canadian municipalities: The federation says Ottawa has already opened the door to more federal involvement in fixing the housing crisis by putting forward some funding in the last budget, according to Guelph Mercury. But now, the federation says the housing strategy needs to carve out $12.7 billion over eight years to protect existing social housing, prevent homelessness, build new units and provide a portable housing allowance to needy renters who can't find affordable housing. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities says wait lists for social housing are growing, and one out of five renters spends more than half their pre-tax salary on shelter. "We know that safe and affordable housing is the bedrock of communities where people want to live, raise their families and start businesses, said federation president Clark Somerville. "Instead, we're facing a housing crisis, and we need to fix this now." Especially vulnerable are newcomers to Canada, Aboriginal Peoples, single moms and seniors living alone. The request from cities across the country reinforces similar demands from the big-city mayors made earlier this month. "We finally have a window of opportunity to tackle the housing crisis," Somerville said. "The federal government has a big mandate to invest in social infrastructure. The deadline for submissions is today and the results are to be released Nov. 22, which is National Housing Day. Now we need that big decision to make affordable housing a priority." The Liberal government opened a national consultation on a housing strategy in June. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

direction: In an open letter, which comes two months after she blasted Zayn, 23, again, this time with a transphobic comment, Azealia said: "There are no words that can fully express how sorry I am, according to The Waterloo Record. Recent events have taught me the importance of taking accountability for one actions. Five months after she first lashed out at the former One Direction singer in a racist attack, calling him a "curry scented b***h", Azealia has finally said sorry. I want and need to say I am sorry, I was wrong. "I reached out, on Twitter, to congratulate you on leaving One Direction and finding your own path. I applaud you for this. Many artists sell their souls to this business and sacrifice their happiness for a career; walking away took bravery, strength, formidable principles and a powerful sense of self-worth. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

direction: In an open letter, which comes two months after she blasted Zayn, 23, again, this time with a transphobic comment, Azealia said: "There are no words that can fully express how sorry I am, according to Hamilton Spectator. Recent events have taught me the importance of taking accountability for one actions. Five months after she first lashed out at the former One Direction singer in a racist attack, calling him a "curry scented b***h", Azealia has finally said sorry. I want and need to say I am sorry, I was wrong. "I reached out, on Twitter, to congratulate you on leaving One Direction and finding your own path. I applaud you for this. Many artists sell their souls to this business and sacrifice their happiness for a career; walking away took bravery, strength, formidable principles and a powerful sense of self-worth. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government team: The suggestions comprise a first tranche of ideas from the group of external experts who have been enlisted by Finance Minister Bill Morneau to help Ottawa find ways to resuscitate Canada lacklustre economy, according to Huffington Post Canada. Finance Minister Bill Morneau looks on as Dominic Barton, chair of the federal government team of economic advisers, answers a question in a press conference on Oct. 20. The objective, the experts say, is to double Canada projected growth trajectory and add an eye-popping $15,000 to the annual incomes of Canadian households by 2030. The recommendations zeroed in on three areas: productivity-boosting infrastructure; attracting more foreign investment; and opening Canada doors wider to a larger number of talented immigrants. "Now is the time where we have to take very bold actions,'' council chair Dominic Barton, who is global managing director of consulting giant McKinsey & Co., told a news conference in Ottawa. " may not be new, these have been talked about before — but they haven't been done. To get there, the council suggests the government create an independent infrastructure bank designed to seek out private capital by offering investors steady returns through user fees from projects like toll highways, bridges and airports. "Canada should leverage the trillions in institutional capital waiting on the sidelines and focus this investment productively,'' the council wrote in a report released Thursday. And so what we're keen to do is to jolt it.'' The group called on Ottawa to deliver more than $200 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next decade using as few taxpayer dollars as possible. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hospital bed: This is my homeland." The 33-year-old mother of four young daughters, who were all born in Ontario, only became aware that she was not a Canadian citizen following a recent drug conviction and incarceration, according to Hamilton Spectator. The Canada Border Services Agency looked into her status while she was in custody, discovering that her parents and several foster care families that took her in at the age of 11 failed to secure her Canadian citizenship. Propped up in a hospital bed and groggy from pain medication, Fliss Cramman said she is terrified of being forced to return to England, where she was born but left at the age of eight when her parents moved to Ontario. "I'm just so scared to go back — I don't know anybody, I don't know anything," she said through tears, while two corrections officers stood guard in her drab hospital room. "If I leave here, I'm leaving my heart behind big time. As a result, the agency says it wants to deport her by Dec. 16, despite her physician assertion that she is in fragile health and needs to remain in the country for about 18 months to properly recover from a series of colon surgeries done after she was rushed to hospital from a prison facility in Dartmouth on Aug. 12. I came over when I was eight, I have a social insurance number, I have a health card, I pay taxes, I had kids in Canada, I voted, I say sorry and that a huge Canadian thing. At a hearing in the basement of the hospital late last month, the Immigration and Refugee Board agreed Cramman would not be able to travel for "at least a couple of months." It said it would review the matter, along with a possible release from custody, at another hearing Friday. "I just want to stay here," Cramman said in a voice thin from fatigue, but buoyant when questioned about her citizenship. "Hell yeah, I'm Canadian. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police: There have also been no reported extremist attacks since shortly after the restaurant killings, according to The Chronicle Herald. The police raids followed an unprecedented crackdown over the summer, during which authorities arrested more than 14,000 people before July — most for petty crimes including theft and small-time drug smuggling. Their evidence Police raids that have killed about 40 suspected Islamist militants; hundreds of suspects detained in police dragnets; and new information on how the attack was financed by local sympathizers. The arrests have continued, netting 1,200 suspected militants, some of whom are giving up useful information under questioning, intelligence officials say. When asked to quantify the anti-militant operation success, Monirul Islam, the head of the police counter-terrorism and transnational crime units, said it was "60 to 70 per cent." "Still, we need to apprehend some command-level people. But they refuse to say how many in total have been detained in recent months. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

