Ethnic Media Highlights
translated summaries of coverage from a selection of ethnic media outlets across Canada to encourage cross cultural conversations |
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 Background and Inquiry Findings
Canada has been grappling with the issue of foreign interference since early 2023, through a public inquiry examining interference attempts by China, India, Russia, and other foreign actors in recent federal elections. While the inquiry's interim findings suggested limited impact on election outcomes, they highlighted the erosion of public confidence in Canada's democratic institutions as a significant concern. How does foreign influence of different homeland regimes through ethnic media erode Canadian confidence in its democracy? Chinese and South Asian Canadian community journalists gave detailed descriptions from their point of view of how their respective homeland governments interact with their communities. As multilingual media analysts, our team has been tracking the issue objectively across 30 languages and more than 600 sources across Canada and worldwide. The Need for Continuous Monitoring The inquiry's focus on specific election periods, while important, may overlook the continuous nature of foreign influence operations. Ongoing monitoring of ethnic media provides valuable insights into evolving narratives and interference attempts between election cycles, allowing for more proactive responses. Regular analysis of ethnic media content helps identify early signs of disinformation campaigns and opinion manipulation, enabling timely interventions to maintain public trust in democratic processes. Diverse Media Landscape and Consumption Patterns The Chinese-Canadian Media Ecosystem Hong Kong-born journalist Victor Ho provided insights into media consumption patterns within the Chinese-Canadian community, noting differences between Hong Kong immigrants and mainland Chinese newcomers. This highlights the importance of monitoring both English-language and Chinese-language media to get a comprehensive picture of information flows within the community. Ho recommended that the Canadian government should monitor what happens in the Chinese media in Canada. Columnist and broadcaster Ronald Leung said a lot of Chinese media in Canada get their news from the Hong Kong newspapers. Chinese radio in Canada is still majority Cantonese, even though the majority of the Chinese community is now Mandarin. Mandarin speakers from mainland China get their news from homeland sources on the Internet. Content and Influence in Chinese-Canadian Media While local Canadian news is presented in Chinese media with diverse views, it often emphasizes divisive issues on which the Chinese-Canadian community tends to disagree with Canadian approaches, such as drug policy, gender identity, crime and human rights. Certain matters like Taiwan, Hong Kong independence, the Uyghurs, Tibet and the democratic movement in China are taboo, and discussions of other news toe the official line of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Ho added that most local Chinese-language media has been influenced, if not outright controlled by, the CCP for years. If the CCP seeks to interfere in Canada's democratic process, one of its most effective tools is the Chinese language media. Mostly, narrative control is exercised through self-censorship within ownership and management structures aligned with the CCP. In addition, business and community leaders in the community who are close to the local consulate are used as proxies to keep media outlets in line. “They don’t use the consul general to call your people, because that’s too obvious. They use the community advertiser. They use people, especially the traditional Chinese organization leaders, somebody that will come to your office or gives you a ring to have a coffee chat, and then tries to explain the reason why this kind of article is very important.” The subtle approach to influence, often through community leaders and advertisers, highlights the need for sophisticated monitoring techniques that can detect nuanced changes in media narratives over time. This underscores the need for regular monitoring and analysis to identify patterns of influence and potential breaches of journalistic integrity. Regulatory Limitations and Shifting Media Landscape While there are calls for increased regulation of ethnic media through bodies like the CRTC, the shift towards internet-based radio stations and social media consumption presents challenges. Social media platforms like WeChat, Weibo, WhatsApp, and TikTok are frequently used to spread pro-CCP messaging. This evolving landscape necessitates a more comprehensive approach to monitoring that goes beyond traditional media. The South Asian Media Perspective Vulnerability of Small Media Outlets Journalist Gurpreet Singh testified about the vulnerability of ethnic media in the South Asian community, with many outlets run by small family operations susceptible to influence from business groups or foreign entities. This highlights the need for a comprehensive monitoring strategy that encompasses ethnic media serving various communities. Businesspeople who are close to Indian diplomats can influence a media outlet through their sponsorship and advertising. Singh said monitoring should be intensified of these proxies, especially during election time, as they can influence the voters through various means, including the media outlets. Taboo Topics and Pressure on Journalists Taboo issues in the Indian media include Kashmir, Khalistan, the Air India bombing, and the caste system. Journalists who cover these issues get pushback from proxies of the Indian consulate, such as prominent local businesspeople or community leaders. If critical reporting persists, the journalists are excluded from consular events and may be denied visas to India or have their overseas citizenship card revoked. Some journalists fear they will be arrested for their political views if they travel to India. Some are threatened with consequences for the careers of family members. Journalists favouring the Indian government’s perspectives are rewarded with travel opportunities, event invitations and advertising. This complex web of influences affecting ethnic media content underscores the importance of regular monitoring and analysis to identify shifts in coverage of sensitive topics. Beyond the Chinese and South Asian communities If one looks beyond these communities, in the last decade and a half there are many other instances of foreign interference in Canadian affairs and with expat communities. Russian interference in Canada has focused on election meddling, disinformation campaigns, and cyberattacks. They have targeted government networks, attempted to influence public opinion through social media, and sought to exacerbate societal divisions. Russian-backed entities have also tried to infiltrate Canadian media outlets and academic institutions to promote pro-Russian narratives and undermine trust in democratic processes. Iranian interference efforts include cyber espionage, targeting Canadian government agencies and businesses to steal sensitive data. They have also attempted to influence academic institutions and leverage community organizations to shape public opinion. Iran has been accused of using its embassy (before its closure in 2012) to promote its interests and influence Iranian-Canadians. Other countries, including North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and various Eastern European nations, have also been implicated in interference attempts. These often involve cyberattacks, propaganda dissemination, and attempts to influence policy through funding of think tanks or advocacy groups. To combat these diverse threats, Canada needs a comprehensive approach to monitoring and countering foreign interference, while realizing that it is a predictable but containable side effect of a robust multicultural policy. This includes robust cybersecurity measures, legislative reforms, and continuous monitoring of ethnic media and other channels of influence. Specialized services that can analyze multilingual content across various platforms will be crucial in identifying and addressing these evolving challenges to Canada's democratic integrity. Strategies for Effective Ongoing Monitoring of Ethnic Media To implement effective ongoing monitoring of ethnic media, several strategies can be employed, not only by government but by other organizations within Canada’s diverse society:
By implementing these and other strategies, policymakers and stakeholders can enhance their understanding of the ethnic media landscape and better address the challenges of foreign interference in Canada's multicultural democracy. We at MIREMS have been tracking ethnic media for decades, so we are very glad to hear the voices of key journalists describe the complex ethnic media world for the general public. The full session can be found at https://fic-cie.isi.sh/2024/2024-10-01/english-cc/. It’s worth your time as a concerned Canadian, whether currently in public office or not. Services like those offered by MIREMS, with its long-standing expertise in multilingual media monitoring and analysis, can play a crucial role in this ongoing effort to safeguard the integrity of Canada's information ecosystem. Our recent study on Diaspora Dynamics delves into the reactions of ethnic media in Canada to four distinct conflicts: the alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections, the assassination of a Sikh leader in Canada, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. It can be found at https://www.mirems.com/conferences.html (The MIREMS Team, 2024-10-07)
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 Have you wondered what the Chinese Canadian media is saying about Trudeau? Or what some of the South Asian takes are on the Conservative declarations of non-confidence?
In the fall of 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government found itself waltzing on a political tightrope. With the opposition Conservatives eager to topple the government, Trudeau faces a series of non-confidence votes in the House of Commons. The first motion was defeated 211-120, but the dance is far from over. Ethnic media have been following mainstream reporting on these developments, but they also have their own lively takes. Lei Yuzhi of the Canadian Chinese Times in Calgary criticized Trudeau for being slow to revitalize the economy post-pandemic, accusing him of playing geopolitical games with China to please the US. Tariffs on electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum have driven up prices and set back Canada’s progress on energy conservation and environmental protection by making electric vehicles less affordable. They also sparked Chinese countermeasures, impacting canola farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan. On the Chinese news website Vansky in Vancouver, some commenters blamed former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole’s anti-China stance for his election loss, allowing “Potato” (Trudeau) to win. Meanwhile, Calgary Life WeChat users lamented both Trudeau and Singh as "terrible," suggesting a vote for the People’s Party of Canada as an alternative since they can’t vote for the Conservatives. In Edmonton, the Punjabi Shaam Wala Show on Connect FM 101.7 hosted former Liberal candidate Sukhdev Aujla, who criticized the Conservatives for tabling no confidence motions every other day, knowing that the motions will not succeed. The Conservatives are wasting Parliament’s time and taxpayers’ money on these motions rather than focusing on policy issues. Aujla predicted the next federal budget would be a showdown. Vancouver’s Red FM 93.1 Roshni host Harpreet Singh echoed the sentiment that the Conservatives are wasting the valuable time of the Parliament with motions it knows will fail. Meanwhile, guest Pooja Sekhon took a swipe at the NDP and Bloc for backing Liberal “corruption,” despite praising the dental care program and pension increase initiatives. Across the ocean, Indian media focus on Jagmeet Singh’s Khalistan ties and Trudeau’s tensions with India, especially regarding the Hardeep Singh Nijjar incident. The Hindi TV9 Bharatvarsh in Noida pointed out that Singh has withdrawn his support from the Liberals despite Trudeau’s “pro-Khalistan advocacy.” Simantik Dowerah in Mumbai’s Firstpost highlighted Trudeau's rocky trade relations with China and strained ties with India, thanks to his controversial stances and perceived leniency towards the separatist group. Deliberate efforts by foreign governments to support candidates friendly to their interests are currently subject to public inquiry. An eye on the ethnic and homeland media offers a kaleidoscope of perspectives on the homeland-specific issues shaping opinions and electoral choices in Canada's vibrant multicultural electorate. (The MIREMS Team, 2024-10-01)  In Canada's diverse media landscape, two distinct voices emerge when covering international student issues: the familiar mainstream media and the lesser-known ethnic media. While both play crucial roles in informing the public, their approaches and focuses often differ, offering complementary perspectives on this complex topic.
