immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

deal: The overwhelming number in our caucus have said they don't like this deal and they believe if we kick the can down the road this time we'll be back where we started from next time, Schumer said, according to The Chronicle Herald. So there's very, very strong support not to go along with their deal. Democrats' votes are needed to advance the stopgap measure through the Senate, but they have been rebuffed in their demands to add protections against deportation for younger immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children. Talks among a bipartisan group of leaders of both the House and Senate convened Wednesday, but participants reported little progress. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a negotiator but one whose loyalties lie chiefly with separate compromise legislation on the so-called Dreamer immigrants that he's co-authored with Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., some of the Senate's most dovish Republicans on immigration. Good will but no progress, said Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rranxburgaj: The Rranxburgaj family will stay at an apartment in the church indefinitely, church leaders and Michigan United officials said, according to Metro News. Immigration officials told Ded Rranxburgaj in October that he was going to be deported. Central United Methodist Church officials announced at a news conference Tuesday that the church is offering sanctuary to Ded Rranxburgaj, 48, of Southgate, who is scheduled to be deported Jan. 25. The administration of President Donald Trump has cracked down on illegal immigration since he took office in January. He's not a threat to your country. This person is not a terrorist. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wednesday morning: Abdi grew up in foster care in Nova Scotia, but never got Canadian citizenship, and was held by the Canada Border Services Agency after spending five years in prison for multiple offences, including aggravated assault, according to CTV. Abdi's case has become a rallying point for advocates who say it was wrong for the province to fail to apply for citizenship on his behalf. Benjamin Perryman, Abdi's lawyer, says he was released Wednesday morning from the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont., to a halfway house in the greater Toronto area. Perryman said Abdi told him Wednesday it felt unreal to be free after five years, and thanked his supporters and wanted to say thank you for being given a chance. The lawyer continues to fight Abdi's deportation in Federal Court. No deportation hearing has been scheduled yet. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

women canada: The program is aimed at helping smaller, grassroots organizations that might not yet have the ability to tackle a major project, according to Toronto Star. Organizations have until March 1 to pitch a high-level concept to the government agency, which could then provide up to 30,000 to help the group develop a full proposal. Status of Women Canada says the money will go to developing services for survivors in Indigenous, LGBTQ and immigrant populations, as well as seniors, people living with disabilities, minority language communities and those in remote, rural and northern areas of Canada. If that proposal is chosen, Status of Women could give the organization up to 1 million in project funding for up to five years. Do you want to help shapethe Toronto Star's future Join our team of readers who are passionate about journalism and share your views. Article Continued Below The agency says the two-step process cuts down on the amount of paperwork required, giving smaller organizations a greater chance at success. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

years: All they knew was how to torture anyone who was against them, according to CTV. Myanmar, long isolated both by choice and by international sanctions, has undergone a transformation in recent years. The military government was so brutal for many years, he said of the former junta, which ruled the country for decades until 2012 and then by proxy four more years -- and still has a final say on security matters. Another former political prisoner, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was elected the head of a civilian government, which led to the easing of most sanctions and an influx of foreign investment. While most of the outside world is appalled by what U.N. and U.S. officials have called ethnic cleansing that has grown into Asia's worst refugee crisis in decades, many in Myanmar support it. Yet the most striking change may be the majority Buddhist Burman population's view of its military An institution once despised has seen its popularity surge alongside a rise in nationalism that has accompanied a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state in western Myanmar that has left thousands dead and more than 650,000 displaced. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saturday january: On Saturday January 20 from noon to 2 pm, protestors will take over downtown again, according to NOW Magazine. But this year's event, Women March On Toronto Defining Our Future, takes the focus off Trump. Over 60,000 people rallied at Toronto's Women's March, one of 200 satellite demonstrations in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington, which was organized in reaction to Trump's presidential inauguration. Instead, organizers are dedicated to providing a platform for local issues. Because the fight for gender equality is far from over Women continue to be underrepresented in political and leadership roles, and still earn less than men for the same work done. We spoke to co-organizer Kavita Dogra on why it's more important than ever to attend. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

