George Brown: George Brown travelled from humble beginnings as the son of a Jamaican farmer to become a force for social change in Canada. As a boy, George helped to care for the livestock and harvest sugar cane, while his industrious father saved enough money to invest in a truck that led to a successful transportation business. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. As a young man in Kellits, George met a retired British school master, E.B. Baker, who opened his library to George and became his mentor. Friendship with a well-educated white man was a revolutionary event in the life of a black teenager in colonial Jamaica. George grew up witnessing poverty and a well-defined class system based on skin colour, education and wealth observations that fuelled his interest in economics and human rights and Scholar, rights advocate, husband, sports fan. Born on May 16, 1929 in Kellits, Jamaica; died on April 10, 2014, in Toronto, of heart failure, aged 84. Submit a Lives Lived column (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Qu: When the Scots vote in their historic independence referendum next Thursday, Canadians, especially the Qu b cois, will be watching closely. Having held two sovereignty referenda, the Qu b cois may feel that they are the masters in such enterprises and that the Scots are their apprentices. In 1980, the Qu b cois voted No to sovereignty by a 60-40 margin, and in 1995, the No side prevailed by a mere one percentage point of the votes cast. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. McCan Quebec learn from Scotlands McReferendum and James Laxer is a professor of political science at York University. He has written widely on the subject of nationalism, Quebec nationalism in particular. His latest publication is : London: In a Time of Billionaires, Scottish Separatism, and anti-immigrant rage. Konrad Yakabuski Quebeckers have no interest in backing absolutists (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Reese Witherspoon: I just had this total breakdown. You cant make me do this movie, Witherspoon laughed as told the audience at an intimate Mavericks onstage interview at the Glenn Gould Studio Sunday night, according to The Star. Witherspoon feared her audience, used to seeing her in her Oscar winning-role as June Carter in Walk the Line or perky Elle Woods in Legally Blonde were going to freak out seeing her do nude scenes for the first time, along with playing the drug-using and promiscuous Strayed and A nervous Reese Witherspoon tried to pull out of making Wild , fearing what she d gotten into with the adaptation of Cheryl Strayeds bestselling memoir about a reckless, hard-living woman who finds herself on an epic hike. I called my lawyer up and said, I cant make this movie. I m going to have to be more raw, more emotional, more sexually explicit than I ve been in any movie! (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Paul Dewar Ottawa Centre: And they want more information about the kind of mission Canadian military personnel will be performing in Iraq and the risks they face, said NDP MP Paul Dewar Ottawa Centre , according to The Star. The Islamic State has been claiming territory across Iraq and Syria, prompting fears it will serve as a terrorist training ground that could strike at the West and As Canada prepares to dispatch military advisers to northern Iraq to help in the battle against Islamic extremists , New Democrat MPs are pushing the government to provide further humanitarian aid to assist the thousands of refugees fleeing the violence. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced at last weeks meeting in Wales that more than 50 military personnel were being sent to Iraq to advise Kurdish fighters in their battle against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant . (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Reflexology practitioners: Danielle Place needs volunteer certified Reiki or Reflexology practitioners and Yoga instructors for anxiety reduction programs. 333-5548 or email volunteer.daniellesplace@gmail.com. , according to Hamilton Spectator. T.E.A.D. Equestrian for the Disabled training , Sept. 9, 6 p.m., volunteer@tead.on.ca or 679-8323, ext. 221 Volunteers Urban Wildlife Care a local wildlife rehabilitation facility needs volunteers to take care of injured, ill and orphaned wildlife. Email urbanwildlifecare@gmail.com or 818-5708 and leave a message. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Czech Republic: While Janette Ganova said the markings were cut by two neo-Nazi skinheads who kidnapped her in Zatec, Czech Republic, her now-estranged husband wrote a "poison pen letter" to immigration officials claiming that her injuries were self-inflicted. , according to Hamilton Spectator. "The panel is unable, based on evidence provided, to make a clear finding as to how the injuries. . . on the claimant back," wrote IRB adjudicator Louise Paquette-Neville in the unusually long 68-page decision released last week. Would a Czech Roma asylum seeker be so desperate to get accepted in Canada that she'd carve two swastikas in her back to fool a refugee judge? After four hearings that stretched over two years and ended in July, the Immigration and Refugee Board IRB couldn't determine the culprits who did the crime, but rejected the Toronto woman claim because her evidence was inconsistent and there enough protection in Czech Republic for Roma. