Wednesday's Toronto Star had another article about the inquiry into the death of Jeffrey Reodica, a Filipino teenager who was shot dead by police in May 2004. Reodica was part of an armed mob made up mostly of Filipinos who were chasing a group of white boys. The Filipinos were angry because of an altercation that had taken place the day before. The province's Special Investigations Unit concluded Detective Constable Dan Belanger had justification for shooting the boy, but lawyers at the inquiry have accused the police of racism. There have been demonstrations over the incident and the family is suing the police. The Star seems to be on a mission to condemn the police. At the very least, the paper is second-guessing an officer who had to make a split-second decision in a very tense situation. Belanger was confronting an armed mob.
From yesterday's article (Reodica running away, inquest told by Isabel Teotonio, May 31, 2006):
An unarmed Jeffrey Reodica took a swing at a Toronto plainclothes police officer and was running away from him when he was gunned down, an eyewitness told a coroner's inquest yesterday.
Jean, the mother of a teenager who was part of a group Reodica and his friends were chasing on May 21, 2004, recalled the "traumatic" event that day when the 17-year-old was shot three times in the back on a residential street in Scarborough.
Jean, whose last name was withheld to protect her daughter's identity, testified that she watched from a nearby corner, about 75 metres away, as Det. Const. Dan Belanger pushed Reodica to the ground. Although she was too far away to hear what was said, she testified she could clearly see the ensuing struggle and shooting.
Reodica managed to break free and was rising from the ground when he swung at Belanger with his right hand in a counter-clockwise "striking" motion, Jean told the inquest jury, adding she never saw anything in Reodica's hands.
[. . .]
Read all of Isabel Teotonio's article. Click here
Did Reodica have a knife? The SIU concluded he did. Human memory is fallible. Even fresh eyewitnesses get things wrong. It shouldn't surprise anyone that some testimony has changed two years after the fact. Regardless of whether or not Reodica had a knife, none of the reporters or lawyers can put themselves in the shoes of the officer that day. These cheap accusations of racism unnecessarily foment racial tension. Why isn't anyone concerned that a mob of Filipinos was chasing a group of whites? Was the chase about race? How do whites and Filipinos get along in Scarborough? Is there a lot of tension between the two groups?
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Toronto Star: Sword-slashing in Brampton
From the Toronto Star (16-year-old charged in sword slashing attack by Bob Mitchell, May 31, 2006):
A 16-year-old teen has been charged in connection with a sword-slashing incident at a Brampton school.
A 15-year-old student was cut on the back of his head, back and arms in Monday's incident during the noon hour near Brampton Centennial High School on McMurchy Ave., police said.
Police said the attack wasn't racially motivated.
"It was a sword with a three-foot blade and the injured teen needed in excess of 50 staples to close the wounds," said Det. Sgt. Jim Dolan of Peel's criminal investigations bureau.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article. Click here
A 16-year-old teen has been charged in connection with a sword-slashing incident at a Brampton school.
A 15-year-old student was cut on the back of his head, back and arms in Monday's incident during the noon hour near Brampton Centennial High School on McMurchy Ave., police said.
Police said the attack wasn't racially motivated.
"It was a sword with a three-foot blade and the injured teen needed in excess of 50 staples to close the wounds," said Det. Sgt. Jim Dolan of Peel's criminal investigations bureau.
[. . .]
Read all of Bob Mitchell's article. Click here
Toronto Star: York Region doesn't get enough money for immigrant settlement
From the Toronto Star (York immigration boom comes with a cost by Nicholas Keung, May 31, 2006):
Immigration has played a huge role in York Region's 27 per cent growth over the past five years, yet the region is getting less than half the settlement funding it used to receive per-person, raising concerns about the future of some of Canada's fastest growing communities.
That finding was part of a report released by York Region yesterday that documents the demographic changes and major challenges facing what was once a fairly homogeneous suburban region.
"You'd have to be a freewheeling hermit in York Region not to realize how dramatically the population has evolved (in) any of our schools, sport fields, libraries or hospitals," Markham's Frank Scarpitti said at yesterday's launch of the report, Community Snapshots: Recent Immigrants Living in York Region.
"Some people moved out because they liked their community to be more homogeneous, but they didn't run very far," the regional councillor added. "The reality is we've had immigrants landing on our doorstep, not just on Toronto's doorstep, and we need to address the opportunities and challenges we face."
[. . .]
Read all of Nicholas Keung's article. Click here
The York Region immigration report discussed in the article can be found here
York Region is in the so-called 905 belt of suburbs that surround Toronto. Under Premier Mike Harris, the provincial Conservatives were able to win seats in the outer suburbs despite being shut out of the City of Toronto where immigrant voters supported the Liberals. Stephen Harper's federal Conservatives, who now have a fragile minority government in Ottawa, would like to duplicate Harris' success in the 905 region, but it will be much harder because the area has been transformed by recent immigration.
Immigration has played a huge role in York Region's 27 per cent growth over the past five years, yet the region is getting less than half the settlement funding it used to receive per-person, raising concerns about the future of some of Canada's fastest growing communities.
That finding was part of a report released by York Region yesterday that documents the demographic changes and major challenges facing what was once a fairly homogeneous suburban region.
"You'd have to be a freewheeling hermit in York Region not to realize how dramatically the population has evolved (in) any of our schools, sport fields, libraries or hospitals," Markham's Frank Scarpitti said at yesterday's launch of the report, Community Snapshots: Recent Immigrants Living in York Region.
"Some people moved out because they liked their community to be more homogeneous, but they didn't run very far," the regional councillor added. "The reality is we've had immigrants landing on our doorstep, not just on Toronto's doorstep, and we need to address the opportunities and challenges we face."
[. . .]
Read all of Nicholas Keung's article. Click here
The York Region immigration report discussed in the article can be found here
York Region is in the so-called 905 belt of suburbs that surround Toronto. Under Premier Mike Harris, the provincial Conservatives were able to win seats in the outer suburbs despite being shut out of the City of Toronto where immigrant voters supported the Liberals. Stephen Harper's federal Conservatives, who now have a fragile minority government in Ottawa, would like to duplicate Harris' success in the 905 region, but it will be much harder because the area has been transformed by recent immigration.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
90% of immigrants from Pakistan and Afghanistan haven't been adequately screened - CSIS
From the Ottawa Citizen (CSIS concedes nine of 10 immigration applicants not screened by James Gordon, May 30, 2006):
About 90 per cent of immigration applicants from Pakistan and Afghanistan hotbeds for Islamic fundamentalism and central in the fight against terrorism haven't been adequately screened for security concerns over the past five years, Canada's spy agency said Monday.
The No. 2 man at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said his organization simply doesn't have the resources necessary to do all the security checks it would like.
Jack Hooper, deputy director of operations for the service, told a Senate national security committee about 20,000 immigrants have come from the Afghanistan/Pakistan region to Canada since 2001.
''We're in a position to vet one-tenth of those,'' he said. ''That may be inadequate.''
[. . .]
Read all of James Gordon's article. Click here
This story shows just how reckless our immigration policy is. Ottawa hasn't allocated adequate resources to screening immigrants from terrorist-producing countries; yet, our leaders keep on talking about bringing in more people. The Conservatives, to their credit, did ban the Tamil Tigers despite some signs of pandering to Tamil voters during the last federal election, but the previous Liberal government seemed oblivious to the implications of immigration for national security. Although the Liberals were forced to pass tougher terrorism legislation after 9-11, their immigration minister, Joe Volpe, promised to increase the annual number of immigrants from the current 250,000 to 300,000. While the Conservatives, unfortunately, also want to raise immigration levels, they at least seem to understand that there can't be any increase before the current system is reformed. See here.
About 90 per cent of immigration applicants from Pakistan and Afghanistan hotbeds for Islamic fundamentalism and central in the fight against terrorism haven't been adequately screened for security concerns over the past five years, Canada's spy agency said Monday.
The No. 2 man at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said his organization simply doesn't have the resources necessary to do all the security checks it would like.
Jack Hooper, deputy director of operations for the service, told a Senate national security committee about 20,000 immigrants have come from the Afghanistan/Pakistan region to Canada since 2001.
''We're in a position to vet one-tenth of those,'' he said. ''That may be inadequate.''
[. . .]
Read all of James Gordon's article. Click here
This story shows just how reckless our immigration policy is. Ottawa hasn't allocated adequate resources to screening immigrants from terrorist-producing countries; yet, our leaders keep on talking about bringing in more people. The Conservatives, to their credit, did ban the Tamil Tigers despite some signs of pandering to Tamil voters during the last federal election, but the previous Liberal government seemed oblivious to the implications of immigration for national security. Although the Liberals were forced to pass tougher terrorism legislation after 9-11, their immigration minister, Joe Volpe, promised to increase the annual number of immigrants from the current 250,000 to 300,000. While the Conservatives, unfortunately, also want to raise immigration levels, they at least seem to understand that there can't be any increase before the current system is reformed. See here.
East York brawl was gang-related
Sunday's violent brawl at a "busy East York intersection" was apparently gang-related. From the Toronto Sun (Shotgun blast tied to feud by Ian Robertson, May 30, 2006):
A loaded .22-calibre semi-automatic Beretta handgun dumped a short distance away was seized before officers arrested a teen after he allegedly tried to swallow a bag of cocaine.
[. . .]
Crips members and a "loose" bunch whom Young called the Lumsden Lads faced off Sunday afternoon on the Duffy's Drive-In Restaurant patio at Dawes Rd. and Gower St.
Each gang had about five members facing off, swinging bats, he said.
Read the whole article. Click here
A loaded .22-calibre semi-automatic Beretta handgun dumped a short distance away was seized before officers arrested a teen after he allegedly tried to swallow a bag of cocaine.
[. . .]
Crips members and a "loose" bunch whom Young called the Lumsden Lads faced off Sunday afternoon on the Duffy's Drive-In Restaurant patio at Dawes Rd. and Gower St.
Each gang had about five members facing off, swinging bats, he said.
Read the whole article. Click here
Canadian spy agency worried about homegrown terrorists
From the Toronto Star (Web used for terror training, spy says by Bruce Campion-Smith, May 30, 2006):
[. . .]
"All the circumstances that led to the London transit bombing ... are resident here and now in Canada," said Jack Hooper, deputy director of operations for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
In a telling comment to the Senate's national security and defence committee, Hooper said the threat of the homegrown terrorist is now "on par" with terror threats from abroad.
"So we have to be vigilant on two fronts — what's coming to us from the outside environment but increasingly what's growing up in our communities," he said.
He said there was a growing number of young people, either born in Canada or who moved here at an early age, who have become "radicalized."
"They are virtually indistinguishable from other youth. They blend in very well to our society. They speak our language," Hooper said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
See also here
Mohamed Mansour Jabarah, who was arrested in March, 2002 for his part in a plot to bomb targets in Manila and Singapore, is an example of a homegrown terrorist. Although born in Kuwait, he was educated at a Catholic high school in St. Catherines, Ontario. National Post reporter Stewart Bell wrote a book, The Martyr's Oath, about the case. Read a review here
In preparation for the attacks, Jabarah videotaped potential targets. This is a common practice among terrorists; yet, when Canadian security officials arrested an Egyptian, Kassim Mohamed, after someone noticed him videotaping potential targets, the Canadian media treated this as a particularly outrageous example of racial profiling. Mohamed is now suing Ottawa.
CSIS and others keep warning Canadians about terrorism, but the Liberals responded half-heartedly at best. It took the Conservatives to ban the Tamil Tigers While the Conservatives have mused about increasing immigration, they do at least take terrorism seriously.
[. . .]
"All the circumstances that led to the London transit bombing ... are resident here and now in Canada," said Jack Hooper, deputy director of operations for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
In a telling comment to the Senate's national security and defence committee, Hooper said the threat of the homegrown terrorist is now "on par" with terror threats from abroad.
"So we have to be vigilant on two fronts — what's coming to us from the outside environment but increasingly what's growing up in our communities," he said.
He said there was a growing number of young people, either born in Canada or who moved here at an early age, who have become "radicalized."
"They are virtually indistinguishable from other youth. They blend in very well to our society. They speak our language," Hooper said.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
See also here
Mohamed Mansour Jabarah, who was arrested in March, 2002 for his part in a plot to bomb targets in Manila and Singapore, is an example of a homegrown terrorist. Although born in Kuwait, he was educated at a Catholic high school in St. Catherines, Ontario. National Post reporter Stewart Bell wrote a book, The Martyr's Oath, about the case. Read a review here
In preparation for the attacks, Jabarah videotaped potential targets. This is a common practice among terrorists; yet, when Canadian security officials arrested an Egyptian, Kassim Mohamed, after someone noticed him videotaping potential targets, the Canadian media treated this as a particularly outrageous example of racial profiling. Mohamed is now suing Ottawa.
CSIS and others keep warning Canadians about terrorism, but the Liberals responded half-heartedly at best. It took the Conservatives to ban the Tamil Tigers While the Conservatives have mused about increasing immigration, they do at least take terrorism seriously.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Toronto Star: Shooting in East York.
From the Toronto Star (Shooting rocks busy intersection in East York by Phinjo Gombu, May 29, 2006):
A busy East York intersection was the scene of a bloody brawl and shooting between two groups of young men yesterday.
Elton Chen says the scene unfolded outside his bar-restaurant as he stood behind the counter dispensing beers to patrons around 3:30 p.m.
As he looked outside the window, he saw a group of four or five men in their 20s pull up in a dark-coloured car beside the patio of Duffy's Drive-In, on Dawes Rd., off Gower St. and just south of St. Clair Ave. W.
[. . .]
Toronto police detective Derek Young from 54 Division said it could have been much worse.
Young said that during the brawl one of the attackers pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and fired off at least one, possibly two shots into the patio.
[. . .]
Read all of Phinjo Gombu's article. Click here
East York is the part of Toronto where a largely South Asian mob murdered white teenager Andrew Stewart in December 2004.
A busy East York intersection was the scene of a bloody brawl and shooting between two groups of young men yesterday.
Elton Chen says the scene unfolded outside his bar-restaurant as he stood behind the counter dispensing beers to patrons around 3:30 p.m.
As he looked outside the window, he saw a group of four or five men in their 20s pull up in a dark-coloured car beside the patio of Duffy's Drive-In, on Dawes Rd., off Gower St. and just south of St. Clair Ave. W.
[. . .]
Toronto police detective Derek Young from 54 Division said it could have been much worse.
Young said that during the brawl one of the attackers pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and fired off at least one, possibly two shots into the patio.
[. . .]
Read all of Phinjo Gombu's article. Click here
East York is the part of Toronto where a largely South Asian mob murdered white teenager Andrew Stewart in December 2004.
Wildcat public transit strike in Toronto
This won't exactly be news to readers in Toronto, but people from outside the city might be interested to learn that public transit workers here went on a wildcat strike on Monday. From the CBC ( Service resumes slowly as TTC dispute ends, May 29):
Toronto's transit union told its members to return to work Monday afternoon after a labour dispute shut down the city's subways, streetcars and buses for most of the day.
Officials with the city's Amalgamated Transit Union made the request just before 3 p.m. EDT.
About 800 maintenance workers walked off the job between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. EDT, protesting proposed changes in work schedules. Then other transit workers refused to cross their picket lines, leaving an estimated 800,000 commuters scrambling to find alternative transportation.
"Picket lines are coming down in most locations," Toronto Mayor David Miller told a news conference at city hall.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
To see some pictures, click here
The Star also some articles on the strike. Click here and here
One issue, among others, is the safety of bus and streetcar operators. Drivers caused a stir when they said they would no longer risk violence by confronting passengers who refused to pay a fare. See here here and here
Toronto's transit union told its members to return to work Monday afternoon after a labour dispute shut down the city's subways, streetcars and buses for most of the day.
Officials with the city's Amalgamated Transit Union made the request just before 3 p.m. EDT.
About 800 maintenance workers walked off the job between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. EDT, protesting proposed changes in work schedules. Then other transit workers refused to cross their picket lines, leaving an estimated 800,000 commuters scrambling to find alternative transportation.
"Picket lines are coming down in most locations," Toronto Mayor David Miller told a news conference at city hall.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
To see some pictures, click here
The Star also some articles on the strike. Click here and here
One issue, among others, is the safety of bus and streetcar operators. Drivers caused a stir when they said they would no longer risk violence by confronting passengers who refused to pay a fare. See here here and here
Aboriginal Canadians: Conservatives and the Kelowna Accord
I'm posting this link because of the tense, sometimes violent situation near Caledonia, Ontario where Six Nations Indians oppose a housing development on land they claim is theirs. This local dispute is part of the larger issue of relations between the Canadian state and aboriginal Canadians (so-called native peoples or First Nations), who see themselves as sovereign peoples. There are 1.4 million aboriginals in Canada (out of a population of 33 million Canadians). The territory of Nunavut is controlled by the Inuit (Canadian Eskimos) while aboriginals, who have a high birthrate, are expected by 2050 to become a majority in Saskatchewan.
Three aboriginal leaders, Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations, Clement Chartier of the Metis National Council and Jose Kusugak, President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami have a written a joint op-ed on the Kelowna Accord for the National Post (Behind and beyond Kelowna, May 29, 2006). This article was written in response to the latest federal budget passed by Stephen Harper's new Conservative government. The aboriginal leaders write:
[. . .]
The recent federal budget and its limited commitment to Aboriginal peoples has sparked a great deal of speculation about the future of the "Kelowna Accord" reached at the First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal Issues last November. Canadians and their government must understand what led to that agreement, and what it is meant to achieve, in order to understand why it is so significant.
[. . .]
In 2004, the Liberal government, under Paul Martin, again nearing the end of a mandate, initiated the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable process. These discussions addressed six urgent issues: health, education, housing, economic opportunities, relationships and accountability for results. This led to the signing of three political accords codifying new relationships between the Government of Canada and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Metis National Council and the Assembly of First Nations. This process culminated in the Kelowna Accord, agreed to by the federal government, all 10 provinces and three territories, and the leaders of the national Aboriginal organizations. The Accord came with $5.1-billion in funding commitments to help close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians in key quality-of-life indicators.
Clearly, the recent budget does not begin to fulfill those commitments.
[. . .]
Read the whole op-ed. Click here
Three aboriginal leaders, Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations, Clement Chartier of the Metis National Council and Jose Kusugak, President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami have a written a joint op-ed on the Kelowna Accord for the National Post (Behind and beyond Kelowna, May 29, 2006). This article was written in response to the latest federal budget passed by Stephen Harper's new Conservative government. The aboriginal leaders write:
[. . .]
The recent federal budget and its limited commitment to Aboriginal peoples has sparked a great deal of speculation about the future of the "Kelowna Accord" reached at the First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal Issues last November. Canadians and their government must understand what led to that agreement, and what it is meant to achieve, in order to understand why it is so significant.
[. . .]
In 2004, the Liberal government, under Paul Martin, again nearing the end of a mandate, initiated the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable process. These discussions addressed six urgent issues: health, education, housing, economic opportunities, relationships and accountability for results. This led to the signing of three political accords codifying new relationships between the Government of Canada and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Metis National Council and the Assembly of First Nations. This process culminated in the Kelowna Accord, agreed to by the federal government, all 10 provinces and three territories, and the leaders of the national Aboriginal organizations. The Accord came with $5.1-billion in funding commitments to help close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians in key quality-of-life indicators.
Clearly, the recent budget does not begin to fulfill those commitments.
[. . .]
Read the whole op-ed. Click here
Toronto school board pleads poverty but can afford to teach the children of illegal immigrants
Last Thursday, I blogged about the Toronto District School Board's decision to forbid immigration officials from questioning students about the legal status of their parents. I wrote:
How much does it cost the Toronto District School Board to educate the children of illegal immigrants? Does anyone know? Does anyone even care? Have school officials ever asked parents and other citizens whether they want their taxes used this way? Recently, there were a few stories in the papers about a shortage of school librarians. How many librarians could be hired with the money now being used to educate illegal aliens? What would parents do if they were offered the choice of either paying for the education of illegals or paying to hire new librarians? It's taxpayer money. Shouldn't the taxpayer be asked?
The school board is in the news again today. Guess what? It claims it doesn't have enough money. From the Toronto Star (School board needs cash again but cuts unlikely by Tess Kalinowski and Daniel Girard, May 29, 2006):
School and swimming pool closings, cuts to education assistants and teacher-librarians.
These are among the items Toronto public school trustees will be considering to eliminate a projected shortfall of between $80 million and $100 million next year.
But it's premature for parents to worry about how the board will balance its $2.3 billion annual operating budget, warns the head of the board.
[. . .]
"Rather than tell the board to wake up and get your act together, (the government) is going to continue to hold the board's hand," said Trustee John Campbell. "The problem is nobody feels any sense of responsibility when it comes to spending because the province has bailed the board out on two previous occasions."
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
I bet the trustees see educating the children of illegal immigrants as compassionate. It's easy to be generous with other people's money. I doubt they would be as sympathetic to illegal aliens if they had to use their own cash to educate these children or if their own jobs and wages were threatened by illegal competition.
How much does it cost the Toronto District School Board to educate the children of illegal immigrants? Does anyone know? Does anyone even care? Have school officials ever asked parents and other citizens whether they want their taxes used this way? Recently, there were a few stories in the papers about a shortage of school librarians. How many librarians could be hired with the money now being used to educate illegal aliens? What would parents do if they were offered the choice of either paying for the education of illegals or paying to hire new librarians? It's taxpayer money. Shouldn't the taxpayer be asked?
The school board is in the news again today. Guess what? It claims it doesn't have enough money. From the Toronto Star (School board needs cash again but cuts unlikely by Tess Kalinowski and Daniel Girard, May 29, 2006):
School and swimming pool closings, cuts to education assistants and teacher-librarians.
These are among the items Toronto public school trustees will be considering to eliminate a projected shortfall of between $80 million and $100 million next year.
But it's premature for parents to worry about how the board will balance its $2.3 billion annual operating budget, warns the head of the board.
[. . .]
"Rather than tell the board to wake up and get your act together, (the government) is going to continue to hold the board's hand," said Trustee John Campbell. "The problem is nobody feels any sense of responsibility when it comes to spending because the province has bailed the board out on two previous occasions."
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
I bet the trustees see educating the children of illegal immigrants as compassionate. It's easy to be generous with other people's money. I doubt they would be as sympathetic to illegal aliens if they had to use their own cash to educate these children or if their own jobs and wages were threatened by illegal competition.
Smug Globe reporter shows little sympathy for plight of whites in Caledonia
There is an article in today's Globe and Mail that really makes me angry. The writer, Anthony Reinhart, paints the white residents of Caledonia who have been hurt by the Six Nation Indians barricades as bigots. (The barricades were erected as part of land claim dispute.) Reinhart shows little sympathy for the residents and portrays the Six Nations protestors as the good guys. It's easy for a well-paid (I assume) Toronto reporter to sit in judgment on other whites when he himself has not been hurt. Here's some of what Reinhart says (Anger, racism in Caledonia surprises after years of peace by Anthony Reinhart, May 29, 2006):
In the lounge at Legion Branch 154, Al Bernhardt sips his after-work Budweiser at the far end of the bar, away from the blowhards.
Life would be simpler if he were more like them: crude and blunt and full of ideas on what should be done about the damn Indians.
As it is, Mr. Bernhardt can't afford the lazy luxury of an us-versus-them approach to the native protests, and the townspeople's counterprotests, that reached an ugly peak in Caledonia early last week.
Whites are bigots:
Still, she heard enough in recent weeks to be taken aback by the viciousness of the townspeople's words. She had thought, too wishfully, that they understood the issues behind the protest, and that they might even join it to bring a swift settlement from the government.
but aboriginals are good neighbours:
Ms. Woods, a 52-year-old non-native, has lived in Caledonia for four years. On April 20, when the Ontario Provincial Police tried to break up the natives' blockade of a subdivision under construction on the disputed land, she awoke to discover her house was behind a new barricade and protesters were setting up camp nearby.
"You know what? I've never had more kind and respectful neighbours," she says. "I lived on the inside [of the barricade] and I got to know 50 new residents. Everything I asked, they answered me."
Read all of Reinhart's article. Click here
Oh, those stupid, bigoted townspeople. Why can't they be more understanding of aboriginal grievances? Why are they so obsessed with minor inconveniences like not being able to go to work and support their families? Can't they see the bigger picture? Can't they see how petty it is to worry about earning a living when the future of Canadian aboriginals is at stake? Oh, what a bunch of ignorant hicks!
When you look closely at all the propaganda about celebrating 'diversity', it's easy to see more than a little class prejudice. Influential and powerful whites use multiculturalism and attendant issues like aboriginal rights as a way of demonstrating their superiority over less privileged whites. It's a great scam. People who themselves are well off get to portray themselves as morally superior to the people who aren't so well off. Lower class whites have no champion. They are disenfranchised. People throw around stupid and offensive phrases like "white skin privilege" and imply that being white automatically makes someone advantaged. When a white Canadian who isn't well off starts to say he doesn't feel advantaged, the privileged white will point to all the white political and corporate leaders and say "whites have too much power." Affirmative action with its emphasis on racial and gender quotas ignores socio-economic class. That the people in power are for the most part white doesn't mean that most whites share in that power. That a few privileged whites are part of old boys networks doesn't mean most whites benefit from those closed circles. So-called 'white skin privilege' doesn't mean much without wealth.
The white residents of Caledonia certainly don't have any power. They have been ignored by politicians desperate to avoid another Ipperwash or Oka. The Dalton McGuintys and David Petersons of this world don't seem to care about them. At least they don't show any sympathy by their actions which have been directed towards placating the aboriginals.
I find it interesting that one of the few people to show some sympathy for the people in Caledonia is Thomas Walkom, a left-wing reporter for the Toronto Star. Multiculturalism is often considered a left-wing ideology, but it has been embraced by the corporate world, including the corporate, not left-wing, media. Canadian conservatives often accuse the Toronto Star of being a left-wing newspaper because it supports the Liberal Party. Some conservatives call the paper the Red Star. But the Toronto Star is not really a left-wing paper. Rather it's a paper that reflects the views of that segment of the corporate world that supports the welfare state. The Liberal Party that the Star supports was headed by Paul Martin, a multi-millionaire. The Star is a pseudo-left-wing paper. It uses left-wing language and themes to mask a corporate agenda. Thomas Walkom is an exception. He is a real left-winger and I think that helps explain his sympathy for what the people in Caledonia have gone through. He is one of the few reporters left who still has some sympathy for working-class whites.
In the lounge at Legion Branch 154, Al Bernhardt sips his after-work Budweiser at the far end of the bar, away from the blowhards.
Life would be simpler if he were more like them: crude and blunt and full of ideas on what should be done about the damn Indians.
As it is, Mr. Bernhardt can't afford the lazy luxury of an us-versus-them approach to the native protests, and the townspeople's counterprotests, that reached an ugly peak in Caledonia early last week.
Whites are bigots:
Still, she heard enough in recent weeks to be taken aback by the viciousness of the townspeople's words. She had thought, too wishfully, that they understood the issues behind the protest, and that they might even join it to bring a swift settlement from the government.
but aboriginals are good neighbours:
Ms. Woods, a 52-year-old non-native, has lived in Caledonia for four years. On April 20, when the Ontario Provincial Police tried to break up the natives' blockade of a subdivision under construction on the disputed land, she awoke to discover her house was behind a new barricade and protesters were setting up camp nearby.
"You know what? I've never had more kind and respectful neighbours," she says. "I lived on the inside [of the barricade] and I got to know 50 new residents. Everything I asked, they answered me."
Read all of Reinhart's article. Click here
Oh, those stupid, bigoted townspeople. Why can't they be more understanding of aboriginal grievances? Why are they so obsessed with minor inconveniences like not being able to go to work and support their families? Can't they see the bigger picture? Can't they see how petty it is to worry about earning a living when the future of Canadian aboriginals is at stake? Oh, what a bunch of ignorant hicks!
When you look closely at all the propaganda about celebrating 'diversity', it's easy to see more than a little class prejudice. Influential and powerful whites use multiculturalism and attendant issues like aboriginal rights as a way of demonstrating their superiority over less privileged whites. It's a great scam. People who themselves are well off get to portray themselves as morally superior to the people who aren't so well off. Lower class whites have no champion. They are disenfranchised. People throw around stupid and offensive phrases like "white skin privilege" and imply that being white automatically makes someone advantaged. When a white Canadian who isn't well off starts to say he doesn't feel advantaged, the privileged white will point to all the white political and corporate leaders and say "whites have too much power." Affirmative action with its emphasis on racial and gender quotas ignores socio-economic class. That the people in power are for the most part white doesn't mean that most whites share in that power. That a few privileged whites are part of old boys networks doesn't mean most whites benefit from those closed circles. So-called 'white skin privilege' doesn't mean much without wealth.
The white residents of Caledonia certainly don't have any power. They have been ignored by politicians desperate to avoid another Ipperwash or Oka. The Dalton McGuintys and David Petersons of this world don't seem to care about them. At least they don't show any sympathy by their actions which have been directed towards placating the aboriginals.
I find it interesting that one of the few people to show some sympathy for the people in Caledonia is Thomas Walkom, a left-wing reporter for the Toronto Star. Multiculturalism is often considered a left-wing ideology, but it has been embraced by the corporate world, including the corporate, not left-wing, media. Canadian conservatives often accuse the Toronto Star of being a left-wing newspaper because it supports the Liberal Party. Some conservatives call the paper the Red Star. But the Toronto Star is not really a left-wing paper. Rather it's a paper that reflects the views of that segment of the corporate world that supports the welfare state. The Liberal Party that the Star supports was headed by Paul Martin, a multi-millionaire. The Star is a pseudo-left-wing paper. It uses left-wing language and themes to mask a corporate agenda. Thomas Walkom is an exception. He is a real left-winger and I think that helps explain his sympathy for what the people in Caledonia have gone through. He is one of the few reporters left who still has some sympathy for working-class whites.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Fight traffic gridlock. Reduce immigration.
According to the Toronto Star, Ontario's new transportation minister, Donna Cansfield should be concerned about traffic gridlock in our fair city. (Minister to tackle gridlock, TTC by Robert Benzie, May 24, 2006):
[. . .]
Legislation creating the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, which will plan public transit from Hamilton to Oshawa, was introduced a month ago.
It has now become Cansfield's job to make the new agency work.
Questions still swirl around the GTTA, which critics have pointed out will not have the power required of a regional transit body.
But with traffic gridlock draining about $2 billion a year from the local economy, Cansfield has to make easing congestion a top priority.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Traffic gridlock is a problem because of population growth. Canada has a low birthrate, which means most of the increase comes from immigration. About 100,000 immigrants settle in the GTA each year. That's a million new people a decade. If immigration enthusiasts, which include our current prime minister, get their way, the number of newcomers will be even higher. Rapid growth is also straining Ontario's energy system. Canadians worried about climate change (I'm somewhat of a skeptic myself) and other environmental issues should be fighting to reduce immigration.
[. . .]
Legislation creating the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, which will plan public transit from Hamilton to Oshawa, was introduced a month ago.
It has now become Cansfield's job to make the new agency work.
Questions still swirl around the GTTA, which critics have pointed out will not have the power required of a regional transit body.
But with traffic gridlock draining about $2 billion a year from the local economy, Cansfield has to make easing congestion a top priority.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Traffic gridlock is a problem because of population growth. Canada has a low birthrate, which means most of the increase comes from immigration. About 100,000 immigrants settle in the GTA each year. That's a million new people a decade. If immigration enthusiasts, which include our current prime minister, get their way, the number of newcomers will be even higher. Rapid growth is also straining Ontario's energy system. Canadians worried about climate change (I'm somewhat of a skeptic myself) and other environmental issues should be fighting to reduce immigration.
Ottawa Watch on "Why I don't live in Toronto"
Mark Bourrie at Ottawa Watch explains Why I don't live in Toronto:
In my opinion, Toronto is Detroit in 1955.
[. . .]
Toronto -- at least parts of it -- is no longer the "City That Works". I wouldn't live there on a bet, even though I know the chances of me -- a white guy who stays away from suburbs -- being hurt or killed are fairly slim. Still, the level of menace is enough to poison Toronto, perhaps fatally.
[. . .]
Read the whole entry. Click here
In my opinion, Toronto is Detroit in 1955.
[. . .]
Toronto -- at least parts of it -- is no longer the "City That Works". I wouldn't live there on a bet, even though I know the chances of me -- a white guy who stays away from suburbs -- being hurt or killed are fairly slim. Still, the level of menace is enough to poison Toronto, perhaps fatally.
[. . .]
Read the whole entry. Click here
Free speech in Canada: Harper tells MPs not to criticize same-sex 'marriage' of two Mounties
From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (PMO muzzles MPs on gay Mountie union by Bruce Cheadle, May 25, 2006):
The Prime Minister's Office has warned Conservative MPs not to comment on the marriage next month of two gay RCMP constables.
The gag order went to all MPs but was aimed at "the small minority who might say something stupid," said one caucus member.
It's just the latest in a determined effort by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to control and limit his new government's public message track.
And it follows party strategists' successful suppression during the election campaign of outspoken social conservatives whose opinions might have harmed the party's climb to power.
At one of Harper's campaign events in January, party officials spirited a well-known anti-abortion advocate into a back kitchen — in full view of bemused reporters — rather than risk the local Tory candidate's views being aired by the media.
[. . .]
Read the whole CP article. Click here
Hat tip TDH Strategies
I realize that a Prime Minister putting a gag order on his caucus is not the same as the state censoring a private citizen. However, the fact that a "conservative" prime minister won't let his MPs criticize this travesty is a testament to the power of political correctness in Canada. Would most Canadians be upset if some Conservative MPs said they didn't like the idea of two male Mounties "marrying" each other? Oh, the media would have hysterics. That's par for the course. But the public at large? I don't know exactly how many Canadians don't like this "wedding", but the number must be in the millions. By silencing his MPs on the issue, Harper implies the views of Christian evangelicals, Muslims, orthodox Jews and Buddhists are illegitimate. It may not be his intention to send that message. His main concern may be tactical. He probably doesn't want to give the opposition the opportunity to paint the Conservatives as "extremists". Still the gag order reinforces the view that conservative views on social issues are illegitimate. That's a terrible message to send, even unintentionally.
