increase affordability: Anne McMullin, the CEO of the Urban Development Institute, was left to sing that same old song we need more supply to increase affordability, according to Vancouver Courier. She also predicted that adding or increasing taxes such as the foreign buyers' tax will only drive prices up. So I find it amusing to watch while people set their hair on fire over the provincial government's modest attempts to cool down the real estate market.article continues below Trending Stories Pregnant woman's split-second heroics prevented suicide attempt on Granville bridge Province extends ability to get non-photo BC Services card Man kicks librarian in stomach at homeless housing meeting Greater Vancouver home prices to drop 21 per cent by 2019 analysisrelatedNDP taking housing affordability seriously with budget, says business prof Four in five British Columbians support new real estate taxes Robin Hood budget designed to take from rich and give to poor The influx of Chinese excuse me foreign capital has been at the heart of escalating real estate values here and many places around the globe. But the simple fact is, as a number of academics have concluded, and the Globe and Mail's Kerry Gold has reported, the problem is not supply it is a matter of the right kind of supply. But it is the kind of supply that appeals to wealthy foreign and domestic speculators not your average working stiff. We produce more new units of housing per person coming into Metro Vancouver than Toronto or Calgary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tours february: ARRIVALS DEPARTURES. A festival that explores intersectional perspectives of Toronto through collaborative exhibitions, events, workshops and tours, according to NOW Magazine. February 25-March 31, launch party 7-9 pm on March 6 RSVP . Most events are free. Images courtesy of the artist. More info here. The theme of this year's festival is arrivals and departures, and a number of the city's creative artists and organizations have interpreted it in unique and surprising ways. The 2018 Myseum Intersections festival has arrived with a lineup of projects and events that showcase how Toronto is delving deeper into discussions around issues of identity, community and gentrification. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abortion access: The American Civil Liberties Union, which released Lloyd's deposition, has sued the government alleging that it is unlawfully restricting minors from having abortions, according to Metro News. Lloyd said in the deposition that he had not approved any abortions since becoming ORR director in March 2017. Scott Lloyd, the director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement, gave a deposition in December as part of an ongoing lawsuit over abortion access for immigrant minors. That has led to several instances where the ACLU has gone to court on behalf of pregnant teens. In December, a federal judge allowed two other teens to have abortions, and a fourth minor who wanted an abortion was released in January and became free to obtain one on her own. An immigrant teen in Texas obtained an abortion in October after a federal appeals court overruled ORR's objections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian state: If only that were true, according to Metro News. For the fifth year in a row, Ebrahim Toure remains in immigration detention. During his January town-hall tour, the prime minister described Canada's immigration system as one based on rules and principles but that it is also compassionate and reflects on individual case. He is now Canada's longest-serving immigration detainee. As Robin Maynard writes in Policing Black Lives, Though all incarceration is harmful, it is particularly jarring that this level of deprivation may be inflicted on human beings for administrative' purposes alone. He is a captive of the Canadian state, not for any crime, but because immigration officials believe that he will not show up for his deportation, if they can ever arrange it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

december tweets: If the case eventually reaches trial and she's convicted, Le Pen could face up to three years in prison and 75,000 euros 117,000 Cdn in fines, according to CBC. Le Pen's December 2015 tweets showed executions by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria extremists, including the killing of American reporter James Foley. The prosecutor's office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said the charges were issued Thursday for distribution of violent images. She posted them in the wake of the November 2015 ISIS attacks on Paris, accusing the government of not doing enough to protect France. Marine Le Pen courts controversy again with ISIS execution tweets Marine Le Pen warns of Islamic fundamentalism in wake of Brussels attacks Lawyer Rodolphe Bosselut, representing Le Pen in the case, confirmed the charges but wouldn't comment. Le Pen didn't comment publicly on Thursday's preliminary charges, made possible after the French parliament lifted her immunity from prosecution in the case late last year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