legislature january: In response to the example of New Zealand introducing a foreign buyer ban in October 2017, he said, New Zealand is a small set of islands in the South Pacific, according to Vancouver Courier. B.C. is the gateway to Canada, and I don't believe we should be curbing people coming here. Premier John Horgan told a press conference at the B.C. Legislature January 16, I just don't believe that in an open economy a non-resident buyer ban is an appropriate way to proceed.article continues below Trending Stories Body found in parked vehicle in East Vancouver Vancouver's small businesses struggle amid tax, property crunch22-year-old Ferrari driver fined for another high-speed bridge run Residents concerned about temporary' closure of Adanac overpass to private vehiclesrelated Foreign buyer debate heats up as Greens hint at ban It's a very, very aggressive agenda' Horgan I do believe we need to knock back speculation and make sure we are penalizing that behaviour in the interest of reducing demand and softening prices. He added, I'm a child of an immigrant and virtually everyone I see here is a child of an immigrant. However, the tax has likely been a factor in continued slowing price growth at the higher end of the detached-home market. The previous B.C. Liberal government introduced a 15 per cent foreign buyer tax in August 2016 on Metro Vancouver home purchases, which had the temporary effect of slowing down sales, but the market recovered within a year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

motion: The move to re-name the school is being brought forward by Vision trustee Allan Wong, whose motion calls for a re-naming committee to be struck to get the new moniker process started, according to Vancouver Courier. The intention of Wong's motion is to settle on a name that's more culturally and historically significant.article continues below Trending Stories Body found in parked vehicle in East Vancouver22-year-old Ferrari driver fined for another high-speed bridge run Residents concerned about temporary' closure of Adanac overpass to private vehicles Palatial Shaughnessy home hits market for 35 millionrelated Crosstown elementary invites cross-town derision Things are looking up for new Crosstown elementary There are currently over 110 schools in the district and none reflect an Asian name, Wong's motion reads. Vancouver school trustees and members of the public will weighed in on the downtown school's seemingly controversial name at a committee meeting last night Wednesday, Jan. 17 and the issue has been referred to the Jan. 29 board meeting. A name that binds the Asian and Indigenous community would show a powerful understanding and appreciation between the two historical communities. Cumyow was a Chinese-Canadian activist, court interpreter and legal advisor from the late 1800s and up until his death 1955. At least one half of the proposed dual name has some traction and support Alexander Won Cumyow elementary school. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

african nations: Dick Durbin misrepresented what he had said about African nations and Haiti and, in the process, undermined the trust needed to make a deal, according to The Chronicle Herald. On a day of remembrance for Rev. President Donald Trump turned his Twitter torment Monday on the Democrat in the room where immigration talks with lawmakers took a famously coarse turn, saying Sen. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump spent time at his golf course with no public events, bypassing the acts of service that his predecessor staged in honour of the civil rights leader. That message was a distinct counterpoint to words attributed to Trump by Durbin and others at a meeting last week, when the question of where immigrants come from seemed at the forefront of Trump's concerns. Instead Trump dedicated his weekly address to King's memory, saying King's dream and America's are the same a world where people are judged by who they are, not how they look or where they come from. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

branch: The multicultural community choir will launch A Celebration in Song on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 6 30 p.m. at the Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road, according to The Chronicle Herald. Following performances are at the Woodlawn Branch Library on Wednesday, Feb. 14, the Captain William Spry branch on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and the Cole Harbour branch on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Martin Luther King Jr. tribute concert The Dream Continues, the Nova Scotia Mass Choir continues to bring its joyous, inspiring sound to audiences with a free series of performances during African Heritage Month. All of the final three concerts start at 7 p.m. For more information, visit and nsmasschoir. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