The Prime Minister's Office has warned Conservative MPs not to comment on the marriage next month of two gay RCMP constables.
The gag order went to all MPs but was aimed at "the small minority who might say something stupid," said one caucus member.
It's just the latest in a determined effort by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to control and limit his new government's public message track.
And it follows party strategists' successful suppression during the election campaign of outspoken social conservatives whose opinions might have harmed the party's climb to power.
At one of Harper's campaign events in January, party officials spirited a well-known anti-abortion advocate into a back kitchen — in full view of bemused reporters — rather than risk the local Tory candidate's views being aired by the media.
[. . .]
Read the whole CP article. Click here
Hat tip TDH Strategies
I realize that a Prime Minister putting a gag order on his caucus is not the same as the state censoring a private citizen. However, the fact that a "conservative" prime minister won't let his MPs criticize this travesty is a testament to the power of political correctness in Canada. Would most Canadians be upset if some Conservative MPs said they didn't like the idea of two male Mounties "marrying" each other? Oh, the media would have hysterics. That's par for the course. But the public at large? I don't know exactly how many Canadians don't like this "wedding", but the number must be in the millions. By silencing his MPs on the issue, Harper implies the views of Christian evangelicals, Muslims, orthodox Jews and Buddhists are illegitimate. It may not be his intention to send that message. His main concern may be tactical. He probably doesn't want to give the opposition the opportunity to paint the Conservatives as "extremists". Still the gag order reinforces the view that conservative views on social issues are illegitimate. That's a terrible message to send, even unintentionally.
Ho-hum. No One is Illegal holds another protest.
Oh brother. Here we go again. The ninnies at No One is Illegal are at it again. Another day, another protest. From the Toronto Star (`Afraid every morning I wake up' by Thulasi Srikanthan, May 28, 2006):
Veronica, 30, was one of the hundreds of undocumented workers, immigrants and their supporters who marched through city streets yesterday, calling for a drastic change to Canada's immigration policies.
The group, which included cleaners, construction workers, maids, cooks and nannies, chanted for an end to deportations, detentions and high-profile removals in public places. They also called for permanent resident or landed immigrant status for all.
Migrants from Somalia to the Philippines to Afghanistan beat plastic drums and waved red and white placards as they walked along Bloor St., and down to Dufferin Grove Park. Police estimated as many as 700 marchers took part. Organizers placed the figure higher.
"We want to send a loud and clear message to the Canadian government we need an immediate, full and inclusive regularization program for (those) living and working in Canada without immigration documentation," said Sima Zerehi, an organizer and member of No One Is Illegal's Toronto chapter. An estimated 200,000 or more undocumented workers are believed to be in Canada.
If you have the stomach for it, you can read the whole article by clicking here
I wonder if the reporter, Thulasi Srikanthan, is an immigrant? The name suggests a South Asian heritage, though he or she could have been born here. I also wonder whether he or she is a beneficiary of the Star's "commitment to diversity", i.e. its commitment to discriminating against white men. Questions, questions.
Veronica, 30, was one of the hundreds of undocumented workers, immigrants and their supporters who marched through city streets yesterday, calling for a drastic change to Canada's immigration policies.
The group, which included cleaners, construction workers, maids, cooks and nannies, chanted for an end to deportations, detentions and high-profile removals in public places. They also called for permanent resident or landed immigrant status for all.
Migrants from Somalia to the Philippines to Afghanistan beat plastic drums and waved red and white placards as they walked along Bloor St., and down to Dufferin Grove Park. Police estimated as many as 700 marchers took part. Organizers placed the figure higher.
"We want to send a loud and clear message to the Canadian government we need an immediate, full and inclusive regularization program for (those) living and working in Canada without immigration documentation," said Sima Zerehi, an organizer and member of No One Is Illegal's Toronto chapter. An estimated 200,000 or more undocumented workers are believed to be in Canada.
If you have the stomach for it, you can read the whole article by clicking here
I wonder if the reporter, Thulasi Srikanthan, is an immigrant? The name suggests a South Asian heritage, though he or she could have been born here. I also wonder whether he or she is a beneficiary of the Star's "commitment to diversity", i.e. its commitment to discriminating against white men. Questions, questions.
Jamestown Crew: Christian Science Monitor reports on Toronto's gang crackdown
From the Christian Science Monitor (Canada cracks down on rising violence by Josie Newman, May 26, 2006):
The predawn sting operation last week that resulted in more than 100 arrests of individuals associated with Toronto's Jamestown gang, is being hailed as the city's largest anti-gang sweep ever. The raid netted a substantial cache of guns, cocaine, marijuana, and stolen cars, and more than 1,000 criminal charges were levied.
[. . .]
But while police and the public applaud the hard-line approach, social pundits and criminology professors are skeptical that the approach is getting at the roots of the problem: poverty, illiteracy, dysfunctional families, and racism in a diverse ethnic population. They cite US cities such as Boston, where a similar initiative led to an 80 percent drop in homicide rates by 1999 - a success dubbed the "Boston miracle." But fatal shootings have more than doubled since.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Hat tip: American Renaissance
Blaming racism for black gang violence is nonsense. Racism doesn't explain the sexual promiscuity that results in children being raised by poor single mothers - the dysfunctional families mentioned in the article. The same violence and family dysfunction exists in Jamaica where blacks dominate both politically and demographically. Jamaicans seem perfectly capable of shooting each other without the help of "white racism". From the Wikipedia article on Jamaican politics:
Parts of Kingston, and some slum areas in other towns are controlled by gang leaders, called "dons", who derived their power initially from links to the leadership of the political parties, but over the course of the 1980s and 1990s acquired significant independence due to participation in the transshipment of cocaine from South America to North America and Europe and the export of Jamaican marijuana. In spite of this independence, many gangs continue to maintain links with the political parties in order to obtain protection from state authorities and from the United States government which, unsurprisingly, wishes to reduce the flow of cocaine and marijuana.
(Note to those hypersensitive people always on the lookout for signs of racism: I'm not saying all Jamaicans are violent. I acknowledge the Jamaican immigrants who come to Canada and live good lives. However, the Jamestown Crew wouldn't exist if it weren't for immigration from the Caribbean. You can't have black gangs if you don't have a black population.)
I notice also that the Christian Science Monitor article says something similar to the remarks that got Gwyn Morgan into hot water. From the article:
Police and social workers alike attribute the acts largely to young black males - many of whom are the children of West Indian immigrants - who feel marginalized and drop out of school early to join the "gangsta" culture where they make quick money through drugs, guns, or prostitution.
That young black men commit a disproportionate amount of crime is well known. See here and here
The predawn sting operation last week that resulted in more than 100 arrests of individuals associated with Toronto's Jamestown gang, is being hailed as the city's largest anti-gang sweep ever. The raid netted a substantial cache of guns, cocaine, marijuana, and stolen cars, and more than 1,000 criminal charges were levied.
[. . .]
But while police and the public applaud the hard-line approach, social pundits and criminology professors are skeptical that the approach is getting at the roots of the problem: poverty, illiteracy, dysfunctional families, and racism in a diverse ethnic population. They cite US cities such as Boston, where a similar initiative led to an 80 percent drop in homicide rates by 1999 - a success dubbed the "Boston miracle." But fatal shootings have more than doubled since.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Hat tip: American Renaissance
Blaming racism for black gang violence is nonsense. Racism doesn't explain the sexual promiscuity that results in children being raised by poor single mothers - the dysfunctional families mentioned in the article. The same violence and family dysfunction exists in Jamaica where blacks dominate both politically and demographically. Jamaicans seem perfectly capable of shooting each other without the help of "white racism". From the Wikipedia article on Jamaican politics:
Parts of Kingston, and some slum areas in other towns are controlled by gang leaders, called "dons", who derived their power initially from links to the leadership of the political parties, but over the course of the 1980s and 1990s acquired significant independence due to participation in the transshipment of cocaine from South America to North America and Europe and the export of Jamaican marijuana. In spite of this independence, many gangs continue to maintain links with the political parties in order to obtain protection from state authorities and from the United States government which, unsurprisingly, wishes to reduce the flow of cocaine and marijuana.
(Note to those hypersensitive people always on the lookout for signs of racism: I'm not saying all Jamaicans are violent. I acknowledge the Jamaican immigrants who come to Canada and live good lives. However, the Jamestown Crew wouldn't exist if it weren't for immigration from the Caribbean. You can't have black gangs if you don't have a black population.)
I notice also that the Christian Science Monitor article says something similar to the remarks that got Gwyn Morgan into hot water. From the article:
Police and social workers alike attribute the acts largely to young black males - many of whom are the children of West Indian immigrants - who feel marginalized and drop out of school early to join the "gangsta" culture where they make quick money through drugs, guns, or prostitution.
That young black men commit a disproportionate amount of crime is well known. See here and here
Indigo rewards Muslim violence. Pulls Harper's Magazine because of Mohammed cartoons.
From the Globe and Mail (Indigo pulls controversial Harper's off the shelves by James Adams, May 27, 2006):
Canada's largest retail bookseller has removed all copies of the June issue of Harper's Magazine from its 260 stores, claiming an article by New York cartoonist Art Spiegelman could foment protests similar to those that occurred this year in reaction to the publication in a Danish newspaper of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
Indigo Books and Music took the action this week when its executives noticed that the 10-page Harper's article, titled Drawing Blood, reproduced all 12 cartoons first published last September by Jyllands-Posten (The Morning Newspaper).
[. . .]
In a memo obtained by The Globe and Mail that was e-mailed to Indigo managers yesterday about “what to do if customers question Indigo's censorship” of Harper's, employees are told to say that “the decision was made based on the fact that the content about to be published has been known to ignite demonstrations around the world. Indigo [and its subsidiaries] Chapters and Coles will not carry this particular issue of the magazine but will continue to carry other issues of this publication in the future.”
[. . .]
Read all of James Adams' article. Click here
In other words, Muslim violence pays. If someone publishes something your group doesn't like, start a riot and an obliging bookstore will pull the material off the shelves. How many copies of The Da Vinci Code has Chapters-Indigo sold? Dan Brown's novel defames the Catholic church as well as Opus Dei, but I see no rush to pull it off the shelves. No one is bending over backwards to accommodate the sensitivities of Catholics. Maybe that's because Catholics don't riot and murder when they are offended.
Canada's largest retail bookseller has removed all copies of the June issue of Harper's Magazine from its 260 stores, claiming an article by New York cartoonist Art Spiegelman could foment protests similar to those that occurred this year in reaction to the publication in a Danish newspaper of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
Indigo Books and Music took the action this week when its executives noticed that the 10-page Harper's article, titled Drawing Blood, reproduced all 12 cartoons first published last September by Jyllands-Posten (The Morning Newspaper).
[. . .]
In a memo obtained by The Globe and Mail that was e-mailed to Indigo managers yesterday about “what to do if customers question Indigo's censorship” of Harper's, employees are told to say that “the decision was made based on the fact that the content about to be published has been known to ignite demonstrations around the world. Indigo [and its subsidiaries] Chapters and Coles will not carry this particular issue of the magazine but will continue to carry other issues of this publication in the future.”
[. . .]
Read all of James Adams' article. Click here
In other words, Muslim violence pays. If someone publishes something your group doesn't like, start a riot and an obliging bookstore will pull the material off the shelves. How many copies of The Da Vinci Code has Chapters-Indigo sold? Dan Brown's novel defames the Catholic church as well as Opus Dei, but I see no rush to pull it off the shelves. No one is bending over backwards to accommodate the sensitivities of Catholics. Maybe that's because Catholics don't riot and murder when they are offended.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Vancouver Sun: Public concerned about crimes committed by failed refugee claimants
From the Vancouver Sun (Refugee crime fuels immigration concern by Peter O'Neill, May 27, 2006):
Public concerns over immigration in Vancouver grew sharply last year as a result of high-profile cases involving failed refugee claimants who committed crimes in Canada, according to an internal briefing document prepared for the new government.
The January 2006 briefing book for Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said seven years of internal government polls suggest that public opinion on Canada's immigration levels has varied little, with roughly half of those surveyed saying the right number of immigrants are entering the country.
"The major immigrant-receiving cities -- Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver -- have generally followed this national trend. However, a 12-per-cent decrease in support was noticed in Vancouver since August 2005," states the 153-page document obtained by The Vancouver Sun through the Access to Information Act.
"This decrease in support can be explained by a number of failed refugee claimants that became high-profile crime cases in B.C. during this period of tracking."
[. . .]
Read all of Peter O'Neill's article. Click here
Public concerns over immigration in Vancouver grew sharply last year as a result of high-profile cases involving failed refugee claimants who committed crimes in Canada, according to an internal briefing document prepared for the new government.
The January 2006 briefing book for Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said seven years of internal government polls suggest that public opinion on Canada's immigration levels has varied little, with roughly half of those surveyed saying the right number of immigrants are entering the country.
"The major immigrant-receiving cities -- Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver -- have generally followed this national trend. However, a 12-per-cent decrease in support was noticed in Vancouver since August 2005," states the 153-page document obtained by The Vancouver Sun through the Access to Information Act.
"This decrease in support can be explained by a number of failed refugee claimants that became high-profile crime cases in B.C. during this period of tracking."
[. . .]
Read all of Peter O'Neill's article. Click here
Toronto Star: Despite language laws, immigrants to Quebec still prefer English over French
From the Toronto Star (It's still English for Quebec immigrants by Sean Gordon, May 27, 2006):
The phenomenon has perplexed demographers for decades, and now the Quebec government is sending people into the field to finally solve the riddle of why more immigrants aren't learning French.
For the first time, the Conseil supérieur de la langue française (CSLF) is making the rounds of the province's immigrant communities to better target the government's policy of teaching French to new arrivals.
The Conseil supérieur is the top-level policy arm of Quebec's language bureaucracy and advises the government on steps that need to be taken to protect French. The better-known Office de la langue française and the Commission de la protection de la langue française enforce the provincial language law.
Despite significant progress since the enactment of language laws in the 1970s, statistics show roughly twice as many immigrants have gravitated toward English rather than to French — a process tied to what is known as language transfer.
And despite intensive efforts aimed at francisation, roughly four in 10 immigrants still don't end up following government-sponsored French courses.
[. . .]
Read all of Sean Gordon's article. Click here
The phenomenon has perplexed demographers for decades, and now the Quebec government is sending people into the field to finally solve the riddle of why more immigrants aren't learning French.
For the first time, the Conseil supérieur de la langue française (CSLF) is making the rounds of the province's immigrant communities to better target the government's policy of teaching French to new arrivals.
The Conseil supérieur is the top-level policy arm of Quebec's language bureaucracy and advises the government on steps that need to be taken to protect French. The better-known Office de la langue française and the Commission de la protection de la langue française enforce the provincial language law.
Despite significant progress since the enactment of language laws in the 1970s, statistics show roughly twice as many immigrants have gravitated toward English rather than to French — a process tied to what is known as language transfer.
And despite intensive efforts aimed at francisation, roughly four in 10 immigrants still don't end up following government-sponsored French courses.
[. . .]
Read all of Sean Gordon's article. Click here
CBC: 'Former' IRA member stopped at the border
From the CBC (Former IRA member turned back at the border, May 26, 2006):
A former member of the Irish Republican Army was sent back to Ireland this week while en route to Fort Augustus, P.E.I., for Irish heritage celebrations.
Pat Treanor, the mayor of County Monaghan in Ireland, had been to Canada twice in the past year. But when he flew into St. John's on Wednesday, border security officials asked him whether he had a record.
He told them he was convicted once — for being a member of the IRA. He was refused admittance to Canada and sent back home.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Just how 'former' is this guy? From the article:
Treanor said he was a member for a few years in the 1970s, but that he's never committed any crime. He remains a member of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing.
Sinn Fein? IRA? Is there that much difference?
A former member of the Irish Republican Army was sent back to Ireland this week while en route to Fort Augustus, P.E.I., for Irish heritage celebrations.
Pat Treanor, the mayor of County Monaghan in Ireland, had been to Canada twice in the past year. But when he flew into St. John's on Wednesday, border security officials asked him whether he had a record.
He told them he was convicted once — for being a member of the IRA. He was refused admittance to Canada and sent back home.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Just how 'former' is this guy? From the article:
Treanor said he was a member for a few years in the 1970s, but that he's never committed any crime. He remains a member of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing.
Sinn Fein? IRA? Is there that much difference?
CanWest News: Fraud scheme linked to terrorist activities
From the CanWest News Service (Canada fraud scheme linked to terrorist activities by Linda Slobodian, May 24, 2006):
A criminal cell operating across Canada is funnelling millions of dollars to Dubai to fund terrorist activities through a sophisticated credit/debit card fraud scheme, says the head of Alberta's Integrated Response to Organized Crime unit.
It is but one of a number of ''extremely prevalent'' organized crime groups reaping huge profits from an old crime with a new twist, says Insp. Joan McCallum.
''You can make a million dollars a weekend in Calgary,'' said McCallum, noting the group also travels a ''circuit'' from Vancouver to Calgary to Toronto to Montreal. ''For one of the groups, it (cash) goes straight to terrorism in Dubai and some of the other countries. They live on nothing and send all their money to fund terrorist activities.''
[. . .]
Citing ongoing investigations, McCallum declined to name the terrorist group that's the recipient of the illegal flow of cash making its way to Dubai, one emirate that makes up the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf.
''They get a stronghold because they get more sophisticated with the technology. There are so many little devices you can put into a debit machine,'' said McCallum.
That a terrorist group is being funded locally doesn't surprise Calgary Tory MP Art Hanger.
[. . .]
Read all of Linda Slobodian's story. Click here
A criminal cell operating across Canada is funnelling millions of dollars to Dubai to fund terrorist activities through a sophisticated credit/debit card fraud scheme, says the head of Alberta's Integrated Response to Organized Crime unit.
It is but one of a number of ''extremely prevalent'' organized crime groups reaping huge profits from an old crime with a new twist, says Insp. Joan McCallum.
''You can make a million dollars a weekend in Calgary,'' said McCallum, noting the group also travels a ''circuit'' from Vancouver to Calgary to Toronto to Montreal. ''For one of the groups, it (cash) goes straight to terrorism in Dubai and some of the other countries. They live on nothing and send all their money to fund terrorist activities.''
[. . .]
Citing ongoing investigations, McCallum declined to name the terrorist group that's the recipient of the illegal flow of cash making its way to Dubai, one emirate that makes up the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf.
''They get a stronghold because they get more sophisticated with the technology. There are so many little devices you can put into a debit machine,'' said McCallum.
That a terrorist group is being funded locally doesn't surprise Calgary Tory MP Art Hanger.
[. . .]
Read all of Linda Slobodian's story. Click here
Friday, May 26, 2006
A list of crimes committed by Indo-Canadians
A kind reader sent me this link: A history of organized crime in the Indo-Canadian community:
Dozens of young Indo-Canadian men have been slain in recent years, caught in the violent world of organized crime and drug trafficking. Most of the cases remain unsolved.
[. . .]
Gwyn Morgan was abused for telling the truth about immigration and crime His critics, who were probably motivated as much by partisanship as by moral outrage, didn't seem to care, or even notice that his speech was PRO-IMMIGRATION.
Dozens of young Indo-Canadian men have been slain in recent years, caught in the violent world of organized crime and drug trafficking. Most of the cases remain unsolved.
[. . .]
Gwyn Morgan was abused for telling the truth about immigration and crime His critics, who were probably motivated as much by partisanship as by moral outrage, didn't seem to care, or even notice that his speech was PRO-IMMIGRATION.
CanWest News: Lawyer says MPs violated Official Languages Act
From CanWest News Service (MPs violated languages act, lawyer says by Jack Aubry, May 25):
Members of Parliament broke the law when they prevented a witness from filing English documents with a House of Commons committee because they had not yet been translated into French, a Federal Court heard yesterday.
Ottawa copyright lawyer Howard Knopf told Justice Carol Stevenson that when MPs from all four parties on the Commons heritage committee refused to accept documents -- as they did during his presentation in April, 2004 -- they contravened the Official Languages Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
[. . .]
He told the court that Parliament is not above the law when it comes to the Official Languages Act. As an invited witness before the heritage committee, Mr. Knopf's attempt to provide four English-only documents to the MPs was rejected, hindering his ability to make his case about copyright laws, the main issue before the MPs at the time.
[. . .]
Read all of Jack Aubry's article. Click here
Members of Parliament broke the law when they prevented a witness from filing English documents with a House of Commons committee because they had not yet been translated into French, a Federal Court heard yesterday.
Ottawa copyright lawyer Howard Knopf told Justice Carol Stevenson that when MPs from all four parties on the Commons heritage committee refused to accept documents -- as they did during his presentation in April, 2004 -- they contravened the Official Languages Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
[. . .]
He told the court that Parliament is not above the law when it comes to the Official Languages Act. As an invited witness before the heritage committee, Mr. Knopf's attempt to provide four English-only documents to the MPs was rejected, hindering his ability to make his case about copyright laws, the main issue before the MPs at the time.
[. . .]
Read all of Jack Aubry's article. Click here
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Toronto Star: Girl raped by Angolan asylum seeker 'destroyed'
From the Toronto Star (Girl 'destroyed' by rapes, mother tells court by Peter Small, May 25):
The 13-year-old girl abducted and raped repeatedly by failed refugee claimant Fernando Zola is so traumatized by the attack that she has left the country to make a fresh start, her mother says.
She can't eat or sleep properly and has been "spiritually, emotionally, physically and socially destroyed," her mother says in an victim impact statement entered in court today.
[. . .]
On Jan. 9, 2003, Zola lured the girl into his car on Islington Ave., pulled a gun and threatened to kill her if she didn't have sex.
He held her overnight in his apartment, raping her seven times and phoning her mother with $20,000 ransom demands. "I need money or I kill your daughter," he said.
[. . .]
Read all of Peter Small's article. Click here
If Canada's refugee system had been a little less 'compassionate' towards claimants, this unspeakable crime wouldn't have happened.
An Egyptian accused by CSIS of terrorism is suing Ottawa. Can this girl's family sue the government for allowing an African psychopath to walk around free? According to a 2003 report by Auditor General Sheila Fraser, Ottawa lost track of 36,000 failed refugee claimants. How many more Fernando Zolas and Charles Kembos are walking around free because at times our government seems to agree with the notion no one is illegal?
The 13-year-old girl abducted and raped repeatedly by failed refugee claimant Fernando Zola is so traumatized by the attack that she has left the country to make a fresh start, her mother says.
She can't eat or sleep properly and has been "spiritually, emotionally, physically and socially destroyed," her mother says in an victim impact statement entered in court today.
[. . .]
On Jan. 9, 2003, Zola lured the girl into his car on Islington Ave., pulled a gun and threatened to kill her if she didn't have sex.
He held her overnight in his apartment, raping her seven times and phoning her mother with $20,000 ransom demands. "I need money or I kill your daughter," he said.
[. . .]
Read all of Peter Small's article. Click here
If Canada's refugee system had been a little less 'compassionate' towards claimants, this unspeakable crime wouldn't have happened.
An Egyptian accused by CSIS of terrorism is suing Ottawa. Can this girl's family sue the government for allowing an African psychopath to walk around free? According to a 2003 report by Auditor General Sheila Fraser, Ottawa lost track of 36,000 failed refugee claimants. How many more Fernando Zolas and Charles Kembos are walking around free because at times our government seems to agree with the notion no one is illegal?
CBC: Toronto public school board won't let immigration officials question students
[May 29: updated link to No One is Illegal]
From the CBC ( Immigration officials will not be allowed to question students: board, May 25):
Toronto's 550 public schools will not allow federal officials to question their students about the immigration status of their families, effective in September.
The Toronto District School Board's new policy, passed at a meeting Wednesday night, comes in the wake of a widely criticized incident at a Toronto Catholic high school, where federal officials pulled students out of class to track down parents staying in Canada illegally.
In the new school year, federal officials will have to meet with the school board director if they have questions about possible illegal immigrants.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
The article leaves me wondering whether this new policy will make it more difficult to track down and deport illegal aliens. In fact, making it harder seems to be the idea. It looks to me like the school board views immigration officials as the enemy. The board is concerned about the welfare of the children of illegal aliens, but they don't seem to care about the taxpayers who are paying for this 'free' education. I often read news stories that say schools don't have adequate resources and English as a Second Language programs are underfunded; yet there's money to teach children who have no right to be in Canada.
How much does it cost the Toronto District School Board to educate the children of illegal immigrants? Does anyone know? Does anyone even care? Have school officials ever asked parents and other citizens whether they want their taxes used this way? Recently, there were a few stories in the papers about a shortage of school librarians. How many librarians could be hired with the money now being used to educate illegal aliens? What would parents do if they were offered the choice of either paying for the education of illegals or paying to hire new librarians? It's taxpayer money. Shouldn't the taxpayer be asked?
There's also the issue of Canadian school children being exposed to imported diseases. Illegal aliens, unlike legal immigrants, aren't screened for diseases like tuberculosis. (Whether the screening of legal immigrants is reliable, is another issue.)
People often speak about immigration, both the legal and illegal variety, in terms of generosity and compassion. According to this view of things, a generous country accepts a large number of immigrants. A compassionate country supposedly overlooks little matters like violations of immigration law. It's easy to be generous with other people's money. It's also easy to be 'compassionate' when your wages aren't being pushed downwards by competition from illegal immigrants willing to work for less.
There is one thing in the CBC story that really gets under my skin:
Kimberly Lizano-Sossa, a student who was pulled out of class at Dante Alighieri Academy on April 27 along with her brother Gerald, said the new policy is a step in the right direction. She and her brother attended the board meeting Wednesday night to show their support for the policy.
"It will be impossible for immigration to come into schools and have students taken out the way we were taken out. It's a great thing to see that we're helping many other students in our situation to be safe in school," she said.
Where did these kids who aren't Canadian get the idea they have a right to judge Toronto school board policy? Why were they allowed to speak at the meeting? Here's a message for all illegal immigrants: CANADA ISN'T YOUR COUNTRY DAMMIT! SHUT UP AND GO HOME!
This is what scares me. Multiculturalism and globalism are erasing the distinction between citizens and foreigners. The advocates of illegal immigrants, for example the radicals at No One is Illegal, openly state there should be no legal difference between citizen and non-citizen:
No One is Illegal (Toronto) is a group of immigrants, refugees and allies who fight for the rights of all migrants to live with dignity and respect. We believe that granting citizenship to a privileged few is part of a racist immigration and border policy designed to exploit and marginalize migrants. We work to oppose these policies, as well as the international economic policies that create the conditions of poverty and war that force migration.
This is insanity. If Canada were to allow every person in the world who wanted to live here to do so, our society would collapse. Our schools, our hospitals and every social program would be overwhelmed. A savage competition for too few jobs would drive millions of Canadians into poverty. We would become a Third World country.
Immigration laws aren't some silly, arbitrary rules. They are necessary for Canada's survival as a stable, prosperous state; yet some people continue to treat their violation as a minor matter. In fact, immigration violations would be a minor issue if we were only dealing with a handful of illegals. If we were, for example, talking about a hundred or so people in all of Canada, I myself might be inclined to treat immigration violations as relatively minor offences. If the numbers were negligible, the issue wouldn't be that important, but unfortunately, the numbers aren't small. On the contrary, they're huge.
According to some estimates there are as many as 600,000 illegal aliens in Canada. More importantly, there are millions of other foreigners who would like to come here, but haven't yet. Every time we grant an illegal immigrant or false refugee claimant the right to stay here on 'compassionate grounds' we are issuing an invitation to the world. We are telling people our immigration laws aren't important to us. We are letting the world know that illegal immigrants will be rewarded with permanent residence and eventually, citizenship. Any amnesty would bring in a massive flood of new illegals. This madness must stop.
From the CBC ( Immigration officials will not be allowed to question students: board, May 25):
Toronto's 550 public schools will not allow federal officials to question their students about the immigration status of their families, effective in September.
The Toronto District School Board's new policy, passed at a meeting Wednesday night, comes in the wake of a widely criticized incident at a Toronto Catholic high school, where federal officials pulled students out of class to track down parents staying in Canada illegally.
In the new school year, federal officials will have to meet with the school board director if they have questions about possible illegal immigrants.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
The article leaves me wondering whether this new policy will make it more difficult to track down and deport illegal aliens. In fact, making it harder seems to be the idea. It looks to me like the school board views immigration officials as the enemy. The board is concerned about the welfare of the children of illegal aliens, but they don't seem to care about the taxpayers who are paying for this 'free' education. I often read news stories that say schools don't have adequate resources and English as a Second Language programs are underfunded; yet there's money to teach children who have no right to be in Canada.
How much does it cost the Toronto District School Board to educate the children of illegal immigrants? Does anyone know? Does anyone even care? Have school officials ever asked parents and other citizens whether they want their taxes used this way? Recently, there were a few stories in the papers about a shortage of school librarians. How many librarians could be hired with the money now being used to educate illegal aliens? What would parents do if they were offered the choice of either paying for the education of illegals or paying to hire new librarians? It's taxpayer money. Shouldn't the taxpayer be asked?
There's also the issue of Canadian school children being exposed to imported diseases. Illegal aliens, unlike legal immigrants, aren't screened for diseases like tuberculosis. (Whether the screening of legal immigrants is reliable, is another issue.)
People often speak about immigration, both the legal and illegal variety, in terms of generosity and compassion. According to this view of things, a generous country accepts a large number of immigrants. A compassionate country supposedly overlooks little matters like violations of immigration law. It's easy to be generous with other people's money. It's also easy to be 'compassionate' when your wages aren't being pushed downwards by competition from illegal immigrants willing to work for less.
There is one thing in the CBC story that really gets under my skin:
Kimberly Lizano-Sossa, a student who was pulled out of class at Dante Alighieri Academy on April 27 along with her brother Gerald, said the new policy is a step in the right direction. She and her brother attended the board meeting Wednesday night to show their support for the policy.
"It will be impossible for immigration to come into schools and have students taken out the way we were taken out. It's a great thing to see that we're helping many other students in our situation to be safe in school," she said.
Where did these kids who aren't Canadian get the idea they have a right to judge Toronto school board policy? Why were they allowed to speak at the meeting? Here's a message for all illegal immigrants: CANADA ISN'T YOUR COUNTRY DAMMIT! SHUT UP AND GO HOME!
This is what scares me. Multiculturalism and globalism are erasing the distinction between citizens and foreigners. The advocates of illegal immigrants, for example the radicals at No One is Illegal, openly state there should be no legal difference between citizen and non-citizen:
No One is Illegal (Toronto) is a group of immigrants, refugees and allies who fight for the rights of all migrants to live with dignity and respect. We believe that granting citizenship to a privileged few is part of a racist immigration and border policy designed to exploit and marginalize migrants. We work to oppose these policies, as well as the international economic policies that create the conditions of poverty and war that force migration.
This is insanity. If Canada were to allow every person in the world who wanted to live here to do so, our society would collapse. Our schools, our hospitals and every social program would be overwhelmed. A savage competition for too few jobs would drive millions of Canadians into poverty. We would become a Third World country.
Immigration laws aren't some silly, arbitrary rules. They are necessary for Canada's survival as a stable, prosperous state; yet some people continue to treat their violation as a minor matter. In fact, immigration violations would be a minor issue if we were only dealing with a handful of illegals. If we were, for example, talking about a hundred or so people in all of Canada, I myself might be inclined to treat immigration violations as relatively minor offences. If the numbers were negligible, the issue wouldn't be that important, but unfortunately, the numbers aren't small. On the contrary, they're huge.
According to some estimates there are as many as 600,000 illegal aliens in Canada. More importantly, there are millions of other foreigners who would like to come here, but haven't yet. Every time we grant an illegal immigrant or false refugee claimant the right to stay here on 'compassionate grounds' we are issuing an invitation to the world. We are telling people our immigration laws aren't important to us. We are letting the world know that illegal immigrants will be rewarded with permanent residence and eventually, citizenship. Any amnesty would bring in a massive flood of new illegals. This madness must stop.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Angolan psychopath has been in Canada since 1999
[Update June 30]: Different news stories give different dates for Zola's crime spree. According to a June 30 Toronto Star story by Peter Small:
A judge has rejected a Crown application to slap a dangerous offender designation on a failed refugee claimant who went on a two-week rape and robbery rampage.
[. . .]
On Dec. 27, 2002, the French-speaking Angolan, who is believed to be in his 30s, began a crime spree shortly after his refugee claim was rejected.
If Zola began a two-week crime spree in December 2002, he would have raped the two teens in January 2003, not 2004 as reported in the Sun story I cited below.
NOTE: I've edited this blog entry several times, because some of the details in the Star and the Sun story seem to conflict with each other. I think this is the sequence of events. Zola came to Canada in 1999 and applied for refugee status. His claim was rejected in December 2002. He went on a crime spree that ended with the rape of the two teenagers in January 2004. He was arrested after the second rape. He pleaded guilty in September 2004. The court is now reviewing the Crown's application to have Zola declared a dangerous offender which would allow the state to keep him detained indefinitely.
Earlier today I blogged about Fernando Zola, a failed refugee claimant who raped two teenage girls in January, 2004. He raped one of his victims, a thirteen-year-old girl, SEVEN times.(The Toronto Star story I linked to said the rapes occurred in 2005, but that can't be right, because he was convicted in 2004.)
The Star story doesn't say when Zola came to Canada or from where. It just describes him as a "failed refugee claimant". An article in today's Toronto Sun gives us a few more details. The man was originally from Angola. He came to Canada in 1999 and applied for refugee status. He was ordered deported in January 2003.
