year-end appraisals: Picture what they've muffed the Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women; electoral reform; Bill Morneau's fairness-oriented tax bill, according to Rabble. These weren't unpopular, they should've been doable. But really it's about the surprising, almost entertaining incompetence of the Trudeau government. Yet the first keeps sinking; the second basically vanished; and tax reform limps along, wounded. Trudeau's people seem to agree. Year-end pundits' appraisals laid the blame on problems of messaging and communications. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rooney rule: Drawing inspiration from the NFL, the English Football Association announced on Tuesday it had adopted its version of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview a diverse pool of candidates for coaching and management positions, according to Metro News. It is the right thing to do but there is also a business case for it, FA chief executive Martin Glenn said while overlooking the pitch at Wembley Stadium. When a successor to Gareth Southgate is eventually required, at least one black or ethnic minority candidate is set to be interviewed. If your management team reflects more the people that you are serving then you're going to make correct decisions. Currently, only one manager is black Kevin Betsy, who runs the men's under-15s. The FA's Rooney Rule covers jobs across all 28 national teams organized under the England flag, including youth and disability squads for men and women. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

senate ethics: A request was filed this morning with the Senate Ethics Officer, seeking an opinion on whether the posting of these materials on Beyak's website constitutes a violation of the Senate Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code, said Sen, according to CTV. Yuen Pau Woo, leader of the Independent Senators Group. Lynn Beyak's deeply offensive posts on her website breached Senate conduct. The group is a collection of independent senators. The senator is not part of the Independent Senate Group. Beyak is technically a non-affiliated Senator following her ouster from the Conservative caucus late last week, after a dispute with Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer over the 100 letters that were posted to her website backing Beyak's position on residential schools, or commenting on Indigenous people in general. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tensions rise: I've seen this fear before, according to CBC. I've seen it in Vancouver's Chinatown when they were protesting against Insite, the safe injection site. Ma said the predominantly Asian community in Marpole is pushing back against modular housing for the homeless based on a predisposed notion that equates homelessness with criminality. Right now, Edmonton's Chinatown is protesting four safe injection sites, she told Stephen Quinn, host of CBC's The Early Edition. We were all safe. IN DEPTH 'Increasing distrust' tensions rise in Marpole homeless debate Your family will fall apart' As a young girl, Ma attended school in Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood, where she said she frequently saw needles on the ground, but she was educated on safe practices to avoid injury. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

truthfulness: The Chronicle Herald caught up with four MPs to talk about what's on their plate in the coming months, according to The Chronicle Herald. You may be familiar with the term fake news through U.S. President Donald Trump, but the issue of news stories with questionable levels of truthfulness gaining huge traction on social media is not unique to Canada's neighbour to the south. The House of Commons sits again on Jan. 29 after a six-week hiatus. It's one of a number of files Halifax MP Andy Fillmore will be working on in 2018 in his role as parliamentary secretary to the minister of democratic institutions. Another area of focus for Fillmore will be launching a commission for political debates at a federal level something Fillmore said will make for a more informed electorate. More and more of us are getting our news through social media outlets, so we're encouraging conversations about what is the responsibility of outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Google to ensure people aren't just living in a bubble but have ready access to diversity of viewpoints on any given issue, Fillmore said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-sexual-violence training: While the spotlight shone brightly on the entertainment industry, the MeToo movement revealed that these incidents happen across all industries, according to NOW Magazine. The hospitality industry, where alcohol, later hours and shift work can create a perfect storm of inappropriate behaviours, is on the front lines of the issue. The end of 2017 saw a seemingly endless vault of sexual harassment and assault accusations levied at producers, actors and comedians. The topic has been a major point of discussion in the city's restaurant scene, but only now is anti-sexual-violence training being formalized on college curriculums for future generations of hotel workers, chefs and servers. Beginning with the winter sessions, the school will implement a new online training module that every full-time student in its School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts must complete. Centennial College is aiming to educate students on how to combat sexual harassment and assault before they become employees in the industry. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

