Chinese: The fastest immigration pilot in Canada’s historyNorth York’s daily source, superlife.ca, reports: Canada is committed to attracting the best talents from around the world to fill in skill gaps, promote local economic development and create and support middle-class employment in communities across the country in order to benefit all Canadians. Canada is currently launching a new three-year pilot program of economic immigration to fill the labour shortage in the agri-food industry, particularly in meat processing and mushroom cultivation, and to help achieve Canada’s ambitious export targets. The new pilot aims to attract and retain workers by providing them with the opportunity to become permanent residents. "Immigration helps to grow the local economy and create jobs for Canadians," Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, said. "This pilot is another example." (15/07/19) London's (Ontario) daily source, londonchinese.ca, adds: Hussen said agriculture is a major contributor to Canada’s economic growth, which supports one-eighth of the jobs across Canada. So, as long as a person works in one of the specified jobs in the agriculture industry for at least a year, they can easily apply for permanent residence. Also, the IELTS requirement is only set at a score of four points, making the “agri-food immigration pilot” the fastest immigration pilot in Canada’s history. (15/07/19) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
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Four months before the election, ethnic media are reporting on some of the same opinion polls and surveys circulating in the mainstream media, but often with an emphasis on newcomer preoccupations and ethnically specific concerns. Mandarin: What are new immigrants worried about Vancouver's daily radio source, Fairchild Radio, reports: A poll found that 72% of Canadians are worried about their future. The survey stated that anxiety is caused by both personal and global factors. According to the poll, for new immigrants, the rising cost of living is what they're most concerned about. The matter of second-highest concern to them is that it's hard to find a job. Still, 77 per cent said they are "proud of how tolerant Canada is as a country", and 85 per cent mentioned they were LGBTQ-friendly. (02/07/19) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Multicultural Must Read: Behind the anger over Italian-Canadian community’s loss in LPC nomination7/5/2019 Italian: Apologies to Italian Canadians Montreal’s weekly source, II Cittadino Canadese, reports: Montreal’s Italian-Canadian community is still trying to figure out why did it lose the Liberal Party of Canada nomination in Saint-Léonard/Saint-Michel for the first time in 35 years. Tony Sciascia, President of the National Congress of Italian Canadians-Quebec Region, said Italians should be angry not with the Liberal Party but with former MP Nicola Di Iorio, who took sides among Italian candidates and split the community. Hassan Guillet, the candidate who eventually won, was good at organizing, resulting in many Italians voting for him. Regarding the apologies to the Italian community for the treatment of some of its members during World War II, Italians should remember that the Conservatives blocked past attempts to reach an honourable solution. At least with PM Justin Trudeau, there is a commitment to issue an apology after the election. (26/06/19) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Written by Lina Katrin Immigration-related issues take up a significant portion of Canadian media landscape. One of the most recent stories that interested several ethnic media sources is about Russian women seeking asylum in Canada on the basis of the environmental issues in their home country. Torontovka.com, a Toronto-based Russian web source, shared a story of dozens of women from Kiselyovsk, a city of 90,000 in Siberia, who “begged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to let them come to Canada” in a video posted on YouTube. In the video, women take turns reading emotional statements, explaining how coal dust from nearby mines and factories made their lives unbearable. The statement says people there want Trudeau's help because Canada's refugee system recognizes "discrimination on social grounds," which they say applies to them. Hindi radio source based in Toronto, CMR FM 101.3, has also included the same story on their program Voice Radio Hindi. When discussing the issue, the program host Tamreen Kadri said that the women in the video, who identify themselves as mothers and grandmothers, say they are hard-working and can make a big contribution to Canada's economy, if given the chance. Canada's refugee rules, however, are largely silent on questions of environmental impacts. In general, only people fleeing conflict or political persecution are admitted as refugees. The Russian source Torontovka.com therefore concluded that the chances of any of the Kiselyovsk residents ending up in Canada appear remote. Immigration policy experts also said there is nothing in Canadian law that allows admittance of refugees because of pollution, especially if there are other places would-be refugees can live in their home countries. Still, Kadri praised Canada’s immigration system for refugees and said that the Canadian government may think about environmental refugees being admitted to Canada as the issue is being raised. Canada recently took new efforts to support immigrant women, as a Chinese web source based in Toronto, 51.ca, reported. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen announced that the federal government will provide funds for 22 immigrant institutions to help immigrant and refugee women, who are visible minorities, land and keep jobs in Canada. He noted that newcomer women face many barriers in trying to find work in Canada, including racial discrimination, low-paid employment and lack of affordable childcare and social supports. The organizations that will get a cut of the $7.5 million pilot funding will launch projects over two years that aim to develop and test innovative approaches to help visible minority newcomer women find employment. The source reported that one commenter suggested to “just be straightforward if illegal border-crossing refugees are short on money.” Vancouver-based Korean source, The Korea Daily, also published an article regarding the new funding project. The source pointed out that while settling in Canada is difficult, IRCC noticed that ethnic minorities, especially women, have an even harder time. According to the 2016 census, the unemployment rate of newly landed immigrant women (with ethnic minority backgrounds) is 9.7%. Even their median annual income is significantly lower. The source stated that the new plan shows IRCC's willingness to support the full and equal participation of all women in the economy. Another ethnic media source that talked about the funds to boost employment for immigrant women is a Calgary-based Punjabi radio program on Red FM 106.7. Hussen talked on the phone with Rishi Nagar, a Good Morning Calgary host, and said that visible minority newcomer women face more challenges than any other group to enter the workforce.  Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen announces new funding for 22 groups to launch projects to help immigrant women succeed in the workplace. Photo Credit: Frank Gunn/Canadian Press So, even though some women strive to immigrate to Canada, and the government makes some efforts to accommodate everyone, there are various gender equality issues that women of different race and nationality currently face in Canada. Here are some relevant topics that have been recently published across ethnic media platforms: Caribbean radio source, G 98.7 FM, talked about the gender equality issues regarding dress codes in schools on their program Mark & Jem in the Morning. It reported that the Toronto District School Board is acknowledging that school dress codes have been written and enforced in a way that disproportionately and negatively impacts several groups, including female identified students. One of the hosts said that the males are rarely checked for what they are wearing at school, but the women are. The codes also negatively impact racialized students, gender diverse, trans-gender and non-binary students, students with disabilities, socio-economically marginalized students and indigenous students. Ming Pao Toronto, a Chinese web source, addressed the abortion issue, highlighting that while abortion remains legal in Canada, some abortion rights advocates say women continue to face hurdles in accessing the procedure. Some provinces have placed limits on funding for the procedure, but in The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada’s interpretation of the Canada Health Act, abortion services across the country must be fully funded. Meanwhile, a Spanish radio source, CHIN 91.9 FM, talked about how women are not cited in the news as often as men are in Canada. The source said that Radio Canada International published an important article, which notes that women are not in the news in Canada, while on the other hand, men are. Three-quarters of all people (71%) cited in the news are men, while only 29% are women. Radio host Silvia Méndez said that this is a call to action for media outlets to cite more female sources. These are just some of the most relevant recent topics that have been lately covered in ethnic media sources, but they vividly illustrate that gender equality is indeed an issue in Canada that needs to be constantly addressed and improved.  Maryam Monsef announces the new Equality Fund for women. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press In this respect, a Tamil radio source, CMR FM 101.3 Tamil Morning, reported that Canada’s federal government is committing $300 million in funding to launch a new global Equality Fund for women’s rights, as it reshapes the way it supports gender equality issues in Canada and abroad. Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister of Women and Gender Equality, made the announcement about this new initiative, saying that it is aimed at creating a sustainable model to fund women's rights organizations in developing countries and at home. A Chinese source, Sing Tao Vancouver, added that Monsef said the Equality Fund brings together 11 organizations from the philanthropic, non-profit and financial sectors, including the Canada-based Match International Women's Fund, the African Women's Development Fund and Oxfam Canada. When it comes to global issues such as gender equality and immigration, multicultural opinions and unique commentary from different ethnic communities are especially valuable. Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. Stay tuned for more blog posts!
Chinese: Cutting the number of immigrants isn’t the answerVancouver’s daily source, BCbay.com, reports on the results of a new poll: Sixty-three per cent of respondents to a recent Leger poll said the government should prioritize limiting immigration levels. This poll also found that 44% of respondents think immigration makes Canada better, while 15% of respondents believe immigration is negatively impacting the country. However, Ahmed Hussen, Immigration Minister, thinks that the answer is not to cut the number of immigrants coming to Canada. Instead, Hussen believes it is best to continue with an ambitious program to invest in infrastructure, in housing and in transit, so that everyone can benefit from those improvements. Such community services then could be used to integrate newcomers, and that approach would also benefit Canadians. Hussen added: "What worries me is seeing the leader of the official opposition taking a stance that is rooted in misinformation and conspiracy theories..." (17/06/2019) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Multicultural Must Read: Record number of Korean-Canadian candidates are running for office6/12/2019 Korean: Four Korean-Canadian candidates in Toronto alone Toronto’s daily source, The Korea Times Daily, reports: Diversity is at its peak for the Canadian federal election as a record-high number of candidates from the Korean community are running for office this fall. There are currently four Korean-Canadian candidates alone, including Mae J. Nam, who was appointed by the Beaches-East York NDP riding association. Meanwhile, the Toronto-Danforth NDP riding association selected Min Sook Lee as its candidate. All four Korean-Canadian candidates are children of immigrants and three of them are women and NDP candidates, which illustrates a shift in generations of the community. (07/06/2019) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Chinese: In preparation for the Women Deliver 2019 ConferenceVancouver's daily source, Sing Tao Vancouver, reports: In preparation for the world’s largest gathering on the rights, health and well-being of women and girls, the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, the Government of Canada is mobilizing all sectors to take action on gender equality by investing in innovative cross-sector partnerships. Maryam Monsef, minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced two new initiatives: one with BMO Financial Group and the other with the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children's Health to stimulate partnerships between diverse communities, civil society and public and private sectors in order to advance gender equality. (22/05/2019) Women Deliver 2019 Global Conference will be held in Vancouver from June 3 to June 6. Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
