irish immigrant: She was exonerated after about 30 years behind bars, according to Guelph Mercury. The script comes from "Away From Her" scribe Sarah Polley and is directed by "American Psycho" Mary Harron. The six-hour miniseries is inspired by the true story of a poor Irish immigrant who was convicted of killing her employers in 1843. Shooting began Aug. 15 in Ontario. "Alias Grace" will be broadcast on CBC in Canada, and will stream on Netflix elsewhere. "Anna is an incredibly versatile performer who always makes complex, unpredictable and fascinating choices in her work," Polley, also an executive producer, said Tuesday in a release. "It always a marvel to watch her and we're thrilled to have her join the cast." By The Canadian Press (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

opium act: It was a tough economic time, and resentment was growing toward Chinese and other immigrants working for low wages, according to NOW Magazine. After race riots in 1907, Mackenzie King, the deputy minister of labour at the time, visited opium dens in Vancouver and became concerned with apparent increased opium use, particularly by white people and women. The 1908 Opium Act was the first Canadian law that prohibited drugs, and it was at least a partially racist response to Chinese immigrants associated with opium use at the time. That visit is said to have been a catalyst for the Opium Act. Some people point to The Black Candle, a book by so-called and famed feminist Emily Murphy, who linked drug use to specific risks to white women. In 1923, the government added marijuana to the schedule of prohibited drugs in the Opium and Narcotic Control Act. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bedtime stories: I remember all of the bedtime stories being read to me before I closed my eyes to sleep, according to Huffington Post Canada. But I also remember at times not always feeling like I was doing enough to make them proud. I remember the times my dad would take me on bike rides to the library, then we'd scoot over to Baskin Robbins for a scoop of my favourite ice cream. When it comes to most children of immigrant parents, our childhood experience often differs from those of our friends whose parents grew up in Canada. I wanted so badly to make them proud. And for those of us who grew up in a Caribbean household, that sometimes meant we wouldn't regularly hear our parents utter the words we so often craved to hear -- "I'm proud of you." When I was younger I craved the approval of my parents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

breast: People pay attention to that sort of thing," said Bras Across the Bridge spokesperson Aimee Pascua, according to CBC. After the event, the bras will be donated to the YWCA and the Regina Immigrant Women Centre. A menagerie of 900 colourful bras has been strung across the bridge to raise awareness about breast cancer and research of the disease. "I think that it eye-catching. Aimee Pascua and other volunteers were at Regina Albert Street Bridge on Monday to raise awareness of breast cancer. The bras will be donated after the event to women groups in the city. Run for the Cure The aim of the event is to get more people signing up and donating to the Run for the Cure, which takes place Oct. 2 in Regina. "I know personally a couple of women that have been affected by breast cancer, and I just think it just great to get the community involved," Pascua said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

construction jobs: At least that what he says immigration officials had told him, according to Hamilton Spectator. Trouble is, it wasn't true. Decade after decade, the now 77-year-old Mississauga man tried to stay under the radar, working in construction jobs, even living in a motel, fearing if he was picked up by immigration he'd get the boot. Now, Dugalin is fighting to get his life back and collect almost a decade worth of Old Age Security pension payments he missed out on during the years he was trying to lay low. This has ruined my life. If it wasn't for the government mistake, saying I was here illegally, I wouldn't have had to endure the hardship, says Dugalin, who came to Canada as a government-sponsored refugee from Hungary in 1957. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

detainees guards: In addition, a community supervision program will be developed for released detainees, according to Huffington Post Canada. Guards stand outside the gates of an immigrant holding centre in Laval, Que., on August 15, 2016. The federal government will also move ahead with plans to expand the range of alternatives to locking up immigrants, with the aim of making detention a last resort, said Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. Goodale announced the details Monday during a visit to the aging Laval facility. The Canadian Red Cross Society has found numerous shortcomings at facilities for immigrant detainees, including overcrowding and lack of mental health care. The Canada Border Services Agency holds people who are considered a flight risk or a danger to the public and those whose identities cannot be confirmed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

flight risk: In addition, a community supervision program will be developed for released detainees, according to Vancouver Observer. Goodale announced the details Monday during a visit to the aging Laval facility. The federal government will also move ahead with plans to expand the range of alternatives to locking up immigrants, with the aim of making detention a last resort, said Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. The Canada Border Services Agency holds people who are considered a flight risk or a danger to the public and those whose identities cannot be confirmed. Newcomers are often held in provincial jails or police facilities alongside suspected gang members and violent offenders. The Canadian Red Cross Society has found numerous shortcomings at facilities for immigrant detainees, including overcrowding and lack of mental health care. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