generations members: The language is really important to me, personally, because it's a way to connect with my community and really bridge the gap between the generations, according to National Observer. Members of her nation were fluent in the dialect about three generations ago, before they were sent to residential schools, Erickson said. To me, it's a bit of a symbol, she said. The Grade 10 student said she's been told generations since then were afraid to teach the language to their children. Languages don't die naturally but are actively snuffed out, usually by colonial forces, said Mark Turin, chairman of the First Nations and endangered languages program at the University of British Columbia. They didn't want the same experiences they went through to happen to their children if they passed on this language that was kind of looked down upon, Erickson said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

face deportation: El Salvador becomes the fourth country since President Donald Trump took office to lose protection under the program, which provides humanitarian relief for people whose countries are hit with natural disasters or other strife, according to CTV. The decision, while not surprising, was a severe blow to Salvadorans in New York, Houston, San Francisco and other major cities that have welcomed them since at least the 1980s. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen gave Salvadorans with temporary protected status until Sept. 9, 2019, to leave the United States or face deportation. Guillermo Mendoza, who came to the United States in 2000 when he was 19 years old, was anguished about what to do with his wife and two children who are U.S. citizens. Orlando Zepeda, who came to the U.S. in 1984 fleeing civil war in El Salvador, said the lack of surprise does not ease the sting for the 51-year-old Los Angeles-area man who works in building maintenance and has two American-born children. What do I do Do I leave the country and leave them here That is a tough decision, said Mendoza, a safety manager at Shapiro & Duncan, a mechanical contractor company in Rockville, Maryland, near Washington. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

facility: She recalled in a recent interview what the guard had said to her, according to Metro News. I told her that I was going to tell the supervisor what was happening, Monterrosa said in a recent phone interview from the facility. Months after accusing a female guard at the facility of groping her and suggesting they have sex, Monterrosa says she still sees the guard in the dining hall and other parts of the facility. She sarcastically said, 'Do you think they'll believe you or me ' As the national discussion of sexual misconduct grows, advocates for immigrants say they hope the conversation will include immigrant detention facilities. Our immigrant prison system thrives on secrecy, said Christina Fialho, co-executive director of Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement, or CIVIC. If more people knew what was truly happening behind locked doors, I think there would be an outcry against the immigrant detention system. They point to the FBI announcing in December that it had opened a civil rights investigation into Monterrosa's case as a positive sign. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

first-served process: Canada adopts immigration lottery95,000 vie for sponsorship spots Pushback against 'profoundly unfair' lottery The lottery system replaced the former first-come, first-served process last year, according to CBC. This year's version includes additional questions after widespread criticism that some people picked in the 2017 pool did not meet financial requirements or other qualifications. A one-month period opened this week inviting entries to an online draw that gives people a chance at one of 10,000 spots that allow them to apply to sponsor their parents or grandparents. The switch to a lottery drew a flurry of angry emails and letters to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, his predecessor John McCallum and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Immigration fiasco' One email dated April 26, 2017 was fired off to Hussen under the subject line immigration fiasco, calling the lottery a shambles of immigration justice. In hundreds of pages of correspondence that were released through Access to Information and provided to CBC News, potential sponsors expressed anger, heartbreak and disbelief with what they described as a rushed and deeply flawed program that came without public consultation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

