luxury apartment: HIV/AIDS is a very big problem in my country South Africa, so I hope to stand as an advocate for that, she said before reporters after the event, according to CTV. Along with the title, Nel-Peters earned a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign and more prizes. The 22-year-old, who wants to use her reign to champion HIV/AIDS and self-defence causes, was crowned at The AXIS theatre at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. She is the second woman from her home country to earn the crown. Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the decades-old competition. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while the second runner-up was Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

colorado chain: Outrage over the message, fueled by anger over a city being dramatically transformed by an influx of newcomers, quickly spread on social media, according to CTV. A window was broken at the shop and White Coffee painted on the building and about 200 people protested there Saturday. Last week, Ink! Coffee displayed a sidewalk sign that said Happily Gentrifying the Neighborhood Since 2014 outside a store in a historically diverse neighbourhood near downtown Denver. The Colorado chain initially called the sign a bad joke but later founder Keith Herbert explained it was part of an advertising campaign. I recognize that we had a blind spot to other legitimate interpretations. In a statement, he said he saw the campaign as a way to take pride in being part of a dynamic, evolving community that is inclusive but was now embarrassed to say that he did not fully appreciate the very real and troubling issue of gentrification. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

interview guide: The data had been obtained using an interview guide that included questions specifically targeting Muslims, according to Toronto Star. The RCMP stopped using the questionnaire after the Star brought it to the attention of the force's national headquarters. The move follows a Star story last month that highlighted the federal police force's line of questioning. The information, which includes operational files as well as any audio recordings on DVD, will be held in sealed envelopes for the two years the force is required to keep the information due to privacy legislation, the RCMP wrote. Those records will be permanently redacted from electronic databases, and sealed recordings will be retained for two years after its last use for an administrative purpose and then destroyed, the RCMP wrote in a statement to the Star. In total, the RCMP said it collected 5,438 files containing a completed questionnaire or references to one. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kingdom myth: In fact, f oundation myths are the primary organizing myths of nations, says Brock University history professor Joanne Wright, because they establish a common history, a common origin, a national identity . and sanctify an imaginary beginning to the nation . 1In Canada's case, the age-old Peaceable Kingdom myth is built on the bedrock of creation stories that celebrate those brave explorers who led the way for European conquest, according to Rabble. The history of these symbolic heroes, says University of Guelph history professor Alan Gordon, is used to legitimize the possession of North America by Christian Europeans. Published by the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade COAT .by Richard Sanders View as PDFCreation myths are as important to the formation of nationalist cults as they are to formulating the identity of religious groups. Despite what Gordon calls the specious logic inherent in such claims, the narrative of these founding fathers provides a binding social myth and strengthens the bond of brotherhood that nationals are supposed to feel for one another. 2The business of constructing Canada's pantheon of mythic founders was aided in 1911 when the national archives published what it called the chief manuscript sources of the earliest history of Canada. 3 This, it said, brought together for the first time key documents about the European navigators who supposedly discovered Canada between 1497 and 1534. This official document resurfaced Cabot, and other founding European mariners, at a pivotal point in Canada's naval history. This Government of Canada publication exemplified the definitive process that Gordon described asreinvigorating and repackaging real historical people in order to fit them for the needs of the present in a continuous negotiation between history and politics.4For instance, virtually every page of this 1911 book on The Early History of the Dominion of Canada, was awash in references to the importance of seagoing ships in the creation and development of Canada as a nation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