From the Toronto Sun ('Sexual sadist': Angolan refugee may be psycho, court hears at kidnap trial by Sam Pazzano, May 23):
Forensic psychiatrist Graham Glancy testified that Fernando Zola's crime rampage that ended in January 2004 indicates "he's capable of being totally out of control."
"It's clear from his behaviour in the 11 or 12 days (before his arrest) that a person who is capable of that litany of offences would not be restrained by normal constraints," Glancy told Justice Brian Trafford.
During his last 12 days of freedom, Zola committed a string of sex crimes -- involving the 13-year-old girl and another who was 15 -- and some robberies.
Det. Steve Ryan -- who rescued the 13-year-old Etobicoke girl after she was repeatedly raped over a 24-hour period -- described the scene as "the most horrific I've ever experienced in my four years on the sex crimes unit."
Zola frequently threatened to kill the girls and Glancy testified the threats "were used as a technique to both terrify his victim and to increase his sexual arousal."
While most illegal immigrants aren't psychopaths, Zola isn't the only refugee claimant to commit horrific crimes. Back in October, I blogged about the case of Charles Kembo, a GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED refugee from Malawi who is wanted for killing his wife, daughter-in-law, girlfriend and business partner. Kembo had been ordered deported on criminal grounds in 1994, but his deportation was deferred because his crimes up until then had not been violent. The authorities in their wisdom decided this convicted fraud artist was not a danger to others.
Finally, at the risk of boring regular readers, I feel the need to point out once again that convicted terrorist Ahmed Ressam was a failed refugee claimant who Ottawa declined to deport because of the ongoing violence in Algeria. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Americans almost died because Canada put the safety of this Muslim fanatic ahead of national security.
A judge has rejected a Crown application to slap a dangerous offender designation on a failed refugee claimant who went on a two-week rape and robbery rampage.
[. . .]
On Dec. 27, 2002, the French-speaking Angolan, who is believed to be in his 30s, began a crime spree shortly after his refugee claim was rejected.
If Zola began a two-week crime spree in December 2002, he would have raped the two teens in January 2003, not 2004 as reported in the Sun story I cited below.
NOTE: I've edited this blog entry several times, because some of the details in the Star and the Sun story seem to conflict with each other. I think this is the sequence of events. Zola came to Canada in 1999 and applied for refugee status. His claim was rejected in December 2002. He went on a crime spree that ended with the rape of the two teenagers in January 2004. He was arrested after the second rape. He pleaded guilty in September 2004. The court is now reviewing the Crown's application to have Zola declared a dangerous offender which would allow the state to keep him detained indefinitely.
Earlier today I blogged about Fernando Zola, a failed refugee claimant who raped two teenage girls in January, 2004. He raped one of his victims, a thirteen-year-old girl, SEVEN times.(The Toronto Star story I linked to said the rapes occurred in 2005, but that can't be right, because he was convicted in 2004.)
The Star story doesn't say when Zola came to Canada or from where. It just describes him as a "failed refugee claimant". An article in today's Toronto Sun gives us a few more details. The man was originally from Angola. He came to Canada in 1999 and applied for refugee status. He was ordered deported in January 2003.
From the Toronto Sun ('Sexual sadist': Angolan refugee may be psycho, court hears at kidnap trial by Sam Pazzano, May 23):
Forensic psychiatrist Graham Glancy testified that Fernando Zola's crime rampage that ended in January 2004 indicates "he's capable of being totally out of control."
"It's clear from his behaviour in the 11 or 12 days (before his arrest) that a person who is capable of that litany of offences would not be restrained by normal constraints," Glancy told Justice Brian Trafford.
During his last 12 days of freedom, Zola committed a string of sex crimes -- involving the 13-year-old girl and another who was 15 -- and some robberies.
Det. Steve Ryan -- who rescued the 13-year-old Etobicoke girl after she was repeatedly raped over a 24-hour period -- described the scene as "the most horrific I've ever experienced in my four years on the sex crimes unit."
Zola frequently threatened to kill the girls and Glancy testified the threats "were used as a technique to both terrify his victim and to increase his sexual arousal."
While most illegal immigrants aren't psychopaths, Zola isn't the only refugee claimant to commit horrific crimes. Back in October, I blogged about the case of Charles Kembo, a GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED refugee from Malawi who is wanted for killing his wife, daughter-in-law, girlfriend and business partner. Kembo had been ordered deported on criminal grounds in 1994, but his deportation was deferred because his crimes up until then had not been violent. The authorities in their wisdom decided this convicted fraud artist was not a danger to others.
Finally, at the risk of boring regular readers, I feel the need to point out once again that convicted terrorist Ahmed Ressam was a failed refugee claimant who Ottawa declined to deport because of the ongoing violence in Algeria. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Americans almost died because Canada put the safety of this Muslim fanatic ahead of national security.
Caledonia land claim: traffic moving but dispute far from over
The CBC reports that the blockade has been lifted from Highway 6 and that traffic is moving freely through Caledonia, but a Canadian Press story on the Toronto Star website warns that the removal of the blockade does not mean the land dispute is settled. From the Canadian Press story (Caledonia dispute far from over by Mike Oliveira, May 24):
The end of the blockade in Caledonia, Ont., has been heralded as progress toward settling a centuries-old dispute over territory, but the road ahead could produce decades of arguments and waiting before the land claim is resolved.
Land claims have averaged around 10 years to reach a resolution and some have taken as long as three decades to complete, said Chief Angus Toulouse of Sagamok Anishinawbek First Nation, who is the Ontario regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations.
"Right now there's approximately 1,000 specific claims before the government of Canada and I believe about 300 of those have been validated and are making their way through the process," he said.
"But it takes an average 10 years to resolve a legitimate claim, which is way too long," he added. "It really is a real slow snail's pace process and that's what's creating the frustration and the anger at the community level."
[. . .]
Read all of Mike Oliveira's Canadian Press article. Click here
The end of the blockade in Caledonia, Ont., has been heralded as progress toward settling a centuries-old dispute over territory, but the road ahead could produce decades of arguments and waiting before the land claim is resolved.
Land claims have averaged around 10 years to reach a resolution and some have taken as long as three decades to complete, said Chief Angus Toulouse of Sagamok Anishinawbek First Nation, who is the Ontario regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations.
"Right now there's approximately 1,000 specific claims before the government of Canada and I believe about 300 of those have been validated and are making their way through the process," he said.
"But it takes an average 10 years to resolve a legitimate claim, which is way too long," he added. "It really is a real slow snail's pace process and that's what's creating the frustration and the anger at the community level."
[. . .]
Read all of Mike Oliveira's Canadian Press article. Click here
Government and police abandoned 'non-native' residents of Caledonia
Thomas Walkom writes in the Toronto Star (Caledonia roadblock taken down, May 24):
Some have dismissed these non-natives as racist. Even provincially appointed mediator and former Liberal premier David Peterson ascribes the anger he faced yesterday from Caledonia residents to "frustration and ignorance."
But for most people I talked to, neither race nor ignorance was the issue. What rankled was the sheer unfairness of it all.
The barricades themselves were selective. Indians driving from the nearby Six Nations reserve were routinely waved through by protestors so they could shop in Caledonia or buy a coffee in the local doughnut shop.
But non-Indians, even those who lived along the stretch of Argyle Street blocked off by the barricades, could not.
[. . .]
Two days ago, hundreds of Caledonia residents formed a human wall across the street to prevent Indians from driving through.
That was the action that led to name-calling, fist fights, an act of sabotage that cut the town's electricity supply and the brief resumption of the barricades.
The townspeople were castigated as boneheaded. Maybe they were. But their explanation is that they'd just had enough.
"You have no idea how angry people are," retired board of education manager Donna Reid said as she watched protestors dismantle their main blockade yesterday afternoon.
[. . .]
"It seems like there are two different laws," said Judy McDonough, who runs a small business with her husband, Doug. "One for the natives, one for us.
Read all of Walkom's column. Click here
Some Caledonia residents have set up a website to present their view of the Six Nations blockade. Click here
Some have dismissed these non-natives as racist. Even provincially appointed mediator and former Liberal premier David Peterson ascribes the anger he faced yesterday from Caledonia residents to "frustration and ignorance."
But for most people I talked to, neither race nor ignorance was the issue. What rankled was the sheer unfairness of it all.
The barricades themselves were selective. Indians driving from the nearby Six Nations reserve were routinely waved through by protestors so they could shop in Caledonia or buy a coffee in the local doughnut shop.
But non-Indians, even those who lived along the stretch of Argyle Street blocked off by the barricades, could not.
[. . .]
Two days ago, hundreds of Caledonia residents formed a human wall across the street to prevent Indians from driving through.
That was the action that led to name-calling, fist fights, an act of sabotage that cut the town's electricity supply and the brief resumption of the barricades.
The townspeople were castigated as boneheaded. Maybe they were. But their explanation is that they'd just had enough.
"You have no idea how angry people are," retired board of education manager Donna Reid said as she watched protestors dismantle their main blockade yesterday afternoon.
[. . .]
"It seems like there are two different laws," said Judy McDonough, who runs a small business with her husband, Doug. "One for the natives, one for us.
Read all of Walkom's column. Click here
Some Caledonia residents have set up a website to present their view of the Six Nations blockade. Click here
Muslim terrorist suspect Mohamed Harkat belonged to an Algerian extremist group
On Tuesday, I blogged about Mohamed Harkat, a Muslim terrorist suspect from Algeria. (Note: Canada's most notorious terrorist, Ahmed Ressam, is also Algerian.) Harkat, who had been held in detention under a national security certificate while he fought deportation, was granted conditional bail by the Federal Court of Canada. Today's Toronto Star has another story about Harkat that offers a few more details.
From the Toronto Star (Terror suspect Harkat gets bail by Michelle Shephard, May 24):
The former pizza delivery man is accused of having ties to Al Qaeda and travelling to Afghanistan in the early 1990s where he is alleged to have met with senior lieutenant Abu Zubaydah. Harkat denies the allegation, saying he came to Canada in 1995 after working five years in Pakistan as a warehouse manager for the Muslim World League.
He won refugee status as a political dissident based on membership in Front Islamique du Salut (Islamic Salvation Front); its members were subject to an early 1990s military crackdown.
Read all of Michelle Shephard's story. Click here
The Islamic Salvation Front is an extremist group that espouses a totalitarian ideology. That a member of this organization could be granted refugee status is a perfect example of what's wrong with our refugee system. A process that allows a Muslim extremist to be granted asylum precisely because he is an extremist, is a system that puts the interests of foreigners ahead of the interests of Canadians. Harkat should never have been allowed to enter Canada. That it's taking years to get rid of the man is a sick joke.
Here are some comments by Daniel Pipes about the organization Harkat belonged to:
Fundamentalist Muslims nearly came to power early this year in Algeria, but were prevented from doing so by a preemptive coup carried out by the ruling National Liberation Front party (FLN) in late January 1992.
In contrast to the dissimulation of fundamentalists elsewhere (including Khomeini, Fadlallah of Lebanon, and the current opposition movement in Tajikistan), the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in Algeria, to its credit, made no bones about despising democracy. Its slogans included such gems as: "No democracy in Islam," "Democracy is blasphemy," and my favorite, "Islam is light, democracy is darkness." The coup raised a classic philosophic dilemma about the democratic process: should an openly anti-democratic party be permitted to gain control of the government? Do democratic rights include the right to eliminate democracy itself? It also raised practical concerns: Will cutting off the fundamentalist Muslims in 1992 mean they will return with greater force and greater fury in the future? Or does it deny them their one and only chance at taking power?
It is also amazing that Harkat would cite working for the Muslim World League as part of his defence, because this is a group that promotes Saudi Arabia's extreme Wahhabi version of Islam.
From the Toronto Star (Terror suspect Harkat gets bail by Michelle Shephard, May 24):
The former pizza delivery man is accused of having ties to Al Qaeda and travelling to Afghanistan in the early 1990s where he is alleged to have met with senior lieutenant Abu Zubaydah. Harkat denies the allegation, saying he came to Canada in 1995 after working five years in Pakistan as a warehouse manager for the Muslim World League.
He won refugee status as a political dissident based on membership in Front Islamique du Salut (Islamic Salvation Front); its members were subject to an early 1990s military crackdown.
Read all of Michelle Shephard's story. Click here
The Islamic Salvation Front is an extremist group that espouses a totalitarian ideology. That a member of this organization could be granted refugee status is a perfect example of what's wrong with our refugee system. A process that allows a Muslim extremist to be granted asylum precisely because he is an extremist, is a system that puts the interests of foreigners ahead of the interests of Canadians. Harkat should never have been allowed to enter Canada. That it's taking years to get rid of the man is a sick joke.
Here are some comments by Daniel Pipes about the organization Harkat belonged to:
Fundamentalist Muslims nearly came to power early this year in Algeria, but were prevented from doing so by a preemptive coup carried out by the ruling National Liberation Front party (FLN) in late January 1992.
In contrast to the dissimulation of fundamentalists elsewhere (including Khomeini, Fadlallah of Lebanon, and the current opposition movement in Tajikistan), the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in Algeria, to its credit, made no bones about despising democracy. Its slogans included such gems as: "No democracy in Islam," "Democracy is blasphemy," and my favorite, "Islam is light, democracy is darkness." The coup raised a classic philosophic dilemma about the democratic process: should an openly anti-democratic party be permitted to gain control of the government? Do democratic rights include the right to eliminate democracy itself? It also raised practical concerns: Will cutting off the fundamentalist Muslims in 1992 mean they will return with greater force and greater fury in the future? Or does it deny them their one and only chance at taking power?
It is also amazing that Harkat would cite working for the Muslim World League as part of his defence, because this is a group that promotes Saudi Arabia's extreme Wahhabi version of Islam.
Toronto Star: Jamestown Crew members and associates in court
From the Toronto Star (Accused in gang raids appear in court by Betsy Powell, May 24):
Included on yesterday's court docket of people arrested as part of last week's anti-gang sweep targeting the Jamestown Crew is an entire family, girlfriends and their boyfriends, the employed and jobless, and at least three pregnant women.
One of those arrested used to work in a bank. Police allege she provided her gang-member boyfriend with information relating to how he could rob it.
She was among 23 accused who were released on bail yesterday after appearing in court — the next phase for Project XXX, the largest covert operation ever conducted by Toronto police.
The 23 were among 57 alleged members and associates of the Jamestown Crew who were marched into Courtroom 206 at the Finch Ave. W. courthouse. Thirty-four were remanded in custody, with six ordered to appear in court again today.
[. . .]
Read all of Betsy Powell's article. Click here
Taxpayers will be happy to read this:
All of these prosecutions are colossal undertakings with massive price tags, including legal aid for many accused gang members. The province has said it is committed to establishing a state-of-the-art provincial operations centre to allow for highly co-ordinated investigations and prosecutions of gun- and gang-related offences.
Included on yesterday's court docket of people arrested as part of last week's anti-gang sweep targeting the Jamestown Crew is an entire family, girlfriends and their boyfriends, the employed and jobless, and at least three pregnant women.
One of those arrested used to work in a bank. Police allege she provided her gang-member boyfriend with information relating to how he could rob it.
She was among 23 accused who were released on bail yesterday after appearing in court — the next phase for Project XXX, the largest covert operation ever conducted by Toronto police.
The 23 were among 57 alleged members and associates of the Jamestown Crew who were marched into Courtroom 206 at the Finch Ave. W. courthouse. Thirty-four were remanded in custody, with six ordered to appear in court again today.
[. . .]
Read all of Betsy Powell's article. Click here
Taxpayers will be happy to read this:
All of these prosecutions are colossal undertakings with massive price tags, including legal aid for many accused gang members. The province has said it is committed to establishing a state-of-the-art provincial operations centre to allow for highly co-ordinated investigations and prosecutions of gun- and gang-related offences.
Failed refugee claimant raped 13-year-old girl seven times
[Update June 30] The May 23 Star story I used when I first wrote this blog entry says the rapes took place in January 2005, but that is a mistake. According to a more recent June 30 Toronto Star story also by Peter Small:
A judge has rejected a Crown application to slap a dangerous offender designation on a failed refugee claimant who went on a two-week rape and robbery rampage.
[. . .]
On Dec. 27, 2002, the French-speaking Angolan, who is believed to be in his 30s, began a crime spree shortly after his refugee claim was rejected.
He robbed three stores in Vaughan and abducted two girls, aged 15 and 13, off Toronto streets in separate incidents, threatening to kill them and raping them both. He held the 13-year-old girl in his Kipling Ave. apartment overnight, handcuffing her and forcing intercourse seven times as well as demanding a $20,000 ransom from her mother before police caught him.
If Zola began a two-week crime spree starting in December 2002, he would have raped the teens in January 2003.
Original blog entry:
From the Toronto Star (Rapist likely a sexual sadist, hearing told by Peter Small, May 23):
A 33-year-old failed refugee claimant who went on a crime spree that included the abduction and sexual assault of two teens is likely a sexual sadist who is difficult to treat, a psychiatrist says.
Fernando Zola's criminal tendencies, which also includes credit card fraud and unlawful confinement, suggests he is a psychopath, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Graham Glancy testified Tuesday. "It makes this person hard to supervise," he said.
[. . .]
Around Jan. 7, 2005, he convinced a 15-year-old girl in northeast Mississauga get into his car. He drove her to an industrial parking lot where he sexually assaulted her.
Two days later he robbed at gunpoint an electronics store in Vaughan. That day he lured the 13-year-old girl into his car, claiming to be a friend of her mother's. He pulled an imitation handgun and threatened her life. Over the next 24 hours he raped her seven times. He phoned her mother and demanded a $20,000 ransom on pain of the girl's death.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
A judge has rejected a Crown application to slap a dangerous offender designation on a failed refugee claimant who went on a two-week rape and robbery rampage.
[. . .]
On Dec. 27, 2002, the French-speaking Angolan, who is believed to be in his 30s, began a crime spree shortly after his refugee claim was rejected.
He robbed three stores in Vaughan and abducted two girls, aged 15 and 13, off Toronto streets in separate incidents, threatening to kill them and raping them both. He held the 13-year-old girl in his Kipling Ave. apartment overnight, handcuffing her and forcing intercourse seven times as well as demanding a $20,000 ransom from her mother before police caught him.
If Zola began a two-week crime spree starting in December 2002, he would have raped the teens in January 2003.
Original blog entry:
From the Toronto Star (Rapist likely a sexual sadist, hearing told by Peter Small, May 23):
A 33-year-old failed refugee claimant who went on a crime spree that included the abduction and sexual assault of two teens is likely a sexual sadist who is difficult to treat, a psychiatrist says.
Fernando Zola's criminal tendencies, which also includes credit card fraud and unlawful confinement, suggests he is a psychopath, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Graham Glancy testified Tuesday. "It makes this person hard to supervise," he said.
[. . .]
Around Jan. 7, 2005, he convinced a 15-year-old girl in northeast Mississauga get into his car. He drove her to an industrial parking lot where he sexually assaulted her.
Two days later he robbed at gunpoint an electronics store in Vaughan. That day he lured the 13-year-old girl into his car, claiming to be a friend of her mother's. He pulled an imitation handgun and threatened her life. Over the next 24 hours he raped her seven times. He phoned her mother and demanded a $20,000 ransom on pain of the girl's death.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Illegal immigrants "most vulnerable to infectious diseases such as typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV."
From the Toronto Star (Illegals afraid to see a doctor by Nicholas Keung, May 23):
Some Toronto doctors are calling on the federal government to ease up on deportations after recent high-profile removals appear to have spooked many illegal migrants into cancelling appointments at clinics serving the uninsured.
"If they keep pushing these people further underground, it's going to be not just a tragedy for these people's health but a huge public health concern down the road," for example during a flu epidemic, warns Dr. Meb Rashid, of Toronto's Access Alliance Multicultural Community Health Centre.
"This population is most vulnerable to infectious diseases such as typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. If an epidemic breaks out, there's no way we'd be able to control that."
He and other physicians working with illegal immigrants plan a news conference on Friday to demand that Ottawa put a moratorium on deportations to calm fears in the community.
[. . .]
Coincidentally, an article in last month's Canadian Medical Association Journal highlighted lack of access to health care by immigrants and refugees.
"That there is a great potential for health problems in this population is evident: many have left countries that have limited health care resources and where diseases such as tuberculosis may be endemic," the report says.
[. . .]
Read the whole Star article. Click here
Let me see if I understand this. Illegal immigrants are bringing disease into Canada, but the government shouldn't deport them, because deportations will stop them from seeking medical treatment. But if Canada doesn't deport them, this will only attract more people with serious medical conditions. The fact that illegal immigrants are vulnerable to infectious diseases is all the more reason to crack down. If the presence of untreated illegal immigrants threatens to cause an epidemic, this reinforces the argument that Ottawa needs to take the problem of illegal immigration more seriously. This story shows once again that illegal immigration is not a victimless crime, because illegal immigrants are placing a burden on Canadians. The cheap labour from which some businesses profit has costs that are borne by the taxpaying public.
The article says illegal immigrants pay the doctors out of pocket, but what about all those illegals who use false documentation or who borrow OHIP cards from family and co-workers? How many of them are being treated courtesy of the Canadian taxpayer? Finally, Monte Solberg has said there is no crackdown. Isn't Canada allowed to deport anyone? Doesn't Canada have the right to control its borders?
Here are two articles I wrote for Vdare on the subject of immigration and disease. Click here and here
Walter Pringle wrote two articles about immigration and SARS. Click here and here
Some Toronto doctors are calling on the federal government to ease up on deportations after recent high-profile removals appear to have spooked many illegal migrants into cancelling appointments at clinics serving the uninsured.
"If they keep pushing these people further underground, it's going to be not just a tragedy for these people's health but a huge public health concern down the road," for example during a flu epidemic, warns Dr. Meb Rashid, of Toronto's Access Alliance Multicultural Community Health Centre.
"This population is most vulnerable to infectious diseases such as typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. If an epidemic breaks out, there's no way we'd be able to control that."
He and other physicians working with illegal immigrants plan a news conference on Friday to demand that Ottawa put a moratorium on deportations to calm fears in the community.
[. . .]
Coincidentally, an article in last month's Canadian Medical Association Journal highlighted lack of access to health care by immigrants and refugees.
"That there is a great potential for health problems in this population is evident: many have left countries that have limited health care resources and where diseases such as tuberculosis may be endemic," the report says.
[. . .]
Read the whole Star article. Click here
Let me see if I understand this. Illegal immigrants are bringing disease into Canada, but the government shouldn't deport them, because deportations will stop them from seeking medical treatment. But if Canada doesn't deport them, this will only attract more people with serious medical conditions. The fact that illegal immigrants are vulnerable to infectious diseases is all the more reason to crack down. If the presence of untreated illegal immigrants threatens to cause an epidemic, this reinforces the argument that Ottawa needs to take the problem of illegal immigration more seriously. This story shows once again that illegal immigration is not a victimless crime, because illegal immigrants are placing a burden on Canadians. The cheap labour from which some businesses profit has costs that are borne by the taxpaying public.
The article says illegal immigrants pay the doctors out of pocket, but what about all those illegals who use false documentation or who borrow OHIP cards from family and co-workers? How many of them are being treated courtesy of the Canadian taxpayer? Finally, Monte Solberg has said there is no crackdown. Isn't Canada allowed to deport anyone? Doesn't Canada have the right to control its borders?
Here are two articles I wrote for Vdare on the subject of immigration and disease. Click here and here
Walter Pringle wrote two articles about immigration and SARS. Click here and here
Court approves bail for Muslim terror suspect Mohamed Harkat
From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (Court approves bail for terror suspect by Jim Bronskill, May 23):
After 41 months behind bars, Mohamed Harkat is about to get a taste of freedom.
Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of terrorist ties, was granted bail Tuesday — albeit with a raft of conditions — by the Federal Court of Canada.
He is one of five Muslim men facing deportation on national security certificates — controversial anti-terrorism tools issued under federal immigration law.
Harkat, a refugee who wants to stay in Canada, must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet as part of the strict bail terms set out by the court.
In her ruling, Federal Court Justice Eleanor Dawson said that during court testimony Harkat "has been untruthful on a number of significant points.
[. . .]
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service contends Harkat is an Islamic extremist and collaborator with Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
The spy service, which watched Harkat for five years prior to his December 2002 arrest, also argues he supports Afghan, Pakistani and Chechen extremists.
[. . .]
Read the whole Star article. Click here
Harkat is from Algeria, where there is a brutal civil war between the secular government and Islamic extremists. Canada's most notorious terrorist, Ahmed Ressam, the so-called millenium bomber, who was caught in 1999 trying to enter the US with a car full of extremely volatile explosive material, was a failed refugee claimant from Algeria. He was going to bomb Los Angeles International airport as part of a series of co-ordinated attacks by Muslim terrorists to mark the new millenium
After 41 months behind bars, Mohamed Harkat is about to get a taste of freedom.
Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of terrorist ties, was granted bail Tuesday — albeit with a raft of conditions — by the Federal Court of Canada.
He is one of five Muslim men facing deportation on national security certificates — controversial anti-terrorism tools issued under federal immigration law.
Harkat, a refugee who wants to stay in Canada, must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet as part of the strict bail terms set out by the court.
In her ruling, Federal Court Justice Eleanor Dawson said that during court testimony Harkat "has been untruthful on a number of significant points.
[. . .]
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service contends Harkat is an Islamic extremist and collaborator with Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
The spy service, which watched Harkat for five years prior to his December 2002 arrest, also argues he supports Afghan, Pakistani and Chechen extremists.
[. . .]
Read the whole Star article. Click here
Harkat is from Algeria, where there is a brutal civil war between the secular government and Islamic extremists. Canada's most notorious terrorist, Ahmed Ressam, the so-called millenium bomber, who was caught in 1999 trying to enter the US with a car full of extremely volatile explosive material, was a failed refugee claimant from Algeria. He was going to bomb Los Angeles International airport as part of a series of co-ordinated attacks by Muslim terrorists to mark the new millenium
CBC: Ottawa Muslim on trial in Britain for bomb plot
Another day, another Canadian Muslim implicated in terrorism. It must be all that racial profiling. Sure that's what it is. Nothing to do with the Koran or jihad, which we've all learned means spiritual struggle. Nope. Islam has nothing to do with it.
From the CBC (Ottawa man implicated in British bomb plot, May 22):
An Ottawa man figured prominently in a British courtroom Monday where seven men are accused of planning to build a bomb.
Mohammad Momin Khawaja, 25, a resident of the Ottawa suburb of Orleans and a computer programmer for the federal Department of Foreign Affairs, was the first man charged under Canada's anti-terrorism act when he was arrested in Ottawa in March 2004.
He worked for the federal government. That's reassuring. I wonder if affirmative action had anything to do with his hiring. Not necessarily, but a possibility.
Khawaja, who was born and educated in Canada, is charged with participating in the activities of a British terrorist group and facilitating a terrorist activity.
So much for assimilation. Oh, I forgot. Canada is multicultural. My mistake. Differences are a joyful cause of celebration.
The police raid on his house was part of a British-Canadian investigation in which nine men of Pakistani heritage were arrested. Khawaja was the only person arrested in Canada. Khawaja was subsequently flown to England where he has been on trial for two months with six others.
Did any of them study at one of the Pakistani madrassas that's so popular with the kids these days? Of course, Canadian Muslims also have plenty of opportunity to study at home.
Read the whole CBC article. Click here
Some background on Khawaja can be found here
The BBC has articles on the case here See sidebar.
From the CBC (Ottawa man implicated in British bomb plot, May 22):
An Ottawa man figured prominently in a British courtroom Monday where seven men are accused of planning to build a bomb.
Mohammad Momin Khawaja, 25, a resident of the Ottawa suburb of Orleans and a computer programmer for the federal Department of Foreign Affairs, was the first man charged under Canada's anti-terrorism act when he was arrested in Ottawa in March 2004.
He worked for the federal government. That's reassuring. I wonder if affirmative action had anything to do with his hiring. Not necessarily, but a possibility.
Khawaja, who was born and educated in Canada, is charged with participating in the activities of a British terrorist group and facilitating a terrorist activity.
So much for assimilation. Oh, I forgot. Canada is multicultural. My mistake. Differences are a joyful cause of celebration.
The police raid on his house was part of a British-Canadian investigation in which nine men of Pakistani heritage were arrested. Khawaja was the only person arrested in Canada. Khawaja was subsequently flown to England where he has been on trial for two months with six others.
Did any of them study at one of the Pakistani madrassas that's so popular with the kids these days? Of course, Canadian Muslims also have plenty of opportunity to study at home.
Read the whole CBC article. Click here
Some background on Khawaja can be found here
The BBC has articles on the case here See sidebar.
Citizens of Caledonia website
Information about tensions in Caledonia from the point of view of the non-native residents can be found at the Citizens of Caledonia website.
Darcey at Dust My Broom also has information.
Hat tip to Small Dead Animals
Darcey at Dust My Broom also has information.
Hat tip to Small Dead Animals
Monday, May 22, 2006
High property taxes threaten elderly homeowners. What role does immigration-fueled population growth play?
From the Toronto Star (Elderly feel tax pinch by Naomi Carniol, May 22):
As luxury houses spring up across the 905, pushing up the value of older, smaller homes nearby, property taxes are soaring.
And it's hitting some seniors especially hard.
"Many of them have worked their whole lives to buy a house and then are suddenly finding that the taxes are escalating beyond their ability to pay," says NDP finance and housing critic Michael Prue.
It's a problem that communities in Greater Toronto are starting to, and having to, pay more attention to as its housing boom causes older residences to be hit with soaring assessments — in some cases, of 30 per cent higher.
[. . .]
To pay property taxes, some seniors "don't eat properly," says Judy Muzzi, president of the United Senior Citizens of Ontario. The advocacy group, representing 300,000 Ontario seniors, often receives calls, emails and letters from members worried about rising property taxes.
"You run the risk of a senior being isolated because they can't afford to go anywhere," she says. All the money goes "just to keep a roof over their head."
Seniors' incomes don't increase, Muzzi says. "So how the heck do they cover this stuff?" They shouldn't be forced to sell their houses, she adds.
[. . .]
Read the whole story. Click here
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this story is related to immigration-fueled population growth as well. Property values are rising in part because more people are settling on a fixed amount of land. It's the law of supply and demand. You can satisfy the demand for houses by building them, but you can't create more land. That many of these immigrants are wealthy and can afford to build luxury homes also raises the assessment values of the properties. I'm guessing the greenbelt McGuinty established to curb urban sprawl is also a factor because it means less land is available for development.
Municipalities could probably help homeowners on fixed incomes by adjusting the property tax system, but there's another issue as well. Were the local residents ever asked if they wanted this growth? On the contrary, when people outside Toronto complained about the way immigration was changing their towns, they were called bigots and told to shut up.
Back in 1995, Markham's Deputy Mayor Carole Bell raised concerns about how the growing Chinese population was transforming her city. As you might expect, she was widely denounced as a racist, just as Gwyn Morgan was recently when he talked about immigration and crime.
Eleven years later, Bell is still being villified for the crime of forthrightly expressing the concerns of her constituents. Recently, the supposedly 'right-wing' Toronto Sun wrote this about Bell (Dr. Ken Ng by Brodies Fenlon, May 15, 2006):
Dr. Ken Ng is a known statesman, a voice of moderation, a family doctor so soft-spoken you must strain to hear him.
So when he led several hundred Chinese residents to Markham's council chamber on Aug. 21, 1995, to denounce anti-Chinese comments made by the town's then-deputy mayor, his words thundered.
Speaking as chairman of the ad-hoc Coalition of Concerned Canadians, Ng told councillors remarks made by Carole Bell had "pierced the hearts of those who thought they had found a welcoming home in Markham."
Two months earlier at a council retreat, Bell had complained that "everything is going Chinese" in Markham. She followed up her remarks with a letter in the local newspaper that noted: "We once had one of the finest communities in North America with enviable business parks and the top corporations of the land. Now all we get are (Chinese) theme malls to serve people way beyond our borders."
The Chinese community -- in Markham and across Canada -- was outraged and demanded Bell retract her comments. She didn't. They demanded an apology. None came.
Good for her. She had nothing to apologize for. The Sun, on the other hand . . .
As luxury houses spring up across the 905, pushing up the value of older, smaller homes nearby, property taxes are soaring.
And it's hitting some seniors especially hard.
"Many of them have worked their whole lives to buy a house and then are suddenly finding that the taxes are escalating beyond their ability to pay," says NDP finance and housing critic Michael Prue.
It's a problem that communities in Greater Toronto are starting to, and having to, pay more attention to as its housing boom causes older residences to be hit with soaring assessments — in some cases, of 30 per cent higher.
[. . .]
To pay property taxes, some seniors "don't eat properly," says Judy Muzzi, president of the United Senior Citizens of Ontario. The advocacy group, representing 300,000 Ontario seniors, often receives calls, emails and letters from members worried about rising property taxes.
"You run the risk of a senior being isolated because they can't afford to go anywhere," she says. All the money goes "just to keep a roof over their head."
Seniors' incomes don't increase, Muzzi says. "So how the heck do they cover this stuff?" They shouldn't be forced to sell their houses, she adds.
[. . .]
Read the whole story. Click here
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this story is related to immigration-fueled population growth as well. Property values are rising in part because more people are settling on a fixed amount of land. It's the law of supply and demand. You can satisfy the demand for houses by building them, but you can't create more land. That many of these immigrants are wealthy and can afford to build luxury homes also raises the assessment values of the properties. I'm guessing the greenbelt McGuinty established to curb urban sprawl is also a factor because it means less land is available for development.
Municipalities could probably help homeowners on fixed incomes by adjusting the property tax system, but there's another issue as well. Were the local residents ever asked if they wanted this growth? On the contrary, when people outside Toronto complained about the way immigration was changing their towns, they were called bigots and told to shut up.
