birth tourism: I am sorry for what I said, which was picked up by social media.I apologize, unconditionally, to the group who were offended by my remarks, according to CBC. The group, as a whole, had every right to feel offended and I am taking responsibility for my unacceptable comments. The group was originally from Taiwan and worked for a media company. My frustration, on an exceptionally bad day for me, has its roots in my being an advocate for the cessation of the practice of birth tourism in the Lower Mainland, but most specifically, in Richmond, where I live. Media sources, including CBC The Fifth Estate and the Richmond News have done major stories on this problem, which is rooted in a loophole in the tourism visa process. Unfortunately, for reasons that escape me, the Minister of Immigration, Marco Mendicino, has not deemed this problem as a priority. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian park: Winners were chosen according to algorithm that evaluated the quantity and quality of reviews over one year, according to Georgia Asian. Stanley Park, which was created in 1888, tops the website's list of best parks in the world, and was the only Canadian park to make the top 10. The travel website announced the winners of their Travel Choice awards for attractions on June 17. Central Park in New York City came third. The freshwater Beaver Lake and the man-made Lost Lagoon, which feature wildlife populations, as well as swimming pools and the Vancouver Aquarium are also located in the park. As one of Vancouver's major tourist attractions, the 1001-acre park, surrounded by 8.8 kilometre paved Seawall and lined with several beaches, is located on a peninsula adjacent to downtown Vancouver and attracts about eight million visitors every year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chris roberts: That site no longer has our consent to operate within our core territory, We Wai Kai Chief Brian Assu said in the statement, according to National Observer. We have advised the government that we expect the cancellation of the tenure and the remediation of the site to commence. The We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum nations want the immediate cancellation of Mowi Inc. tenure for its Shaw Point aquaculture operation, according to a statement issued by the Laich-Kwil-Tach Treaty Society on Thursday. Assu and Wei Wai Kum Chief Chris Roberts advised the provincial government in a June 9 letter of the request around the Mowi operation, which they say is operating on a month-to-month basis since the expiry of its tenure. Wei Wai Kum Chief Chris Roberts says the B.C. government must work to establish a collaborative agreement around aquaculture with the nations for operations in their territories. What people are reading Bloc leader tries to define systemic racism on his own Facing spending attacks, federal minister Catherine McKenna doubles down on 'social infrastructure' aimsBDC ready now with 60 million in loans for cash-strapped mid-sized companies The chiefs also want the B.C. government to work to establish a collaborative governance model for fish farms in their territories, saying the province has failed to engage substantively with the two nations on the issue. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

contract cost: He went on leave in the fall of 2017 following a series of incidents at the regulator, according to National Observer. Among them was his decision to approve a sole-source contract to a private investigator to identify which employees had spoken to National Observer about internal decisions and actions by management at the regulator. Sylvain B dard was hired in the summer of 2016 as executive vice-president of transparency and strategic engagement at the regulator. The contract cost 24,150 but Presidia failed to identify any of the sources in its final report. What people are reading Bloc leader tries to define systemic racism on his own Facing spending attacks, federal minister Catherine McKenna doubles down on 'social infrastructure' aimsBDC ready now with 60 million in loans for cash-strapped mid-sized companies I can confirm that Mr. News of B dard's departure was first reported by the Ottawa Citizen's David Pugliese on Tuesday and was confirmed on Wednesday by NEB spokeswoman Sarah Kiley. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

force: The statues they deface belong to everyone, yet a minority of malcontents is allowed to obliterate our history with impunity, according to Rabble. It is time to put a stop to this madness. They would have given an order to disperse and then moved in decisively, using the age-old concept of minimum necessary force. If our political leadership is too craven to defend the images of our by-gone past then it is time to dispense with them and the rabble whose feet they kiss. Gregory Bontrager, Hutchinson (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

