cannabis use: Sign up to receive the Pot Post newsletter delivered to your inbox On Dec. 18, new impaired driving penalties will take effect, raising the maximum penalties for most of these offences from five years to 10, according to CTV. It means they will fall under the definition of serious crimes for immigration determination purposes. The measures are part of the sweeping package of changes taking place as Canada becomes the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis use. The impact of these new penalties on permanent and temporary residents could be significant, the Immigration Department advises in a statement. The posting is the first part of a multi-pronged education campaign to be rolled out in the coming weeks to ensure newcomers to Canada are informed of the impact that Canada's new impaired driving laws could have on their ability to remain in Canada. The Immigration Department quietly posted a statement on its website this earlier this week advising permanent and temporary of the upcoming penalty changes, noting they could be particularly affected. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

audience i: It's a big caravan, he said, prompting boos from the audience, according to CTV. I called up the military. Every citizen benefits when we have a strong, beautiful border, Trump told several hundred young black conservative leaders at a White House event on Friday. We're not letting them in, they ought to go back now because we're not. Mattis, who is travelling in the Middle East, is expected to approve the actual deployments after all the details are ironed out, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning that has not yet been completed or publicly announced. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis signed off on a request for help from the Department of Homeland Security and authorized the military staff to work out details such as the size, composition and estimated cost of the deployments, according to a U.S. official. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian economy: The biggest population increase in six decades, driven by international migration, is one reason the Bank of Canada has been able to match the Federal Reserve hike-for-hike since June 2017 making the two easily the most hawkish central banks in the Group of Seven, according to Toronto Star. In its latest increase Wednesday, the Ottawa-based central bank highlighted how the surge has bolstered consumption and housing activity. The Canadian economy Well, it has its human stimulus. The biggest population increase in six decades, driven by international migration, is one reason the Bank of Canada has been able to match the Federal Reserve hike-for-hike since June 2017. Under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada's population has jumped by 1.4 per cent over the past year, double the U.S. pace, driven by a surge in non-permanent residents like students and higher immigration levels. Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS Labor income is being boosted by the larger population, the Bank of Canada said in a report Wednesday that accompanied its decision to increase borrowing costs for a third time this year, keeping pace with the Fed's three moves. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

marijuana event: Marijuana joints rolled with Canadian-themed paper are photographed at a Wake and Bake legalized marijuana event in Toronto on Wednesday, October 17, according to Toronto Star. The federal government is warning newcomers that stiffer impaired driving and cannabis-related penalties could lead to their removal from Canada. The measures are part of the sweeping package of changes taking place as Canada becomes the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis use. Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS On Dec. 18, new impaired driving penalties will take effect, raising the maximum penalties for most of these offences from five years to 10. The impact of these new penalties on permanent and temporary residents could be significant, the Immigration Department advises in a statement. It means they will fall under the definition of serious crimes for immigration determination purposes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thursday reports: The suspects, two Senegalese citizens and one Nigerian, were being held on suspicion of murder, group sexual assault and distributing drugs in the death last week of 16-year-old Desiree Mariottini, Italian authorities said Thursday, according to CTV. Reports that two of the subjects were in the country illegally and that a residency permit for the third had expired have fueled Italy's already-fierce debate about immigration. The case has drawn outrage over the degradation in parts of the Italian capital that have been taken over by gangs and drug dealers. Some have demanded that the Italian government accelerate expulsions of immigrants who are in the country illegally, as promised by the League party during the election campaign. The worms of this horror will pay to the end, without a break, for their infamy, Salvini pledged. Hard-line Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said a fourth suspect would be quickly apprehended. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cannabis use.article: It means they will fall under the definition of serious crimes for immigration determination purposes, according to Vancouver Courier. The impact of these new penalties on permanent and temporary residents could be significant, the Immigration Department advises in a statement. The measures are part of the sweeping package of changes taking place as Canada becomes the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis use.article continues below Trending Stories Meet Vancouver's youngest life-saving hero VIDEO Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Halloween safety tips from Vancouver police, fire and paramedics You can leave your shoes on On Dec. 18, new impaired driving penalties will take effect, raising the maximum penalties for most of these offences from five years to 10. The Immigration Department quietly posted a statement on its website this earlier this week advising permanent and temporary of the upcoming penalty changes, noting they could be particularly affected. Our main message to permanent residents and temporary residents is make sure you know and follow our laws, including our tough new rules for cannabis-related crimes and impaired driving. The posting is the first part of a multi-pronged education campaign to be rolled out in the coming weeks to ensure newcomers to Canada are informed of the impact that Canada's new impaired driving laws could have on their ability to remain in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election campaign: The action comes as President Donald Trump has spent recent days calling attention to the caravan of Central Americans slowly making their way by foot into southern Mexico, but still more than 1,000 miles from U.S. soil.article continues below Trending Stories Meet Vancouver's youngest life-saving hero VIDEO Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Halloween safety tips from Vancouver police, fire and paramedics You can leave your shoes on Trump, who made fear about immigrants a major theme of his 2016 election campaign, has been eager to make it a top issue heading into the Nov. 6 midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress, according to Vancouver Courier. The president and senior White House officials have long believed the issue is key to turning out his base of supporters. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to sign an order sending the troops to the border, bolstering National Guard forces already there, an official said Thursday. The additional troops would provide logistical and other support to the Border Patrol, said the U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a plan that had not been finalized and formally announced. Active duty troops, however, are rarely deployed within the United States except for domestic emergencies like hurricanes or floods. It's not unusual for the National Guard to help with border security. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

