election and the next election, then we're going to have a really hard time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

family friend: No other details were provided, but a family friend and former wrestling announcer, Christopher Cruise, told The Associated Press that Sammartino had been hospitalized for two months, according to Toronto Star. Sammartino lived in Pittsburgh. His death was announced on the website of WWE, the organization also known as World Wrestling Entertainment, a successor of the World Wide Wrestling Federation. In an era when the sports world, except for some die-hard wrestling fans, knew that professional matches were staged dramatizations, with heroes and villains, story lines and beefcake actors shamming the violence, Sammartino was one of the most popular performers in the business. And for one who had bench-pressed 565 pounds as an amateur, he was relatively small under six-feet tall and a trim 260 or 270 pounds, with bulging pectorals and biceps and a big head. He wrestled in Australia, Spain, Mexico, Canada and Japan, and often drew gates of 20,000 at Madison Square Garden in New York, where he had more than 200 matches. react-text 135 Family friend and former wrestling announcer Christoper Crusie saids Sammartino died Wednesday morning and had been hospitalized for two months. /react-text GENE J. PUSKAR/The Associated Press Unlike many heavies on the pro wrestling circuits, he was a soft-spoken, gentlemanly connoisseur of grand opera, especially Verdi. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kachin: The Rev, according to The Chronicle Herald. Mung Dan, a Baptist community leader, said Wednesday the civilians trapped without medicine or sufficient food include five pregnant women, two women who just gave birth, 93 old people, and other villagers wounded by mortar shelling. The latest fighting in Kachin state's Tanai region an area known for amber and gold mining began in early April with government shelling and airstrikes in response to threats by the rebel Kachin Independence Army to retake lost territory. They are in dire need of medical treatment as well as rations, he said by phone. A non-governmental organization based in Kachin state has sent an open letter to the Kachin State Minister on Wednesday, asking for the permission to rescue civilians but the permission has not been granted yet. Even today, it's been raining the whole day in our region and these civilians do not have any shelter yet and they are suffering from sickness as well, he added. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

program: The rest come through federal programs, according to Toronto Star. There is a continued need for the PNP, said the evaluation by the Immigration Department. Today, more than a quarter of economic immigrants come through the provincial program, up from just 10 per cent a decade ago. The program spreads the benefits of immigration beyond major cities and helps fill local employment gaps. It favours international students and migrant workers who are already established in those provinces. The nominee program has become a key mechanism to attract new immigrants to the Atlantic and Prairie provinces over the years because of the speedy processing promised by Ottawa in comparison to other immigration programs, and its focus on in-demand skills rather than university education and language requirements. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

non-leadership conventions: And it says more than half of them have never attended a convention before a testament to the party's decision to throw open its doors to all comers but also a crucial ingredient for success in the 2019 election, according to Toronto Star. This I see as the kick-off on an organizational front to getting organized and getting ready for 2019, says Suzanne Cowan, a lifelong Liberal who has been acclaimed as the party's new president. The party expects about 3,000 supporters will have registered by the time its national convention kicks off tonight, making it one of the largest, non-leadership conventions in its history. She sees the convention as a chance to get all those newcomers further energized and engaged and raring to hit the campaign trail. This is the first gathering since the Liberals did away with paid party memberships two years ago. Article Continued Below Unless we have a strong volunteer base and are growing that year over year between the last election and the next election, then we're going to have a really hard time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

situation rempel: Some officials are projecting up to 400 people a day could cross the border into Quebec through forest paths this summer to claim asylum in Canada -- a situation Rempel is calling a crisis, according to CTV. Rempel wants the federal government to make the entire border as an official border crossing, closing a loophole in the so-called safe third country agreement that encourages would-be refugees in the U.S. from claiming asylum in Canada. Concerns have boiled over in Quebec this week over the challenges posed by the thousands of asylum seekers crossing the border at unofficial entry points in Quebec and Ontario. The Liberal government says it is working to ease pressures caused by the surge in asylum claims, including 74 million earmarked to help reduce extensive backlogs in refugee claims processing. But Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board is warning concentrated surges in refugee claims and appeals could negate any gains it makes in reducing backlogs -- last year, a 20 per cent improvement in processing was swallowed by a 40 per cent increase in cases. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

