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TV - OMNI 1 TV 8:00 PM Italian News - Toronto, 17/06/2020 - FEATURE, Italian Summary Translation: Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino addressed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Immigration to address how his department has been affected by the pandemic. He spoke about the refugees and asylum seekers who worked on the front-line in the fight against COVID-19. He said these uncommon acts of sacrifice and heroism should embolden us to fight against the stigma that refugees and asylum seekers are merely a burden. They are not. They are here to contribute. He said they are putting forward in the supplementary estimates proposed $102.5 million reprofiled from the previous fiscal year for the interim housing assistance program.
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WEB - Vansky - Vancouver, 15/06/2020 - ARTICLE, Chinese Image Source: Vansky website Summary Translation: No Byline - After a 15-year-old Chinese boy was beaten by a White man for no reason, the Chinese in Saskatchewan finally stood up to fight against racial discrimination in relation to the coronavirus. On June 14, 200-300 Chinese residents of Saskatoon gathered in Kingsman Park to oppose racist behavior in the province. According to participants of the rally, there was more racial discrimination against the Chinese community since the pandemic, and some people accused the Chinese of being carriers of the virus. Earlier on May 22, a 15-year-old Chinese boy who lived in Saskatchewan was beaten by a 40-year-old White male while he rode his bicycle in the park. According to the media, the boy’s father, Mr. Chen said the man pushed his son to the ground, punched him in the head, and accused him of bringing the COVID-19 to Saskatchewan. In order to prevent more Chinese from being bullied, the Chinese community in Saskatchewan decided to unite against racial discrimination. Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark made a speech at the rally, expressing his anger about this incident and hoped that Saskatoon will be a harmonious society again. Netizens who participated in the rally said it was very well organized Link to original article: https://www.vansky.com/news/soci/177620.html
WEB - Van People - Vancouver, 16/06/2020 - ARTICLE, Chinese Image Source: Van People website Summary Translation: Career Engine - Immigration Canada has recently announced on its official website that apart from the Wuhan visa centre, 11 Chinese visa centres in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shanghai and Shenyang will resume operations. Applicants can complete applications for study visas, work visas, travel visas and permanent residency. On June 8, China implemented a policy allowing airlines to fly to China. Permitted airlines include Air Canada, but no aircraft were seen in China from the airline. Currently, the only Canadian airline that can fly directly to China is Air Canada. If there are no flights in operation, then what is the purpose of reopening the visa centres? The author did a quick search on flights from Canada to China on Air Canada’s website, but found nothing available. The author also found that Chinese media are not optimistic about the full restoration of China-Canada routes and China-Canada relations. Statistics showed that Canada's exports to China amounted to $24.4 billion in 2019, a drop of up to 16% compared to 2018. The data for 2020 has not yet been released, but the author can imagine how bad it might be. The Chinese media pointed out that the United States is the source of uncertainty in China and Canada. But Canada clearly cannot balance the relationship between the world’s largest economy and the world’s second largest economy. Canada still chooses the United States as their first choice. This imbalance is destined to be reflected in details such as the resumption of the China-Canada flight route. The author was optimistic about the full restoration of China-Canada flights half a month ago, but now it seems like their prediction was wrong. Link to original article: https://info.vanpeople.com/?action-viewnews-catid-51-itemid-1086452
WEB - Philippine Canadian Inquirer - National, 16/06/2020 - ARTICLE, English Summary: Ryan Greer, Canadian Chamber of Commerce - Co-chair of the National Cannabis Working Group and Cannabis Policy Lead at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ryan Greer, issued a statement regarding the notice of intent from Health Canada to consult on providing the cannabis industry with financial relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that, “The National Cannabis Working Group welcomes the notice of intent from Health Canada to consult on the potential deferment of the 2.3 per cent annual regulatory fee for licensed producers. However, a deferral falls short of what is needed for Canada’s cannabis industry at this time." He said that, "We welcome the acknowledgement by Health Canada that the cannabis industry merits financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to working with the government to find a solution that will position the industry to emerge from the crisis in a better position and to support the government’s objective of displacing the illegal market."
