film: The documentary is screening May 2 and 4 at Toronto's Hot Docs festival as well as other festivals in the next few months, according to Rabble. Kiribati population 100,000 sits in what is called the centre of the world -- on the equator and smack dab on the international east-west dateline. This is an era of urgency and if you are going to catch a climate change film, be sure to watch this deeply moving, people-centred one. We thought we were so isolated we could be immune from the tribulations of the world, intones the wise Anote Tong, who served as the country's leader from 2003 to 2016. It is a finely tuned film dressed in deep melancholy and shot with so much care and cinematic artistry and prowess, you'll feel deeply as your eyes are submerged in the images. The documentary follows Tong over the last years of his term as he struggles to save his country and culture from the ravages of extreme storms and sea-level rise. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: HYP 2018 also includes a public symposium at the Halifax Central Library on July 14, where Hill will discuss his latest novel, The Illegal, and Globe and Mail columnist Doug Saunders will talk about his latest book, Maximum Canada Why 35 Million Canadians Are Not Enough, according to The Chronicle Herald. Students aged 15 to 17 can apply online by May 18 at www.hyp.ukings.ca, with a statement of their interest in migration and a letter of recommendation from an adult. Participants will delve into material about migration and multiculturalism, with workshops on preserving cultures of origin and Canada's immigration and refugee laws. The 925 fee covers accommodation, meals and other costs, and a limited number of bursaries are available for refugee and immigrant students, as well as those with financial need. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

carnage: Yet we are blessed with a collective defence unique to Toronto, according to Toronto Star. The difference is that we are different for our diversity offers immunity, at least partially, from the bigotry and blaming that erupt in times of trouble elsewhere. The impact here is more piercing, for we Canadians imagine ourselves to be exempt from terror at a safe distance from the geographical and political hot spots that make targets of global cities. Read more Opinion Edward Keenan Cop who faced down suspect in Yonge St. carnage an example for all of us Article Continued Below Opinion Heather Mallick No elitism in response to carnage, only compassion Opinion Rosie Dimanno Toronto van tragedy bonds city in blood. Who were these people react-empty 146 The victims, eyewitnesses, police and paramedics on the scene were all Torontonians, yes. But no one will say the word terrorism'Stop for a second, look and listen to what happened, who it happened to, how the city responded. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

child-care benefit: The party expects to own the constituencies that will rally to the progressive theme specifically women and youth; and, overall, the majority of the 60 per cent who bothered to vote in the last election, according to Rabble. And, yes, the governing party can fairly claim that when it comes to smoking pot legally, welcoming 50,000 Syrian refugees, or approving medically assisted death, the Liberals have introduced progressive policy measures. The Liberal leader announced I deeply believe that we are and should be a progressive party. Importantly, the Liberals introduced the more generous and tax-free Canada child benefit CCB to replace the taxable, Conservative, so-called universal child-care benefit. This compares well to about 2,000 per year for each child under six and 720 per year for each child aged six through 17 under the Conservatives' sad attempt to pretend they had a child-care spending plan. In 2018 families with a net income of less than 30,000 as income rises, payments are reduced will receive 6,400 per year for each child under the age of six and 5,400 per year for each child aged six to 17. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

facebook post: Ten people were killed at Yonge and Finch in Toronto, and more than a dozen injured, allegedly at the hand, or rather, the wheel, of a guy from my hometown Alek Minassian, 25, of Richmond Hill, according to Toronto Star. He was charged this morning with ten counts of murder and thirteen counts of attempted murder. On Monday, it did. Though a Facebook post linked to the 25-year-old appears to praise Elliot Rodger, the misogynist who killed six people and then himself in California in 2014, Minassian's motive for allegedly barrelling down a sidewalk crowded with pedestrians remains officially unknown. When these monumentally awful things happen, most people hope and pray nobody they know and love was targeted. For some, it's strange to say, this is a relief. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