elite eb: In March 2001, she was granted a green card in the elite EB-1 program, which was designed for renowned academic researchers, multinational business executives or those in other fields, such as Olympic athletes and Oscar-winning actors, who demonstrated sustained national and international acclaim, according to Toronto Star. We called it the Einstein visa, said Bruce Morrison, a former Democratic congressman and chairman of the House subcommittee that wrote the Immigration Act of 1990 defining EB-1. Knauss' credentials included runway shows in Europe, a Camel cigarette billboard ad in Times Square and in her biggest job at the time a spot in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated, which featured her on the beach in a string bikini, hugging a six-foot inflatable whale. The year that Knauss now first lady Melania Trump got her legal residency, only five people from Slovenia received green cards under the EB-1 program, according to the State Department. Melania Trump's ability to secure her green card not only set her on the path to U.S. citizenship, but put her in the position to sponsor the legal residency of her parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs. Article Continued Below In all, of the more than one million green cards issued in 2001, just 3,376 or a fraction of 1 per cent were issued to immigrants with extraordinary ability, according to government statistics. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

first-out basis: The 60-day rule was put into place by the previous Conservative government in 2012, according to Toronto Star. It required officials at IRB to process asylum claimants in order of their designated country of origin. People wanting to claim asylum will now be processed on a first-in, first-out basis. Moreover, decision makers within the board had to process claims within two months. I am not a generous person. A generous analysis would say those changes were meant to improve procedural efficiency. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hispanics: According to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 57 percent of Americans think Trump's policies have been bad for Muslims, and 56 percent think they've been bad for Hispanics, according to CTV. Forty-seven percent, including three-quarters of blacks, think they've been bad for African Americans. More than half think his policies have made things worse for Hispanics and Muslims, and nearly half say they've made things worse for African Americans. Fifty-seven percent of all adults, including more than 8 in 10 blacks, three-quarters of Hispanics and nearly half of whites, said they think Trump is racist. The results show a stark divide on racial issues gripping the country during the presidency of Trump, who has made divisive comments after a white nationalist rally, called African nations shitholes, and promised to build a wall along the Mexican border to prevent immigrants from entering the country illegally. Eighty-five percent of Democrats consider Trump racist, but just 21 percent of Republicans agree. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

indian language: My kids have never visited India, according to Toronto Star. They don't know how to speak Urdu, the language I grew up with, or Malayalam, the south Indian language of my husband's family. And if they do, what exactly have they lost These are questions I and my fellow second generation immigrant friends wonder and worry about for our children. They also have no spicy-Indian-food game, and any time I make biryani or rajmah or palak paneer, they ask what else they can eat for dinner. In China, the saying is wealth never survives three generations. They do like butter chicken, but when a curry is also a pizza-and-poutine topping choice, it loses its cultural authenticity.A well-known Italian idiom, shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves in three generations, refers to the accumulation and loss of wealth across generations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shaming: We're living in a time when sexual assault and fat shaming are both concepts receiving a lot of attention, according to Rabble. While sexual assault has dominated headlines and those headlines appear to be affecting behaviour and in some cases, laws, a larger discussion of fat shaming hasn't quite broken through to the mainstream in the same way. Justice Braun said, you could say she's a little overweight, but she has a pretty face, huh and went on to suggest that perhaps the victim was a little flattered by the sexual attention, implying that her size made her unattractive to most men. In Canada, size is still an acceptable basis for discrimination, not protected by human rights legislation. And in certain lights, the two issues are different sides of the same sexist coin. It ought to be. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