Mainstream media, with its broad reach and resources, tend to focus on official-language institutional, business and academic spokespersons. They often emphasize government announcements, economic and demographic implications, and institutional responses. On the other hand, ethnic media, published in various languages and catering to specific communities, delve deeper into the personal stories and challenges faced by international students themselves and into community concerns, perceptions and responses. Interviews with experts and advocates from the respective communities explain policies and trends in the language and cultural code the audience understands. This article explores how these two media streams work in tandem to paint a comprehensive picture of the international student experience in Canada. By understanding both perspectives, we can gain valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of this important issue. Mainstream Canadian Media On September 18, 2024, Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault announced new policies that capped international student numbers, sparking concern among universities, colleges, and businesses. The Canadian Press quickly reported pushback, particularly regarding the inclusion of graduate students in the cap, which raised fears about Canada’s reputation as an education destination. Universities expressed concerns that visa complications and restrictions on spousal work permits could lead prospective students to choose other countries. Toronto Star Columnist Armine Yalnizyan emphasized the importance of immigrants in addressing Canada’s aging population and workforce needs, advocating for permanent immigration, especially in rural areas. Meanwhile, CBC highlighted the struggles of international students, particularly students from India, who make up 41% of Canada’s international student population. Issues such as high living costs, predatory landlords, and questionable colleges were cited, with Toronto immigration lawyer Sergio R. Karas suggesting a moratorium on study permits due to the system’s overwhelming scale. Businesses also voiced concerns, with the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association criticizing the lack of consultation and pointing to labour shortages. Advocacy groups noted that many temporary foreign workers are experts in essential fields. Universities, particularly in rural areas, have been hit hard, facing program cuts, hiring freezes, and a significant drop in international applications. Immigration Minister Miller shifted responsibility to provincial governments, emphasizing that the privilege of hosting international students requires proper funding. Ethnic Media in Canada Ethnic media in Canada have been just as busy covering the international student story. Like their mainstream counterparts, many started by simply reporting the government’s announcement, featuring footage from the press conference by Miller and Boissonnault. From The Korea Daily in Vancouver to Farsi-language daily Salam Toronto, the news spread quickly. Some outlets, like Toronto-based Tamil daily radio East FM 102.7, the Toronto Chinese daily outlet 51.ca, and the national and multilingual OMNI TV, juxtaposed this announcement with stories about how Ontario nearly balanced its budget thanks to international student tuition. But what sets ethnic media apart? Community-Specific Perspectives Ethnic media bring in voices from their own communities and speak directly to their readers in their own languages. For example, OMNI News Filipino interviewed immigration consultant Debbie Piandong, who explained how difficult it is for college students to switch programs halfway through their studies if they want to remain eligible for a post-graduation work permit. Meanwhile, OMNI News Punjabi spoke with immigration expert Kanwar Sierah, who pointed out that the sudden policy change feels like a betrayal for students who came to Canada expecting a clear path to a work permit. Over at OMNI News Italian, Ilaraia Ferrati from Woori Education Group explained how the number of Italian students had already been declining, as young Italians are mostly opting for Working Holiday visas instead. The Toronto Spanish papers El Popular and Correo Canadiense, with an estimated combined circulation of 75,000, printed a column by immigration expert Vilma Filici reviewing the shifts in international student policy during the pandemic and now. Filici finds it unfair for international students to pay the price for the federal government’s over-correcting of student numbers during the pandemic. Filici also considers it “absurd” to require additional language testing for post-graduation work permits, since students already have to pass a language test for admission to a Canadian college or university. Ongoing Reporting on Community Concerns Ethnic media also take the time to check in on issues affecting their communities, even between major government announcements. For instance, Salam Toronto, OMNI TV Punjabi, and East FM 102.7 have all have been reporting on the disturbing issue of female international students facing sexual exploitation by landlords and offers of reduced rent for roommates with benefits. On the brighter side, the Toronto-based Japanese monthly Torja shared stories of mature international students who came to Canada to change careers or upgrade their skills. The piece highlighted the Canadian trend of people returning to school mid-career, which was inspiring for students from cultures where this is not as common. However, not all voices are optimistic. Some Chinese media outlets, like Vancouver dailies Van People and the Canada News Network, have reflected concerns about the influx of Indian students. For example, a Van People writer expressed discomfort with the growing number of Indian students working in fast food outlets, gas stations, and delivery jobs, feeling that Indian students have been dominating the job market since the pandemic. The writer also noted a sense of growing anti-Indian sentiment within some parts of the Chinese community. Ethnic media have also been covering ongoing protests by international students. Chinese websites like dailies Calgary Life WeChat, Calgary Official WeChat and Van People in Vancouver reported on Indian international students protesting in Prince Edward Island after the province refused to participate in a work permit program. Many comments on the Chinese websites sided with the government and derided the protesters, criticizing their sense of entitlement to work permits and permanent residency. Meanwhile, Indian media like the national TV OMNI News Punjabi and PTC Punjabi TV supported the protests, highlighting calls for work permit renewals and better pathways to permanent residency. Conclusion The contrast between mainstream and ethnic media coverage of international student issues highlights the importance of diverse perspectives in journalism. While mainstream outlets tend to provide a broad view of policy changes and their national and local impact, ethnic media offer a more nuanced, community-focused view by bringing in voices from within their own communities. They provide a platform for community-specific concerns, cultural context, and ongoing coverage of issues that may otherwise go unnoticed. Ethnic media offer a deeper connection to the lived experiences of the students and communities directly affected. By embracing both viewpoints, the reader can develop a more holistic and nuanced understanding that different newcomer communities have different perspectives on each other and on policy matters. This comprehensive approach not only benefits the international students but also enriches our national dialogue on education, immigration, and cultural diversity. Moving forward, there is an opportunity for mainstream media to incorporate more grassroots perspectives and personal stories into their coverage. Similarly, ethnic media could benefit from broader dissemination of their insights to reach a wider audience. By bridging these two worlds, we can foster a more inclusive and informed public discourse on international student issues in Canada. (The MIREMS Team, 2024-09-24)  Canadian politics just got a whole lot more interesting!