public-infrastructure projects: It means private ownership of highways, ports, water systems, public transit, according to Globe and Mail. The government has already engaged Credit Suisse to study the benefits of privatizing airports; that would mean reversing the policy of former Liberal PM Jean Chrétien, who won political points by killing a privatization plan. And the council call for the creation of an infrastructure bank, designed to lure hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment into what would otherwise be public-infrastructure projects means, by definition, privatization or partly privatization. But the council immigration recommendation may be the one that gets the most attention. More important are the types of newcomers, and the demographic arithmetic behind the numbers. The big number – a call for 450,000 immigrants a year – will get the headlines. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee camps: There are thousands of sponsoring groups in Canada in a position identical to ours, according to Rabble. In case the Trudeau government didn't notice, the Syrian civil war is far from over; ditto for the Syrian refugee crisis. Some of the files were submitted as early as 2015; all have been approved; yet not a single refugee has arrived. Many of these sponsored families struggle in hardship and uncertainty -- some still in refugee camps -- as they await word on their resettlement. The operation wasn't without its flaws, but most Canadians appreciated the good-faith efforts of the government to address the Syrian refugee crisis. Canadians are justified in asking: What is Canada long-term plan for Syrian refugees The government received appropriate accolades for bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees earlier this year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

school i: Why should our society subsidize them I've never understood this argument, but that may have something to do with my own life story, according to Rabble. My parents were refugees from Somalia, and I am a first-generation university student in Canada. I've been told that free tuition is "wrong", or "self-interested." Why Because those who get to college or university are already privileged. After I graduated high school I got rid of my entrance letters to universities I had applied to. I was resigned to the reality that I could never afford post-secondary education, even with public loans. I started a full-time job that summer and took over the role as primary breadwinner for our family. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