monday afternoon: While the international community has condemned Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims as ethnic cleansing, the Catholic church has resisted the term and defended Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi as the only hope for democracy, according to Metro News. At the crowded Kutupalong refugee camp in southern Bangladesh, Mohammad Rafiq said he was very happy when he heard about the visit by Francis. Francis will be treading a difficult diplomatic line on his visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar, where he is due to arrive Monday afternoon. The 20-year-old fled Myanmar last month. We are hoping that with his talks and his efforts, we will get all of that back. Our rights, our minority community and our citizenship have been snatched by the Myanmar government, Rafiq said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pirates charting: Both Cabot and Cartier were little more than officially aggrandized criminals well-armed pirates charting the way for European kings and popes to seize control of what became known as Canada, according to Rabble. While Cabot staked the English monarchy's fictive claim to dominate North America, Cartier is celebrated for three voyages, between 1534 and 1542, which set the colonial course of history for New France. Published by Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade COAT .by Richard Sanders View as PDFBesides John Cabot, another towering figure in the pantheon of Canada's national heroes, long said to have discovered this land, is Jacques Cartier. As anthropologist Bruce Trigger noted in 1985, the era of European explorations following Cabot and Cartier, until the establishment of royal government in New France in 1663 was long seen as a Heroic Age.' The brave heroes in question were French explorers, missionaries, and settlers who performed noble deeds. Lawrence Valley, was hailed as the prototype of a bold mariner.1In his book The Hero and the Historians Historiography and the Uses of Jacques Cartier 2010 Alan Gordon documents an ebb and flow in the centuries-long manipulation of Cartier's image by a diverse array of professionals with special interests. Cartier the discoverer' of the St. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim minority: Rohingya Muslims are not officially recognized as a minority in Burma, also called Burma, even though many have lived there for generations, according to Toronto Star. Burmese officials and many among the predominantly Buddhist population reject Rohingya and are instead using Bengalis to emphasize their disputed argument that the Rohingya migrated illegally to the country from Bangladesh. As he arrived for the first papal visit to the country, speculation mainly circled around the question whether the pope would use the term Rohingya to describe the country's Muslim minority, which has been the target of a brutal military clearance operation. Burma's small Catholic community has similarly urged the pope to refrain from using the term, as such a move would likely be interpreted as foreign meddling in domestic affairs by the Burmese leadership. Article Continued Below Pope Francis had already prayed for our Rohingya brothers and sisters, ahead of his visit. But as a religious leader who has repeatedly defied the restraint his predecessors may have shown, observers believe that Pope Francis could still emphasize his support for the minority by deliberately using the factually correct but politically fraught term. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nominee program: Immigration lawyers have criticized the ownership stream of the provincial nominee program as a side door to entering the country, with over half of last year's participants losing their 150,000 deposit to the province after they didn't open a business, according to CTV. The Island Investment Development Inc., which holds the deposits for the newcomers' businesses, indicates 18 million in net revenues over the past year came from immigrant companies that defaulted on their obligation to create a business. James Aylward, the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, said in an interview Friday that the province has shown an unwillingness to review or reform the program due to millions of dollars in forfeited deposits it currently receives from immigrants who don't ultimately open a business. The figure is roughly equivalent to half of the province's additional budget for infrastructure this year. Of the remaining 92, so far about a third closed after their mandatory 12 months of operation. The province says 177 of the 296 nominees -- 56 per cent -- never opened a business at all, while a further 10 per cent didn't fulfil some conditions of their escrow agreement and forfeited their deposits. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saskatoon studio: This Ukrainian folk dance is called the Holubka, according to CBC. It's familiar territory for the dancers and their bouncing, gesticulating choreographer, Serhij Koroliuk. The men kneel and clap as a dozen female dancers float and swirl and kick across the stage at a recent rehearsal in their Saskatoon studio. Ukrainian multicultural dance felt 'tokenistic,' says Indigenous dancer CBC Asks - Cultural Appropriation Is it ever OK Three months ago, Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble faced a wave of accusations on social media for one of its other routines called Kaleidoscope, a multicultural dance that included segments from French, Indigenous and other cultures. The term is popping up with increasing frequency Halloween headdress costumes, music sampling and author Joseph Boyden's ancestry have all stirred debate. The group said the dance was created to honour Indigenous people and other cultures, but critics labelled it cultural appropriation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

service firm: First, there was the trading company that required he pay high-priced rent of 1,500 for a small apartment belonging to the firm's owner, largely using up his 2,000 salary, he says, drawing arrows back and forth on the page, according to CBC. When I refused, they just fired me.'- Chinese immigrant He shows each bank transaction for the payments on his smart phone. He is explaining life as an employee at two businesses set up under P.E.I.'s controversial business immigration system. Then, there was the more recent job at a service firm, where the owner asked him to return about 500 monthly of his salary, he added, drawing a circle around the two hours a day, to emphasize what he'd be returning in cash. I felt angry about that. When I refused, they just fired me, he said during an interview. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

favourite song: How do you celebrate a great performance Sleep The best place in Toronto to enjoy winter weather is ... It used to be DAIS, now its the homie Omar's Car, according to NOW Magazine. What's the last performance/concert you saw Jay-z and Vic Mensa. Expand What's your favourite song at the moment Feels by Snoh Allegra. Name one other New Constellations artist you think audiences should see during this nationwide tour. Describe the best gig you've ever Constellations will bring together a lineup of Canada's Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. Lido Pimienta, A Tribe Called Red, Snotty Nose Rez Kids. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

