conduct business: The government continues to promote the lucrative exchange program, which has a final application deadline of next Friday, even though it has elevated its travel advisory to China with a warning that Canadians are at risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws, according to National Observer. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said Taylor's remarks might have been well-intended but Canada simply can't continue to conduct business as usual with China. Sarah Taylor, the director-general of the north-Asia bureau at Global Affairs Canada, made the pitch for the 45-year-old Canada-China Scholarship Exchange Program during a Dec. 18 event at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa. ; My department is proud to support the CCSEP and is eager to see a broader representation of Canadians from across the country, at the university and college level, Taylor said in prepared remarks released under Canada's access-to-information law. It sends the message to the Chinese that, no matter what we say, we want the relationship to continue as if nothing had happened. Adam Austen, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Canada continues to call for the release of Kovrig and Spavor after their arbitrary detentions, but the exchange program is good for relations. I simply can't see us holding such an event with any other country if they were holding two of our citizens hostage, said Mulroney, who served as Canadian ambassador to China from 2009 and 2012. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

advance poll: His French is also weaker than the two previous party leaders, complicating the job of appealing to Quebec voters, according to CTV. Even in multicultural Outremont, located in the geographic centre of the island of Montreal with one of the largest ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in North America, Singh's religious clothing is on some voters' minds. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is Sikh and wears a turban, making him conspicuously religious in front of a heavily secular province. Some people are concerned about the turban Sanchez said during a recent interview following a candidate debate in the riding. Kathryn Furlong, 43, who attended the debate, said she voted for Sanchez, an economist with experience in humanitarian work and climate activism, at an advance poll. She said when she knocks on doors, It's definitely not the main thing people bring up .... It does come up. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

caregivers: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gets a hug as he visits caregivers and their family members at Malvern Family Resource Centre in Toronto on March 31, 2017, according to Toronto Star. The Trudeau government is launching two new immigration pilot programs that will allow caregivers to come to Canada with their families. The government will now assess caregivers for permanent residency before they are allowed to come to Canada as opposed to having them apply after two years of working here and if approved, they will receive an occupation-specific work permit that will allow them to change employers without having to apply for another permit. Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo Under the five-year pilot program, spouses and common-law partners, as well as dependent children, will also be allowed to accompany caregivers using government-issued open work permits and study permits, respectively. We are providing them with both the opportunity to bring their family members here and access permanent residency to demonstrate our commitment. Caregivers provide care to families in Canada that need it, and it's time for Canada to care for them in return, said Ahmed Hussen, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, in a press release. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

barho family: The accident affected all people, said Imam Abdallah Yousri of the Umma Mosque, noting that every seat in the cavernous hall was filled, while hundreds remained standing in solemn grief over the young lives lost, according to CTV. The Barho family arrived in Nova Scotia in September 2017 as refugees from war-torn Syria, among 1,795 Syrian refugees who have come to Nova Scotia in recent years. More than 2,000 people showed up to the service at the Cunard Centre on Saturday, which was held in memory of the Barho children who died in the early hours of Feb. 19 when the blaze ripped through their home. On Saturday, as the seven small caskets were brought on stage, the children's mother, Kawthar Barho, could be heard sobbing. Yousri said the service was made public so the children's mother could see firsthand that the community is standing behind her. Mourners wept as the children's names were read teenager Ahmad; Rola, 12; Mohamad, 9; Ola, 8; Hala, 3; Rana, 2; and Abdullah, who was born in Canada on Nov. 9. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hours: A few of the other men grabbed Steward, several bystanders reported, forced her into a car and drove toward their military base shouting racist slurs, according to Rabble. When the two saw each other again, hours later, they were both covered in bruises and blood. At 200 South, one soldier pushed Thurman down and started beating his head against the concrete without provocation, witnesses later told officers. No one was charged. And only one book, written decades later, describes it. Police had showed up hours after the attack and never identified the soldiers, who were serving at Fort Douglas during World War April 1918 attack was mentioned only briefly, days later, in one newspaper, the Salt Lake Telegram. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jennifer kent: For some reason, Sarah Se na Kerslake flees with her young son, Chris James Quinn Markey to an almost laughably creepy and creaky farmhouse out in the middle of a woods that includes a sinkhole the size of an upturned astrodome, according to Rabble. Needless to say, this spells trouble for a boy who likes to wander new terrain with his toy soldiers. Jennifer Kent's The Babadook and Ari Aster's Hereditary mined similar terrain, and Cronin also perhaps coincidentally favors drab browns and grays that connote lingering evil, which, in this case, lurks in the Irish countryside. Cronin has a more playful touch than Kent or Aster, which offers a trade-off. If The Babadook and Hereditary collectively evoked The Exorcist and Hellraiser, among other works of hard horror, The Hole in the Ground bears a closer resemblance to a M.R. James story, which occasionally leads the reader to speculate on the eeriness of what almost happens. The Hole in the Ground is less of a pummeling sensory overload than The Babadook and Hereditary, but it's also less cathartic than those films. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