goodale: Canada Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale made the $138-million announcement Monday morning at the Laval Immigration Holding Centre, according to CBC. He said the objective is to make detention a last resort. "In my first few months as minister responsible for Canada Border Services Agency, I have certainly heard the concerns about immigration detention, and I've studied those concerns with great care," Goodale said. "The government is anxious to address the weaknesses that exist and to do better." Deaths in CBSA custody renew calls for immigration detention reform Federal government reviewing immigration detention process after string of deaths Samer Muscati, the director of the University of Toronto International Human Rights Program, said it was reassuring to hear Goodale address concerns about excessive use of detention in his remarks today. "He saying the right things and it a positive development that he saying these things, but of course we'll need to see what happens in terms of actions that follow," he said. "The proof will be in the pudding." The government will soon begin consultations with stakeholders with the aim of finding alternatives and ways to minimize the number of minors in detention. ​According to the Canada Border Services Agency, there are, on average, 450 to 500 people who are detained at any given time under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Immigration detention facilities in Vancouver and Laval, Que., are also set to be replaced. The End Immigration Detention Network says 15 people have died in detention while in CBSA custody since 2000. It should end, not be expanded by throwing over a hundred million dollars at it," said the Network spokesperson Tings Chak. It says reforms are welcome, but the system is inherently unfair. "Immigration detention including in immigration holding centres is imprisonment without charges or trial. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

greece border: Aziz Afzaly migrated from Afghanistan a decade ago, according to Toronto Star. He is now a videographer. Markus Droge, Bishop of the Protestant Church in Germany, has been helping refugees settle and integrate for years. Legal counsellor Boumedien Habibes offers a free session to two Kurdish refugees from northern Syria at the Refugee Church in Berlin. The Bishop of Berlin stood at Greece border with Macedonia last year, watching despair, determination and hope in equal measure as people pressed northward. Order this photo By Mitch Potter Foreign Affairs Writer Mon., Aug. 15, 2016 BERLIN—Markus Droge does his legwork, travelling to the frontiers of Europe and beyond to witness Germany refugee tide at its source. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant detainees: In addition, a community supervision program will be developed for released detainees, according to Hamilton Spectator. The Canada Border Services Agency holds people who are considered a flight risk or a danger to the public and those whose identities cannot be confirmed. The federal government will also move ahead with plans to expand the range of alternatives to locking up immigrants, with the aim of making detention a last resort, said Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale Monday during a visit to the aging Laval facility. But the Canadian Red Cross Society has found numerous shortcomings at facilities for immigrant detainees, including overcrowding and lack of mental health care. The Red Cross said the border agency detained 10,088 immigrants — almost one-fifth of them refugee claimants — in 2013-14 in a variety of facilities, including federal holding centres and provincial and municipal jails. Newcomers are often held in provincial jails or police facilities alongside suspected gang members and violent offenders. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

montreal monday: Goodale is to visit a Montreal centre devoted to preventing radicalization that leads to violence, according to Metro News. He is expected to speak broadly about the program but details aren't expected until a later date. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is to be in Montreal Monday where he is to talk about how the government is moving ahead with a program designed to reach out to those who are vulnerable to radicalization in order to nip in the bud suspected terrorist plots like the one in southern Ontario last week. Last week, he stressed the importance of identifying those who are open to radicalization and finding the right way to prevent situations such as the death of a man in Strathroy, Ont., who was suspected of planning a terrorist attack. He is to visit the existing detention facility in Laval on Monday.A Red Cross investigation in 2014 found numerous shortcomings at facilities for immigrant detainees including overcrowding and inadequate mental health care. Goodale will announce the federal government will replace immigration detention facilities in Laval, Que., and Vancouver. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parliament hill: Goodale is to visit a Montreal centre devoted to preventing radicalization that leads to violence, according to Huffington Post Canada. He is expected to speak broadly about the program but details aren't expected until a later date. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is to be in Montreal Monday where he is to talk about how the government is moving ahead with a program designed to reach out to those who are vulnerable to radicalization in order to nip in the bud suspected terrorist plots like the one in southern Ontario last week. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale speaks to the media in the House of Commons foyer on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 16, 2016. Goodale will announce the federal government will replace immigration detention facilities in Laval, Que., and Vancouver. Last week, he stressed the importance of identifying those who are open to radicalization and finding the right way to prevent situations such as the death of a man in Strathroy, Ont., who was suspected of planning a terrorist attack. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

