albania bonn: Don't miss out on the latest news Sign up for our daily briefing The dinner occurred hours after Helps pledged Victoria as the first Canadian city to participate in the United Nations Trees in Cities Initiative, which challenged mayors of cities around the world to boost their urban forests as a means to lower carbon pollution, according to National Observer. Standing with the mayors of Triana, Albania; Bonn, Germany; and Helsingbord, Sweden, Helps vowed to plant 5,000 trees. If the forest collapses in the climate crisis, the people of Papua New Guinea will not be able to survive, the governor told Helps, before making a direct plea for the help of western cities like Victoria and Nelson. It's not a very ambitious goal, Helps admitted in an interview with National Observer in New York. So 5,000 is a good start, she said. But the actual footprint of the city of Victoria is tiny it's just 20 square kilometers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

information: The protesters were demanding to be transferred to the Greek mainland, according to CTV. The situation is tense, Lesbos mayor Stratis Kytelis told The Associated Press earlier. A burned body was brought to a local hospital and there is information about an unconfirmed second death, police said. There is information about a dead mother and her child. UNHCR Greece later tweeted that we learned with deep sadness that the lives of a woman and a child were lost in a fire on Lesbos today. We haven't been able to confirm that yet. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vatican city: Pope Francis unveiled the bronze sculpture by Timothy Schmalz Sunday at the end of the weekly Mass at the square, according to CTV. The piece Angels Unawares depicts a group of migrants huddled together on a boat. Peter's Square in Vatican City. The depicted migrants represent a variety of cultures and historic time periods. Peter's Square to remind everyone of the evangelical challenge of hospitality, Francis said. I wanted this artistic work here in St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

i support: The diocese announced on Twitter that the motion was passed with 88 per cent of the delegates voting in favour, according to CTV. Together we have made the church bigger today, said Bishop Geoff Peddle. John's on Saturday. I support this decision and look forward to releasing a pastoral letter to the diocese later this week. It said the passing of the motion also affirmed the bishop's authority to allow parishes and congregations that formally request permission to perform same sex marriages to do so. The diocese said there are currently eight Anglican parishes who have formally requested permission from Peddle to perform same-sex marriages and they now have been given permission to proceed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

candidate: Liberal Party candidate Susan Hayton and Conservative Party candidate Corey Tochor have not yet submitted a response to our CTV News questionnaire, according to CTV. We will update this page as we receive more information. Their answers are published below, lightly edited for length and clarity. Claire Card, New Democratic Party Why do you want to be an MP After a more than a decade of Conservatives taking Saskatoon-University for granted, and the Liberals and Conservatives both working for the wealthy top one per cent and powerful corporations, I knew I needed to take action to help build a healthier future with strong communities and a more equal society. I want to see more investment in affordable housing and public health care, including universal, comprehensive pharmaceutical drug coverage. I want to be a voice for women in Ottawa, where there are still too few women representing Canadians. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

downtown square: I joined about 300 students and a handful of staff members on the University of Canterbury campus this morning, to walk towards the downtown square next to the devastated cathedral which after much debate, is to be rebuilt . Three hundred students I thought -- not bad -- relative to enrollment, that's like 600 at Simon Fraser University, according to Rabble. We walked en masse through suburban back roads and the peaceful Hagley Park, rivalling Stanley Park in size if not wilderness. So notwithstanding the city's resilience and long-term recovery from these tragedies, I wasn't sure what to expect for today's school strike for the climate. Energetic young people set a surprisingly vigorous pace for such a large group, and we supportive seniors brought up the rear. One group of students from suburban Lincoln University had started walking at 6 a.m. to cover the 22 kilometres on foot. When we arrived at the square, the throng was already gathered, and its size was a welcome surprise -- about 6,000. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