drag persona: Based on hours of interviews with people of all political stripes, this segment looks at the issue of immigration and free speech, according to NOW Magazine. A partnership between Crow's and Montreal's Porte Parole The Watershed co-created by Annabel Soutar, Alex Ivanovici and Brett Watson, the Chris Abraham-directed show brings together left and right for a scripted dialogue, with a section for audience interaction. This play, the first part of serialized documentary theatre project, examines how we got here. Like all Porte Parole shows, be prepared to talk about it afterwards. Pearle Harbour's Chautauqua Justin Miller remounts his razor-sharp, interactive recreation of a tent revival by his drag persona. From October 25 to November 3 at Crow's Theatre. 345 Carlaw. 8 30 pm. 25- 50. crowstheatre. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

profit plenty: The Jays shot up in the standings, bolstered by newcomers Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki, who came with bobbleheads that attracted droves of collectors, according to Vancouver Courier. The shift taught Wlodarski the owner of about 650 bobbleheads at his collecting peak, who insists his love of the figurines is about passion not profit plenty about how to master the collectibles market. The Toronto Blue Jays, whose bobbleheads he coveted most, Wlodarski says were just horrid and their merchandise were hardly desirable.article continues below Trending Stories Meet Vancouver's youngest life-saving hero VIDEO Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Halloween safety tips from Vancouver police, fire and paramedics You can leave your shoes on That changed around 2015. The market can be fraught with high price tags and even higher emotions, but experts say there are tens of thousands of dollars to be to made, if you're willing to part with high-value items like baseball cards, comics, coins, stamps and vintage film posters. The trick to making money off collectibles, Wlodarski said, is learning how to assess a market. They say maximizing what can be made or nabbing an item for as little as possible can be tough because it takes a mix of timing and luck. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ward: The discovery led to the publication of The Ward Uncovered, according to NOW Magazine. Join the editors of the anthology for a panel discussion at Queen Books. John's Ward. Select artifacts will be on display. 7 pm. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

home: She winced as she recalled his confession days later of being involved with a student.article continues below Trending Stories Hot Dog Water returns in protest to Vancouver's 'In Goop Health' wellness summit Victoria mom desperate for second kidney after heartbreaking transplant result Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Chinatown Transformation Team aims to sustain the neighbourhood's living heritage My fear is I am home settled, being faithful to an unfaithful man, but who knows what kind of disease he will carry for me home the 27-year-old fruit vendor in Uganda's capital told The Associated Press, according to Vancouver Courier. She is not alone. When she confronted him, he beat her like an animal and briefly kicked her out, she said. Millions of women across sub-Saharan Africa are still living in the complex relationships of polygamy, a centuries-old practice once the norm among African men seeking large families to cultivate the land. Campaigners urge governments to enact laws that protect women's dignity and reject any religious argument for polygamy, saying the practice shackles women and often worsens the risk of disease and poverty. According to the United Nations, which opposes the practice, polygamy was legal or generally accepted in 33 countries, 25 of them in Africa, as of 2009. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