The political "bromance" between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party and Jagmeet Singh's New Democratic Party (NDP) has officially hit the rocks. After months of working together, Singh decided to call it quits, leaving the Liberals without the NDP's support. And everyone is talking about it – from Canadian ethnic media to political commentators halfway across the globe. The Breakup Heard 'Round the Country MIREMS – Multilingual International Research and Ethnic Media Services – tracked over 120 stories about this political split from Canadian ethnic media within a week. Many followed the mainstream storyline as per the grand leaders’ social media posts and press conferences: Singh pulled the plug, accusing Trudeau of putting corporate interests before everyday Canadians. The NDP leader said Trudeau wasn’t doing enough on big issues like housing, inflation, and keeping corporations in check. He accused Trudeau of prioritizing corporate interests over the welfare of Canadians. Ouch! Now people are wondering if this means Trudeau's government is on shaky ground. The Conservatives? They're already calling for early elections (no surprise there). Trudeau, on the other hand, is trying to keep cool, saying he’s going to stay focused on affordability and climate change, even though the pressure on him to step down is growing louder by the minute – and not just from the opposition. LGBTQ2+ allies are calling for him to step aside and make room for someone with a chance to stop the Conservatives, who they perceive as clear and present danger. The Liberal candidate in the Montreal by-election hides away the party leader’s face. The Punjabi Perspective In the Punjabi media, the news was, well, huge. On Edmonton’s Connect FM 101.7’s Shaam Wala Show, political analyst Naresh Bhardwaj explained that Singh had already achieved a lot of his party's goals through the deal with the Liberals – things like childcare, dental care, and pharmacare. But now, he’s ready to bail before the Liberals’ sinking ship takes him down with it. Smart move, right? Former Ontario Liberal MPP Harinder Takhar shared his thoughts on Red FM 88.9 Good Morning Toronto and CJMR 1320 Punjab Di Goonj, explaining that Singh was getting pressure from all sides – including Conservatives and unions – to end the deal. The unions were offended by the Trudeau government imposing binding arbitration in the rail workers’ strike, and the NDP membership is growing impatient with the lack of effective action on affordability. Takhar doesn’t think Singh is trying to force an election just yet, though. It’s more a matter of political positioning. Shameel Jasvir, the host of Good Morning Toronto on Red FM, considers the NDP “deceitful” for breaking their promise with the Liberals early. India’s Hot Take: Khalistan Controversy Meanwhile, the media in India was all over this story too, but with a twist. Many outlets, including the national Dainik Bhaskar, the Times of India in Mumbai, the Navbharat Times in Delhi, the Bharat Express in Noida (Greater Delhi), and the Dainik Jagran in Kanpur, as well as TV9 Bharatvarsh, focused on Singh’s alleged ties to pro-Khalistan groups (a hot-button issue in India). Dainik Bhaskar reminded readers that Singh was denied a visa to India in 2013 because of accusations that he was involved in anti-India activities. Shambhunath Shukla at TV9 Bharatvarsh commented that Singh left Justin Trudeau in the lurch, after Trudeau opposed India on Singh’s behest. He wondered whether Trudeau might stay quiet on the issue of Khalistan and the Nijjar murder now that Singh is no longer in his corner. The Times of India went a step further, claiming that Singh’s political strategy has involved cozying up to pro-Khalistan groups and accusing both him and Trudeau of pandering to voters who support Khalistan. They pointed out that both leaders attended a Khalsa Day rally in Toronto where pro-Khalistan chants were heard and banners displayed. Chinese Media: A Different Kind of Worry In Canada’s Chinese-language media, the conversation was a little different. Some outlets were more focused on the NDP being too left-wing for their taste. Discussions on the Chinese 51.ca website called on community members to vote Conservative because Canada needs to return to traditional values. One post claimed that Trudeau deceived Canadians while Singh deceived Trudeau. Other commenters on 51.ca called the Liberal-NDP alliance an “affront to democracy.” Comments on the Chinese Canada News Network website in Vancouver even suggested that if Singh ever became Prime Minister, it would “bring Canada to full destruction.” Over on WeChat, the conversation turned to concerns about the influence of the Sikh community in Canadian politics. Posts on the Calgary Life WeChat call for Chinese Canadians to exercise their influence and vote out Trudeau without letting the NDP in, unless they “want Canada to become another India.” Comments posted on the Edmonton WeChat noted that while the Indian and Chinese communities in Canada each make up around 4% of the population, the Indian community seems to have more visibility. Some even said that the Indian community’s cheerful and carefree attitude helps them dominate service industries. The Indian community is seen as more united, which gives them an advantage in elections. So, What’s Next? With the NDP stepping back, Trudeau’s government is in for a bumpy ride. The Conservatives are rubbing their hands together, hoping for early elections, while Trudeau is trying to reassure everyone he’s still got things under control. And of course, ethnic media across Canada – and even in India – is buzzing with speculation, criticism, and a healthy dose of drama. Grab your popcorn, folks. Canadian politics just got a whole lot more interesting, and it looks like this show is far from over! (The MIREMS Team, 2024-09-17) By MIREMS Editor-in-Chief Silke Reichrath
In the current electoral context, ethnic media have a two-fold role of reflecting national political messages to diverse multilingual audiences – as illustrated in our previous blog [http://www.mirems.com/mirems-blog/ethnic-media-shine-spotlight-on-electoral-uncertainty-for-trudeau] - and of illuminating local political dynamics within these multilingual segments of the population. This includes coverage of election issues relevant to the audience, like immigration, anti-racism policies and Canada’s relationship to the respective homeland, and the participation of candidates across the political spectrum from the respective ethno-cultural group. Candidates running from an ethnic group capture significant attention in the multilingual and ethnic media and are often seen as representing not just the local riding and the party, but also the ethno-cultural group of their ancestry. MIREMS captured about 80 stories featuring local candidates. Initially they focused on criticism of Vancouver Granville Liberal candidate Taleeb Noormohamed over his history of house flipping and of Kitchener Centre Liberal candidate Raj Saini over inappropriate conduct towards female staffers. Then over the last week to ten days of the campaign, a lot of ethnic media outlets ran interviews or features on candidates from their ethnic group as well as comparative reviews of the candidates in certain ridings, particularly in Brampton. OMNI Punjabi ran overviews of each Brampton riding on successive days. On September 13, commentators on 1350 AM Ramz Punjabi felt that Liberal candidates have high chances to win in all five Brampton ridings and that the Conservatives have said that Brampton is not on their wish list. Portuguese media focused on the race in York South-Weston, while Filipino media focused on the Little Manila riding of York Centre. In addition to covering ethnic candidates and races in multi-ethnic ridings, several ethnic media contributions showed an active concern for political participation among their group, including encouraging people to vote so that their voices may be heard and worrying about representation of their ethnic group by candidates from that group. On September 14, OMNI Filipino featured a virtual meet-and-greet of Justin Trudeau with four Filipino-Canadian candidates. Oxford County candidate Elizabeth Quinto is running because she wants not only Oxford County, but also the 900,000 strong Filipino community to have a voice in Ottawa as it has been two decades since Filipinos have been represented. On September 9, Toronto-based Spanish newspaper Correo Canadiense featured Hispanic Liberal candidate Pablo Rodríguez and NDP candidate Matías de Dovitiis. Both pointed to a need for Latinos to be more active in Canada’s political life and to be represented - the Hispanic community is very big, but it has no political representation. Meanwhile, on September 16, two Chinese websites from Vancouver, Vansky and Van People, both ran articles showing concern for a decline in the number of Chinese candidates, following an analysis in Ottawa’s CFC NEWS on August 27. There are currently 17 Chinese candidates, compared to 40 candidates in 2019, 25 in 2015 and 23 in 2011. Ding Guo, a political commentator in Metro Vancouver, believes that there are fewer Chinese candidates because Chinese candidates are “a little unacceptable”. He explained that this is due to the pressure of racial discrimination caused by the pandemic and the unprecedented state of Canada-China relations. The Chinese Communist Party has become a common opponent of Western countries, making Chinese candidates feel that they cannot “move up” in the party. In addition, Chinese media and the Voices of Overseas Chinese had difficulties getting candidates to attend their proposed all-party forums in the Vancouver area, according to Van People. Broadcasting from Oakville, Ont., CJMR Punjab Di Goonj reported on September 9 that a total of 47 Punjabis are contesting the election, which is similar to the 2019 elections. Nevertheless, there was some concern about high-profile Punjabis retiring from politics or not winning nominations because the Punjabi vote was split among multiple candidates at the nomination stage, according to Toronto’s Punjabi newspaper Hamdard Weekly. A Canadian Press analysis found at least 77 indigenous candidates this year, compared with 62 in 2019. Operation Black Vote Canada has reported a slight increase in the number of Black candidates to 60. In 2019, there were reportedly 45 Black candidates, but only five were elected, as reported by Jeremiah Rodriguez on CTV News1 on September 2. Election day will show how many of these candidates were in winnable ridings and which ethnic groups will garner representation in the House of Commons. Regardless of the outcome, the ethnic media can be counted on to provide insights into the microcosm of diverse ridings and constituencies, as well as into the specific issues of concern for minority groups. https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/federal-election-2021/advocates-disappointed-by-lack-of-racial-diversity-among-major-parties-candidates-1.5571347 MIREMS continues to closely watch the federal elections through the eyes and ears of Canada’s ethnic media. Please see below for a selection of translated multilingual stories providing a diverse perspective on the election campaign as we round the final bend before September 20.