labour shortages: Patricia Landry Martin says she has wanted to meet with Churchill for a while, and there's still a lot to figure out after Thursday's meeting, according to CTV. I was hoping we would get there and everything would be flat out and everything would be arranged toady, but everything is in steps and we have to take our time to make these decisions, says Martin, the co-director of Sydney Daycare. They say wages and pensions being offered by the pre-primary program are luring away qualified workers, resulting in labour shortages at daycares across the province. Martin says wages and pensions are much more desirable for the early childhood educators working in the pre-primary program, which makes it difficult to find staff willing to work in daycares. However, in doing so, the infants, toddlers and junior pre-schoolers were kind of forgotten, she says. Having a free program is a great idea. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police interview: Toronto van attack In a newly released police interview, Alek Minassian suggests that a lack of female attention pushed him to drive a rental van on a busy Toronto sidewalk last year, killing 10 people and injuring 16 others. 2, according to CTV. Whistleblower report A redacted version of a whistleblower complaint at the centre of an impeachment probe against U.S. President Donald Trump alleges that Trump abused his office's power during a phone call with Ukraine's president. 3. Here's what else you need to know to start your day. 1. Immigration in Canada Business owners in parts of Quebec are pushing federal election candidates for increased immigration to address a growing regional shortage of workers that some blame on Bill 21. 4. Climate strikes Students and protesters are hitting the streets across Canada and the world today, for a second round of global climate strikes. Housing crisis As NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made a campaign promise to build 500,000 affordable homes, a B.C. woman says the housing crisis has forced her family of five to live out of a van. 5. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

comments adeagbo: Bamidele Adeagbo was hard to understand and spoke with an accent.A letter dated Thursday and signed by 42 doctors and lawyers from across Canada asks the Canadian Judicial Council to investigate Clackson's comments, according to Vancouver Courier. Adeagbo, who is originally from Nigeria, was aware of the letter when he was reached by The Canadian Press on Friday. Last week, Justice Terry Clackson found David and Colett Stephan not guilty of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their 19-month-old son Ezekiel.article continues below Trending Stories Canada's Most Dangerous Places Whistler's rankings don't paint full picture City of Vancouver worker dies in workplace accident Financial institutions reluctant to bankroll cannabis Redevelopment of Arbutus Village about to begin In his written decision, Clackson said Dr. At this point I am not going to give any comment on what Justice Clackson did or not. It's still kind of making me a little bit emotional. I will leave it to his own peers, Adeagbo said from his office in Terre Haute, Ind., where he now practises. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bamidele adeagbo: Last week, Clackson found the parents not guilty of failing to provide the necessaries of life in the death of their 19-month-old son Ezekiel in 2012, according to National Observer. The couple testified they thought their son had croup and used herbal remedies to treat him. Queen's Bench Justice Terry Clackson made the comments in the Lethbridge trial of David and Collet Stephan. They called for an ambulance when he stopped breathing, but he later died in hospital. Bamidele Adeagbo. Don't miss out on the latest news Sign up for our daily briefingA letter dated Thursday signed by 42 doctors and lawyers from across the country asks the judicial council to investigate Clackson's comments about Dr. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

interview process: There has already been an effect on being able to hire according to religious symbols, board chairwoman Angela Mancini said Thursday, according to National Observer. Don't miss out on the latest news Sign up for our daily briefing Mancini said at least four prospective teachers withdrew their applications after going through the interview process and being told they had to remove their symbols. The board's commissioners have voted to hire a law firm to determine the appropriate legal recourse against the provincial government over the validity of the law known as Bill 21. The cases involved mainly young educators who wore hijabs, Mancini said. Bill 21 came into effect in June. The province's largest French-language school board, the Commission scolaire de Montreal, has said it has dealt with five teachers affected by the law this year, four of whom agreed to remove their symbols while one did not. ; Despite the planned legal action, the board will continue to apply the law, as all other school boards across the province have done. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border control: Trump's Ukraine call The report released by the White House documenting U.S. President Donald Trump's phone call with Ukraine's new leader is not a word-for-word transcript, according to CTV. Here's why. 2. Here's what else you need to know to start your day. 1. Truth tracker Gun rights advocates say the Liberals are targeting hunters and sport shooters with their proposed gun legislation, but experts say the debate is largely being driven by misinformation. 3. Border control Another Canadian has been banned from the United States at a B.C. border crossing in what critics are calling a troubling example of border guards taking a heavy-handed approach to immigration. 5. Assisted suicide The medically assisted death of a British Columbia man with a history of depression has advocates calling for stronger safeguards for vulnerable patients and better clarity in the law. 4. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