advocacy specialist: The survey results, released Thursday, showed that while men had also taken on more domestic work within the home, the largest chunk of that burden had still fallen to women, according to CTV. Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox COVID-19 has blown open the debate about the value of care work in our lives, Dana Stefov, a women's rights policy and advocacy specialist with Oxfam Canada, said in a press release. More than 1,500 Canadians participated in a wide-ranging survey conducted by Oxfam in May and June that included more than 6,300 men and women from five different countries. It has been so invisible, for so long, that it has taken a global pandemic of epic proportions to draw attention to the value of the caring and household work that women do, and the impact it has on their lives. The survey found that women living in poverty and ethnic and racial minorities suffered the largest economic impact due to increased household burdens during COVID-19. Read more Women disproportionately 'bearing the brunt' of coronavirus crisis, advocates say And the impact that this added labour had was not equal across all women in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

air pollution: As law professors who have studied the regulation of toxic chemicals in Canada for many years, we urge Parliament to embrace these recommendations as a once-in-a-generation would make the Canadian Environmental Protection Act CEPA more effective in preventing pollution and protecting all Canadians from the risks posed by toxins in the environment, according to National Observer. As it stands, air pollution kills 7,000 Canadians every year, but Canada is the only wealthy industrialized national that lacks enforceable national standards for air quality. But there are enormous implications for the health of Canadians living today, and in the future, contained in the reforms recommended in the majority report released last week by the Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. Therefore, we strongly support proposals on enforceable national standards for air and water quality, stricter timelines, and better enforcement mechanisms. According to a national pollution inventory, large polluters discharge millions of kilograms of toxic substances into the Canadian environment annually, yet the Toronto Public Library collects more fines for overdue books each year than the federal government collected from polluters over the first 25 years that CEPA was in force. What people are reading Facing spending attacks, federal minister Catherine McKenna doubles down on 'social infrastructure' aims Bloc leader tries to define systemic racism on his ownBDC ready now with 60 million in loans for cash-strapped mid-sized companies Reversing the burden of proof One such proposal is the creation of new enforcement tools and an increased budget to make sure that polluters pay, not the public. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

handout photo: When officers arrived at the scene, the victim was located and rushed to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to CTV. He was identified as Toronto resident Daniel Boima. Toronto police were called to a home in the area of Tower Drive and Lawrence Avenue at around 10 40 p.m. on May 2 after a citizen found a man on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound. Daniel Boima, 23, is shown in this handout photo. Following the execution of search warrants in Scarborough and Oshawa on Friday, police said Joshua Johnson, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Boima has been identified as the victim in a fatal shooting in Scarborough on Saturday night. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

investigation units: The Canadian Press has found that of the 167 members involved in these units, 111 are former officers or have had a working relationship with police, and 118 of them are men, according to CTV. Every province but British Columbia also provided the number of investigators in their units who identify as a visible minority or person of colour. Seven provincial independent investigation units currently look into incidents involving police. There are 20. How can you expect any trust from those cultural minorities and Indigenous Peoples The interaction between the independent bureau and our communities it's practically non-existent. It's very, very biased, says Ghislain Picard, regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