patriotism insistence: I observed that moment both with a sense of pride and, admittedly, some laughter as an unassuming immigrant who had lost his son to war challenged the prejudices of a presidential nominee, according to Rabble. But my strongest feeling that night in hearing Mr. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. "Have you even read the U.S. Constitution " The words shot out from Khizr Khan as the crowd roared at the Democratic National Convention only to be outdone by his unconventional yet immensely effective tactic of pulling out a pocket constitution for the world to see. Khan speak and perhaps the most profound takeaway from his address was not his courage, his simple eloquence or his radiating sincerity -- it was his unabated patriotism and insistence on defending the laws and principles set out in the U.S. Constitution. Having lost my father lately, I have become forlorn to a sense of nostalgia. I saw in him what I have seen my entire life from my own parents, themselves immigrants from Pakistan similar to the Khans, of pride in their adopted country and a call to defend its multicultural tenets, whether against outsiders or, at times, their fellow citizens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

radicalization: Goodale is to visit a Montreal centre devoted to preventing radicalization that leads to violence, according to CTV. Goodale is expected to speak broadly about the program but details aren't expected until a later date. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is in Montreal today where he is talking about how the government is moving ahead with a program designed to reach out to those who are vulnerable to radicalization in order to nip in the bud suspected terrorist plots like the one in southern Ontario last week. Last week, he stressed the importance of identifying those who are open to radicalization and finding the right way to prevent situations such as the death of a man in Strathroy, Ont., who was suspected of planning a terrorist attack. He is to visit the existing detention facility in Laval on Monday. Goodale will announce the federal government will replace immigration detention facilities in Laval, Que., and Vancouver. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ralph goodale: By Tonda Mac Charles Ottawa Bureau reporter Mon., Aug. 15, 2016 OTTAWA—The federal public safety minister says a $138-million plan unveiled Monday to replace two immigration detention centres in greater Vancouver and Montreal will ease pressure on an overburdened national system, according to Toronto Star. However, Ralph Goodale offered nothing to expand or replace an immigration holding centre in the greater Toronto area. Immigration holding facilities in Vancouver and Laval, Que., will be replaced as part of a $138-million overhaul intended to improve detention conditions for newcomers. And there was nothing that immediately addresses the needs of the more than 200 individuals — about 30 per cent of illegal immigrant detainees in Ontario — who end up in provincial maximum-security jails. Article Continued Below At the time Goodale, the minister responsible Canada Border Services Agency, promised reforms were coming. Immigration detention reforms fall short on oversight, critics say Last month a hunger strike by a group of about 50 immigrants in two Ontario jails highlighted widespread concerns about the length and conditions of their detention. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