Liberals and their election platform - Punjabi Description: Jagdish Grewal - The show began with a criticism of the manner in which the Liberals have gate-kept Justin Trudeau from an interview with the host of the show. He spoke about how he has always been considerate of MPs' privacy, and never personally attacked them, preferring to stick to policy questions. The host was disappointed by the fact that, apart from Liberal MP Ruby Sahota, whom the host held in great regard for her bravery and commitment to Sikh and Muslim communities, no other Liberals had reached out to his show to discuss their new platform. MP Sahota had forwarded the show a list of talking points about the Liberals' platform, which was discussed. It included actions against the flipping of real estate, new vaccination protocols and universal public health care, sustainability and climate change directives, the taxation of big banks, and the protection of communities from gun violence, as well as fighting racism and providing drinking water to Indigenous communities across Canada. With Trudeau announcing this platform, Erin O'Toole was also heavily criticized by the Liberals for not mentioning racism in the Conservatives' platform. Currently, in Quebec, the Liberals are in the lead, but a co-host said that he was certain that the Conservatives would be able to form a minority government. The polls show both parties neck-and-neck, and the Liberals' platform release had not really benefited their standing. The question remained whether the Conservatives would be able to run successfully against the Bloc Quebecois in Quebec, since the NDP would not align with them. The co-host also pointed out how Trudeau's performance at press conferences was dismal, and that he seems uncertain of his own political standing. RADIO - WTOR 770 AM Asian Awaz - Toronto, 02/09/2021 - COMMENTARY, 10 mins, Punjabi Early elections ordered by Trudeau could blow up right in his face! - Romanian Description: Petru Clej - When he asked the Governor General to dissolve the House of Commons [sic] and [called] elections on September 20, Prime Minister Trudeau hoped to capitalize on the relatively good results in combatting the coronavirus, in contrast to the neighbour to the south. However, in the course of the campaign, Trudeau was often met with hostility. After starting the election campaign with a lead in the polls compared to the Conservative party led by Erin O’Toole, Trudeau has started to lose ground and now is practically equal with his principal centre-right rivals. In the previous federal election in 2019, Trudeau was unable to obtain the absolute majority with which he came into power for the first time in 2015, and this year, alongside anti-vaccine protests, he had to also face the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, where Canadians, like other westerners, were not filled with glory. In fact, Trudeau, at 49 years of age, has rather disappointed in the six years he has been in power. The son of the famous former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Justin Trudeau, as time went on, [left] more and more people disappointed by this politician who seems more interested in gratuitous gestures, such as when he dressed in Hindu [sic] clothing during a visit to India, and he is accused by his adversaries of lacking in consistency and of not fulfilling his election promises. This year, he has to face a formidable opponent for prime minister, the new Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, a lawyer who is not really charismatic but who is very precise in his criticism of Trudeau. On the left, Trudeau is competing with the charismatic leader of the NDP, Jagmeet Singh, the son of Sikh immigrants from India, who especially addresses the young and the disadvantaged voters. The next three weeks will be as decisive for Trudeau as much as for O’Toole. Either way, Trudeau is the one who wanted this election to obtain an absolute majority and the political bomb that he threw on August 15 could blow up right in his face on September 20. PRINT - Faptu Divers - Toronto, 01/09/2021 - ARTICLE, p. 13, Romanian Erin O’Toole is unfriendly towards China - Chinese Description: No Byline - Since Erin O’Toole was chosen as Conservative Party leader, many Chinese community members have been paying attention to him, because he loves to talk about China. Even though Conservatives were never friendly towards the Chinese, O’Toole appears to be more radical and firm compared to Andrew Scheer. O’Toole blamed the tense Canada and China relations on the Trudeau government, calling them “weak” and said the federal government “had made serious mistakes on security and trade issues”. He also called for the establishment of a committee to investigate Canada - China relations. Trudeau emphasized that there is no need to further escalate the conflict between Canada and China. After many Chinese people learned about O’Toole’s attitude, they all expressed support for the Liberals. A netizen had lots of opinions about the Liberals, but now they can only vote for the Liberals, because the Conservatives are worse. Another netizen said that Canada is a multicultural country. If the right-wing Conservatives are elected, then Canada’s multiculturalism will disappear, and WeChat will also be banned. WeChat is a critical mobile app to many Chinese. They use this tool to communicate with their families and friends. The news about banning WeChat has caused many Chinese Canadians to object. https://www.vansky.com/news/char/191828.html WEB - Vansky - Vancouver, 30/08/2021 - ARTICLE, 1 page web, Chinese The invisible campaign in Brampton - Punjabi Description: While in the previous election, party workers would knock on doors up to three times in the run up to the elections. The host said he had not heard at all from either the Conservatives or the NDP. Are the parties taking it easy this time, or has something changed for Brampton? The guest on the show said that these elections belong to COVID-19. Usually, there are volunteers putting up signs, and going door to door, but the pandemic has prevented this. Secondly, 1.3 million people have already voted in advance, while 6-7 million people are voting via ballots, so this has made the physical manifestations of the election seem absent. No major leaders appeared in Brampton -- is it because they already know who is going to win in the region? The guest said that Brampton has always been a battleground, remembering how Stephen Harper would campaign in the region. This time, only Trudeau paid Brampton a short visit, and no other leader even did so, neither Liberals, nor Conservatives, nor the NDP. It seems that the latter parties have left the region up to the Liberals. Brampton has a massive immigrant, South Asian, and Punjabi population, and all the candidates in the region are Punjabi, irrespective of whichever party they represent. Perhaps for these regions, the parties have generally avoided Brampton, as well as Mississauga. It is evident that the Liberals will win the region, which is why they do not visit the region as well. RADIO - CJMR Punjab Di Goonj - Oakville, 13/09/2021 - COMMENTARY, 10 mins, Punjabi English-language federal election debate - Spanish Description: Celia Urbalejo, Fabian Merlo - The English-language federal leaders' debate was held on Thursday night, and the main topics were climate change and Indigenous affairs. The debate was the last chance for the leaders to influence voters ahead of the September 20 elections. The fall of Afghanistan and detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in China provoked discussions among the leaders. There was also criticism against Justin Trudeau for calling an election as Afghanistan fell into the hands of the Taliban. Radio host Fabian Merlo thinks there are election topics that are important, but they don't incite passion in people. There was a heated exchange regarding climate change, but this isn't a topic that draws out passion like the economy or immigration. Fabian Merlo doesn't know if climate change would be such a hot topic in other places like it is here. Canada forms part of one of the main groups fighting against climate change, and many people have accused Trudeau of not doing enough and that many promises weren't met. Another topic that shouldn't be left aside is the increase of COVID-19 in Alberta, which is due to errors and inaction by the provincial government. The UCP's plan to lift all restrictions and preventative measures for the pandemic seems to have been based on optimism and political convenience, without scientific evidence, according to infectious disease and pandemic modelling experts. RADIO - CHIN 91.9 FM Spanish - Toronto, 10/09/2021 - TALK SHOW, 3 mins, Spanish Alternatives to Trudeau: The Liberals are losing the advantage - Russian Description: no byline - The article says that, for the first time in the election campaign, the Conservatives overtook the Liberals in popularity. A recently published regular poll shows that 34.4 percent of those surveyed are going to vote for the Tories and 33.6 percent for the Liberals. This is a small but very significant difference in the dynamics of the election. Although the outcome of the election is far from certain, the numbers may indicate the kind of growing disenchantment among voters with Justin Trudeau's party and himself which may be decisive on September 20. The main reasons for discontent are obvious: the radical policies of the Trudeau team, fatigue from the war on the coronavirus, housing difficulties, the rapid rise in the cost of living and the untimely elections. However, voters are moving away from the Liberals not so much towards the Conservatives as towards the New Democrats, whose approval rating rose three percent to 18.9 percent. The author says that NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is clearly aiming to become the "new Trudeau" and attract voters who share the Liberals' radical attitudes, but who have turned their back on Trudeau. As for the other parties, the Green party was supported by just over four per cent of the surveyed, and the People's Party of Canada by just over three per cent. The Bloc Québécois, even in Québec, has a rating below six per cent. The polls on the leaders' popularity provide interesting data. The most popular leader is Jagmeet Singh. He has the approval of 45 percent of respondents and the disapproval of 39 percent. The attitude of Canadians to Conservative leader Erin O'Toole is quite predictable. His positive rating is low, only 28 percent, and his negative is 48 percent. The article says that this is the result of many years of anti-conservative campaigning in society and the mass media, and the fact that the Conservative leader took office relatively recently. However, with a very moderate and "progressive" campaign, O'Toole has a chance of becoming a real alternative to Justin Trudeau. Trudeau is supported by 41 percent of respondents, but has disapproval of a record 53 percent of respondents. The article says that although polling data and ratings from different companies differ and change quite rapidly, the dynamics so far are not in favour of the Liberals. In all likelihood, they will continue to increase the appeal of their promises and will probably resort to intimidating "progressive" voters with the prospect of a Conservative government. The big question remains who will be the alternative to the Liberals, the New Democrats, led by Singh, or the Conservatives, led by O'Toole. WEB - Russian Express - Toronto, 03/09/2021 - COMMENTARY, 1 page web, Russian Federal election 2021 - Will Trudeau come to power again? - Tamil Description: Sivathasan - Canadian federal elections are due in two weeks. When Justin Trudeau faced the 2019 federal elections he expected a majority win. He could not secure a majority win since he had many allegations against him, his government and Liberal politicians/cabinet ministers/MPs. Trudeau's Principal Secretary Gerald Butts ran the PM's office like the Rajapaksa's of Sri Lanka. His approach was "my way or high way" according to many political observers. However, Butts was instrumental in bringing the Liberals back to power. He was Trudeau's "Prashant Kishor". Even though Butts is officially out of the government it appears that Butts is operating from the background. As such, undoubtedly Trudeau will form the government. Trudeau's luck is three pronged this time. First the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented unwanted political meetings and people are stuck in their homes. It is unlikely that many will opt for postal voting. Those who will opt for postal voting will be younger voters who are Trudeau fans. Secondly, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole lacks charisma. But O'Toole is honest and not an "ultra-right" like his predecessor Andrew Scheer. This could lead the Conservatives to withdraw their support for O'Toole. Thirdly, Trudeau's Liberal and left inclined policies have earned a respectable position for Canada in the domestic and international arena. Trudeau is a leader keenly observed by other international politicians. Even though Trudeau has made mistakes, in the absence of a viable political alternative, voters will likely choose Trudeau again. WEB - Marumoli - National, 06/09/2021 - ARTICLE, 1 page web, Tamil NDP might lead in seat count in Quebec - Gujarati Description: NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is very focused on his campaign in Quebec. He is not bothered what other parties are doing there. He does not even react to the comments of other parties. The NDP hopes that it will get back the seats lost in the previous federal election. The NDP had won 59 seats during the Orange wave of 2011 but lost most of them in the last federal elections. Right now, the Bloc Quebecois, NDP and Liberals are at the same level. But whichever party attempts to divide Quebecers on the basis of race and religion will have to pay the price on election day, and the NDP might be the one who gains. PRINT - Gujarat Abroad - Toronto, 03/09/2021 - COMMENTARY, p. 7, Gujarati Money and time squandered: a useless debate - Italian Description: Joe Volpe - Corriere publisher Joe Volpe says Canadian election campaigns and debates should be about matters of interest to Canadians in general. Nonetheless, the Canadian multilingual group, which comprises over 22% of the country’s population, has been excluded. Not surprisingly, no one consulted in the Corriere’s focus group watched the debate. Volpe