november order: The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sued Indiana, arguing Pence's order illegally targeted Syrians based on their nationality and violated the U.S. Constitution and federal law, according to Metro News. Pratt temporarily blocked Pence's order in February 2016, saying it clearly discriminates against Syrian refugees.A federal appeals court sided with Pratt in October 2016. Pence cited terrorism fears in issuing a November 2015 order barring state agencies from making payments to help relocate Syrians to Indiana. This story has been corrected to show the judge's first name is spelled Tanya, not Tonya. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sector analysts: Two of the budget's most prominent statistics are not part of the government's balance sheet, or its taxing or spending plans, according to Rabble. They are figures provided by private sector analysts as to the economic value of enhancing women's equality and participation in the workforce. This budget focuses on women, not just from an equity or a social justice point of view, but from an economic perspective. First, federal finance minister Bill Morneau quotes his good friends at the global consulting firm McKinsey, who estimate that by taking steps to advance greater equality for women Canada could add 150 billion to its economy. Canadian women are more likely to work part-time than men; they face a wage gap vis- -vis men; and are underrepresented in positions of leadership. He then cites the Royal Bank of Canada's estimate that adding more women to the workforce could add as much as four per cent to Canada's gross domestic product GDP . The minister goes on to frankly describe the many and high barriers that make it difficult for women to fully succeed in today's economy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

support organization: Now she is one of seven founders of a new association catering to the needs of immigrant investors, according to CBC. The New Brunswick Business Immigrants Association, launching Thursday night at the Fredericton Convention Centre, will be a support organization for newcomers who want to start a business here but don't know where to begin, she said. Rahmeh fled Syria six years ago and previously made news because of her support for more recent Syrian newcomers. For the time being, Rahmeh said, the association will be helping establish business plans, connecting new immigrants with the right people and supporting them if they need guidance or translation and interpretation. The association will be launched Thursday evening at the Fredericton Convention Centre. Rahmeh says and other immigrants want to share their knowledge of the business landscape in New Brunswick. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thought-provoking perspective: It's a story of two Canadian detectives who are investigating the disappearance of a missing woman who was working to fast track Syrian refugees to Canada, according to Rabble. It's fiction, but based on a tragic reality.A Dangerous Crossing offers a thought-provoking perspective on the Syrian refugee crisis as told in the form of a novel about Canadians investigating an NGO worker's disappearance near the Turkish-Syrian border. It's a social justice thriller. Usma Zehanat Khan is the book's author. With a PhD in International Human Rights Law, Khan practiced immigration law and taught human rights law for years before becoming an author. She brings a unique set of qualifications to her career as a writer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rais peace: He later told the police he wanted to avenge the deaths of victims of 9/11 and had shot his victims because they looked like people of Muslim descent, according to National Observer. Who expects this kind of rhetoric in 2018 We don't live in the 1930s and 40s anymore, Rais4peace - an American human rights activist, told clogouj - in response to a question about political leaders who spread fear and hate. His attacker, Mark Stroman, shot and killed two other men. Bhuiyan survived and forgave his attacker. Bhuiyan launched a major campaign with Amnesty International to plead for his clemency. Stroman had been found guilty and was on death row in Texas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

teens-in-trouble genre: Opens Friday March 2 . See listing, according to NOW Magazine. Rating NNNDarren Curtis's Boost doesn't break any new ground, but then I don't think it's trying to. Some subtitles. It's another one of those thrillers about teenage friends whose impulsive behaviour sets them on a collision course with real criminals. Boost isn't bad, though, and a lot of it is pretty good. There are hundreds of movies like it the teens-in-trouble genre has been chugging along steadily since the delinquent cycle of the 50s and most of them are pretty bad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year history: But a new Vital Signs report from the Toronto Foundation, which pools philanthropic dollars to support community initiatives, poses a critical question the best city to live in for whom For the first time in its 16-year history, the report applied an equity lens to its data from hundreds of sources across 10 areas such as housing, health, transit and the environment, to provide a snapshot of the issues impacting people in the city, according to NOW Magazine. Its findings, released at a press conference Wednesday February 28 at George Brown College's Waterfront Campus, reveal that Toronto is going to have to radically shift gears on how it sees itself if it's going to succeed in being a liveable city for all its residents. It even took the top spot in The Economist's Safe Cities Index in 2015. The report points out that not only does the quality of life for Torontonians vary dramatically depending on neighbourhood, income, race, immigration status, gender, sexual identity and age, those differences are becoming more marked. In the area of wealth, there is nearly three times the number of households living on less than 20,000 per year than there are those living on 100,000 per year or more. For example, the report cites data on income, finding that on average racialized men earn approximately 15,000 less than non-racialized men, while racialized women earn 10,000 less than their non-racialized counterparts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

