Cameron Bailey: Will Bailey be able to claim victory in his political fight to secure Torontos position as the top film festival in North America and the primary launch pad for prospective Oscar nominees?, according to The Star. Garth Drabinsky-produced movie seeks place at Cameron Bailey has rolled the dice boldly. And on Tuesday, at the Toronto International Film Festivals 2014 opening news conference, we will get clues to how the festivals artistic director is doing in the fierce international competition for cinematic prestige. More at thestar.com: (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ken Barker: shared their friendship and their careers at the , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Today Brisson, who retired in September 2012 and is still being treated for the same work-related post-traumatic-stress disorder that culminated last weekend in the suicide of Barker, 51, is mourning the friend he tried to help. Former officer Ken Barker took his own life recently. For almost three decades, Paul Brisson and Ken Barker worked together, socialized and even shared season tickets to Winnipeg Jets games. They also witnessed horrific events together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Andrei Anghel: A 24-year-old medical student from Ontario and his German girlfriend headed to Bali on vacation are among nearly 300 people who were killed when their Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down over Ukraine. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. "Everybody who knew him know that he was a very, very kind, very, very, very good person," Anghel said over the phone from his home in Ajax, Ont., east of Toronto. Andrei Anghel, 24, is pictured in a handout family photo. THE HO, Anghel Family Related Items Articles Canada calls shooting down of MH17 'a brutal act of terror' What is known about the crash of Malaysian jetliner in Ukraine 1 day after AP Analysis: Downed airliner could harden the conflict in Ukraine - or spark a solution US begins building case aimed at tying pro-Russian forces to plane shot down over Ukraine UN envoy Power: US can't rule out help from Russian personnel in downing plane in Ukraine Dutch made up majority of passengers aboard downed Malaysia Airlines jetliner Researcher, activist heading to conference in Australia were on doomed Malaysian jet Seeking who shot down Malaysian plane, leaders demand credible investigation in Ukraine Australian loses family in both Malaysian flight disasters; 'it ... ripped our guts again' Andrei Anghel had been studying in Romania, where he met his girlfriend, for the past two years. Family photos show a smiling, happy young man, goofing around with his sister and father. Sorin Anghel said his son was a very kind, outgoing man who liked meeting other people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander: The Conservatives will add 10 occupations to the priority assessment program that was launched with 14 occupations, says Immigration Minister Chris Alexander and Employment and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney, according to The Star. Internationally trained workers who submit an application to be licensed or registered to work in certain fields, along with all fees and relevant documents, will be advised within one year how their credentials compare to Canadian standards, the government said in a news release and Lawyers, welders and electricians are among the immigrant professionals who will have their foreign credentials assessed faster under a policy change announced by the federal government on Friday. The first group of 14 included engineers and dentists. The new group unveiled Friday also includes geoscientists, carpenters, heavy-duty equipment technicians, heavy-equipment operators, audiologists, speech language pathologists, midwives, and psychologists. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander: Alexander said the Canadian government is ready to provide assistance to Ukrainian authorities with the investigation. He also said Canada condemns Russias military aggression and illegal occupation of Ukraine, according to CTV. This is an egregious act of terror with an unacceptable human toll, Alexander said. Those responsible must be found and face the full force of the law and The destruction of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet in eastern Ukraine was an egregious act of terror, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said Friday, in a strongly worded statement that appeared to pin the blame for the disaster on Russias influence in the troubled region. Flight MH17 had been en route to Kuala Lumpur via Amsterdam went it was shot down Thursday in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Bobby Joe Baptiste: The teen cannot be named because of his age. He'll be sentenced on August 5. , according to CBC. Kyaw and a friend were walking home on 22nd Street with a small bag of groceries and a bottle of liquor when they were approached by Baptiste and the teen. Kyaw and his friend were stabbed several times. A Saskatoon teen charged with fatally stabbing Burmese immigrant Tie Kyaw in 2010 has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The teen co-accused, Bobby Joe Baptiste, also pleaded guilty to manslaughter this week and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years behind bars. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prince Debase Betoukoumessou: The Canada Border Services Agency took Prince Debase Betoukoumessou, 52, from his six children and put him on a plane for the Democratic Republic of Congo DRC Monday evening. But the government agency wouldnt confirm his deportation had even occurred, citing privacy concerns, according to The Star. It is not a practice of the to confirm the enforcement of a removal of any one person, wrote spokesperson Patrizia Giolti in an email to and Behind a grey metal door on the arrivals level of Pearson Airports terminal 3, a man who had lived in Canada for 16 years was held and deported in secret this week. The only reason anyone knows of Betoukoumessous fate is because his family called the day before he was sent off to one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Family of Prince Debase Betoukoumessou reacts to their father/husband deportation (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada: Foreign actors and directors who want to film in Canada are also being subject to a $1,000 fee per worker and a 15-day waiting period to obtain a work permit, under new rules unveiled by the federal government at the end of June. , according to CBC. "We only have so many days to prep and so many days to shoot. And if we can't facilitate permits within that period of time, it will make it very challenging for them to greenlight shows coming to Canada." Representatives for Canada film and TV industry are meeting with Immigration Minister Chris Alexander in Vancouver today to discuss recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program which they say have lumped them into the same category as employers who hire foreign low-skilled workers in the fast-food industry. Shawn Williamson, the president of Brightlight Pictures in Vancouver, which produces such shows such as Fox Witches of East End , told News if U.S. movie stars and their directors can't come to Canada quickly enough, then they risk losing their business to other countries. Temporary foreign worker overhaul imposes limits, hikes inspections (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jason Kenney: Chris Alexander told a Vancouver news conference that the Start-up Visa program has generated enormous interest, though he couldnt specify how many applications have been received, according to 660 News. When the program was launched, then-immigration minister Jason Kenney said he expected to see a few hundred people come to Canada through the program in its first year and Canadas immigration minister heralded on Wednesday the federal governments 16-month-old visa program for entrepreneurs, which has accepted its first two applicants. We think we ve done more than all other countries to make sure our programs are cutting edge, he said, adding several applications are nearing completion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Bobby Joe Baptiste: Bobby Joe Baptiste, one of two people charged in the case, appeared in court in Saskatoon Tuesday. He was originally charged with first degree murder and aggravated assault. , according to CBC. Kyaw, 40, was found severely wounded in the city west end early in the morning on Mar. 31, 2010. He was taken to hospital where he died. A Saskatoon man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a total sentence of 6.5 years in prison over the 2010 stabbing death of refugee Tie Kyaw. 2 men charged with murder in 2010 death of Burmese man (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ahmed Abassi: Ahmed Abassi, 27, who had been studying engineering at Laval University before his 2013 arrest in New York, pleaded guilty last month to less serious immigration charges, according to 660 News. But Abassis lawyers argued in sentencing documents that though Abassi expressed some radical ideas, he was actually resisting Esseghaier and A former Canadian resident who was arrested in connection with an alleged terror plot to attack a Via Rail train was sentenced Wednesday in New York to the 15 months he has already served after the case against him fizzled. The Tunisian national was originally accused of plotting to organize a U.S-based terrorism cell and prosecutors alleged he radicalized Chiheb Esseghaier, a fellow Tunisian national who was doing doctoral research on nanosensors in Quebec. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: The error was uncovered after News ran a story on the plight of the 19-year-old and her B.C. family . , according to CBC. In an email to the , Citizenship and Immigration Canada CIC said Erica Dipuo Barnes citizenship was approved in 2013, but not entered into its global case management system due to a technical error. A teenage girl six-year-long battle for Canadian citizenship is finally over after Immigration Canada admitted it made a mistake and lost her approval due to a technical error. Orphaned South African girl stuck in Canadian citizenship limbo in B.C. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Bob Dechert: The Conservative-dominated justice committee voted Tuesday to send Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, back to the Commons for swift passage in the fall with very few changes. It is our intention to make illegal the purchase of sexual services or the communication for the purposes of purchasing sexual services of any person, anywhere, anytime, in Canada, in the light of day, in the darkness of the shadows, inside or outside, wherever you can think of in Canada, up a tree, down a rabbithole, in a beaver den, said Bob Dechert, parliamentary secretary to the justice minister. We re going to go after those purchasers and tell them this is not a right, according to The Star. Agreeing it was vague, the government agreed to drop that test and reworded it to impose a clear criminal prohibition against communicating to buy or sell sex in any area open to public view, that is or is next to a school ground, playground or daycare centre. NDP critic Fran oise Boivin scoffed that the provision is still wide open whats a playground? and said it shows the Conservatives real intent is to criminalize prostitution wherever and however it is practiced and not heed the warnings of experts in the field and The Conservative governments anti-prostitution bill is one step closer to becoming law amid complaints that the governing party overly relied on witnesses with strong evangelical ties to support and promote its abolitionist approach. Conservative MPs brought an amendment to address concerns expressed even by its most ardent supporters about a clause that would have criminalized prostitution in any public area where children could reasonably expect to be present. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