WEB - Torontovka.com - Toronto, 16/06/2020 - NEWS, Russian Image Source: Torontovka.com Summary Translation: Mexico's ambassador to Canada said that Mexico won't send any more temporary foreign workers to Canada until it has more clarity on why two died due to COVID-19. That means as many as 5,000 temporary foreign workers expected to arrive in Canada in the coming months are being held back, for now. "It's so we can reassess with the federal authorities, provinces and farmers why this happened and if there is anything to correct," said Juan Jose Gomez Camacho. The two men were employed by different farms in the Windsor, Ont., area, a farming heartland in southwestern Ontario that has seen ongoing outbreaks. The article says that the decision to hit pause is a further blow to the agriculture industry, which has been struggling to find enough labour to handle this year's planting and harvest season. Mexicans make up about half of the temporary foreign worker population employed in the agriculture sector, which in 2018 meant there were 25,060 people employed on farms, in greenhouses and other related jobs. Link to original article: https://www.torontovka.com/news/canada/2020-06-16/31610.html
PRINT - Jewish Post and News - Winnipeg, 10/06/2020 - COMMENTARY, English Summary: Harris D. Gulko - Because seniors are so vulnerable to COVID-19, health officials have asked people 70 years of age and over to self-isolate at home. But, after three months at home, most want to go out into the world again. COVID-19 is exacerbating loneliness, especially among seniors. Even before the onset of this terrible virus, many older people were experiencing an epidemic of social isolation and depression. One study found that loneliness is as dangerous to one’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It can lead to dementia or Alzheimer’s, heart disease, a weakened immune system and a shorter lifespan. Until now, the loneliness epidemic has been fought with programs like Meals on Wheels, seniors centres, etc. But now, Meals on Wheels have barred physical, and thus social, interaction, and seniors centres are closed. This is having a serious physical and mental effect on many of them. Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network in Toronto, says COVID-19 has shown Canada how much more needs to be done to protect seniors’ health and well-being. In addition to the risks to physical health, both Sinha and Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, note that the protective measures of physical distancing and isolating seniors can take a toll on their mental health. “Staying connected has never been more important,” Tam said, encouraging Canadians to keep in touch with loved ones through phone or video calls. Many seniors also don’t have people they can rely on to bring essential supplies to their door — and can’t afford store delivery services. These are areas that non-profit agencies are trying to address. Seniors Minister Deb Schulte said that seniors who qualify for Old Age Security (OAS) will be eligible for a one-time, tax-free payment of $300, and those eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will get an extra $200. Those eligible for both will receive $500. Schulte said seniors are facing extra dispensing fees for prescriptions, added costs for grocery delivery services and taxi fees when they might normally take the bus. “It’s all small amounts, but it adds up,” she said. Image Source: https://www.jewishpostandnews.ca/
PRINT - Iran Javan - Toronto, 11/06/2020 - NEWS, Farsi Summary Translation: They call them the “guardian angels,” the thousands of personal support workers (PSWs), orderlies, cooks and janitors who have been toiling for months in Quebec’s beleaguered and often overwhelmed long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent days, one subset of this overworked, underpaid work force has received a lot of attention – asylum seekers. Why? Because, despite doing essential work that no one else would do and literally putting their lives at risk, juggling multiple part-time gigs for as little as $13 an hour, many of these front-line workers could face deportation. That is disgraceful and un-Canadian.
WEB - Vansky - Vancouver, 13/06/2020 - ARTICLE, Chinese Image Source: Vansky website Summary Translation: No Byline - The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the diplomatic tension between Canada and China, has caused the number of Chinese students studying in Canada to fall sharply by 44% in the first quarter of this year. The number of visas issued to Chinese students in the first quarter of this year decreased by more than 50% compared to the same period last year. According to the Vancouver Sun, although Canada’s relationship with China was tense due to the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, the Chinese government did not publicly tell young people in China to avoid studying in Canada. Some close allies of Canada, such as Australia and the United States, have requested an independent investigation into China and the WHO's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada has applied some pressure in this regard but not as aggressive as the aforementioned countries. In 2019, more than 150,000 Chinese citizens studied and worked in Canada, making it the second largest group of foreign students after India. Last year, 53,000 students in the Greater Toronto Area came from China, while 34,000 students in the Greater Vancouver Area came from China, and 4,000 students from Victoria came from China. International students, including Chinese students, have been the main source of funding for many educational institutions in the country. However, since the COVID-19 outbreak, tense diplomatic relations, border restrictions, the transition to online classes and the high unemployment rate, the number of Chinese students studying abroad has decreased. Link to original article: https://www.vansky.com/news/stud/177539.html
WEB - Van People - Vancouver, 11/06/2020 - ARTICLE, Chinese Image Source: Van People website Summary Translation: Yorkbbs - According to IRCC, international student and newcomer numbers have been severely affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first quarter of 2020, the number of international students arriving in Canada was slowly declining. It has declined by 45% in comparison to the same period last year. China is Canada’s largest source of international students, and the number of Chinese international students has dropped severely. According to IRCC data, there were only 7,055 Chinese international students who obtained study permits in the first quarter, which was a 51% decrease compared to the same period last year. International students bring in most of the revenues for Canadian post-secondary institutions. Aside from textbook and living expenses, international students pay up to $6 billion in tuition fees each year. According to RBC’s prediction, the decrease in the number of international students will directly lead to a significant decrease in the revenue of Canadian universities and colleges. After the COVID-19 outbreak, many institutions have moved their traditional lessons online. RBC expert economic analyst Andrew Agopsowicz predicts that institutions will continue to move more courses to distant learning. With the travel ban issued by the government, the number of international students attending physically will decline drastically in September. Regarding the reason for the decline in international students, Agopsowicz said this is closely related to the federal government’s measures to restrict foreigners from entering the country during the pandemic. In order to prevent further spread of COVID-19, the federal government restricted foreigners from entering the country on March 18. This means only individuals with permits granted prior to March 18 can enter the country. The decline in international students and newcomer numbers will have long-term chain effects in the future. This will not only impact revenue for post-secondary institutions, but will also impact the rental market and businesses. Ultimately, it will impact the economic growth of Canada in general. However, it appears that Canada is still planning to welcome immigrants to the country. Federal Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has mentioned numerous times that immigration continues to be a key to help revive Canada’s economy after the pandemic. Link to original article: https://info.vanpeople.com/?action-viewnews-itemid-1084720
Ottawa is looking to grant permanent residence to asylum seekers working in healthcare - Arabic6/12/2020 WEB - Canada Alyoum - Toronto, 10/06/2020 - NEWS, Arabic Image Source: https://canadaalyoum.ca/ Summary Translation: In recognition of their efforts during the outbreak of the coronavirus, the federal government is developing a special program to grant permanent residence to asylum seekers who worked on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic. This interim measure is expected to cover all regions of Canada. Still, it is unclear how many asylum seekers will benefit from this program, as most of them are likely to be from Quebec. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino submitted a proposal on this program late Tuesday to the Coronavirus Cabinet Committee. This federal proposal is awaiting approval by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Link to original article:
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