selfie idea: A positive one was a pleasant change – so I was curious to find out how it started, and whether it has been effective, according to Globe and Mail. Director Ravi Jain tells me the selfie idea came not from Factory but from a conference his theatre company, Why Not, hosted in August called This Gen. Conversely, Toronto theatre companies that have programmed plays only by white Canadians – by accident rather than design, according the artistic directors in question – have been the subject of shaming hashtag campaigns. It brought together diverse and dynamic artistic leaders from across the country, as well as the U.S., the U.K., Nigeria and Turkey. We thought: Wouldn't it be great to buy a Factory season and put our money where our mouth was recalls Jain, who directed a superlative, sold-out production of Salt-Water Moon at Factory Theatre last season, but whose upcoming next projects will be with Soulpepper and Mirvish Productions. At the end of the conference, many of the Canadians in attendance ended up talking about how historic Factory Theatre new season was – and wondered how they could support it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

time tens: Their files were handed over to Canada and finally in July, they came to Killarney, Man. with Dickson seven-year-old son. "Here we are free, according to CBC. The people are very friendly," Joh said. "It feels like home even though the town is small." The trio arrived in Canada and resettled as sponsored refugees at the same time tens of thousands of Syrian refugees were arriving in Canada. The two friends, 42 and 40, met in a refugee camp in Ivory Coast after fleeing Liberia. Zoe Dickson & Felicia Joh home in Killarney, Man., is a far cry from the plaster hut they lived in after fleeing Liberia for a refugee camp in Ivory Coast. It was fully furnished, complete with clothes and appliances. Dickson said they cried tears of joy when they arrived in Killarney, 240 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, at their small, charcoal-coloured home. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

west wing: He may be a good father or a husband but he is not a public servant, according to The Chronicle Herald. He is a real-estate builder, he a businessman and not a very good one. "He a braggart and a bully. Sheen, who played a U.S. president on "The West Wing" and is a Clinton supporter, said he thought Trump "would be a pushover" and the "easiest one for the Democrats" to beat during the primaries. "It turned out to be the contrary and he is the most loathsome man that I could possibly imagine in the Oval Office," the American star said in an interview last week. "He totally unqualified.... This man has no business in the White House," he continued. "He a selfish, self-serving, ignorant man. When I think of him, I think of the phrase that most describes him and that is 'arrogance is ignorance matured,' and that about the best I can say about him." ——— Barr, who was a 2012 presidential nominee for the California-based Peace and Freedom Party, has a more positive opinion of Trump. "He a great communicator," she said during an interview for Toronto JFL42 comedy festival in late August. "He filling stadiums ... the things he says resonates with about half the voters." Asked about concerns over Trump views on immigration and building a wall along the Mexico border, she said: "I think it a Democrat talking point to make those things bigger than they are. To try to demonize that idea is kind of backfiring on Democrats. "I don't think it was a smart choice they made there because that isn't what he said. And certainly, every country on Earth has the right to control immigration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

drummer books: Reserve a spot at 905-546-3200, ext. 6342, according to Guelph Mercury. As part of the International Festival of Authors, Steven Price introduces "By Gaslight" in conversation with Dana Hansen, professor of literature and literary critic, Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., at A Different Drummer Books, 513 Locust St., Burlington. "By Gaslight" is a thriller set in 1885 London that spans five decades. Hill will read Saturday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. at Hamilton Public Library, Central Branch, 55 York Blvd. Tickets, $5, reserve by calling 905-639-0925 or emailing diffdrum@mac.com. N., 7 to 9 p.m., for his debut novel "The Captain of Kinnoull Hill." The book tells the story of Dennis Duckworth, a Chicago-based indie record label owner who, through a series of calamitous accidents, finds himself living on a hillside overlooking the Scottish town of Trent, playing night watchman to a crumbling castle tower haunted by a bizarre thousand-year-old redcap gremlin named Eddie. "The Captain of Kinnoull Hill" is published by Palimpsest Press, based in Kingsville, Ont. Hamilton writer and music buff Jamie Tennant is holding a book launch Wednesday, Oct. 26, at the AGH Design Annex, 118 James St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