California Water Wars: There is a tongue-in-cheek saying in America attributed to Mark Twain, who lived through the early phase of the California Water Wars that whisky is for drinking and water is for fighting over. It highlights the consequences, even if somewhat apocryphally, as ever-scarcer water resources create a parched world. California is currently reeling under its worst drought in modern times. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Blair Feltmate These Manitoba floods are just the beginning. We need to prepare for worse Brahma Chellaney is a geostrategist and the author, most recently, of Water, Peace and War. Age of the water wars (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Louis Riel: Louis Riel Courtesy of the National Archives of Canada How Canadian are You, eh?, found on Citizenship and Immigration Canadas website, consists of questions like What is the highest mountain in the country? Or, How many times did Queen Elizabeth visit Canada? , according to CBC. The question is: "What threat did Louis Riel represent for Canada?" And the required answer is: "He led two armed uprisings that threatened the future of Canada as a country extending from one sea to the other." 'Oh! This is so wrong. First, Canada wasnt threatened. And more importantly, it was not a rebellion. It was a form of resistance.' - Guy Savoie Its a quiz offered in English and French that designed for new immigrants to test their general knowledge about Canada. However, a question in French addressing the role of Louis Riel in Canada history is causing some controversy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prince Debase Betoukoumessou: Thats what Th r se Betoukoumessou asked herself Monday morning as she quickly assembled some of her husbands belongings into a suitcase he could take with him when he gets deported, according to The Star. Her husband, Prince Debase Betoukoumessou, was detained by the Canada Border Services Agency in April and was slated Monday to be sent back to the Democratic Republic of Congo a country where he fears for his life and How do you pack for a one-way trip to hell? New shoes, she thought, and slimmer pants because he had lost so much weight in detention. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Charlottetown Diocese: The diocese, which covers all Roman Catholic churches on Prince Edward Island, has been working for several years to privately sponsor three refugee families . All three of those efforts ended in failure. , according to CBC. Diocese refugee sponsorship coordinator Dan Doran, who worked with CIC, said the Canadian government needs to provide more help with private refugee sponsorship. He said refugees sometimes have to wait as long as five years. The fate of two families sponsored by the Charlottetown Diocese as refugees is unknown, because the sponsoring church group lost touch with them while the Canadian government was processing their paperwork. The Charlottetown Diocese will make another effort to sponsor more families, says refugee sponsorship coordinator Dan Doran. One of those families ended up moving to Australia, but the church group lost touch with the other two families while waiting for Citizenship and Immigration Canada to approve them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

La Maison Simons: With annual sales of more than $300-million, the privately owned department store chain is now making up for lost time. In addition to eight stores in Quebec, Simons is expanding into other parts of Canada with as many as four more stores scheduled to open in the next three years. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Retail Ivanho hustles into outlet mall space La Maison Simons, which dates back to an 1840 dry-goods store founded by an entrepreneurial Scottish immigrant newly arrived in Quebec, took until 2012 to expand beyond its home province. Densification Next role for the shopping mall: city state? (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ireland Park Foundation: The park, built to commemorate the 38,000 Irish famine victims who landed on Torontos shores in 1847, has been entirely cut off from pedestrians since 2010, according to The Star. We re very patient, said Robert Kearns, chair of the Ireland Park Foundation. He spoke at a small ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the reopening and It wont last long, but Ireland Park finally has a slight respite from the scourge of downtown construction fences. The completion of a promenade along the quay at the foot of Bathurst St. now provides access to the park. But fencing still surrounds the rest of it, and by next summer the park will likely be closed for more waterfront work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

disclosure of information: The powers are included in Bill C-24, an overhaul of citizenship law passed last month, though have drawn little attention. The changes amend the Citizenship Act to allow Stephen Harpers cabinet to draft regulations providing for the disclosure of information for the purposes of national security, the defence of Canada or the conduct of international affairs, including under international deals struck by Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Group plans constitutional challenge to budget bill The Conservative government has given itself broad new powers to share Canadian immigration files and other information with foreign governments a practice that could have far-reaching implications for individuals who cross borders. Canada got it right on immigration. Now its time to lead on refugees (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

