mexican border: They received formal schooling and regular visits with legal representatives assigned to their immigration cases, according to Toronto Star. Demonstrators protest near the site of a tent city for migrant children near Tornillo, Texas, last week. Until now, most unauthorized children being held by federal immigration authorities had been housed in private foster homes or shelters, sleeping two or three to a room. The federal government has been moving hundreds of children a week under cover of darkness to the tent city on the Mexican border in West Texas. There is no school The children are given workbooks that they have no obligation to complete. VICTOR J. BLUE / The New York Times But in the rows of sand-coloured tents in Tornillo, Texas, children in groups of 20, separated by gender, sleep lined up in bunks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mountain life: There'll be a 5,000 grant attached, according to Vancouver Observer. It's a fitting tribute to the Canadian activist who died while making his film about illegal shark hunting. VIFF has announced a new prize to start next year called the Rob Stewart Eco Warrior Award to honor environmental film making with impact. Speaking of Canadian, five of my VIFF picks today are that or have a Canadian connection. But check out how off the wall it is. Glad to highlight them among these Mountain Life Last Summer Animal Behaviour Science Fair What Walaa Wants Inside My Heart Patricia Rozema's latest is a thoroughly entertaining study of that age-old testy relationship, mother and daughter. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

neighbourhood officer: Deputy Chief Peter Yuen says the expansion isn't a response to the jump in gun violence in the city, but that it will address guns and gangs, according to Toronto Star. Andrew Francis Wallace / Toronto Star This friendlier dress code is part of a six-month Toronto Police Service pilot project aimed at modernizing policing and enhancing officer relationships within the city's neighbourhoods, according to Deputy Chief Peter Yuen. And these officers will do it all while holding smartphones, and wearing ball caps and special Velcro patches affixed to their vests that read neighbourhood officer. This is the first time we're doing it, he said of the initiative. It's about a long-term relationship and trust. This is what the community wants us to do. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ronald reagan: The IRI is one of the components of the National Endowment for Democracy by which it seeks to influence political outcomes and civic society in lesser developed countries around the world, according to Rabble. Its efforts are to channel politics and civic society to promote a neoliberal economic and political model; NED/IRI also engage in activities previously performed by the CIA. IRI is mainly funded by U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Endowment for Democracy. Ironically, it began with the International Republican Institute IRI eastablished by Ronald Reagan in 1983. IRI is loosely affiliated to the Republican party which doesn't provide any of its funding. the collapse of the Soviet Union, the IRI opened an office in Moscow in 1993 with some of the Americans, including Paul Manafort, started developing extensive ties to Russian politicians and oligarchs. ties continued to develop with Russian oligarchs, Christian conservatives, and pro-gun activists that helped Trump during the 2016 election and continue to support him today. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

voting station: The same is true in other countries, most obviously the U.S. and the U.K., places where democracy has been suppressed beyond recognition, according to Toronto Star. The people, in whose names these nations are governed, have never mattered less. But how would we know As practised in Toronto, Ontario and Canada, the democratic process is so primitive, unevolved and compromised it's barely recognizable. Perhaps it's no surprise in times of growing tribalism that a political system dependant on the goodwill of all involved elected and electors alike should have unravelled to such an extent. A woman heads toward a voting station at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in 2014, a year when 37 of 38 incumbents were re-elected. Its failures can be seen at every turn; money and media, private interference and public indifference distort the exercise of democracy beyond the point where it can be taken seriously. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