paul david: Despite providing formal requests from the theatre company and recommendations from Canadian artists and scholars attesting to the play's attributes, authorities said the application failed to prove its cultural uniqueness, according to CTV. Power, the play's writer and star, said the decision shows a lack of understanding about the rarity of seeing complex stories about disability presented on stage. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security rejected a detailed application to bring Paul David Power's autobiographical play Crippled to a San Francisco theatre. I feel the dots just aren't being connected of why this would be culturally unique and I think it's a lack of understanding of disability, Power said. Power was first invited to bring Crippled to San Francisco in 2017 after Exit Theater's artistic director saw the work at a New Brunswick festival. It seems like a lot of bureaucratic barriers that shouldn't be there. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

children caregivers: Current barriers that prevent caregivers' family members from coming with them to Canada will also be removed, and open work permits will be offered to their spouses and common-law partners as well as study permits for dependent children, according to CTV. Caregivers provide care to families in Canada that need it, and it's time for Canada to care for them in return, said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen. Under the newly designed programs, caregivers will be given greater flexibility to change jobs quickly, if needed. We are providing them with both the opportunity to bring their family members here and access permanent residency to demonstrate our commitment. Once they obtain a work permit and have two years of work experience under their belts, they will have access to a direct pathway to become a permanent resident. Applicants will be assessed for permanent residence criteria before they begin working in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

core existence: Let us, however, be honest, the apparent hypocrisy and dishonesty being displayed by the NDC loyalists is mind-boggling, according to Rabble. Dearest reader, it is quite ironic that the NDC faithful have soon forgotten their history, or should I say their ideology If you would look deeper, history is broad yet deep that binds the core existence of the world. Apparently, President Akufo-Addo's prudent and somewhat innocuous directive during the recent State of the Nation Address SONA to the respective owners of the militant groups' to come together and disband such groups necessitated the obvious disingenuous response from the former president. Hence, history keeps the records of events that happened Hughes 2010 . In any case, I feel duty bound as a bona fide Ghanaian to offer free remedial history tutorials to the uninitiated and the younger generation. It has been well-stencilled that in a desperate attempt to hold on to their illegitimate power, the founders of the NDC set up various paramilitary organs such as People's Defence Committee PDC the Civil Defence Organisation CDO which was popularly known as the Militia, and the Workers Defence Committee WDC where the last two organs were later reorganised and renamed as the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution CDR whose collective mandate was to defend the revolution by hook or by crook. In fact, contending schools of thought have it that it was the founders of the NDC who created militant vigilantism into contemporary Ghanaian politics. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cunard centre: As they filled a stage, a heartrending sobbing could be heard, the anguish of a woman who lost all of her children in Tuesday's fast-moving fire, and whose husband was in hospital being treated for severe burns, according to CTV. Mourners offered love and support to Kawthar Barho, who arrived in Canada with her family 18 months ago as Syrian refugees. Seven black hearses lined up under the cold winter sun, the caskets brought inside the Cunard Centre by an honour guard. But the overwhelming devastation of losing seven children in one night -- from an infant baby to a teenager -- hung heavy over the funeral. More than 2,000 people attended the two-hour service, with every seat filled and hundreds more people standing. I've done many funerals but nothing like this, so please bear with me, an overwhelmed Sheikh Hamza said as he offered the ceremony's English sermon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