admits to having difficulty maintaining interest in a “robotic exercise” lacking in vision or ability to manage the unexpected. It was a superficial debate best characterized by the phrase “Believe me, I’m better than they are.” No proof required. The only bomb of the evening exploded when the question of “systemic discrimination” inherent in two legislative initiatives approved by the Quebec government was raised. It angered Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Quebec Premier François Legault. Blanchet claims Quebec is a secular society because it discovered that religion has proven ineffective in protecting the rights of women and minorities. Whether one believes such a statement or not, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who openly shows his religious garb, would be “unwelcome” in the Quebec legislature or any public institution except as a casual visitor. PRINT - Corriere Canadese (29500 - Daily5) - Toronto, 13/09/2021 - ARTICLE, 1/2 page, p. 2, Italian The wind of the election is blowing. - Bengali Description: No byline - Canada's national election was announced during the pandemic, almost two years before the scheduled election date. Hence, the wind of the election has started blowing. The situation of the ruling Liberal Party, which was at its peak of popularity only a few months ago, is in turmoil. The popularity of the party is decreasing every day. Doubts have also arisen as to whether the absolute majority can somehow win now. The recent survey found that most Canadians (58%) do not like the idea of holding elections during this epidemic and do not feel safe. The Ipsos poll survey also found that about 25% of voters did not feel safe going to the polls during the epidemic. Among voters, 16% said they would vote by post instead of going to the polls. And 21% of voters said they were not yet sure whether they would go to the polls in person or vote by post. And 2% of voters said they would not vote at this time. With a majority, the Liberal Party has a 12% chance of winning. And the chances of winning as a minority are 42%. On the other hand, the Conservative Party has a 5% chance of winning with a majority and a 40% chance of winning as a minority. PRINT - Probashi Kantho - Toronto, 08/09/2021 - ARTICLE, p. 6, Bengali Elections in Canada: It is difficult to survive Prime Minister Trudeau’s chair - Hindi Description: Shivangi C - In the second election debate, Justin Trudeau appeared surrounded by questions from opposition leaders. He was seen faltering on the question of why he imposed mid-term elections on the country when it was battling the COVID pandemic. Trudeau decided to hold elections two years before the end of the Parliament’s term. The election will be held on 20 September. Trudeau was asked repeatedly whether he would now promise that there would not be another election within four years if he won again. Trudeau’s response to this was weak. According to analysts, there is not much difference between the agenda of the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. There have been differences between them on the implementation methods of the welfare schemes. But broadly, the agenda of both the parties has been the same. Erin O’Toole has tried to present a more centrist face of the Conservative Party. According to observers, the personality of the leaders has therefore become the most decisive factor. With respect to immigration policy, the Liberal Party has promised that it will abolish citizenship fees if it returns to power. Also, the applications filed for immigration will be processed more expeditiously. The Liberal Party has promised to make it easier for foreign workers to obtain permanent resident status and to allow more foreign students to come to Canada. The Conservative Party has said that its immigration plan will include allowing immigrants who want to get their applications processed quickly to pay an additional fee for faster processing. The Conservative Party has also promised to tighten the surveillance system for migrants. WEB - CanAm News - Vancouver, 10/09/2021 - ARTICLE, 1 page web, Hindi East Vancouver candidates refuse to attend Chinese radio debate - Chinese Description: Han Jiafeng - NDP candidate and immigration issues commentator Jenny Kwan criticizes the Liberal Party for ignoring the Chinese community. A Canadian Chinese radio station was originally scheduled to hold a forum on September 9 for the federal candidates, but candidates of the Liberal Party, Conservative Party and Green Party all refused to attend. Hence, the event was cancelled. Kwan expressed disappointment and criticized the candidates for doing this. Kwan said that if candidates are unwilling to come out and take questions from the media, will they meet with people and listen to public opinion after being elected? The Voices of Overseas Chinese invited candidates to their forum last week, but only the NDP and Conservative candidates attended. There are six federal constituencies in Vancouver, but none of the Liberal candidates are willing to attend an election forum hosted by Chinese media. Recently, it was reported that someone gave out free lunch to help East Vancouver Liberal candidate Josh Vander Vies gather support. Regarding Vander Vies reluctance to participate in Chinese media debates, Kwan questioned how much he actually values the opinions of the Chinese community. She also thinks that inviting people to eat to support the Liberals is a very problematic approach. https://info.vanpeople.com/1252115.html WEB - Van People - Vancouver, 11/09/2021 - ARTICLE, 1 page web, Chinese Federal leaders' habit of ignoring Western Canada continues - Punjabi Description: Amanjot Singh Pannu - Every time there is a federal election, the leaders routinely neglect issues from the western, prairie part of the country, and this election season has been no different. Since the election has been announced, neither of the three main leaders, Trudeau, Singh, and O'Toole, has made an appearance in the region. Why is this so? Perhaps because the provinces in the region do not count for as many seats as the ones in the eastern parts of the country do. Besides, it seems that the NDP and Liberal leaders have accepted that whatever they do, at least 30 or so of the seats will go to the Conservatives. Political experts also believe that were federal leaders to pay attention to the prairies, perhaps some swing seats might go to new parties, but most residents would vote in predictable ways, and so the leaders, too, act in a predictable manner. The host compared the importance given by these leaders to Ontario and Quebec to the way Indian leaders think of the state of Uttar Pradesh, which elects the largest number of members to the Indian parliament. RADIO - Red FM 106.7 Good Morning Calgary - Calgary, 13/09/2021 - COMMENTARY, 5 mins, Punjabi Almost 18 months after the start of the pandemic, Tam went silent - Portuguese Description: Idalina da Silva - Sol Portugues contributor Idalina da Silva is a fan of the daily news about COVID-19 and especially enjoys listening to Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam with her daily report on the pandemic situation. Da Silva finds Tam explicit in her statements. Suddenly, however, Tam stopped showing up to talk to Canadians. After nearly 18 months of the pandemic, Tam is remarkably absent from the national scene. Da Silva asks why. The situation prompted da Silva to ask another question: Did Prime Minister Justin Trudeau make a bad decision in calling federal elections during this fourth wave of the pandemic and ban the public health authority from providing daily updates on the pandemic situation? Personally, da Silva does not agree with Trudeau's decision to call elections when we are still grappling with the crisis caused by the pandemic, especially the Delta variant. However, she believes that everyone will do their best to ensure that public safety is maintained. PRINT - Sol Portugues - Toronto, 10/09/2021 - ARTICLE, p. 10, Portuguese Host defended Liberals for black face scandal - Urdu Description: Dr. Abdul Qayyum Rana, Founder of the Centrist Party of Canada (CPC) said that Canadians have seen both the Conservative and Liberal parties. Now they should give a chance to a new party to bring change. He said that he was not interested in politics, but as a neurologist, and specialist in Parkinson's disease, when he heard the issues of people, he studied the parties and their plans. He said that the Conservatives have so many corruption scandals. In 2015, when the Liberals came to power, Canadians thought that their leader was young and energetic, and would work differently. But, with the new leader, the Aga Khan scandal came up. SNC-Lavalin and the black face scandals also came up. Host Arifa Muzaffar defended the black face scandal, and shared her experience in performing stage plays. She said that we can talk about WE Charity, SNC-Lavalin, and other scandals. But the black face one was unfair. RADIO - Saaz-O-Awaz - Toronto, 10/09/2021 - INTERVIEW, Urdu Pablo Rodríguez: We want the people to decide - Spanish Description: Isabel Inclán - Correo Canadiense speaks to Liberal candidate Pablo Rodríguez, who is running in the riding of Honoré-Mercier, Quebec. Rodríguez, who is originally from Argentina, calls on members of the Latino and Hispanic community to be more active in Canada’s political life. In his view, it is important, no matter what party they choose, for Latinos to be represented at all levels of Canadian society. He says that while Canada’s doors are open to Latin Americans, migration is not always an easy process, as there are provincial objectives and numbers. For example, Quebec chooses a large portion of its migrants. Nonetheless, it is difficult to compare the situation in Latin America to what is now happening in Afghanistan. For that reason, says Rodríguez, we have decided to open the doors to those 20,000 refugees who are in a life and death situation. PRINT - Correo Canadiense - Toronto, 09/09/2021 - INTERVIEW, pp. 6 and 7, Spanish Confusion around political platforms ahead of elections - Punjabi Description: Harjinder Thind - Two weeks ahead of the elections, the frontrunner has changed, due to the dipping fortunes of the Liberals. Both the Conservatives and Liberals have taken ideas from each other's platforms, causing much debate. Protests have been following all of Justin Trudeau's rallies. In London, Ontario, Trudeau was pelted with small bits of gravel. While people have the right to protest, should they be allowed to hurt political leaders like this? Eggs were not thrown at him, but pieces of rock certainly were. Some are also claiming that this might be planned mischief by the People's Party of Canada (PPC), because many of the protestors seemed to be wearing PPC clothes. The matter of restricting ownership of assault rifles has led to much conflict. It is often considered a typically Liberal talking point to promulgate gun control laws, but Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole has also said that he supports this kind of control. Overlapping promises have been made by each of the parties -- some of which contradict one another, rendering their fulfilment impossible. RADIO - Red FM 93.1 Punjabi Morning - Vancouver, 07/09/2021 - COMMENTARY, Punjabi Ungrateful generation: How to save Canada - Russian
Among the reactions to the recent findings of unmarked graves of indigenous children, a voice from the Russian media goes against the grain. While the country was debating on whether or not Canada Day should be celebrated, this opinion piece condemns the “complex of shame” that he thinks is affecting many Canadians. A.Gladkov - The author says that Canada's past suddenly turned out to be a dark era of colonialism, racism and various other atrocities. Politicians and mass media insist on the existence of "systemic racism," despite the fact that the non-European population in Canada has its rights protected, is officially a priority for the government and enjoys various privileges. Canada's foes - let's call them what they deserve - are slandering the country despite the fact that Canada has rid itself of the vestiges of racism and colonialism a long time ago, says the author. "As for the Aboriginal issues, the truly tragic past of the Canadian First Nations has not prevented their population in Canada from growing at a fantastic pace in recent years. This is because the status of the indigenous population is very attractive due to the enticing rights and privileges attached to it," writes A. Gladkov. The author believes that calling the history of Canada a "solid black spot" is a crime against Canada, against the previous generations who built this prosperous, free and happy country for the current increasingly ungrateful generation. In previous years, when celebrating Canada Day, we have always been confident that Canada will remain Canada, and therefore tomorrow will definitely be better than yesterday, says Gladkov. To achieve this "better tomorrow," one had to strive for success, respect Canadian traditions, share Canadian values, and abide by Canadian laws. It was a very clear and effective system of values. "Who would have imagined that by Canada's 154th anniversary, sociologists would be asking the following question: "Are you worried that the Canadian flag may offend the feelings of some marginalized groups?" Fortunately, there are still a lot of sane people in Canada and there are still very few “marginalized groups”, hence 83 percent of respondents answered negatively to this question," writes Gladkov. The author concludes by saying that "Canada's future is not in good hands! People who have been instilled with a complex of shame for their country cannot sincerely love it, or treat it with dignity, understanding and respect, with love and care. They are sincere patriots of the newfangled global “values”, not of their country. They respect ideological illusions, not the real work and achievements of previous generations." WEB - Russian Express (Weekly) - Toronto, 02/07/2021 – COMMENTARY, Russian Canada’s 154th birthday has come with a lot of baggage this year, as many around the country expressed mixed feelings about celebrating Canada Day. Given the shocking and continuing news on the findings of hundreds of unmarked graves in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon, media reactions have ranged from calling to flat out cancel Canada Day to taking stock of Canada’s dark past and treatment of Indigenous communities.