front row: Front row, from left: Helen Rigby, Judy Busby holding the plaque, Eleanor Skeoch and Roberta Storey, according to Brandon Sun. Luella Noble joked that she hasn't been around for the entire 101-year history of the Boissevain women volunteer group, which met for the final time this month."I've only been there 70 years," Noble, 92, said with a laugh. Back row, from left: Mina Dyck, Muriel McCallum, Dorothy Coupland, Luella Noble. She joined the Boissevain Women Institute in the 1940s for the same reason as many, to spend time with other women while their husbands were busy. Those classes and the charitable efforts these women shouldered are long over. In Boissevain, they held classes on cooking, sewing and interior decorating."Being a new bride I needed to have some help," she recalls. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hospital bed: This is my homeland." The 33-year-old mother of four young daughters, who were all born in Ontario, only became aware that she was not a Canadian citizen following a recent drug conviction and incarceration, according to Guelph Mercury. The Canada Border Services Agency looked into her status while she was in custody, discovering that her parents and several foster care families that took her in at the age of 11 failed to secure her Canadian citizenship. Propped up in a hospital bed and groggy from pain medication, Fliss Cramman said she is terrified of being forced to return to England, where she was born but left at the age of eight when her parents moved to Ontario. "I'm just so scared to go back — I don't know anybody, I don't know anything," she said through tears, while two corrections officers stood guard in her drab hospital room. "If I leave here, I'm leaving my heart behind big time. As a result, the agency says it wants to deport her by Dec. 16, despite her physician assertion that she is in fragile health and needs to remain in the country for about 18 months to properly recover from a series of colon surgeries done after she was rushed to hospital from a prison facility in Dartmouth on Aug. 12. I came over when I was eight, I have a social insurance number, I have a health card, I pay taxes, I had kids in Canada, I voted, I say sorry and that a huge Canadian thing. At a hearing in the basement of the hospital late last month, the Immigration and Refugee Board agreed Cramman would not be able to travel for "at least a couple of months." It said it would review the matter, along with a possible release from custody, at another hearing Friday. "I just want to stay here," Cramman said in a voice thin from fatigue, but buoyant when questioned about her citizenship. "Hell yeah, I'm Canadian. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

palestinian city: To get there, Israelis drive up a steep, winding road, near ominous red road signs posted by Israel military that warn them against entering the nearby Palestinian city of Nablus, according to Brandon Sun. Palestinians get to the top by driving up a steep, winding road from Nablus on the opposite side of the mountain. But there is a spot on the top of a mountain that connects them both: a village of Samaritans. At the top live about 380 Samaritans. Israelis and Palestinians are locked in continued conflict over land and national identity — currently a yearlong stretch of Palestinian lone-wolf attacks met by often deadly Israeli force. They, and about 420 Samaritans based near Tel Aviv in Israel, comprise one of the world oldest and smallest religious minorities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sentsov: The Russian Justice Ministry said Sentsov was made a Russian citizen in March 2014 when a new Russian law conferred citizenship on all residents of Crimea, according to the letter, according to Brandon Sun. Sentsov, a native of Crimea, was a vocal opponent to Russia annexation of the peninsula. Ukraine Deputy Justice Minister Sergiy Petukhov posted a copy of the refusal letter on Facebook on Friday in which Russia Justice Ministry said it was "impossible" to transfer Sentsov to Ukraine because he holds Russian citizenship. Critics say his prosecution was punishment for his pro-Ukrainian position. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