san antonio: Leonard, who was acquired in the blockbuster trade last summer that sent DeRozan to the Spurs, scored 25 points, including the breakaway go-ahead dunk after a steal off DeRozan with 15 seconds on the clock, and the Raptors held on to beat San Antonio 120-117, according to CTV. It was very important. And exacted a measure a revenge against his former team a few weeks after he was furiously jeered on his former home floor. I mean that put us up one point with about 15.1 seconds left or so. It was like a playoff win for us. That's how games are, Leonard said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

photo cross-fades: It allows users to compare the old with the new through historic photo cross-fades, learn about the city's local history and culture and appreciate long-gone architecture, according to Vancouver Courier. On This Spot have partnered with Heritage BC to promote this year's Heritage Week theme The Tie That Binds' and is encouraging people to get out and learn a thing or two about where they're from. Residents can take a step back in time and gain knowledge about the city's heritage with the help of a free historical tourism app called On This Spot.article continues below Trending Stories Rare sight Sea lion rips big fish apart in Fraser River in Vancouver PHOTOS This unique B.C. place receives the most rainfall in all of North America Popular donut-maker reveals plans for permanent Metro Vancouver location Why brunch-time happy hour is a growing trend in Vancouverrelated On This Spot Step into Vancouver's history with this free walking tour app The app, created by Vancouverites Andrew Farris, Sean Edmunds and Christopher Reid, offers users 11 walking tours in Vancouver and 600 then-and-now photo spots to check out. As Canadians, we are fortunate to be able to freely celebrate our rich and diverse heritage, says Edmunds, On This Spot's chief operating officer. It is only through knowledge of what came before that we can truly understand the society we live in today, and the possibilities for our future. At On This Spot we believe there is great value in understanding history, and identifying with people of the past. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

donor eggs: A lawsuit filed by the boys' parents, Andrew and Elad Dvash-Banks, sought the same rights for Ethan that his brother, Aiden, has as a citizen, according to CTV. Each boy was conceived with donor eggs and the sperm from a different father -- one an American, the other an Israeli citizen -- but born by the same surrogate mother minutes apart. The State Department was wrong to deny citizenship to 2-year-old Ethan Dvash-Banks because U.S. law does not require a child to show a biological relationship with their parents if their parents were married at the time of their birth, District Judge John F. Walter found. The government had only granted citizenship to Aiden, who DNA tests showed was the biological son of Andrew, a U.S. citizen. The lawsuit was one of two filed last year by an LGBTQ immigrant rights group that said the State Department is discriminating against same-sex binational couples by denying their children citizenship at birth. Ethan was conceived from the sperm of Elad Dvash-Banks, an Israeli citizen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media notice: All four airlines said that they have never activated the cameras and have no plans to use them, according to CTV. However, companies that make the entertainment systems are installing cameras to offer future options such as seat-to-seat video conferencing, according to an American Airlines spokesman. Newer seat-back entertainment systems on some airplanes operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Singapore Airlines have cameras, and it's likely they are also on planes used by other carriers. A passenger on a Singapore flight posted a photo of the seat-back display last week, and the tweet was shared several hundred times and drew media notice. A United spokeswoman repeatedly told a reporter Friday that none of its entertainment systems had cameras before apologizing and saying that some did. Buzzfeed first reported that the cameras are also on some American planes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

obrador: Like any mother asking me for support for her son, Lopez Obrador said, according to CTV. Later in the afternoon, the president published via Twitter Consuelo Loera's letter in which she asks for his help in obtaining humanitarian visas for herself and two of her daughters. During a visit last week to Guzman's hometown of Badiraguato in Sinaloa state, a lawyer passed Lopez Obrador a letter from Guzman's mother. Lopez Obrador was in Sinaloa last week to announce a highway construction project in the area. She called his extradition illegal and asked that Guzman be brought back to Mexico. In the letter dated Feb. 14, Loera described herself as suffering and desperate and wrote that she had not seen her son in more than five years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rita moreno: The first time I met Rita was at a fancy dinner event, according to Rabble. You know, the kind with lots of round tables and clinking glasses and big names and mediocre catering. Whoever said that has never met Rita Moreno. And even in a room full of power-players there was a different, magical kind of energy around Rita. Eyes are pulled in her direction like magnets. You can't not know she's in the room. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