german film: How'd that happen said a stunned Fatih Akin as he accepted the award, according to Metro News. Thank you for elevating this movie even though it's in a foreign language. In the Fade, a German film that tackles terrorism from multiple, and multicultural, perspectives won the Golden Globe on Sunday for best foreign language film. Akin is a German-born filmmaker of Turkish descent whose film tells the tale of a woman, played by Diane Kruger, whose son and Turkish husband are killed in a bomb attack. The film alludes to a series of actual killings that shook Germany six years ago, when it came to light that police had spent more time investigating the possible mob connections of migrant victims than the tell-tale signs of the far-right plot eventually uncovered. I'm a German filmmaker, I live in Germany, I was born in Germany, Akin said later backstage, but my heart is in Turkey. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hillary gladish: Gladish said both families have moved to southern Canada, according to CBC. The Ahmet family, who first arrived in Yukon in September 2016, has now moved to Windsor, Ont. We're looking at this as something that is very positive, said Hillary Gladish, who speaks for the church. The Omar family arrived in Whitehorse last spring and has since moved to Calgary. The church committed to sponsoring each family for their first full year in Canada, so it's still supporting the Omar family from afar, until March. The private sponsorships were organized by the Riverdale Baptist Church, with financial help from the Yukon government and a local charitable group, Yukon Cares. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pot plants: The stereotypical image of a large industrial warehouse, with pot plants growing under bright lights and fans, loomed large in his mind, according to CTV. But when Sutton asked academics, horticulturists and engineers for advice, they all told him that no crop on the planet is grown indoors on a commercial scale. The former technology professional was new to the marijuana industry in 2012 when he founded Tantalus Labs. It just doesn't really make a huge amount of sense to replace the energy of sunlight, which is so abundant and obviously healthy for leafy green crops, with a synthetic alternative, he said. As Canada moves closer to legalizing cannabis, experts are warning it isn't so green for the environment. So he was focused on plant health, not sustainability, when he decided to build Sun Lab, a 120,000-square foot greenhouse in Maple Ridge, B.C. It was only after he crunched the numbers that he realized it would use 90 per cent less electricity than a traditional indoor facility, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohinyga villages: MacArthur had to abruptly leave the country for a private family issue, according to CTV. At which point, Mr. According to a foreign affairs official speaking on background, the Mac Arthurs spent the holidays in Yangon, where she is based, with their two children until Mrs. MacArthur and his children travelled to the south of Rakhine State to enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Some parts in the north of Rakhine State are still off limits to UN investigators and to Canada's Special envoy Bob Rae, who in the next few weeks, will be trying once again to see firsthand what's left of the Rohinyga villages. Rakhine state is also where the majority of the Rohingya population lives, though since August, more than 630,000 Rohingya refugees have poured into neighboring Bangladesh, fleeing what Canada has called a campaign of ethnic cleansing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shuffle: She is expected to appoint more women, people from ethnic minorities and recently elected lawmakers to ministerial posts, according to Toronto Star. Her shuffle was complicated by the resignation of the U.K.'s minister for Northern Ireland amid a long-running political crisis in Belfast. While senior ministers including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis are expected to keep their jobs, May is looking to make her Conservative government more representative of Britain. James Brokenshire said he was quitting because he is about to have surgery for a lesion on his lung and will need time to recover. The parties in Belfast have missed several government-imposed deadlines to restore power sharing, and Northern Ireland faces direct rule from London if a solution is not found soon. Read more U.K. PM Theresa May to shuffle cabinet as Brexit negotiations enter new phase Article Continued Below Theresa May says the U.K. is proving the doubters wrong' on Brexit Next phase of Brexit talks with U.K. will be dramatically difficult,' EU warns In a letter to May, Brokenshire said that as a result of my forthcoming surgery I will not be able to give the effort, energy and complete focus needed at this important time. react-empty 163 Northern Ireland's power-sharing administration has been suspended for a year amid a stalemate between the main Irish nationalist and British unionist parties. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tom allison: That would be Alykhan Velshi, who left his post as Harper's director of issues management in 2014 and is now chief of staff to Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown, according to Toronto Star. That meeting is just one in a slew arranged with top politicos including Michal Hay, Jagmeet Singh's NDP leadership campaign director, Tom Allison, who steered Ontario Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne's leadership bid, and Walied Soliman, Brown's 2018 campaign chair before the interns are embedded at city hall. For the young citizens headed to Toronto City Hall next month to work as part-time interns under a brand-new fellowship, it's a unique chance to discuss a policy many in the community called out as marginalizing at the time, with someone who was at one point close to its architects. They'll be paired up with a councillor and work 12 hours a week for three months starting in January as part of Toronto's first-ever Muslim Youth Fellowship program, which was approved by council in October. And in a city where just over 51 per cent of the population now identifies as a visible minority, the lack of diverse representation on council has never been more stark. Article Continued Below The idea is to increase democratic participation and political understanding among a community that is, relatively speaking, less engaged in certain aspects of civic life. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tps program: The U.S. has argued the temporary nature of the program has been abused, and the conditions like natural disasters or conflict that had made it unsafe for people to return to certain countries have changed, according to National Observer. But that's left thousands of people facing deportation to countries they haven't lived in for years. Their status expires in March, and with the U.S. ending what's known as the TPS program for thousands of nationals from other countries in recent months, it's likely Salvadorans are next. When asked what he'd do if he lost his TPS status, Salvadoran Carlos Reyes, 40, who lives in Long Island, N.Y., told Newsday that Canada was an option. My life and everything is here. One thing I know is I'm going to lose my job, and if I don't have a job, what can I do I don't want to go there to El Salvador but I won't be able to stay here, he told the American newspaper this week. ... There's Canada, but I don't know anything about Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

