border: A month earlier, in March, 1,970 asylum seekers entered Canada in between official border crossings, according to Toronto Star. An RCMP officer stands guard at the border leading into Canada from the United States near Champlain, NY, in April. The federal government said the number of people intercepted by the RCMP while crossing the border in April jumped 30 per cent to 2,560. Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS In previous months, the number of people crossing illegally into Canada from the United States has been steady at around 1,500 each month. Last month, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said he intended to travel to Nigeria in an attempt to spread the message that people who arrive in Canada and to not meet the threshold required for obtaining political asylum will be returned to their countries. The vast majority of those entering the country in April 2,479 people arrived in the province of Quebec. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian-looking park: Plans call for an off-leash dog park at 825 Agnes St. in New Westminster, B.C., to become a Chinese memorial park to honour the city's long-displaced, once-booming Chinatown, according to Toronto Star. Screencap Google Maps Street View We want to share the history of this site, and the lack of historical and heritage sensitivity, Bill Chu, founder of Canadians for Reconciliation, said in a phone interview. Tensions around how to recognize that history which was displaced by authorities in the early 20th century are boiling over as some community members say there hasn't been adequate input from the actual Chinese community. If we don't have that, the whole thing will deteriorate further into any Canadian-looking park out there. The city displaced its once-booming Chinatown, which was larger in its prime than Vancouver's. The park, at 825 Agnes St., was once home to a building known as the Chinese Old Man's Home, which was the site of New Westminster's Chinese Benevolent Association a place Chu said served as the Chinese community's central gathering and services site, including a seniors' home, health facilities, meeting place and more. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cent increase: Out of 7,612 people who crossed illegally into the country during the first four months of the year, 7,307 came into Quebec 2,479 in April alone, a 32 per cent increase from March, according to The Chronicle Herald. Manitoba and British Columbia received the remainder, with about 150 asylum seekers each entering those provinces so far in 2018. The rapid increase in the number is spurring calls from politicians in the province and community groups for Ottawa to change an agreement with the United States they say is encouraging people to get into Canada outside official ports of entry. The Quebec government said projections suggested there could be as many as 400 crossings per day this summer, compared to 250 in 2017. Stephan Reichhold, director of a Montreal-based group that represents 140 Quebec organizations working with refugees, immigrants and people without status, said it's unclear exactly why Nigerians are coming to Canada in greater numbers. In recent months, the number of new arrivals has increased dramatically, with many would-be refugees coming from Nigeria after spending only short periods of time in the United States before boarding buses destined for the border. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dna technology: AP Explains A look at DNA-sharing services and privacy He claims you're not Scottish after all, according to The Chronicle Herald. A DNA test says you're Italian! You immediately trash your whisky and haggis and throw together a big lasagna while pouring Chianti for all. According to our DNA, we're not who we think we are. This is the comical portrayal of ethnic identity you see every day in ads for companies providing DNA-based genealogical services, promising to tell stunned North Americans who, supposedly, they really are. Maybe if we went back far enough using DNA technology, we might find we're actually Italian or Greek or Kenyan. I find the commercials ludicrous, maybe because I have a sense of personal identity with family roots going back to Port Royal in 1692. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec leaders: More than 7,300 of them have entered Quebec, while Ontario and British Columbia received the remainder, about 150 asylum seekers each, so far in 2018, according to CTV. Quebec leaders have urged the federal government to help pay costs associated with the overrepresentation of asylum seekers in the province. The RCMP's latest figures on the number of illegal border crossers indicate 7,612 people entered the country outside official ports of entry during the first four months of 2018. The province's official opposition has called on Ottawa to suspend an agreement with the United States that it says encourages would-be refugees to enter outside official border crossings. The agreement allows both countries to turn back asylum seekers at border crossings except when they enter through an illegal point of entry. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said earlier this month his government was in exploratory talks with the U.S. to reopen the so-called Safe Third Country Agreement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ontario campaign: The news organizations' management had a less enlightened motive, according to Rabble. They knew the Trump story would help boost ratings and readership. Reporters, hosts, editors and producers for news organizations such as CNN may have believed their obsessive and never-ending coverage of Trump served the purpose of exposing a lying charlatan and bully for what he is. As it turns out, all that media attention did not serve to expose and thus fatally wound Trump. Up to this point, we have been seeing a repeat of that same syndrome in coverage of the Ontario campaign. Quite the contrary, it provided oxygen to his campaign. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