league: Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted for the first time that the league got it wrong in silencing players who sought to demonstrate against systemic racism, according to Rabble. Some have now called for owners to formally apologize to Kaepernick, but I'd also argue that we in the media owe the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback a sincere mea culpa. His peaceful and silent demonstration set off a firestorm around the country and within NFL boardrooms, where many of the league's 32 owners argued that the kneeling, which was duplicated by players on other teams, needed to stop because fans were angry and sponsors were skittish, jeopardizing the bottom line. Instead of staying focused on the meaning behind his protest, we allowed others to hijack the message and twist it into a discussion about the military, the anthem, patriotism, respect everything but racial inequality or police brutality against people of color. Read more perspectives from black McCormick Their deaths haunt my dreams. As I watched it play out, I couldn't help but think how the false narrative illuminated the need for increased diversity in the newsroom, particularly at the decision-making levels. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pre-written posts: As is often the case when we're off, there may be some pre-written posts that go live, according to Rabble. And since not every car company is observing the day, if news breaks and one of us is near a keyboard, we'll try to catch it and post. That means we'll be off on Friday, June 19th. I, myself, will spend part of the day learning about a refresh for a particular German sedan under embargo until the 23rd . Our weekend posting schedule will likely remain the same, even with Father's Day being this Sunday. And if your dad has departed, or you don't get along, I understand Father's Day may be fraught for you. So, until we're back full-throttle on Monday, take some time to reflect on the experiences of others, and enjoy Father's Day, however you may celebrate it during a time of social distance. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border: This is an important decision that will keep people in both of our countries safe, Trudeau said Tuesday, according to CTV. The agreement, as it stands, exempts the flow of trade and commerce, as well as temporary foreign workers and vital health-care workers such as nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border. The extension on the existing agreement means that the border restrictions will stay in place until July 21, even as both countries continue to reopen their economies. Tourists and cross-border visits remain prohibited. When it comes to the Canada-U.S. border, as the prime minister announced today, we have agreed with our American neighbours to roll over for another 30 days, the measures that we have currently in place, Freeland said on Tuesday during the federal ministers' update on COVID-19. Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the measures apply to to all of Canada's borders. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hour session: It passed 62 to 42, according to CTV. Opposition parties said the measure, which scraps immigration applications from 18,000 skilled workers and refunds their fees, forcing them to start over again, is extreme and undemocratic. Bill 9 was voted into law by the ruling Coalition Avenir Quebec party after a marathon 19-hour session in the National Assembly in the early hours of Sunday June 16. Including the applicants' families, the fates of some 50,000 people wishing to emigrate to Quebec are at stake. The legislation gives the province more authority over who receives permanent residency, which will involve a values test for would-be immigrants. The government's use of the legislative mechanism of closure, allowed it to end debate and use its majority to force a vote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration levels: Sign up for our Capital Dispatch newsletter, delivered twice weekly to your inbox and every day during the election Just 37 per cent said the priority should be on growing immigration to meet the demands of Canada's expanding economy, according to CTV. Hussen says he is concerned by this because he has heard directly from employers across the country who are in desperate need of workers. Sixty-three per cent of respondents to a recent Leger poll said the government should prioritize limiting immigration levels because the country might be reaching a limit in its ability to integrate them. Economists and experts widely agree that immigration is key to meeting labour and population shortages. It's not a zero-sum game, he said. Canadians may be worried about the ability of communities to absorb more newcomers due to housing and other infrastructure shortages, but Hussen says the answer is not to cut the number of immigrants coming to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kyoto protocol: The Kyoto Protocol committed major industrial economies to reducing their annual CO2 emissions to below 1990 levels by 2012, while providing financial support to developing countries to encourage them to follow suit eventually, according to National Observer. Canada signed the accord in 1998 and ratified it in 2002, eventually pulling out of the treaty in 2011. The longtime environment advocate and Ontario NDP MPP for Toronto-Danforth was then Layton's special adviser on climate change, at a time when the phenomenon was just starting to be taken seriously by countries across the world. In February 2007, Layton argued Canada must honour its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol as he introduced a climate change accountability act that would impose a full range of greenhouse gas reduction targets at five-year intervals, and give the government authority to ensure compliance through strong regulations. We must be involved every step of the way, and we should play a leadership role, Layton said. Canada has to be involved in international efforts to combat climate change. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

story meeting: Prompted by Black Lives Matter protests and fueled by years of empty promises to make themselves more representative of society, some news organizations and schools of journalism are wrestling with demands for change, according to Rabble. Some, like the CBC, are hemorrhaging in public, with the resignation-by-Twitter of Indigenous broadcaster Christine Grenier over what she said was systemic discrimination to the suspension of superstar Wendy Mesley who used what reports imply was a racist slur in a story meeting and was called out by her colleagues . Others, like the Toronto Star, are making yet another attempt to change from within -- hopefully after studying why several previous efforts at diversity did not get off the ground. But it's work that needs to be done. Still others, like the schools of journalism at Carleton and Ryerson, are facing demands from Black students for more diversity education and support. Clearly, each of those institutions must find its own path to enlightenment and change. Demands include mandatory unconscious bias training for faculty, courses in anti-racism and Black history for all students, and more diverse professors and guest speakers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