visit canada: Even when a visa is required, it's usually easy to get, according to NOW Magazine. The distinctive maple leaf on a Canadian passport is often greeted with a smile and a handshake. Out of the world's 195 countries, Canadians can travel to 172 of them without a visa. So it often comes as a surprise when friends or relatives who wish to visit Canada are refused visitor visas and denied entry. Visiting Canada is made all the more difficult by the fact that the official government guide for would-be visitors does very little to inform applicants about what is needed for a strong visa application. The reality is that while the rest of the world looks upon Canadians with warm and welcoming eyes, Canadian immigration authorities scrutinize those coming from abroad with an unexpected degree of doubt, suspicion and skepticism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bank transaction: First, there was the trading company that required he pay high-priced rent of 1,500 for a small apartment belonging to the firm's owner, largely using up his 2,000 salary, he says, drawing arrows back and forth on the page, according to Toronto Star. He shows each bank transaction for the payments on his smart phone. He is explaining life as an employee at two businesses set up under P.E.I.'s controversial business immigration system. Then, there was the more recent job at a service firm, where the owner asked him to return about 500 monthly of his salary, he added, drawing a circle around the two hours a day, to emphasize what he'd be returning in cash. I felt angry about that. Article Continued Below When I refused, they just fired me, he said during an interview. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

death certificate: That was just weeks before the final paperwork was finalized and approved to sponsor his Belgian spouse, Sophie Thewys, and her son Louis Pollack as permanent residents in Canada, according to CBC. But when his death certificate was added to the file, the approval for Thewys's permanent residence was rescinded, even though the couple had a six-year-old daughter born in Canada. Nicolas Faubert was killed Dec. 24, 2016, in a tragic accident, when his elderly mother struck him when she accelerated her vehicle instead of putting on the brakes. Canada to bring in 1 million immigrants in 3 years Liberals to scrap policy that bars sick, disabled immigrants More flexible citizenship rules kick in An e-petition sponsored by Quebec NDP MP Matthew Dub tabled earlier this year called withdrawing permanent residence status under these circumstances cruel. The nearly 1,794 signatories urged Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen to use discretionary power to grant Thewys and her son permanent residency. Forcing them to leave Canada would greatly harm the child, it read. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border dispute: A long-standing border dispute and an increased military presence in the regions triggered the recent fighting, according to Toronto Star. Officials agreed to reconcile differences in April and troops were deployed to major roads, but clashes have continued. Spokesperson Negeri Lenco says 98 people were arrested in the Oromia region and five arrested in the Somali region. Fighting in September killed several dozen people and displaced tens of thousands of Oromos. Many people fled to the forest after troops . . . entered the area. People were fighting with whatever means they have against the Somali special police, Galagalo Daalacha, an ethnic Oromo, told The Associated Press of Friday's fighting in the Borana area. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: Educated as a civil engineer and fluent in both English and French, he found adapting to life in his new city less strenuous than many who fled the violence back home for a new start in Canada, according to CTV. It was somehow easy for me to integrate, but for others it might be harder with languages and with finding jobs, he told CTV Montreal on Saturday. Jad Chanko, 25, was among the more than 40,000 Syrians who resettled in Canada under the Liberal government's 2015 promise to help those impacted by the country's civil war. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not track a number of key metrics on Syrian refugee settlement between fall 2015 and the spring of this year, according to the federal auditor general's 2017 fall report. Chanko said high unemployment is one of many challenges his fellow refugees face when they arrive in Canada. The missing markers include the number of children attending school and how many received income assistance. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dominican man: One mural features a Russian couple who founded a local liquor store empire with a Dominican man who owns an electronic repair store, according to Metro News. Another depicts an Italian catering company owner and a Mexican community activist. The murals, which began cropping up this summer, juxtapose real life Boston immigrants from past generations with more recent newcomers. The works of art also include a quote translated into Spanish, Italian, Yiddish and other languages You will always be welcome in the city of Boston. It makes people feel safe and appreciated. It's a very powerful message of welcome, says Veronica Robles, the recent Mexican immigrant featured in one of the murals. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

face deportation: They face deportation to South Korea a place that Jo said is hostile to North Korean nationals, according to Toronto Star. Part of the issue identified in the Oct. 30 letter that Jo and her husband, Myungchul Kang, received is this the South Korean government automatically grants North Koreans citizenship. Instead, she and as many as 50 other North Korean families residing across the GTA recently received letters from the federal Immigration Department informing them that their requests for permanent residency are poised to be revoked. Canada recognizes South Korea as a safe haven for refugees. They told refugee board officials they'd travelled directly from China when, in fact, they'd lived for several years in South Korea. Another issue Jo admitted at a Saturday news conference with other affected families that she and her husband weren't truthful when they arrived in Toronto as asylum seekers in 2010. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

father work: My mother and father work 12-hour shifts and still sometimes we don't get enough food at home to last us a week, said Modi, a Fargo North High School senior who plans to study music and theatre in college next year, according to Metro News. She and a group of other students, most from poor refugee families, spent the Thursday before Thanksgiving handing out turkey and cranberries to the hungry of Fargo, which welcomed their arrival from places such as Nepal, Sudan and Liberia. She and her seven siblings know what it is like to be hungry. The students, nearly all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches, recently opened a food pantry as part of the Legacy Children's Foundation, a non-profit that helps them earn diplomas while finding out what they're good at doing. There are people on the street there who are eating from garbage. I come from a little, poor country, said Fargo North sophomore Puja Chhertri, one of the food pantry organizers whose family emigrated from Nepal. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