Back in 1995, Markham's Deputy Mayor Carole Bell raised concerns about how the growing Chinese population was transforming her city. As you might expect, she was widely denounced as a racist, just as Gwyn Morgan was recently when he talked about immigration and crime.
Eleven years later, Bell is still being villified for the crime of forthrightly expressing the concerns of her constituents. Recently, the supposedly 'right-wing' Toronto Sun wrote this about Bell (Dr. Ken Ng by Brodies Fenlon, May 15, 2006):
Dr. Ken Ng is a known statesman, a voice of moderation, a family doctor so soft-spoken you must strain to hear him.
So when he led several hundred Chinese residents to Markham's council chamber on Aug. 21, 1995, to denounce anti-Chinese comments made by the town's then-deputy mayor, his words thundered.
Speaking as chairman of the ad-hoc Coalition of Concerned Canadians, Ng told councillors remarks made by Carole Bell had "pierced the hearts of those who thought they had found a welcoming home in Markham."
Two months earlier at a council retreat, Bell had complained that "everything is going Chinese" in Markham. She followed up her remarks with a letter in the local newspaper that noted: "We once had one of the finest communities in North America with enviable business parks and the top corporations of the land. Now all we get are (Chinese) theme malls to serve people way beyond our borders."
The Chinese community -- in Markham and across Canada -- was outraged and demanded Bell retract her comments. She didn't. They demanded an apology. None came.
Good for her. She had nothing to apologize for. The Sun, on the other hand . . .
CBC: Court appearances for arrested Jamestown Crew gang members
CBC (Court appearances begin for dozens caught in raids, May 19):
Court appearances began Friday for many of the 106 people arrested in a series of sweeping raids aimed at dismantling street gangs in northwest Toronto.
Deputy Chief Tony Warr told a news conference that police expect to lay more than 1,000 charges for offences ranging from attempted murder to drug and firearms trafficking to membership in a criminal gang.
The pre-dawn raids on Thursday focused on an organization known as the Jamestown Crew, which operates throughout the GTA. Warr said police are still looking for eight fugitives.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Court appearances began Friday for many of the 106 people arrested in a series of sweeping raids aimed at dismantling street gangs in northwest Toronto.
Deputy Chief Tony Warr told a news conference that police expect to lay more than 1,000 charges for offences ranging from attempted murder to drug and firearms trafficking to membership in a criminal gang.
The pre-dawn raids on Thursday focused on an organization known as the Jamestown Crew, which operates throughout the GTA. Warr said police are still looking for eight fugitives.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
CBC: Blows exchanged in Caledonia. Six Nations Indian land dispute.
From the CBC (Caledonia barrier back up as tension rises, May 22):
Six Nations members set up a new barrier across a road in Caledonia, Ont., on Monday afternoon, shortly after aboriginal protesters and non-native residents of the area traded punches and insults.
Ontario Provincial Police officers separated the two sides and then lined up in a pair of columns to keep them apart on Highway 6, the main road running through the southern Ontario town.
Tempers reached the boiling point just a few hours after what had seemed to be a breakthrough in a five-week standoff over the construction of a subdivision on land the aboriginal protesters claim is theirs.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
This dispute has an immigration dimension. There is tremendous pressure to develop land in the regions surrounding Toronto because of the population growth I've discussed previously. See here, here, here and here
Aside from population growth, the racial dimension of this dispute shows how vulnerable to violence multi-ethnic societies can be. I grant you that sharing a common race or ethnicity doesn't always stop two groups of people from fighting each other, but race and ethnicity often give clashes of this kind an intensity they wouldn't otherwise have.
Six Nations members set up a new barrier across a road in Caledonia, Ont., on Monday afternoon, shortly after aboriginal protesters and non-native residents of the area traded punches and insults.
Ontario Provincial Police officers separated the two sides and then lined up in a pair of columns to keep them apart on Highway 6, the main road running through the southern Ontario town.
Tempers reached the boiling point just a few hours after what had seemed to be a breakthrough in a five-week standoff over the construction of a subdivision on land the aboriginal protesters claim is theirs.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
This dispute has an immigration dimension. There is tremendous pressure to develop land in the regions surrounding Toronto because of the population growth I've discussed previously. See here, here, here and here
Aside from population growth, the racial dimension of this dispute shows how vulnerable to violence multi-ethnic societies can be. I grant you that sharing a common race or ethnicity doesn't always stop two groups of people from fighting each other, but race and ethnicity often give clashes of this kind an intensity they wouldn't otherwise have.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Vancouver Sun: Canada's money-laundering king. He's Vietnamese. Oops. I don't think I'm allowed to say that.
From the Vancouver Sun (Canada's money-laundering king by Neal Hall, May 20):
[. . .]
The mastermind of the massive drug-money laundering operation was Dat Dac Tien (Frank) Tran, who was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to laundering
$201 million over a three-year period for Asian and Latino gangs that imported cocaine and exported B.C. bud.
Khuc, 38, ran a dial-a-dope operation, using a married couple in their 50s as couriers to deliver cocaine like pizzas. He was a high-level wholesaler, one step below the importer, selling up to 12 kilograms at a time, according to a statement of facts filed in B.C. Supreme Court.
When Khuc ran out of cocaine, he would place an order for more "beer" from Adalberto Silva Rivas, a Mexican national who was living in fancy home at 7380 Burris St. in Burnaby.
[. . .]
When the Minutemen set up patrols on the Canada-US border, CBC news treated it as a joke. The smirking attitude of the reporter was "Oh, how silly. There's nothing to defend here." Never mind the case of Ahmed Ressam who was caught in 1999 trying to drive a car loaded with bombs from Canada into the US as part of the Millenium Plot. Leaving aside homicidal illegal immigrants like Ressam, there's also drug smuggling, courtesy of another one of those ever-toiling illegal immigrants:
Silva Rivas came to Canada illegally and managed to smuggle more than 300 kg of cocaine over a three-year period, most of which ended up being sold on Vancouver streets.
Silva Rivas and his right-hand man, Jose Donaldo Lopez Guzman of Langley, used drug couriers carrying backpacks to bring shipments across the Canada-U.S. border through orchards near Osoyoos, which was described on the phone as "the little town that begins with a zero" or "the town with a bunch of Os."
Read the whole article. Click here
[. . .]
The mastermind of the massive drug-money laundering operation was Dat Dac Tien (Frank) Tran, who was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to laundering
$201 million over a three-year period for Asian and Latino gangs that imported cocaine and exported B.C. bud.
Khuc, 38, ran a dial-a-dope operation, using a married couple in their 50s as couriers to deliver cocaine like pizzas. He was a high-level wholesaler, one step below the importer, selling up to 12 kilograms at a time, according to a statement of facts filed in B.C. Supreme Court.
When Khuc ran out of cocaine, he would place an order for more "beer" from Adalberto Silva Rivas, a Mexican national who was living in fancy home at 7380 Burris St. in Burnaby.
[. . .]
When the Minutemen set up patrols on the Canada-US border, CBC news treated it as a joke. The smirking attitude of the reporter was "Oh, how silly. There's nothing to defend here." Never mind the case of Ahmed Ressam who was caught in 1999 trying to drive a car loaded with bombs from Canada into the US as part of the Millenium Plot. Leaving aside homicidal illegal immigrants like Ressam, there's also drug smuggling, courtesy of another one of those ever-toiling illegal immigrants:
Silva Rivas came to Canada illegally and managed to smuggle more than 300 kg of cocaine over a three-year period, most of which ended up being sold on Vancouver streets.
Silva Rivas and his right-hand man, Jose Donaldo Lopez Guzman of Langley, used drug couriers carrying backpacks to bring shipments across the Canada-U.S. border through orchards near Osoyoos, which was described on the phone as "the little town that begins with a zero" or "the town with a bunch of Os."
Read the whole article. Click here
Toronto Star: Jamestown Crew' s hierarchy
From the Toronto Star (Gang hierarchy laid out by Betsy Powell and John Duncanson, May 21):
Police are focusing on a hard-core group of Jamestown Crips as the brains behind the criminal enterprise.
One of them in particular stands out, according to investigators, who say they have mapped out the hierarchy of the gang that's described as one of the most violent in Toronto's history.
He's Oliver Augustus Willis, 26, who goes by the street name Twinky and sports several tattoos — including two tear drops under his left eye and the words "the world is mine" on his upper right arm. Police describe him as a key player in the organization, and say he has already beaten one murder rap.
Willis and four others were behind bars when police swooped down and arrested about 100 members and associates of the northwest Toronto-based street gang in a series of pre-dawn raids Thursday. Bail hearings are scheduled to begin Tuesday.
[. . .]
Police plan to charge the five accused who were in custody — including Jermaine "J-Bug" Grant, who is serving an eight-year sentence for firearms possession — with participating in a criminal organization. As well, Grant and Willis, along with 13 others, are being accused of running the day-to-day operations of the gang, directing its members to carry out crimes. That's a more serious charge called "instructing commission of a criminal offence for criminal organization" and carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Police are focusing on a hard-core group of Jamestown Crips as the brains behind the criminal enterprise.
One of them in particular stands out, according to investigators, who say they have mapped out the hierarchy of the gang that's described as one of the most violent in Toronto's history.
He's Oliver Augustus Willis, 26, who goes by the street name Twinky and sports several tattoos — including two tear drops under his left eye and the words "the world is mine" on his upper right arm. Police describe him as a key player in the organization, and say he has already beaten one murder rap.
Willis and four others were behind bars when police swooped down and arrested about 100 members and associates of the northwest Toronto-based street gang in a series of pre-dawn raids Thursday. Bail hearings are scheduled to begin Tuesday.
[. . .]
Police plan to charge the five accused who were in custody — including Jermaine "J-Bug" Grant, who is serving an eight-year sentence for firearms possession — with participating in a criminal organization. As well, Grant and Willis, along with 13 others, are being accused of running the day-to-day operations of the gang, directing its members to carry out crimes. That's a more serious charge called "instructing commission of a criminal offence for criminal organization" and carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
CBC: Darwin's theory offends Inuit (Canadian Eskimos)
From the CBC (Darwin's theory not allowed in North Quebec schools, May 19):
Teachers in some northern Quebec communities say they are being told not to talk about the theory of human evolution because it offends some Inuit people.
Alexandre April, a teacher in Salluit, Que., said his school principal had told teachers not to discuss the issue.
However, when students asked questions, April said Thursday he answered them as a teacher and biologist, telling them about Darwin's theory.
April said that's when he got the complaint.
"A mother called, and she said that I'd told her daughter that she was a monkey. It's not the way I presented it. Not at all. So I've been told not to do it again," April said.
[. . .]
The Kativik school board says it's just being sensitive to local beliefs.
[. . .]
In at least three communities where Pentecostal Christianity has gained prominence, the opposition to teaching Darwin's theory is strong.
[. . ]
Read the whole article. Click here
If Canada really is a multicultural country, shouldn't schools respect Inuit beliefs? And if they should respect Inuit beliefs, shouldn't they also respect the beliefs of evangelical Christians who reject evolution? For the record, I take the word of biologists that evolution offers the best explanation of how humanity came into being. If I were a father, I would want my children to learn about Darwin's theory.
This dispute in Quebec reminds me of another story about parents who were offended by what a school was teaching. A few years ago there was an elementary school in downtown Toronto where some of the pupils were conservative Muslims and others the children of gay parents. The children of the gay parents complained that they were being teased (not necessarily by the Muslims) so the school decided to teach its pupils that there are different kinds of families including gay ones. This upset the Muslims who felt their beliefs and culture were not being shown respect.
This is one of the problems with multiculturalism. Some cultures are incompatible with others. Canada is a formerly Christian, now largely secular country, where there is considerable tolerance for homosexuality especially in large cities like Toronto. Tolerance of gays is bound to clash with the conservative values of Muslims, evangelical Christians and others. There's more to cultural differences than exotic cuisine and colourful clothing, but those who talk the loudest about "celebrating our differences" seem to be the least aware of what those differences really are.
Teachers in some northern Quebec communities say they are being told not to talk about the theory of human evolution because it offends some Inuit people.
Alexandre April, a teacher in Salluit, Que., said his school principal had told teachers not to discuss the issue.
However, when students asked questions, April said Thursday he answered them as a teacher and biologist, telling them about Darwin's theory.
April said that's when he got the complaint.
"A mother called, and she said that I'd told her daughter that she was a monkey. It's not the way I presented it. Not at all. So I've been told not to do it again," April said.
[. . .]
The Kativik school board says it's just being sensitive to local beliefs.
[. . .]
In at least three communities where Pentecostal Christianity has gained prominence, the opposition to teaching Darwin's theory is strong.
[. . ]
Read the whole article. Click here
If Canada really is a multicultural country, shouldn't schools respect Inuit beliefs? And if they should respect Inuit beliefs, shouldn't they also respect the beliefs of evangelical Christians who reject evolution? For the record, I take the word of biologists that evolution offers the best explanation of how humanity came into being. If I were a father, I would want my children to learn about Darwin's theory.
This dispute in Quebec reminds me of another story about parents who were offended by what a school was teaching. A few years ago there was an elementary school in downtown Toronto where some of the pupils were conservative Muslims and others the children of gay parents. The children of the gay parents complained that they were being teased (not necessarily by the Muslims) so the school decided to teach its pupils that there are different kinds of families including gay ones. This upset the Muslims who felt their beliefs and culture were not being shown respect.
This is one of the problems with multiculturalism. Some cultures are incompatible with others. Canada is a formerly Christian, now largely secular country, where there is considerable tolerance for homosexuality especially in large cities like Toronto. Tolerance of gays is bound to clash with the conservative values of Muslims, evangelical Christians and others. There's more to cultural differences than exotic cuisine and colourful clothing, but those who talk the loudest about "celebrating our differences" seem to be the least aware of what those differences really are.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Jomar Lanot case: Indo-Canadian boy who helped kill a Filipino teen in Vancouver asks for youth sentence
On Friday I blogged about the case of Jomar Lanot, a 17-year-old Filipino boy who was beaten to death in 2003 by a group of Indo-Canadians at Sir Charles Tupper school in Vancouver. Today, the Globe and Mail has a another story about the case on its website. From Canadian Press via the Globe and Mail (Teen asks for youth sentencing in swarming death by Elianna Lev, May 19, 2006):
[. . .]
The Crown wants the 19-year-old, who admitted he played a role in the beating death of Jomar Lanot, to serve five years in an adult jail. He was 16 at the time of the swarming.
But Defence lawyer Deanne Gaffar said Friday that the teen, who cannot be named under court order, will be put at risk if the judge agrees to such a sentence.
“In order (to rehabilitate a young offender) to best maximize the significant gains that our client has accomplished, a youth facility, a youth environment would enhance that,” she said.
“An adult environment would have exactly the opposite effect. As one of the youngest people in an adult facility, he would be subject to victimization.”
[. . .]
Read the whole Canadian Press article. Click here
I notice that there's no mention that the victim was Filipino and his attackers East Indian. I don't know if that's how the story was originally written or if the Globe edited out any references to race. Either way, the ethnicity of the victim and his attackers seems like an awfully important detail to ignore. Would the races involved have been left out if the perpetrators had been white and the victim Indo-Canadian? I somehow doubt it, especially when you consider the brutality of what happened. If a group of white youth ever used bats, bottles and a car security club to beat a Filipino to death at a Toronto school, the media would be all over the story, holding it up as an example of how racist white Canadians are. Obviously, I can't judge the media's coverage of this particular killing by just one article on a website. Not living in Vancouver, I only learned about this story recently. It would be interesting to look at how Vancouver media covered the killing when it happened. I can probably find more articles online if I get a chance to look.
At least one other report makes it clear race was an issue. According to a CBC story, the attackers yelled racial slurs at Lanot before they killed him:
The Crown alleges that the accused, who is now 18, was one of more than a dozen young men who were out cruising in two vehicles on the night of the attack.
The prosecution says they met at Sir Charles Tupper Secondary looking for retribution after one of their van windows had been smashed. There, they ran into Jomar Lanot and his friends, who were walking home across the school grounds after a basketball game at a nearby community centre.
One of the young men yelled racial slurs at them and Lanot and his friends began to run. But Lanot was caught and beaten to death.
The Crown alleges the accused smashed a soda bottle on Lanot's head, while other young men beat him with bats and a car security club.
Read the whole CBC story. Click here
[. . .]
The Crown wants the 19-year-old, who admitted he played a role in the beating death of Jomar Lanot, to serve five years in an adult jail. He was 16 at the time of the swarming.
But Defence lawyer Deanne Gaffar said Friday that the teen, who cannot be named under court order, will be put at risk if the judge agrees to such a sentence.
“In order (to rehabilitate a young offender) to best maximize the significant gains that our client has accomplished, a youth facility, a youth environment would enhance that,” she said.
“An adult environment would have exactly the opposite effect. As one of the youngest people in an adult facility, he would be subject to victimization.”
[. . .]
Read the whole Canadian Press article. Click here
I notice that there's no mention that the victim was Filipino and his attackers East Indian. I don't know if that's how the story was originally written or if the Globe edited out any references to race. Either way, the ethnicity of the victim and his attackers seems like an awfully important detail to ignore. Would the races involved have been left out if the perpetrators had been white and the victim Indo-Canadian? I somehow doubt it, especially when you consider the brutality of what happened. If a group of white youth ever used bats, bottles and a car security club to beat a Filipino to death at a Toronto school, the media would be all over the story, holding it up as an example of how racist white Canadians are. Obviously, I can't judge the media's coverage of this particular killing by just one article on a website. Not living in Vancouver, I only learned about this story recently. It would be interesting to look at how Vancouver media covered the killing when it happened. I can probably find more articles online if I get a chance to look.
At least one other report makes it clear race was an issue. According to a CBC story, the attackers yelled racial slurs at Lanot before they killed him:
The Crown alleges that the accused, who is now 18, was one of more than a dozen young men who were out cruising in two vehicles on the night of the attack.
The prosecution says they met at Sir Charles Tupper Secondary looking for retribution after one of their van windows had been smashed. There, they ran into Jomar Lanot and his friends, who were walking home across the school grounds after a basketball game at a nearby community centre.
One of the young men yelled racial slurs at them and Lanot and his friends began to run. But Lanot was caught and beaten to death.
The Crown alleges the accused smashed a soda bottle on Lanot's head, while other young men beat him with bats and a car security club.
Read the whole CBC story. Click here
Jamestown Crew bought guns from a Six Nations Indian
From the Toronto Star (Police name gang's gun runner by Betsy Powell and John Duncanson, May 20, 2006):
A Canadian resident serving time in a U.S. penitentiary for trafficking guns was one of the main suppliers of firepower to the Jamestown Crew, the west-end street gang whose members and associates were rounded up during the largest anti-gang sweep in the city's history.
Police sources say gang members were driving to the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford and buying guns from Earle Cooke, now serving time in an Oklahoma prison.
[. . .]
During the investigation, police uncovered plots for several murders that they were able to prevent, said Toronto Police Insp. Greg Getty, who ran the operation.
[. . .]
Other than Cooke, no other Six Nations residents have been implicated in the illegal operation. However, nine arrests were made in nearby Brantford, where gang members have been living, said Brantford Police Insp. Scott Easto. Brantford police were involved in the raid.
"Some (newly arrived gang members) have moved here from Toronto, and have addresses here and addresses in both places (Brantford and Toronto)," Easto said.
Among those believed to have been arrested was a young offender who moved from Jamestown to Brantford, police allege, to sell cocaine and escape a deadly vendetta with the rival Ardwick Blood Crew.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
The Six Nations Indians are at the centre of the racially-charged, sometimes violent Caledonia land dispute.
A Canadian resident serving time in a U.S. penitentiary for trafficking guns was one of the main suppliers of firepower to the Jamestown Crew, the west-end street gang whose members and associates were rounded up during the largest anti-gang sweep in the city's history.
Police sources say gang members were driving to the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford and buying guns from Earle Cooke, now serving time in an Oklahoma prison.
[. . .]
During the investigation, police uncovered plots for several murders that they were able to prevent, said Toronto Police Insp. Greg Getty, who ran the operation.
[. . .]
Other than Cooke, no other Six Nations residents have been implicated in the illegal operation. However, nine arrests were made in nearby Brantford, where gang members have been living, said Brantford Police Insp. Scott Easto. Brantford police were involved in the raid.
"Some (newly arrived gang members) have moved here from Toronto, and have addresses here and addresses in both places (Brantford and Toronto)," Easto said.
Among those believed to have been arrested was a young offender who moved from Jamestown to Brantford, police allege, to sell cocaine and escape a deadly vendetta with the rival Ardwick Blood Crew.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
The Six Nations Indians are at the centre of the racially-charged, sometimes violent Caledonia land dispute.
Globe and Mail: Bilingual education in Edmonton. Ukrainian and Mandarin among the offerings.
Globe and Mail (Bold strokes on language by Katherine Harding, May 20, 2006):
[. . .]
The Edmonton public-school system has been offering a bilingual Mandarin language program, one of the largest and most comprehensive outside of China, for more than two decades.
Running from kindergarten to Grade 12, about 50 per cent of the coursework is conducted in Mandarin, from science and language arts to culture and arts. The curriculum is standardized.
About 1,570 students (2 per cent of the school district's total student population) are currently enrolled at 12 schools across the capital city, with close to 15 per cent of the students coming from non-Chinese families.
[. . .]
He said Edmonton's large bilingual program got its humble start in the 1970s after parents requested that the board make Ukrainian instruction available.
[. . .]
Here's the part I found especially interesting:
Peter Wong, 48, has two daughters enrolled in Edmonton's Mandarin bilingual program. He is also the president of a volunteer parent organization, the Edmonton Chinese Bilingual Education Association, which supports the public school board's efforts.
[. . .]
He said the association is always trying to promote the program, but has found it is often just as hard to get the attention of Edmonton parents as it is to interest other school boards.
"It's a struggle," Mr. Wong acknowledged. "Some parents, especially new immigrants, just want their children to learn English."
Immigrants wanting their children to learn English. Imagine that.
Read the whole article. Click here
[. . .]
The Edmonton public-school system has been offering a bilingual Mandarin language program, one of the largest and most comprehensive outside of China, for more than two decades.
Running from kindergarten to Grade 12, about 50 per cent of the coursework is conducted in Mandarin, from science and language arts to culture and arts. The curriculum is standardized.
About 1,570 students (2 per cent of the school district's total student population) are currently enrolled at 12 schools across the capital city, with close to 15 per cent of the students coming from non-Chinese families.
[. . .]
He said Edmonton's large bilingual program got its humble start in the 1970s after parents requested that the board make Ukrainian instruction available.
[. . .]
Here's the part I found especially interesting:
Peter Wong, 48, has two daughters enrolled in Edmonton's Mandarin bilingual program. He is also the president of a volunteer parent organization, the Edmonton Chinese Bilingual Education Association, which supports the public school board's efforts.
[. . .]
He said the association is always trying to promote the program, but has found it is often just as hard to get the attention of Edmonton parents as it is to interest other school boards.
"It's a struggle," Mr. Wong acknowledged. "Some parents, especially new immigrants, just want their children to learn English."
Immigrants wanting their children to learn English. Imagine that.
Read the whole article. Click here
BBC: British business making big money out of illegal immigration
Glaswegian blogger Martin Kelly links to a story on the BBC website that describes how British business is profiting from illegal immigration. As Kelly says, this information comes from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious, but unfortunately, there are a lot of people in Canada that don't get the connection between illegal immigration and low wages. The Toronto Star, which is constantly wringing its hands over the plight of the poor, also publishes stories that depict illegal immigrants as victims. What good would it do to raise the minimum wage as the Star wants, if employers have the option of hiring illegals willing to work for less?
From the BBC (Business 'profits from illegals', May 17):
British business is making big money out of illegal immigration, the chairman of the influential home affairs committee has said.
John Denham said the authorities were not tough enough on firms who "fiddled" the tax system by employing illegals.
And it was not just small operators but "household names" that were guilty.
Illegal immigration into the UK would never be tackled until such companies were brought to book, the ex-Labour minister told the BBC.
"It is very clear there are people in this country making money out of illegal immigration," Mr Denham said.
"I suspect unless we get after people making money out of it, including some very respectable household names, we will not make progress."
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
From the BBC (Business 'profits from illegals', May 17):
British business is making big money out of illegal immigration, the chairman of the influential home affairs committee has said.
John Denham said the authorities were not tough enough on firms who "fiddled" the tax system by employing illegals.
And it was not just small operators but "household names" that were guilty.
Illegal immigration into the UK would never be tackled until such companies were brought to book, the ex-Labour minister told the BBC.
"It is very clear there are people in this country making money out of illegal immigration," Mr Denham said.
"I suspect unless we get after people making money out of it, including some very respectable household names, we will not make progress."
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
Toronto Star: Reodica family sues police. Accuses officers of racism
From the Toronto Star (Reodica family sues police for $5.4M by Isabel Teotonio and Jim Rankin):
The family of Jeffrey Reodica is suing Toronto police officers involved in the fatal shooting of their son, claiming racism played a role when the Filipino teen was gunned down.
According to a statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Reodica family alleges that Det.-Const. Dan Belanger and his partner, Allen Love, "treated Jeffrey and the non-white youths (he was with) in a different manner than they did the white youths."
The Reodicas go on to state that "by reason of racial stereotypes, (the officers) considered Jeffrey to be a lesser person."
The family alleges that when Belanger and Love pursued Jeffrey, 17, and his friends, most of whom are Filipino, and then singled out Jeffrey, they breached his constitutional rights to equal treatment of the law and freedom from discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin or colour.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
I have a lot of sympathy for the parents. Whatever happened the day the Reodica boy died, his parents' grief has to be enormous. Unless we have lost a child ourselves, we can't know what they're going through. That said, I condemn the vultures who are exploiting this case because they want to prove Toronto police are racist.
The Star's coverage of this case has a lot to answer for. In particular, a May 6 feature article by Isabel Teotonio and Jim Rankin stands out as an example of advocacy journalism. This story was meant to persuade readers that the police are guilty. Read the article and judge for yourself. Click here. And don't miss the slide show narrated by Ms. Teotonio herself. (The link to the slide show is next to the story.) Note the oh, so serious tone of concern in her voice. Teotonio, by the way, wrote some of those sob stories that try to make illegal immigrants look like victims.
The family of Jeffrey Reodica is suing Toronto police officers involved in the fatal shooting of their son, claiming racism played a role when the Filipino teen was gunned down.
According to a statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Reodica family alleges that Det.-Const. Dan Belanger and his partner, Allen Love, "treated Jeffrey and the non-white youths (he was with) in a different manner than they did the white youths."
The Reodicas go on to state that "by reason of racial stereotypes, (the officers) considered Jeffrey to be a lesser person."
The family alleges that when Belanger and Love pursued Jeffrey, 17, and his friends, most of whom are Filipino, and then singled out Jeffrey, they breached his constitutional rights to equal treatment of the law and freedom from discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin or colour.
[. . .]
Read the whole article. Click here
I have a lot of sympathy for the parents. Whatever happened the day the Reodica boy died, his parents' grief has to be enormous. Unless we have lost a child ourselves, we can't know what they're going through. That said, I condemn the vultures who are exploiting this case because they want to prove Toronto police are racist.
The Star's coverage of this case has a lot to answer for. In particular, a May 6 feature article by Isabel Teotonio and Jim Rankin stands out as an example of advocacy journalism. This story was meant to persuade readers that the police are guilty. Read the article and judge for yourself. Click here. And don't miss the slide show narrated by Ms. Teotonio herself. (The link to the slide show is next to the story.) Note the oh, so serious tone of concern in her voice. Teotonio, by the way, wrote some of those sob stories that try to make illegal immigrants look like victims.
Friday, May 19, 2006
European Union outlaws Tamil Tigers
From The Times (EU outlaws Tigers as terrorists by Anthony Browne and Jeremy Page, May 20):
THE European Union has agreed to blacklist Tamil Tiger separatists as a terrorist group, despite warnings that this could lead to full-blown civil war in Sri Lanka. The move is likely to bring about the restriction of diplomatic contacts with EU governments, a bar on fundraising by the group, a freeze on its assets and the prevention of Tamil Tiger members from travelling to the EU.
[. . .]
THE European Union has agreed to blacklist Tamil Tiger separatists as a terrorist group, despite warnings that this could lead to full-blown civil war in Sri Lanka. The move is likely to bring about the restriction of diplomatic contacts with EU governments, a bar on fundraising by the group, a freeze on its assets and the prevention of Tamil Tiger members from travelling to the EU.
[. . .]
CBC: City of Ottawa sued over bilingualism bylaw
From the CBC (City of Ottawa sued over bilingualism bylaw, May 19, 2006):
Canadians for Language Fairness is suing the city over its bilingualism bylaw, which came into effect in January 2004.
It calls the bylaw a "form of social engineering" that unfairly favours the French-speaking population.
[. . .]
Citing the last census, Cogan said 61 per cent of Ottawa's anglophone population is unilingual, while 98 per cent of the city's francophone population is bilingual.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC story here
I wish the group luck in its lawsuit, but I think the odds are against them. Still, it's worth a try. If nothing else a court case will draw some attention to the inequity of official bilingualism.
For the record, I believe that as long as Quebec is part of Canada, a certain amount of bilingualism is necessary. To cite an obvious example, federal offices in Quebec should have French-speaking staff. I don't think many Canadians would disagree. Nor does it bother me that French is spoken in the House of Commons. That's appropriate given that Canada has a substantial French-speaking minority with deep roots in the country. The objections come from the fact that all sorts of government jobs demand a knowledge of French even when there's no need for it.
Lots of countries have more than one official language, but places like Belgium and Switzerland recognize demographic reality. Languages are official in those parts of the country where they are spoken. In Canada, French is required for many government jobs in places like Alberta and British Columbia where hardly anyone speaks the language. I've never been to Vancouver, but I know that I'm more likely to hear Chinese or Punjabi there than French just as I'm more likely to hear Portuguese in my Toronto neighbourhood. The difficulties caused by having a large multilingual immigrant population is of course another problem.
I'm not saying the situation in other countries is perfect. Language is certainly an issue in Belgium.
Canadians for Language Fairness is suing the city over its bilingualism bylaw, which came into effect in January 2004.
It calls the bylaw a "form of social engineering" that unfairly favours the French-speaking population.
[. . .]
Citing the last census, Cogan said 61 per cent of Ottawa's anglophone population is unilingual, while 98 per cent of the city's francophone population is bilingual.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC story here
I wish the group luck in its lawsuit, but I think the odds are against them. Still, it's worth a try. If nothing else a court case will draw some attention to the inequity of official bilingualism.
For the record, I believe that as long as Quebec is part of Canada, a certain amount of bilingualism is necessary. To cite an obvious example, federal offices in Quebec should have French-speaking staff. I don't think many Canadians would disagree. Nor does it bother me that French is spoken in the House of Commons. That's appropriate given that Canada has a substantial French-speaking minority with deep roots in the country. The objections come from the fact that all sorts of government jobs demand a knowledge of French even when there's no need for it.
Lots of countries have more than one official language, but places like Belgium and Switzerland recognize demographic reality. Languages are official in those parts of the country where they are spoken. In Canada, French is required for many government jobs in places like Alberta and British Columbia where hardly anyone speaks the language. I've never been to Vancouver, but I know that I'm more likely to hear Chinese or Punjabi there than French just as I'm more likely to hear Portuguese in my Toronto neighbourhood. The difficulties caused by having a large multilingual immigrant population is of course another problem.
I'm not saying the situation in other countries is perfect. Language is certainly an issue in Belgium.
Toronto Police Service news release on project targeting Jamestown Crew
Toronto Police Service
News Release
Deputy Chief Tony Warr provides additional information on yesterday's major project targeting the Jamestown Crew
Friday, May 19, 2006 - 12:11 PM
Public Information
416-808-7100
At a media conference this morning, Deputy Chief Tony Warr released additional information on yesterday's major project against the Jamestown Crew.
Arrests to date:
Men: 72,
Women: 24,
Young Offenders: 10,
Total: 106
There are eight outstanding arrest warrants.
Charges:
These charges apply up to the time of warrant execution yesterday morning. There will be further charges resulting from additional arrests and search warrant executions.
Investigators have laid over 1,000 criminal charges including the following offences:
Instructing commission of an offence for criminal organization,
Commit criminal offence in association with a criminal organization,
Participate in activities of criminal organization (trafficking drugs),
Participate in activities of criminal organization (trafficking firearm),
Attempt Murder,
Trafficking in firearms,
Conspiracy to traffic in firearms,
Possession of prohibited firearm with ammunition,
Possession of a prohibited firearm,
Possession of prohibited weapon,
Conspiracy to traffic in cocaine,
Conspiracy to traffic ecstasy,
Conspiracy to traffic marijuana,
Conspiracy to traffic in hashish,
Trafficking in marijuana,
Traffic in cocaine,
Traffic in ecstasy,
Attempt to obstruct justice,
Obstruct justice,
Conspiracy to commit robbery,
Procuring a person under the age of eighteen,
Procuring - administrating drugs,
Living off the avails of prostitution,
Possession of proceeds of crime.
Those charged were scheduled to start appearing in court at 2201 Finch Avenue West, Room 206, on Friday, May 19, 2006 at 9 a.m.
Search warrants were executed in the following jurisdictions:
Bolton – Caledon OPP: 1,
York Region: 3,
Peel Region: 15,
Brantford: 9,
Montreal: 2,
Milton (Halton): 1 (jail),
Toronto Police Service: 80 + 3 (jail),
Kingston: 1 (jail),
Total: 115
Firearms and other weapons
Numerous prohibited weapons including Tasers, cross-bows, knives, four bulletproof vests and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized.