agrochemical: Carson's ability to describe in simple but passionate language the great damage caused by pesticides, and her courage to express controversial ideas that rankled powerful business and political interests, helped propel the book to massive success, according to Georgia Asian. Agrochemical companies responded with furor, threatening the publisher with a libel lawsuit and launching well-funded public-relations campaigns touting the safety and necessity of agricultural chemicals. It garnered widespread critical and popular acclaim and is heralded as the catalyst for the modern environmental movement. Critics of Silent Spring also attacked Carson personally, accusing her of being radical, unpatriotic, and sympathetic to communism a serious threat during the height of the Cold War. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chinese artist: Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei is the man behind the concept a series of medical masks that have been printed with special designs, according to CTV. The masks are intended to raise money for charity and also make a statement about the world. But one artist has created a face mask that is not meant to be worn, but to be framed. In an Instagram post on May 28, he wrote that a person's small individual act becomes powerful when they are part of the social response. And a society that wears masks because of the choices of individuals, rather than because of the directive of authorities, can defy and withstand any force, the post reads. An individual wearing a mask makes a gesture; a society wearing masks combats a deadly virus. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mask wearer: In one post from earlier in June that has been shared thousands of times on Facebook, a graphic lists a number of supposed health risks of wearing a mask, including decreasing the wearer's oxygen intake, and increasing their inhalation of toxins and carbon dioxide, according to CTV. The post claimed that would eventually cause the mask wearer's immune system to shut down. But a Canadian doctor says those claims are easily debunked. That post has since been flagged as containing false information by Facebook's independent fact-checkers, according to a pop-up message. In Toronto, several posters recently spotted on park signs and bridges in the Don Mills area claim that wearing a face mask is a bigger threat to your health than COVID-19. Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox Another popular Facebook post, which has been shared more than 10,000 times, claims that people's immune systems will become weaker the longer they wear face masks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

share tweet: Throughout history it has been celebrated even deified for its curative and euphoric properties, according to NOW Magazine. But, especially in recent decades, it has also been vilified, wrongly categorized and cast into the center of raging controversy. ByCannabis Now Published on June 16, 2020 Share Tweet Comment No other plant has garnered quite so much attention as the humble weed plant. From Reefer Madness in the 1930s, to planting Hemp for Victory during WWII, to our current status knocking at the door of legalization nationwide after decades of strict prohibition gave way to a gradual policy thaw cannabis has been a ubiquitous feature of the American experience. So it's fitting that we take a look back at the most influential recent writing on marijuana and celebrate the books that have highlighted the subject and the triumphant march toward freeing this useful plant. 1 The Big Book of Buds Greatest Hits By Ed Rosenthal This compilation highlights strains that have withstood the test of time and crossed into the glistening light of the new era of legalized cannabis. Cannabis is again taking center stage. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

music awards: Other artists competing for the 50,000 prize include Toronto R&B duo Dvsn pronounced division avant-garde pop singer Allie X and alt-rock musician Joel Plaskett, according to CTV. An array of Indigenous performers, both established and relative newcomers, are also in the running. The projects are among 40 records that will progress to the next stage of consideration, a short list of 10 contenders to be revealed on July 16. Among them, Winnipeg-based folk musician William Prince and Inuk electro-pop throat singer Riit. The Polaris Music Prize is considered one of the country's most prestigious music awards and, beyond its cash prize, it puts the winner's music in the global spotlight. A few past Polaris winners also made the list with their newest albums, including Kaytranada and Owen Pallett, who was the first Polaris winner back in 2006 under his performance name Final Fantasy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