greeting customers: The two-month training program, which covered subjects like greeting customers, First Aid, and Canadian cultural values, helped him adjust to a new country much more quickly, according to Toronto Star. Since then, he has been working for the global coffee company as a barista and store clerk. When Kakwan, who immigrated to Canada from Iran alone, started his job search online he stumbled upon the Pacific Community Resources Society PCRS which was running a barista training program for youth in partnership with Starbucks. Seeing the results from the youth work program, Starbucks is launching a new partnership with the Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia and Surrey Local Immigration Partnership. Kakwan said his job has given him the opportunity to prove he's a capable person. The program will focus on refugees, with a goal of hiring at least 1,000 newcomers many of whom will be youth by 2022 in Vancouver and Surrey, where the company has more than 150 stores. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee claimants: This has been an issue for well over a year, but this prime minister has failed to take any concrete steps to address the situation, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said, according to CTV. Meanwhile, families here in Canada who are waiting to be reunited with a loved one or refugees facing real danger have to wait longer because of the government's inaction. The Trudeau Liberals and the Opposition Conservatives blamed each other Tuesday for problems caused by a spike in refugee claimants entering Canada illegally from the U.S. -- an influx that does not appear to be slowing down. Why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau countered that lengthy delays for processing refugee claims were caused by a cut in funding to the Canada Border Services Agency by the former Conservative administration of Stephen Harper. Their cuts left us with significant backlogs, Trudeau said. I think people will be forgiven for rolling their eyes when the Conservatives talk about supporting refugees or accelerating process for family reunification. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

schmidt: A few keystrokes later, she found a remedy a dab of lemon and honey on each spot before bed each evening, according to CTV. But she managed to stick to the routine for only a couple of days before she developed painful sores. The 28-year-old Regina teacher was tired of the acne-related dark spots on her face. I was panicking, Schmidt said. Schmidt said the doctor she consulted for her acne five years ago didn't seem to know how to treat her black skin. I pretty much killed the first layer of skin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

semi-vegetative state: The judge appeared to rule that out at an emergency court hearing in Manchester, but asked whether there might be other options that involved Alfie's parents taking their son home, according to CTV. The hearing was adjourned while the hospital considered the question. The Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the parents of 23-month-old Alfie Evans, said lawyers would repeat a request to judge Anthony Hayden to allow the boy to be cared for at the Vatican's hospital in Rome. Doctors say Alfie is in a semi-vegetative state as a result of a degenerative neurological condition that medics have been unable to identify precisely. But his parents have refused to accept the decision and fought to prevent Alfie's life support being switched off. Doctors treating him at Alder Hey Children's Hospital say he has little brain function and further treatment is futile. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: Meanwhile, families here in Canada who are waiting to be reunited with a loved one or refugees facing real danger have to wait longer because of the government's inaction, according to Vancouver Courier. Why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau countered that lengthy delays for processing refugee claims were caused by a cut in funding to the Canada Border Services Agency by the former Conservative administration of Stephen Harper. The Trudeau Liberals and the Opposition Conservatives blamed each other Tuesday for problems caused by a spike in refugee claimants entering Canada illegally from the U.S. an influx that does not appear to be slowing down.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver is officially the rattiest city in B.C.'Vancouver police officers tackle issue of women and gangs Cost of living stats indicate tough road ahead for Vancouver familiesUBC and dead woman's former gardener battle over her Burnaby home and cash This has been an issue for well over a year, but this prime minister has failed to take any concrete steps to address the situation, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said. I think people will be forgiven for rolling their eyes when the Conservatives talk about supporting refugees or accelerating process for family reunification. They tried to get rid of backlogs by using the delete button. Their cuts left us with significant backlogs, Trudeau said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rattiest city: The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the shelling killed five and wounded 17.A group of journalists taken to the adjacent neighbourhood of Qadam on Tuesday witnessed intense shelling and airstrikes on IS positons in the camp and Hajar al-Aswad, according to Vancouver Courier. The crackle of gunfire echoed from the heavily damaged area. The TV said the aim of the operation is to destroy trenches and tunnels in the Hajar al-Aswad neighbourhood and the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, which is also mostly controlled by the extremists.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver is officially the rattiest city in B.C.'Vancouver police officers tackle issue of women and gangs Cost of living stats indicate tough road ahead for Vancouver familiesUBC and dead woman's former gardener battle over her Burnaby home and cashIS fighters in Hajar al-Aswad fired a shell on the nearby government-held neighbourhood of Nahr Aisha, killing four people and wounding 15, state TV said. The area in southern Damascus is the last part of the capital not controlled by President Bashar Assad's forces. The operation will continue until its goal is achieved, a Syrian military officer told reporters in Qadam, speaking on condition of anonymity under regulations. Other insurgents in the area, including an al-Qaida-linked group, have said they would relocate to rebel-held regions in northern Syria. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stories vancouver: As of January, police were investigating 70 files and say they could see more than 800 cases generated by the end of year, resulting in a 300 per cent increase over last year.article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver is officially the rattiest city in B.C.'Vancouver police officers tackle issue of women and gangs Cost of living stats indicate tough road ahead for Vancouver familiesUBC and dead woman's former gardener battle over her Burnaby home and cashrelated Anti-scam expo aims to put the cuffs on fraud North Vancouver woman loses 6K to bitcoin tax scam Police warn public about Bitcoin phone scam This alarming rise in cryptocurrency files is primarily due to the way Bitcoin has been adopted by fraudsters as the instrument of choice to transfer funds, said a Vancouver police report that goes before the Vancouver Police Board Thursday, according to Vancouver Courier. The report points out different scams associated to digital currency, including people posing as Canada Revenue Agency employees who target mainly new immigrants and seniors. Police in Metro Vancouver saw a 350 per cent increase from 2016 to 2017 in files related to digital currency. They tell them they owe money and request the money be deposited in a Bitcoin automated teller machine to a defined address. That type of crime has police worried that organized criminals will take advantage of the anonymity and non-regulated digital currency system to launder money. What is overlooked in these scams is that despite Bitcoin being an unknown concept to many victims, fraudsters easily walk them through the deposit and transfer of the money, said the report, noting the criminals are often based overseas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