supreme court: Comeau and others argued that that decision offered too narrow an interpretation, and that it led to the proliferation of interprovincial trade barriers..... But the Supreme Court disagreed Thursday, ruling that section 121 does not impose absolute free trade across Canada, according to Rabble. The court said that section 121 prohibits laws restricting inter-provincial trade, but only where restricting trade is the laws' main purpose. A 1921 Supreme Court decision interpreted that to mean the products only had to be free from tariffs, not from other barriers such as limits on quantity. The court found that the primary purpose of New Brunswick's law was to prohibit holding excessive quantities of liquor from supplies not managed by the province. .... The court was also concerned with the potential far-reaching implications of taking away any province's power to control what comes across its borders. Public health-driven prohibitions and environmental controls, are the basis of Horgan's reference case and the judges singled out both as valid provincial concerns and areas of jurisdiction. The court said it would undermine Canadian federalism and throw into jeopardy agricultural supply management schemes, public health-driven prohibitions and environmental controls. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wednesday evening: We have the majority of asylum seekers come through Quebec and so we see here today that we've been proposing solutions and tonight there was a real openness for solutions, said David Heurtel, according to CTV. Tens of thousands of people crossed the border last year outside of a border crossing station in order to seek asylum. Quebec's Immigration Minister met his federal counterpart on Wednesday evening to discuss the influx of people crossing the border and asking to remain in Canada. According to the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. anyone seeking asylum at a border crossing between the two countries is refused and sent back to the other country to make their claim, but those who do so elsewhere are allowed to make their claim in the country where they are located. People have to realize now in Ottawa that our system is stretched, and it cannot be stretched much more, said Premier Philippe Couillard. So far in 2018, more than 6,000 people have crossed the border to make asylum claims, with most people doing so from Vermont into Quebec, where the border is easily accessible. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asian: Founders Arti Patel, Nikkjit Gill and Roohi Sahajpal met while studying journalism at Ryerson University, according to NOW Magazine. Patel, who works at Global News, says they came up with the idea for Didihood six years ago. This is why three South Asian women decided to start Didihood, which aims to connect South Asian women who work in media and creative industries to one another both on social media and in real life. She was inspired to finally get the project off the ground after attending a panel last fall about networking for professional women. She adds that while the South Asian community in Toronto is robust, it can be difficult for women in media and creative industries to connect with one another. Patel says she admires and takes inspiration from many other South Asian women on social media but have never reached out to them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border crossings: Immigration advocates have been calling on the government to suspend the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, which has been cited as a major factor in the spike of irregular border crossings, according to Vancouver Courier. The agreement prevents asylum seekers from asking for refugee protection when they present themselves at an official port of entry. Making such a change would give the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency more tools to deal with an ongoing influx of asylum seekers crossing the border at unofficial entry points in Quebec and Ontario, Rempel said in an interview Thursday.article continues below Trending Stories The Sellution is moving back to Main Street SeaBus hero 'The important thing is that you do something in these situations'Vancouver police looking for witnesses after parishioners locked in church Richmond lawyer claims bank failed to spot suspicious transactions I just really feel that unless we address this issue this is going to be unending and it's unsustainable, she said. They can only claim refugee status from inside Canada, which is why thousands have been crossing through unofficial entry points on foot. But Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale's office was quick to shut down the idea, saying it would create even greater problems and dangers along the 9,000-kilometre border. If Ottawa doesn't close that loophole, turning the entire border an official port of entry could offer an alternative solution, Rempel said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mike schreiner: Ford is offering simple answers, according to National Observer. I understand the appeal of it. Speaking to National Observer in a recent interview, Mike Schreiner said that he, too, is willing to be arrested to stop proposed mega-projects that could impact sensitive ecological areas. But these are complex issues, that simple answers and half-baked politics on the back of a napkin are not going to solve, Ontario Green Leader Mike Schreiner told natobserver The Green leader and local candidate for Guelph in the 2018 provincial election said he was proud of May, the leader of the federal Green Party, for standing up for what she believes in, and would absolutely get arrested conducting similar civil disobedience. She stood up for her principles and she stood up for her constituents...and protecting their coast from a pipeline that threatens the B.C. coast, he said in Ottawa on March 26. May, NDP MP Kennedy Stewart and others were arrested last month for violating a court injunction, at a protest in Burnaby, B.C. against Texas-based Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion. ; The federal party leader was charged with civil contempt of court, but special prosecutors are considering possible criminal charges, as contempt can be a civil or criminal matter. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trade agreement: Other topics immigration and diversity, for instance, and the contentious Canada-EU free trade deal that's currently awaiting ratification in France proved decidedly less popular, according to National Observer. The trade deal goes further than any other trade agreement in the world on the protection of human rights, the environment and the mobility of citizens, Trudeau said in French. Beneath the soaring, gilt-edged ceilings of the assembly's lower house, Trudeau delivered an impassioned defence of the virtues the two countries share and a few that not everyone in the chamber agreed with. ; The loudest, most enthusiastic standing ovations were reserved for his remarks about climate change, the shared history between Canada and France during the first and second world wars and Canada's efforts to preserve and protect French culture. It preserves the right of states to legislate and regulate in the public interest, to implement policies to support their cultural industries, in addition to protecting labour standards and promoting greater environmental co-operation. Officials say the government is also hoping the partnership will convince the French that Canada is serious about fighting climate change and as a result help with ratification of the deal. On Monday, Canada and France pledged to renew the fight against climate change, hoping to preserve momentum on the world stage now that U.S. President Donald Trump has withdrawn his country from the Paris climate agreement.A new France-Canada partnership that includes pushing for a global price on carbon falls in line with the Trudeau government's priorities for the G7 Summit in Quebec in June. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump: Jerry Brown said, according to Vancouver Courier. The announcement Wednesday came after a week of uncertainty in which President Donald Trump bashed the governor's insistence that troops avoid immigration-related work.article continues below Trending Stories The Sellution is moving back to Main Street SeaBus hero 'The important thing is that you do something in these situations'Richmond lawyer claims bank failed to spot suspicious transactions Rio Theatre crowdfunding campaign makes history Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen wrote on Twitter that final details were still being worked out but we are looking forward to the support. California has reached an agreement with the federal government that the state's National Guard troops will deploy to the border to focus on fighting transnational gangs as well as drug and gun smugglers, Gov. Brown said he secured federal funding for terms similar to those outlined in last week's proposed contract The Guard cannot handle custody duties for anyone accused of immigration violations, build border barriers or have anything to do with immigration enforcement. Brown's office said Wednesday that the previous contract was unnecessary after he secured federal funding for his goals. Federal officials refused to sign the proposal because they said it was outside established protocol for the Guard. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada i: But history is finally being considered from other perspectives, including stories from Indigenous folks and racialized immigrants to Canada, according to NOW Magazine. I looked up Canada Reads contenders from past years and browsed Toronto Public Library records to compile this list of books, which I hope will urge you to question the stories you have been told, and seek out the ones that have been kept from you.FICTIONThe Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline Jully Black wrote an article about her experience on Canada Reads, and in her own words, The Marrow Thieves is the story of quiet genocide that Indigenous peoples and their supporters often get criticized and harassed for talking about. Much of that history is packed with myths and lies, and it's told from a colonialist perspective. This is a futuristic story about survival and healing, love and longing. She moves through Nova Scotia and eventually, back to Africa. The Book Of Negroes by Lawrence Hill This fictional account features a strong female protagonist who is taken from Africa in 1755, enslaved in North America and then finds freedom. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