This sentiment has not gone unnoticed by immigrant communities throughout the country. Our analysts at MIREMS have prepared a selection of stories from Italian, Punjabi, Korean, Chinese, and Polish outlets which highlight that it’s time for Canada to face its past, reflect on its history and admit its mistakes. Canada Day and the wounds of a country that must face its own history - Italian The maturity of a country can be measured only by the ability to face the darkest pages in its history. Thursday’s Canada Day celebrations differed greatly from those of the past due to counterdemonstrations to raise awareness about residential schools. “We cannot change the past,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, “but we must be determined in confronting these truths to be able to build a new path towards the future.” According to Corriere editor Francesco Veronesi, we are facing a situation that presents risks but also reason for optimism. The principal danger is that this re-evaluation of some aspects of our history could lead to other divisions, as happened in Italy for many years on April 25, the day of liberation from Nazi-Fascism. The key, says Veronesi, is understanding the mistakes of the past so as not to repeat them in future. Canada Day is thus becoming both a national holiday and an occasion to reflect on what happened in the past. In addition, our politicians have a responsibility to dictate the times of this debate, trying to set aside the usual tedious partisan divisions. In a cartoon, Chief Cadmus Delorme pours liquid from a bucket marked “Gas” over a candle Trudeau is lighting while saying, "Oh Canada." PRINT - Corriere Canadese (Daily) - Toronto, 02/07/2021 - ARTICLE, Italian Share the facts before fuelling the fires of hatred - Italian Description: Joe Volpe - Corriere publisher Joe Volpe does not see how burning "icons of religious affiliation" will gain sympathy or trigger anyone’s sense of guilt for perceived wrongs committed in the past. A 2,000-year-old Christian movement is now the scapegoat for all self-defined marginalized, oppressed and “offended” minority communities. Volpe also notes that however accurate the technology used to discover the presence of graves at former residential school sites, no one has yet indicated the age of the dead or how, when and why they died. If there are documents to help us understand what happened, the heirs of those governments that set up the schools to integrate Indigenous communities into the “Canadian mainstream” should be best equipped to divulge that information. PRINT - Corriere Canadese (Daily) - Toronto, 02/07/2021 - ARTICLE, Italian Thousands take part in Every Child Matters Walk to honour residential school victims, survivors - Punjabi Description: Chants of "Every Child Matters" rang through the streets of Toronto as thousands wore orange and black and took part in the Every Child Matters Walk. In lieu of Canada Day celebrations Thursday, many marched to support residential school survivors and to honour the memory of more than 1,000 Indigenous children who lost their lives at residential schools across Canada. The march was organized by Toronto Council Fire, a cultural centre in the city which supports and uplifts First Nations people in Toronto. Meanwhile, the members of the Sikh Motorcycle Club organized a rally in support of Indigenous people. Ram Pal Singh Dhillon, a member of the Sikh Motorcycle Club, said that like every year, the club planned a Canada Day ride, but this year, it was in solidarity with the Indigenous community. He said that as we all know, many graves of children were found on various residential school grounds. The Indigenous community in Stoney Creek gave the Club a call to wear orange this year, and we rode with them for an hour, in solidarity with them, Singh added. TV - PTC North America (Daily) - Toronto, 02/07/2021 - News, Punjabi Article on Seongam Academy on July 1, 1963; Canada Day arrives in wake of residential school discoveries - Korean Description: Young-tae Pyo - As Canada marks its 154th anniversary, the country reels from the discovery of more than a thousand unmarked graves of Indigenous children. In his Canada Day statement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged that July 1 is “not yet a day of celebration.” “The horrific findings of the remains of hundreds of children at the sites of former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan have rightfully pressed us to reflect on our country’s historical failures,” he added. In 1942, when Korea was under Japanese rule, Japan founded a facility for children, the Seongam Academy, which was similar to residential schools. On July 1, 1963, a newspaper in Korea published an article about the academy. As major news media companies of Canada publish articles criticizing Canada Day celebrations and pointing out the troubled past of residential schools, some members of the Korean community in Vancouver did not welcome our article of June 25, 2021, about the colonial harms inflicted upon Korean people under Japanese rule. “We as Canadians must be honest with ourselves about our past,” Trudeau said. PRINT - The Korea Daily (Daily) - Vancouver, 01/07/2021 - ARTICLE, Korean This year’s Canada Day is very different - Chinese Description: No Byline - The Canada Day celebrations have been more subtle this year, as Canadians were forced to reflect on how they have treated those who had lived here previously, and how to go about this in the future. Canada is considering new approaches to interact with the Indigenous people and newcomers to Canada. The editor asked: “How did we reach this point?” The residential school system held 150,000 Indigenous, Inuit, and Metis children in conditions that constitute cultural genocide. To date, the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission has determined information of more than 4,100 children who died in the residential school system. However, the exact number is still unknown. Although the terrible reality of the residential school system has always been part of Canada's past, Canada's unbearable history became the focus of attention once again after remains were found at the old site of a school in recent weeks. The federal government is also under pressure from various groups to implement the call to action outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report. The relationship between the Indigenous people and Canada is not the only issue that requires reflection. Some Canadians have suffered racism and discrimination for their entire lives. Incidents involving anti-Chinese immigration laws, Japanese internment camps, the Komagata Maru tragedy, and the murder of Muslim Canadians are all stains on Canada's history. Many communities and governments are calling for the cancellation of Canada Day celebrations after the discovery of the children's remains. WEB - Vansky (Daily) - Vancouver, 01/07/2021 - ARTICLE, Chinese Indigenous leader and NCCC urged to reflect on history and admit mistakes - Chinese Description: No Byline - As Canada Day is approaching, Howard E. Grant, executive director of the First Nations Summit (FNS), and Cai Hongan, executive chairman of the National Congress of Chinese Canadians (NCCC), held a joint press conference on June 30 to express concern and position on the discovery of the unmarked graves in residential school sites in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Cai pointed out that this year's Canada Day is a time for Canadians to remember and reflect on the history of our Indigenous people. We need to understand the history of the Indigenous people, recognize Canada's historical mistakes, and strive to maintain fairness, justice, and seek truth and reconciliation. Cai said: "The NCCC stands with our Indigenous friends and cherishes the memory of the loved ones they lost in their misery, especially their missing women and children, as well as the large numbers of unexplainable deaths. This is a sad and challenging time for the whole of Canada." Cai recalled: “When the Chinese suffered severe injustice and discrimination in Canadian history, it was the Indigenous people who treated us equally and gave us warmth and comfort. The Indigenous people sincerely showed their sympathy and friendship to the Chinese. We will never forget this kind of virtue." Chief Grant expressed sadness over the discovery of more than 180 remains at the residential school site in British Columbia. Grant is of half Chinese descent. His father was from Zhongshan, Guangdong. He believes that the important thing now is to let new and young Canadians understand the true history of Canada. WEB - Van People (Daily) - Vancouver, 01/07/2021 - ARTICLE, Chinese Without victory, we will die without a place to rest in peace - Chinese Description: North American Report - On June 23, hundreds of unmarked graves were found on the site of another Indigenous residential school in Canada. With so many Christian-operated residential schools in Canada, the editor is curious how many people have been killed? The editor said as long as people light a candle, donate a pair of shoes, and chant a few slogans at a rally, they can be redeemed from their sins. Does that mean these people are noble and can now talk about human rights? Back in the days when white people colonized Indigenous land, drove out and murdered Indigenous people, and