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Superwoman: Her interview with the Star was scheduled to begin an hour earlier, but Superwoman has fans hundreds of them here, pressed up against a security fence in the Brampton SilverCity parking lot and they all want an autograph. , according to Hamilton Spectator. "Oh my God," says one girl, maybe a dozen times, after her grey rectangle of bristol board is signed. Superwoman is late. This is to be expected. Superwoman obliges, taking the pens thrust at her from the crowd. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Czech Republic: While Janette Ganova said the markings were cut by two neo-Nazi skinheads who kidnapped her in Zatec, Czech Republic, her now-estranged husband allegedly wrote a poison pen letter to immigration officials claiming that her injuries were self-inflicted, according to The Star. The panel is unable, based on evidence provided, to make a clear finding as to how the injuries were inflicted on the claimants back, wrote IRB adjudicator Louise Paquette-Neville in the unusually long 68-page decision released last week and Would a Czech Roma asylum seeker be so desperate to get accepted in Canada that she d carve two swastikas in her back to fool a refugee judge? After four hearings that stretched over two years and ended in July, the Immigration and Refugee Board IRB couldnt determine the culprits who did the crime, but rejected the Toronto womans claim because her evidence was inconsistent and theres enough protection in Czech Republic for Roma. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mechanical engineer: At 27, the striking, dark-haired mechanical engineer had a university degree, a reliable job at a Tehran oil and gas company, a husband, a devoted family and a lively circle of friends. Days were a mellow round of work, swimming, tennis and hanging out in the city, according to The Star. What awaited Saeed was a six-year ordeal of kidnapping, torture, rigged trials, death sentences, repeals and imprisonment at the hands of Irans ruthless security services. Now aged 39, he is serving a life sentence in Evin Prison on widely decried charges of masterminding an Internet pornography network and, more sweepingly, corrupting the earth and If a woman in Iran can have it all, Maryam Malekpour came close. But all that changed on Oct. 4, 2008, when her brother, Canadian resident Saeed Malekpour, vanished into a dark vortex that would drag Maryam down into its depths and alter her life forever. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Gagan Singh Batth: The Brampton duos social enterprise, KarmaGrow , has reaped its first harvest 1,500 pounds, more than half a tonne of fresh and luscious produce for thousands of local food bank clients who would otherwise have to bear with meals full of non-perishable food in tins, according to The Star. This is how Sandhus and Batths simple idea works: secure donated agricultural land, offer training in farming, seek community partners to provide volunteers, and together share the rewards of the hard labour and Gagan Singh Batth and Jaskaran Singh Sandhu believe they can grow karma by growing crops for those in need of healthy food. The project has definitely added to the food security for Peel Region residents. Its about community coming together to help us out, said Daven Seebarran of the Seva Food Bank , which, along with Knights Table and Good Food Brampton , helps run KarmaGrows community farm in Caledon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Thomas Lukaszuk: The veteran MLA was the target of damaging document leaks late in the race that he suggested were the work of rival campaigns. One leak sent to an Edmonton newspaper contained documents that could only have come from inside government. They detailed a $20,000 cellphone bill Lukaszuk racked up while on a personal trip to Poland in 2011. Former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukszuak is one of three candidates running for the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. , according to CBC. Since the start of the campaign, Lukaszuk has framed himself as the anti-establishment insider who was demoted after speaking out about the problems in the Premier office. He has gathered support from Edmonton ethnic community and if chosen leader, Lukaszuk would become Alberta first immigrant Premier. Ric McIver Thomas Lukaszuk, 45, was arguably the highest profile candidate during the leadership campaign but not necessarily for his policies or promises. As deputy premier under Alison Redford, the Edmonton MLA gained a reputation as a Question Period attack dog, viciously defending unpopular government decisions. The other damaging information was sent anonymously to the . It revealed that while an MLA and minister, Lukaszuk had taken his daughter on government aircraft seven times between 2007 and 2011. Shortly after a scathing report this summer by Alberta auditor general, Lukaszuk reimbursed the province for the flights. The use of the government plane prompted accusations of hypocrisy by the other candidates who accused Lukaszuk of being part of the problem in the administration of Alison Redford. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Islamic State: The strikes represented a broadening of the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State militants, moving the military operations closer to the border of Syria, where the group also has been operating. , according to CBC. At the same time, however, Hagel rejected the suggestion that the Haditha strikes opened up a new front in the war against the Islamic State group or that it represented an escalation of the U.S. military operations. Obama to lay out strategy The U.S. military said Sunday it launched airstrikes around Haditha Dam in western Iraq, targeting Islamic State insurgents there for the first time in a move to prevent the group from capturing the vital dam. Canadian special ops soldiers to be part of anti-team in Iraq How sows 'global panic,' and other facts about the jihadist group in Iraq: What Canada could offer if the West decides on military action Speaking in Georgia where he meeting with government and defence officials, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that if the dam were to fall into the militant hands "or if that dam would be destroyed, the damage that that would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant additional and big risk into the mix in Iraq" including U.S. interests there. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: The 10-nation effort which also includes Britain, Turkey, Australia, Italy, Poland and Denmark was announced in the final hours of two-day summit in Wales, but still hinges on the approval of the Iraqi government, according to The Star. Canadas initial deployment will be small and limited in scope some 50 to 100 elite soldiers tasked to provide critical advice to forces in northern Iraq as they continue to hold back the terrorist advance, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters and Canada, France and Germany three countries that famously said no to the U.S.-led war in Iraq 11 years ago have signed up for the distant aftermath as part of a core coalition against Islamic extremists wreaking havoc in territory once controlled by Saddam Hussein. The coalition is expected to expand further as Washington works to enlist Mideast regional players in the effort to degrade and ultimately destroy the Islamic State, said President Barack Obama. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Marc Garneau: Seconds later, amid the sandbags, Kurdish fighters and media cameras, he was shoulder to shoulder with two of his toughest political opponents -- Paul Dewar and Marc Garneau, the foreign affairs critics for the NDP and Liberals, according to CTV. The two opposition MPs joined Baird this week on his two-day, 26-hour trip to Iraq. Throughout their frenzied dash through the palaces and political offices of Baghdad and Irbil, the heavily armed checkpoints, the sun-baked refugees camps as well as this front-line bunker, the often-combative foreign affairs minister ensured that Dewar and Garneau were literally at his side and Iraq -- Moments after climbing into a bunker manned by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird looked behind him and gestured, saying, "Paul and Marc, come on." Together, they gazed out at a blip on the horizon, about 150 fighters from the extremist Islamic State in the Levant, or hunkered down a kilometre away across the desolate northern Iraqi plain. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

migrants: Witnesses said they were pushed back by water cannons. But the migrants will keep trying because that is what human beings do when they need food, shelter and employment, according to The Star. There is something slightly humourous about people desperately trying to get away from the French it really is a huge compliment to Britain that the world wants so badly to come to that energetic little island but of course we are seeing people suffer terribly. The French police are brutal, the migrants sleep on the ground, French citizens are fed-up and the situation is a disgrace. The migrants may not realize that its not quite as bad as what the British do to suicidal failed refugee claimants and their children at notorious institutions like Yarls Wood operated by private security firms. But it is dire and If you want screenshots of humanitys future, study the scenes from the BBC this week of many dozens of young male migrants racing through the port of Calais on the French seacoast to scramble aboard a huge tourist ferry sailing cross-Channel to England. In their dreams. They must have known this latest run, a mere sprint event in the Olympics of Despair that constitute modern migration, would end in failure. The French port is a dull landscape that much resembles the dead-zone parking lots at Pearson Airport: grey asphalt with painted lines, high wire fences and curving roads. It screams mundanity, one of those places that are emphatically a transit zone, a place between places. The migrants of Calais are from Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Eritrea and other suffering dysfunctional countries, and their energy and tenacity are stunning. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Christy Clark: Clark arrives next week in the remote Nemiah Valley near Williams Lake, B.C., for what is expected to be several ventures to the area in coming months. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Native burial site near Saltspring Island at centre of land debate Christy Clark will be British Columbias first premier to visit the controversial Tsilhqot in Nation territory as she negotiates a new relationship with an aboriginal group that has a recent high-court rights ruling and 150 years of ill feelings over the hangings of six of its chiefs. Gitxsan chiefs bar natural-gas projects from territory near Hazelton, B.C. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Dan Crawford: Instead, pen and notepaper ready, the claimants from nine countries paid careful attention to tour guide Dan Crawford, as he offered tips that could mean a lot to the success of their asylum claims, according to The Star. We are here to assist you to prepare for your hearings, see the room, learn about the process and ask questions, said Crawford, standing in front of the dais where the asylum judge would normally sit at a refugee hearing. It is your obligation to disclose evidence to support your claim and On a recent Thursday, 11 asylum seekers streamed into Hearing Room 9 on the fourth floor of the Immigration and Refugee Board s Toronto headquarters on Victoria St. But not to have their cases heard. Crawford, an analyst with the refugee board, has presented more than 10 such orientation tours for GTA refugee claimants since May, an effort to help them navigate the asylum hearing process and learn about what to do and not to do at the proceeding. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Liam Lacey: preview 2014: The Globes Liam Lacey takes on the haters, according to Globe and Mail and 014: The power struggle that is transforming the festival and how films are sold Day 1 in photos: The Iron Man has landed! Topics: Jean-Marc Vall e Philippe Falardeau Fran ois Girard Comments A A (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Thomas Lukaszuk: The veteran MLA was the target of damaging document leaks late in the race that he suggested were the work of rival campaigns. One leak sent to an Edmonton newspaper contained documents that could only have come from inside government. They detailed a $20,000 cellphone bill Lukaszuk racked up while on a personal trip to Poland in 2011. Former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukszuak is one of three candidates running for the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. , according to CBC. Since the start of the campaign, Lukaszuk has framed himself as the anti-establishment insider who was demoted after speaking out about the problems in the Premier office. He has gathered support from Edmonton ethnic community and if chosen leader, Lukaszuk would become Alberta first immigrant Premier. Ric McIver Thomas Lukaszuk, 45, was arguably the highest profile candidate during the leadership campaign but not necessarily for his policies or promises. As deputy premier under Alison Redford, the Edmonton MLA gained a reputation as a Question Period attack dog, viciously defending unpopular government decisions. The other damaging information was sent anonymously to the . It revealed that while an MLA and minister, Lukaszuk had taken his daughter on government aircraft seven times between 2007 and 2011. Shortly after a scathing report this summer by Alberta auditor general, Lukaszuk reimbursed the province for the flights. The use of the government plane prompted accusations of hypocrisy by the other candidates who accused Lukaszuk of being part of the problem in the administration of Alison Redford. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Lebanese Christian: We all know that if they come, they will slit our throats for no reason, said one villager as he drove through the streets of Qaa, an assault rifle resting next to him. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Pope backs use of force to save Iraqs minorities, but not unilateral intervention Every day around sunset, dozens of residents of this small Lebanese Christian village on the border carry their automatic rifles and deploy on surrounding hills, taking up positions and laying ambushes in case Muslim extremists from neighbouring Syria attack. Islamic State militants accused of killing up to 770 captured Iraqi soldiers (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