place trepanier: The same exact trip, same vehicle, to visit the same person in the same place, according to CTV. Trepanier is a tree planter, and has been for the last eight years. I've done the same trip for the past two years. It's my main source of income, she said. This time, her trip was different. The work is seasonal, so during her off months in the fall she visits her boyfriend. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadians show: While Canadians show modest levels of nativism overall, Liberal and NDP partisans score far lower than Conservatives in their expressed nativist sentiment, researchers found, according to National Observer. Don't miss out on the latest news Sign up for our daily briefing Nativism feelings of support for native-born citizens over immigrants is more common among conservatives, but also among those who feel the economy or their personal finances are getting worse. Accurate information about the benefits of bringing in new residents, however, can change minds, according to the latest report from the Digital Democracy Project, a joint initiative by the Public Policy Forum and the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. The researchers measured nativism by asking a series of questions they said were designed to tap into perceptions of whether immigrants are costly to society. Nativism feelings of support for native-born citizens over immigrants is more common among conservatives, but also among those who feel the economy or their personal finances are getting worse, says a new ppforumca Max Bell School report Twenty-nine per cent of those surveyed said too many immigrants were from visible minorities. They found Canadians broadly overestimate the number of migrants and refugees entering the country, with almost a quarter of those polled believing that refugee intake is higher than it really is. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

comments adeagbo: Bamidele Adeagbo was hard to understand and spoke with an accent.A letter dated Thursday and signed by 42 doctors and lawyers from across Canada asks the Canadian Judicial Council to investigate Clackson's comments, according to Vancouver Courier. Adeagbo, who is originally from Nigeria, was aware of the letter when he was reached by The Canadian Press on Friday. Last week, Justice Terry Clackson found David and Colett Stephan not guilty of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their 19-month-old son Ezekiel.article continues below Trending Stories Downtown Eastside venue owners, promoters report losses amid increased crime and violence Calgary man convicted in five-year-old grandson's death sentenced to 9 years'Bella Dolls' sex doll brothel has opened in Vancouver Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history In his written decision, Clackson said Dr. At this point I am not going to give any comment on what Justice Clackson did or not. It's still kind of making me a little bit emotional. I will leave it to his own peers, Adeagbo said from his office in Terre Haute, Ind., where he now practises. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media outlets: And yet, the same media outlets now in a frenzy over face-gate long refused to acknowledge the truth staring them in the face racism pervades Canadian politics, according to National Observer. When 44 per cent of Canadians admitted to Angus Reid they could not vote for a prime minister who wears a turban, this was spun into congratulatory headlines announcing a majority of Canadians would consider voting for a Sikh prime minister celebrating the racist glass for being only half full. There is no need to comb through Trudeau's past to find evidence of racism; it's all over his recent political record voting for Stephen Harper's Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act and draconian national security law, Bill C-51, both based on racist stereotypes about Muslims and Arabs;Don't miss out on the latest news Sign up for our daily briefing enacting National Security Act Bill C-59, enshrining expanded powers of surveillance and data collection for security agencies without adequate oversight; shoving projects like the Trans Mountain pipeline through unceded Indigenous lands without consent; sending in armed forces against Indigenous land protectors in unceded territories like the Unist'ot'en camp; ; repeatedly challenging Canadian Human Rights Commission decisions ordering the government to compensate for decades of discriminatory funding against Indigenous kids; refusing to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States, which turns away mostly black and brown asylum seekers on the myth the U.S. is safe ; eviscerating refugees' international legal right to seek asylum with amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that will deny many claimants a fair hearing; increasing deportation targets by 25 to 35 per cent, coinciding with the arrival of Haitian, Nigerian and other black asylum seekers at the border; continuing the cruel practice of indefinite immigration detention even the U.S. imposes a time limit ; entering into information-sharing and border-search agreements with the U.S., enabling the harassment of black, brown and Muslim travellers. And when polls showed only 6.1 per cent of Canadians considered Jagmeet Singh the most ethical party leader far behind Andrew Scheer and Trudeau, even in the wake of revelations about Scheer's racist Yellow Vest fraternization and Trudeau's SNC-Lavalin corruption no one bothered to ask why a brown man with a turban and no scandals was perceived as so much less ethical than two white men with major scandals. Judging from the coverage, wearing a turban presents a more serious problem for a career in Canadian politics than a history of connections to white supremacy. Meanwhile, Conservative campaign manager Hamish Marshall a former corporate director of extreme-right Rebel Media is characterized affectionately in a recent Maclean's profile as an owlish data nerd, and condemnations of him are dismissed as a caricature in the Toronto Star. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