sent their children to residential schools, they called this act “civilization’s salvation from barbarism”. This was also done to the Chinese as well. Back in the days, Christian churches in Wuhan, Fuzhou, and Shanghai also called it “civilization’s salvation from barbarism”. The White Christian civilization truly displays unprecedented arrogance and brutality. From the Crusades to modern colonialism, they slaughtered and enslaved blacks, Indigenous people, and Asians. In their view, we all need their “salvation”. The Canadian Indian Act of 1876 stipulated that Indigenous children must attend residential schools, and this "genocide" policy was active until the 1990s. In these schools, there were widespread abuses and murders, resulting in the death of a large number of children. The editor said that fortunately, the Chinese did not fall like the Indigenous people. The editor is thankful for the Chinese warriors who fought in each generation. Because of their commitment, we have an advanced and strong Chinese people, which led to the formation of the Chinese Communist Party and People’s Republic of China that are committed to defeating imperialism and its supporters. They have ripped off the masks of Christians, and used guns to tell them what is “equality”, “justice”, and “truth”. But this is not enough! Before true equality is achieved, we must fight for another hundred years. Without victory, we will not be able to rest in peace. https://info.vanpeople.com/1225045.html WEB - Van People (Daily) - Vancouver, 04/07/2021 – ARTICLE, Chinese Canada entres 155th year of Confederation - Punjabi Today, Canada is entering the 155th year of its Confederation, amid the great suffering of Indigenous communities. This year's celebrations include the sobs of anonymous children found underground in residential schools and other families, which is why the country's national flag is still hoisted at half-mast. Sharing the grief of Indigenous families, Radio Red FM extended greetings on Canada Day to all of its listeners. Meanwhile, there has been another discovery of human remains in unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school in B.C. The ground-penetrating radar revealed 182 human remains in unmarked graves at the site of the old St. Eugene’s Mission Residential School in Cranbrook, B.C. The finding follows the discovery of the estimated remains of 215 people at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops and an estimated 751 unmarked graves at the site of the Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan. Radio Red FM held a minute's silence to pay tribute to the children found buried at the sites of the former Indian Residential Schools and then played the National Anthem of Canada. Radio host Rishi Nagar also talked about Canadian history, and the Indian residential schools system and why these schools were established. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his address on Canada Day said, "Whether it's finishing the fight against COVID-19, tackling the climate crisis, or walking the path of reconciliation, I know there is no challenge too great, if we face it together." Trudeau further said, "The progress we’ve made as a country didn’t happen by accident, and it won’t continue without effort. So as we celebrate this place we call home and the people we share it with, let’s recommit to building a better future - for everyone." RADIO - Red FM 106.7 Good Morning Calgary (Daily) - Calgary, 01/07/2021 - FEATURE, Punjabi 'Canada also did these things, don’t find an excuse to criticize China' - Chinese Description: Star Net - The CBC and National Post reported on June 29 that Independent Chinese-Canadian Senator of British Columbia Yuen Pau Woo pointed out in the Canadian Senate on June 28 that Canada should avoid using the so-called "human rights issue in Xinjiang" as an excuse to criticize China, because Canada has committed genocide in its short history. Just one month before Woo's speech, nearly 1,000 unmarked graves were discovered in the sites of two former Indigenous residential schools in Canada. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend these schools to learn "culture and civilization" between the 1890s and 1990s, and they suffered abuses during their attendance. CBC described Woo’s speech as "provocative." According to CBC, Woo said in his speech that Canada's severe condemnation of China's actions was hypocritical and "just simply placing a label.” According to reports, Conservative Senator Leo Housakos previously proposed a bill requiring the Canadian Senate to “recognize that the People’s Republic of China is currently carrying out genocide against Uyghurs and other Muslims” and demanded that the International Olympic Committee "ban Beijing from hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics and change the venue to another country." Woo recently called on the senators not to pass the bill and said that handling relations with big countries is very complicated and cannot be dealt with through a one-time statement. "China does not agree with our views on individual freedom, and we cannot use our interpretation of freedom in the Charter to teach the Chinese what to do," said Woo. He added that the Chinese would be shocked by some policies in Canada, such as legalizing medically assisted dying. https://info.vanpeople.com/1223826.html WEB - Van People (Daily) - Vancouver, 30/06/2021 - ARTICLE, Chinese Chinese-Canadian senator: Canada is not qualified to criticize China on human rights issues - Chinese Description: No Byline - According to a CBC report, Yuen Pau Woo, a Chinese-Canadian senator from British Columbia, said in a fierce speech in the House of Commons on Monday that Canada should avoid criticizing China for violating the human rights of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang because our country has abused Indigenous people. Echoing the arguments put forward by Chinese officials at the United Nations last week, Woo said that China’s policy towards Xinjiang’s Muslim minorities is similar to Canada's colonialism against Indigenous peoples. He said that Canada’s severe condemnation of Asian countries was hypocritical and “simply an act to attach labels.” Woo said that Canada accused China of mass arrests of Uyghurs, forced sterilization of Muslim women and forced relocation of their villages on charges of “terrorism.” However, in reality, Canada, “a country with such a short history, did all of these things. Not only is the historical treatment of Indigenous people appalling, even newcomers and non-Canadian minorities feel unwelcome and regarded with suspicion.” Woo was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2016. He recently urged senators to reject a motion by the Conservatives which condemned China's genocide against Turkic minorities. Woo pointed out that statements like these will further damage the already very tense relations between Canada and China. https://cfcnews.com/317774/%e5%8d%8e%e8%a3%94%e5%8f%82%e8%ae%ae%e5%91%98%ef%bc%9a%e5%8a%a0%e6%8b%bf%e5%a4%a7%e6%b2%a1%e8%b5%84%e6%a0%bc%e5%b0%b1%e4%ba%ba%e6%9d%83%e9%97%ae%e9%a2%98%e6%89%b9%e8%af%84%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd/ WEB - CFC NEWS (Daily) - Ottawa, 30/06/2021 - ARTICLE, Chinese All about residential schools and the tragedy of Canada's indigenous peoples - Polish Description: Malgorzata P. Bonikowska - Editor-in-chief Malgorzata Bonikowska says the history of the Indigenous people touched her deeply since she came to Canada in 1990 and that is why for years, she has been following everything related to the indigenous people of her second homeland - Canada. Since 2015, when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released an Executive Summary of its findings along with 94 calls to action regarding reconciliation between Canadians and Indigenous peoples, the cultural genocide of Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people is known or at least should be known to the people of Canada. If you did not know about it and you live here, it means that you were not interested in it. A comment by a reader states that when he came to Canada in 1982, he was shocked to find out about the Charles Camsell Hospital in Edmonton, a “special” hospital for the Indigenous people where the Indigenous people were mistreated and were part of medical experimentation. The reader says he loves Canada, his second homeland, but he insists the Canadian government investigate and punish the guilty. WEB - Gazeta (Daily) - Toronto, 30/06/2021 - ARTICLE, Polish Wishing a Healthy and Hopeful New Year to All! The pandemic has made it clear that access to clear, accurate information is vital to keeping everyone safe. In addition to our complimentary translated summaries of coverage from a selection of ethnic media outlets across Canada, we would like to share with you an article written by Andres Machalski, president of MIREMS Ltd. Published in New Canadian Media, the article discusses the essential role of the ethnic media, which are invaluable in communicating crucial messaging to their diverse audiences during the pandemic, and how the industry has been affected. Link to: "Role of Ethnic Media in the War against Pandemic" Have a comment or question? Send us an email at [email protected] . Thanks! MIREMS CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS TEAM Read on for more detail!
