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.
Globe and Mail – How Immigrants from Benin Saved a Quebec Town’s Storied Poutinerie
In most ways, Chez Morasse is a typical Quebec casse-croûte. It stands across the street from the junior hockey arena in Rouyn-Noranda, a small northern city in a mining district. It serves poutine, steamed hot dogs and Pepsi. The same family ran the business for three generations, beginning when Conrad Morasse opened a humble chip stand in the 1960s. But this summer, the restaurant changed hands – to a pair of surprising new owners. Carlos Sodji and Sylviane Senou are from the West African nation of Benin
CBC News – Sask. Court Rejects Sudanese Man’s Appeal Asking for Leniency Based on Gladue-Like Factors
A conviction appeal heard in a Saskatoon courtroom last month from a Black Sudanese refugee asking for leniency based on his personal history was rejected — although his sentence was reduced by 18 months. Mohamed Omer, 45, appealed both the aggravated assault conviction and the seven-and-a-half year sentence he was given for a violent carjacking in Saskatoon from 2020. Among his arguments made before the Court of Appeal, Omer said the trial judge failed to consider his personal history — similar to how Gladue factors were considered in three cases the courts looked at — in crafting his sentence.
CBC News – Short-Handed Afghan Embassy Helps Immigrants, Refugees in Canada and U.S.
More than a year since the Afghan embassy in Ottawa was forced to scale down operations, staff members who are left say they now work double duty to provide consulate services to immigrants and refugees in Canada and the United States. In the aftermath of the Taliban takeover in Kabul in August 2021, funding to Afghanistan’s embassy missions in countries that do not recognize their authority were cut off — including Canada and the U.S.
Toronto Star – CBSA Detainee Dies in Custody on Christmas Day in Surrey, B.C.
Border officials say a detainee at an immigration holding centre in Surrey, B.C., has died after being found unresponsive on Christmas Day. Canada Border Services Agency says in a statement that first responders were called to the centre, where staff were attempting resuscitation. But it says “all efforts to revive the detainee were unsuccessful,” and they were pronounced dead by the first responders.
La Presse – Le guichet unique sera prêt en juin, assure le Ministère
Cette fois, c’est la bonne, promet le ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI). Maintes fois annoncé, jamais livré, l’ambitieux projet de guichet unique permettant d’accéder facilement à tous les cours de francisation offerts par Québec ouvrira comme prévu dans moins de six mois, assure le Ministère. Le Ministère est déjà « la porte d’entrée unique » pour les cours à temps complet et ce sera « la même logique pour le temps partiel » le 1er juin prochain. La francisation en entreprise relèvera aussi de Francisation Québec.
Globe and Mail – Deep Job Cuts in Silicon Valley Could Bring Tech Workers Back to Canada
More than 150,000 tech workers have been laid off this year, according to an online tally. The cuts have been wide and deep, slicing across companies, global offices and nationalities – Canadians included. But could their losses be Canada’s gain? It’s a potentially critical question for the entrepreneurs and visionaries who see a moment for this country to find serendipity in grim times. The dramatic change in Silicon Valley’s fortunes has created “opportunity for Canada to reclaim some of its talent,” said Jennifer Holmstrom, a Canadian who leads talent and recruitment for GGV Capital, a global venture capital firm.