week death: Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is to be in Montreal Monday where he was to talk about how the government is moving ahead with a program designed to reach out to those who are vulnerable to radicalization in order to nip in the bud suspected terrorist plots like the one in southern Ontario last week, according to Toronto Star. Goodale is to visit a Montreal centre devoted to preventing radicalization that leads to violence. By The Canadian Press Sun., Aug. 14, 2016 OTTAWA—The governing Liberals are moving further to reassure Canadians that they have a grip on combating the threat of terrorism in the wake of last week death of a man suspected of plotting an attack. Goodale is expected to speak broadly about the program but details aren't expected until a later date. Goodale will announce the federal government will replace immigration detention facilities in Laval, Que., and Vancouver. Last week, he stressed the importance of identifying those who are open to radicalization and finding the right way to prevent situations such as the death of a man in Strathroy, Ont., who was suspected of planning a terrorist attack. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian troops: The Canada Border Services Agency holds people who are considered a flight risk or a danger to the public and those whose identities cannot be confirmed.___ Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says he will soon announce a plan to send Canadian troops on a long-term mission to Africa, according to Brandon Sun. Sajjan says while no decisions have been made yet on numbers, timing or location, Canada contribution to a United Nations mission will involve more than the military and go beyond what would be considered a traditional peacekeeping role.___EXPERTS SAY RANKED BALLOTS WON' The Conservatives contend the Liberals would "steal" every federal election if Canada adopts a system of ranked ballots, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has touted as his preference for replacing the current first-past-the-post system. The federal government will also move ahead with plans to expand the range of alternatives to locking up immigrants, with the aim of making detention a last resort. But political scientists who specialize in the study of voting systems say assuming a Liberal advantage is far too simplistic.___CREA SAYS HOME SALES DOWN 1.3 % The Canadian Real Estate Association says July marked the third consecutive month of fewer home sales as the Vancouver market slowed. However, despite the drop in the number of sales, the national average price for a home sold in July was $480,743, up 9.9 per cent compared with a year ago.___ Jurors at Richard Henry Bain first-degree murder trial are deliberating for a third day. The association said Monday the number of transactions fell 1.3 per cent nationally between June and July as more than half of all markets tracked showed declines in July, including Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant detainees: In addition, a community supervision program will be developed for released detainees, according to The Waterloo Record. The Canada Border Services Agency holds people who are considered a flight risk or a danger to the public and those whose identities cannot be confirmed. The federal government will also move ahead with plans to expand the range of alternatives to locking up immigrants, with the aim of making detention a last resort, said Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale Monday during a visit to the aging Laval facility. But the Canadian Red Cross Society has found numerous shortcomings at facilities for immigrant detainees, including overcrowding and lack of mental health care. The Red Cross said the border agency detained 10,088 immigrants — almost one-fifth of them refugee claimants — in 2013-14 in a variety of facilities, including federal holding centres and provincial and municipal jails. Newcomers are often held in provincial jails or police facilities alongside suspected gang members and violent offenders. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bra shops: The biggest is bra fitting, according to CBC. Bra-fitting services, available throughout North America and many European countries, involve trained salespeople who measure breast size and the circumference of the chest, and provide tips on how to properly adjust and wear the straps, and, if necessary, artfully move breasts inside the bra cups for optimal comfort. But, like donut shops in Canada, bra shops in Italy come with glaring holes. Pati Jo is located in one of Rome oldest neighbourhoods, along Via Paganica. They look nice, but there is no fitting. In Italy, however, a country that offers a dazzling display of cleavage, bra fitting appears to be a blind spot. "There are many stores that sell bras in Italy," says Joanna Grunt, co-owner of Pati Jo, billed as the only boutique in Italy to offer over 200 bra and swimwear sizes. "But basically they are chain stores that have only five sizes so they don't fit well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: It is a more than relevant question, according to Toronto Star. Our nation future depends on it. Doing a better job keeping Canada future newcomers healthy after they arrive was not mentioned. In a short 15 years, Citizenship and Immigration Canada forecasts that 80 per cent of Canada population growth will accrue through migratory increases. New Canadians are today pioneers. Only one in five will arise from natural increase. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

site: By the time the archeologists backfilled the site, located on Centre Ave. and designated to become the home of a giant new provincial courthouse, they had found the foundations of Toronto most important 19th century black church, as well as hundreds of thousands of artifacts from The Ward, the impoverished but vibrant immigrant neighbourhood that existed there from the 1840s to the 1950s, according to Toronto Star. Yet the evidence of this poignant past is in grave danger of disappearing because the two public agencies responsible for the site and its archeological treasures — Infrastructure Ontario and the City of Toronto — seem incapable of coming up with a dignified, accessible and sustainable plan to publicly interpret and commemorate these findings. By John Lorinc Sun., Aug. 14, 2016 Late last fall, a small team of archeologists completed excavating an unremarkable parking lot near Toronto city hall, a painstaking process that had captivated workers in the commercial towers overlooking the site for months. For the past eight months, officials with both bodies — Infrastructure Ontario is an agency of the province responsible for developing new public structures — have dismissed numerous ideas for acknowledging the discoveries, often for dubious or excessively bureaucratic reasons that reveal a troubling tone-deafness to what at stake. Article Continued Below In one corner, archeologists found what they later described as the most extensive collection of 19th century footwear ever discovered in Canada, some of it the handiwork of an African-American cobbler who settled in Toronto in the mid-1850s. As I reported in the Star and Spacing, the crews unearthed everything from handmade toys to tools, commercial bottles, hat forms, and even an arrowhead — a reminder that the site, prior to European contact, stood on the table lands just south of a sacred indigenous river later known as Taddle Creek. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