assad: Assad's regime has been accused of war crimes, including the slaughter of children and using chemical weapons on his own people in Syria's civil war, according to CTV. A report published in Maclean's quoted Ramli as saying that a volunteer group of rescue workers operating in Syria's war zone, the White Helmets, are a terrorist organization who support al-Qaeda. Montreal businessman Waseem Ramli's support for Assad is no surprise to anyone who has seen his car -- Ramli drives around in a Humvee with Assad's face and the country's flag emblazoned on it. Ramli told CTV News over the phone that he has not seen any wrongdoing from my president towards the country. Syrian troops captured and tortured the perpetrators, including teenagers. The beginnings of the Syrian civil war can be tracked back to 2011, when a group of students spray-painted an anti-government remark on the side of their school. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

show support: This poison will bioaccumulate in ever-growing amounts in the traditional country food web of the Inuit and Innu, according to Rabble. Throughout the past two months, hundreds have been writing and calling the office of the NDP leader, urging him to speak out, show support and help bring national attention to this crime. There was a special urgency to this because, since August 7, the waters have been rising in the Muskrat Falls reservoir, drowning a forest and, consequently, kicking off a process of decomposition that will produce the dangerous neurotoxin methylmercury. But in the end, the NDP's commitment to honouring Indigenous rights -- vague and Trudeau-like as it sounds -- was not enough for party officials to grant a meeting with those whose sickening choice is to face hunger or eat a poisoned food supply that will subject them to Minamata disease, the mercury poisoning affliction killing the people of Grassy Narrows. Labrador land protectors had hoped that, following calls from both the United Nations and the Indigenous Nunatsiavut government, Singh would join in the growing chorus of those opposed to the environmental racism of Muskrat Falls, where Indigenous lives are treated as expendable in the name of so-called green energy. Muskrat Falls represents one of the largest federal investments -- 9.2 billion -- in any major energy project, and yet it has never achieved the high profile of other megaprojects like the tar sands Trans Mountain pipeline. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state department: Three Uighurs recounted how the Chinese have placed their brethren in re-education camps, forced them to live with minders -- or spies -- in their homes, and surveilled and harassed them both at home and abroad in an attempt to eradicate their way of life and enforce their silence, according to CTV. China's at war with faith, said Sam Brownback, the U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom. The U.S. State Department hosted a panel Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York to highlight the struggle of Uighurs, whose native land in China's far western Xinjiang province they say is a police state. He noted that American concerns extend beyond the predominantly Muslim, Turkic-speaking Uighurs to Tibetans, Christians and the banned spiritual movement known as Falun Gong. China vehemently denies this. They're at war with all faiths, Brownback said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

climate change: Scheer branded Trudeau an irresponsible steward of the public purse who was doling out vague and desperate environmental promises that would ruin Canada's economy, according to National Observer. Don't miss out on the latest news Sign up for our daily briefing Amid it all, Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh found time for a quiet word by phone about the times Trudeau darkened his skin to put on blackface and brownface for costume events, acts he now concedes were racist. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau characterized his Conservative opponent Andrew Scheer as a do-nothing denier of climate change, lumping him in with other political opponents such as Jason Kenney and Doug Ford, the Alberta and Ontario premiers. Singh had agreed to talk to Trudeau about the incidents, the most recent of the three at an Arabian Nights theme gala at the Vancouver school where Trudeau taught in 2001. The first visible-minority leader of a federal Canadian party, currently campaigning against Trudeau to become prime minister, didn't want to be used in a political effort to repair Trudeau's image. But he wanted the conversation to be private. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ocean conditions: That's what William Cheung, one of the Canadian authors of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, told National Observer in a phone interview from Monaco, where scientists gathered Wednesday to release staggering findings about the impacts of human activity on the state of the oceans and the cryosphere, the ecological realm of sea ice, snow and glaciers, according to National Observer. Don't miss out on the latest news Sign up for our daily briefing Under high-emissions scenarios, we're looking at unprecedented changes in ocean conditions, said Cheung, the Canada Research Chair in Ocean Sustainability and Global Change at the University of British Columbia. Now, marine life is migrating toward the poles in search of cooler waters and suitable areas to survive a migration set to disrupt the Earth's ecosystems as we know them. This will implicate people who rely on our fisheries systems, especially Indigenous people who rely on marine species for food, livelihood and culture, he said. Only federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna responded, with a brief statement acknowledging the validity of the report's findings on Twitter before celebrating National Tree Day Another scientific assessment of the devastating impacts of climate change specifically on oceans and ice. Overall, the picture does not look good. ; By Wednesday afternoon, none of the four major party leaders had publicly commented on the report and its urgent recommendations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