half: According to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 57 per cent of Americans think Trump's policies have been bad for Muslims, and 56 per cent think they've been bad for Hispanics, according to The Chronicle Herald. Forty-seven per cent, including three-quarters of blacks, think they've been bad for African Americans. More than half think his policies have made things worse for Hispanics and Muslims, and nearly half say they've made things worse for African Americans. Fifty-seven per cent of all adults, including more than 8 in 10 blacks, three-quarters of Hispanics and nearly half of whites, said they think Trump is racist. The results show a stark divide on racial issues gripping the country during the presidency of Trump, who has made divisive comments after a white nationalist rally, called African nations shitholes, and promised to build a wall along the Mexican border to prevent immigrants from entering the country illegally. Eighty-five per cent of Democrats consider Trump racist, but just 21 per cent of Republicans agree. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

gal gadot: Exciting News! the veteran actor tweeted when he and Gal Gadot, Mark Hamill, Eva Marie Saint and others were announced as presenters for the telecast hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, according to CTV. I'm so honored! Thank you! https //t.co/ihoUMHuhr6 Wes Studi Wesley Studi February 22, 2018 I see it as an acceptance of my participation in the business over a number of years, Studi said this week from his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. But the actor, among the few Native Americans included in the ceremony's 90-year history, has reason to feel like a winner. It's like being invited to the party. It's a time when we're all hopefully embracing the diversity of the world we live in, and Hollywood has a way of reflecting that, he said. It also signifies something larger, said Studi, whose credits include Avatar, The Last of the Mohicans and Dances with Wolves. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

i need: I'm lucky to be in a position to raise my voice for Abdi, and I have made many sacrifices so I can speak as openly as I need to for Black people across Canada.I regularly meet Black folks who encourage me to speak out, who say they cannot for fear of compromising themselves, especially in their workplaces, according to Toronto Star. While I truly understand how they feel, I also believe that Abdi is still in Canada because Black Canadians and many others have publicly told the government to stop his deportation. The exchange I had with Minister Ahmed Hussen that morning was like many with government officials he asked for more information and agreed to follow up.I feel responsible for what happens to Abdoul Abdi, 24, a refugee who came to Nova Scotia from Somalia at age 6, was taken into the child welfare system, and never got his citizenship because the government, his legal guardian, never applied for it. People who are not free to make such demands, or who refuse to, can never propel the libratory changes Black people in Canada need.A new group calling itself the Federation of Black Canadians FBC is led by well-connected Black people who cannot, or who choose not to demand Abdi's freedom. This obvious fact, bears repeating given the sudden rise of the previously unknown FBC. The FBC is led by chairperson Donald McLeod, a sitting judge in the Ontario Court of Justice. I don't believe the judges, police officers and corrections officials who helped create FBC can speak to Abdi's particular situation, nor do I think they can openly critique their own institutions the courts, the prison system, the law enforcement regime without jeopardizing their careers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