u.s: We are all family on earth, he told reporters, according to Vancouver Courier. How we can co-exist in understanding and peace should be our starting point. Tamaki said he would talk to the U.S. about how the people of Okinawa have rejected the new air base. Tamaki is also emerging as a new kind of leader, standing for tolerance and diversity, in a nation long known for uniformity and conformity. His mother is Okinawan. His father is a U.S. Marine he has never met. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election explainer: However, mainstream media coverage has fixated overwhelmingly on incumbent John Tory and former chief city planner Jennifer Keesmaat, according to NOW Magazine. Reporting on the Toronto mayoral election as a two-horse race not only anticipates the election's outcome, but fundamentally skews it. Thirty-five candidates have registered to run for mayor of Toronto, including many who have long histories working in and with communities that are consistently marginalized in the city's politics while bearing the brunt of its violence. The Globe and Mail's recent election explainer identifies Tory and Keesmaat as candidates, not even bothering to mention any of the 33 others running. Narcity's list of the 11 most notable people running for mayor of Toronto, meanwhile, features two neo-Nazis James Sears and Chris Brosky alongside Tory and Keesmaat, but no women of colour in the race. The Toronto Star's election promise tracker details Tory's and Keesmaat's pledges on housing, arts and culture, public safety, street safety, taxes and transit, but excludes the positions of all other candidates, including those with far more progressive stances. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec city: Instead of heading to Trois-Rivieres and Quebec City as planned last Monday, he swung well north, shaking hands with supporters in Amos one day and donning safety gear at a construction site in Chibougamau the next, according to National Observer. Legault senses his path to a majority is through dairy-farm and aluminum-smelter country, and this final push to remote ridings reflected a confidence not seen since the early days of the campaign. As the 39-day campaign dragged on, Legault saw his lead evaporate to the point where polls showed the Coalition tied with Philippe Couillard's incumbent Liberals a week out from Monday's election. ; Then something changed. I think the majority will come from the regions, he told reporters earlier in the week. When Mr. And I think the regions, when you look at the results, they didn't have good results from the Liberal government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stage presence: He sang to sold-out concert halls into his 90s and said he wrote every single day, according to Vancouver Courier. I throw most of it away. Known as France's Frank Sinatra, the dapper crooner and actor, who got his start as a songwriter and protege of Edith Piaf, died Monday at 94.article continues below Trending Stories Interview sheds light on Ian Campbell's exit from Vancouver mayor race Where do our plastics go And how do we get rid of them Vancouver High on Life vloggers die in Shannon Falls tragedy Lobby group calls on province to adopt rideshare immediately His versatile tenor, lush lyrics and kinetic stage presence endeared himself to fans the world over, but nowhere more so than in France. You write first, judge later, he said in a 2015 interview before the release of the album Encores. Like her, his fame ultimately reached well outside France, including being awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017. Often compared to Sinatra, Aznavour started his career as a songwriter for Piaf, but it was she who took him under her wing, encouraging him to sing his own material. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

david hulchanski: U of T professor David Hulchanski has done a lot of work on the city's demographics, especially relating to income, according to Toronto Star. Colin McConnell / Toronto Star file photo The new charts come from University of Toronto Prof. New demographic charts show a strikingly segregated city, with visible minorities concentrated in low-income neighbourhoods and white residents dominating affluent areas in numbers far higher than their share of the population. David Hulchanski and his research team, known for using census data to illustrate growing income inequality in the city. It's starker than we would expect, Hulchanski said in an interview. Their latest effort flags the role of discrimination in that inequality, with lopsided racial breakdowns that surprised the researchers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

diversity scarborough: This is one in a series of articles, according to Toronto Star. The election is Oct. 22. Now that new legislation has made it a 25-ward election, we have determined all of the wards are worth watching. Advance voting begins Oct. 10. Maggie Chi, running for city council in Ward 23 Scarborough North, says creating programming for young people and seniors in their own first languages will be one of her goals if elected. When Maggie Chi's parents were deciding what part of Canada to live in 15 years ago, they picked a place that was famed, even as far away as China, for its diversity Scarborough. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kipling avenue: Within the confines of the 74,000-square-foot facility at Kipling Avenue and Albion Road, the Rexdale Community Health Centre just recently renovated has only a few patients in its waiting area, while outside in the lobby, a group from the Rexdale Women's Centre hands out pamphlets to those clients passing through to access services ranging from employment to legal to health care, according to Toronto Star. Suzan Hall shows off one of the many murals on site, in the community room, at the Rexdale Community Hub. Quiet, but not silent. Staff/Metroland The agencies that inhabit the hub work with residents from some of the highest needs communities in Toronto Jamestown, Rexdale, Thistletown and others in northern Etobicoke where jobs and housing are scarce, and crime and poverty are ever on the doorstep. Situated near Toronto Pearson International Airport, community workers who spoke with Metroland Media Toronto said that refugees and newcomers come to northern Etobicoke soon after arriving and they need immediate assistance. According to a City of Toronto survey of high needs neighbourhoods conducted in 2014, four such neighbourhoods in north Etobicoke rated higher than the city's average for housing unaffordability, unemployment and poverty. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media account: She offers them a hotel room, suggesting that the boys could watch movies on a TV or computer, according to CTV. When they appear to refuse her offer and walk away, she follows them. In a dramatic video that has since been removed from her social media account, the 32-year-old celebrity approaches a family of what she says are Syrian refugees who are sitting on a sidewalk. Looks what's happening. I won't leave until I take you. They're trafficking children, Lohan claims in the video, which has been posted in full on You Tube. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

olympic: Eleven seats are reserved for religious and ethnic minorities five for Christians, five for Turkmen candidates and one for the Armenian community, according to Vancouver Courier. Polls close at 6 p.m. 1500 GMT and it is not clear when the results will be announced.article continues below Trending Stories Do you recognize this guy who totally lost it at a Tim Hortons VIDEO Vancouver construction workers chase down carjacking suspect Site near Olympic Village approved for modular housing Receding glaciers make Pemberton-area Mount Meager volcano less stable than ever before The last parliamentary elections were in 2013, but the assembly stopped meeting in 2015 amid internal political tensions and the war against the Islamic State group. More than 700 candidates are vying for 111 seats in the elections, in which nearly 3.5 million Kurds are eligible to vote. The political deadlock also delayed new elections, which were originally planned for last November. Those two factions are expected to win the lion's share of the vote. Kurdish politics have long been dominated by Masoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which is riven by infighting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