Handguns: 24,
Long guns: 3,
Assault Rifle: 1,
Machine Pistols: 3,
Sawed-Offs: 2,
Replicas: 3,
Total: 36
Drugs seized
Cocaine: 17.5 kilos,
Marijuana: 6.5 kilos,
Also seized were smaller quantities of hashish, ecstasy, and crystal meth as well as drug paraphernalia such as scales and packaging materials.
Cash:
Canadian: $339,000,
U.S.: $50,000.
In addition, four vehicles and one motorcycle were seized as proceeds of crime.
Constable Victor Kwong, Public Information, for Deputy Chief Tony Warr
There are no files attached to this release.
News Release
Deputy Chief Tony Warr provides additional information on yesterday's major project targeting the Jamestown Crew
Friday, May 19, 2006 - 12:11 PM
Public Information
416-808-7100
At a media conference this morning, Deputy Chief Tony Warr released additional information on yesterday's major project against the Jamestown Crew.
Arrests to date:
Men: 72,
Women: 24,
Young Offenders: 10,
Total: 106
There are eight outstanding arrest warrants.
Charges:
These charges apply up to the time of warrant execution yesterday morning. There will be further charges resulting from additional arrests and search warrant executions.
Investigators have laid over 1,000 criminal charges including the following offences:
Instructing commission of an offence for criminal organization,
Commit criminal offence in association with a criminal organization,
Participate in activities of criminal organization (trafficking drugs),
Participate in activities of criminal organization (trafficking firearm),
Attempt Murder,
Trafficking in firearms,
Conspiracy to traffic in firearms,
Possession of prohibited firearm with ammunition,
Possession of a prohibited firearm,
Possession of prohibited weapon,
Conspiracy to traffic in cocaine,
Conspiracy to traffic ecstasy,
Conspiracy to traffic marijuana,
Conspiracy to traffic in hashish,
Trafficking in marijuana,
Traffic in cocaine,
Traffic in ecstasy,
Attempt to obstruct justice,
Obstruct justice,
Conspiracy to commit robbery,
Procuring a person under the age of eighteen,
Procuring - administrating drugs,
Living off the avails of prostitution,
Possession of proceeds of crime.
Those charged were scheduled to start appearing in court at 2201 Finch Avenue West, Room 206, on Friday, May 19, 2006 at 9 a.m.
Search warrants were executed in the following jurisdictions:
Bolton – Caledon OPP: 1,
York Region: 3,
Peel Region: 15,
Brantford: 9,
Montreal: 2,
Milton (Halton): 1 (jail),
Toronto Police Service: 80 + 3 (jail),
Kingston: 1 (jail),
Total: 115
Firearms and other weapons
Numerous prohibited weapons including Tasers, cross-bows, knives, four bulletproof vests and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized.
Handguns: 24,
Long guns: 3,
Assault Rifle: 1,
Machine Pistols: 3,
Sawed-Offs: 2,
Replicas: 3,
Total: 36
Drugs seized
Cocaine: 17.5 kilos,
Marijuana: 6.5 kilos,
Also seized were smaller quantities of hashish, ecstasy, and crystal meth as well as drug paraphernalia such as scales and packaging materials.
Cash:
Canadian: $339,000,
U.S.: $50,000.
In addition, four vehicles and one motorcycle were seized as proceeds of crime.
Constable Victor Kwong, Public Information, for Deputy Chief Tony Warr
There are no files attached to this release.
Reodica inquiry. Is the officer presumed guilty because he is white?
From the Toronto Star (Harsh words at Reodica inquiry by Isabel Teotonio, May 19,2006):
Harsh words were exchanged in a tense coroner's court yesterday when a lawyer suggested to an eyewitness that a Toronto police officer faked an injury moments before fatally shooting Jeffrey Reodica.
Barry Swadron, representing the Reodica family, made the comment during a heated cross-examination in which he sought to discredit the testimony of Ken Tomlin, 47, who said he watched the struggle between the officer and the teenager from about 175 feet.
Swadron was in the middle of questioning Tomlin about a statement given to the Special Investigations Unit after the May 21, 2004 shooting near Bellamy Rd. and Lawrence Ave. E. when the outburst occurred.
Tomlin told the SIU Reodica "either stabbed or whacked the officer in the leg with something."
[. . .]
Read all of Isabel Teotonio's story here
Note Swadron has accused the police of racism. See here.
This unforunate shooting, and of course it is sad that a young man died, took place two years ago. Human memory is fragile. Even fresh eyewitness testimony is unreliable, let alone memories that are two-years-old. Testimony given today is bound to contradict some of what was said right after the event.
What are the lawyers trying to prove?
This hearing has been politicized by people who want to prove the police are racist. I wasn't there when Jeffrey died. For all I know, the shooting might have been avoided. I can't say one way or the other, because I didn't witness the event. But let's suppose for the sake of argument that Detective-Constable Dan Belanger made a mistake. Look at the circumstances. He was confronting an armed mob. He had to make a split-second decision and these self-righteous armchair quarterbacks presume to judge and condemn him?
And since Barry Swadron has decided to bring up racism, let's look at the issue. Belanger was a white cop facing a mostly 'brown' mob. Is it possible his accusers are exhibiting their their own racial prejudice? If Belanger had been south Asian or Filipino would he still be facing this media lynching? Is Belanger being accused because he is white? Is his 'crime' simply the fact he is a white police officer in a city where academics and activists throw around phrases like white skin privilege?
Harsh words were exchanged in a tense coroner's court yesterday when a lawyer suggested to an eyewitness that a Toronto police officer faked an injury moments before fatally shooting Jeffrey Reodica.
Barry Swadron, representing the Reodica family, made the comment during a heated cross-examination in which he sought to discredit the testimony of Ken Tomlin, 47, who said he watched the struggle between the officer and the teenager from about 175 feet.
Swadron was in the middle of questioning Tomlin about a statement given to the Special Investigations Unit after the May 21, 2004 shooting near Bellamy Rd. and Lawrence Ave. E. when the outburst occurred.
Tomlin told the SIU Reodica "either stabbed or whacked the officer in the leg with something."
[. . .]
Read all of Isabel Teotonio's story here
Note Swadron has accused the police of racism. See here.
This unforunate shooting, and of course it is sad that a young man died, took place two years ago. Human memory is fragile. Even fresh eyewitness testimony is unreliable, let alone memories that are two-years-old. Testimony given today is bound to contradict some of what was said right after the event.
What are the lawyers trying to prove?
This hearing has been politicized by people who want to prove the police are racist. I wasn't there when Jeffrey died. For all I know, the shooting might have been avoided. I can't say one way or the other, because I didn't witness the event. But let's suppose for the sake of argument that Detective-Constable Dan Belanger made a mistake. Look at the circumstances. He was confronting an armed mob. He had to make a split-second decision and these self-righteous armchair quarterbacks presume to judge and condemn him?
And since Barry Swadron has decided to bring up racism, let's look at the issue. Belanger was a white cop facing a mostly 'brown' mob. Is it possible his accusers are exhibiting their their own racial prejudice? If Belanger had been south Asian or Filipino would he still be facing this media lynching? Is Belanger being accused because he is white? Is his 'crime' simply the fact he is a white police officer in a city where academics and activists throw around phrases like white skin privilege?
Celebrating Canada's multicultural tapestry: Filipino boy beaten to death by Indo-Canadians.
Toronto isn't the only Canadian city experiencing episodes of racial violence. Citizens of Vancouver, which receives huge numbers of Asian immigrants each year, are also experiencing the newly found pleasures of living in a multiracial city. Who would ever want to return to the bad old days when Vancouver was a boring, Anglo-Saxon town? Snoozeville, man. This is much more exciting. From the CBC ( Son's beating death 'end of the world,' says mother, last updated May 18, 2006):
The mother of 17-year-old Jomar Lanot has told a B.C. Supreme Court judge that her son's beating death in East Vancouver in 2003 has left her emotionally devastated.
In a victim impact statement, Jenna Lanot said she cries every day thinking of her son's "beautiful face."
[. . .]
The Filipino student was swarmed by a group of Indo-Canadian youths at Sir Charles Tupper School, and was badly beaten. He died later of head injuries at Vancouver General Hospital.
Initially, three teens were charged with second-degree murder. But the charges against two of the youths were stayed after witnesses altered their testimony.
The third youth, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, cannot be identified because he was 16 at the time.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
I know what would make things better. Indo-Canadians could issue an apology. Could there be any better way to celebrate Asian Heritage Month?
The mother of 17-year-old Jomar Lanot has told a B.C. Supreme Court judge that her son's beating death in East Vancouver in 2003 has left her emotionally devastated.
In a victim impact statement, Jenna Lanot said she cries every day thinking of her son's "beautiful face."
[. . .]
The Filipino student was swarmed by a group of Indo-Canadian youths at Sir Charles Tupper School, and was badly beaten. He died later of head injuries at Vancouver General Hospital.
Initially, three teens were charged with second-degree murder. But the charges against two of the youths were stayed after witnesses altered their testimony.
The third youth, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, cannot be identified because he was 16 at the time.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
I know what would make things better. Indo-Canadians could issue an apology. Could there be any better way to celebrate Asian Heritage Month?
Toronto Sun: People in Jamestown still fear gangs after police raids
Rob Lamberti writes in the Sun (Fear stays after raids, May 19, 2006):
Life in Jamestown, a Martingrove Rd. and Finch Ave. W.-area housing project, improves when "you mind your business and keep to yourself," she said.
But that's no guarantee the violence won't find you, she said, recalling how a neighbouring townhouse was peppered with gunshots when a gun battle erupted at a birthday party three years ago.
One man hit in the leg by a bullet was arrested in yesterday's sweep. So was his mother.
"She's a Christian," said the woman. "Christians need money, too."
Hassan Abtidon, executive-director of the Thistletown Community Centre, said there's been an increase in gun activity in the area.
"Recently, there's been a big change," Abtidon said. "We hear gunshots. It happens mostly in the night time.
Read all of Rob Lamberti's article here
Life in Jamestown, a Martingrove Rd. and Finch Ave. W.-area housing project, improves when "you mind your business and keep to yourself," she said.
But that's no guarantee the violence won't find you, she said, recalling how a neighbouring townhouse was peppered with gunshots when a gun battle erupted at a birthday party three years ago.
One man hit in the leg by a bullet was arrested in yesterday's sweep. So was his mother.
"She's a Christian," said the woman. "Christians need money, too."
Hassan Abtidon, executive-director of the Thistletown Community Centre, said there's been an increase in gun activity in the area.
"Recently, there's been a big change," Abtidon said. "We hear gunshots. It happens mostly in the night time.
Read all of Rob Lamberti's article here
Toronto Sun: Lock up youth, black leader says
Vivian Song writes in the Toronto Sun (Lock up youth: Leader, May 19, 2006):
Youth who commit heinous crimes should be sentenced to a minimum of 25 years behind bars, says a prominent leader of Toronto's black community.
Before making the bold proposal to dozens of social workers at a youth violence workshop last night, Raymond Micah, executive director of the African Canadian Social Development Council, braced his audience, acknowledging the tough love approach was going to be "shocking."
"The logic is simple," Micah said at the University of Toronto.
[. . .]
Read all of Vivian Song's article here.
Youth who commit heinous crimes should be sentenced to a minimum of 25 years behind bars, says a prominent leader of Toronto's black community.
Before making the bold proposal to dozens of social workers at a youth violence workshop last night, Raymond Micah, executive director of the African Canadian Social Development Council, braced his audience, acknowledging the tough love approach was going to be "shocking."
"The logic is simple," Micah said at the University of Toronto.
[. . .]
Read all of Vivian Song's article here.
Toronto Sun: Security guard caught with fake documents
Tom Godfrey writes in the Toronto Sun (Airport search turns up bogus documents, May 19, 2006):
A Hamilton security guard has been arrested at Pearson airport after sensitive documents -- including Ontario ministry of education letterheads -- were found in luggage. The suspect was returning from Pakistan last Monday when Canada Customs officers found a cache of documents, Peel police said.
[. . .]
Charged is Khaleel Ishaq Meer, 41, a former mechanical engineer. He is to appear in Brampton court June 19.
A Hamilton security guard has been arrested at Pearson airport after sensitive documents -- including Ontario ministry of education letterheads -- were found in luggage. The suspect was returning from Pakistan last Monday when Canada Customs officers found a cache of documents, Peel police said.
[. . .]
Charged is Khaleel Ishaq Meer, 41, a former mechanical engineer. He is to appear in Brampton court June 19.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Mahmoud Jaballah case: Egyptian refugee denies having terrorist training
From the Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (Terror suspect denies terrorist training, May 18, 2006):
An Egyptian terror suspect testifying in Federal Court on Thursday refuted claims by Canada's spy agency that he trained and fought as a terrorist.
A CSIS summary of evidence says Mahmoud Jaballah's travel pattern in the early 1990s was consistent with those of an Islamic mujahedeen extremist, and accuses him of fighting alongside terrorists in Afghanistan and Chechnya.
However, Jaballah denied having ever been to either country, and testified he was working as a teacher in Pakistan during the time in question.
CSIS also says Jaballah had an operational relationship with Egyptian-born Canadian Ahmed Said Khadr, a suspected al-Qaida operative killed by Pakistani forces in 2003, before Jaballah moved to Canada.
Jaballah admitted he knew Khadr, but denied CSIS's claims about their relationship.
[. . .]
Read the entire CP article here
An Egyptian terror suspect testifying in Federal Court on Thursday refuted claims by Canada's spy agency that he trained and fought as a terrorist.
A CSIS summary of evidence says Mahmoud Jaballah's travel pattern in the early 1990s was consistent with those of an Islamic mujahedeen extremist, and accuses him of fighting alongside terrorists in Afghanistan and Chechnya.
However, Jaballah denied having ever been to either country, and testified he was working as a teacher in Pakistan during the time in question.
CSIS also says Jaballah had an operational relationship with Egyptian-born Canadian Ahmed Said Khadr, a suspected al-Qaida operative killed by Pakistani forces in 2003, before Jaballah moved to Canada.
Jaballah admitted he knew Khadr, but denied CSIS's claims about their relationship.
[. . .]
Read the entire CP article here
Photo shows black officer. More Star propaganda?
I just noticed the photo accompanying the Star story about today's raids against the Jamestown Crew. Is it just a coincidence that the officer shown is black or is this picture the Star's way of deflecting attention from the fact that the Jamestown Crew is a black gang? It looks to me like the Star is going out of its way to stop its readers from thinking about any link between race and crime. After all the paper did condemn Gwyn Morgan for daring to discuss immigration and crime. From the Star editorial (Harper's petulance, May 17, 2006):
But his most controversial comments came in a speech he made last December at a Fraser Institute dinner in which he linked gang violence in Toronto and elsewhere to immigrants from Jamaica and Asia.
"Jamaica has one of the world's highest crime rates driven mainly by the violence between gangs competing for dominance in the Caribbean drug trade. Why do we expect different behaviour in Toronto, Ontario, than in Kingston, Jamaica?" he said, adding similar behaviour is shown by some Indo-Chinese immigrants.
Because of these comments, Harper should not have been surprised yesterday when a Commons committee asked him to withdraw Morgan's appointment on the grounds that he was unsuitable for the post.
But his most controversial comments came in a speech he made last December at a Fraser Institute dinner in which he linked gang violence in Toronto and elsewhere to immigrants from Jamaica and Asia.
"Jamaica has one of the world's highest crime rates driven mainly by the violence between gangs competing for dominance in the Caribbean drug trade. Why do we expect different behaviour in Toronto, Ontario, than in Kingston, Jamaica?" he said, adding similar behaviour is shown by some Indo-Chinese immigrants.
Because of these comments, Harper should not have been surprised yesterday when a Commons committee asked him to withdraw Morgan's appointment on the grounds that he was unsuitable for the post.
Today's police raids targeted Rexdale's Jamestown Crew
The Toronto Star has some more information about today's police raids involving 600 officers. The raids were directed at the Jamestown Crew, a gang based in Rexdale.
Curtis Rush writes (Raids target Etobicoke gang, March 18):
[. . .]
The raids, which involved 600 officers, rounded up members of Etobicoke's Jamestown Crew, Chief Bill Blair said.
Twenty-one members of the Jamestown Crew and 45 associates were among those taken into custody, he noted.
"The leadership has been surgically removed," the chief stated.
According to police, the gang is responsible for importing guns from the U.S., running a criminal organization, trafficking in arms and narcotics, among other crimes.
As of noon, 78 people in total had been charged and "many more" were being processed throughout the day, Blair said.
[. . .]
Read all of Curtis Rush's article here
Curtis Rush writes (Raids target Etobicoke gang, March 18):
[. . .]
The raids, which involved 600 officers, rounded up members of Etobicoke's Jamestown Crew, Chief Bill Blair said.
Twenty-one members of the Jamestown Crew and 45 associates were among those taken into custody, he noted.
"The leadership has been surgically removed," the chief stated.
According to police, the gang is responsible for importing guns from the U.S., running a criminal organization, trafficking in arms and narcotics, among other crimes.
As of noon, 78 people in total had been charged and "many more" were being processed throughout the day, Blair said.
[. . .]
Read all of Curtis Rush's article here
Speaking the truth about immigration and crime cost Gwyn Morgan his federal appointment
Bill Curry writes in the Globe and Mail (PM's rejected nominee deplores treatment, May 18, 2006):
Opposition MPs on the government operations and estimates committee joined forces Tuesday to reject the nomination of Mr. Morgan, a former Alberta-based oil executive with EnCana, to head a new federal appointments commission.
The opposition parties had originally challenged Mr. Morgan's nomination last month on the grounds that, as a partisan supporter of the Conservatives, it would be a conflict of interest for him to lead a panel aimed at removing political influence from government appointments.
However, this week's two-hour grilling focused on remarks Mr. Morgan made in December about violence among Jamaican and Asian immigrants. In an interview with Report on Business Television yesterday, a smiling and relaxed Mr. Morgan defended his remarks on immigration and said he is hoping the Conservatives eventually win a majority government.
(Read all of Bill Curry's article here)
What exactly did Gwyn Morgan say? His speech to the Fraser Institute was reprinted in the Toronto Star. Here's a couple of excerpts:
But immigration has a social side as well as an economic one. The social side is all too evident with the run-away violence driven mainly by Jamaican immigrants in Toronto, or the all too frequent violence between Asian and other ethnic gangs right here in Calgary. Politicians talk of the need for more police to protect the public. Immigration groups blame "poverty" or "police discrimination" or "lack of opportunity". Once again, these are symptoms, but not the root cause.
Here is the root cause they all know, but don't talk about: the vast majority of violent, lawless immigrants come from countries where the culture is dominated by violence and lawlessness. Jamaica has one of the world's highest crime rates driven mainly by the violence between gangs competing for dominance in the Caribbean drug trade. Why do we expect different behaviour in Toronto, Ontario than in Kingston, Jamaica? Similarly, a portion of our Indo-Chinese immigrants have lived in situations where violence is necessary to survive. Again, the violent behaviour continues in Canada. It's fair to say that most immigrants who abuse our society have come in as refugee claimants rather than "economic immigrants". This not only means they are more likely to have violent tendencies, but also much less likely to have the skills, training and attitude necessary to contribute to our society.
So, we need to remember this when we consider admitting refugee claimants and we need to be much more effective at exporting those who abuse our society.
[. . .]
Immigration can either offer huge social problems for our country, or huge economic advantage. The choice seems obvious, but when will politicians face the tough questions and get on with real change?
Well, the shovel is hot, so let's keep digging into another area where politicians talk about the symptoms rather than the root cause.
We all want to take guns out of the hands of criminals. The Canadian solution? Require all the honest people to register their guns, then bring out the propaganda machine to brand the new registration system as "gun control" and claim it will reduce crime. Meanwhile those with criminal intent can buy guns virtually anywhere including school yards. The political solution for that, blame the Americans... for letting all those guns across the border... here they go again dealing with the symptoms rather than the problem.
(Read a complete transcript of Gwyn Morgan's remarks here)
Well, considering my own opinion on immigration and crime, I don't have a future with the federal government. Darn it. And I was counting on that huge severance package. After all, everyone is entitled to the their entitlements.
Opposition MPs on the government operations and estimates committee joined forces Tuesday to reject the nomination of Mr. Morgan, a former Alberta-based oil executive with EnCana, to head a new federal appointments commission.
The opposition parties had originally challenged Mr. Morgan's nomination last month on the grounds that, as a partisan supporter of the Conservatives, it would be a conflict of interest for him to lead a panel aimed at removing political influence from government appointments.
However, this week's two-hour grilling focused on remarks Mr. Morgan made in December about violence among Jamaican and Asian immigrants. In an interview with Report on Business Television yesterday, a smiling and relaxed Mr. Morgan defended his remarks on immigration and said he is hoping the Conservatives eventually win a majority government.
(Read all of Bill Curry's article here)
What exactly did Gwyn Morgan say? His speech to the Fraser Institute was reprinted in the Toronto Star. Here's a couple of excerpts:
But immigration has a social side as well as an economic one. The social side is all too evident with the run-away violence driven mainly by Jamaican immigrants in Toronto, or the all too frequent violence between Asian and other ethnic gangs right here in Calgary. Politicians talk of the need for more police to protect the public. Immigration groups blame "poverty" or "police discrimination" or "lack of opportunity". Once again, these are symptoms, but not the root cause.
Here is the root cause they all know, but don't talk about: the vast majority of violent, lawless immigrants come from countries where the culture is dominated by violence and lawlessness. Jamaica has one of the world's highest crime rates driven mainly by the violence between gangs competing for dominance in the Caribbean drug trade. Why do we expect different behaviour in Toronto, Ontario than in Kingston, Jamaica? Similarly, a portion of our Indo-Chinese immigrants have lived in situations where violence is necessary to survive. Again, the violent behaviour continues in Canada. It's fair to say that most immigrants who abuse our society have come in as refugee claimants rather than "economic immigrants". This not only means they are more likely to have violent tendencies, but also much less likely to have the skills, training and attitude necessary to contribute to our society.
So, we need to remember this when we consider admitting refugee claimants and we need to be much more effective at exporting those who abuse our society.
[. . .]
Immigration can either offer huge social problems for our country, or huge economic advantage. The choice seems obvious, but when will politicians face the tough questions and get on with real change?
Well, the shovel is hot, so let's keep digging into another area where politicians talk about the symptoms rather than the root cause.
We all want to take guns out of the hands of criminals. The Canadian solution? Require all the honest people to register their guns, then bring out the propaganda machine to brand the new registration system as "gun control" and claim it will reduce crime. Meanwhile those with criminal intent can buy guns virtually anywhere including school yards. The political solution for that, blame the Americans... for letting all those guns across the border... here they go again dealing with the symptoms rather than the problem.
(Read a complete transcript of Gwyn Morgan's remarks here)
Well, considering my own opinion on immigration and crime, I don't have a future with the federal government. Darn it. And I was counting on that huge severance package. After all, everyone is entitled to the their entitlements.
CBC: 600 police launch raids against Toronto gangs
Where do the police think they are? Brazil? I wouldn't blame them. Toronto is still a far cry from South America, but some areas of the city might pass for Third World slums. You know. Like the ones in France.
From the CBC (600 police launch dozens of raids in northwest Toronto, May 18, 2006):
About 600 police officers from several forces carried out simultaneous pre-dawn raids on up to 60 places in northwest Toronto on Thursday, in what may be the largest operation of its kind in the city.
More than 40 people were arrested in the apparent crackdown on gangs and weapons in the Rexdale neighbourhood.
The officers involved came from several forces, including the guns and gangs task force of the Toronto Police Services, the forces for Peel, York and Durham regions, the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP.
So many officers were involved in the massive raid that extra vehicles had to be rented to transport them all.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article here.
From the CBC (600 police launch dozens of raids in northwest Toronto, May 18, 2006):
About 600 police officers from several forces carried out simultaneous pre-dawn raids on up to 60 places in northwest Toronto on Thursday, in what may be the largest operation of its kind in the city.
More than 40 people were arrested in the apparent crackdown on gangs and weapons in the Rexdale neighbourhood.
The officers involved came from several forces, including the guns and gangs task force of the Toronto Police Services, the forces for Peel, York and Durham regions, the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP.
So many officers were involved in the massive raid that extra vehicles had to be rented to transport them all.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article here.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Toronto Sun: $50,000 bounty on Jane Creba's killer
From the Toronto Sun (Bounty on killer by Chris Doucette, May 17, 2006):
The death of an innocent young girl wasn't enough to persuade some witnesses to the Boxing Day murder of Jane Creba to come forward.
Now Toronto Police are hoping a $50,000 reward will entice people to step up to help them put the 15-year-old's killer behind bars.
Police announced yesterday that Chief Bill Blair has authorized the hefty reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever fired the shot that killed the East York girl -- one of seven bystanders caught in the crossfire of a deadly gun battle between rival gangs Dec. 26 on Yonge St.
"At this point in our investigations, there are a number of people, who we know from our inquiries that have taken place to date, who have information relative to the people who were shooting on Yonge St. on Boxing Day," Staff-Insp. Brian Raybould said yesterday, adding investigators have spoken to hundreds of people so far.
[. . .]
Read the whole article here.
Sun columnist Joe Warmington comments (Do the right thing, for the right reason, May 17, 2006):
Someone out there now has 50,000 reasons to do the right thing by Jane Creba.
So far no one has done that. Shocking! But that's Toronto in 2006. The cops seem to run into that wall of silence a lot in this day and age. People don't seem to want to help.
Some are afraid of the bad guys. Some don't want to get involved. Some just don't care.
"You would be surprised how many in the public will not co-operate," a detective said yesterday. "It's frustrating."
It's a disgrace.
Boxing Day was more than four months ago, and the killer or killers of the 15-year-old girl are still at large. Who knows what they could do next? No one has talked. The silence is freaky.
[. . .]
Read all of Joe Warmington's column here
The death of an innocent young girl wasn't enough to persuade some witnesses to the Boxing Day murder of Jane Creba to come forward.
Now Toronto Police are hoping a $50,000 reward will entice people to step up to help them put the 15-year-old's killer behind bars.
Police announced yesterday that Chief Bill Blair has authorized the hefty reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever fired the shot that killed the East York girl -- one of seven bystanders caught in the crossfire of a deadly gun battle between rival gangs Dec. 26 on Yonge St.
"At this point in our investigations, there are a number of people, who we know from our inquiries that have taken place to date, who have information relative to the people who were shooting on Yonge St. on Boxing Day," Staff-Insp. Brian Raybould said yesterday, adding investigators have spoken to hundreds of people so far.
[. . .]
Read the whole article here.
Sun columnist Joe Warmington comments (Do the right thing, for the right reason, May 17, 2006):
Someone out there now has 50,000 reasons to do the right thing by Jane Creba.
So far no one has done that. Shocking! But that's Toronto in 2006. The cops seem to run into that wall of silence a lot in this day and age. People don't seem to want to help.
Some are afraid of the bad guys. Some don't want to get involved. Some just don't care.
"You would be surprised how many in the public will not co-operate," a detective said yesterday. "It's frustrating."
It's a disgrace.
Boxing Day was more than four months ago, and the killer or killers of the 15-year-old girl are still at large. Who knows what they could do next? No one has talked. The silence is freaky.
[. . .]
Read all of Joe Warmington's column here
Steve Sailer: Immigration and the economists
Steve Sailer writes:
The immigration debate is bringing out the worst in many economists: their devotion to assume-we-have-a-can-opener models over reality, their utter lack of interest in vast areas of empirical data, their unthinking allegiance to their political prejudices, and their desire to further their own self-interests without mentioning how their own behavior confirms economists' traditional skepticism about people's motivations.
[. . .]
Read all of Sailer's comments here
Fortunately, there are some economists who do understand immigration.
The immigration debate is bringing out the worst in many economists: their devotion to assume-we-have-a-can-opener models over reality, their utter lack of interest in vast areas of empirical data, their unthinking allegiance to their political prejudices, and their desire to further their own self-interests without mentioning how their own behavior confirms economists' traditional skepticism about people's motivations.
[. . .]
Read all of Sailer's comments here
Fortunately, there are some economists who do understand immigration.
Toronto Star: Girl gang members on the rise
From the Toronto Star (Girl gang members on the rise by Peter Edwards, May 17, 2006):
Girls play an increasingly strong role in youth gangs, something unheard of just five years ago, a York Region police seminar on guns, gangs and youth violence heard.
"This is a trend that has emerged over the past five years," York Insp. Thomas Carrique told a community meeting of 100 people yesterday.
Girls are even more active in American street gangs, said Carrique, who noted that adult outlaw motorcycle gangs and traditional organized crime groups remain exclusively male.
Canadian police estimate that females make up 6 per cent of the membership in Canada's estimated 340 street gangs, compared to none just five years ago.
"Society has changed," Carrique said in an interview. "It continues to evolve."
[. . .]
Most street gang members are between 21 and 25 years old, and many of them still live at home.
In the broader culture, the term "boomerang children" has been given to children who move away and keep returning home, while "failure to launch" describes a trend by adult children to continue to live at home with their parents.
Those trends apply to street gang members as well, police say.
"Kids are living at home longer," Carrique said. "They're taking longer to get into established careers."
[. . .]
Read all of Peter Edwards' article here
Girls play an increasingly strong role in youth gangs, something unheard of just five years ago, a York Region police seminar on guns, gangs and youth violence heard.
"This is a trend that has emerged over the past five years," York Insp. Thomas Carrique told a community meeting of 100 people yesterday.
Girls are even more active in American street gangs, said Carrique, who noted that adult outlaw motorcycle gangs and traditional organized crime groups remain exclusively male.
Canadian police estimate that females make up 6 per cent of the membership in Canada's estimated 340 street gangs, compared to none just five years ago.
"Society has changed," Carrique said in an interview. "It continues to evolve."
[. . .]
Most street gang members are between 21 and 25 years old, and many of them still live at home.
In the broader culture, the term "boomerang children" has been given to children who move away and keep returning home, while "failure to launch" describes a trend by adult children to continue to live at home with their parents.
Those trends apply to street gang members as well, police say.
"Kids are living at home longer," Carrique said. "They're taking longer to get into established careers."
[. . .]
Read all of Peter Edwards' article here
Kathy Shaidle cracks me up.
This is funny stuff: Nike's sports hijabs
Maybe Muslim girls won't need separate swim classes after all.
Maybe Muslim girls won't need separate swim classes after all.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Population growth leads to water dispute in Toronto suburbs
I don't know how much geography is taught nowadays in Canadian schools but when I was a boy we had it drummed into us that Canada was the world's second-largest country after the Soviet Union, which we called 'Russia'. Canada's territory is huge and much of the country is populated sparsely if at all. This simple fact has an unfortunate influence on the way Canadians discuss immigration. Many of my fellow citizens believe Canada has the capacity to absorb limitless numbers of newcomers. People still ask, "How can we restrict immigration when our country is so big and empty?" However, there's a reason most of Canada is virtually empty. We are a northern country and much of our territory is too cold to support a large population. And even in many places where it's not too cold, there's no agricultural land.
Most immigrants settle in Canada's three largest cities: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. In fact, someone came up with the phrase 'MTV syndrome' to describe this phenomenon. Forty percent of the 250,000 or so immigrants that arrive in Canada each year settle in the Greater Toronto Area. That's 100,000 new people a year or one million newcomers a decade. This explosive growth is changing Toronto and its outlying communities forever. Immigration is placing a huge strain on the region and its natural environment. This inevitably leads to disputes such as the one described today in the Toronto Star (Big pipe project angers residents with dry wells by Gail Swainson, May 16, 2006):
Water levels in private wells affected by construction of a big pipe on 16th Ave. in Markham will likely rebound within three years, says a hydrogeologist.
"I would say, yes, two or three years for a 25-metre draw-down," Rick Gerber, of the Conservation Authority Moraine Coalition, told about 50 residents at a meeting in Whitchurch-Stouffville last night.
But that's cold comfort to the Bethesda Rd. greenhouse operator Bryan Emery, who says the 23-metre artesian well that waters his plants went dry two years ago.
Emery is fighting for compensation from the region, but they say he is not eligible because he is outside the affected area.
[. . .]
More than three years ago, York Region began construction on an expansion of the York Durham Sewage System along 16th Ave. in Markham, which is scheduled for completion sometime next year.
But local residents and farmers say a dewatering process used in construction has dried up their water wells and is damaging area streams.
Critics say the dewatering process — which involves pumping out groundwater to protect workers digging the tunnels that hold the sewage pipes — is also draining millions of litres of water from a key aquifer under the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Residents say their wells have been affected and dozens of farmers say they have been reduced to trucking in water for their livestock or been forced to dig deeper wells.
[. . .]
Read all of Gail Swainson's article here
Most immigrants settle in Canada's three largest cities: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. In fact, someone came up with the phrase 'MTV syndrome' to describe this phenomenon. Forty percent of the 250,000 or so immigrants that arrive in Canada each year settle in the Greater Toronto Area. That's 100,000 new people a year or one million newcomers a decade. This explosive growth is changing Toronto and its outlying communities forever. Immigration is placing a huge strain on the region and its natural environment. This inevitably leads to disputes such as the one described today in the Toronto Star (Big pipe project angers residents with dry wells by Gail Swainson, May 16, 2006):
Water levels in private wells affected by construction of a big pipe on 16th Ave. in Markham will likely rebound within three years, says a hydrogeologist.
"I would say, yes, two or three years for a 25-metre draw-down," Rick Gerber, of the Conservation Authority Moraine Coalition, told about 50 residents at a meeting in Whitchurch-Stouffville last night.
But that's cold comfort to the Bethesda Rd. greenhouse operator Bryan Emery, who says the 23-metre artesian well that waters his plants went dry two years ago.
Emery is fighting for compensation from the region, but they say he is not eligible because he is outside the affected area.
[. . .]