conduct business: The government continues to promote the lucrative exchange program, which has a final application deadline of next Friday, even though it has elevated its travel advisory to China with a warning that Canadians are at risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws, according to Vancouver Courier. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said Taylor's remarks might have been well-intended but Canada simply can't continue to conduct business as usual with China. Sarah Taylor, the director-general of the north-Asia bureau at Global Affairs Canada, made the pitch for the 45-year-old Canada-China Scholarship Exchange Program during a Dec. 18 event at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa.article continues below Trending Stories Rare sight Sea lion rips big fish apart in Fraser River in Vancouver PHOTOS No winning ticket for Friday night's 10 million Lotto Max jackpot Vancouver police officers tackle issue of women and gangs Two more measles cases in Vancouver My department is proud to support the CCSEP and is eager to see a broader representation of Canadians from across the country, at the university and college level, Taylor said in prepared remarks released under Canada's access-to-information law. It sends the message to the Chinese that, no matter what we say, we want the relationship to continue as if nothing had happened. Adam Austen, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Canada continues to call for the release of Kovrig and Spavor after their arbitrary detentions, but the exchange program is good for relations. I simply can't see us holding such an event with any other country if they were holding two of our citizens hostage, said Mulroney, who served as Canadian ambassador to China from 2009 and 2012. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

report excellente: Janet Mills, a Democrat who won office in the U.S. mid-term elections in November, said Maine would get 258 million in benefits over 40 years in exchange for a permit to send the power from Canada to Massachusetts, the New England state's Press Herald reported this week. ; Excellent news for Quebec! Hydro-Qu bec will be able to export more electricity to Massachusetts via Maine, Premier Fran ois Legault wrote on Twitter in response to the report, according to National Observer. Excellente nouvelle pour le Qu bec!Hydro-Qu bec pourra exporter davantage d' lectricit au Massachusetts en passant par le Maine. https //t.co/kB1CyDHm0E Fran ois Legault francoislegault February 21, 2019Quebec gets most of the electricity for its own use from hydroelectric sources and seeks to increase exports of excess capacity. Gov. Quebec has said it would provide Maine with 40 million financing for the proposed project. In June, Hydro-Qu bec reached agreement with three utility companies to supply Massachusetts with 9.45 terawatt hours of electricity for 20 years beginning in 2022. Hydro-Qu bec is an energy giant that is wholly-owned by the province and already sends 40 per cent of its exports to New England. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tax experts: Complex audits are bound to follow the submission of speculation tax declaration forms, policy and tax experts suggest, according to Vancouver Courier. The annual 2% tax against a satellite family's assessed home value is designed to bridge a policy gap that has led to tax avoidance attributable to trends in global migration and the internationalization of B.C. real estate. The province is estimating it will collect 642 million over the next four years from the newly implemented BC speculation and vacancy tax, aimed at satellite families and those who leave their secondary urban homes empty for most of the year.article continues below Trending Stories Rare sight Sea lion rips big fish apart in Fraser River in Vancouver PHOTOS No winning ticket for Friday night's 10 million Lotto Max jackpot Vancouver police officers tackle issue of women and gangsYVR Airport to have 20 new food and drink options by 2020Whether these 2019 budget estimates hold water will partly depend on what the government deems to now be the most advanced auditing processes in the country, thanks in part to a suite of new efforts to collect information on home ownership. In essence, satellite family breadwinners earn income abroad while having their families live in B.C. The household thus pays little income tax in Canada but utilizes social services, the bulk of which is paid for by such taxes. Ontario's 31,749 audits averaged 17,241 in reclaimed taxes whereas B.C.'s 6,861 audits reclaimed, on average, 45,241. This chart shows the Canada Revenue Agency's results of an augmented Ontario and B.C. real estate audit program commencing April, 2015. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

family: The prime minister, in Halifax on Thursday for a funding announcement, said Halifax MP Andy Fillmore had already contacted Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen about expediting the immigration process for some family members, according to CTV. I can't comment on specific cases, but in heartbreaking cases like this we're certainly looking at doing what we can to bring this family that has suffered such a devastating loss together, said Trudeau, who attended a vigil in Halifax's main square Wednesday night in support of the Barhos. Kawthar Barho, whose husband Ebraheim is in a medically induced coma to recover from extensive burns, has told local politicians and religious leaders in Halifax that she wants to be reunited with family members living overseas because she has no other relatives in Canada. The Barhos arrived in Nova Scotia with their children as privately sponsored refugees in September 2017. The cause of the fire remains unclear. Early Tuesday, a fast-moving fire killed all of their children Ahmad, 14; Rola, 12; Mohamad, 9; Ola, 8; Hala, 3; Rana, 2 and Abdullah, who was born in Canada on Nov. 9. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