case timeline: Juan Carlos Hernandez Pacheco's immigration case gained national attention as President Donald Trump's administration clamped down on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, according to Metro News. Residents of West Frankfort, which solidly voted for Trump, rallied around Pacheco. A Mexican restaurant manager in southern Illinois who doesn't have legal permission to live in the U.S. isn't scheduled for another immigration hearing until 2021 after he posted bond last year. He was released on bond in March after being detained by immigration officials. He's due in court in April 2021. The Carbondale Southern Illinoisan reports that Pacheco's last appearance before an immigration judge was in November to establish a case timeline. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asian country: CTV News London correspondent Daniele Hamamdjian captured a screengrab and retweeted those words and photos before Mac Arthur quickly deleted them at the urging of Global Affairs Canada, according to CTV. MacArthur had been on a private trip to the Southeast Asian country where his wife, Karen Mac Arthur, serves as Canada's ambassador -- a position that comes with additional hardship pay. First day of 2018 unfolded on a Myanmar beach where the great surf is pleasingly turquoise coloured, warm, clean and clear -- perfect for snorkelling to visit with nature and the fish, Canada's ambassador to Indonesia, Peter Mac Arthur, tweeted on the morning of Jan. 1 along with a trio of photos showing a deserted stretch of shoreline. Although Canadian officials have described the ongoing persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority as ethnic cleansing, there are no rules that bar diplomats from vacationing in the troubled country, where many large hotels and resorts are financially linked to its military. Neither Peter nor Karen Mac Arthur could be reached for comment Saturday. Myanmar's military has been accused of being complicit in the longstanding humanitarian crisis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bds campaign: The movement discourages the purchase of Israeli goods, pressures international companies not to conduct business in Israel and urges celebrities not to visit or perform in the country, according to Toronto Star. Read more Israelis voice warnings, Palestinians talk of blackmail' after Trump threatens to cut funding Article Continued Below Israeli politician seen as Benjamin Netanyahu's heir says two-state solution is over Israel passes law making it harder to divide Jerusalem The Israeli government increasingly views the BDS campaign as a threat and has ramped up the fight against what it calls delegitimization efforts. react-empty 163 Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan, appointed to spearhead the battle against BDS and other such movements, said Sunday that the blacklisting was another step in our work to thwart anti-Israel boycott organizations. The list was created after Israel's parliament in March approved legislation that would deny entry visas to foreign nationals who publicly back or call for any kind of boycott economic, cultural or academic of Israel or its West Bank settlements.BDS, which stands for boycott, divest and sanctions, aims to pressure Israel into complying with international law vis- -vis its policies toward the Palestinians. The state of Israel will actively prevent such groups from spreading their falsehoods and odious methods from within the country, he said. The ban will include individuals who hold senior positions in the listed organizations and those who are particularly active in promoting the boycott, including establishment figures from various countries. Among those featured on the list are six U.S. organizations, including two run by Jewish activists Jewish Voice for Peace and Code Pink. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cabinet meeting: The development comes after Israeli media indicated that despite public declarations, Israel is concerned about the ramifications of such a move, according to The Chronicle Herald. Netanyahu says the organization perpetuates the Palestinian refugee problem and the right of return narrative, in order to eliminate the state of Israel. Netanyahu at his Sunday weekly Cabinet meeting also reiterated support for Trump's threat to cut aid to Palestinians. The U.S. is the largest donor to UNRWA, the U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees. Israel could find itself footing the bill. Ending the American aid could precipitate a humanitarian crisis, particularly in the impoverished Gaza Strip, where the majority of residents are eligible for UNRWA's support. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