city elections: Giving that community a political voice makes sense, says Ashvan Wal, a Canadian permanent resident living in Vancouver, according to Toronto Star. We pay taxes just as citizens do, we're contributing members of the society, we volunteer, we work, we pay for city services like community centres, schools, salaries, said the 20-year old. If passed, the motion on notice would direct the city to ask the B.C. government, which has jurisdiction over city elections, to grant Canadian permanent residents the right to vote at a municipal level. If our money is good enough, if we're good enough to work, then why are we not good enough to be included in important decisions that affect our lives Article Continued Below Wal participated in a Vancouver Foundation initiative called Lost VotesYVR last year that pushed for voter rights for permanent residents. There were 60,000 permanent residents living in Vancouver as of 2011 and about 10,000 more permanent residents arrive in Vancouver every year, according to Statistics Canada. Her family, who immigrated to Vancouver in 2010, has applied for Canadian citizenship. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ford: An additional 25% are non-identifying fans of Ford Nation, while 51% rejected the label, according to Rabble. In total, then, 30% of Ontario either labels itself as part of Ford Nation or is sympathetic to it. We find 5% of Ontarians would explicitly label themselves as members of Ford Nation. Ford Nation skews male and older, with few women under 30 identifying with the label. A greater proportion of Toronto and GTA residents fall into Ford Nation than those from other regions, but this group spans the province. Past PC voters and voters who self identify being on the right of the political spectrum are more likely to be part of Ford Nation than others. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