South Fraser Perimeter Highway: Skills-training program in B.C. aims to curtail a coming jobs crisis, according to Globe and Mail. Banffs changing labour landscape Carpenters work to enclose a roof on a home being built in Springfield, Ill., in this file photo. AP Photo Multimedia Recent employment levels for B.C.s growing job types A transport trucks rumbles past an Arts and Craft house on River Road in Delta, BC, May 15, 2009. The South Fraser Perimeter Highway, a four-lane, 40-kilometre stretch of blacktop that is part of B.C. vaunted Gateway project and would link DeltaPort to highways in the Fraser Valley and run through South Delta along the Fraser River. The $1-billion project, for which prep work is beginning, skirts the Burns Bog conservation area and involves expropriation of dozens of homes some estimates say 200 . Lyle Stafford for the Multimedia 10 jobs expected to be in highest demand in B.C. over the next decade Video Video: Nova Scotia nurses threaten to quit en masse British Columbias skilled work force is expected to undergo an invisible shift in coming years as the pool of younger workers becomes smaller than the number of aging workers who have their eye on retirement. In a 10-part series, The looks at the 10 jobs expected to be in highest demand in B.C. in the next decade. This is Part One. More Related to this Story Lavergne and McGrail Was B.C.s push for better primary health care a $1-billion bust? (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ryerson University professor Beau Standish: Later, after the medical biophysicist tucked his own kids into bed, he would respond with all the facts and fervour expected of any good mentor, according to The Star. Standish is one of more than 800 Canadian professionals who have offered to give long-distance career tips and encouragement to some of Canadas most far-flung northern students, through a non-profit program called DreamCatcher Mentoring. DreamCatcher matches students with professionals in their dream careers and Every Thursday afternoon, Ryerson University professor Beau Standish would get an email from a teenager in a classroom in Whitehorse, picking his brains from 4,000 kilometres away about careers in science and engineering. Call him an e-mentor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Prince Debase Betoukoumessou, 52, has lived in Canada since fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo with his wife and four young daughters in 1997. The couple made a home in Toronto, had two sons here, and run a small salon and beauty supply store downtown, according to The Star. While there is a temporary suspension of removals to Congo, this does not apply to individuals with criminal records, those deemed to be serious security risks, war criminals or individuals who committed crimes against humanity, spokesperson Patrizia Giolti told in an email Sunday evening. Order this photo Therese Betoukoumessou holds a photo of herself and her husband Prince Debase Betoukoumessou in happier times, in the living room of her Toronto home. Prince has been ordered deported to his native Democratic Republic of Congo and Sixteen years since he escaped jail and possible death at the hands of the Congolese government, a long-time Toronto business owner and father of six will be deported Monday to the Central African country known for its human rights abuses . Canada has an official moratorium on deportations to the Congo because of concern for the safety of people sent back. However, that moratorium does not cover those whom the Canadian government believes have committed a crime, according to a official. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Charities: Charities feel chill as tax audits widen, July 11, according to The Star. We all know who these are: people on employment insurance, the homeless, single moms, and refugees seeking asylum or healthcare and so and on and Re: Charities feel chill as tax audits widen, July 11 Of course the Harper government is attacking charities via tax audits and the reason is simple. With their nasty, mean-spirited ideology they cannot understand, tolerate or accept the idea that charitable Canadians would be coming to the aid of people that they have designated as worthless bums sponging off the taxpayers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ontario: Once an economic giant, Ontario now has one of the largest debt-loads of any sub-national government in the world. And on a day-to-day basis for many, Ontario is a province in crisis. Forty per cent of those who suffer food insecurity in Canada live in Ontario. A job in the province no longer protects against poverty a full 10 per cent of those using food banks are gainfully employed. Immigrants, newcomers and other vulnerable groups are over-represented in precarious employment, often working multiple part-time jobs and still not earning enough to make ends meet. Social assistance recipients are living at least 40 per cent below any accepted poverty line , and thousands of people, including many youth, are homeless , living in shelters or on the streets, according to The Star. In her throne speech and in this weeks budget, Premier Kathleen Wynne provided us with a road map for the future that refreshingly acknowledged these challenges. While a number of commentators have focused on the fact that she intends to spend money and lots of it I was struck by something else: three concise sentences expressing her unequivocal belief in the important role for government in improving living conditions for Ontarians and These are tough times in Ontario. These are not the living conditions we expect in one of the most advanced democracies and one of the richest countries in the world. So what is a premier to do? (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Eric Hoskins: I see it as an advantage, Dr. Eric Hoskins said during an interview Friday. It gives me an insight that I think is really valuable, according to The Star. Although Hoskins is not the first doctor to become health minister, the appointment of a physician to the post is rare and one that premiers are reluctant to make for fear of the perception of a conflict and Ontarios new health minister insists the fact he is a physician does not place him in a conflict of interest, a concern many in the sector have quietly expressed. He went to medical school at McMaster University, which he says spearheaded the team-based approach to patient care and taught him the value of working with a group of practitioners including nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.