simeon monastery: It dawned on me that the flag was a large fig leaf, trying to cover up the fact that the house belongs to Palestinians, none of whom have been allowed to live in their homes since the 1948 war, according to The Chronicle Herald. In 2007, I rented an apartment in Katamon while on sabbatical from Queen's University. In the weeks between Israel's Independence Day and Jerusalem Day, it is common to see Israeli flags on houses and cars, but the size of this flag on a side street was startling. As an Israeli Jerusalemite, I knew about the famous battle at Katamon's St. But I knew nothing about pre-1948. Simeon Monastery, and that the neighbourhood housed Jewish refugees from the Old City after the war. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

statement saturday: Doug Ford is completely supportive of new Canadians and immigration policies that welcome immigrants, she said, according to CTV. Ford Nation is a diverse group of supporters, including strong support in immigrant communities. In a statement Saturday, Ford's campaign spokeswoman Melissa Lantsman said the leader's comments at the debate are being mischaracterized by his political opponents. During Friday's northern debate, Ford said the government would have to exhaust every option for employing locals before relying on immigrants to fill jobs in sparsely populated areas. We need immediate policies to help those currently living in these communities, she said. Lantsman said Ford is open to the northern Ontario immigration program but believes that people in the north have felt left behind. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

voter: In the last election, the average voter turnout share of voters on the voters' list who cast a ballot was barely over 50 per cent, according to CTV. That's down considerably over the past 40 years when about two-thirds of voters cast a ballot. Who votes It's a question that comes up every election and it's an important one. But aside from highlighting a significant drop in voter turnout, that stat alone doesn't tell us much. But do the numbers bear this out Is this true of all voters or does it vary depending on where they live and what they believe Are there other important differences that can be used to help predict voter behaviour at the ballot box The work we do here at Environics Analytics can help answer those questions. Conventional wisdom suggests older voters are most likely to turn up at the ballot box than younger people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chinese cuisine: The manager told me, this is Chinese-oriented; nobody comes here for food outside of Chinese cuisine,' smiled Akhavan as she recalled that first meeting, according to Vancouver Courier. And I don't know Chinese people, their culture and eating habits, she said. President Plaza, at Cambie and No.3 roads, is a den of small shops and family kitchens, and is one of Richmond's best kept foodie secrets.article continues below Trending Stories Seventy sinful years of the Penthouse Nightclub Lifetime bans introduced for weapons infractions at Granville Street bars Vancouver's Aboriginal relations manager resigns to run Ian Campbell's mayoral campaign Christie Charles named Vancouver's first Indigenous poet laureate The mall has long sold exclusively Chinese products and food, and the plaza's authentic breakfasts are revered within Richmond's Chinese community. I told myself, I know it's going to be very challenging, but I will make it and convince everyone that my idea and menu is gonna work. Now, she tosses kebabs and serves up rice with her brother David, who used to be a chef in Germany. Akhavan wowed the management with an exquisite tray of her Iranian food samples, soon becoming the proud owner of AnAr, the only restaurant selling non-Chinese food in President Plaza's bustling food court. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec government: Manitoba and British Columbia received the remainder, with about 150 asylum seekers each entering those provinces so far in 2018, according to Vancouver Courier. The Quebec government said projections suggested there could be as many as 400 crossings per day this summer, compared to 250 in 2017. The rapid increase in the number is spurring calls from politicians in the province and community groups for Ottawa to change an agreement with the United States they say is encouraging people to get into Canada outside official ports of entry.article continues below Trending Stories Seventy sinful years of the Penthouse Nightclub Lifetime bans introduced for weapons infractions at Granville Street bars Vancouver's Aboriginal relations manager resigns to run Ian Campbell's mayoral campaign Christie Charles named Vancouver's first Indigenous poet laureate Out of 7,612 people who crossed illegally into the country during the first four months of the year, 7,307 came into Quebec 2,479 in April alone, a 32 per cent increase from March. In recent months, the number of new arrivals has increased dramatically, with many would-be refugees coming from Nigeria after spending only short periods of time in the United States before boarding buses destined for the border. There have been very little decisions taken regarding the recent arrivals by the immigration and refugee board, he said. Stephan Reichhold, director of a Montreal-based group that represents 140 Quebec organizations working with refugees, immigrants and people without status, said it's unclear exactly why Nigerians are coming to Canada in greater numbers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rideau hall: Gen, according to Vancouver Courier. Julie Payette will host the Michener Awards ceremony at Rideau Hall on June 12 where the winner of the 2017 Michener Award will be announced.article continues below Trending Stories Seventy sinful years of the Penthouse Nightclub Couple on work visa stranded after their car stolen along with passports, all their possessions Massive fire destroys East Vancouver printing business Amanda Tapping on coping with miscarriage Cogeco Media is nominated for work by reporters Monic Neron and Emilie Perreault at Montreal radio station 98.5FM. They earned the trust of 10 women, who risked their careers to go on record and speak openly about alleged harassment and sexual assault suffered at the hands of Just For Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon.CBC Edmonton's Jennie Russell and Charles Rusnell uncovered serious irregularities involving grants to Pure North, a private health foundation of a wealthy Calgary oilman. Gov. Following CBC's series, the government cancelled the clinic's funding, and Health Canada and the Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta launched investigations.A Global News team exposed serious flaws in the way Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada handled permanent residency applications for people with disabilities and medical conditions. Globe and Mail reporter Grant Robertson discovered some marijuana companies were cutting corners by using illegal toxic pesticides and scores of consumers were becoming seriously ill. The multi-platform investigation revealed that immigration officials used faulty and outdated academic research to determine a cost threshold and each year rejected as many as 450 viable applicants as medically inadmissible. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadians i: I'm a huge supporter of new Canadians, according to Toronto Star. I'm a huge supporter of new immigrants coming into this country, trying to make their own way, he added, claiming Ford Nation is the most diverse group anywhere in Canada. My opponents are playing politics, you know that, Ford told reporters Saturday at a central Etobicoke retirement home, where he promised a 98-million dental care program for 100,000 low-income seniors if he is elected premier on June 7. Read more Anybody-but-Ford movement is percolating as June 7 election nears poll Article Continued Below Here are the four candidates wanting to be Ontario's next premier, and what they're promising Opinion Shree Paradkar Among Doug Ford's PCs, yet another candidate with bigoted views emerges The controversy made headlines Friday after a leaders debate on northern Ontario issues, where Ford said he had concerns about duplicating a federal pilot project in Atlantic Canada to lure newcomers to sparsely populated parts of Ontario. react-empty 166 I'd be more than happy to sit down and talk to the folks and look at a pilot project. Once we take care of our own and we exhaust every single avenue and we don't have anyone that can fulfil the job, then I'd be open to that. But, No. 1 I'm a pretty generous guy I'm taking care of our own first, Ford told delegates to a conference held by the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