brian bonney: Butcher said Bonney provided confidential information to seven people he supervised as they worked to woo ethnic communities ahead of the 2013 election, which was won by then-premier Christy Clark's Liberals, according to CBC. The court should send a strong and clear message to those involved in politics that breach of trust will be treated in a serious manner, Butcher said after outlining Bonney's decades of political involvement. David Butcher told provincial court Tuesday that Brian Bonney should serve a community sentence of 12 to 23 months after pleading guilty to breach of trust last October for his part in the partisan use of taxpayer resources to garner support of multicultural communities. Company owned by former B.C. government director pleads guilty to Elections Act violation Targeted voters in 18 ridings Bonney was charged in May 2016 for what was outlined as a quick wins strategy in a document Butcher presented in court. The number of people from each of those communities could easily determine the outcome in each of those swing ridings, Butcher told Judge David St. He said it shows the plan went beyond simply reaching out to involve visible minorities in the political process and targeted them in about 18 swing ridings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadians: That's one-third of all applicants seeking visas to work in the U.S. Thanks to NAFTA, Canadians have the ability to apply for special work visas that aren't available to other nationalities, according to CTV. However, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to rip up the agreement and reform his country's immigration system, some Canadians applying for visas are encountering stricter guidelines and longer waits. In 2016, more than 1.1 million Canadians were granted temporary visas to work in the United States. Immigration lawyer Nan Berezowski told CTV's Your Morning that border officers tasked with adjudicating these cases are receiving additional pressure from the government to follow new policy guidelines. It's narrower than it used to be. Often this policy guidance is restrictive, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

florida resort: Angry pro-Haiti protesters and Trump supporters yelled at each other from opposite sides of a street near the president's Florida resort, according to Toronto Star. At gatherings across the nation, activists, residents and teachers honoured the late civil rights leader on what would have been his 89th birthday and ahead of the 50th anniversary of his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. The Associated Press Mon., Jan. 15, 2018 ATLANTA Two of Martin Luther King Jr.'s children and the pastor of his historic Atlanta church marked the national King holiday Monday with sharp denunciations of U.S. President Donald Trump, focusing on disparaging remarks he is said to have made about African countries and Haitian immigrants. But in the many speeches delivered from pulpits and podiums across the country, Trump's name came up nearly as often as King's, with speakers indicating that his turbulent presidency was undermining efforts to ease racial tensions in the U.S. The president spent his first Martin Luther King Jr. In Washington, King's eldest son, Martin Luther King III, criticized Trump, saying, When a president insists that our nation needs more citizens from white states like Norway, I don't even think we need to spend any time even talking about what it says and what it is. Day in office buffeted by claims that during a meeting with senators on immigration last week, he used a vulgarity to describe African countries and questioned the need to allow more Haitians into the U.S. He also is said to have asked why the country couldn't have more immigrants from nations like Norway. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

friend p.k: Fring's on King W. being the first, according to Metro News. Drake's longtime head of security Nessel Chubbs Beezer is a partner. It is the second restaurant affiliated with Toronto's unofficial global ambassador. While the official opening date has not been announced, it is known that Park, who has two restaurants in Montreal, Park Restaurant and Lavanderia, and is the culinary leader Yorkville's Kasa Moto, is in charge of the menu.I asked Park about the menu, Drake's favourite vegetable and representing The Six. We all met through friends and hanging out together. How did you get involved with Pick 6ix Last year, or two years ago, I got to go to a party for LeBron James with former Montreal Canadiens player and longtime friend P.K. Subban and that's how I met some of these guys. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lebanese-canadian neurologist: You can see the test here . The Lebanese-Canadian neurologist learned from a reporter Tuesday afternoon that the White House had selected the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to test the president's faculties after days of speculation about his state, according to CTV. This was the test Nasreddine developed as a young researcher two decades ago, in an effort to quickly assess, within 10 or 12 minutes, whether someone has suffered light cognitive impairment or the onset of Alzheimer's disease, by asking them to perform tasks such as drawing a clock, identifying animals and remembering words. That person was Ziad Nasreddine -- who designed the test. He says it has now been used in 200 countries, in 60 languages, and has been deployed in one developing country to demonstrate its leader was no longer fit to govern. It's really an honour for me, said Nasreddine, now affiliated with McGill and Sherbrooke universities in Quebec. On Tuesday, the White House announced Trump's score 30 for 30. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

