Award ceremony recognizes top Canadian immigrants

Updated: Tue May. 26 2009, ctvbc.ca

The first annual Top 25 Canadian Immigrants award ceremony was held Monday in Vancouver, recognizing some of the most noteworthy new Canadians.
The awards are the brainchild of Nick Noorani, publisher of Canadian Immigrant Magazine.
"We've got people from Africa, Brazil, Romania, all across the world," Noorani said. "And we didn't choose them - Canada did."
Nominations opened in November 2008, and the magazine received about 350 candidates. A panel of judges then shortlisted 75 of the nominees, and the online public voted for the winners.
More than 10,000 Canadians participated in the vote. more at: http://www.canadianimmigrant.ca/top25

Not All Struggles Are Equal ~~ Learning to Live with Racism

Quotable quote: “I feel positive about living in Canada because you have to be very, very smart. You have to think above society. It’s very tough, but if you like something, you can achieve it. You make your mind up. There is a great
deal of good opportunity in Canada if you are smart, sensible. I mean, some people make such fools of themselves. It’s too bad because the opportunity is in Canada – schooling, education, good jobs.” (P. 48), in Chapter Three: 'After Immigration: Identity and Culture Shock' by Francis Henry: The Caribbean Diaspora in Toronto,University of Toronto Press (1994).

What the Book News' reviewer says about this book: "This ethnographic study examines the immigration process, culture shock, racism, religion, coping mechanisms and many other aspects of life for Toronto's Caribbean immigrants, and is strengthened by case studies and interviews." Read more from this book World Literature in English, 1998

Becoming Canadian: Combating immigration fraud

"Minister Kenney launches video warning potential immigrants about the dangers of unscrupulous immigration consultants ~~ Ottawa, March 10, 2009 — Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney today addressed the issue of immigration fraud before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and launched a video warning against the dangers of unscrupulous immigration representatives offering immigration services..." continue reading

Extract from the Video transcript: "Canada is the destination of choice for a quarter of a million people each year seeking a new home. They’re attracted by the prize of Canadian citizenship; a strong democracy and a stable government. Our immigration system is fair – by law — to each and every newcomer.
Unfortunately, some newcomers are victims of scams – duped by immigration fraud artists. Irma Luque, Ricardo Miranda and their son Christian left Chile a dozen years ago for a new life in Canada. They now live in Toronto as permanent residents, but achieving that status was very hard. They put their faith in a Canadian Consultant who offered them work and visas. This consultant charged the family five thousand dollars U.S, and kept them waiting for years – yet he delivered no results...."

Continue reading the transcript for “Becoming Canadian: Combating immigration fraud” Watch the video length: 2:30 minutes / or click here

All's well in the kingdom of Canada

Haroon Siddiqui @ Toronto Star, Mar 08, 2009

"In the five years since it was established by some students at the University of Toronto, Israeli Apartheid Week has spread to 40 cities around the world, according to its organizers."

Bottomline: "I found the officials at all three universities to be reasonable, even-handed and calm in the face of provocation and pressure.

Contrary to all the claims and counter-claims, at times repeated by gullible media, all is reasonably well in the kingdom of Canada."

Kenney dubbed: Minister for curry in a hurry....

Ontario Tories urged to court new Canadians

MARIA BABBAGE
The Canadian Press
February 21, 2009: globeandmail.com

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said he's been dubbed “minister for curry in a hurry” by some of his colleagues because he's spent so much time courting new Canadians, a move that he urged his Ontario cousins to follow.
In a speech Saturday to Ontario Progressive Conservatives, Mr. Kenney said he got the moniker after spending so many weekends meeting the “remarkable diversity” of new Canadians in the Toronto area.
“I've been nicknamed by some of my colleagues as the minister for curry in a hurry,” he said, drawing laughs from the crowd assembled in Niagara Falls, Ont., for a weekend convention. continue reading [see also: Kenney urges Ont. Tories to court immigrants]

OLA CONFERENCE OPENS IN TORONTO - Super Conference 2009 Poll

A poll at the Ontario Library Association site has interesting results (as of 29 January, 2009):

Are you attending Super Conference 2009?

Yes, I usually do 48.7%
Yes, for the first time 20.9%
Not sure yet 6.2%
No, although I wish I could 17.6%
No, not interested 6.6%

January 28 – January 31, 2009, Metro Toronto Convention Centre

The 'Czech way' and The 'Canuck way' --Grading, education and miscellany

Letter Home from a Czech University,
Colder, barer, and in some ways better than U of Toronto.
By Yasmeen Qureshi
"...We were growing frustrated by what we called the Czech way. We missed our course outlines, fancy textbooks and PowerPoint presentations. But although I still found parts of it frustrating, I also realized that in Canada, while we have access to great research facilities, brilliant professors, computers, and a plethora of opportunities, we're missing more important things that they've got down.

To start with, the Czech professors were more unconventional, spontaneous, and personal. One of our Czech professors spent the majority of our class time showing us films then facilitating discussions, because he thought it would help us get a sense of what it was like to live under Soviet rule. There was no state of the art film projector, and the films were subtitled, but that wasn't important. Our prof didn't care if he covered all of the course material. He was concerned with trying to get us to understand Czech culture, and its latent fear of outsiders.

Here at U of T, my profs mostly present impersonal formulaic lectures, supplemented by course readings. They rarely take the time to stop and discuss, because the classes are too large, and they are always concerned about getting through all the course material. And although we have tutorials to supplement the lectures, they tend to simply focus on interpreting the readings. There never seems to be time to discuss the importance of the issues, or critically analyze their root cause." continue reading

Top 25 Political Blogs in Canada: Google vs Technorati

According to Werner Patels, (begin quote) this ranking is 100% objective, based on something as simple as a Google search of "Canada + Political blogs." (end quote).

Google version Warren Kinsella Michael Geist Stephen Taylor James Laxer The Hook Digital Copyright Canada Currents DemocraticSPACE Elizabeth May's Blog Rabble Blue Blogging Soapbox A Creative Revolution SoCon or Bust Hill Queeries Werner Patels Scott's DiaTribes Ezra Levant StageLeft Vijay Sappani Blog THIS! Frankly Speaking The Dominion Abandoned Stuff (Saskboy) The Court Winds of Change

Technorati version The Oil Drum Maclean's The Shotgun Buckdog Abandoned Stuff (Saskboy) The Reaction Jordon Cooper Kamangir We Move To Canada Marginalized Action Dinosaur Steve Janke The Agenda (TVO) Eaves Jerad Gallinger A Sibilant Intake of Breath The Politic Werner Patels April Reign bastard.logic Persephone's Box Public Eye Online Currents Far and Wide (A)mazed and (Be)mused No-Libs

NB. Info courtesy: L-girl @ we move to canada

Study exposes tolerance of racism ~~ Toronto Star

York U. study finds that while most condemn bigotry, majority fail to respond to anti-black acts Jan 09, 2009 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (78) Joseph Hall Staff Reporter
"When it comes to repudiation of racism, words speak louder than actions, according to a York University study that suggests people are far more tolerant of bigotry than they might express.
While people would clearly condemn racism in advance, the majority of non-black people would sit mute and indifferent as blatant acts of anti-black racism occurred before them, according to the Toronto research, published today in the journal Science." Continue reading @ Toronto Star /Science Obama or no Obama, racism is here to stay

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