John Tory: Can John Tory sustain the momentum in Torontos mayoral race?, according to Globe and Mail. Chow says she would boost land-transfer tax on expensive homes Video Video: Toronto mayoral contenders go head to head: full debate John Tory speaks during the mayoral debate at Global Kingdom Ministries in Scarborough, Toronto, on July 16, 2014. for The Multimedia Three reasons John Tory is running away with the Toronto mayoral race Customer service reps: Jobs that take orders, address snags and follow up with customers can be done from anywhere but require patience and a good personal touch. However, the competition for some of these jobs can be fierce, cautions Kate Lister of the California-based Telework Research Network. istockphoto.com Multimedia Everything you need to know about political polling Its never a good sign in politics when people start asking when you re going to drop out of the race. Karen Stintz faced that kiss-of-death question for months as she languished in the polls. She finally quit last month . David Soknacki, also languishing, faces it just about every time he meets the press. More Related to this Story Six defining moments from the Toronto mayoral debate (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada Border Services Agency: Jacobus Marinus van Nierop had a detention review before the Immigration and Refugee Board today via teleconference, according to CTV. The Canada Border Services Agency says it is making plans to return van Nierop to his native Holland, but that could change if French authorities demand he be returned to that country to face criminal charges and A Dutch dentist arrested this week in New Brunswick and wanted in France for allegedly mutilating patients through botched procedures will remain detained pending his removal from Canada. He told the Montreal hearing from a New Brunswick detention centre that he doesn't object to being held while authorities finalize plans to have him removed from Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration laws: Last month, the federal court decided an immigration case that demonstrated what happens when an immigration officer misses the forest for the trees. In this case, a prospective Canadian immigrant was refused a visa because his reference letter did not outline job duties that matched the required immigration criteria. , according to CBC. Changes needed for Canada live-in caregiver program For decades now, Canadian governments of all stripes have promoted immigration as a tool for nation building, and one of the purposes of Canadas immigration laws is "to support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy." Unfortunately, this goal is often frustrated by bureaucratic red tape and an almost total lack of customer service. In this case, the prospective immigrant needed to prove that he supervised and coordinated staff or assigned work to certain employees in order to qualify for immigration. In refusing his application, the officer found that because the employer used the words "helping," "assisting" and "aiding" in the reference letter, that the prospective immigrant did not actually carry out the required tasks outlined in the immigration criteria. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Barack Obama: With the Islamic State militants spreading across eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq, President Barack Obama noted that the moderate Syrian rebels fighting both the group and the government of Bashar Assad are "outgunned and outmanned." In addition to the action pledged by fellow leaders, he pressed Arab allies to reject the "nihilism" projected by the group., according to CTV. "I did not get any resistance or pushback to the basic notion that we have a critical role to play in rolling back this savage organization that is causing so much chaos in the region and is harming so many people and poses a long-term threat to the safety and security of members," Obama said at the summit conclusion. "So there great conviction that we have to act, as part of the international community, to degrade and ultimately destroy and that was extremely encouraging." - The U.S. and nine key allies agreed Friday that the Islamic State group is a significant threat to countries and that they will take on the militants by squeezing their financial resources and going after them with military might. The new coalition will be able to mount a sustained effort to push back the militants, Obama said. The U.S. secretaries of State and Defence, meeting with their counterparts at the international gathering, insisted the Western nations build a plan by the time the U.N. General Assembly meets this month. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

morning coffee: While enjoying my morning coffee and reading last weekend, I was attracted to the article by Don Mills titled Seven ways to pull start cord on a sputtering province and (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jaydeep Balakrishnan: By not dealing with the issues regarding violence and misogyny in Rotherham and other British towns in a timely and zero-tolerance manner, not only did authorities fail in their duty, ironically they also let down immigrants from the community The Unspeakable Truth About Rotherham Sept. 4 , according to Globe and Mail. Jaydeep Balakrishnan, Calgary Rotherhams lessons Whether it is Britain, Canada or anywhere else, immigrants who do support universal human rights risk being painted with the same brush men of Pakistani heritage treated white girls like toilet paper is a broad statement as the perpetrators of these and other related crimes when they are allowed to fester. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.