The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
New York Times – A Black Woman Who Defied Segregation in Canada Will Appear on Its Currency
Viola Desmond, a businesswoman who had her own line of cosmetics and who died in 1965, was prosecuted for trying to defraud the provincial government of 1 cent — the difference in sales tax for a seat in the balcony, where blacks were expected to sit and the whites-only ground floor ticket price. Now she is about to become the first black person — and the first woman other than a British royal — to appear alone on Canadian currency.
Toronto Star – Protesters Push Back Against Immigration Law That Deters Disabled People
A small group of protesters spent Monday morning holding signs and chanting outside immigration minister Ahmed Hussen’s constituency office in North York. They were protesting a 40-year-old section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that says foreign nationals are inadmissible if their medical condition “might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services.” Protesters plastered the door to Hussen’s office with signs calling for the end of that law, and displayed pictures of people with their children who they had to leave behind.
CBC News – Syrian Scholarship Students Now Seeking Refugee Protection
Five Syrian scholarship students have applied for refugee protection and some say it’s because they feel let down by the renowned Toronto charity that brought them to Canada. Daughters For Life insists it fully supported the students and says their decision to seek asylum is based on the advantages of refugee protection and not because of any alleged shortcomings in the scholarship program. But in interviews, three of the Syrian students say the foundation didn’t prepare them for life in Canada.
Toronto Star – Federal Court Asked to Spare Former Clients of Immigration Consultant Fraudster
Former clients of an unlicensed consultant convicted in one of Canada’s biggest immigration scams have asked the court to spare them from being removed from Canada for “misrepresentation.” In a proposed class action application filed with the Federal Court last week, Chao Yuan Lin and Xiang Zhou — two of Xun “Sunny” Wang’s former clients — said evidence at the man’s criminal trial indicated “Wang or his staff committed immigration fraud and not their clients.”
CBC News – ‘Maybe we’re singled out?’: Iranians in Quebec Say Delays for Permanent Residency Are Excessive, Unreasonable
Some Iranian nationals living in Quebec are speaking out, wondering if they’re being treated unfairly as they wait for months on end to become permanent residents. “Maybe we’re singled out?,” said Navid Sharifi, who moved to Montreal with his wife, Bahareh Goodarzi, in 2011. The couple, who came to Quebec under the Skilled Workers Program, applied for permanent residency status almost two years ago. Despite the average wait time for applicants in their category being around 15 months, they still haven’t received an answer.
National Observer – Syrian Refugee Women in Canada Move into Job Market, Bringing Cooking Skills with Them
Raghda Hassan and Um Omar are Syrian refugees. They fled with their families to Canada and settled in the Vancouver area over a year ago. Like many Syrian women, they’ve ventured into the world of work for the first time as refugees, and were fortunate to land their first job at Tayybeh. Tayybeh is a new Vancouver-based company that caters Syrian food for local customers and is managed by women.