african refugees: The left has sought to portray him as an open racist a charge the blunt-talking Bolsonaro denies, according to Toronto Star. Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, presidential candidate for the Social Liberal Party, celebrate after polls closed during the first round of presidential elections in Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 7. So many people here are stunned by an apparent contradiction How could a man like Jair Bolsonaro be this close to winning the presidency The far-right former army captain once said his sons would never fall in love with a black woman, and in 2015, he dubbed African refugees coming to Brazil the scum of the earth. Dado Galdieri / Bloomberg But this is what has perhaps shocked his opponents the most. In Latin America's largest nation, Bolsonaro is now the top candidate among black and mixed-race voters, according to a major polling agency, Ibope. Now polling in the lead by 18 percentage points, the 63-year-old will enter Sunday's presidential runoff with a surprising group of backers people of colour. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

neighbouring areas: You have to be careful, according to CTV. You must have a gun. The residents have reported break-ins, cases of arson, and animals killed for food in the village of Moria located only a short distance from the country's biggest refugee camp on the island of Lesbos. You must have a knife to protect your family, to protect your property, resident Vassilis Batzakas told CTV's Daniele Hamamdjian during her recent trip to the camp and its surrounding areas. Reading this in our app Click here for a media-rich version Refugees and migrants predominately from Afghanistan, but also from 57 other nations have the ability to come and go from the camp and often wander into neighbouring areas untouched by the horrors inside. The residents say the presence of the refugees is not the problem, it's the fact that the camp is uncontrollably overcrowded. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

brands weren: As I explored the outside, I recognized that a lot of brands weren't reflecting stories like my own or showcasing people like myself out in nature, she told CTV Calgary on Tuesday, according to CTV. In response, MEC reached out to Kasiama and they began discussions on how to improve the outfitter's advertisements. In March, Judith Kasiama wrote to MEC and other sports companies on social media to complain about the lack of diversity in their marketing. The Vancouver-based company, known for selling outdoor recreational gear and clothing to its members, eventually made Kasiama a MEC ambassador in April. Six months later, MEC's CEO David Labistour posted an open letter on the company's website in which he admitted the retailer has perpetuated the vastly incorrect notion that people of colour in Canada don't ski, hike, climb or camp. We can't say Canada is diverse but then don't want to talk about these hard issues, Kasiama said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

capital city: During her visit Jolie met Venezuelan refugees who live at a shelter in the capital city and also went to a border crossing in the north of the country, according to CTV. On Tuesday, Jolie met with Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra to discuss potential solutions to the migrant crisis and ways of securing international support. Jolie was ending a three-day visit to Peru as a special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency. After the meeting she thanked Peru for taking measures that are helping Venezuelans in that country to get legal status, and urged governments around the world to support procedures that help refugees to apply for asylum. More than 1.9 million people have left Venezuela since 2015 according to the United Nations and some 400-thousand have moved to Peru. Jolie says none of the Venezuelans she met want charity-- they want an opportunity to help themselves. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

officials october: U.S. President Donald Trump concludes his remarks at the White House State Leadership Day Conference for Alaska, California, and Hawaii local officials October 23 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee There must be consequences for illegal actions, Sessions said before dozens of sheriffs from counties on the United States' border with Mexico, according to Toronto Star. Because they did not know about the zero tolerance policy in advance, officials at the Department of Homeland Security said, they did not take steps to prepare for the resulting family separations. The Department of Homeland Security, which apprehends border crossers, and the Department of Health and Human Services, which cares for separated migrant children, were both caught off guard when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced plans to criminally prosecute anyone who crossed the border illegally, the report said. Staff members at the Department of Health and Human Services said their leaders told them not to prepare for an increase in children separated from their families because Homeland Security officials claimed that they did not have an official policy of separating parents and children, according to the report, which was prepared by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' non-partisan investigative arm. The president eventually relented and moved to halt the family separations, though the government struggled in some cases to reunite those it had already separated. The enforcement of the policy led to the separation of nearly 3,000 children from their parents, setting off weeks of national protests, with Democrats and many Republicans calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to end it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