polling stations: That would help him with the next step of winning parliamentary support for the required constitutional amendments.article continues below Trending Stories Do you recognize this guy who totally lost it at a Tim Hortons VIDEO Vancouver construction workers chase down carjacking suspect Site near Olympic Village approved for modular housing Receding glaciers make Pemberton-area Mount Meager volcano less stable than ever before Results from more than 97 per cent of polling stations showed 91.3 per cent of voters approving the deal, according to Vancouver Courier. But turnout stood at just 36.8 per cent, a far cry from the massive support the government had hoped for. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev had hoped for a strong show of support in the referendum on whether to accept a June deal with Greece changing the country's name to North Macedonia. Opponents to the name change had called for a boycott of the vote and celebrated in the street outside Parliament when turnout figures were announced, chanting slogans and waving flags. The people made a great choice and said 'yes' to our future. Nevertheless, Zaev declared the vote a success. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

visitors examples: The website, serieusement.fun, uses the PQ's logo, and the site's background colour is similar to the party's signature blue, according to National Observer. Visitors to the site are invited to type in a message above the party's official slogan, Seriously, and to share the meme they create on social media. Entering the final weekend before Monday's vote, the PQ went to court to try to shut down a website the party said was using its logo to spread racist messages online. ; Ironically, the website also includes authentic quotations from PQ Leader Jean-Francois Lisee about burkas and from one of his candidates using an offensive term for black people on Twitter. It also gives visitors examples of messages to type into the program as inspiration. Lisee was criticized heavily at the time for his words, which suggested Islamic women could hide weapons under their religious clothing. One of the examples is a quote Lisee gave to Le Devoir in 2016 when he was running for his party's leadership AK-47s under burqas, it's proven. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media account: She offers them a hotel room, suggesting that the boys could watch movies on a TV or computer, according to CTV. When they appear to refuse her offer and walk away, she follows them. In a dramatic video that has since been removed from her social media account, the 32-year-old celebrity approaches a family of what she says are Syrian refugees who are sitting on a sidewalk. Looks what's happening. I won't leave until I take you. They're trafficking children, Lohan claims in the video, which has been posted in full on You Tube. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

background colour: Ironically, the website also includes authentic quotations from PQ Leader Jean-Francois Lisee about burkas and from one of his candidates using an offensive term for black people on Twitter, according to CTV. The website, serieusement.fun, uses the PQ's logo, and the site's background colour is similar to the party's signature blue. Entering the final weekend before Monday's vote, the PQ went to court to try to shut down a website the party said was using its logo to spread racist messages online. Visitors to the site are invited to type in a message above the party's official slogan, Seriously, and to share the meme they create on social media. One of the examples is a quote Lisee gave to Le Devoir in 2016 when he was running for his party's leadership AK-47s under burqas, it's proven. It also gives visitors examples of messages to type into the program as inspiration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrants: The woman said she has nothing against immigration, but bring in the good ones, according to CTV. The immigrants coming in now, they are erasing us. In a Rimouski pub Wednesday night, a supporter called on Legault to defend Quebecers against immigrants who want to change our customs and remove our crosses. We want to remain Quebecois. His response contrasted with the approach taken by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he was confronted last August by an anti-immigration heckler in Sabrevois, Que. Are you going to fight for us Legault responded, well, yes and encouraged her to vote for his party. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian citizenship: Trade woes After U.S. President Donald Trump's fiery press conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has defended the Canadian negotiators and said a NAFTA deal is still possible. 2, according to CTV. Senate showdown Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh gave conflicting testimony Thursday that could tip Senate confirmation votes for or against Trump's Supreme Court nominee. 3. Plus, an Alberta woman is bringing back a popular western Canada chocolate bar. 1. Citizen no more Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has become the first ever person to have MPs unanimously vote to revoke her honorary Canadian citizenship. 4. Sweet treat A chocolate bar that was a favourite in western Canada is making a resurgence 30 years later thanks to an Alberta woman and her mother's love for the candy. Car troubles Officials say U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Canada's auto industry would have a negative impact on cross-border relationships for a long time. 5. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jamaican-macedonian background: Um... gross, Baker winced, according to Toronto Star. When she processed his words later, she became even more disgusted with the racial remark. As they began to get intimate, he leaned into her ear and whispered how much he loved her light-skin vagina. Samantha Baker her racially charged experiences with Toronto men has lead her to walk away from the dating scene for the time being. In fact, aside from sex, she says, he seemed to look down on her race. Sergio Arangio photo That wasn't the first time Baker's South Asian beau had called out her Jamaican-Macedonian background in the bedroom. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec: That makes it likely the Oct. 1 election will produce a minority government, according to Toronto Star. The Coalition Avenir Quebec party led by businessman Fran ois Legault, seen here, is tied with premier Philippe Couillard's Liberals. The Coalition Avenir Quebec, a party led by businessman Fran ois Legault, is tied with premier Philippe Couillard's Liberals, with each party supported by 30 per cent of decided voters, according to a poll by Ipsos for La Presse and Global News. Christinne Muschi / Bloomberg This year's contest will be the first in nearly six decades where the national question whether French-speaking Quebec should separate from the rest of Canada is not a campaign issue. Young Quebecers are less attuned to independence, so the old nationalist discourse on sovereignty is not as strong, said Chedly Belkhodja, a professor at Concordia University's School of Community and Public Affairs in Montreal. But those bitter independence battles have morphed into acrimonious fights over immigration and perceived threats to Quebec's francophone identity. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