More than three years ago, York Region began construction on an expansion of the York Durham Sewage System along 16th Ave. in Markham, which is scheduled for completion sometime next year.
But local residents and farmers say a dewatering process used in construction has dried up their water wells and is damaging area streams.
Critics say the dewatering process — which involves pumping out groundwater to protect workers digging the tunnels that hold the sewage pipes — is also draining millions of litres of water from a key aquifer under the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Residents say their wells have been affected and dozens of farmers say they have been reduced to trucking in water for their livestock or been forced to dig deeper wells.
[. . .]
Read all of Gail Swainson's article here
Toronto Star columnist: "Working poor are screwed." No mention of immigration's role in lowering wages.
Columnist Joe Fiorito writes in today's Toronto Star (Too bad you can't eat the report by Joe Fiorito, May 16, 2006):
There are thousands of men and women in this town who have jobs and cannot make a decent living.
You knew that already.
Just as you know, and have known for a long time, that you can work for wages in this town and be worse off than if you were on the dole.
You also know that if you fail or falter, you can fall so fast it will make your head spin, and fall so low that you will not be able to climb up or out again.
If you really require proof, there is now a report on the matter. It is called "Time for a Fair Deal." The report was produced by the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults.
A very good name for a report. A very lousy name for a task force.
The authors make a plain and compelling case that the working poor are screwed. In order to relieve said screwing, they have written many worthy recommendations.
[. . .]
Unfortunately, Fiorito doesn't mention the role immigration plays in lowering wages. Toronto is developing an underclass and our leaders want even more people to come here. It doesn't make sense.
Read Joe Fiorito's column here
There are thousands of men and women in this town who have jobs and cannot make a decent living.
You knew that already.
Just as you know, and have known for a long time, that you can work for wages in this town and be worse off than if you were on the dole.
You also know that if you fail or falter, you can fall so fast it will make your head spin, and fall so low that you will not be able to climb up or out again.
If you really require proof, there is now a report on the matter. It is called "Time for a Fair Deal." The report was produced by the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults.
A very good name for a report. A very lousy name for a task force.
The authors make a plain and compelling case that the working poor are screwed. In order to relieve said screwing, they have written many worthy recommendations.
[. . .]
Unfortunately, Fiorito doesn't mention the role immigration plays in lowering wages. Toronto is developing an underclass and our leaders want even more people to come here. It doesn't make sense.
Read Joe Fiorito's column here
Monday, May 15, 2006
CTV: Jaballah back in court
Most terrorists come from countries that practise torture. If the courts stop Ottawa from deporting foreign terrorists to countries like Egypt because of their bad human rights record, Canada will become even more of a haven for terrorists than it is already.
From Canadian Press via CTV (Egyptian terror suspect Jaballah returns to court, May 15, 2006):
An Egyptian terror suspect detained for nearly five years on a national security certificate remains optimistic as his case returns to court this week for a review that could see him deported to his homeland, where advocates say he could be tortured.
"We're preparing whatever steps need to be taken to ensure that he's not deported," said John Norris, lawyer for Mahmoud Jaballah.
[. . .]
Jaballah, 44, came to Canada in 1996 and has been detained since August 2001 on an unprecedented second national security certificate - several months after the courts deemed a first one unreasonable.
This week in Toronto, the Federal Court will hear arguments about the validity of the security certificate issued against Jaballah. A court ruling to uphold it would prompt an automatic removal order that can't be appealed. Advocates say Jaballah could face torture if he returns to Egypt.
Under a security certificate, Ottawa can hold suspected terrorists who aren't Canadian citizens indefinitely without charges.
Jaballah is accused of links to al-Qaida and while he has acknowledged being in contact with people Ottawa suspects of terrorism, Norris said it was for "entirely innocent reasons."
[. . .]
Read the entire article here
From Canadian Press via CTV (Egyptian terror suspect Jaballah returns to court, May 15, 2006):
An Egyptian terror suspect detained for nearly five years on a national security certificate remains optimistic as his case returns to court this week for a review that could see him deported to his homeland, where advocates say he could be tortured.
"We're preparing whatever steps need to be taken to ensure that he's not deported," said John Norris, lawyer for Mahmoud Jaballah.
[. . .]
Jaballah, 44, came to Canada in 1996 and has been detained since August 2001 on an unprecedented second national security certificate - several months after the courts deemed a first one unreasonable.
This week in Toronto, the Federal Court will hear arguments about the validity of the security certificate issued against Jaballah. A court ruling to uphold it would prompt an automatic removal order that can't be appealed. Advocates say Jaballah could face torture if he returns to Egypt.
Under a security certificate, Ottawa can hold suspected terrorists who aren't Canadian citizens indefinitely without charges.
Jaballah is accused of links to al-Qaida and while he has acknowledged being in contact with people Ottawa suspects of terrorism, Norris said it was for "entirely innocent reasons."
[. . .]
Read the entire article here
Toronto Star: Bone marrow registry "overwhelmingly Caucasian"
I thought race didn't exist. I must have heard wrong. From the Toronto Star (Making a match for life by Tanya Talaga, May 15, 2006):
With an "overwhelmingly Caucasian" bone marrow registry in Canada, ethnic minorities in need of a bone marrow transplant face an uphill battle trying to find a match.
Cancer patient Uzoma Azuh is a 22-year-old medical student from Windsor who has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy and is currently on his sixth. He needs a transplant to increase his chances of survival and he knows the odds could be insurmountable.
"A lot of traits in the bone marrow are inherited," said Azuh, a Wayne State University student of Nigerian descent. "I'm more likely to find a match in the ethnic community. People don't understand how important this is."
Of nearly 230,000 Canadians registered on the unrelated donor transplant list, only 0.5 per cent of the potential donors classify themselves as black, according to Canadian Blood Services, the national manager of the registry. One per cent of those on the registry are Aboriginal, 1.6 per cent East Indian, 3.6 per cent Asian, 0.3 per cent Hispanic, and 83 per cent Caucasian. The rest of the group are unknown or the donor didn't identify an ethnicity.
[. . .]
Read all of Tanya Talaga's article here
With an "overwhelmingly Caucasian" bone marrow registry in Canada, ethnic minorities in need of a bone marrow transplant face an uphill battle trying to find a match.
Cancer patient Uzoma Azuh is a 22-year-old medical student from Windsor who has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy and is currently on his sixth. He needs a transplant to increase his chances of survival and he knows the odds could be insurmountable.
"A lot of traits in the bone marrow are inherited," said Azuh, a Wayne State University student of Nigerian descent. "I'm more likely to find a match in the ethnic community. People don't understand how important this is."
Of nearly 230,000 Canadians registered on the unrelated donor transplant list, only 0.5 per cent of the potential donors classify themselves as black, according to Canadian Blood Services, the national manager of the registry. One per cent of those on the registry are Aboriginal, 1.6 per cent East Indian, 3.6 per cent Asian, 0.3 per cent Hispanic, and 83 per cent Caucasian. The rest of the group are unknown or the donor didn't identify an ethnicity.
[. . .]
Read all of Tanya Talaga's article here
Toronto Star: Poverty in Canada
It's too bad this story doesn't mention the role that immigration plays in lowering Canadian wages. From Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (Task force calls for social reforms, May 15, 2006):
Income security programs are failing Canadians and need a federal overhaul that could cost $8.5 billion each year, says an exhaustive report by a task force of Toronto community members and civic leaders.
The task force recommends the federal government reform employment insurance, create a new refundable tax benefit for all low-income working-age adults and provide a national disability income support program for those unable to enter the workforce.
Employment insurance programs have not kept pace with changes in the workforce, and existing social assistance programs can make it difficult to escape poverty, says the report, called Time for a Fair Deal.
[. . .]
And giving up a welfare cheque for a $10-an-hour job simply isn’t feasible for many people since it also means a loss of social assistance benefits, increased child-care expenses and a loss of back-to-school and winter clothing allowances for children, the report says.
Sherrie Tingley had to live on her assets for a year after exhausting her EI benefits. As a single mother at the time, she says the system is “crazy.”
“You have to strip yourself of everything you’ve built up,” she said.
[. . .]
Read the entire Canadian Press story here
Income security programs are failing Canadians and need a federal overhaul that could cost $8.5 billion each year, says an exhaustive report by a task force of Toronto community members and civic leaders.
The task force recommends the federal government reform employment insurance, create a new refundable tax benefit for all low-income working-age adults and provide a national disability income support program for those unable to enter the workforce.
Employment insurance programs have not kept pace with changes in the workforce, and existing social assistance programs can make it difficult to escape poverty, says the report, called Time for a Fair Deal.
[. . .]
And giving up a welfare cheque for a $10-an-hour job simply isn’t feasible for many people since it also means a loss of social assistance benefits, increased child-care expenses and a loss of back-to-school and winter clothing allowances for children, the report says.
Sherrie Tingley had to live on her assets for a year after exhausting her EI benefits. As a single mother at the time, she says the system is “crazy.”
“You have to strip yourself of everything you’ve built up,” she said.
[. . .]
Read the entire Canadian Press story here
Toronto Star: Canadian ambassador cautions US over new border security measures
From the Toronto Star (Wilson warns of 'wedge' at border by Nathaniel Gronwald, May 15, 2006):
The United States must move carefully and consider the full range of possible economic consequences before tightening security at the U.S.-Canada border, Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson said Monday.
In an address to the Canadian Association of New York, Wilson warned that the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a law passed by the U.S. Congress requiring formal identification documents such as passports for travellers entering the United States, "threatens to drive an invisible wedge between our two peoples."
"The concern that has been expressed by a number of people to us a is whether we can meet the timelines that are set out in the legislation," said Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States.
The legislation will require everyone crossing U.S. borders, including U.S. citizens returning from Canada or Mexico, to carry either a passport or a special border crossing identification card beginning Jan. 1, 2008.
Wilson stressed Canada and the United States must work together in introducing new border identity cards to ensure "that they can be distributed in a way that people will be ready to take advantage of them when the time comes for implementation."
[. . .]
Read all of Nathaniel Gronwald's article here
The United States must move carefully and consider the full range of possible economic consequences before tightening security at the U.S.-Canada border, Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson said Monday.
In an address to the Canadian Association of New York, Wilson warned that the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a law passed by the U.S. Congress requiring formal identification documents such as passports for travellers entering the United States, "threatens to drive an invisible wedge between our two peoples."
"The concern that has been expressed by a number of people to us a is whether we can meet the timelines that are set out in the legislation," said Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States.
The legislation will require everyone crossing U.S. borders, including U.S. citizens returning from Canada or Mexico, to carry either a passport or a special border crossing identification card beginning Jan. 1, 2008.
Wilson stressed Canada and the United States must work together in introducing new border identity cards to ensure "that they can be distributed in a way that people will be ready to take advantage of them when the time comes for implementation."
[. . .]
Read all of Nathaniel Gronwald's article here
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Toronto Star: 4 teens shot in day of violence
From the Toronto Star (4 teens shot in day of violence by Jered Stuffco, Camille Ross and Linda Nguyen, May 14, 2006):
A 19-year-old man was shot in the head several times on St. Clair Ave. E. near Victoria Park Ave. last night and rushed to Sunnybrook hospital, police said.
The man was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital, but later only required stitches.
[. . .]
The shooting follows a spate of violence in Toronto that sent three other young victims to hospital with serious gunshot wounds, police say.
So far, the victims have refused to co-operate with investigators, who are appealing for witnesses to come forward, Staff Sgt. Mark Alphonso said yesterday.
[. . .]
Read the entire Star article here
A 19-year-old man was shot in the head several times on St. Clair Ave. E. near Victoria Park Ave. last night and rushed to Sunnybrook hospital, police said.
The man was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital, but later only required stitches.
[. . .]
The shooting follows a spate of violence in Toronto that sent three other young victims to hospital with serious gunshot wounds, police say.
So far, the victims have refused to co-operate with investigators, who are appealing for witnesses to come forward, Staff Sgt. Mark Alphonso said yesterday.
[. . .]
Read the entire Star article here
Toronto Star: Canadian Muslims in Pakistani religious schools
From the Toronto Star (From Edmonton to the Madrassa by Michelle Shephard, May 14, 2006):
Baksh is one of about 200 foreign students studying at Jamia Binoria, a sprawling madrassa on the outskirts of town. There is a "handful" of Canadians among them. No specific figure is offered, just as no reliable records are kept on the number of Canadians studying at other seminaries in the country.
Founded in 1954, Jamia Binoria used to be closed to outside visitors. But in an effort to refute claims that Pakistan's nearly 10,000 religious seminaries teach Al Qaeda-inspired ideology and breed terrorism, the doors are now open.
"Madrassas, this one or any other one, does not create terrorists; they turn terrorists into human beings," says founder and principal Mufti Muhammad Naeem.
[. . .]
Madrassas are a contentious issue both here and abroad, since the United States, and later Britain, alleged that the schools were terrorist training centres. Last summer, U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld continued talking about madrassas that "train people to be suicide killers and extremists, violent extremists."
[. . .]
According to a promise made by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Baksh and his parents shouldn't be here. In a televised January 2002 speech to address Washington's concerns about Islamic institutes breeding new recruits for Al Qaeda, Musharraf introduced the Madrassa Registration and Regulation Ordinance, intended to bring the religious seminaries into the mainstream public education system.
[. . .]
But last summer, after bombs exploded in London's Underground and on a double-decker bus, it was revealed that one of the bombers, Shehzad Tanweer, spent two months at a madrassa near Lahore a year earlier, prompting British Prime Minister Tony Blair to question what's being taught in the seminaries.
[. . .]
Read all of Michelle Shephard's article here
Baksh is one of about 200 foreign students studying at Jamia Binoria, a sprawling madrassa on the outskirts of town. There is a "handful" of Canadians among them. No specific figure is offered, just as no reliable records are kept on the number of Canadians studying at other seminaries in the country.
Founded in 1954, Jamia Binoria used to be closed to outside visitors. But in an effort to refute claims that Pakistan's nearly 10,000 religious seminaries teach Al Qaeda-inspired ideology and breed terrorism, the doors are now open.
"Madrassas, this one or any other one, does not create terrorists; they turn terrorists into human beings," says founder and principal Mufti Muhammad Naeem.
[. . .]
Madrassas are a contentious issue both here and abroad, since the United States, and later Britain, alleged that the schools were terrorist training centres. Last summer, U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld continued talking about madrassas that "train people to be suicide killers and extremists, violent extremists."
[. . .]
According to a promise made by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Baksh and his parents shouldn't be here. In a televised January 2002 speech to address Washington's concerns about Islamic institutes breeding new recruits for Al Qaeda, Musharraf introduced the Madrassa Registration and Regulation Ordinance, intended to bring the religious seminaries into the mainstream public education system.
[. . .]
But last summer, after bombs exploded in London's Underground and on a double-decker bus, it was revealed that one of the bombers, Shehzad Tanweer, spent two months at a madrassa near Lahore a year earlier, prompting British Prime Minister Tony Blair to question what's being taught in the seminaries.
[. . .]
Read all of Michelle Shephard's article here
Cecilia Zhang case - will child killer get to stay in Canada forever?
From the Toronto Star (Is child killer here to stay? by Andrew Chung, May 14, 2006):
The now-notorious Min Chen, the quiet killer of 9-year-old Cecilia Zhang, will not only serve a stiff sentence here but almost certainly face the same fate again when he is paroled and deported back to his native China, we were told last week.
The Crown prosecutor said it as he gave reasons why a second-degree murder conviction, as opposed to the original charge of first-degree, was a good plea bargain.
[. . .]
But what may have been overlooked is that the boyish-looking young man, who fashioned a desperate plan to stay in Canada by kidnapping a girl in 2003 and using the ransom to pay for a fake Canadian bride, may, in the end, get his wish.
For a number of reasons — stemming from the fact that what is predicted for Chen is unprecedented and untested in Canadian courts, according to legal experts — Chen may end up not going anywhere, no matter how much some might want the man behind such a heinous killing off Canadian soil.
Indeed, just as the 23-year-old Chen begins to serve his sentence, a human-rights debate has begun as to whether Canada, a country that wouldn't condone double jeopardy here, should be party to it elsewhere.
[. . .]
Toronto immigration and refugee lawyer Barbara Jackman, who often defends foreigners detained under Canada's security certificates, says sending someone who has served his sentence to a second trial and another sentence is "presumptively cruel."
"I don't think you can categorically say it's not cruel," she says. "Whether or not the court would say it's cruel to return someone to face a charge a second time, that's not been tested in our courts. At the moment, it's an undecided issue. (Chen's) case could very well raise it."
[. . .]
Read all of Andrew Chung's article here
The now-notorious Min Chen, the quiet killer of 9-year-old Cecilia Zhang, will not only serve a stiff sentence here but almost certainly face the same fate again when he is paroled and deported back to his native China, we were told last week.
The Crown prosecutor said it as he gave reasons why a second-degree murder conviction, as opposed to the original charge of first-degree, was a good plea bargain.
[. . .]
But what may have been overlooked is that the boyish-looking young man, who fashioned a desperate plan to stay in Canada by kidnapping a girl in 2003 and using the ransom to pay for a fake Canadian bride, may, in the end, get his wish.
For a number of reasons — stemming from the fact that what is predicted for Chen is unprecedented and untested in Canadian courts, according to legal experts — Chen may end up not going anywhere, no matter how much some might want the man behind such a heinous killing off Canadian soil.
Indeed, just as the 23-year-old Chen begins to serve his sentence, a human-rights debate has begun as to whether Canada, a country that wouldn't condone double jeopardy here, should be party to it elsewhere.
[. . .]
Toronto immigration and refugee lawyer Barbara Jackman, who often defends foreigners detained under Canada's security certificates, says sending someone who has served his sentence to a second trial and another sentence is "presumptively cruel."
"I don't think you can categorically say it's not cruel," she says. "Whether or not the court would say it's cruel to return someone to face a charge a second time, that's not been tested in our courts. At the moment, it's an undecided issue. (Chen's) case could very well raise it."
[. . .]
Read all of Andrew Chung's article here
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Poetic justice: Six Liberal leadership candidates not fluent in French
From the Globe and Mail (Six Liberal contenders don't pass as bilingual by Campbell Clark, May 13, 2006):
By objective standards, more than half of the candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party are not bilingual. By the candidates' own admissions, the winner must be.
Language has become an issue in the Liberal leadership campaign, a race with 10 anglophones and one francophone vying to lead a party that badly needs to rebuild in Quebec and views itself as the national-unity party that claims bilingualism as its brand.
Will the party of Wilfrid Laurier and official bilingualism, an institution whose own self-image rests partly on being a bridge between francophones and anglophones, concede the language terrain?
Only five of the 11 candidates now running for the Liberal leadership were given passing grades when rated against the scale for a bilingualism certificate by University of Ottawa professor Hélène Knoerr. Bob Rae topped the list, followed closely by Michael Ignatieff, but Stéphane Dion (who was tested on his English fluency), Joe Volpe and Martha Hall Findlay also made the grade.
"The others were varying degrees of catastrophes," Prof. Knoerr said.
[. . .]
Read all of Campbell Clark's story here
By objective standards, more than half of the candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party are not bilingual. By the candidates' own admissions, the winner must be.
Language has become an issue in the Liberal leadership campaign, a race with 10 anglophones and one francophone vying to lead a party that badly needs to rebuild in Quebec and views itself as the national-unity party that claims bilingualism as its brand.
Will the party of Wilfrid Laurier and official bilingualism, an institution whose own self-image rests partly on being a bridge between francophones and anglophones, concede the language terrain?
Only five of the 11 candidates now running for the Liberal leadership were given passing grades when rated against the scale for a bilingualism certificate by University of Ottawa professor Hélène Knoerr. Bob Rae topped the list, followed closely by Michael Ignatieff, but Stéphane Dion (who was tested on his English fluency), Joe Volpe and Martha Hall Findlay also made the grade.
"The others were varying degrees of catastrophes," Prof. Knoerr said.
[. . .]
Read all of Campbell Clark's story here
CBC: Harper says Canada needs more immigrants
From the CBC (PM won't set targets for immigrants, May 12, 2006):
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada needs more immigrants but the Conservative leader stopped short of setting specific target numbers.
Harper made the comments following a speech in Mississauga, Ont., where he announced changes to streamline the immigration system.
"Well I think we need more," Harper said when asked by a reporter whether his government would increase the number of immigrants entering Canada.
But the prime minister appeared cool to the idea of setting specific target numbers, saying the previous Liberal government set targets that were never met.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada needs more immigrants but the Conservative leader stopped short of setting specific target numbers.
Harper made the comments following a speech in Mississauga, Ont., where he announced changes to streamline the immigration system.
"Well I think we need more," Harper said when asked by a reporter whether his government would increase the number of immigrants entering Canada.
But the prime minister appeared cool to the idea of setting specific target numbers, saying the previous Liberal government set targets that were never met.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
Friday, May 12, 2006
Toronto Star: Cassells could face more Police Services Act charges
From the Toronto Star Officer known for speaking his mind by Betsy Powell, May 11, 2006):
Jim Cassells, already on the hot seat with his police bosses for talking to a Toronto Star reporter, was served notice yesterday he could be facing more Police Service Act charges.
Cassells' lawyer, Leo Kinahan, said his client received a "notice of an investigation" into allegations of breach of confidence and insubordination for not following a direct order of a police chief.
The exact nature of the allegations are not known but Kinahan said he believes they involve all media outlets. "It looks like they're going after him," he said, adding he plans today to ask that a hearing officer from outside the Toronto Police Service be appointed to handle the file.
Cassells declined yesterday to comment on the latest developments. That's a change for the 51-year-old sergeant who has a reputation for speaking out. It's why friends and colleagues aren't surprised he's facing off against his superiors as he makes his first appearance today before a Toronto police tribunal on misconduct charges for talking to Star reporter John Duncanson.
[. . .]
Read all of Betsy Powell's story here
See also here and here
Jim Cassells, already on the hot seat with his police bosses for talking to a Toronto Star reporter, was served notice yesterday he could be facing more Police Service Act charges.
Cassells' lawyer, Leo Kinahan, said his client received a "notice of an investigation" into allegations of breach of confidence and insubordination for not following a direct order of a police chief.
The exact nature of the allegations are not known but Kinahan said he believes they involve all media outlets. "It looks like they're going after him," he said, adding he plans today to ask that a hearing officer from outside the Toronto Police Service be appointed to handle the file.
Cassells declined yesterday to comment on the latest developments. That's a change for the 51-year-old sergeant who has a reputation for speaking out. It's why friends and colleagues aren't surprised he's facing off against his superiors as he makes his first appearance today before a Toronto police tribunal on misconduct charges for talking to Star reporter John Duncanson.
[. . .]
Read all of Betsy Powell's story here
See also here and here
Toronto Star: NDP say rich-poor gap growing
From the Toronto Star (Rich-poor gap growing: NDP by Sandra Cordon, May 11, 2006):
Does it feel like you’re working harder than ever, yet taking home less? It might not be just your imagination, says the federal NDP.
The gap has been steadily widening between well-off Canadians and modest-income earners over the past several years, say New Democrat MPs.
And last week’s federal budget has done nothing to help narrow the difference, they add.
People in the top bracket, earning more than $85,700 a year, have seen their incomes rise 15 per cent between 1989 and 2004, MPs said Thursday, citing data from Statistics Canada.
Yet over the same period, people earning $20,400 or less saw their income actually shrink by nine per cent, says NDP finance Critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis.
Even middle-class Canadians, in the $56,600 to $85,700 income bracket, have barely kept up with inflation during that 15-year period, enjoying a mere two per cent increase.
“The rich are getting richer and most Canadian families have seen their real income decline since 1989,” Wasylycia-Leis said.
[. . .]
Read all of Sandra Cordon's article here
Here's a thought: reduce immigration levels and prosecute employers who hire illegal aliens at reduced wages.
Does it feel like you’re working harder than ever, yet taking home less? It might not be just your imagination, says the federal NDP.
The gap has been steadily widening between well-off Canadians and modest-income earners over the past several years, say New Democrat MPs.
And last week’s federal budget has done nothing to help narrow the difference, they add.
People in the top bracket, earning more than $85,700 a year, have seen their incomes rise 15 per cent between 1989 and 2004, MPs said Thursday, citing data from Statistics Canada.
Yet over the same period, people earning $20,400 or less saw their income actually shrink by nine per cent, says NDP finance Critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis.
Even middle-class Canadians, in the $56,600 to $85,700 income bracket, have barely kept up with inflation during that 15-year period, enjoying a mere two per cent increase.
“The rich are getting richer and most Canadian families have seen their real income decline since 1989,” Wasylycia-Leis said.
[. . .]
Read all of Sandra Cordon's article here
Here's a thought: reduce immigration levels and prosecute employers who hire illegal aliens at reduced wages.
CBC: Zhang killer gets 15 years without parole
From the CBC (Zhang killer receives 15 years without parole , May 11, 2006):
A Chinese visa student who admitted kidnapping and killing a nine-year-old Toronto girl will spend 15 years in prison before he's eligible for parole.
Min Chen, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Tuesday in the death of Cecilia Zhang, who was taken from her bedroom in October 2003.
Crown lawyers had asked for parole eligibility in the 17-to-20 year range, while Chen's lawyers asked for 12 years.
Chen told police he planned to kidnap Cecilia and ask for a $25,000 ransom from her parents, Raymond Zhang and Sherry Xu, in order to pay for an arranged marriage to stay in Canada.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
A Chinese visa student who admitted kidnapping and killing a nine-year-old Toronto girl will spend 15 years in prison before he's eligible for parole.
Min Chen, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Tuesday in the death of Cecilia Zhang, who was taken from her bedroom in October 2003.
Crown lawyers had asked for parole eligibility in the 17-to-20 year range, while Chen's lawyers asked for 12 years.
Chen told police he planned to kidnap Cecilia and ask for a $25,000 ransom from her parents, Raymond Zhang and Sherry Xu, in order to pay for an arranged marriage to stay in Canada.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
CBC: Quebec introduces legislation concerning accreditation of foreign professionals
From the CBC ( Quebec bill would speed up accreditation of foreign professionals, May 11, 2006):
The Quebec government has introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for professionals trained abroad to work in their chosen fields after they immigrate to the province.
Premier Jean Charest's Liberals will introduced a bill on Wednesday that would create new work permits that recognize abilities and diplomas earned in other countries.
The bill would create three types of permits:
* A one-year restricted permit.
* A permanent restricted permit.
* A permit for immigrants who have already received a permit from a Canadian professional order outside of Quebec.
[. . .]
Read the whole article here
The Quebec government has introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for professionals trained abroad to work in their chosen fields after they immigrate to the province.
Premier Jean Charest's Liberals will introduced a bill on Wednesday that would create new work permits that recognize abilities and diplomas earned in other countries.
The bill would create three types of permits:
* A one-year restricted permit.
* A permanent restricted permit.
* A permit for immigrants who have already received a permit from a Canadian professional order outside of Quebec.
[. . .]
Read the whole article here
Toronto Star: Conservatives won't increase immigration to 300,000
From the Toronto Star (Tories scrap Liberals' goal of 300,000 immigrants by Bruce Campion-Smith, May 11, 2006):
The federal Conservatives have scrapped the Liberals' long vaunted goal of accepting more than 300,000 newcomers to Canada each year, saying serious backlogs in the immigration system have to be fixed first.
Immigration Minister Monte Solberg yesterday dismissed the Liberal target of accepting 1 per cent of Canada's population — long touted but never reached — as a meaningless figure.
"It's a nice round number," Solberg said yesterday.
"If all of sudden tomorrow we went to 1 per cent it clearly would be difficult for particular provinces to deal with the influx. ... I think we want to be a bit more methodical about this.
"The real issue is what is in the long-term economic interest of the country ... that's what we should be basing this on."
Last year, Canada accepted 260,000 new permanent residents, exceeding its target range of 220,000 to 245,000.
But the Liberals, starting with their Red Book promises in 1993, consistently vowed to ramp up immigration to 1 per cent of Canada's population or about 320,000 people. Successive Liberal immigration ministers repeated the vow but never succeeded in achieving it.
[. . .]
Read all of Sean Gorden's article here
The federal Conservatives have scrapped the Liberals' long vaunted goal of accepting more than 300,000 newcomers to Canada each year, saying serious backlogs in the immigration system have to be fixed first.
Immigration Minister Monte Solberg yesterday dismissed the Liberal target of accepting 1 per cent of Canada's population — long touted but never reached — as a meaningless figure.
"It's a nice round number," Solberg said yesterday.
"If all of sudden tomorrow we went to 1 per cent it clearly would be difficult for particular provinces to deal with the influx. ... I think we want to be a bit more methodical about this.
"The real issue is what is in the long-term economic interest of the country ... that's what we should be basing this on."
Last year, Canada accepted 260,000 new permanent residents, exceeding its target range of 220,000 to 245,000.
But the Liberals, starting with their Red Book promises in 1993, consistently vowed to ramp up immigration to 1 per cent of Canada's population or about 320,000 people. Successive Liberal immigration ministers repeated the vow but never succeeded in achieving it.
[. . .]
Read all of Sean Gorden's article here
Toronto Star: Muslim girls allowed private swim tests
More special privileges for Muslims. Just one more indication that some cultures are less compatible with Canadian society than others. If Muslims aren't willing to adapt to Canadian norms, they shouldn't come here.
From the Toronto Star (Muslim girls allowed private swim test by Sean Gordon, May 11, 2006):
The decision to close a high school pool to give three Muslim girls a private swimming class is stoking debate over the place of faith in Quebec's public institutions.
At issue is the practice known as "reasonable accommodation" for religious views, one that's increasingly common in a city that's home to most of Quebec's immigrants.
Parents say the decision by Commission Scolaire Marie-Victorin, with more that 40,000 students in 80 schools, risks encouraging "segregation in the name of religion."
The board argues it is simply respecting provisions of a recent Supreme Court judgment on wearing Sikh kirpans (ceremonial daggers) in classrooms that set limits on restricting religious rights.
The most recent chapter in the argument centres on a request from three Muslim students at Antoine-Brossard high school in the South Shore suburb of Brossard, who asked to be excused from swimming class because their religion rejects sharing a pool with men.
[. . .]
Read all of Sean Gordon's article here
From the Toronto Star (Muslim girls allowed private swim test by Sean Gordon, May 11, 2006):
The decision to close a high school pool to give three Muslim girls a private swimming class is stoking debate over the place of faith in Quebec's public institutions.
At issue is the practice known as "reasonable accommodation" for religious views, one that's increasingly common in a city that's home to most of Quebec's immigrants.
Parents say the decision by Commission Scolaire Marie-Victorin, with more that 40,000 students in 80 schools, risks encouraging "segregation in the name of religion."
The board argues it is simply respecting provisions of a recent Supreme Court judgment on wearing Sikh kirpans (ceremonial daggers) in classrooms that set limits on restricting religious rights.
The most recent chapter in the argument centres on a request from three Muslim students at Antoine-Brossard high school in the South Shore suburb of Brossard, who asked to be excused from swimming class because their religion rejects sharing a pool with men.
[. . .]
Read all of Sean Gordon's article here
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Toronto Star: Group says Ontario schools underfunded
Here's something to think about the next time you read a sob story featuring the children of illegal immigrants. No one knows how many illegal aliens there are in Canada, but estimates run as high as 600,000. How many of their children are there in Ontario schools and how much does it cost taxpayers to educate them? I don't want to blame children for the actions of their parents. I do have sympathy for children who are put in a situation that is not of their own making, but we don't have the money to educate all of the world's children. We need to control our borders because our welfare state, which includes schools, has limited resources. Immigration laws exist for a reason. They need to be enforced.
From the Toronto Star (Schools still under-funded, group says by Clement-Meoni Poon, May 10, 2006):
It will cost Ontario parents roughly $50 million in additional fundraising this year alone to subsidize under-funded parts of the province's public education system, such as school librarians and music teachers, a new report says.
People for Education's annual assessment of the state of education in Ontario said that while school funding has improved significantly in recent years, parents are still being forced to foot a big chunk of the bill — and not all families can afford it.
The shortage of funding for library resources in particular is having an impact, executive director Annie Kidder told a news conference.
"The percentage of Grade 6 students who reported they liked to read has gone down every single year since 2000," Kidder said.
"This is very worrying because this affects everything else that they do."
The report found 55 per cent of the province's elementary schools don't have a music teacher, while 46 per cent lack school librarians.
Programs such as special education and ESL are also wanting, the report said: only 27 per cent of elementary schools have ESL teachers and the waiting lists for special education remain lengthy.
[. . .]
Read all of Clement-Meoni Poon's article here
From the Toronto Star (Schools still under-funded, group says by Clement-Meoni Poon, May 10, 2006):
It will cost Ontario parents roughly $50 million in additional fundraising this year alone to subsidize under-funded parts of the province's public education system, such as school librarians and music teachers, a new report says.
People for Education's annual assessment of the state of education in Ontario said that while school funding has improved significantly in recent years, parents are still being forced to foot a big chunk of the bill — and not all families can afford it.
The shortage of funding for library resources in particular is having an impact, executive director Annie Kidder told a news conference.
"The percentage of Grade 6 students who reported they liked to read has gone down every single year since 2000," Kidder said.
"This is very worrying because this affects everything else that they do."
The report found 55 per cent of the province's elementary schools don't have a music teacher, while 46 per cent lack school librarians.
Programs such as special education and ESL are also wanting, the report said: only 27 per cent of elementary schools have ESL teachers and the waiting lists for special education remain lengthy.
[. . .]
Read all of Clement-Meoni Poon's article here
Globe and Mail: Arranged marriages becoming more common
From the Globe and Mail (Arranged marriages becoming more common, officials say by Marina Jimenez, May 11, 2006):
Marriages of convenience are more and more common in Canada, particularly in the Chinese and South Asian communities, immigration lawyers say.