office: You and others in the room suddenly cannot remember what the president said during Thursday's meeting in the Oval Office, Sen, according to Toronto Star. Cory Booker of New Jersey said in an impassioned speech during a Senate judiciary committee hearing. You are under oath. Your silence and your amnesia is complicity. Dick Durbin, who was at the meeting, and other people who were briefed on it afterward. The president referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African countries during the meeting as shithole countries and said he preferred to receive immigrants from countries like Norway, according to Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohingya: It said they agreed that the process would be completed preferably within two years from the commencement of repatriation, according to CBC. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an initial agreement in November to repatriate the Rohingya, and the 30-member working group was set up last month to oversee the process. The ministry said a joint working group from the two countries finalized an agreement on Monday on the physical arrangements for the repatriation of the ethnic Rohingya. Many have questions whether the Rohingya would return to Myanmar under the current circumstances, and whether Myanmar would accept them and allow them to live freely. Denied citizenship More than 650,000 ethnic Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August, when Myanmar's military launched a brutal crackdown in Rakhine state after a militant group attacked police posts. Over 6,700 Rohingya killed in a single month, Doctors Without Borders estimates Destruction of Rohingya villages continues Human Rights Watch Under the November agreement, Rohingya will need to provide evidence of their residency in Myanmar in order to return something many say they do not have. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian family: The community organization was founded to re-settle refugees in the territory, according to CBC. It's now assisting an Eritrean man who has come to Canada from Israel, de Queiroz said. She said Yukon Cares which sponsored the first Syrian refugee family to come to Yukon, two years ago is working on a number of refugee files. It is also waiting for the final clearances for a single Syrian man and a Syrian family of five, said de Queiroz. Raquel De Queiroz, far left, with three of the Aarafat sisters, in 2016 at Swan Haven on Marsh Lake. They are relatives of the Aarafats, the first family who came to Yukon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

west bank: The letter also makes clear that additional U.S. donations will be contingent on major changes by UNRWA, which has been heavily criticized by Israel, according to Toronto Star. We would like to see some reforms be made, said State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, adding that changes are needed both to the way the agency operates and is funded. In a letter, the State Department notified the UN Relief and Works Agency that the U.S. is withholding 65 million of a planned 125 million funding instalment to the body. This is not aimed at punishing anyone. The agency focuses on providing health care, education and social services to Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Read more Israelis voice warnings, Palestinians talk of blackmail' after Trump threatens to cut funding Article Continued Below Israeli leaders criticize Palestinian president for fiery anti-Trump speech Trump threatens to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinian Authority in series of tweets The State Department said it was releasing the rest of the instalment 60 million to prevent the agency from running out of cash by the end of the month and closing down. react-empty 163 The U.S. is UNWRA's largest donor, supplying nearly 30 per cent of its budget. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

house leader.article: He has handled major portfolios, including attorney general, finance, health and forests, plus acted as house leader.article continues below Trending Stories City council approves Cambie Bridge bike lane From late-night buses to living wages how to tackle Vancouver's restaurant staff shortage Council moves toward making Vancouver a 'fair, safe and inclusive city' for women Mayor Robertson told to 'man up' on pledge for 90 million social housing project Last time he ran for the leadership, he came fourth out of four, dropping out after getting just nine per cent of the vote, according to Vancouver Courier. It raises the question of whether he's a natural-born lieutenant, as opposed to a leader. After the Liberals took power in 2001, he evolved into a competent cabinet minister with a huge range of experience. His key move to date was to pick up Rich Coleman's endorsement on the weekend. Michael Lee You can come out of a leadership race a winner, even if you don't win, by building profile, making connections and gaining clout. Coleman is a powerhouse within the party, with a long list of favours he can call in from people all over B.C. De Jong is doing better than he did seven years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american worker: In fact, Trump apologists and the president himself might be surprised by what Canadian economic data says about immigrants from the s---hole countries, according to Toronto Star. John Fredericks, who was Trump's campaign chair in Virginia, told CNN that immigrants from those countries come into the United States and they do nothing to increase the prosperity of the American worker. The president may have used salty language, but it's really just his way of saying the United States should have a merit-based immigration system like Canada's and that immigrants from so-called s---hole countries are not typically highly skilled or economically self-reliant. They lower wages or go on welfare and extend our entitlement system . Australia and Canada have a merit-based system. Article Continued Below The conclusion we are expected to make, it seems, is that if the United States was to adopt a purely merit-based system, immigrants would come from countries like Norway, and immigrants from these Norway-like countries would not put pressure on blue-collar U.S. workers because they would be highly skilled and, more importantly, they wouldn't be a drain on the system because they would be economically self-reliant. You know why they do that Because they want to bring people into their country who are going to enhance the prosperity of their citizens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abdoul abdi: Abdoul Abdi's supporters protest his possible deportation at Trudeau town hall On Monday, an Immigration and Refugee Board member ordered that Abdi be released from immigration detention and transferred to a halfway house in Toronto, according to CBC. For Mr. Abdoul Abdi, who spent the last week and a half detained on immigration grounds in jails in the Maritimes and Ontario after serving a four-year prison sentence, could be released as early as tomorrow, according to his lawyer, Ben Perryman. Abdi it means that he can have his liberty back, said Perryman. Abdi of his liberty. Our position all along was that this detention has been both unlawful and unnecessary, and that it's deprived Mr. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