seat count: The disaffection with the Conservatives easily led to 'Stop Harper' and 'Go Vote' campaigns that were arguably very successful, according to Rabble. The Harper government was defeated -- its seat count reduced from 159 seats to 99 seats -- and voter turnout went up from 61.1 per cent in 2011 to 68.49 per cent. What analysis and hope can social justice activists offer to the more than 17 million people expected to vote in the 43rd general election in this country In the October 2015 federal election it seemed clearer. But the Harper agenda was hardly defeated. And we still ended up with the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 'Comprehensive and Progressive' unconvincingly tacked on to the front of it. Notably the Trudeau government kept the Harper government's weak emission reduction target and then went a step worse by buying the Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline and kept the Harper government's funding formula for health care. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

signature discrepancies: The lawyers behind both lawsuits had filed emergency requests asking May to make certain immediate changes while the litigation is pending, according to Vancouver Courier. May's order comes in the final weeks of Georgia's tight, nationally watched governor's race between Democrat Stacey Abrams, who's trying to become the country's first black woman governor, and Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp. She outlined a procedure to allow voters to resolve alleged signature discrepancies.article continues below Trending Stories Victoria mom desperate for second kidney after heartbreaking transplant result Hot Dog Water returns in protest to Vancouver's 'In Goop Health' wellness summit Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Chinatown Transformation Team aims to sustain the neighbourhood's living heritage Two lawsuits filed earlier this month allege that election officials are improperly rejecting absentee ballots and applications in violation of their constitutional rights. The two have fought for years over voting rights and ballot security measures, Abrams as a longtime legislative leader and Kemp as Georgia's chief elections official. He has denied it vehemently. Abrams has accused Kemp of using his office to make it harder for minority voters to cast ballots. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

intercultural understanding: The evening will feature comedy by Jeremy McLellan, dinner and other performances. 7 pm. 20, according to NOW Magazine. Supports CAMP and Urban Alliance on Race Relations. It's goal is to enhance intercultural understanding and the inclusion of people of all cultures, religions, and ethnic groups. Pre-register. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

indian butcher: Rating NNNAnosh Irani's Governor General's Award-nominated new play about a struggling Canadian cricket team attempts an ambitious balance between humour and dark realities with mixed results, according to NOW Magazine. The story is deeply relevant, juxtaposing two distinct worlds Hasan Chanakya Mukherjee is a poor Indian butcher with an adorable crush who dreams of making a name for himself in cricket as an all-rounder. See listing. Meanwhile his brother, Abdul Gugun Deep Singh plays for a Vancouver cricket team struggling for the respect of its peers, but lives in constant fear of deportation. In the audience, so do we. When Hasan's surrogate father, Baba Huse Madhavji hears of the cricket team's plan to bring Hasan to Canada to help them win, he questions whether Abdul's Canadian life is better. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

