National Security Agency: A search for National Security Agency in government procurement databases finds 73 contracts for telecommunications equipment from the NSA, going to numerous government departments and agencies, though Vice reports there were at least 100 of these contracts, according to Huffington Post. Some of the contracts were for the House of Commons and the Privy Council Office, suggesting NSA-designed equipment reached the highest levels of government and The federal government spent more than $50 million buying high-security communications technology from the U.S. National Security Agency, according to data unearthed by Vice magazine . The equipment was purchased for numerous government departments, including Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Department of Finance, Canada Border Services and the countrys spy agency. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Immigration Watch Canada: Some local residents are upset by the flyer, which questions the racial demographics of the city population. It shows two photos the first a group of white people, the second a group of Sikhs. , according to CBC. The flyers were issued by a group called Immigration Watch Canada which, according to a spokesperson in B.C., is opposed to mass immigration. Peel Regional Police are investigating allegations of racism related to an anti-immigration pamphlet being circulated in Brampton, Ont. Below the second photo, the pamphlet asks: Is this what you really want? Skilled immigrants to be offered 'express entry' Immigrants hit citizenship roadblocks with language forms Temporary Foreign Worker Program linked to joblessness: report (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

endangered species: She belongs to an endangered species, the impresario, a word she didnt even know when growing up in St. Petersburg, according to The Star. She did not want to be a cog in an administrative wheel, however, and the capitalist world of the West naturally beckoned. Her dream? New York and Russia and Canada are not on the best of terms these days, but you wouldnt know it from the work of Svetlana Dvoretsky, who has spent the past decade bringing some of the finest artists from her homeland to the stages of her adopted country. The daughter of a doctor father and pianist mother, she studied piano from childhood, but what really fascinated her was the management and presentation of artists, a field known in Soviet days simply as artistic administration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jason Kenney: There will be no tolerance for employers trying to skirt the rules of the Temporary Foreign Worker program, Kenney said in Vancouver on Friday, according to CTV. Kenney announced the moratorium on the food service industry Thursday night, after the controversial program made headlines yet again over allegations of misuse of the temporary workers at three McDonald franchises in Victoria and a pizza restaurant in Weyburn, Sask, when The government decision to bar the food service industry from hiring temporary foreign workers is a wake-up call for employers across the country, says federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney. "Let me be clear: the Temporary Foreign Worker program must always and only ever be a last and limited resort for employers who have made every possible effort to hire and train Canadians but can't find them for available jobs," Kenney said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jamal Jones: Racism is real; its still here. People have the fallacy that its ended and stopped. Its very much not that, said Wellington St. resident Jamal Jones, who discovered the flyer on his door earlier this week, according to The Star. We should not judge people based on religion, race or skin colour, said the actor and retail clerk. We should judge by character and should not paint anyone with a broad brush and In Brampton, set to launch Sikh Heritage Month on Friday, residents a stones throw from city hall were shocked this week to find on their doorsteps anti-immigration flyers highlighting the Sikh community. Jones, 23, a second-generation Jamaican Canadian, found it offensive and racist. He decided to draw attention to this unacceptable act by posting a photo on Facebook, which later got picked up on Twitter and went viral. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Kevin Sorenson: The federal government said the target-benefit plan, also known as the shared-risk plan, can be a middle ground between defined-benefit plans, generally favoured by workers, and defined-contribution plans, which are favoured by employers, according to Huffington Post. "We need to have a third option," said Kevin Sorenson, minister of state for finance, following a speech at the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto and Ottawa unveiled a third option for pension plans Thursday, touting it as the best way to secure a retirement for more Canadians rather than move towards expanding the national Canada Pension Plan, as some provinces like Ontario have long wanted. It's billing the new framework as a "sustainable and flexible" option, which will only be available for Crown corporations and federally-regulated workers that are generally in the transportation, banking and telecommunications sectors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