building communities: Recent domestic and international events, like the rise of ultra nationalist movements and protests against immigration, visible minorities and religious minorities, remind us that standing up for diversity and building communities where everyone feels included are as important today as they ever were, the budget said in laying out the overarching goals of the funding, according to CTV. The first piece 23 million more over two years for multiculturalism programming that includes the formation of a new, national anti-racism plan, but that will also be spent through community organizations to assist with integration efforts in tandem with the Liberals' decision to increase immigration levels over the next three years. Funds for multiculturalism programs, initiatives for the Black Canadian community and a new centre to better analyze and collect data on diversity and inclusion were all included in Tuesday's budget, a clear acknowledgment on the part of the Trudeau government that the current global climate is putting the prime minister's diversity is our strength mantra to the test. Details will be made public in the coming months, said Heritage Minister Melanie Joly. We decided to really invest. Joly said diversity and inclusion are fundamental for the government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health care: Foster care and family reunification were also prioritized, according to Toronto Star. Article Continued Below react-text 171 Finance Minister Bill Morneau receives an ovation while delivering the federal budget in the House of Commons Tuesday. /react-text Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS Science and the environment The government committed 3.2 billion over five years for science and research, including upgrading outdated laboratory facilities, harnessing the power of Big Data, and encouraging more female entrepreneurs. Indigenous communities The government dedicated 4.1 billion over five years to Indigenous peoples, with an emphasis on infrastructure housing and water, specifically child welfare, health care and employment training. A new conservation fund was created. Library and Archives Canada Ottawa announced its support for a new joint facility that will house the national library and Ottawa public library. Female refugees The government increased its overseas humanitarian aid budget by 2 billion over five years; 1,000 refugee women and girls from conflict zones will be supported and brought in. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration consultant: Small claims cases cause big headaches for some people trying to collect their money Ms, according to CBC. Codina's behaviour not only affected victims but also impacted the immigration system and society at large, said Crown prosecutor Lynda Trefler at a sentencing hearing on Monday. Angelina Codina was convicted of five charges in November, including advising clients on immigration matters without being authorized to do so and misrepresenting facts on an immigration application. CBC Toronto has reported on a number of cases involving people who had hoped to bring their relatives to Canada but now say they were bilked by Codina, who had represented herself as an immigration consultant for tens of thousands of dollars. In 2000, she was convicted of grand larceny in New York State and sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison. Police bring 7 new charges against alleged immigration fraudster Toronto woman accused of bilking immigration clients Codina has had several run-ins with the law in the past. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police car: Homan said the Justice Department is looking into whether Schaaf obstructed justice, according to Metro News. The mayor's unusual public warning last weekend came hours before the agency launched an operation in Northern California that resulted in more than 150 arrests as of Tuesday, according to the agency. Thomas Homan, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's acting director, told Fox News that the mayor's warning on Twitter was beyond the pale and compared her to a gang lookout who tells people when a police car is arriving. The agency declined to elaborate on the 800 who allegedly got away or answer other questions about the operation that began Sunday. John Torres, the agency's director during the end of George W. Bush's administration and beginning of Barack Obama's, said agents generally capture about 40 per cent of people they target in such sweeps. Danielle Bennett, an agency spokeswoman, said more information would be released later in the week. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohingya genocide: One of the laureates, Yemen's Tawakkol Karman, urged Suu Kyi to wake up or face prosecution, according to CTV. Her two colleagues -- Northern Ireland's Mairead Maguire and Iran's Shirin Ebadi -- promised to work to bring those responsible to justice. The laureates, who are on a weeklong trip to Bangladesh to visit the sprawling refugee camps where the Rohingya are living, said at a news conference in Dhaka that their fellow Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi cannot avoid responsibility. All of them were emotionally charged as they unanimously called the violence against Rohingya genocide. Millions of people have been displaced from their cities, women have been raped, all the women, we met like 100 women, all of them have been raped. There is no other definition, it is genocide, genocide against innocent people, Karman said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state law: After inmates suspected of being in the country illegally have been ordered released by a court or served their sentence, the suit says Elder's department files a form indicating they are now housing the inmates on behalf of the federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, according to Metro News. Courts in several states have ruled that sheriffs cannot hold people on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without violating the 4th Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure. The complaint in Colorado District Court alleges that El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder holds prisoners in custody for days, weeks and even months after state law requires their release. In 2015, following a settlement with a suburban Denver sheriff's office, the ACLU announced that all Colorado sheriffs other than Elder had agreed to no longer honour ICE detainer requests. It's an attempt to get around the legal obstacles courts have erected to sheriffs assisting with immigration enforcement. The Trump administration has begun a test program in Florida in which they contract with local jails to hold immigrants using the same paperwork as in El Paso County. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.