alabama gov: King says When a president insists that our nation needs more citizens from white states like Norway, I don't even think we need to spend any time even talking about what it says and what it is, according to Metro News. He says We got to find a way to work on this man's heart. Martin Luther King III spoke in Washington on Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Referring to former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, King added George Wallace was a staunch racist and we worked on his heart and ultimately George Wallace transformed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

clearance operation: Though Myanmar's army claimed it was a clearance operation against the terrorists, the United Nations, United States and others have said the operations were ethnic cleansing to remove the Rohingya from the country, according to The Chronicle Herald. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement in November to repatriate Rohingya and set up a working group last month to oversee the repatriation of people who had fled violence in the northern part of Rakhine state in western Myanmar. More than 650,000 ethnic Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh since Myanmar's military launched a brutal crackdown in August following attacks on police posts by a militant group. Win Myat Aye, the minister of social welfare, relief and resettlement, said Myanmar was hosting a one-day meeting Monday with Bangladesh officials in the capital Naypyitaw to discuss the logistics of how many Rohingya will be allowed into Myanmar and how they will be scrutinized to be placed in the camps. We are planning ahead to be able accept the returnees from next week and we are sure that this will be done on time, Win Myat Aye said. Officials plan to start the repatriation process from Jan. 23. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

corey: Other victims included a 30-year-old man and his 6-year-old son and father-in-law; a doctor and his daughter who died in the arms of her brother, a young mother asleep with her 3-year-old daughter as her 10-year-old nephew slumbered nearby; and a woman and her 89-year-old husband of more than 50 years who celebrated his birthday the day before the disaster, according to Metro News. Here are their stories and those of others in the community where victims ranged from captains of industry to the people who manicure their lawns Sisters Sawyer Corey, 12, and Morgan Christine Corey, 25, were sleeping when the mud smashed into their home. An immigrant from Mexico and a pair of sisters were among the 20 people killed in devastating mudslides that brought tragedy and sorrow to the idyllic coastal community of Montecito, California. Sawyer was found dead earlier in the week. As with so many other families, we know that as their house came down around them our girls clung to each other as best they could while being washed away, their brother Taylor Owens wrote on a fundraising web page. Her sister's body was found Saturday in mud and debris. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

florida resort: At gatherings across the nation, activists, residents and teachers honoured the late civil rights leader on what would have been his 89th birthday and ahead of the 50th anniversary of his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, according to CTV. But in the many speeches delivered from pulpits and podiums across the country, Trump's name came up nearly as often as King's, with speakers indicating that his turbulent presidency was undermining efforts to ease racial tensions in the U.S. The president spent his first Martin Luther King Jr. Angry pro-Haiti protesters and Trump supporters yelled at each other from opposite sides of a street near the president's Florida resort. Day in office buffeted by claims that during a meeting with senators on immigration last week, he used a vulgarity to describe African countries and questioned the need to allow more Haitians into the U.S. He also is said to have asked why the country couldn't have more immigrants from nations like Norway. He added, We got to find a way to work on this man's heart. In Washington, King's eldest son, Martin Luther King III, criticized Trump, saying, When a president insists that our nation needs more citizens from white states like Norway, I don't even think we need to spend any time even talking about what it says and what it is. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.