topic: They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on the topic.article continues below Trending Stories Victoria mom desperate for second kidney after heartbreaking transplant result Hot Dog Water returns in protest to Vancouver's 'In Goop Health' wellness summit Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Chinatown Transformation Team aims to sustain the neighbourhood's living heritage The caravan, at least 1,000 miles 1,600 kilometres away, comes on the heels of a surge in apprehensions of families at the border, which has rankled Trump but has also given him a fresh talking point to rally his base ahead of the midterm elections just two weeks away, according to Vancouver Courier. But the president's inner circle on immigration is grappling with the same problems that have plagued them for months, absent any law change by Congress. Top immigration officials and close Trump advisers are still evaluating the options in closed-door meetings that have gotten increasingly heated in the past week, including one that turned into a shouting match as the caravan of about 7,000 people pushes north, according to administration officials and others with knowledge of the issue. Some in Trump's administration, like Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, advocate for a diplomatic approach using relationships with Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador and the United Nations to stop the flow of migrants arriving to the U.S. We fully support the efforts of Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico as they seek to address this critical situation and ensure a safer and more secure region, Nielsen said in statement earlier this week that noted her department was closely monitoring the possibility of gangs or other criminals that prey on those in irregular migration. Tensions boiled over last week, when Nielsen suggested going to the United Nations Committee on Human Rights in a meeting with White House chief of staff John Kelly. But others are agitating for more immediate options, including declaring a state of emergency, which would give the administration broader authority over how to manage people at the border; rescinding aid; or giving parents who arrive to the U.S. a choice between being detained months or years with their children while pursuing asylum, or releasing their children to a government shelter while a relative or guardian seeks custody. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

years: But many of his recent musings have verged on the embarrassing, according to NOW Magazine. Whether he is praising the risible Donald Trump or taking a predictably right-wing view on topic after topic, it all seems contrived. I have known him for many years and whatever the man is, and whatever he has done, even his fiercest critics would have to agree that here was a figure of genuine learning and intelligence. The whole point of being a contrarian is to be authentically counter-cultural and surprising. His defence in the weekend Post of the far-right political performer and fringe mayoral candidate Faith Goldy, who has been close to Black for a number of years, is laughable. Black has become comfortably reactionary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-soviet revolution: The European Parliament elections in May will decide in which direction Europe's wagon will turn, Orban told a large crowd outside the House of Terror Museum, according to CTV. We should reject the ideology of globalism and support instead the culture of patriotism. Prime Minister Viktor Orban, speaking during commemorations of a short-lived 1956 anti-Soviet revolution, called on voters to reject globalism and support the culture of patriotism in next year's European Parliament elections. Orban also claimed that if immigration continues, autochthonous Europeans would become a minority and terror will become part of life in large cities. They deliberately failed to use their huge military and police might, they deliberately failed to defend Europe from the masses of migrants. Those who want to knead a European empire out of the European Union are all, without exception, pro-immigration, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

business committee: As for the president I would never vote for Trump, Donnelly declared, according to Toronto Star. An anti-abortion billboard on a building in Virginia, Minn., in October. Her husband of five years has a green card. JENN ACKERMAN / The New York Times An independent, and co-chair of the local chamber's Women in Business committee, Donnelly, 35, is the kind of educated, affluent suburban woman whom Democrats are counting on to fuel a blue wave in November's elections and sweep away the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. He's definitely on the moderate side, Donnelly said, praising his support for the nuclear family, the police department and the idea that America as a nation is good, and that we can continue to protect the American experiment as it stands. Except that Donnelly plans to vote for Brian Fitzpatrick, the Republican congressman who represents Pennsylvania's closely contested first district, north of Philadelphia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

downtown buffalo: Shops selling Ethiopian cuisine opened, and employers snapped up workers from Myanmar and South Sudan, according to Toronto Star. More than 12,000 refugees arrived in the area in 10 years, helping stymie decades of dizzying population loss. Blighted blocks were tidied up by new arrivals from Iraq. The downtown Buffalo, New York, skyline as seen in November 2013. The number of refugees coming into Buffalo now is stalled and that hurts not only my business, but other businesses in town, said Larry Christ, chief operating officer of lighting manufacturer Lite Lab, where six languages are spoken on the assembly floor. Pawel Dwulit / The Toronto Star But as the Trump administration throttles the flow of refugees into the United States and the president increases his anti-immigration rhetoric ahead of the midterm elections, Buffalo and other cities that rely on the new arrivals are beginning to feel the pinch. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: That's disgraceful, according to CTV. This is discrimination against straight people. Why should I not be allowed to fly my flag Glenn Bishop told CTV Atlantic. The flag was raised Sunday, next to a main road in Chipman, N.B. It was lowered Monday following a swift public outcry. He was confronted by several people who had been hoping the flag would be taken down. Bishop said he headed for the flagpole as soon as he heard about the lowering. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.