westmount resident: It was my first time writing about racial profiling, but it certainly wouldn't be my last, according to National Observer. It was about a Westmount resident, a local school teacher, out taking a leisurely summer walk on Forden Crescent; a part of town that's dotted with swanky multi-million-dollar mansions. The headline Racial profiling is alive and well in Montreal and that includes Westmount. Not only is racial profiling ultimately ineffective and dehumanizing, it also makes marginalized communities, who are often targeted the most by bias, feel less safe. cdnpoli racialprofiling police Montreal Suddenly the female resident, who, yes... happened to be black, was stopped by Westmount's Public Security Unit. The implication was that she didn't belong there. A female officer asked her if they could help her. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

injustices date: On this day, on behalf of city council and the City of Vancouver, I sincerely apologize for these past injustices and their cruel effects on individuals and their families, and commit to ensuring that similar unjust practices are never again allowed to fall on any group or community, said Robertson from the centre's stage, which included the 10 other members of city council and city manager Sadhu Johnston, according to Vancouver Courier. Those injustices date back to Vancouver's first civic government, which made it clear at its first meeting in 1886 that no Chinaman or Indian shall be entitled to vote in any municipal election for the election of mayor or alderman. The long-awaited apology was delivered by Mayor Gregor Robertson in English and former city councillors Maggie Ip in Cantonese and Bill Yee in Sze Yup at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver on Pender Street, where more than 500 people sat and stood to witness the historic event.article continues below Trending Stories Downtown playground had been problematic' prior to fire Inside the dark 'incel' world of Toronto's murderous rampage Police warn Bitcoin ATMs easier, more profitable' for laundering money than casinos Liberal leader takes shot at employer health tax during visit to manufacturing businessrelated Pop-up events bring tea and talk to Chinatown Vancouver council to apologize for historical discrimination against Chinese Outside, dozens more stopped in the streets to watch the proceedings broadcast on large video screens positioned near the Keefer Memorial Square, where a monument stands in recognition of the contribution Chinese war veterans and railway workers made to Canada. That position served as a launch point for decades of legislated and targeted racism by city leaders, including restricting where Chinese people could own and run a business. Raymond Louie, were used to prohibit Chinese residents from purchasing property. Housing covenants, including one on the house owned by Coun. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hug christmas: When he'd come by a newsroom or Variety Village every December to drop off cash and cheques for charity, he'd have his Santa's hat on and there wasn't a sports editor or writer over the past five decades who wouldn't drop what they were doing and give the generous old guy a big hug, according to Toronto Star. Christmas just won't be the same now. But to most people, at least in Toronto newsrooms and charities, he was the spirit of Christmas. Greenberg, as giving with his time and fundraising efforts as anyone could be, passed away at age 89 last Saturday. Article Continued Below Greenberg, who grew up in a Jewish family and spent his entire life living on Major Street in the Annex, took it upon himself to raise money for children in need at Christmas. He'll be a tough act to follow. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrants: It's been a positive experience thus far, for sure, said Baker, according to The Chronicle Herald. The changes to the entrepreneurship stream of the nominee program came into effect earlier this year and were intended to get more immigrants to start businesses and put down roots in P.E.I. communities other than Charlottetown, Stratford and Cornwall, where immigrants have tended to settle. Geoff Baker, Kensington's chief administrative officer, said recently that in the two months since the changes came into effect, he's done 16 interviews with potential immigrants interested in getting a letter of endorsement from the Town of Kensington. Prior to the program changes, the provincial nominee program operated on a first-in, first-out system. Unlike the previous system, people applying to the program can now seek endorsements from a list of Island municipalities. It now uses a ranked system, where top-scoring applicants are invited to proceed within the program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