The Canadian government program: The Canadian government program allows companies here to employ non-Canadians to fill job openings that can't be filled by a Canadian worker. , according to CBC. Pitched as a way to keep Canada's economy humming in the face of so-called critical shortages in Canada's labour market, the program has fallen into disrepute in recent months as a number of large Canadian companies have been accused of abusing the program to hire cheaper, foreign workers at the expense of Canadian workers . There's evidence that the government's Temporary Foreign Worker Program nudges the unemployment rate higher in some sectors of the economy and parts of the country, think-tank C.D. Howe says in a report released Thursday. The program grew from 101,000 people in 2002, to as large as 338,000 across the country 10 years later. 'Canadians are first in line for available jobs.' - Spokeswoman for Employment Minister Jason Kenney (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Kai Guo-Huang: But 36-year-old Kai Guo-Huang, who maintains his innocence, won't be going anywhere soon. His lawyer said he is considering an appeal of the Superior Court judge's decision, and he is also waiting for the federal justice minister to sign off on the extradition. , according to Hamilton Spectator. Police say the prints matched those of a man, Kai Guo-Huang, wanted in the 1998 murder and dismemberment of 28-year-old Hoi Yang in the basement of a restaurant in Philadelphia's Chinatown district. Yang's head and torso were later found in dumpsters in New Jersey. A man wanted for a grisly murder and decapitation in the United States over 15 years ago should be extradited, a Toronto judge ruled Wednesday. Huang was arrested following a routine traffic stop in Scarborough in August 2012, where he was living at the time. According to police, he identified himself as Yu Chen, 30. After taking a breathalyzer test, he was arrested for driving over the blood-alcohol limit and fingerprinted. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ontario: We need to make sure high school education is part of the agenda these are the vital years that set the tone for a young person's future. , according to Hamilton Spectator. More than 200,000 of our young people in low-income communities across Ontario are under threat of not graduating. In some areas, more youth are dropping out than graduating. Education is the great leveler but simply being able to walk through a high schools doors is not enough. Getting Ontario's education system right has never been more important. Global economic realities are challenging us to rethink the way we approach post-secondary education, from vocational training all the way to university research. It may be tempting to think Ontario has high school all figured out. After all, a report released this month shows the province's graduate rate is stable at 83 per cent. But those headline numbers mask an underlying crisis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Brampton: The flyer, titled "The Changing Face of Brampton," shows two pictures: one of a group comprised mostly of white people, the other of Sikhs, according to Huffington Post. In between the pictures it states, "Consider this: according to 2001 Census City of Brampton, Mainstream Canadians made up 59.6 per cent of Brampton's social fabric. In 2011, it dropped to 32.9 per cent. What will the Census findings be in five, 10, or even 15 years from now?" A "racist" flyer is being pilloried on social media over raising fears about the Sikh community in Brampton, Ont. Erm.. pic.twitter.com/MKg76mBfLi Little Spoon. @DemiCaruso April 22, 2014 (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

foreign workers: Nova Scotian apple growers are worried about getting lumped together with the controversy surrounding Canadas Temporary Foreign Worker Program, according to The Chronicle Herald. Perception of the public, they lump everything together. They hear foreign workers, they just group everyone together, said David Chute, a tree fruit grower in Berwick, who will hire foreign workers for the first time this year and The program, which brings foreign workers to Canada, is currently under review after alleged abuses of the program and workers. This is separate from the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, which allows foreign farm labourers to stay in Canada for a maximum of eight months. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jason Kenney: Jason Kenney says only small numbers of companies are abusing Ottawas controversial temporary foreign workers program as a major fast-food chain freezes its participation and a respected economist casts fresh doubt on the extent of Canadas skills shortage, according to The Chronicle Herald. Obviously, in some small numbers, there are cases of abuse, and we dont tolerate those; we intend to crack down on them severely, Kenney said and In Manitoba on Wednesday, the federal employment minister reiterated that employers who abuse the program could face fraud charges and jail time. The program remains under review and further changes will be announced soon, he added. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney: Kenney says the province's NDP government used immigrants as "political props" and engaged in fear-mongering over federal changes to immigration programs. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The government used bureaucrats to invite immigrants and support workers to attend a legislature debate, even if it meant taking an afternoon off work. Federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney says the Manitoba government should apologize for a controversial immigration event two years ago. In 2012, the Manitoba government was upset that Ottawa was taking control of immigrant settlement programs and warned the move could lead to service cuts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

