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.
The Globe and Mail – Can Immigrants Be Told Where They Must Live in Canada?
Can the government legally require some immigrants to settle in small towns and rural areas? We do not have the answer for the simple reason that our courts have not been asked to deal with this question and how it is affected by the relevant Charter subsection. If it is determined that such a limitation is indeed a violation of mobility rights, then it would have to pass what is known as the Oakes test. The federal government would have to show there is a pressing and substantial objective in settling some immigrants in small towns and rural areas.
Toronto Star – Air Show Too Traumatic for Newcomers Who Escaped War
Welcoming refugees into our communities implies a responsibility to provide a safe environment for rehabilitation and integration. Yet next week thousands of our neighbours will be exposed to trauma in a spectacle most of us would do away with in the first place. […] In Toronto, people affected by war are not an insignificant minority. This includes newcomers who aren’t refugees, Canadians, and family members struggling with inter-generational trauma.
Montreal Gazette – Opinion: Policymakers Must Consider the Religious Needs of Newcomers
I work in LaSalle, which is one of the most culturally diverse areas of Montreal. Here, there are large Sikh, Muslim and Christian newcomer communities whose needs are not being met because of the way policy is formed. These communities have no official way to influence policy because consultations on policy in Quebec do not allow religious voices to be heard. As much as this commitment to secularism is laudable, it results in a democratic deficit for incoming people of faith.
Timmins Press – Still No Syrian Refugees in Timmins After a Year
Almost a year after Timmins decided to step up and offer some relief in the international Syrian refugee crisis, this city has still not seen the arrival of a refugee family. Despite that, local organizers said Thursday that Timmins is ready, set and fully prepared to accept refugee families from Syria. It seems the whole process has become bogged down at the higher levels of government.
CBC – Syrian Entrepreneurs in Moncton Cautioned to Take it Slow
Would-be entrepreneurs from Syria were cautioned to go slow with their hopes to open businesses in Moncton at a workshop put on Wednesday by the Greater Moncton Economic Development Corp. Julien Robichaud, the corporation’s manager of business immigration services, said while he often hosts information sessions for newcomers, this one was different. “We don’t typically do these types of workshops for refugees, let alone recently arrived refugees,” said Robichaud.
Waterloo Region Record – Two Agencies Get $37,000 for Initiatives to Help Syrian Newcomers
Two local agencies have received grants to help support Syrian newcomers. The K-W Multicultural Centre and SHORE Centre together received nearly $37,000 from the Immigration Partnership Fund for Syrian Newcomers. The goal is to create tailored programs to facilitate the settlement of the more than 1,275 Syrian refugees who have come to Waterloo Region since late last fall. […] They’re the newest grants from the fund set supported by community donations and matched up to $400,000 by the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation. The Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Foundation has also been collecting donations.