gavin wright: Patrick Stein, Gavin Wright and Curtis Allen were convicted of one count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of conspiracy against civil rights, according to The Chronicle Herald. Wright was convicted of a charge of lying to the FBI. Sentencing is set for June 27. Three Kansas militia members were convicted Wednesday of plotting to bomb a mosque and apartment complex housing Somali refugees, an attack thwarted by another member of the group who tipped off federal authorities about escalating threats of violence. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the verdicts a significant victory against domestic terrorism and hate crimes. That's not just illegal it's immoral and unacceptable, and we're not going to stand for it. The defendants in this case acted with clear premeditation in an attempt to kill people on the basis of their religion and national origin, Sessions said in a news release. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

justices concerns: Conviction for a crime of violence makes deportation a virtual certainty for an immigrant, no matter how long he has lived in the United States, Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her opinion for the court, according to The Chronicle Herald. The decision is a loss for President Donald Trump's administration, which has emphasized stricter enforcement of immigration law. The court's 5-4 decision in an unusual alignment in which new Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the four liberal justices concerns a catchall provision of immigration law that defines what makes a crime violent. In this case, President Barack Obama's administration took the same position in the Supreme Court in defence of the challenged provision. He ended by saying Keep America Safe! With the four other conservative justices in dissent, it was the vote of Trump-appointee Gorsuch that was decisive in striking down the provision at issue. President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday evening that the court's decision means that Congress must close loopholes that block the removal of dangerous criminal aliens, including aggravated felons. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nikki glaser: Noah, star of The Daily Show, will host two galas on the same night, according to CTV. The festival will have galas over five evenings at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts. Organizers say Haddish, who skyrocketed to fame in last year's film Girls Trip, will host a gala featuring comedians and special guests on July 28. Other performers in the lineup include Jo Koy, Jimmy Carr, and previously announced Kevin Hart. The Nasty Show, hosted by Robert Kelly, will include Brad Williams, Nikki Glaser, Mike Britt, Ms. Names added to The Ethnic Show lineup include Francisco Ramos and Matteo Lane, with special guest Orny Adams. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

province deal: We've been proposing solutions and tonight there was a real openness for solutions, according to CTV. A working group has been struck to reach an agreement on how Quebec will be reimbursed for 146 million in unanticipated costs it says it has shouldered as a result of the influx of border crossers last year. Following a meeting of the ad hoc intergovernmental task force on irregular migration in Ottawa, Quebec Immigration Minister David Heurtel said he felt some progress had finally been made on measures he has been calling for to help his province deal with mounting pressures caused by the spike in irregular migrants. A triage system will be also set up to ask asylum seekers arriving in Quebec where in Canada they are ultimately hoping to stay - something Heurtel said he has also been pushing for. For those who want to stay, work permits are now being issued faster thanks to a recent cut in wait times. He wants Ottawa to help those aiming to settle outside of Quebec to get where they want to go. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.