preferential treatment: Susan Holt says a number of companies are using it, even though their intention is not to hire someone temporarily. , according to CBC. The program has come under fire in recent weeks , after reports of some companies taking advantage of foreign workers and others giving them preferential treatment. Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program is working for many New Brunswick Business Council members, says the organization's president. She says it helps businesses keep jobs in New Brunswick, instead of moving the work elsewhere. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Brendan Bowles: The sessional lecturer in the University of Torontos engineering communication program also won a spot at the Humber School for Writers correspondence program in creative writing, valued at $3,000, according to The Star. Bowles, who is working on both a novel and a play, said he got the idea for the story from an article he read in National Geographic about a tiny blue pond and Brendan Bowles was awarded $5,000 Wednesday evening for his winning entry, Living Fossils, in the Toronto Star and Toronto Public Library short story contest. Living Fossils does what we hope all stories do: it surprises us in unexpected ways, the contest judges said. The central character is an older woman but she is certainly not a sweet old lady and how she responds to the young person who has entered her life, and to time and its agents stripping the meat from the bones keeps us engaged to the very end. Full of the best details, effortlessly written cod tongues, slightly overcooked; the skull stored on the spice rack we find a world created whole, both believable and scary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Raoul Boulakia: An April 22 article about the Canadian federal government allegedly hosting Congolese officials mistakenly said Raoul Boulakia of the Refugee Lawyers' Association of Ontario has had clients who were deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo who were detained and tortured. In fact, Boulakia did not have any clients who were deported. He was referring to news reports of deported refugees being tortured. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jason Kenney: Former immigration minister Jason Kenney toured Winnipeg's Immigrant Centre Wednesday afternoon and got a rundown of its settlement services -- another touchy federal-provincial subject, according to Winnipeg Free Press. Melnick denied, then later admitted, to telling her assistant deputy minister in 2012 to invite bureaucrats and immigrant groups to attend a controversial legislative debate of a resolution criticizing the federal government's takeover plan and Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development, meets with Theresa Oswald, Manitoba Minister of Jobs and transportation trade students at a Canada Job Grant press conference in Winnipeg, Wednesday. THE Kenney corrects record on settlement services The political scandal involving Manitoba's former immigration minister, Christine Melnick, was sparked by Ottawa's decision to take over funding and administration for newcomer-settlement services from the province. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Len Jillard: Stung by recent criticism of its use of temporary foreign workers, McDonald's senior vice-president of human resources Len Jillard said Wednesday that the program is being halted while an audit by a third party determines if there have been violations or abuse of workers -- foreign or Canadian, according to CTV. Jillard said McDonald's had already informed federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney about its decision and - McDonald's Canada says temporary foreign workers are a necessary part of the fast-food chain's business model, but its use of the federal jobs initiative is now on hold until the company satisfies itself and Canadians that it doesn't abuse the program. "The reason why we're doing that is we want to communicate to everyone we're taking this very seriously," Jillard said in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press. "We're taking a pause. We're making sure that we've got everything in order, which I'm convinced we have." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Kerry Starchuk: Kerry Starchuk says advertising only in a language other than English or French acts to isolate people rather than bring them together, which she believes is a threat to multiculturalism. , according to CBC. "We can work on what holds us together as Canadians." A Richmond woman has renewed her call for a ban on Chinese-only signage after ads for Crest toothpaste appeared in several city bus shelters. "If we can work together and be honest with one another and have this inclusive community which includes our official languages where we communicate with one another, that is the utmost important thing," she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport: Beyond call of duty, according to The Chronicle Herald. One winter night, my husband had a medical emergency while driving alone to Halifax Stanfield International Airport to pick up a young woman who was soon to arrive via WestJet from Toronto to see her acutely ill father our next-door neighbour in Berwick who was also alone and (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ken Schwartzs: Its not a narrative we re used to exploring, says Schwartz, director of 937, according to The Chronicle Herald. It sailed from Germany for Havana in 1939 to flee Nazi persecution. After being turned away by Cuba and the United States, the St. Louis was within two days of Halifax Harbour when Ottawa refused to grant the Jewish refugees entry. That was in 1939, 75 years ago this May and When Ken Schwartzs kids learned about the St. Louis, they were shocked. The play tells a family story wordlessly through animated artifacts. A mother, father and a boy are aboard the St. Louis, a ship holding 937 passengers, 900 of whom were Jewish refugees escaping Nazi Germany. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