In May 2019, MIREMS VP Silke Reichrath attended the Canadian Immigration Summit 2019 organized by the Conference Board of Canada. The declared aim of the meet was to “explore how Canada can respond proactively to emerging immigration issues in a rapidly changing world”.  Silke Reichrath, MIREMS VP, attended the Canadian Immigration Summit 2019 in Ottawa organized by the Conference Board of Canada. During two intensive days of presentations, workshops and informal discussion, participants engaged around immigration levels, ways to select the best immigrants, settlement and integration, credential recognition, special barriers faced by female immigrants, and finally causes of and responses to populism and racism. As far as we could see, while many of the issues involved the need to understand and communicate, ethnic and multicultural media was MIA in most of these discussions. Unfortunately, the role of the Canadian multilingual media, domestic ethnic as well as homeland, was barely addressed. It is not only a valuable early warning system for issues in the community, but also an indispensable outreach tool to newcomers and potential immigrants alike. It is even instrumental in dispelling false information and rumors about immigrating to Canada. Missing this information were the roughly 300 federal, provincial and municipal staff working on immigration and settlement policy, settlement agencies and other community organizations, immigration consultants, academics and Conference Board of Canada members in attendance. Many were from the growing for-profit and not-for-profit industry supporting immigrants: immigration consultants, investment and start-up business consultants, employment services, settlement services, boards of trade and chambers of commerce, professional associations responsible for accreditation, language learning and testing services and multicultural associations. Municipal staff were mostly from smaller municipalities grappling with redirecting immigration to their cities: Guelph, Hamilton, London (Ontario), Sudbury, Ottawa, Moncton, Morden and Calgary and Atlantic provinces showed notable provincial interest. The general consensus was that more immigrants are needed to replace retiring baby-boomers and grow the workforce. The goal is to optimize the selection criteria and the integration process, with coordinated and accessible immigrant services ideally starting before arrival, taking into consideration that 56% of immigrants are women, who have a lower labour force participation rate and higher unemployment rate than Canadian women, and encouraging more immigration to Canada’s far North. Presenters said that to respond to current sentiments, Canada needs to remain a country of law as well as a country of immigration and needs to ensure generosity is not taken advantage of. Messaging should highlight immigrants as talented assets and risk-takers who benefit society, not as a problem to be ‘fixed’ and integrated. Informal one on one discussions showed an interest in ethnic media mostly from the outreach perspective and conveying information about available services and programs to newcomer audiences. However, if you want to sell, speak the language of the buyer, and that means not only the words but the context – knowing the media in which you place your stories is essential to their success. While large metropolitan areas like Toronto and Vancouver have very extensive ethnic media landscapes, smaller cities and provinces are just starting to build this media infrastructure, and it is important to reach out to them and get to know them. Many have a handful of papers run by local entrepreneurs catering to their own language communities and weekly radio programs in minority languages run on community or campus stations. These local programs tend to grow and eventually lead to the establishment of a multicultural station with slots for a variety of groups. Most of these papers and programs are more than happy to convey information and allow space for discussion with service providers and local officials. MIREMS Ltd. – Multilingual International Research and Ethnic Media Services has been providing media monitoring and outreach services to government, private sector and non-profit organizations for the past 30 years. Our web site at www.mirems.com contains a wealth of information that can help you get familiar with the multilingual media in your community. Don’t miss our regular blogs, as well as please visit our not-for profit citizenship education effort at www.diversityvotes.ca. Want to know the ethnic population of your local ridings and what media they read? We have merged our media intelligence with riding statistics developed by Andrew Griffith, author of the not to be missed www.multiculturalmeanderings.com. Check it out!
Caribbean: Pardon is not enough Vaughan’s weekly print newspaper, Share, reports on the controversy: Several activists have recently discussed how the legalization of marijuana in Canada has affected Caribbean communities both in Canada and in the region and what lies ahead for the community. The discussion took place at Ryerson University in connection with the mixed reactions evoked by the easing of laws governing the use of cannabis in Canada. The recreational use of marijuana was legalized in the country last October, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promising that his government will consider pardoning people convicted in the past of marijuana possession. However, activist Donisha Prendergast is among those who think that a simple pardon is not enough. She and her fellow panelists addressed many people who have suffered in the past when using or possessing cannabis was against the law. They emphasized how mothers and fathers were arrested, imprisoned and separated from their children, negatively impacting families and their mental health. Prendergast said that marijuana, previously criminalized and presented to society as an illegal drug, has been rebranded for people like former police officers, involved in what is now known as the cannabis industry. (21/03/2019) MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Haitian: Sweet Micky’s concert cancelled after heated protests Port-au-Prince’s daily online source, Loop Haiti, published an article highlighting the voices of activists: A lot of protests were sparked in Montreal because of singer Sweet Micky’s (Michel Martelly’s stage name) arrival, two days before his show that was scheduled for Friday, March 22, but cancelled last minute because of all demonstrations. Martelly, former President of Haiti, is accused of having made indecent, salacious and sexist comments against women in the past. Many people among the Haitian community in Montreal were concerned by Martelly’s visit to Canada, especially some major women’s organizations, such as Maison d’Haïti, CLES, MCVI and RQ CALACS. "He is a notorious misogynist," Marjorie Villefranche, Executive Director of the Maison d'Haïti, said. "This incitement to rape and the trivialization of rape is not a speech that is possible for us in Montreal." For many activists, Martelly is not welcomed in Montreal because of numerous accusations of corruption and embezzlement of public funds weighing on him. Last January, sociologist Frédéric Boisrond sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for Sweet Micky's concert to be cancelled. "We are at a time when we must take responsibility as citizens," Boisrond said. The issue is not to prevent an artist from coming back, but rather to prevent a type of speech from returning to Canada. (20/03/2019) MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