interview monday: We have the old established communities, and we have the new communities, according to CTV. I really want to be an ambassador and work at the grassroots level to bring these voices to the fore. There are so many voices here from all over the world and each community is brimming with stories, is brimming with spoken word, is brimming with poetry, Afua Cooper said in an interview Monday. Cooper has published five books of poetry and is also a writer of young adult fiction and history. Her book The Hanging of Angelique The Untold Story of Slavery in Canada and the Burning of Old Montreal was a national best-seller, and was short listed for the Governor General's Award. She is the co-creator of Black Halifax, an interdisciplinary presentation that uses poetry and spoken word to tell Halifax's 300 year-old African Nova Scotian history. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

scotia: The college is there to talk about licensing and answer questions of can you work in Nova Scotia ' The Nova Scotia Health Authority will be there basically to talk to them about the jobs that they have available, and we are there as the Nova Scotia office of immigration to tell them how they can get here to Nova Scotia from the new stream we have devised that is a faster, more simple, process, Diab said, according to The Chronicle Herald. Events will be held in both cities with the aim of attracting more doctors as part of recruitment efforts targeting the U.K., Ireland, Australia and the United States, Diab said. Diab, as well as representatives from the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, will head to Dublin on Wednesday, followed by London, before heading back on Sunday. Physicians licensed to practise in those countries have credentials already recognized by Canada. The four doctors will work in Cape Breton, Antigonish and Halifax, and a fifth application is being processed and is expected to be finalized this month. The province launched a physician-specific immigration stream in February aimed at making the immigration process faster for physicians with Canadian-approved credentials, and has brought in three family doctors and one specialist who are on a path to permanent residency. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

soccer league: Hubert Akilimali, 34, was born in Congo but was forced to flee due to conflict, according to CTV. He arrived in Canada nine years ago, and says the Wasps have become like a family. Members of the Wasps FC came from four different continents to seek a better life in Canada, and they've found camaraderie in their new home though the universal language of sport. Akilimali says the team was put together last year in honour of his friend Jean-Baptiste J.B. Ajua, a Rwandan refugee who was trying to organize a team full of refugees to compete in the Manitoba Major Soccer League. The Wasps are hoping to make Ajua's dream a reality. Ajua, who was a rising star on the University of Manitoba track and field team, drowned in the summer of 2016 at Birds Hill Provincial Park at the age of 22. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thatch-roofed homes: Officials backed away from initial reports that Woodroffe was the principal suspect in Arevalo's killing, according to Toronto Star. Arevalo and Woodroffe were both killed Thursday in the Indigenous community of Victoria Gracia, officials said. The Peruvian attorney general's office said Sebastian Woodroffe was dragged by the neck shortly after the killing of Olivia Arevalo, an octogenarian plant healer from the Shipibo-Konibo tribe of northeastern Peru. But police did not begin to investigate until a cellphone video appeared in local media showing a man purported to be Woodroffe begging for mercy while being dragged between thatch-roofed homes. Read more Mother of Canadian man missing for months in Peru says she won't give up search Article Continued Below Canadian allegedly killed Briton during spiritual retreat in Peru Canadian dies in Peru after drinking tea with shaman On Saturday, officials dug up Woodroffe's body from an unmarked grave where he had been hastily buried. react-empty 139 Every year thousands of foreign tourists travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experiment with ayahuasca, a bitter, dark-coloured brew made of a mixture of native plants. He was then left motionless on the muddy ground. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trudeau: Thank you to the first responders working at the scene we're monitoring the situation closely, according to CTV. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible incident at Yonge and Finch in Toronto. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible incident, wrote Trudeau in a tweet. Thank you to the first responders working at the scene we're monitoring the situation closely. We are all unsettled and very disturbed by a situation like this. Justin Trudeau Justin Trudeau April 23, 2018 Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne assured Ontarians that all levels of government and police services are working together to investigate the incident and expressed her shock at the incident. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