residence status: Baris had wrestled over whether she should turn the two girls over to authorities in Germany where they had been living temporarily or send them back to Turkey, where their father is in jail for a 2016 coup attempt, according to Toronto Star. Duygu Baris' two daughters, Zeynep, 16, and Hatice, 9, are shown on arrival at Pearson airport this week. The 42-year-old Toronto ophthalmologist was reunited with her two daughters this week after a months-long separation involving multiple countries. The girls were reunited with their mother after a Star story. They will eventually be given permanent residence status, but it's just a matter of time. SUPPLIED PHOTO But two weeks after the Star reported Baris' dilemma, the girls arrived in Toronto with temporary residence permits issued by Canadian officials. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

basketball court: The policy, however, violated employment laws in several provinces, according to Vancouver Courier. Changes were made Jan. 1, 2016 so that only up to 5.45 a day of a migrant worker's wages would flow back to the Caribbean to help those governments cover certain expenses. Up until 2016, an agreement between the governments of Canada and Caribbean countries allowed employers of migrant farm workers to withhold one-quarter of their wages and hand the money over to their home governments.article continues below Trending Stories'Bella Dolls' Is Vancouver ready for a sex doll brothel Central Park Vision Vancouver's Sarah Blyth leaving politics for son's sakeNBA legend Steve Nash now has a basketball court named in his honourB.C. man wins lottery twice in four years Most of the money, 20 per cent, was considered a forced savings plan, and the remaining five per cent was used to cover administrative costs. The deductions must be consented to, in writing, by the migrant worker. Officials recommended that Hajdu counter by demanding Jamaica's labour minister, Shahine Robinson, provide a detailed explanation of how much revenue the country collected from migrant workers, how the money was used and whether workers were reimbursed for any excess amounts. The Jamaican government was not pleased.A briefing note prepared for Labour Minister Patty Hajdu ahead of a planned November 2017 meeting with her Jamaican counterpart warned that she would hear an earful about the issue, given that Caribbean governments had consistently voiced their disapproval of the elimination of the 25 per cent remittance policy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

adam austen: Trudeau's Liberals had faced pressure to revoke the honour, but had refused to say whether they would consider such a step.A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday that the government made up its mind to support the idea in response to Suu Kyi's silence on the crimes in Myanmar, according to National Observer. Our government supported this motion in response to her continued failure to speak out against the genocide of the Rohingya, a crime being committed by the military with which she shares power, Adam Austen wrote in an emailed statement. The vote, on a Bloc Quebecois motion, followed Thursday's question period and came one day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was up to Parliament to decide whether to strip the honour given to Suu Kyi in 2007. ; The once-celebrated Burmese reformer has been widely criticized for not speaking out against the atrocities being committed against her country's Rohingya people. We will continue to support the Rohingya people through humanitarian assistance, targeted sanctions against Myanmar's generals and by pushing for accountability for those responsible through an appropriate international body. There is no formal procedure required for making someone an honorary citizen it is a purely political decision but precedent has been set for a joint resolution to be passed by the House of Commons and Senate in order to grant someone the honour. The Opposition Conservatives called the vote to remove her citizenship a step in the right direction, but pressed the Liberals to do more for the Rohingya people than make a symbolic gesture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

legault: The immigrants coming in now, they are erasing us, according to National Observer. We want to remain Quebecois. In a Rimouski pub Wednesday night, a supporter called on Legault to defend Quebecers against immigrants who want to change our customs and remove our crosses. ; The woman said she has nothing against immigration, but bring in the good ones. Are you going to fight for us Legault responded, well, yes and encouraged her to vote for his party. Trudeau immediately challenged the woman, telling her intolerance regarding immigrants does not have a place in Canada. His response contrasted with the approach taken by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he was confronted last August by an anti-immigration heckler in Sabrevois, Que. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.