calais move: Calais 'jungle' move denounced by some in French villages French president vows to close Calais migrant camp by year endU.K. to build kilometre-long wall to keep migrants out Mixed messages and rumours' French authorities are poised to demolish the squalid tent city known as "the Jungle" as early as next Monday, according to CBC. It estimated there are between 7,000 and 10,000 migrants living in the camp, and many of them are expected to be rehoused in immigration facilities throughout France, but officials have yet to tell residents how and when the operation will take place. He covered his face with a red scarf and would only provide his last name, Zazai. Zazai, a 24-year-old Afghan migrant, doesn't know what will happen to him once French authorities close the Calais migrant camp. "There a lot more tension than usual here because people don't know what going to be happening," said volunteer Caroline Gregory, who has spent much of the past year in the camp with the charity Calais Action. "There a lot of mixed messages and rumours going around," Gregory said. Eviction notices have been posted on makeshift shops, from the one offering cellphone repairs to another selling three naan breads for a euro. While no one living here knows with certainty when they'll have to leave for good, signs abound that the end is near. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: The suggestions comprise a first tranche of ideas from the group of external experts who have been enlisted by Finance Minister Bill Morneau to help Ottawa find ways to resuscitate Canada lacklustre economy, according to CBC. The recommendations zeroed in on three areas: productivity-boosting infrastructure, attracting more foreign investment and opening Canada doors wider to a larger number of talented immigrants. The objective, the experts say, is to double Canada projected growth trajectory and add an eye-popping $15,000 to the annual incomes of Canadian households by 2030. Finance Minister Morneau to deliver economic update on Nov. 1McCallum says 50% boost to immigration might be too ambitious Capital gains tax break part of a double whammy when home prices fall "Now is the time where we have to take very bold actions," council chair Dominic Barton, who is global managing director of consulting giant McKinsey & Co., told a news conference in Ottawa. " may not be new, these have been talked about before — but they haven't been done. To get there, the council suggests the government create an independent infrastructure bank designed to seek out private capital by offering investors steady returns through user fees from projects like toll highways, bridges and airports. "Canada should leverage the trillions in institutional capital waiting on the sidelines and focus this investment productively," the council wrote in a report released Thursday. And so what we're keen to do is to jolt it." The group called on Ottawa to deliver more than $200 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next decade using as few taxpayer dollars as possible. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

b.c: Another $30.3 million was recovered in B.C., according to data posted on the agency website, according to Huffington Post Canada. The CRA investigates five central areas of concern when it comes to real estate: Questionable fund source House flipping Unreported income Unreported capital gains and unreported taxes Tax rebates claimed on home sales Houses are pictured in Vancouver, B.C. on Sept. 22, 2016. Over $210 million was collected from cases probed in Ontario between April 2015 and September 2016. In Ontario, most of the money was recovered from audits related to rebates. In B.C., money was recovered differently — most of the cash was collected after over 300 GST/HST audits. The rest came from GST/HST cases and income tax audits. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

company i: These surface items mean nothing if they do not reflect a deeper satisfaction within the work place, according to Huffington Post Canada. So, how can burgeoning startups dig deep and ensure engaged employees and a positive environment I sat down with Shawn Konopinsky, CEO of Toronto-based Nascent to find out. But snacks do not make a culture. Q: How do you define culture within your company I don't believe there is a straightforward way to define culture. A great culture is when all team members are happy, when they are productive because they feel empowered and engaged. In fact, I don't worry about definitions and simply focus on the human part of the company, on how people are feeling and the energy within the team. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

donald trump: It seems that many of them believe their 99 seats counts as a "moral victory." The NDP should sue for breach of copyright, according to Rabble. Then there the widespread view among people within the party that the problem was their "tone." It not at all clear what they think they mean by this, but it seems to have little to do with a series of mean and bigoted policies that failed to appeal to any but the Conservative base. To hear Conservatives talk, you sometimes wonder if they know they lost at all. Everyone else knows that all these positions backfired on the Conservatives among a majority of Canadians. To be fair for a brief moment, though, even if no one cares about inequality or global warming, at least there are no reckless cranks à la Donald Trump and Boris Johnson. So here we are in the midst of choosing Stephen Harper successor -- there are too many forgettable candidates to remember, with hundreds more threatening to jump in -- and so far it seems that most have forgotten everything and learned nothing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

essay: Elsewhere on the list, Fifth Harmony Camila Cabello has been featured for her hit music and her activism, notably when she recently penned an essay about her experience when she arrived to the United States in the 2000s as an immigrant, according to Hamilton Spectator. In the essay, she wrote: "This country was built on immigrants. The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star was once again featured on TIME magazine annual list for her "willingness to experiment with outsize looks - plumping her lips, dying her hair and using bright makeup in bold combinations" whilst Jaden has been honoured for "rebelling against mainstream culture". Lush Life' hitmaker Zara has made the list for the first time and has been dubbed "one of the most promising talents in pop music" whilst Shawn Mendes also gets a nod for "conquering singles charts" across the world. People who were brave enough ... to leave behind everything we know in hopes of finding something better. Behind that wall could be the next cure for cancer." Chloe Grace Moretz certainly isn't afraid of voicing her own opinion, which is no doubt how she secured herself a slot on the list after she slammed Kim Kardashian West for her nude selfie. And so next time, when anybody wants to tell you they want to build a 'wall' on our border, remember behind that wall is struggle, determination, hunger. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