work upfront: George Chahal will bring forward a notice of motion asking administration to revamp the city's approach to engaging ethnocultural citizens with better-tailored approaches depending on projects and communities along with more translation resources, according to Toronto Star. It's being proactive and preventative and doing the work upfront, said Chahal. This week, Coun. Understanding who we're speaking to ... maybe we need to actually go to them rather than expecting them to come to us. But his idea has brought out questions from some of his council colleagues who believe civic engagement is important but may require more than translation and shifting the city's tactics. This comes after his Ward 5 office began fielding calls from diverse constituents in need of help from simple city service offerings and answers to basic questions they couldn't easily find elsewhere. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

interview monday: I really want to be an ambassador and work at the grassroots level to bring these voices to the fore, according to Vancouver Courier. Cooper has published five books of poetry and is also a writer of young adult fiction and history. There are so many voices here from all over the world and each community is brimming with stories, is brimming with spoken word, is brimming with poetry, Afua Cooper said in an interview Monday.article continues below Trending Stories Downtown playground had been problematic' prior to fire Inside the dark 'incel' world of Toronto's murderous rampage Police warn Bitcoin ATMs easier, more profitable' for laundering money than casinos Liberal leader takes shot at employer health tax during visit to manufacturing business We have the old established communities, and we have the new communities. She is the co-creator of Black Halifax, an interdisciplinary presentation that uses poetry and spoken word to tell Halifax's 300 year-old African Nova Scotian history. Cooper assumes the mantle of Halifax poet laureate on Tuesday, becoming the seventh in a line of female poets who have used the position to shed light on community issues and spark political action.A poem last year by outgoing poet laureate Rebecca Thomas a Mi'kmaq woman and the first Indigenous person to hold the role prompted council to reopen debate over how the city commemorates its controversial founder. Her book The Hanging of Angelique The Untold Story of Slavery in Canada and the Burning of Old Montreal was a national best-seller, and was short listed for the Governor General's Award. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ban: The justices' first deep dive into a Trump administration policy comes in a dispute over the third and latest version of the administration's ban on travel from some countries with majority Muslim populations, according to Vancouver Courier. Opponents of the policy and some lower courts have labeled it a Muslim ban, harking back to Trump's campaign call to keep Muslims from entering the country.article continues below Trending Stories Inside the dark 'incel' world of Toronto's murderous rampage Downtown playground had been problematic' prior to fire Police warn Bitcoin ATMs easier, more profitable' for laundering money than casinosDFO, NEB to inspect Trans Mountain Burnaby site this week after reported sediment spill The high-stakes arguments at the high court on Wednesday could offer some indication about how a court that runs on respect for traditions and precedent will deal with a president who regularly breaks with convention. That's about to change. Apart from the campaign statements, Trump's presidential tweets about the travel ban and last fall's retweets of inflammatory videos that stoked anti-Islam sentiment all could feature in the court's discussion of the travel ban's legality. But I think the president set it up so that it's virtually impossible to ignore him when he's shouting from the rooftops about what his purpose was in the three versions of the ban, said Cecillia Wang, the American Civil Liberties Union's deputy legal director. The court could get to the right outcome without getting into the question of his tweets. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee crisis: Scheer sees an opening for the Tories now that the Bloc Quebecois appears to be tearing itself apart, according to National Observer. 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. ; 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.

school: The news is worrying to Montreal-area French school boards because they're running out of classrooms and specialized teachers to properly absorb the newcomers, according to National Observer. If there are more arrivals this summer than we had in the last few months, we don't have enough space, not enough classes, said Catherine Harel Bourdon, president of Montreal's largest school board. Quebec received some 25,000 asylum seekers overall at regular and irregular border crossings last year and many were families with young children. ; And with more than 6,000 new arrivals already this year, some officials are predicting the numbers will only rise over the summer. Harel Bourdon says the school board has received some 1,300 asylum seekers in the past three years. And her school board isn't the only one feeling the pressure. In the first three months of 2018 alone, there have been 250 new students entering welcome classes the equivalent of a little school, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.