family members: Another 41 people were injured, according to CTV. Indonesia's president condemned the attacks as barbaric. At least seven people died at the churches in Surabaya along with the six family members, the youngest of whom were girls aged 9 and 12, according to police. National police chief Tito Karnavian said that the father detonated a car bomb, two sons aged 18 and 16 used a motorcycle for their attack, and the mother and her two daughters wore explosives. IS claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency. Karnavian said the family had returned to Indonesia from Syria, where until recently the Islamic State group controlled significant territory. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mosque: My wife and I work daily with numerous newcomers and dear friends from Syria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Kenya and other troubled places, according to Toronto Star. They enrich our lives, and bring so much vibrant colour to the tapestry that is our community. There is nothing more antiseptic than the power of the sun, and bringing to light such horrible events as you do is so important and helpful to fighting racism. We are welcomed at the mosque and in homes like brothers and sisters. After the dreadful 2017 attack on worshippers at a mosque in Quebec, their reaction was fear, disbelief and deep sadness, but never an expression of anger, which caused me to question my own anger about the event. The love and tolerance of these new Canadians is astounding considering what so many have suffered. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

michael ferguson: That's more than seven times the number of on-site inspections conducted during the same period in 2016-17, according to The Chronicle Herald. It's all part of the government's effort to address oversight concerns with the temporary foreign worker program flagged last year by auditor general Michael Ferguson. Since the start of the year, roughly 1,600 employers have been flagged as high-risk employers and selected for inspections by the Employment and Social Development Department, with more than 1,340 on-site inspections launched and in various stages of completion. Employers often hired temporary foreign workers without first demonstrating they had exhausted all other options for finding local workers, and applications were frequently approved without being challenged, Ferguson found. Those inspections that did go ahead were flawed, since employers always had prior warning, Ferguson concluded. He also found enforcement officers lacked access to sufficient data to ensure employers were being honest about local labour availability, and rarely conducted on-site inspections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

oval-shaped bugs: Anijleh's two kids, Samer, 8, and Joudi, 11, would be up all night crying and scratching, according to Toronto Star. Then one day they discovered the culprits small, flat oval-shaped bugs on the baseboards and under the mattresses. Soon after Khaldoun Anijleh and his family moved into their first home in Canada, they started to get itchy red bumps and painful blisters on their bodies. We had no idea what a bedbug was because we had no bedbugs in Syria, said the 32-year-old butcher, who settled in Hamilton's east end in January 2016 after spending a few weeks in temporary housing at a Toronto hotel. The family had previously spent four years as refugees in Jordan after fleeing the civil war in their homeland. The Anijlehs were among 40,000 Syrian refugees who came to Canada between the fall of 2015 and the spring of 2017 as part of Ottawa's historic resettlement program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

superhero blockbuster: Globally the film has now grossed over 1.6 billion 200 million of which was from its massive opening in China this weekend, according to The Chronicle Herald. It's now the fifth highest grossing film of all time worldwide. The Walt Disney Studios on Sunday estimates that Infinity War has added 61.8 million from North American theatres bringing its total domestic earnings to 547.8 million. The superhero blockbuster overpowered newcomers like the Melissa McCarthy comedy Life of the Party and the Gabrielle Union thriller Breaking In, both of which were strategically timed to debut on Mother's Day weekend. In a distant second, Life of the Party earned an estimated 18.5 million, which is a few million short of some of McCarthy's other comedy collaborations with husband Ben Falcone like Tammy and The Boss. Both films drew overwhelmingly female audiences, too. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

worker program: That's more than seven times the number of on-site inspections conducted during the same period in 2016-17, according to CTV. It's all part of the government's effort to address oversight concerns with the temporary foreign worker program flagged last year by auditor general Michael Ferguson. Since the start of the year, roughly 1,600 employers have been flagged as high-risk employers and selected for inspections by the Employment and Social Development Department, with more than 1,340 on-site inspections launched and in various stages of completion. Employers often hired temporary foreign workers without first demonstrating they had exhausted all other options for finding local workers, and applications were frequently approved without being challenged, Ferguson found. Those inspections that did go ahead were flawed, since employers always had prior warning, Ferguson concluded. He also found enforcement officers lacked access to sufficient data to ensure employers were being honest about local labour availability, and rarely conducted on-site inspections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