waseem ramli: Yet concerns are being raised about Waseem Ramli, who is poised to become the latest person to hold that title in Montreal after his nomination by the Syrian government was quietly approved by Global Affairs Canada over the summer, according to National Observer. Don't miss out on the latest news Sign up for our daily briefing That is despite Ramli's having repeatedly defended the Assad government on social media and railed against Western sanctions first imposed on Damascus after Assad began a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy activists in 2011. Since Canada severed diplomatic ties with Damascus in 2012, the Syrian government has maintained honorary consulates in Montreal and Vancouver ostensibly to assist Syrians with passports and other administrative issues. That crackdown eventually erupted into a civil war that, over the past eight years, has left hundreds of thousands dead and forced millions more to flee, including tens of thousands to Canada. I have personally spoken with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland this morning, who has assured me that she is looking very carefully into how this has happened and will ensure that we have next steps to share with you soon, he said. Ramli has also described members of the White Helmets humanitarian organization as terrorists, according to Maclean's magazine, which first reported on the new consul's appointment. ; Speaking at a campaign event in Burnaby, B.C., on Tuesday, where he was unveiling part of the Liberal party's climate-change plan, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government was quite seized with the issue. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian businesses: Party Leader Justin Trudeau also announced that companies that produce or develop zero emissions technology would get their corporate taxes cut in half, according to CTV. Sign up for our Election Dispatch newsletter for a daily update on the campaign But the party came under criticism from both Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh for its environmental track record over the last four years. The Liberals said they would immediately commit Canada to becoming carbon neutral by mid-century if re-elected, joining pledges made on Monday by the European Union and 65 other countries. The Liberals said the focus on clean technology will create jobs, grow Canadian businesses, and help Canada reach its 2050 targets. In addition, it plans to ensure all federal buildings will run on clean electricity by 2022. It also said it will set legally-binding, five-year milestones in consultation with experts including scientists and economists, to reach its 2050 goal. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

change: But the presence of pre-teens and adolescents raises the question Should children be a key player in environmental movements, or is all the talk of environmental ruin bad for them Early research suggests that climate anxiety or eco-anxiety is very real, according to CTV. One survey in the U.K. showed that half of children between the ages of seven and 11 worry about climate change. Some school boards across the country are even exempting students from academic penalty to participate. Other reports suggest kids are more worried about climate change than their own homework. While that research is still fairly new, the evidence supporting climate change mounts every year. In 2017, the American Psychological Association released a report detailing early research into the mental health effects of natural disasters and climate change. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fort mcmurray: One thinks of the carnage at Fort McMurray in 2016 where the houses were on fire after a massive blaze swept through the area burning 590,000 hectares of forest, destroying much of the city and forcing the evacuation of 88,000 people, according to Rabble. Phoney war Many people hoped that climate change would be a top issue in the Canadian federal election. Because it is. But what we have mainly seen so far is war rooms for the Liberal and Conservative parties vying to show why the other side's leader is unworthy and unfit to govern. Paris promises The government of Justin Trudeau promised at the Paris climate summit in 2015 that by 2030 Canada would reduce greenhouse gas GHG emissions by 30 per cent below their levels back in 2005. It is as if our political system is incapable of mobilizing on anything beyond nasty short-termism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

home country: Ullah moved to Canada from Bangladesh seven years ago with his wife and daughter to have a better life, he said, according to CTV. Ullah was pumping gas for a customer when he says a man asked him why he was in Canada, said he had no right to be here and should go back to his home country. Hedayat Ullah says he was at work doing his job when a man came at him screaming for him to go back to his country. I'm just like, did I say anything Then he came suddenly to me and punched me in the chest. He says he then went inside the store when the man followed him. Ullah says several customers tried to get between him and the man. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.