week: By the first week of July and through the summer, millions of Canadians will come to the end of their 16-week eligibility period to claim CERB, which has prompted questions about what will happen to those who have been on the program since it first launched and have already accessed the full 8,000 available, but are still out of a job and without income due to COVID-19, according to CTV. The prime minister announced on Monday that because so many are still struggling, the government is working on a solution to extend the benefit for people who can't return to work yet. For now, all I can say is that we will continue to be there to support Canadians, Trudeau said. Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox If you're having trouble finding a job, you shouldn't also be worrying about whether you'll hit the limit of your CERB benefits, Trudeau said. There are also Canadians who could be coming up to the end of their benefit payments earlier if they were rolled onto the program from the Employment Insurance program at the very outset. The first application period opened in early April, and Canadians are able to claim the benefit for a maximum of 16 weeks between March 15 and October 3, meaning there will still be Canadians receiving funding for weeks to come, but others are soon going to run out. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shah: Contribute to the Scroll Reporting Fund The Big Story Don't call it a comeback Is Amit Shah back Of course, India's Home Minister and former president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was never really gone, according to Rabble. Yet there was a period this year where he seemed somewhat absent, in stark contrast to the previous months. To get it in your inbox, sign up here . You can help support this newsletter and all the work we do at Scroll.in either by subscribing to Scroll or by contributing any amount you prefer to the Scroll.in Reporting Fund. Ever since the BJP was re-elected in 2019 with a huge national mandate, Shah had been taking a much larger role compared to his stature during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term. We even asked, on this newsletter, whether Amit Shah was grabbing the spotlight from Modi because, as another theory suggested, this seemed to be an extremely rare case of succession planning in an Indian political party. It was Shah who steered the monumental, controversial changes to the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, introduced the law criminalising instant divorce in Islam and traveled around the country promising that a National Register of Citizens would be instituted after the passage of Citizenship Act amendments that are believed by many to be discriminatory. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

george death: Unusually for a French leader, Macron acknowledged that someone's address, name, colour of skin can reduce their chances at succeeding in French society, and called for a fight to ensure that everyone can find their place regardless of ethnic origin or religion, according to CTV. He promised to be uncompromising in the face of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination. It was the first time Macron has spoken on the issues since George Floyd's death in the U.S. unleashed protests around the world, including several in France, where demonstrators have expressed anger at racial injustice and police brutality, particularly toward minorities from France's former colonies in Africa. However, he insisted that France will not take down statues of controversial, colonial-era figures as has happened in some other countries in recent weeks. We should look at all of our history together including relations with Africa, with a goal of truth instead of denying who we are, Macron said. Amid calls for taking down statues tied to France's slave trade or colonial wrongs, Macron said the republic will not erase any trace, or any name, from its history ... it will not take down any statue. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

project: But what about the racist incidents that don't trend online Project 1907, a community-led, grassroots data project is trying to fill that gap by collecting data on racist experiences that Asians in Canada can experience everyday, according to CTV. Through an online form, Project 1907 has collected over 120 reports of anti-Asian racism between January and mid-May. Many of them go viral if they're caught on video and shared on social media. Their data shows 20 per cent of reported incidents involved assault like targeted coughing, spitting or physical violence, and 80 per cent of racist incidents were verbal harassment like name-calling, racial slurs, or threats. Most of the reported incidents happened in public places such as sidewalks, grocery stores and transit. Over 70 per cent of respondents identified as women. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trinity: The law society refused to approve the Langley Christian postsecondary institution's proposed law school following a vote of lawyers across the province in 2014, according to Georgia Asian. Lawyers objected to the Trinity Western University's code of conduct, which bans sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman . Trinity Western University and Brayden Volkenant filed a judicial review of the law society's decision, arguing that it violated section 2 a of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protecting freedom of conscience and religion. With only two of nine judges dissenting, the Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a Law Society of B.C. appeal in a long-running legal battle with Trinity Western University. Justices Rosalie Abella, Michael Moldaver, Andromache Karakatsanis, Cl ment Gascon, and Sheilah Martin rejected that assertion. The LSBC has an overarching interest in protecting the values of equality and human rights in carrying out its functions. Instead, they ruled that the university's covenant as a condition of admission effectively imposes inequitable barriers on entry to the school and ultimately, inequitable barriers on entry to the profession . It was reasonable for the LSBC to conclude that promoting equality by ensuring equal access to the legal profession, supporting diversity within the bar, and preventing harm to LGBTQ law students were valid means to pursue the public interest, concluded these five justices. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.