This week’s special collection of by-election reporting from Canada’s ethnic media is our biggest yet, as many outlets chimed in on the discussion of election results, Singh's victory, the role of diversity politics in these by-elections and the popularity of Bernier's People's Party within some minority communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast. Plus: Explore these stories by the numbers on Multicultural Meanderings. Chinese: "NDP insists that their Orange Wave is not dead in Quebec" Vancouver's Canadian Chinese Express reports: On Monday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh won the by-election in British Columbia's Burnaby South riding. Liberal candidate Rachel Bendayan won the by-election in Quebec's Outremont riding, while Conservative Scot Davidson won in York-Simcoe in Ontario. Jagmeet Singh's victory finally gave him the opportunity to challenge PM Trudeau face-to-face in the House of Commons. Upon the Liberal Party's victory in Quebec, Liberal Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne declared that the NDP's Orange Wave is dead in Quebec. Jagmeet Singh did not agree with Champagne's remark while MP Alexandre Boulericem of Quebec said that Champagne's remark reflects the typical arrogance of the federal Liberal Party. Conservative MP Gerard Deltell of Quebec said that the NDP has not died in Quebec and stressed that conclusion should not be drawn from one by-election. (28/02/2019) Chinese: "Federal by-elections; why do Chinese people once again support the extreme right?" Online news source in Vancouver, BCbay.com reports: The three by-elections that were held on February 25 were considered, to some extent, a trial run for the federal election. The by-election results are likely to predict the outcome of the federal election, therefore it received lots of attention in the political arena. What is puzzling to experts is that the extreme-right People's Party, which has been scorned by mainstream politics for being against multiculturalism, actually received 10.6% of the votes in the Burnaby South by-election. UBC political scientist David Moscrop mentioned that it's hard to explain why the People's Party received nearly 11% of the votes in Burnaby South. But according to information being circulated in Chinese circles, People's Party candidate Thompson received support from a large number of Chinese voters. Why are so many Chinese people willing to support a Canadian right-wing candidate? Someone wrote that Thompson is known for being against SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) sex ed, and is the favoured candidate of many Chinese people. That writer said if 10,000 people support Thompson, then she would win, or lose by a smaller margin. If Thompson really gets elected, then any party would consider Chinese people important in this year's federal elections. (28/02/2019) Filipino: "Singh survives byelection test. Now he needs to shift his focus from his leadership to NDP policies" Filipino source from Mississauga, Atin Ito reports: Jagmeet Singh stepped before the microphones late Monday night, savouring a rare moment of victory. After 16 months without a seat in the Commons — and dire warnings from within his own party that he’d either win the seat or find himself looking for another job — the NDP leader defied his critics and the pundits by capturing Burnaby South. Singh led throughout the night over his main rivals, Conservative candidate Jay Shin and the Liberal’s Richard Lee. Some will still suggest that Lee, a long-time provincial politician, had too much ground to make up after the Liberals original choice was forced to resign mid-campaign after making remarks in Mandarin about Singh’s ethnicity that were considered offensive. The PPC did surprisingly well in Burnaby South. The party’s candidate took about 11 per cent of the vote there, most of it from the Conservatives. In the other two races, Bernier’s candidates barely registered. What does that mean? Possibly very little. But Conservatives will have to consider the potential impact of vote-splitting with the People Party this fall in swing ridings, where even a small amount of vote bleeding just might mean the difference between them and the Liberals. (27/02/2019) Chinese: "By-elections results are released! NDP's performance was unexpected" Online Chinese source Yorkbbs reports: After a fierce round of competition, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh won in Burnaby South. Conservative candidate Scot Davidson won in York-Simcoe, while Liberal candidate Rachel Bendayan won in Outremont. Singh wrote on Twitter that he's determined and ready to fight for the help people need - from the housing crisis to health care not covering everyone the way it should, Canadians deserve better. This isn't the end of a campaign - it's the beginning of one. The writer asked if the readers were shocked by the results of this by-election. (26/02/2019). Cantonese: "Maxime Bernier's People's Party posts mixed-bag results after its first byelection test" Fairchild TV British Columbia reports: The fledgling People's Party of Canada got off to an uneven start in its first electoral test Monday in a trio of federal byelections. The party, founded last fall by former Conservative leadership contender Maxime Bernier, captured some 11% of the vote in the Vancouver-area riding of Burnaby South but failed to make much of a splash among voters in the rural Ontario riding of York—Simcoe or the urban Montreal-area riding of Outremont where the party had less than 2% of the final tally. However, some analysts said People's Party of Canada has a fair amount of supporters. (27/02/2019) Hindi: "Federal byelection results indicate tough road ahead for all three parties" Commentary from Khurshid Akram on Radio CINA 1650 AM News: The results of federal byelections held in three ridings in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec have indicated that upcoming federal election will not be easy for all three major parties. All three parties- Liberal, Conservative and NDP- have gained one seat in the three byelections. Political experts say that the Liberals can still trust Quebec voters in October federal elections. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who has got a historical victory in Burnaby South, is planning to rejuvenate his party. Singh is the first non- white leader who will lead a major federal party in the House of Commons. Conservatives win in York—Simcoe riding in Ontario, but their vote share increased by just 3.6%. This increase is not enough to ensure a victory for conservatives in the next federal elections. (27/02/2019) Portuguese: "Who is Jagmeet Singh?" Peter Ferreira writes for Milenio Stadium: Jagmeet Singh was born on January 2, 1979, in Scarborough and is the son of Indian immigrant parents. He is a lawyer specializing in criminal defence and has been leader of the New Democratic Party since 2017. Ideologically, Singh judges himself a progressive and social democrat. He argues that the federal minimum wage should rise to $15 an hour and supports the decriminalization of all drugs for personal use and the elimination of several tax deductions available to those who earn more. Singh's election to Canadian Parliament was hampered by political manoeuvres aimed at denying him a platform in the capital. Although this year's election date has now been set, there are still questions as to whether the government is able to decide how long communities are left without representation. Singh is facing a critical test in the Burnaby South election on February 25. Singh's campaign is drawing attention to some of the racial dynamics at stake and questions about what representation really means. Needless to say, this is his greatest opportunity to enter Parliament and face Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer. (22/02/2019) Punjabi: "Davidson holds on to Ontario riding of York-Simcoe for Conservatives" Punjabi radio show Red FM 93.1 Punjabi Morning reports: In Monday’s by-elections, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair’s old riding of Outremont was snagged by Liberal Rachel Bendayan, while with 54% of the vote, Scot Davidson held on to the riding of York-Simcoe for the Conservatives. Jagmeet Singh won the by-election in Burnaby South, retaining the seat previously held by former NDP MP Kennedy Stewart. (26/02/2019). Punjabi: "Federal by-election results: An analysis WTOR 770 AM Radio South Asian Pulse Prime Time in Mississauga reports: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has new life with his victory in the Burnaby South byelection. The victory of the Liberal candidate in Quebec, indicates a strong position for Justin Trudeau in Quebec. The number of seats that the federal Liberal Party won in Quebec in the 2015 election may increase (in the October election). Andrew Scheer's Conservative Party has won its traditional seat in Ontario-York—Simcoe. However, the interesting fact is this that People's Party of Canada has a vote share of more than 11% in Burnaby South and the Green Party got 13% in Outremont, Quebec. It shows that the environment will prove to be a big issue in Quebec, while Maxime Bernier’s anti-immigrant policy can harm the Conservatives’ vote bank in British Columbia, especially in the Lower Mainland that has a large immigrant population. (26/02/2019) Chinese: "Why did Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson receive more than 2,000 votes?" Chang Xi reports for 51.ca: People's Party candidate Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson didn't get elected as MP in the Burnaby South by-election, but the number of votes she received was shocking enough. 2,420 votes were not enough to send her to Parliament, but it was enough for people to see the People's Party, and the forces it represents in the Vancouver area. The People's Party not only attracted voters who are dissatisfied with the Liberal government, but it also attracted voters who are dissatisfied with Conservative party leader Scheer and the direction in which the Conservatives are heading. Having a Trump-like politician offers them a new option. Usually, these Conservatives are more likely to be white males, but in Vancouver, a large number of Thompson's supporters are Chinese. This appears to be unexpected, but is actually reasonable - church influence, different values of their native country and Canada, and their dissatisfaction with Trudeau all became the main reasons for the Chinese community to turn to the right. If one were to say that the Scarborough hijab gate ignited the anger of Chinese people in the GTA, then Chinese people in Vancouver being dissatisfied with the government and refugee policy was a direct result of Marrisa Shen's murder in Vancouver. (26/02/2019) Punjabi: "'Judgment Day': An opinion on the federal election scene through the Burnaby South by-election" Toronto's CIAO AM 530 Frontline Radio reports: Monday was the "Judgment Day for the NDP and its leader Jagmeet Singh", said the program host. If you look at the recent public opinion survey from Angus Reid, the Conservative Party is in the lead, and the Liberals and the NDP come after the Conservatives. The host said that the Liberal Party will need to work hard if they want to win again at the federal level. If the NDP moves up Canada-wide, then it will definitely benefit the Conservative Party of Canada. Currently, the candidate of Maxime Bernier's newly formed People's Party of Canada is running ahead in the Burnaby South by-election. However, the result of the federal by-election was going to tell whether the graph of the NDP and Jagmeet Singh will go up or down. (25/02/2019) Chinese: "Toronto Star: a large number of People's Party supporters are Chinese" BCbay.com reports: People’s Party supporters showed up at Burnaby South by-election debates and were louder than the supporters of any other party. In the third debate, they broken into anger and shouted "Canadians first" when the topic of immigration arose, while others shouted "racist" and "fascist" in response. This is one face of an increasingly visible populist movement in Canada. Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson is running in Burnaby South. Her results could be an early indicator of the PPC’s chances in the upcoming general election. Unlike most populist movements, Tyler Thompson's supporters aren't white males, but a large number of Chinese people. She said that Canadians who appreciate family values are disappointed with current politics. This is why so many Conservative party supports have turned to support the People's Party. In addition, she said a silent majority of Canadians are sick and tired of living in fear. One commenter says the extreme left in Canada inspired the extreme right. (25/02/2019). Itaian: "Critical by-elections for NDP leader" Montreal's Italian CFMB AM 1280 Italian Morning reports: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh could join the House of Commons after today’s by-elections, but his party could also lose the riding of Outremont. The by-election in South Burnaby near Vancouver will be decisive for him and his party. After being criticized for his absence from the House of Commons, Mr. Singh is trying to get elected for the first time. If he loses, he may have a hard time keeping his job as party leader. The caucus could in fact unilaterally replace him with an acting leader ahead of the October federal general election. In Montreal, the New Democrats are not likely to hold on to Outremont, a former Liberal stronghold first won by Thomas Mulcair in a by-election in 2007, which set the stage for the "orange wave" that swept over Quebec in 2011. With the NDP's falling behind in voter support, the Liberals expect to take Outremont. The Conservatives have little prospects of winning. For the Bloc Québécois, Monday’s vote is a first test for their new leader, Yves-François Blanchet. In Ontario, the Conservatives should keep their stronghold; however, all eyes will be on the result of Maxime Bernier's new party. Voter turnout is expected to be very low in all three constituencies, which could result in some surprises. (25/02/2019) Filipino: "Impact of political scandal, religious symbols debate felt in Outremont byelection" The Philippine Canadian Inquirer reports:
Julia Sanchez, the NDP’s candidate in Monday’s Outremont byelection, says people in the riding talk to her about climate change, wealth inequality – and sometimes what the leader of her party wears on his head. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is Sikh and wears a turban, making him conspicuously religious in front of a heavily secular province. His French is also weaker than the two previous party leaders, complicating the job of appealing to Quebec voters. “Some people are concerned about (the turban),” Sanchez said during a recent interview following a candidate debate in the riding. Kathryn Furlong, 43, who attended the debate, said she voted for Sanchez, an economist with experience in humanitarian work and climate activism, at an advance poll. She has voted Liberal in the past “but never by conviction. Sometimes to keep the out the Conservatives.” (25/02/2019) The by-elections are here and after six weeks of reporting coverage from Canada's ethnic media it's apparent that these sources are engaged and vocal about their politics. Many have raised questions about the role of ethnicity in elections and mainstream media kicked off an interesting discussion about diversity politics. This week’s special collection of by-election reporting from Canada’s ethnic media. Prepared by MIREMS multilingual consultants coast-to-coast. Plus: Explore these stories by the numbers on Multicultural Meanderings. Chinese: "The Burnaby South by-election will be held February 25"Vancouver's Chinese Van People reports: This by-election will be a warm up to the federal election later this year and allows various political parties to test the waters. The Chinese population makes up nearly 40% of the voters in this riding. Many Chinese people are promoting People's Party candidate Laura-Lynn Thompson. Laura-Lynn Thompson is known for her opposition to SOGI sex ed and is the favourite candidate for many Chinese people. It's not an exaggeration to say if she can get into Parliament, or even lose by a narrow margin, no party would dare to look down upon Chinese people in the future. According to mainstream public opinion, the Conservative party is the party that will most likely win in the federal election and replace the Liberal Party. However, Conservative candidate (for Burnaby South) Jay Shin has almost no interaction with the local community. As a potential ruling party, its performance in the warm up match will directly affect voters' perception. (14/02/2019). Korean: "Dream to be the first MP of Korean descent" Canadian Korean Times Weekly in Toronto reports: Toronto's Conservative candidate Jay Shin held a fundraising event as he is taking a challenge to be a the first Member of Parliament being of Korean descent. Shin is new to politics — until recently he worked as a lawyer. He is focusing on a door-knocking-campaign due to having a lower chance of getting into papers, compared to his renowned competitors. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Liberal candidate Richard T. Lee are seeking a seat in the Burnaby South by-election as well. (20/02/2019). Punjabi: "Burnaby South by-election: Conservatives seem to have strong position"CIAO 530 AM Morning with Dev Tatla reports: Time will tell about the future of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who is running in Burnaby South. The federal by-election will be held on February 25. But in general, support for the Liberals has dropped across the country due to the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Currently, the Conservatives are leading to win.(21/02/2019). Korean: "Trudeau heckled during campaign speech in Burnaby South" Vancouver's Vancouver Chosun Ilbo reports: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to develop three projects in Vancouver that will create new affordable housing, helping those who are homeless and expanding the number of shelter spaces in the city. It is drawing criticism, however, as Trudeau joined Liberal candidate Richard T. Lee for a Burnaby South by-election campaign event. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, seeking a seat there, said: “People are disappointed with Trudeau’s approach to the housing crisis.” (13/02/2019). Korean: "Trudeau heckled during campaign speech in Burnaby South" Korean newspaper in Vancouver, Canada Express reports: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Burnaby South to support Liberal candidate Richard T. Lee as Lee is challenging NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in a by-election on Feb. 25. But protesters saw his visit as an opportunity to voice their displeasure with his support of the Trans Mountain pipeline and its proposed expansion. Other than the pipeline opponents, some protesters in yellow vests as well held signs opposing Trudeau’s immigration policy. (15/02/2019). Arabic: "Canada: By-elections will determine the political future of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh" Samir Bin-Jafar reports for Montreal's RCI Arabic: The by-election which will be held on February 25 will determine the political future of the NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who is planning to enter the House of Commons. His political future will be in the hands of Burnaby South voters in British Columbia. (19/02/2019). Punjabi: "Burnaby South by-election: Current scenario"Oakville's radio talkshow CMJR Pavarsi reports: All the eyes are set on by-election in Burnaby South (British Columbia), from where NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is running. Responding to it, a guest on the show said that the advance polling for the Burnaby South federal by-election was opened on Feb. 15 and will continue until the evening of Feb., 18 from noon until 8 p.m. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has already cast his vote in advance polling. Recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed a big rally in Burnaby South. He also claimed the victory of Liberal candidate Richard Lee from this riding in by-election. Singh is also doing hard work including a door to door campaign to win this election. However, we know that the Conservative Party is also working hard to ensure victory of their candidate from Burnaby South. The results of this by-election will be declared on Feb.25. (18/02/2019). Chinese: "Jagmeet Singh promises to improve family reunion immigration if he wins" Wenjie Shen reports for Sing Tao Toronto: As the Burnaby South by-election is getting close, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh brought his campaign to the Royal Oak station on Saturday. Singh says the community is especially concerned about parents and grandparents reunion immigration, and if he wins the election, he will push to improve the application process. Singh also criticized the Trudeau government for deliberately stalling a national Pharmacare program. (17/02/2019) Hindi: "Liberals will win by-elections in BC: Trudeau" Hindi Abroad in Toronto reports:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau believes the Liberal candidate from Burnaby has maintained his hold over the riding. The prime minister was in Burnaby last Sunday to campaign for Liberal candidate Richard Lee. Trudeau said Lee had been serving Burnaby for last 16 years. Now it is time to honour his services by electing him. On the other hand, NDP leader and candidate from Burnaby Jagmeet Singh attended the Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver and addressed the gathering. He said the Liberals have always been involved in scandals, the latest one being the SNC-Lavalin issue. (15/02/2019). From 'going for the jugular' to making 'the minority voice heard': This week's By-Election roundup2/15/2019 Both Prime Minister Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland visited the hot-contest riding of Burnaby South and ethnic media’s vocal coverage of the area continued. Facebook also received a fair share of coverage in multicultural and multilingual media—many expressing concern over virtual threats and internet trolls. As well, increased government ad spending lining the pockets of Facebook and social media sites versus traditional print media. Korean media highlights Singh saying he will “make the minority voice heard” and Caribbean media calling out Andrew Scheer for “going for the jugular” and more in this week’s special collection of by-election reporting from Canada’s ethnic media. Prepared by MIREMS multilingual consultants coast-to-coast. Plus: Explore these stories by the numbers on Multicultural Meanderings. Korean: "Singh 'I will make the minority voice heard'" Vancouver's Korean Chosun Ilbo reports: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, a candidate in the Burnaby South by-election, visited Northroad Korean town to encourage the voters’ support. Singh said: “My political career started from a wish for minority communities to be a member of Canadian society, I will represent immigrants’ rights.” Conservative candidate Jay Shin held a fund-raising event and said: “It is a challenge for a rookie, but I’ll fight for the economic stability and better quality of life of Burnaby residents.” (08/02/2019). Urdu: "Canada's housing crisis and mortgage stress test are officially election issues" The weekly Urdu Pakistan Post reports: In a debate in the House of Commons, the Conservatives took aim at the mortgage stress test that requires Canadians to show they can withstand higher interest rates. “The stress test is a one-size-fits-all tool that punishes Canadians from coast to coast to coast, regardless of conditions in their local market,” Conservative MP Tom Kmiec said in a speech in the House. “It’s a deal for big banks, not Canadians.” With most of Canada’s housing problems centered in Vancouver and Toronto, Kmiec said the stress test is having a destructive effect on his Calgary riding. The debate was sparked by an NDP motion that tackles the housing issue from the other side of the ideological spectrum, calling on the government to create 500,000 affordable housing units in the next 10 years, with half of them completed in five years. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who is vying for a seat in the upcoming Burnaby-South byelection in British Columbia where housing concerns dominate, has also called on the government to double the first-time homebuyers’ credit. “We see how failure to address needs of people at one end of the housing continuum affects people all along it,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, the minister of families, children and social development, said during the debate. (07/02/2019). Caribbean: "Andrew Scheer is going for the jugular" G 98.7 FM Mark & Jem in the Morning in Toronto reports: Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him to waive the solicitor-client privilege so former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould can publicly talk about what happened with SNC Lavalin. Trudeau campaigned in Burnaby, flanked by cabinet and caucus colleagues, but not Vancouver MP Wilson-Raybould, even though she was in town talking to voters earlier in the day. (11/02/2019) Filipino: "Trudeau says Liberals will win in B.C. by-election where Singh seeks seat" Laura Kane writes for the Philippine Canadian Inquirer: Justin Trudeau said the Liberal candidate in Burnaby South will be a strong voice for the community, as he campaigned on Sunday in the riding where New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh is seeking a seat. The prime minister told a crowd of supporters that Richard T. Lee served Burnaby, B.C., for 16 years as a provincial legislator and continues to work hard every day to put the best face forward for the city. While the Green Party of Canada has extended a “leader’s courtesy” to Singh by not running a candidate against him, other parties have not. Conservative Jay Shin and People’s Party of Canada candidate Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson are also vying for a seat. Lee said he’s proud to be part of “Team Trudeau” because he believes in transparent, better politics and a strong, multicultural Canada. “In Burnaby South, we need a committed, local champion for our community,” he said, adding he has lived in the Metro Vancouver city for 32 years. (11/02/2019). Chinese: "Outlook on the 2019 federal election" Chinese Canadian Voice from Cambridge, Ontario reports: The author discusses the performance of the leaders of the three main federal political parties and provides an analysis of the potential outcome of the 2019 federal election in October. In particular, the author says that although the performance of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has not been ideal, the Opposition Party leaders are not any better. The author says that the only advantage of Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is perhaps his age. His only accomplishment since he became head of the party may be the fact he made his internal opponent Maxime Bernier quit the Conservative Party. It would be difficult for the Chinese community to support Scheer given his attitude towards Canada's free trade negotiations with China and towards the Chinese company Huawei. (04/02/2019). Punjabi: "Does Jagmeet's ownership of a $5.5 million mansion make a difference to his election campaign?" WTOR 770 AM South Asian Voice in Toronto reports: DP Leader Jagmeet Singh is a point of discussion. Some sources report that he has a mansion worth $5.5 million. The veracity of this information is still questionable and the future will tell us what the truth is. A top writer of Maclean’s magazine has wondered what difference it makes if he has such a mansion. The writer commented if Singh wants to bring good policies, it doesn't