development department: It's all part of the government's effort to address oversight concerns with the temporary foreign worker program flagged last year by auditor general Michael Ferguson, according to Vancouver Courier. Employers often hired temporary foreign workers without first demonstrating they had exhausted all other options for finding local workers, and applications were frequently approved without being challenged, Ferguson found. Since the start of the year, roughly 1,600 employers have been flagged as high-risk employers and selected for inspections by the Employment and Social Development Department, with more than 1,340 on-site inspections launched and in various stages of completion.article continues below Trending Stories Couple on work visa stranded after their car stolen along with passports, all their possessions West Vancouver's 'Real Housewife' ordered to pay retroactive child support Squamish chief launches bid for mayor of VancouverP!nk hikes Capilano trail, thanks Vancouver for being 'damned awesome'That's more than seven times the number of on-site inspections conducted during the same period in 2016-17. He also found enforcement officers lacked access to sufficient data to ensure employers were being honest about local labour availability, and rarely conducted on-site inspections. The federal public accounts committee, which held its own hearings to ensure Ferguson's concerns were addressed, also found that while the number of temporary foreign workers has declined, oversight of employers using the program remains not sufficient. Those inspections that did go ahead were flawed, since employers always had prior warning, Ferguson concluded. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stories couple: At least 41 people were injured in the attacks, which Indonesia's president condemned as barbaric. article continues below Trending Stories Couple on work visa stranded after their car stolen along with passports, all their possessions West Vancouver's 'Real Housewife' ordered to pay retroactive child support Squamish chief launches bid for mayor of VancouverP!nk hikes Capilano trail, thanks Vancouver for being 'damned awesome'National police chief Tito Karnavian said that the father exploded a car bomb, two sons aged 18 and 16 used a motorcycle for their attack, and the mother was with her two young daughters for her attack, according to Vancouver Courier. The woman and the two girls were all wearing explosives, Karnavian said. At least seven people plus the six family members, who included girls aged 9 and 12, died in the attacks in Surabaya, according to police. Karnavian said the family had returned to Indonesia from Syria, where until recently the Islamic State group controlled significant territory. But the use of children to execute Sunday's attacks in Surabaya, a port city on Java island, has sent shockwaves of anger and disgust across the sprawling country. The 2002 bombings on the tourist island of Bali, which killed 202 people in one night, mostly foreigners, are Indonesia's deadliest terror attack. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jet saturday: Najib had said on social media earlier in the day that he was planning to take a short vacation to spend time with his family, according to CTV. The immigration department, which initially said there was no travel ban, later issued a statement to say Najib and his wife had been blacklisted from leaving the country. A leaked flight manifesto showed that Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, were due to leave on a private jet Saturday to Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, fueling rumours that he was bolting the country days after a shocking electoral defeat that ended his coalition's 60-year grip on power. Mahathir confirmed that he prevented Najib from leaving. U.S. investigators say Najib's associates stole and laundered 4.5 billion from the fund, with some 700 million landing in Najib's bank account and around 30 million used to buy jewelry for his wife. He said there was sufficient evidence for an investigation into Najib regarding the massive corruption scandal involving the 1MDB state fund that Najib set up and is being investigated in the United States and other countries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jewish immigration: Louis in 1939 a safe harbour, according to Toronto Star. Although the apology does little to right the wrong 254 of the 907 passengers were murdered in German concentration camps it perhaps will give those who oppose the settlement of Syrian refugees second thought. She is writing about the prime minister's proposed apology for the Canadian refusal to give Jewish refugees from Nazism aboard the St. Even after the war and the concentration camps were liberated, even after the world knew beyond a doubt that Jews had been murdered in the millions, Canadian government policy was a resounding no to Jewish immigration afraid that somehow Canadian values and way of life would be contaminated by the presence to so many non-conforming refugees. Perhaps by shining a light on our past wrongs, the prime minister is trying to teach some clueless members of our society a lesson. Similar fears exist today and so some of us want to ban refugees whose very lives are in jeopardy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

statement saturday: Doug Ford is completely supportive of new Canadians and immigration policies that welcome immigrants, she said, according to CTV. Ford Nation is a diverse group of supporters, including strong support in immigrant communities. In a statement Saturday, Ford's campaign spokeswoman Melissa Lantsman said the leader's comments at the debate are being mischaracterized by his political opponents. During Friday's northern debate, Ford said the government would have to exhaust every option for employing locals before relying on immigrants to fill jobs in sparsely populated areas. We need immediate policies to help those currently living in these communities, she said. Lantsman said Ford is open to the northern Ontario immigration program but believes that people in the north have felt left behind. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minister: They had to return to Germany and many died in the Holocaust, according to Rabble. It is our hope that this long overdue apology will bring awareness to our failings, he said, as we vow to never let history repeat itself. He apologized emotionally at a Jewish fundraiser, over Canada turning away a boatload of 907 refugees from Hitler in 1939. That's when the clanging might have started. Immigration minister Ahmed Hussen said he'd go to Nigeria to discourage people from coming here. The day before, public safety minister Ralph Goodale warned asylum seekers that crossing the border from the U.S. furtively was no free ticket to status. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

remarks: Instead, he slammed his opponents for seizing upon the remarks he made at the northern issues leader's debate Friday, according to CTV. My opponents are playing politics -- you know that, Ford said. At a news conference Saturday, Ford was asked four times to explain what he meant by the remarks, but would not elaborate. There's no politician that probably has more support out there for new Canadians. Ford said that if he's elected June 7, his government will create more spaces for apprenticeships and break down barriers that keep credentials held by new immigrants from being recognized. Ford Nation's full of new Canadians. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.