It is often the cultural norm for Chinese Canadians and Indo-Canadians to marry virtual strangers in arranged marriages overseas, making it difficult for immigration officials here to assess the validity of these unions. Foreign students and workers in Canada on temporary visas may also persuade someone to marry them as a favour to be repaid in kind, or for money, from as little as $1,000 to as much as $25,000, according to the immigration lawyers.
Min Chen, a student from China who pleaded guilty this week to second-degree murder in the killing of Cecilia Zhang, claimed he intended only to kidnap the nine-year-old girl so that he could extract a ransom of $25,000 from her parents. Failing in his studies and knowing his student visa would run out, he was copying a friend's desperate ruse and planning to pay $25,000 for a marriage of convenience to secure permanent residency here.
[. . .]
Read Marina Jimenez's entire article here
Marriages of convenience are more and more common in Canada, particularly in the Chinese and South Asian communities, immigration lawyers say.
It is often the cultural norm for Chinese Canadians and Indo-Canadians to marry virtual strangers in arranged marriages overseas, making it difficult for immigration officials here to assess the validity of these unions. Foreign students and workers in Canada on temporary visas may also persuade someone to marry them as a favour to be repaid in kind, or for money, from as little as $1,000 to as much as $25,000, according to the immigration lawyers.
Min Chen, a student from China who pleaded guilty this week to second-degree murder in the killing of Cecilia Zhang, claimed he intended only to kidnap the nine-year-old girl so that he could extract a ransom of $25,000 from her parents. Failing in his studies and knowing his student visa would run out, he was copying a friend's desperate ruse and planning to pay $25,000 for a marriage of convenience to secure permanent residency here.
[. . .]
Read Marina Jimenez's entire article here
An intelligent analysis of a Toronto Star story about the Cardinal McGuigan sexual abuse case
In November, Toronto blogger Loyalist wrote an intelligent analysis of a Toronto Star story about the arrest of sixteen black teenagers accused of sexual harassing and abusing a 15-year-old white girl at James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic high school.
Loyalist writes (An Assault On The Reader's Intelligence, November 15, 2005):
Whenever matters of race or a certain religion are central to any controversial story in today's press, the MSM either finds a way to blame the white folks, or if there are none to blame, it purges or buries any mention of race.
As is happening with today's report about the gang of students at a Toronto Catholic high school who terrorized and sexually assaulted a girl at the school for months on end.
So informed readers have developed the same sort of forensic skills that readers of the old Soviet press did to get the truth behind the story.
[. . .]
Read the whole post at Loyalist's blog Dissonance and Disrespect
Loyalist writes (An Assault On The Reader's Intelligence, November 15, 2005):
Whenever matters of race or a certain religion are central to any controversial story in today's press, the MSM either finds a way to blame the white folks, or if there are none to blame, it purges or buries any mention of race.
As is happening with today's report about the gang of students at a Toronto Catholic high school who terrorized and sexually assaulted a girl at the school for months on end.
So informed readers have developed the same sort of forensic skills that readers of the old Soviet press did to get the truth behind the story.
[. . .]
Read the whole post at Loyalist's blog Dissonance and Disrespect
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
CP story: Three facing possible trial in Cardinal McGuigan sexual abuse case
From the Canadian Press via the Toronto Star (16 arrested for assault now down to three, May 10, 2006):
An alleged sexual harassment scandal in which 16 teens were charged after police descended on a Toronto high school was pared down Wednesday to only three students facing possible criminal trial.
While one student charged with criminal harassment failed to appear in court to indicate whether he would sign a peace bond and see the charges dropped, the remaining two were committed to a pretrial hearing in June.
[. . .]
Crown prosecutor Michael Waby said narrowing the case down to just to a couple of students indicates the matter is "moving along the right lines."
"We're being able to concentrate on those who are alleged to have committed the most serious offences," Waby said outside the court.
[. . .]
Read the entire Canadian Press story here
An alleged sexual harassment scandal in which 16 teens were charged after police descended on a Toronto high school was pared down Wednesday to only three students facing possible criminal trial.
While one student charged with criminal harassment failed to appear in court to indicate whether he would sign a peace bond and see the charges dropped, the remaining two were committed to a pretrial hearing in June.
[. . .]
Crown prosecutor Michael Waby said narrowing the case down to just to a couple of students indicates the matter is "moving along the right lines."
"We're being able to concentrate on those who are alleged to have committed the most serious offences," Waby said outside the court.
[. . .]
Read the entire Canadian Press story here
CBC: Fantino denies ignoring corruption complaints
From the CBC (Fantino denies ignoring corruption complaints by senior officer, May 9, 2006):
Toronto's former police chief is playing down accusations from a senior anti-corruption investigator that cases of misconduct and criminal activity have been swept under the carpet.
Julian Fantino insists he never turned a blind eye or covered up incidents of wrongdoing while leading the police force.
[. . .]
Sgt. Jim Cassells, a 29-year police veteran and a former member of a special task force into drug squad corruption, has alleged eight to 10 cases he investigated were never acted upon.
Cassells says he found evidence of criminal activity that implicated 17 officers, but only six were ever charged. He says the other 11 officers haven't even been disciplined.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article here
Toronto's former police chief is playing down accusations from a senior anti-corruption investigator that cases of misconduct and criminal activity have been swept under the carpet.
Julian Fantino insists he never turned a blind eye or covered up incidents of wrongdoing while leading the police force.
[. . .]
Sgt. Jim Cassells, a 29-year police veteran and a former member of a special task force into drug squad corruption, has alleged eight to 10 cases he investigated were never acted upon.
Cassells says he found evidence of criminal activity that implicated 17 officers, but only six were ever charged. He says the other 11 officers haven't even been disciplined.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article here
Poor English health services in Quebec
From the CBC (Group tackles language barrier for English in Quebec, May 10, 2006):
A health care network is distributing brochures throughout West Quebec to direct English-speaking residents to health care services, but critics say the campaign is just a small step in a larger problem.
The Gatineau Health and Social Services Network announced Monday that they will hand pamphlets out at schools in the Western Quebec School Board.
The group also plans to designate one bilingual person in their office to field questions in English about health care and deal with complaints about lack of English service at centres.
The move is a response to a report released in February that found more than half of Anglophone residents in Quebec were unsatisfied with their ability to obtain health and social services in English.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article here
A health care network is distributing brochures throughout West Quebec to direct English-speaking residents to health care services, but critics say the campaign is just a small step in a larger problem.
The Gatineau Health and Social Services Network announced Monday that they will hand pamphlets out at schools in the Western Quebec School Board.
The group also plans to designate one bilingual person in their office to field questions in English about health care and deal with complaints about lack of English service at centres.
The move is a response to a report released in February that found more than half of Anglophone residents in Quebec were unsatisfied with their ability to obtain health and social services in English.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article here
Cecilia Zhang case: 80% of Asian kidnappings never reported
This what happens when a country allows large ethnic enclaves to develop. Thanks to mass immigration, Canadian cities are full of parallel societies isolated from mainstream society. There used to be two solitudes. Now there are more than you can count.
From the CBC ( 80% of kidnappings never reported: Asian crime expert, May 10, 2006):
Up to 80 per cent of kidnappings in Asian communities across Canada are never reported to police because families fear that going public will make matters worse, says an Asian crime expert.
Det. Peter Yuen, a member of the Toronto police special (Asian) task force, says perpetrators assume, often correctly, that the victim's family will not call in police, preferring to deal with the kidnappers directly themselves.
"It's very rare that these cases do make it to the authorities' ears," said Yuen. "It's a fear because these things do happen in China on quite a regular basis."
"The Chinese community is one of the biggest ethnic communities in the GTA. People that have wealth, that have status – they do stand out. And perpetrators will pick them out and prey on them," said Yuen.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC story here
From the CBC ( 80% of kidnappings never reported: Asian crime expert, May 10, 2006):
Up to 80 per cent of kidnappings in Asian communities across Canada are never reported to police because families fear that going public will make matters worse, says an Asian crime expert.
Det. Peter Yuen, a member of the Toronto police special (Asian) task force, says perpetrators assume, often correctly, that the victim's family will not call in police, preferring to deal with the kidnappers directly themselves.
"It's very rare that these cases do make it to the authorities' ears," said Yuen. "It's a fear because these things do happen in China on quite a regular basis."
"The Chinese community is one of the biggest ethnic communities in the GTA. People that have wealth, that have status – they do stand out. And perpetrators will pick them out and prey on them," said Yuen.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC story here
It's official. That bear was a polar-grizzly hybrid.
It's official. That strange bear I blogged about on April 27 is a rare polar-grizzly mix.
From the CBC (Strange bear was grizzly-polar hybrid, tests show, May 10, 2006):
The DNA of a bear shot in the Northwest Territories in April shows it was a hybrid of polar bear and grizzly — perhaps the first ever seen in the wild.
Scientists with the territory's Department of Environment and Natural Resources compared the animal's genetic makeup with samples taken from polar bears in the area and with DNA previously collected from grizzly bears along the coast to the south.
They concluded that the bear shot by Jim Martell was indeed a rare hybrid of the two types of bear. Officials say it could be the first recorded polar-grizzly bear hybrid found in the wild.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
From the CBC (Strange bear was grizzly-polar hybrid, tests show, May 10, 2006):
The DNA of a bear shot in the Northwest Territories in April shows it was a hybrid of polar bear and grizzly — perhaps the first ever seen in the wild.
Scientists with the territory's Department of Environment and Natural Resources compared the animal's genetic makeup with samples taken from polar bears in the area and with DNA previously collected from grizzly bears along the coast to the south.
They concluded that the bear shot by Jim Martell was indeed a rare hybrid of the two types of bear. Officials say it could be the first recorded polar-grizzly bear hybrid found in the wild.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
Toronto Sun: CSIS says terrorist attack 'now probable'
From the Canadian Press via the Toronto Sun (CSIS: Attack here 'probable' by Jim Bronskill, May 10, 2006):
While the threat from al-Qaida remains strongest overseas, a terrorist attack in Canada is "now probable," the head of Canada's spy agency has advised the government.
In his annual report to the public safety minister, Jim Judd says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's priority involved trying to prevent assaults occurring in, or originating from, Canada.
[. . .]
Stephen Rigby, acting national security adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said yesterday the government maintains "a very high degree of vigilance" with respect to al-Qaida.
[. . .]
Rigby said that officials have "no specific evidence" of any plots against Canada at this time.
Read the whole article here
While the threat from al-Qaida remains strongest overseas, a terrorist attack in Canada is "now probable," the head of Canada's spy agency has advised the government.
In his annual report to the public safety minister, Jim Judd says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's priority involved trying to prevent assaults occurring in, or originating from, Canada.
[. . .]
Stephen Rigby, acting national security adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said yesterday the government maintains "a very high degree of vigilance" with respect to al-Qaida.
[. . .]
Rigby said that officials have "no specific evidence" of any plots against Canada at this time.
Read the whole article here
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Is it open season on white teenagers in Toronto?
Everybody seems focused on the fact that Jeffrey Reodica was shot dead by a police officer. No one seems to be too bothered by the fact that the Filipino teenager was part of an armed mob chasing some white boys. Why isn't this mob violence treated as 'racism'? Why does the Star pay more attention to a police shooting the SIU has judged to be justified than it did to the brutal murder of a white teenager, Andrew Stewart, by another non-white mob? Why hasn't the Star focused on the racial dimension of the Cardinal McGuigan school case where a white girl was sexually abused by black students? Why isn't there any concern about hatred directed towards whites? Is it open season on white teenagers in Toronto?
Jeffrey Reodica inquest: Lawyer accuses police of 'racism'
From the Toronto Star (Bruises on teen attract scrutiny by John Goddard, May 9, 2006):
The question of racism as a possible factor in police handling of events arose almost immediately.
Reodica was of Filipino background.
His basketball player friends included other visible minorities.
The intruders on the court and the teens being chased were white, as were the police officers.
"We have a number of concerns about anti-Filipino systemic racism," lawyer Michael Leitold said during a break in the inquest, where he represents the Community Alliance for Social Justice, a Filipino umbrella organization founded in the wake of Reodica's death.
When talking to reporters during breaks in the proceedings, Reodica family lawyer Barry Swadron freely accused the police of racism, indicating he will make it an issue at the inquest.
"All we're asking for is equal justice for the unequal," he told the inquest at one point.
Read the entire Star article here
The question of racism as a possible factor in police handling of events arose almost immediately.
Reodica was of Filipino background.
His basketball player friends included other visible minorities.
The intruders on the court and the teens being chased were white, as were the police officers.
"We have a number of concerns about anti-Filipino systemic racism," lawyer Michael Leitold said during a break in the inquest, where he represents the Community Alliance for Social Justice, a Filipino umbrella organization founded in the wake of Reodica's death.
When talking to reporters during breaks in the proceedings, Reodica family lawyer Barry Swadron freely accused the police of racism, indicating he will make it an issue at the inquest.
"All we're asking for is equal justice for the unequal," he told the inquest at one point.
Read the entire Star article here
Subversive Canadian immigrant rattles neocon establishment
As if all those Mexican invaders weren't bad enough! Now the US has to deal with subversive Canadian interlopers.
From the Toronto Star (Neil Young album irks U.S. conservatives by Vit Wagner, May 9, 2006):
Neil Young's new album Living with War might not trigger the downfall of U.S. president George W. Bush, but it has served to sort out any lingering confusion about the legendary singer's nationality.
A Canadian calling for the impeachment of a U.S. president will tend to do that.
Young, born in Toronto and raised in Winnipeg, is a Canadian. This will not come as news to anyone on this side of the border, where the 60-year-old tunesmith is revered as one of Canada's greatest musical sons.
But the distinction is sometimes lost down south, where — if you believe long-held conventional wisdom — it is assumed that Young, who has lived in the U.S. for 40 years without taking citizenship, is an American.
It's hard to gauge the extent of this misconception. But it's a safe bet that it's less common now than it was before "Let's Impeach the President," the most controversial of the 10 tracks on Living with War, started streaming for free on Young's website a week and a half ago.
The album, which arrives in stores today, has provoked a flood of commentary outside the usual music press circles, much of it focused on whether Young is even entitled to have an opinion about the commander-in-chief.
[. . .]
Read all of Vit Wagner's article here
From the Toronto Star (Neil Young album irks U.S. conservatives by Vit Wagner, May 9, 2006):
Neil Young's new album Living with War might not trigger the downfall of U.S. president George W. Bush, but it has served to sort out any lingering confusion about the legendary singer's nationality.
A Canadian calling for the impeachment of a U.S. president will tend to do that.
Young, born in Toronto and raised in Winnipeg, is a Canadian. This will not come as news to anyone on this side of the border, where the 60-year-old tunesmith is revered as one of Canada's greatest musical sons.
But the distinction is sometimes lost down south, where — if you believe long-held conventional wisdom — it is assumed that Young, who has lived in the U.S. for 40 years without taking citizenship, is an American.
It's hard to gauge the extent of this misconception. But it's a safe bet that it's less common now than it was before "Let's Impeach the President," the most controversial of the 10 tracks on Living with War, started streaming for free on Young's website a week and a half ago.
The album, which arrives in stores today, has provoked a flood of commentary outside the usual music press circles, much of it focused on whether Young is even entitled to have an opinion about the commander-in-chief.
[. . .]
Read all of Vit Wagner's article here
May Day! May Day! Official bilingualism is imperiled!
From the Canadian Press via the Globe and Mail (Languages czar fears for official bilingualism by Alexander Panetta, May 9, 2006):
Canada's Commissioner of Official Languages says she worries about the Conservative government's commitment to official bilingualism.
Dyane Adam said after releasing a report to Parliament on Tuesday that she wants Prime Minister Stephen Harper to clearly demonstrate his support for what she called a core Canadian value.
[. . .]
I love the way federal bureaucrats assume their values are shared by other Canadians. I think the commissioner needs to get out of Ottawa more often. In my part of Toronto, you are more likely to hear Portuguese or Cantonese than French. How exactly do most Canadians benefit from a policy of official bilingualism that effectively discriminates against English Canadians because they have less opportunity and need to study French? How many good people have been denied government jobs because they don't speak a language spoken by less than a quarter of Canadians?
Read the whole article here
Canada's Commissioner of Official Languages says she worries about the Conservative government's commitment to official bilingualism.
Dyane Adam said after releasing a report to Parliament on Tuesday that she wants Prime Minister Stephen Harper to clearly demonstrate his support for what she called a core Canadian value.
[. . .]
I love the way federal bureaucrats assume their values are shared by other Canadians. I think the commissioner needs to get out of Ottawa more often. In my part of Toronto, you are more likely to hear Portuguese or Cantonese than French. How exactly do most Canadians benefit from a policy of official bilingualism that effectively discriminates against English Canadians because they have less opportunity and need to study French? How many good people have been denied government jobs because they don't speak a language spoken by less than a quarter of Canadians?
Read the whole article here
Globe and Mail: Air-India families pushed for special terrorist trials
From the Globe and Mail (Air-India families pushed for special terrorist trials by Gloria Galloway, May 9, 2006):
Families of Air-India victims pushed for the inquiry to have a sweeping mandate, including the controversial request that the commission consider whether terrorism suspects be denied access to jury trials and be tried by three-person panels instead.
Bob Rae, the former premier of Ontario who recommended in his review that an inquiry be conducted, said in his report that some of the families of the 329 victims of the 1985 attack had expressed concerns about conduct of criminal trials in cases of this kind. Only one man has ever been convicted in the case, and he was given a five-year sentence.
"Some have suggested that a panel of three judges would be more appropriate" to try crimes of terrorism, Mr. Rae wrote. He said the concept was worthy of study and discussion but did not suggest that it be explored by an inquiry.
The terms of reference for Mr. Justice John Major's investigation include a review of the Canadian criminal justice system as it applies to terrorism prosecutions. Those terms were drawn by the Privy Council and approved by both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet.
[. . .]
Read all of Gloria Galloway's article here.
Families of Air-India victims pushed for the inquiry to have a sweeping mandate, including the controversial request that the commission consider whether terrorism suspects be denied access to jury trials and be tried by three-person panels instead.
Bob Rae, the former premier of Ontario who recommended in his review that an inquiry be conducted, said in his report that some of the families of the 329 victims of the 1985 attack had expressed concerns about conduct of criminal trials in cases of this kind. Only one man has ever been convicted in the case, and he was given a five-year sentence.
"Some have suggested that a panel of three judges would be more appropriate" to try crimes of terrorism, Mr. Rae wrote. He said the concept was worthy of study and discussion but did not suggest that it be explored by an inquiry.
The terms of reference for Mr. Justice John Major's investigation include a review of the Canadian criminal justice system as it applies to terrorism prosecutions. Those terms were drawn by the Privy Council and approved by both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet.
[. . .]
Read all of Gloria Galloway's article here.
CBC: Foreign student pleads guilty to killing 9-year-old Cecilia Zhang
From the CBC (Student pleads guilty to killing 9-year-old Cecilia Zhang, May 9, 2006):
A young student from Shanghai pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in the death of Cecilia Zhang, who was kidnapped from a bedroom in her Toronto home in October 2003.
Min Chen, then 21, was arrested at his Scarborough home in July 2004 and charged with killing Cecilia after her disappearance created headlines across the country for months.
The girl's remains were found near a Mississauga river on March 27, 2004, three days before she would have turned 10.
On Tuesday morning, an agreed statement of facts was read out in a Brampton courtroom, revealing for the first time that Chen smothered Cecilia to death.
It also revealed the motive for the crime: Chen desperately needed money.
He had planned to ask for ransom and then pay $25,000 to arrange a marriage of convenience so that he could stay in Canada and continue his studies.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
A young student from Shanghai pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in the death of Cecilia Zhang, who was kidnapped from a bedroom in her Toronto home in October 2003.
Min Chen, then 21, was arrested at his Scarborough home in July 2004 and charged with killing Cecilia after her disappearance created headlines across the country for months.
The girl's remains were found near a Mississauga river on March 27, 2004, three days before she would have turned 10.
On Tuesday morning, an agreed statement of facts was read out in a Brampton courtroom, revealing for the first time that Chen smothered Cecilia to death.
It also revealed the motive for the crime: Chen desperately needed money.
He had planned to ask for ransom and then pay $25,000 to arrange a marriage of convenience so that he could stay in Canada and continue his studies.
[. . .]
Read the entire CBC article here
Toronto Star: Terrorists work with gangs
That terrorists work with gangs isn't exactly news, except maybe to the left-wing extremists at No One is Illegal. The links between the Tamil Tigers and Tamil street gangs are well known. This is another reason to reduce immigration levels and take illegal immigration seriously. Our police and security forces are overwhelmed. It's irresponsible to take in so many immigrants when the government doesn't have the resources to protect Canadians from the foreign criminals and terrorists who slip into this country alongside more law-abiding immigrants.
From the Toronto Star (Terrorists work with gangs: RCMP by Bruce Campion-Smith, May 9, 2006):
The Mounties are able to investigate just one-third of the organized crime threats in Canada at the very time that more and more terror groups are using criminal schemes to fund their activities, RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli says.
Zaccardelli told the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence yesterday that organized crime is an "equal threat" to terrorism in Canada.
He cited the presence of motorcycle gangs, Asian gangs as well as street gangs — a big worry in Toronto — which he said have become a "major feeder" system into the other crime groups.
"Our concern, of course, is our ability to tackle them and what are the resources that we have," Zaccardelli said.
At the same time, Zaccardelli said there's growing evidence that unnamed terror groups are using organized crime as a front to fund their activities.
"There is more and more indication that some terrorist groups clearly are getting some of their finances by either directly or indirectly supporting some criminal activity," he said.
"That is a trend that we're watching ... and has the potential to cause us some serious problems."
[. . .]
Read all of Bruce Campion-Smith's article here
From the Toronto Star (Terrorists work with gangs: RCMP by Bruce Campion-Smith, May 9, 2006):
The Mounties are able to investigate just one-third of the organized crime threats in Canada at the very time that more and more terror groups are using criminal schemes to fund their activities, RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli says.
Zaccardelli told the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence yesterday that organized crime is an "equal threat" to terrorism in Canada.
He cited the presence of motorcycle gangs, Asian gangs as well as street gangs — a big worry in Toronto — which he said have become a "major feeder" system into the other crime groups.
"Our concern, of course, is our ability to tackle them and what are the resources that we have," Zaccardelli said.
At the same time, Zaccardelli said there's growing evidence that unnamed terror groups are using organized crime as a front to fund their activities.
"There is more and more indication that some terrorist groups clearly are getting some of their finances by either directly or indirectly supporting some criminal activity," he said.
"That is a trend that we're watching ... and has the potential to cause us some serious problems."
[. . .]
Read all of Bruce Campion-Smith's article here
Monday, May 08, 2006
New York Times: Growing unease for some blacks on immigration
To a large extent contemporary American "liberalism" (in scare quotes because real liberalism is about individual liberty not statism) is based on victim politics. Democrats and other white "liberals" love to present themselves as advocates of people they see as disadvantaged, which is why they are so quick to portray illegal immigrants as downtrodden.
(Of course, American business interests also support illegals, because they love the low wages created by a surplus of low skilled labour. It seems the only ones opposed to illegal immigration are the vast majority of ordinary Americans, but who cares about them, eh?)
However, setting yourself up as the spokesman of every "disadvantaged" group creates problems when the groups you claim to represent have conflicting interests. Black workers have been badly hurt by the illegal immigrants the Democrats support and American blacks in general are worried about losing their influence as Hispanics overtake them as the largest American minority.
From a recent New York Times article (Growing Unease for Some Blacks on Immigration by Rachel L. Swarns, May 4, 2006):
In their demonstrations across the country, some Hispanic immigrants have compared the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s struggle to their own, singing "We Shall Overcome" and declaring a new civil rights movement to win citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
Civil rights stalwarts like the Rev. Jesse Jackson; Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia; Julian Bond and the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery have hailed the recent protests as the natural progression of their movement in the 1960's.
But despite some sympathy for the nation's illegal immigrants, many black professionals, academics and blue-collar workers feel increasingly uneasy as they watch Hispanics flex their political muscle while assuming the mantle of a seminal black struggle for justice.
Some blacks bristle at the comparison between the civil rights movement and the immigrant demonstrations, pointing out that black protesters in the 1960's were American citizens and had endured centuries of enslavement, rapes, lynchings and discrimination before they started marching.
Others worry about the plight of low-skilled black workers, who sometimes compete with immigrants for entry-level jobs.
And some fear the unfinished business of the civil rights movement will fall to the wayside as America turns its attention to a newly energized Hispanic minority with growing political and economic clout.
"All of this has made me start thinking, 'What's going to happen to African-Americans?' " said Brendon L. Laster, 32, a black fund-raiser at Howard University here, who has been watching the marches. "What's going to happen to our unfinished agenda?"
[. . .]
Read the whole New York Times article here
(Of course, American business interests also support illegals, because they love the low wages created by a surplus of low skilled labour. It seems the only ones opposed to illegal immigration are the vast majority of ordinary Americans, but who cares about them, eh?)
However, setting yourself up as the spokesman of every "disadvantaged" group creates problems when the groups you claim to represent have conflicting interests. Black workers have been badly hurt by the illegal immigrants the Democrats support and American blacks in general are worried about losing their influence as Hispanics overtake them as the largest American minority.
From a recent New York Times article (Growing Unease for Some Blacks on Immigration by Rachel L. Swarns, May 4, 2006):
In their demonstrations across the country, some Hispanic immigrants have compared the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s struggle to their own, singing "We Shall Overcome" and declaring a new civil rights movement to win citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
Civil rights stalwarts like the Rev. Jesse Jackson; Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia; Julian Bond and the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery have hailed the recent protests as the natural progression of their movement in the 1960's.
But despite some sympathy for the nation's illegal immigrants, many black professionals, academics and blue-collar workers feel increasingly uneasy as they watch Hispanics flex their political muscle while assuming the mantle of a seminal black struggle for justice.
Some blacks bristle at the comparison between the civil rights movement and the immigrant demonstrations, pointing out that black protesters in the 1960's were American citizens and had endured centuries of enslavement, rapes, lynchings and discrimination before they started marching.
Others worry about the plight of low-skilled black workers, who sometimes compete with immigrants for entry-level jobs.
And some fear the unfinished business of the civil rights movement will fall to the wayside as America turns its attention to a newly energized Hispanic minority with growing political and economic clout.
"All of this has made me start thinking, 'What's going to happen to African-Americans?' " said Brendon L. Laster, 32, a black fund-raiser at Howard University here, who has been watching the marches. "What's going to happen to our unfinished agenda?"
[. . .]
Read the whole New York Times article here
Vancouver Sun: Immigrant labour has its detractors
Below is an excerpt from an article that appeared last month in the Vancouver Sun (Immigrant labour has its detractors by Graham Shaw, April 29, 2006):
The Alamwalas, with their farm Townline Growers, are among an increasing number of employers looking outside our borders to fill jobs going begging here.
It's a strategy espoused by many who say that immigrant workers are needed for jobs that Canadians either won't do, or can't because there are more jobs than workers to fill them.
But it's a strategy that is not without its problems -- from stories of substandard living conditions suffered by immigrant workers, to critics who say employers in some sectors such as construction are reaping the consequences of a labour market where wages stagnated for so long that young people didn't see a future in the field.
"If you want to change the terms of the debate on this whole issue, look at what has happened to wages in construction over the past 20 years," said Mark Thompson, a professor at the University of B.C.'s Sauder School of Business. "You drive wages down, and what happens?
"It is not that counsellors have been telling students not to go into trades -- the word got out -- these students weren't dumb."
Thompson argues that the construction sector now "wants to use immigrants to pick up the pieces" of what he terms was a dismantling of the apprenticeship program that has seen some training cut up into modules instead of the traditional full journeyman programs.
Thompson also has reservations about the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program that allows workers to come to B.C. and other provinces on a temporary basis to fill jobs.
"The farmers I have talked to say they like these guys because they work hard and they are young and strong," he said. "Where do the Canadian workers [fit] in this?
Read all of Graham Shaw's article here
The Alamwalas, with their farm Townline Growers, are among an increasing number of employers looking outside our borders to fill jobs going begging here.
It's a strategy espoused by many who say that immigrant workers are needed for jobs that Canadians either won't do, or can't because there are more jobs than workers to fill them.
But it's a strategy that is not without its problems -- from stories of substandard living conditions suffered by immigrant workers, to critics who say employers in some sectors such as construction are reaping the consequences of a labour market where wages stagnated for so long that young people didn't see a future in the field.
"If you want to change the terms of the debate on this whole issue, look at what has happened to wages in construction over the past 20 years," said Mark Thompson, a professor at the University of B.C.'s Sauder School of Business. "You drive wages down, and what happens?
"It is not that counsellors have been telling students not to go into trades -- the word got out -- these students weren't dumb."
Thompson argues that the construction sector now "wants to use immigrants to pick up the pieces" of what he terms was a dismantling of the apprenticeship program that has seen some training cut up into modules instead of the traditional full journeyman programs.
Thompson also has reservations about the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program that allows workers to come to B.C. and other provinces on a temporary basis to fill jobs.
"The farmers I have talked to say they like these guys because they work hard and they are young and strong," he said. "Where do the Canadian workers [fit] in this?
Read all of Graham Shaw's article here
There they go again. Treating illegal immigrants as victims.
From the Canadian Press via the Toronto Star website (Teens facing deportation plead to finish school, May 8, 2006):
A teenaged brother and sister facing deportation to Costa Rica pleaded with officials Monday to let them stay in Canada to complete their school year.
“There are things (the Canada Border Services Agency) don’t understand,” Kimberly Lizano-Sossa, 15, said as she stood beside her brother Gerald, 14.
“We’re a hard-working family and (we want officials) to look into their hearts and let us stay in this country, achieve our goals.”
Don't they have schools in Costa Rica? Are Ontario taxpayers supposed to pay for the education of every child in the world? Canada has to control its borders. I realize providing for the education of two teenagers won't bankrupt the school system, but allowing them to get away with living here illegally will encourage more foreigners to ignore our immigration laws. How many illegal immigrants are studying in Ontario schools? How much does their free education cost provincial taxpayers? Shouldn't we be using this money to provide services to children who have a right to be in Canada? For example, shouldn't we be using this money to pay for more ESL teachers for the children of legal immigrants? Allowing the teenagers to finish the year would in effect be rewarding the family for defying the order to leave that was issued in February. This family has openly defied Canadian law and now have the nerve to present themselves as victims.
Two Liberal MPs — Andrew Telegdi and Borys Wrzesnewskyj — offered Monday to post a $20,000 bond to help secure the mother’s release and keep the family together until the end of June. The offer was made to the agency in advance of the mother’s detention review hearing Tuesday.
Someone should tell these MPs that they are supposed to represent the interests of Canadians. We have a big enough problem with illegal immigration without politicians encouraging this contempt for the law.
“This crackdown that’s happening on undocumented workers, without a nudge-nudge, wink-wink out of the minister’s office, would not be taking place,” Wrzesnewskyj said.
There is no crackdown. There should be, but there isn't. The so-called crackdown is a myth invented by immigration lawyers who want to win sympathy for their clients. Why does Wrzesnewskyj think it's wrong for immigration officials to enforce the law? What does this MP want? Open borders? Should there be no limit on the number of foreigners who settle in Canada? Canada is having serious trouble absorbing the 250,000 people who come here legally each year. We don't needed the added burden of illegal aliens.
A teenaged brother and sister facing deportation to Costa Rica pleaded with officials Monday to let them stay in Canada to complete their school year.
“There are things (the Canada Border Services Agency) don’t understand,” Kimberly Lizano-Sossa, 15, said as she stood beside her brother Gerald, 14.
“We’re a hard-working family and (we want officials) to look into their hearts and let us stay in this country, achieve our goals.”
Don't they have schools in Costa Rica? Are Ontario taxpayers supposed to pay for the education of every child in the world? Canada has to control its borders. I realize providing for the education of two teenagers won't bankrupt the school system, but allowing them to get away with living here illegally will encourage more foreigners to ignore our immigration laws. How many illegal immigrants are studying in Ontario schools? How much does their free education cost provincial taxpayers? Shouldn't we be using this money to provide services to children who have a right to be in Canada? For example, shouldn't we be using this money to pay for more ESL teachers for the children of legal immigrants? Allowing the teenagers to finish the year would in effect be rewarding the family for defying the order to leave that was issued in February. This family has openly defied Canadian law and now have the nerve to present themselves as victims.
Two Liberal MPs — Andrew Telegdi and Borys Wrzesnewskyj — offered Monday to post a $20,000 bond to help secure the mother’s release and keep the family together until the end of June. The offer was made to the agency in advance of the mother’s detention review hearing Tuesday.
Someone should tell these MPs that they are supposed to represent the interests of Canadians. We have a big enough problem with illegal immigration without politicians encouraging this contempt for the law.
“This crackdown that’s happening on undocumented workers, without a nudge-nudge, wink-wink out of the minister’s office, would not be taking place,” Wrzesnewskyj said.
There is no crackdown. There should be, but there isn't. The so-called crackdown is a myth invented by immigration lawyers who want to win sympathy for their clients. Why does Wrzesnewskyj think it's wrong for immigration officials to enforce the law? What does this MP want? Open borders? Should there be no limit on the number of foreigners who settle in Canada? Canada is having serious trouble absorbing the 250,000 people who come here legally each year. We don't needed the added burden of illegal aliens.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Toronto Sun: Demonstrators protest police shooting
From the Toronto Sun (Answers sought in cop shoot by Tom Godfrey, May 7, 2006):
More than 100 noisy demonstrators marched through the streets of downtown Toronto yesterday demanding answers in the fatal police shooting of Jeffrey Reodica.
A coroner's inquest will begin tomorrow to probe the killing of the 17-year-old, who was shot three times by an undercover officer in Scarborough in May 2004.
[. . .]