league game: Supporters of soccer club PAOK, based in the northern city of Thessaloniki, had gathered early Sunday afternoon in Omonia Square, in the Athens centre, before a league game against Panionios, according to The Chronicle Herald. At the same time, a procession of Pakistanis celebrating the Mawlid, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, passed through the same square. Police say there have been no serious injuries and no arrests. The PAOK fans began taunting and insulting them and soon after assaulted them. Source Source The Associated Press Riot police, responsible for escorting the fans to the game's venue, intervened and the clashes ended after a few minutes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

newcomer background: Together with the Ottawa Public Library and Capital Welcomes, Sakhniya will draw up a list of easy-to-read books and short stories aimed at young newcomers aged 10 to 15, and challenge them to read as much as they can, according to CBC. The goal, he said, is to foster a love of reading and encourage English literacy skills. Now, after moving to Canada in April 2016, Sakhniya has won a 1,000 grant from Awesome Ottawa for a new literacy project called Newcomer Reads. Coming from a newcomer background, I've seen that many of our youth are not too involved in reading books, and it's really something that makes my heart a bit broken, he said. Syrian children find comfort in numbers at Ottawa elementary school Syrian refugees clean Ottawa park to say thank you to community that welcomed them Sakhniya said as a child, reading wasn't a big part of his life. It's something I really want to change. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

riot police: Supporters of soccer club PAOK, based in the northern city of Thessaloniki, had gathered early Sunday afternoon in Omonia Square, in the Athens centre before a league game against Panionios, according to Metro News. At the same time, a procession of Pakistanis celebrating the Mawlid, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, passed through the same square. Police say there have been no serious injuries and no arrests. The PAOK fans began taunting and insulting them and soon after assaulted them. Riot police, responsible for escorting the fans to the game's venue, intervened and the clashes ended after a few minutes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syria crisis: Today that number has dropped significantly and organizations like Refugee 613 are trying to remind Ottawa that, while the Syria crisis is no longer top of mind, there's still a need for refugee sponsorships of Syrians and people in need from other parts of the world, according to CBC. We want to make sure sponsorship becomes embedded as a regular part of community life'- Louisa Taylor, Refugee 613 Louisa Taylor, co-founder and president of Refugee 613, said the outpouring of support for refugees two years ago was so massive that the only place to go was down. That photo spurred Ottawans into action, and refugee sponsorships jumped in the fall of 2015 and into 2016. She said she isn't concerned about the drop in support, although she is a little disappointed. We want to make sure sponsorship becomes embedded as a regular part of community life. But I also know that we did an incredible job of doing far more than we had done for a long time, Taylor told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadians struggle: Despite a strong economy, he said not everyone is getting a share of that success as Canadians struggle to find jobs that pay a living wage, according to National Observer. Over the past three decades, he said most Canadians saw their incomes grow by less than one per cent a year in real terms while the wealthiest less than one tenth of a per cent of the population saw their incomes nearly triple. Trudeau said that on the country's 150th anniversary, the promise of progress has become increasingly elusive. We have to tell the truth about income inequality and what it means for Canadians, he said. He added As uncomfortable as it might be to talk about it, it's a lot more uncomfortable to live it. We're Canadian and we're polite and we don't like to talk too much about money because it might make someone uncomfortable. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee status: Refugee status means that you have nowhere to go, you can not be protected by your home state, the prime minister said, according to National Observer. It's not just a question of, 'I'm looking for an economic future, so I want to come to Canada.' The Immigration and Refugee Board is working its way through more than 14,000 cases lodged by people who've crossed illegally into Canada from the U.S. since February. Statistics released this week show that of the 298 Haitian cases that had been heard by the end of October, only 29 were granted protection. So far, they've heard 1,572 and the overall acceptance rate is about 60 per cent. But though that country has economic challenges, it's far from a failed state, Trudeau noted. Haitians make up the majority of claims. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aliona savchenko: Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot were third at 72.55 despite Massot's fall on a triple salchow, according to CBC. While Canada's Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro finished seventh with 59.97. Duhamel and Radford scored 75.37, beating China's Yu Xiaoyu Yu and Zhang Hao at 73.67. Duhamel said the 2014 Grand Prix Final winners felt tight, and they struggled with their twist. The Canadians didn't think they'd stepped back. The two-time world champions won at Skate Canada this year but were disappointed to lose levels on three elements Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.