montreal: Bonne fierté! Happy Pride! @FierteMTLPride #fierteMTL #MTLpride #polcan #cdnpoli @melaniejoly Is Montreal Pride inclusive enough Speaking before the parade, Trudeau acknowledged his fellow politicians, saying it is important that a wide range of political parties are represented, according to CBC. NDP Leader Tom Muclair, Liberal MP Mélanie Joly, Parti Québécois MNA Martine Ouellet, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, Bloc Québécois MP Mario Beaulieu, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Philippe Couillard were some of the politicians in attendance at Montreal Pride parade. Trudeau is the first sitting prime minister to take part in the city Pride celebration, according to organizers. Representatives from the federal Conservatives, the Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party, the Bloc Québécois, as well as provincial and municipal politicians were all in attendance. Trudeau also marched in the Vancouver and Toronto Pride parades earlier this year. Montreal Queer Performance Camp is a rare opportunity Trudeau said the show of solidarity is important now that the world is increasingly looking to Canada to set an example. "We're going to continue to work hard and push the limits of what other countries are doing because we have to get the message across that LGBT rights are human rights that have to be respected," he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police officers: Who commits large-scale acts of violence Overwhelmingly, they're people who struggle, often on multiple fronts, according to CBC. An African-American military veteran pulled the trigger in the recent shootings of white police officers in Dallas. Nationalists may ascribe this solely to religious radicalism — specifically, Islam — yet violence isn't one religion domain. In the terrible aftermath of the Orlando Pulse nightclub massacre, the media trumpeted the shooter religion and affiliation with ISIS. He also appeared to have suffered from mental illness and struggled with gender or sexual orientation identity issues. In 1994, a Jewish American-Israeli physician killed 29 Muslim worshippers and wounded 125 more at the Ibrahimi Mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, West Bank. The Oklahoma City bomber was a U.S. veteran who killed 168 people, including 19 children, and wounded 184 others … but he was neither African-American nor Muslim. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: The data offer insight into what lies ahead for the nearly 30,000 Syrian refugees who have arrived since November, because the demographics of the two groups share some similarities, researchers say, according to Hamilton Spectator. But the study also reveals that the groups settling Syrians last fall and earlier this year reported many of the same challenges that had already been encountered during the Iraqi experience. The 19,427 Iraqis who arrived between 2009 and 2014 faced numerous barriers, including the trauma of the war, greater medical needs and a relative lack of English and French, the study found. The surge of Iraqi arrivals strained resources, while the complexity of the cases made it hard to provide the right support, researchers were told. All of that has an influence on outcomes, and the fact that lessons appeared to go unlearned suggests governments need to do a better job thinking about how they respond to refugee crises, said Carl Hetu, the Canadian national director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which has worked with refugees from both Iraq and Syria. "It is always about the now, and things that look good on Twitter on Facebook," Hetu said. "But you need to work at it." The Immigration Department said it did apply some lessons from the Iraqi experience to the Syrian program. Refugees also received little information about what to expect when they arrived and struggled to find affordable housing on income supports that didn't cover the high cost of living in urban centres, the study found. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

university degree: Iraqis: 19,427: number of refugees resettled in Canada between 2009 and 2014. 8,340: number of those who were government assisted 11,087: number who were privately sponsored. 70.2: percentage who reported speaking neither English or French. 30.5: percentage of those under the age of 18. 10: percentage of those with a university degree, according to The Chronicle Herald. Syrians: 29,713: number resettled in Canada since Nov. 4, 2015. 16,129: number of those who are government assisted. 10,762: number who are privately sponsored. 51: percentage who, as of January, reported speaking neither English nor French. 40: percentage refugees who, as of January, were under the age of 14 2: percentage of government assisted refugees, who as of January, had a university degree. Here is a look, by the numbers, of how that group compares to the Syrian one. Immigration Department reports Source Source The Canadian Press (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian refugees: The data offer insight into what lies ahead for the nearly 30,000 Syrian refugees who have arrived since November, because the demographics of the two groups share some similarities, researchers say, according to Brandon Sun. But the study also reveals that the groups settling Syrians last fall and earlier this year reported many of the same challenges that had already been encountered during the Iraqi experience. The 19,427 Iraqis who arrived between 2009 and 2014 faced numerous barriers, including the trauma of the war, greater medical needs and a lack of English and French compared to others, the study found. The surge of Iraqi arrivals strained resources, while the complexity of the cases made it hard to provide the right support, researchers were told. All of that has an influence on outcomes, and the fact that lessons appeared to go unlearned suggests governments need to do a better job thinking about how they respond to refugee crises, said Carl Hetu, the Canadian national director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which has worked with refugees from both Iraq and Syria."It is always about the now, and things that look good on Twitter on Facebook," Hetu said. "But you need to work at it."The Immigration Department said it did apply some lessons from the Iraqi experience to the Syrian program. Refugees also received little information about what to expect when they arrived and struggled to find affordable housing on income supports that didn't cover the high cost of living in urban centres, the study found. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.