Community and youth activist Deb Singh said there's a general mistrust between police and black youth.
[. . .]
Odd. Filipinos don't look black to me and as far as I know, they don't consider themselves black.
More than 100 noisy demonstrators marched through the streets of downtown Toronto yesterday demanding answers in the fatal police shooting of Jeffrey Reodica.
A coroner's inquest will begin tomorrow to probe the killing of the 17-year-old, who was shot three times by an undercover officer in Scarborough in May 2004.
[. . .]
Community and youth activist Deb Singh said there's a general mistrust between police and black youth.
[. . .]
Odd. Filipinos don't look black to me and as far as I know, they don't consider themselves black.
Gun battle at Vancouver rap show
From the Canadian Press via the Toronto Star website (Gun battle erupts at Vancouver rap show, May 7):
A dance-floor brawl early Saturday erupted into gunfire — leaving one man clinging to life in hospital, another suffering from a gunshot wound and pandemonium in a Vancouver venue.
"People were trampled to get out of the way. It was chaos," said promoter Luovens Remy, the 28-year-old behind the show at Richard's on Richards.
The night's bill featured headliner Lord Finesse (Robert Hall Jr.) from New York, the Chillin Villain Empire from Los Angeles and local rappers Fourth World, who were celebrating the release of their new CD.
Remy was backstage when he looked out and saw a commotion.
"I just saw a stampede of people. I heard the shots. Then I just saw this guy on the ground and his buddy standing over him screaming," Remy said.
[. . .]
Regional differences? What regional differences? Vancouver sounds just like Toronto. The country is just one big multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multicultural family. Except for those troublemakers in Quebec of course.
A dance-floor brawl early Saturday erupted into gunfire — leaving one man clinging to life in hospital, another suffering from a gunshot wound and pandemonium in a Vancouver venue.
"People were trampled to get out of the way. It was chaos," said promoter Luovens Remy, the 28-year-old behind the show at Richard's on Richards.
The night's bill featured headliner Lord Finesse (Robert Hall Jr.) from New York, the Chillin Villain Empire from Los Angeles and local rappers Fourth World, who were celebrating the release of their new CD.
Remy was backstage when he looked out and saw a commotion.
"I just saw a stampede of people. I heard the shots. Then I just saw this guy on the ground and his buddy standing over him screaming," Remy said.
[. . .]
Regional differences? What regional differences? Vancouver sounds just like Toronto. The country is just one big multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multicultural family. Except for those troublemakers in Quebec of course.
Peter Worthington: Mixed feelings about Canadian War Museum
On April 24 I linked to a Peter Worthington column (WWII plaque an obscene summation, April 22) about a controversy at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Veterans were upset over the way a plaque depicted the World War II Bomber Command. Worthington, himself a World War II and Korean War veteran, wrote:
F.E. Jeffery, president of the Halifax Aircraft Association, who as a Halifax bomber pilot won a Distinguished Flying Cross, calls the plaque "an outrageous denigration of those who served in Bomber Command."
He says the wording of the plaque "leaves the impression that Allied bomber air crew and their commanders were little better than war criminals, intent on killing and demolishing German homes, leaving the population homeless."
Worthington has another column about the museum in today's Sunday Sun. (No feeling in war's portrayal, May 7, 2006). Noting he has written several columns reflecting the concerns of vets who had visited the museum, he writes:
This week I visited the war museum to see for myself, avoiding anything suggesting a guided tour.
[. . .]
My feelings are mixed.
[. . .]
As for the Bomber Command insult, it's still there but not noticeable unless you read all the bumf displayed. It's still an outrageous assessment -- echoing the theme of the CBC's appalling The Valour and the Horror slander a dozen years ago which now apparently is cinema verite.
[. . .]
The museum is excellent in a superficial way. It doesn't go into details, and individual regiments tend to be ignored. The soldiers are generic -- very little feel of what the war, any war, was like.
There's a flavour of political correctness throughout.
[. . .]
Again, the internment of Japanese Canadians in WWII gets more prominent play than the horrors the Japanese inflicted on our Hong Kong soldiers.
[. . .]
There seems political correctness in displaying the WWI medals of Filip Konowal, described as "the only Ukrainian" to win the VC.
[. . .]
In short, every vet who expects to see his corner of any war gets short-changed in the war museum. Instead it's a concise summary of every war - the Iroquois siege of Quebec, the Plains of Abraham, War of 1812, through to the present, all in half an hour if you hurry.
Still, the CWM is a valuable addition to our culture, even though it could have benefited if some of their advisers had a military background and had experienced war.
[. . .]
F.E. Jeffery, president of the Halifax Aircraft Association, who as a Halifax bomber pilot won a Distinguished Flying Cross, calls the plaque "an outrageous denigration of those who served in Bomber Command."
He says the wording of the plaque "leaves the impression that Allied bomber air crew and their commanders were little better than war criminals, intent on killing and demolishing German homes, leaving the population homeless."
Worthington has another column about the museum in today's Sunday Sun. (No feeling in war's portrayal, May 7, 2006). Noting he has written several columns reflecting the concerns of vets who had visited the museum, he writes:
This week I visited the war museum to see for myself, avoiding anything suggesting a guided tour.
[. . .]
My feelings are mixed.
[. . .]
As for the Bomber Command insult, it's still there but not noticeable unless you read all the bumf displayed. It's still an outrageous assessment -- echoing the theme of the CBC's appalling The Valour and the Horror slander a dozen years ago which now apparently is cinema verite.
[. . .]
The museum is excellent in a superficial way. It doesn't go into details, and individual regiments tend to be ignored. The soldiers are generic -- very little feel of what the war, any war, was like.
There's a flavour of political correctness throughout.
[. . .]
Again, the internment of Japanese Canadians in WWII gets more prominent play than the horrors the Japanese inflicted on our Hong Kong soldiers.
[. . .]
There seems political correctness in displaying the WWI medals of Filip Konowal, described as "the only Ukrainian" to win the VC.
[. . .]
In short, every vet who expects to see his corner of any war gets short-changed in the war museum. Instead it's a concise summary of every war - the Iroquois siege of Quebec, the Plains of Abraham, War of 1812, through to the present, all in half an hour if you hurry.
Still, the CWM is a valuable addition to our culture, even though it could have benefited if some of their advisers had a military background and had experienced war.
[. . .]
Saturday, May 06, 2006
More racial tension: 2004 shooting created rift between Toronto police and Filipinos
From the Toronto Star (Why did Jeffrey die? by Isabel Teotonio and Jim Rankin, May 06, 2006):
Two years on, it is hard to picture what went down in this suburban Scarborough neighbourhood the afternoon of May 21, 2004, when two groups of boys — one group mostly brown, the other white — set out to settle a score over hurtful words and missing teeth, and ended with 17-year-old Jeffrey lying on a lawn, mortally wounded by police bullets.
[ . . .]
The next day after school, as students shuffled out of Jean Vanier eager to start the long weekend, Jeffrey and a group of friends made their way to the front of the school.
The plan was simple: Meet at 3 p.m., head to the basketball court behind St. Rose of Lima and, well, the details of what would ensue are a bit fuzzy. All they knew for certain was that they planned to get back at the white kids who had beaten up Mark and his cousin the day before.
Mark led the vanguard of about 15 teens — some Filipino, some Italian, some Asian, by no means the homogenous Filipino group some media and even the SIU, would later report — to the subway station, railing about how those racists needed to be stopped.
Mark would later say in his videotaped interview that while he had planned to take on the white guys, "Jeff was only there to see the fights." He also said none of the teens he was with had a "weapon in their hands."
A news release by the SIU painted a somewhat different story. It noted that up to "19 Filipino youths" made their way to the basketball court, "armed with baseball bats and extendible batons."
[. . .]
Read the whole article here
I don't know what happened two years ago in Scarborough. I wasn't there. But it's obvious from the story that there are racial tensions in Scarborough. Just as there are in East York (See here, here and here). Immigration is turning Toronto into a racial tinderbox and all our leaders can do is prattle on mindlessly about the joys of multiculturalism and diversity. The inmates are running the asylum and the rest of us are paying the price of their stupidity.
Two years on, it is hard to picture what went down in this suburban Scarborough neighbourhood the afternoon of May 21, 2004, when two groups of boys — one group mostly brown, the other white — set out to settle a score over hurtful words and missing teeth, and ended with 17-year-old Jeffrey lying on a lawn, mortally wounded by police bullets.
[ . . .]
The next day after school, as students shuffled out of Jean Vanier eager to start the long weekend, Jeffrey and a group of friends made their way to the front of the school.
The plan was simple: Meet at 3 p.m., head to the basketball court behind St. Rose of Lima and, well, the details of what would ensue are a bit fuzzy. All they knew for certain was that they planned to get back at the white kids who had beaten up Mark and his cousin the day before.
Mark led the vanguard of about 15 teens — some Filipino, some Italian, some Asian, by no means the homogenous Filipino group some media and even the SIU, would later report — to the subway station, railing about how those racists needed to be stopped.
Mark would later say in his videotaped interview that while he had planned to take on the white guys, "Jeff was only there to see the fights." He also said none of the teens he was with had a "weapon in their hands."
A news release by the SIU painted a somewhat different story. It noted that up to "19 Filipino youths" made their way to the basketball court, "armed with baseball bats and extendible batons."
[. . .]
Read the whole article here
I don't know what happened two years ago in Scarborough. I wasn't there. But it's obvious from the story that there are racial tensions in Scarborough. Just as there are in East York (See here, here and here). Immigration is turning Toronto into a racial tinderbox and all our leaders can do is prattle on mindlessly about the joys of multiculturalism and diversity. The inmates are running the asylum and the rest of us are paying the price of their stupidity.
Should Quebec send its own representatives to UNESCO meetings?
From a National Post editorial (One country, two voices?, May 6, 2006)
Stephen Harper has made the strengthening of support for federalism in Quebec a priority. Along the way, the Prime Minister has also recognized that, to win a majority government in the next election, he needs to win favour with as many of that province's voters as possible. But one of the ways in which he is trying to achieve both goals is not worth the price Canada will have to pay.
Allowing representatives of the Quebec government to sit alongside federal ones at international meetings -- notably those of UNESCO, the United Nations education and culture agency -- was a bad idea back when Paul Martin's Liberal government flirted with it. The idea is equally bad now that the Conservatives are actually delivering on it.
Yesterday, Mr. Harper and Quebec Premier Jean Charest announced a deal that will give Quebec an official representative at Canada's UNESCO office in Paris. Naturally, Mr. Charest was delighted, hailing it as "the most beautiful victory in the history of Quebec diplomacy." But Mr. Harper's declaration that "this accord is beneficial to Quebec ... and to Canada" rang hollow.
[. . .]
Read the whole Post editorial here
Stephen Harper has made the strengthening of support for federalism in Quebec a priority. Along the way, the Prime Minister has also recognized that, to win a majority government in the next election, he needs to win favour with as many of that province's voters as possible. But one of the ways in which he is trying to achieve both goals is not worth the price Canada will have to pay.
Allowing representatives of the Quebec government to sit alongside federal ones at international meetings -- notably those of UNESCO, the United Nations education and culture agency -- was a bad idea back when Paul Martin's Liberal government flirted with it. The idea is equally bad now that the Conservatives are actually delivering on it.
Yesterday, Mr. Harper and Quebec Premier Jean Charest announced a deal that will give Quebec an official representative at Canada's UNESCO office in Paris. Naturally, Mr. Charest was delighted, hailing it as "the most beautiful victory in the history of Quebec diplomacy." But Mr. Harper's declaration that "this accord is beneficial to Quebec ... and to Canada" rang hollow.
[. . .]
Read the whole Post editorial here
Friday, May 05, 2006
Project USA: Business models never predict race wars
Below is something else to think about when people use economic arguments to justify high levels of immigration, both legal and illegal. Project USA, of course, is commenting on the recent mass demonstrations by illegal immigrants in the United States who want to intimidate US lawmakers into abandoning proposals to reform American immigration. While the situation in Canada is somewhat different because we don't share a border with Mexico, we are developing a non-white underclass in Toronto and elsewhere.
From a Project USA editorial ( Business models never predict race wars):
Though the immigration issue is extremely complex and hugely consequential, until recently it has largely been left up to business to devise it. The decisions our nation makes regarding immigration involve factors at the very heart of our political being—the nitty-gritty of the human condition—but Congress eagerly jumped to obey Alan Greenspan when he called for more immigration in order to keep the housing market robust, and, backing him up, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal stood ready to destroy as a racist and a xenophobe any member of Congress who offered dissent.
What has business given us?
The racialized mass demonstrations occurring across the nation over the past few weeks were sparked, instructively, by nothing more than a reasonable and tentative attempt simply to begin reasserting control over our own immigration policy.
What are the implications for the future that hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens have united racially against the passage of a race-neutral law that almost apologetically tries to strengthen laws already on the books—laws that require these very illegals leave the country.
Hell no, we're not going anywhere, say these foreign nationals, and all across Latin America their fellow citizens are standing with them, demonstrating against the gringos. What are the political implications of that, you have to wonder.
What are the political implications of reports of a surge in illegal entries at the southern border as others rush north apparently in racial solidarity with the marchers.
Read the whole article here
From a Project USA editorial ( Business models never predict race wars):
Though the immigration issue is extremely complex and hugely consequential, until recently it has largely been left up to business to devise it. The decisions our nation makes regarding immigration involve factors at the very heart of our political being—the nitty-gritty of the human condition—but Congress eagerly jumped to obey Alan Greenspan when he called for more immigration in order to keep the housing market robust, and, backing him up, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal stood ready to destroy as a racist and a xenophobe any member of Congress who offered dissent.
What has business given us?
The racialized mass demonstrations occurring across the nation over the past few weeks were sparked, instructively, by nothing more than a reasonable and tentative attempt simply to begin reasserting control over our own immigration policy.
What are the implications for the future that hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens have united racially against the passage of a race-neutral law that almost apologetically tries to strengthen laws already on the books—laws that require these very illegals leave the country.
Hell no, we're not going anywhere, say these foreign nationals, and all across Latin America their fellow citizens are standing with them, demonstrating against the gringos. What are the political implications of that, you have to wonder.
What are the political implications of reports of a surge in illegal entries at the southern border as others rush north apparently in racial solidarity with the marchers.
Read the whole article here
CBC: Illegal immigrant who let her 2 children die alone will be deported to Japan
From the CBC (Calgary woman who abandoned 2 children to be deported, May 4, 2006):
A woman in Calgary who left her children alone to die in her apartment while she partied will be deported to her native Japan.
[. . .]
Fujii was in Calgary on an expired student visa when she left the kids alone in her apartment in May 2000.
When she returned, she wrapped the body of her 15-month-old son, Domenic Brown, in a blanket and left it in the apartment.
She placed the body of her three-month-old daughter, Gemini, in a plastic bag and put it in a dumpster. The body has never been found.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article here
A woman in Calgary who left her children alone to die in her apartment while she partied will be deported to her native Japan.
[. . .]
Fujii was in Calgary on an expired student visa when she left the kids alone in her apartment in May 2000.
When she returned, she wrapped the body of her 15-month-old son, Domenic Brown, in a blanket and left it in the apartment.
She placed the body of her three-month-old daughter, Gemini, in a plastic bag and put it in a dumpster. The body has never been found.
[. . .]
Read the whole CBC article here
CBC: Veteran Toronto officer calls for public inquiry into police corruption
From the CBC (Toronto police force needs cleanup: veteran officer, May 5, 2006):
A veteran Toronto police officer says he supports a call by defence lawyers for a public inquiry into the Toronto police force because the force is rife with systemic corruption.
In an interview with CBC Radio News and the Toronto Sun, Sgt. Jim Cassells said police brass have covered up, refused to investigate or buried cases of alleged police brutality, public complaints and internal corruption for years.
"I'm an experienced person, I've got 30 years on the job, and I've seen some fiddle faddle go on."
Cassells, a police officer for the past 29 years and a key investigator on an RCMP-led special task force into the city drug squad, was charged with one count of misconduct last month under the Police Services Act after he talked to a Toronto Star reporter.
Cassells said he has watched police supervisors turn a blind eye to many cases involving officers. Known for being outspoken, Cassells has had the tough job of investigating other officers and said he felt it was time to speak out even though he knows he risks losing his job.
[. . .]
Read the rest of the CBC story here
Read Toronto Sun articles about Cassells here and here
A veteran Toronto police officer says he supports a call by defence lawyers for a public inquiry into the Toronto police force because the force is rife with systemic corruption.
In an interview with CBC Radio News and the Toronto Sun, Sgt. Jim Cassells said police brass have covered up, refused to investigate or buried cases of alleged police brutality, public complaints and internal corruption for years.
"I'm an experienced person, I've got 30 years on the job, and I've seen some fiddle faddle go on."
Cassells, a police officer for the past 29 years and a key investigator on an RCMP-led special task force into the city drug squad, was charged with one count of misconduct last month under the Police Services Act after he talked to a Toronto Star reporter.
Cassells said he has watched police supervisors turn a blind eye to many cases involving officers. Known for being outspoken, Cassells has had the tough job of investigating other officers and said he felt it was time to speak out even though he knows he risks losing his job.
[. . .]
Read the rest of the CBC story here
Read Toronto Sun articles about Cassells here and here
Protests in Manila over vital Montreal school spoon-fork issue
Was this what Marshall McLuhan had in mind when he said we live in a global village?
From the Philippines-based Sun.Star Network Online (Protesters accused Canadian school of discriminating Filipino boy (sic), May 5, 2006):
MANILA -- Left-wing Philippine protesters picketed the Canadian embassy Friday in support of a Filipino boy who was allegedly scolded by school officials in Montreal for using a spoon -- instead of a knife -- during meals.
About a dozen members of Akbayan, a small left-wing political party, held up placards that read, "Respect cultural diversity" and "We eat with spoons and are proud of it."
Some of the placards were pasted on large posters of a spoon and a fork mounted on plastic foam.
The protesters urged the Canadian government to immediately reprimand officials of a Roxboro town school in Montreal and to hold them liable for "discriminatory practices."
[. . .]
From the Philippines-based Sun.Star Network Online (Protesters accused Canadian school of discriminating Filipino boy (sic), May 5, 2006):
MANILA -- Left-wing Philippine protesters picketed the Canadian embassy Friday in support of a Filipino boy who was allegedly scolded by school officials in Montreal for using a spoon -- instead of a knife -- during meals.
About a dozen members of Akbayan, a small left-wing political party, held up placards that read, "Respect cultural diversity" and "We eat with spoons and are proud of it."
Some of the placards were pasted on large posters of a spoon and a fork mounted on plastic foam.
The protesters urged the Canadian government to immediately reprimand officials of a Roxboro town school in Montreal and to hold them liable for "discriminatory practices."
[. . .]
Ambassador defends Filipino boy against dastardly Montreal school board officials
There is a strange story in today's Toronto Star. But then again, isn't there always? A school board in the Montreal-area is having a dispute with the parents of one of its pupils, a 7-year-old boy by the name of Luc Cagadoc. Luc's school has disciplined the boy because of how he eats at the lunch table. The school board says he is being punished for disruptive behaviour, but the parents claim he is being discriminated against because of his Filipino culture. This being Canada, where nothing is too trivial to be considered a violation of someone's rights, the family plans to lodge a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission. Now the Phillipines ambassador to Canada has seen fit to weigh in, citing Canadian multiculturalism to defend the little boy's way of eating.
From the Star story (Food fight angers Filipinos by Sean Gordon, May 5, 2006):
It all began as a lunchroom dispute over a grade 2 student's table manners, but has now escalated into an international cause célèbre with Filipino authorities accusing a Montreal school board of insulting their country's culture.
The case of 7-year-old Luc Cagadoc has become front-page news in his parents' native Philippines and a Quebec-based rights group says it will haul a suburban Montreal school before the provincial human rights commission after it repeatedly disciplined the slight, bespectacled boy because he allegedly "eats like a pig."
The Philippines' ambassador to Canada issued a statement of support for Cagadoc's family and Montreal's Filipino community, which he said was rightly offended by the school's reaction to the way the boy eats using a fork and spoon.
"The embassy considers the alleged incident an affront to Filipino culture," Ambassador Jose Brillantes wrote. "To assert one's accepted eating practices, which after all are most proper and which have become part of one's cultural identity is, in fact, encouraged under the Canadian immigration policy on creating a Canadian mosaic rather than a melting pot."
[. . .]
Great. Just what Canada needs. The ambassador of a foreign country telling our immigrants they have a right to resist assimilation.
Read the whole Star story here
From the Star story (Food fight angers Filipinos by Sean Gordon, May 5, 2006):
It all began as a lunchroom dispute over a grade 2 student's table manners, but has now escalated into an international cause célèbre with Filipino authorities accusing a Montreal school board of insulting their country's culture.
The case of 7-year-old Luc Cagadoc has become front-page news in his parents' native Philippines and a Quebec-based rights group says it will haul a suburban Montreal school before the provincial human rights commission after it repeatedly disciplined the slight, bespectacled boy because he allegedly "eats like a pig."
The Philippines' ambassador to Canada issued a statement of support for Cagadoc's family and Montreal's Filipino community, which he said was rightly offended by the school's reaction to the way the boy eats using a fork and spoon.
"The embassy considers the alleged incident an affront to Filipino culture," Ambassador Jose Brillantes wrote. "To assert one's accepted eating practices, which after all are most proper and which have become part of one's cultural identity is, in fact, encouraged under the Canadian immigration policy on creating a Canadian mosaic rather than a melting pot."
[. . .]
Great. Just what Canada needs. The ambassador of a foreign country telling our immigrants they have a right to resist assimilation.
Read the whole Star story here
National Post: Canada's homegrown Islamic extremists
From the National Post (Terrorism's 'new guard' by Stewart Bell and Adrian Humphreys, May 4, 2006):
Secret Canadian intelligence documents written in the aftermath of last summer's suicide bombings in London warn that Canada has its own cadre of "homegrown" Islamic extremists.
Just as the four bombers who killed 52 commuters last July 7 were British, Canada is home to militants who are angry about the "oppression" of Muslims and support terrorism, the reports say.
"The attacks in London highlight the threat of 'homegrown' extremism. Canada is home to Islamic extremists, both homegrown and immigrant," says one of the reports by the Integrated Threat Assessment Centre (ITAC).
"A small number of extremists in Canada advocate violent jihad in pursuit of their political and religious aims. The reasons for radicalization are varied, and include a general sense of anger at what is seen as oppression of Muslims throughout the world [and] parental influence."
The reports are part of a flurry of intelligence documents circulated by Ottawa in the weeks after the London bombings. Declassified versions were obtained by the National Post under the Access to Information Act.
[. . .]
The documents also support recent claims by U.S. counterterrorism officials that extremists are operating inside Canada's borders. The presence of Islamic terrorists in Canada was noted two weeks ago, when the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrests of two Georgia youths.
Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, 19, and Syed Haris Ahmed, 21, are accused of travelling to Canada last March for "terrorism-related planning and co-ordination" with local radicals.
The FBI says while in Toronto they discussed terrorist training and plots to bomb U.S. military facilities and oil refineries.
[. . .]
Read the whole article here
Secret Canadian intelligence documents written in the aftermath of last summer's suicide bombings in London warn that Canada has its own cadre of "homegrown" Islamic extremists.
Just as the four bombers who killed 52 commuters last July 7 were British, Canada is home to militants who are angry about the "oppression" of Muslims and support terrorism, the reports say.
"The attacks in London highlight the threat of 'homegrown' extremism. Canada is home to Islamic extremists, both homegrown and immigrant," says one of the reports by the Integrated Threat Assessment Centre (ITAC).
"A small number of extremists in Canada advocate violent jihad in pursuit of their political and religious aims. The reasons for radicalization are varied, and include a general sense of anger at what is seen as oppression of Muslims throughout the world [and] parental influence."
The reports are part of a flurry of intelligence documents circulated by Ottawa in the weeks after the London bombings. Declassified versions were obtained by the National Post under the Access to Information Act.
[. . .]
The documents also support recent claims by U.S. counterterrorism officials that extremists are operating inside Canada's borders. The presence of Islamic terrorists in Canada was noted two weeks ago, when the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrests of two Georgia youths.
Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, 19, and Syed Haris Ahmed, 21, are accused of travelling to Canada last March for "terrorism-related planning and co-ordination" with local radicals.
The FBI says while in Toronto they discussed terrorist training and plots to bomb U.S. military facilities and oil refineries.
[. . .]
Read the whole article here
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Did you come here looking for grolar and pizzly bears?
I see people are visiting the blog because I posted an item about a bear that might be a rare polar-grizzly mix. If you want to read about the bear, you can find the CBC story here
Immigration-fueled growth is changing small Ontario towns forever
One hundred thousand new immigrants pour into the Greater Toronto Area annually. That adds up to a million people a decade. The region is expanding and swallowing up small communities. Sometimes people in these towns and villages try to resist the unwelcome changes, but as long as Canada continues accepting roughly 250,000 new immigrants a year, the small communities are destined to lose the fight to defend their unique characteristics.
Immigration decisions are made by the federal government in Ottawa (in many cases with input from provincial governments), but the effects are being felt in places like Port Perry, Ontario. Did anyone bother to ask the local citizens if they wanted to see their town transformed beyond recognition? And do those citizens see the connection between immigration and the changes they are fighting? It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't, because the media doesn't always connect the dots.
From the Toronto Star (Big-box showdown in Port Perry by David Bruser, May 2, 2006):
If you drove here last fall to take in the quaint main street near Lake Scugog, to see why the film Welcome to Mooseport chose this setting, you could have unknowingly helped developers make a case to build a big-box store in town.
That's the fear of some local citizens who oppose the development and question the methods used by a market analyst to justify it to town officials.
Of particular concern for resident Doug Brown and others is a licence plate survey done by Tate Economic Research Inc., a Toronto firm that recently presented its findings to an emotionally charged public meeting.
The point of the survey is to find out from where people are travelling to shop and, in this case, to help a developer determine if there are enough potential customers to justify a new, large store. Tate's president, James Tate, defends its usefulness, saying it's one of only several tools he used to generate his report favouring the 125,000-square-foot department store and other retail projects.
But in the fast-developing Greater Toronto Area, where box stores are transforming communities like Milton into nascent retail hubs, the survey also offers a view into how main street defenders, politicians and developers sweat the minutiae and stake positions in the controversial arena of big-box development.
[. . .]
Read the rest of David Bruser's article here
Immigration decisions are made by the federal government in Ottawa (in many cases with input from provincial governments), but the effects are being felt in places like Port Perry, Ontario. Did anyone bother to ask the local citizens if they wanted to see their town transformed beyond recognition? And do those citizens see the connection between immigration and the changes they are fighting? It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't, because the media doesn't always connect the dots.
From the Toronto Star (Big-box showdown in Port Perry by David Bruser, May 2, 2006):
If you drove here last fall to take in the quaint main street near Lake Scugog, to see why the film Welcome to Mooseport chose this setting, you could have unknowingly helped developers make a case to build a big-box store in town.
That's the fear of some local citizens who oppose the development and question the methods used by a market analyst to justify it to town officials.
Of particular concern for resident Doug Brown and others is a licence plate survey done by Tate Economic Research Inc., a Toronto firm that recently presented its findings to an emotionally charged public meeting.
The point of the survey is to find out from where people are travelling to shop and, in this case, to help a developer determine if there are enough potential customers to justify a new, large store. Tate's president, James Tate, defends its usefulness, saying it's one of only several tools he used to generate his report favouring the 125,000-square-foot department store and other retail projects.
But in the fast-developing Greater Toronto Area, where box stores are transforming communities like Milton into nascent retail hubs, the survey also offers a view into how main street defenders, politicians and developers sweat the minutiae and stake positions in the controversial arena of big-box development.
[. . .]
Read the rest of David Bruser's article here
42 per cent of Canadian adults are semi-literate - is immigration a factor?
From the Toronto Star (42 per cent of adults semi-literate by Louise Brown and Daniel Girard, May 4, 2006):
Canada is "falling short" in its commitment to the lifelong learning that should thrive from nursery to nursing home, says Paul Cappon, the head of Canadian Council on Learning.
The new federal body is poised to release Canada's first index of learning this month, which will show how the broad scope of education, from graduation rates to reading habits, stack up inside Canada and abroad — and how they shape the way we live, from voting to volunteering, from earnings to the state of our health.
But the Council on Learning says the index, to be reported in Ottawa on May 15, will show that Canada suffers "woeful" levels of adult literacy — 42 per cent are semi-literate, Cappon says — and poor levels of on-the-job training, with only 35 per cent of workers offered job-related courses every year.
[. . .]
Read the rest here.
I find this interesting. The media and business interests constantly tell us we need immigrants, both legal and illegal, because there is a skills shortage. Every time I hear someone make that claim, I ask myself, what are businesses doing to train Canadians? Are companies making full use of the talents and skills of our own people or do they simply find it cheaper to hire foreigners, including those who have no legal right to be here?
I also wonder whether bad immigration policies account, at least in part, for the the high level of semi-literacy that is being reported? It can't help to have so many immigrants who don't speak English well, if at all. And it can't help Canadian-born students that so much money is being spent on teaching immigrant children English as a second language. See the Toronto Star's 2004 series Class Struggles: Public Education and the New Canadian
Canada is "falling short" in its commitment to the lifelong learning that should thrive from nursery to nursing home, says Paul Cappon, the head of Canadian Council on Learning.
The new federal body is poised to release Canada's first index of learning this month, which will show how the broad scope of education, from graduation rates to reading habits, stack up inside Canada and abroad — and how they shape the way we live, from voting to volunteering, from earnings to the state of our health.
But the Council on Learning says the index, to be reported in Ottawa on May 15, will show that Canada suffers "woeful" levels of adult literacy — 42 per cent are semi-literate, Cappon says — and poor levels of on-the-job training, with only 35 per cent of workers offered job-related courses every year.
[. . .]
Read the rest here.
I find this interesting. The media and business interests constantly tell us we need immigrants, both legal and illegal, because there is a skills shortage. Every time I hear someone make that claim, I ask myself, what are businesses doing to train Canadians? Are companies making full use of the talents and skills of our own people or do they simply find it cheaper to hire foreigners, including those who have no legal right to be here?
I also wonder whether bad immigration policies account, at least in part, for the the high level of semi-literacy that is being reported? It can't help to have so many immigrants who don't speak English well, if at all. And it can't help Canadian-born students that so much money is being spent on teaching immigrant children English as a second language. See the Toronto Star's 2004 series Class Struggles: Public Education and the New Canadian
Harper Conservatives will toughen sentences
From the CBC (Crime crackdown focus of 2 new Tory bills in Ottawa, May 04, 2006):
The Conservative government is expected to table two bills in Ottawa on Thursday, designed to toughen Canada's justice system.
One bill will introduce mandatory minimum sentences for some serious crimes. The other will seek to eliminate conditional sentencing for serious and violent offences.
Justice Minister Vic Toews said the tougher crime measures are aimed at cracking down on violent, dangerous and repeat offenders.
[. . .]
During last winter's federal election, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper promised to "completely overhaul" the criminal justice system by beefing up police forces across the country and by toughening up the sentences served by criminals.
Critics of the new bills say they may hurt rehabilitation efforts for some criminals.
[. . .]
Read the rest of the CBC article here
The Conservative government is expected to table two bills in Ottawa on Thursday, designed to toughen Canada's justice system.
One bill will introduce mandatory minimum sentences for some serious crimes. The other will seek to eliminate conditional sentencing for serious and violent offences.
Justice Minister Vic Toews said the tougher crime measures are aimed at cracking down on violent, dangerous and repeat offenders.
[. . .]
During last winter's federal election, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper promised to "completely overhaul" the criminal justice system by beefing up police forces across the country and by toughening up the sentences served by criminals.
Critics of the new bills say they may hurt rehabilitation efforts for some criminals.
[. . .]
Read the rest of the CBC article here
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Some background on Mahmoud Jaballah
Some background information on Mahmoud Jaballah from an old Now Magazine article (Guilty until proven innocent by Enzo di Matteo, September 29, 2002):
. . . Mahmoud Jaballah entered Canada in May 1996. A circuitous route took him from his native Egypt to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, stopping in Yemen, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Turkey and Germany. He filed for refugee status, claiming that he had been subjected to persecution by Egyptian authorities.
Jaballah told the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) that he was involved in anti-government activities while studying at Zagazig University in the 1980s. According to court documents, he was arrested and released seven times over a 10-year period, including after the 1981 assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat.
Jaballah also indicated in his refugee claim that he worked as a teacher and principal in Pakistan between 1991 and 1994 at a school for orphans run by the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), a group described by the government as suspected of links to bin Laden and "involved in fraudulent activities."
The IIRO is also suspected by law- enforcement authorities of having links to Al Zawaheri, head of Al-Jihad, a group that court documents allege "employs terrorism as part of a wider campaign to root out Western secular influences and create an Islamic state in Egypt by overthrowing the current government."
[. . .]
. . . Mahmoud Jaballah entered Canada in May 1996. A circuitous route took him from his native Egypt to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, stopping in Yemen, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Turkey and Germany. He filed for refugee status, claiming that he had been subjected to persecution by Egyptian authorities.
Jaballah told the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) that he was involved in anti-government activities while studying at Zagazig University in the 1980s. According to court documents, he was arrested and released seven times over a 10-year period, including after the 1981 assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat.
Jaballah also indicated in his refugee claim that he worked as a teacher and principal in Pakistan between 1991 and 1994 at a school for orphans run by the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), a group described by the government as suspected of links to bin Laden and "involved in fraudulent activities."
The IIRO is also suspected by law- enforcement authorities of having links to Al Zawaheri, head of Al-Jihad, a group that court documents allege "employs terrorism as part of a wider campaign to root out Western secular influences and create an Islamic state in Egypt by overthrowing the current government."
[. . .]