european union: Most still live in tents at about 50 refugee camps, according to The Chronicle Herald. Around 14,000 of them are confined to islands in the eastern Aegean Sea where they are being processed for potential deportation to nearby Turkey. "The leaders of Greece and the EU keep telling us this is a success, but it isn't. In the highly critical report issued Thursday, the agency commonly known by its French name, Medecins sans Frontieres, argued that the European Union and Greece had "collectively failed to establish humane and dignified reception conditions." More than 60,000 refugees and migrants — many escaping wars in Syria and Iraq — have been stranded in Greece following European border closures this year. The reception system for refugees in Greece has failed," said Loic Jaeger, country mission head for MSF. "There have been a few improvements but they are too little and too slow. How can I explain: I mean very bad," Syrian refugee Yousef Hanash said. "Can you imagine living in a tent with six persons and if you have a newborn baby how the situation will be " Hanash said he came to Europe as a last resort, unable to keep his family safe after his cheese factory was destroyed in the war and he moved around Syria. How much time should it take for the richest countries in the world to accommodate 40,000 people " At the garbage-strewn refugee camp of Ritsona, 85 kilometres north of Athens, children walk barefoot and families in tents used wooden pallets for flooring to stay above the mud and try to stay warm. "It very bad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

essay: Elsewhere on the list, Fifth Harmony Camila Cabello has been featured for her hit music and her activism, notably when she recently penned an essay about her experience when she arrived to the United States in the 2000s as an immigrant, according to Guelph Mercury. In the essay, she wrote: "This country was built on immigrants. The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star was once again featured on TIME magazine annual list for her "willingness to experiment with outsize looks - plumping her lips, dying her hair and using bright makeup in bold combinations" whilst Jaden has been honoured for "rebelling against mainstream culture". Lush Life' hitmaker Zara has made the list for the first time and has been dubbed "one of the most promising talents in pop music" whilst Shawn Mendes also gets a nod for "conquering singles charts" across the world. People who were brave enough ... to leave behind everything we know in hopes of finding something better. Behind that wall could be the next cure for cancer." Chloe Grace Moretz certainly isn't afraid of voicing her own opinion, which is no doubt how she secured herself a slot on the list after she slammed Kim Kardashian West for her nude selfie. And so next time, when anybody wants to tell you they want to build a 'wall' on our border, remember behind that wall is struggle, determination, hunger. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

european union: Most still live in tents at about 50 refugee camps, according to The Waterloo Record. Around 14,000 of them are confined to islands in the eastern Aegean Sea where they are being processed for potential deportation to nearby Turkey. "The leaders of Greece and the EU keep telling us this is a success, but it isn't. In the highly critical report issued Thursday, the agency commonly known by its French name, Medecins sans Frontieres, argued that the European Union and Greece had "collectively failed to establish humane and dignified reception conditions." More than 60,000 refugees and migrants — many escaping wars in Syria and Iraq — have been stranded in Greece following European border closures this year. The reception system for refugees in Greece has failed," said Loic Jaeger, country mission head for MSF. "There have been a few improvements but they are too little and too slow. How can I explain: I mean very bad," Syrian refugee Yousef Hanash said. "Can you imagine living in a tent with six persons and if you have a newborn baby how the situation will be " Hanash said he came to Europe as a last resort, unable to keep his family safe after his cheese factory was destroyed in the war and he moved around Syria. How much time should it take for the richest countries in the world to accommodate 40,000 people " At the garbage-strewn refugee camp of Ritsona, 85 kilometres north of Athens, children walk barefoot and families in tents used wooden pallets for flooring to stay above the mud and try to stay warm. "It very bad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.