community blackboard: Yauca De Almeida, the owner of Yauca's Lounge, started in September, De Almeida said, and have continued on an almost monthly basis, according to Toronto Star. The shops sit adjacent to each other, two of several that pepper Dovercourt Rd. in the city's west-end neighbourhood. Tracey TieF, the owner of Annares Natural Health Apothecary says she has had four instances of vandalism against her store since Nov. 2016. The vandalism ranges from broken front windows, to anti-Semitic graffiti including swastikas and the phrase I heart Nazis appearing on Annares' community blackboard, to what appears to be feces being spread across the front windowpanes of Yauca's Lounge. Const. Article Continued Below Toronto Police confirmed that they're conducting a mischief investigation into the incidents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cross-country skiing: I think it is a good thing to do for fun and for kids to learn and do it one day and get better. says Saad, according to CTV. The lessons start from the very beginning- from how to put on skis to how to fall. For the first time ever, a small group of Syrians refugees are getting lessons in cross-country skiing. 12-year-old Saad Huseyn and his eight-year-old sister Zahra Huseyn came to Canada from Syria just over a year ago. The equipment is donated from the school and transportation to the lesson is from volunteers. It's an enjoyable activity and if you don't have something enjoyable to do in winter in my mind, winter is too long but when it's enjoyable it's not long enough! says teacher John Stephenson. The newcomers will learn alongside locals in the Learn to Ski program to help integrate into the community. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

gain influence: The remarks came after Israeli media reports indicated that despite its public declarations, Israel was actually concerned about the ramifications of such a move, according to Metro News. Critics say an aid cut could lead to a humanitarian crisis and that in the absence of UNRWA, Israel, as an occupying nation, could get stuck with the bill for providing services to Palestinians. Speaking at his weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu also reiterated his support for Trump's threat to cut aid to the Palestinians. A collapse in UNRWA could also open the way for the Hamas militant group to gain influence. UNRWA is an organization that perpetuates the Palestinian refugee problem. Netanyahu suggested UNRWA's budget should be transferred to the more far-reaching United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, where it would be allocated to those truly in need. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

language: To me, it's a bit of a symbol, she said, according to Toronto Star. The language is really important to me, personally, because it's a way to connect with my community and really bridge the gap between the generations. Tessa Erickson of the Nak'azdli Whut'en First Nation is creating an app and organizing a summer camp to help get younger people in her central B.C. community speaking the Nak'azdli dialect of the Dakelh language. Members of her nation were fluent in the dialect about three generations ago, before they were sent to residential schools, Erickson said. Article Continued Below They didn't want the same experiences they went through to happen to their children if they passed on this language that was kind of looked down upon, Erickson said. The Grade 10 student said she's been told generations since then were afraid to teach the language to their children. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nova: Frances Power became a co-founder and Raines became the first Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra conductor, according to The Chronicle Herald. Forty years later by 2017 the orchestra was described by renowned professional conductors and musicians as one of the finest youth orchestras in Canada. Raines had some students assisting in the orchestra, and that was when the thought arose that Nova Scotia should have a provincial youth orchestra. Jan. 9, 1877 The Academy of Music in Halifax officially opened on Pleasant Street later Barrington Street located at the foot of Spring Garden Road and Barrington. Developed by Ray Gould in Membertou, it was published until 1991 by the Union of Nova Scotia Indians and the Native Communications Society of Nova Scotia. Jan. 10, 1965 The Micmac News began publishing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.