The White House: This is embarrassing. The White House has all the information it needs to approve the pipeline yet once more has put politics ahead of policy, just as it has done on tax reform and immigration. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The latest delay came on Good Friday, ahead of a May deadline for federal agencies to complete additional reviews on the pipeline. This time the administrations excuse is that the pipelines path in Nebraska is in limbo because a state judge invalidated legislation that let Nebraskas governor approve the route. Thats a side issue, and the White House knows its not a legitimate reason to delay a decision. That metallic sound you hear is President Barack Obama again kicking the politically tough decision on the Keystone XL pipeline down the road. Keystone, under the microscope for about six years, is arguably the most studied oil pipeline project in American history. But each time a national election cycle approaches, the administration conjures a delay to avoid alienating key political allies on opposing sides of the issue. Environmentalists oppose the pipeline; Big Labor favors it. Members of his party dont want to be pinned down with the midterm elections on the horizon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

foreign workers: Economists and immigration experts say there are solutions at hand as the Conservatives grapple with yet another controversy involving temporary foreign workers. , according to CBC. "Are these workers truly needed in some sectors? There's a tendency for non-economists to think of an economy as a machine, where if you're missing certain parts, the machine doesn't work, and certainly businesses want us to regard it that way. But that's not always the case." How to solve a problem like the federal government's scandal-plagued Temporary Foreign Worker Program? "We have to figure out what we want as a labour market in the end," David Green, an economics professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in wage and employment issues, said in an interview Tuesday. Support pours in for Weyburn, Sask., waitresses who lost jobs McDonald's boycott threatened over use of temporary foreign workers Waitresses in Saskatchewan lose jobs to foreign workers (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Employment Minister Jason Kenney: Employment Minister Jason Kenney made a pit stop in Winnipeg today as part of his cross-country tour finalizing job training agreements with the provinces and territories. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Kenney lashes out at Manitoba's campaign of fear on immigration Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development, and Theresa Oswald, Manitoba Minister of Jobs and the Economy during the Canada Job Grant press conference in Winnipeg today. At an event at Red River College, Kenney and Manitobas Jobs and Economy Minister Theresa Oswald signed three agreements that continue funding from Ottawa for training programs, including the once touchy Canada Job Grant . Related: (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Philippe Couillard: The Liberal premier may feel emboldened in introducing austerity measures after winning 70 of the 125 ridings up for grabs in the April 7 election, according to CTV. "In a nutshell, we've been spending beyond our means for a long time," Couillard said. "The debt is high. The interest payments on it are higher than the budget for the Education Department and - Philippe Couillard was sworn in as Quebec premier on Wednesday and immediately warned that the time has come for hard economic decisions. After unveiling his 26-member cabinet, Couillard reeled off a litany of the economic difficulties facing Quebec: a rampant provincial debt that is the highest in the country; the heaviest tax burden; and the highest level of expenditures. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jason Kenney: In Manitoba on Wednesday, the federal employment minister reiterated that employers who abuse the program could face fraud charges and jail time. The program remains under review and further changes will be announced soon, he added, according to The Star. The more important thing is that we prevent abuse in the first place and thats why we ve tightened up the rules, and we ll continue to do so and Jason Kenney says only small numbers of companies are abusing Ottawas controversial temporary foreign workers program as a major fast-food chain freezes its participation and a respected economist casts fresh doubt on the extent of Canadas skills shortage. Obviously, in some small numbers, there are cases of abuse, and we dont tolerate those; we intend to crack down on them severely, Kenney said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.