matter whether he lives in a palace or a small home. This news has made a lot of headlines and the (hosts') program will continue to give the listeners information about new developments. (13/02/2019). Arabic: "Fake accounts on Twitter to influence internal discussions in Canada" Samir Bin-Jafar reports for Montreal's RCI Arabic: Many fake accounts on the social networking site Twitter have tried to inflate negative messages about oil pipelines and immigration to Canada, according to an analysis done by the CBC. About 9.6 million tweets were linked to suspected foreign political interference campaigns. In all, about 21,600 tweets from these fake accounts targeted Canadian accounts directly. In addition, a network of automated accounts has been coordinated to amplify the negative messages related to the Keystone XL and Kinder Morgan pipeline projects. Since then Twitter has deleted these accounts. The social network believes they were run from Russia, Iran and Venezuela. (13/02/2019). Punjabi: "NDP leader Jagmeet Singh attended the annual Chinese New Year parade in Vancouver on Sunday" Red FM 93.1 Punjabi Morning in Vancouver reports: Singh called on Trudeau to waive solicitor-client privilege to allow former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to speak about allegations the PMO is facing. (11/02/2019). These stories have been translated and summarized by MIREMS consultants, who read, watch and listen to multicultural and multilingual media every day in order to make language barriers transparent and make diverse voices accessible in Canada’s political and social discourse
MIREMS By-Election reporting continues with media outlets continuing to write editorial pieces on their community's voters. Coverage continued of Singh's all-or-nothing Burnaby election and Arabic and Korean sources chimed in as well. Take a look at the numbers from Multicultural Meanderings. MIREMS shares this special collection of multilingual and multicultural media coverage: Punjabi: "Outremont by-election: Survey results showing NDP in trouble" WTOR 770 AM Radio South Asian Pulse Prime Time reports: The NDP does not appear to have a strong position in the Quebec by-election. Three surveys conducted over the last few weeks suggest that the NDP is in trouble in Quebec, where the party won 16 seats in the 2015 federal election. The by-election in Outremont (Quebec) will be held on February 25. The most recent four-week rolling poll from Nanos Research pegged NDP support in Quebec at just under 11 per cent. In a poll published last week, Mainstreet Research put it at nine per cent, while the Léger/Journal de Montréal survey published on Monday gave the New Democrats just eight per cent support in Quebec, ranking it in a distant fourth place. The Liberals, Conservatives and the Bloc are all looking to make seat gains at the expense of the NDP. All 16 of the New Democrats' Quebec seats are vulnerable. (06/02/2019) Punjabi: "The bankruptcy of ethnic vote banks"Tarek Fateh writes in Khabarnama Punjabi Weekly: Much has been written about the crass ethno-racial baiting employed by Karen Wang, the now dismissed Liberal Party candidate for the Burnaby South byelection where she was facing NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. All hell broke loose among the political elite of the country. It was as if Wang had committed an act of racism and had violated the foundations of Canada's supposed non-racial, non-ethnic election process where ideas and platforms count, not the ethnicity or race of the candidate. The fact is Wang was honest enough to put her words where her mouth was. If Wang was guilty of relying on 'her' Chinese vote-bank, wasn't Jagmeet Singh also running in the riding because it had a large Sikh or Indo-Canadian community? Both Wang and Singh played ethnic vote-bank politics, except one got caught and the other remained mum, hoping no one would notice his abandoning Brampton voters just to get inside parliament. It is not just in Burnaby South where Canada is being subject to ghetto politics. This is happening across urban Canada. One example is the Conservative Party's nomination fight for the Ontario riding of Mississauga-Erindale in November 2018. In the contest, a prominent former MP from the riding Bob Dechert was soundly defeated because he did not have a tribe to rely on. The solution is simple: Every member of a political party should have renewed their membership at least once in two consecutive years to have the right to vote in nomination battles. Otherwise, Canada's democracy is for sale to tribalism. (01/02/2019) Punjabi: "Fundraising NDP vote bank may be divided in 2019 federal elections: Mulcair" Toronto's Hamard Daily reports: Amid record-breaking fundraising numbers from the Green Party and what Leader Elizabeth May called “a rise in support overall,” former NDP head Thomas Mulcair says NDP voters may vote for the Green Party in the 2019 federal elections. People who believe that environmental issues should be top of mind are therefore going to start paying attention to May’s Green Party. With the People's Party splitting the vote on the right, the vote bank of Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives may also be slashed. (05/02/2019). Cantonese: "Controversial Grewal fundraiser earned almost $300,000, MP claims in new statement" Fairchild TV British Columbia reports: An unusually lucrative fundraiser for a former Liberal politician beset with gambling debts generated just under $300,000, according to a new statement from the now independent MP. But the comments Raj Grewal made on Twitter Friday about the fundraising dinner last April also raise more questions, as he suggested that fewer than half of the 1,200 guests at the event actually paid for tickets, and that the money was needed for the kind of long campaign no longer possible under new election laws. The fundraiser — with its exceptionally large turnout and attendant large potential revenue — has come under close scrutiny since Grewal’s gambling problems led to him being thrown out of the Liberal caucus. The Brampton MP admitted he racked up millions of dollars in debts playing casino blackjack, and he is reportedly under investigation by the RCMP. (05/02/2019) Arabic: "Ottawa: The opposition is aiming its arrows at the government in this election year" May Abu-Saab reports fro Montreal's RCI Arabic: The Canadian House of Commons opened its regular session on January 28, the last session before the legislative elections scheduled for Oct. 21. Although the date of the elections is still relatively far, all Canadian political parties are acting as if they are in an undeclared and premature election campaign. The opposition party has directed its arrows at the Liberal government, and Andrew Scheer sees the Liberal government as failing in its fiscal policy. He warned if Canadians re-elect the Liberals, they will pay more taxes and fees than they did under the former Conservative government led by Stephen Harper. (04/02/2019)
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