father: The father is seriously burnt, and if he survives will need a great deal of fbclid IwAR2HEc...A message from CUPE Nova Scotia and disgustingly, there have been many online hate comments targeting this family, from many places, according to Rabble. You can send condolences to their Mosque is also a funding campaign, among other things to bring the mother's parents here as she is inconsolable, understandingly. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

separation: Judge Dana Sabraw, who ordered the administration to end to the family separation policy on June 26, 2018, and reunify 2,700 children being held in government custody at the time, said that date is now arbitrary in light of the inspector general's report that found the family separation policy started as a pilot program in El Paso in 2017, according to CTV. Sabraw said the public has the right to know what the government did and the scope of it. In San Diego, a federal judge on Thursday indicated he was considering a request by the American Civil Liberties Union to hold the government accountable for the separation of potentially thousands more children after a watchdog report revealed the government's policy was implemented as far back as July 2017. He asked why wouldn't the case include everyone who has been allegedly unlawfully separated Why would it be tethered to an arbitrary date of June 26, 2018 He said there may be thousands more parents and children who were separated. There was no tracking. We simply don't know, Sabraw said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump veto: They will also put some Republicans from swing districts and states in a difficult spot, according to CTV. Formally introducing the measure sets up a vote by the full House likely by mid-March, perhaps as soon as next week, because of a timeline spelled out by law. Though the effort seems almost certain to ultimately fall short -- perhaps to a Trump veto -- the votes will let Democrats take a defiant stance against Trump that is sure to please liberal voters. Initial passage by the Democratic-run House seems assured. The law that spells out the rules for emergency declarations seems to require the Senate to address the issue too, but there's never been a congressional effort to block one and some procedural uncertainties remain. The measure would then move to the Republican-controlled Senate, where there may be enough GOP defections for approval. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bsap stream: There are now 15 black students in the current first-year class and Oriuwa, now in her third year, credits the BSAP for the jump, according to CTV. Candidates must meet the same requirements for grades, Medical College Admissions Test, and community involvement as any other applicants. The university responded with the Black Student Application Process in 2017, an initiative designed to boost the chronically low number of black students applying to medical school and subsequently becoming doctors. BSAP applicants must self-identify as black and submit an essay explaining why they chose the BSAP stream. It has provided a culturally safe environment for black students to be able to have their file reviewed as well as their interview integrated with individuals who are from the black community. There are no quotas for the admission of black students. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

city hall: They were Ahmad, 14; Rola, 12; Mohamad, 9; Ola, 8; Hala, 3; Rana, 2 and Abdullah, who was born in Canada in November, according to CTV. Natalie Horne, of the organization that sponsored the Barho family, spoke through tears as she described the personalities of the children. GoFund Me Halifax house fire tragedy The mourners gathered at Grand Parade in front of city hall and listened solemnly as the Barho children's names and ages were read out followed by a moment of silence. She noted they were all unique and individual. Rola, who was 12, was a little mother to all of the children and she excelled academically and wanted so much to do well in school. Ahmad, the oldest, was a jokester who had the best sense of humour, and like many 14-year-old boys, he loved girls, said Horne, evoking laughter from the crowd. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

halifax suburb: Seven children were killed in an early-morning fire Tuesday that witnesses said quickly engulfed a home in a Halifax suburb, according to Toronto Star. A neighbour said the family that lived in the house on Quartz Drive in Spryfield included seven children ranging in age from three months to 17 years old. Ebraheim and Kawthar Barho came from a city that was reduced to rubble in the deadly Syrian civil war, a place that was bombed mercilessly by U.S.-led forces trying to eradicate Daesh. Neighbour Danielle Burt describes the horrific scene. The Barhos arrived in September 2017 to a welcoming committee at the Halifax airport. They found their saviours 8,000 kilometres away in Nova Scotia, where the Hants East Assisting Refugees Team Society, or HEART, waited two years to privately sponsor the family and their six children to Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.