International Travel Ontario finance minister on vacation in the Caribbean Part 1- Spanish Description: Eric Sifuentes, Silvia Alvarez - In Ontario over recent months perhaps you have seen on TV Premier Doug Ford, the Health Minister and another couple people appearing day after day saying to stay at home, maintain physical distance from each other, don't visit family, etc. There is now a tremendous scandal in the province because Finance Minister Rod Phillips, who has often shared the microphone with Ford during press conferences, which they have stopped doing at 1pm from Queen's Park, went on vacation to St. Lucia. It's his third week of vacation and it's a scandal because this occurred before the big lockdown. This happened as they told small businesses that for the good of everyone they can't open. This was a difficult decision but apparently not that difficult for the minister who went on his trip and didn't wait for another better time in the future. And magically, now that the media realized his finance minister can't be found anywhere in the province, Premier Ford then said he is very disappointed and expects the minister to return home soon. We all have the right to go on vacation when we feel like it, but during a pandemic when you're in charge of the most important portfolio (finance) after the premier's, you have to stay at home and be part of the team. You can't tell people to stay home and not to do Christmas and then you go on a trip. Rod Philips, Ontario Minister of Finance, this is a lack of respect and a blow to the people. Someone who is supposed to set an example and then does the opposite is very poorly seen. Premier Ford is either a fool, plays the fool or thinks that we are fools. Perhaps it's a combination of all three. Ford came come out and said he is very disappointed in Rod Phillips, but how could Ford not realize where the minister was the past couple weeks. Rod Phillips actually recorded his Christmas greeting from his house a few weeks prior. RADIO - CHIN 91.9 FM Spanish - Toronto, 30/12/2020 - TALK SHOW, Spanish Ontario finance minister on vacation in the Caribbean Part 2 - Spanish Description: Eric Sifuentes, Luisa Moncada - While you've been stuck at home and businesses are closing, a new scandal has captured headlines across Canada's media outlets: the rather unwise vacation taken by Ontario's finance minister. He made a mistake and left a prerecorded Christmas message, trying to camouflage the situation and pretend he never went. Premier Ford knew about this and so his reaction is hypocritical and takes us for fools because now Ford is telling the minister to come back as soon as possible. Ford is only disappointed now that the media found out about it. Ford has been having virtual meetings so he would be able to see the magnificent sun in Rod Phillips' background and ask where he is, because it's definitely not in Ontario. This again proves that Ford is a liar. He should have just asked Rod Phillips to return rather than showing this false indignation because people had already been asked to stay home and close businesses. People don't deserve this additional blow. This is a reminder of the important role that media outlets play in a democracy. In addition to being hypocritical, Ford is clumsy. How could he think that people wouldn't realize? Apparently, this isn't the first time the minister has travelled, as CTV News revealed he went to Switzerland in August. If Phillips does whatever he wants, why should we pay attention to Ford? RADIO - CHIN 91.9 FM Spanish - Toronto, 31/12/2020 - TALK SHOW, Spanish Politicians… Fact or Fiction: Turns out we are not all in this together - Portuguese Description: Vincent Black - If you had not heard this past weekend that our provincial Finance Minister, Rod Phillips, was asked by Premier Doug Ford to return from St. Barts in the Caribbean where he was shacked up with his wife and God knows whoever else vacationing with him over the Christmas holidays. Premier Doug Ford is also very responsible for this and should wear much of this scandal, because he knew 14 days ago that his Minister was out of the country and should have fired him at that time. Ford not reacting on this move showed many of us that there are two sets of rules… one for them and another for us. If the media had not picked up on this, Ford was just hoping that it would go away and thankful it came to the top and rightfully acknowledged. Unfortunately, Ford seems to be a weak leader with no loyalty from his ministers and no accountability. A total slap in the face to Ford and his leadership. The biggest fake was when Phillips posted video of himself at his home portraying that he was at home drinking egg knock and staying home as they have all recommended to us during the holidays. Instead, Phillips was enjoying a Caribbean vacation at the time on the French island of St. Barts. This scandal was the tipping point for this government, and it made us all look down on our leaders. We always had many doubts about our leaders, but this fraud took this to the next level where these politicians feel that they have an entitlement and will never get caught. These totals caught lies by Phillips and to a large extent with Ford, they need to be kicked out of office. A bold statement, but these shenanigans in the midst of a pandemic where people are dying and businesses are closing is totally unacceptable. PRINT - Milenio Stadium - Toronto, 08/01/2021 - COLUMN, p. 17, English List of political leaders who travelled abroad ignoring travel restrictions – Hindi Description: Many federal and provincial leaders are reported to have travelled abroad during the December holidays, ignoring travel restrictions announced by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. A list of their names has been made public and they have been given show cause notices. These leaders have set a bad example by undertaking non-essential travel during a pandemic. Some of them have already resigned from their parliamentary positions. PRINT – Hindi Abroad – Mississauga, 08/01/2021 – p. 6, Hindi Politicians' travel and children's online education - Caribbean Description: Mark Strong - COVID-19 numbers in Ontario were under 3,000, but had been over 3,000 over the weekend. Mayor John Tory said numbers would likely have gotten higher without the lock-down and referenced all the visiting people did over Christmas and New Year to say that we are not out of the woods yet. The host said it has been the pattern for people to bend the rules, even for the politicians. He said with some bitterness that politicians don't just bend the rules to visit family, they leave the country. MP Kamal Khera stepped down from her role as parliamentary secretary to the minister of international development after travelling to Seattle to attend a small memorial service for her uncle and father. Khera had tested positive for COVID-19 back in March. MP Sameer Zuberi stepped down from his committee roles after travelling to Delaware to be with his wife's ill grandfather. Rod Phillips "jetted off to a sunny Caribbean vacation" on December 13. He is now in quarantine, and he resigned as the Province's finance minister hours after he returned from his trip. The host went on to list all the federal and provincial politicians who were caught travelling over the holidays. Meanwhile, children in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec were staying home from school for online learning. A mother said she was not going to get to work as much, which means her income would be lower. Another woman said this relies on parents to be there to support their kid being able to engage that way [online]. Another woman said with the new variant of COVID, and with people getting together for New Year's as well, two weeks off would have been safer. The host agreed but said that won't happen, for now, although it could get extended. RADIO - G 98.7 FM Mark & Jem in the Morning - Toronto, 04/01/2021 - FEATURE, English This is Canada’s “essential travel” requirement? - Chinese Description: No Byline - Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said this week that in the early stage of the outbreak, Canada took five months to bring the number of confirmed cases to 500,000. However, since December, there have been 100,000 new cases in just two weeks, an increase compared to the initial period of the pandemic. Tam also predicted that Canada would enter a very difficult time in the next few months. Unless the transmission can be cut off, new cases will accumulate at an unprecedented rate. On the other hand, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also changed his usual gentle image to a firmer image, saying he is very disappointed with some Canadians for engaging in non-essential travel. But Canada's definition of "essential travel" has been very vague. What is deemed essential? Just recently, the federal government finally gave a definite answer. According to Global Affairs Canada, travel decisions are entirely personal responsibility. WEB - Van People (Daily7) - Vancouver, 09/01/2021 - ARTICLE, 1 page web, 2nd, Chinese Health Avinashi shared his experience of getting a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine - Punjabi Description: Zee TV discussed the COVID-19 vaccines with South Asia Health Institute Physician Dr. Arun Garg and long-term care physician Dr. Ramesh Avinashi, who has been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. Dr. Avinashi said the vaccine is new and he was one of the first to be vaccinated because he works with nursing home patients. He said the vaccination is like a mosquito bite. He had no side effects. The anchor said Canada has received the first shipment of the Moderna vaccine and asked who would get it first. Dr. Garg said the government has a specific protocol based on a risk assessment. Front-line workers in long-term care and critical care are first. Older individuals and other health care workers are next, and then the general public. The list is available online. The anchor asked about other side effects. Avinashi said any medicine can have side effects. Both vaccines contain polyethylene glycol (PEG), which can cause allergic reactions. People have to wait 15-20 minutes on the premises after the vaccine, in case of an allergic reaction. The anchor asked how long the immunity will last. Dr. Avinashi said this is unknown, though they are hoping for six months to a year at least. The anchor asked about people who miss the second dose of the vaccine. Dr. Garg said to be 95% effective, two doses at least two weeks apart are needed. However, even just the first vaccination gives pretty good immunity. It takes about two to four weeks for the body to activate the immunity. TV - Zee TV Canada - BC Round Up - Vancouver, 03/01/2021 - FEATURE, Punjabi New study shows cultural safety differences affect perception of palliative care in South Asian populations - South Asian English Description: No byline - A recent study from McMaster and William Osler Health System (Osler) examined awareness of palliative care in the South Asian community and found that culture plays a critical role in the perception of palliative care. This perception, in turn, affects whether or not patients will be open to receiving it. Funded by a McMaster University, Department of Family Medicine, Pilot Research Project Funding Grant, the observational study is one of the few person-centered palliative care studies focused on the South Asian community outside India. The research also indicates that immigrants of South Asian origin are at a higher risk of aggressive end-of-life care that is often contrary to their wishes. There is a strong likelihood that perceptions of palliative care within the South Asian populations are contributing to this. The study was conducted out of Brampton Civic Hospital, where the surrounding community per capita population of South Asian immigrants and people of South Asian descent is seventy per cent. PRINT - MidWeek - Mississauga, 05/01/2021 - NEWS, English Immigration Families selected in the lottery can sponsor their parents to immigrate to Canada - Chinese Description: Fang Hua - The Canadian immigration department's Parent and Grandparent immigration lottery has concluded, and the immigration department has started to send out invitations to the selected families. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino believes the lottery method, despite having flaws, is the most equitable way of administering the program until a better method can be found. Critics of the lottery system have pointed out a number of ways to improve the program, for example by including the length of time the applicant has lived in Canada, how many years they've applied, the financial situation of the parents and grandparents who are being sponsored to come to Canada, humanitarian factors, among others. Internet user 'Jack T' thinks that now that China is wealthy, many seniors don't want to come to Canada anymore, because it's like sitting in jail. This person thinks that Canada is no longer a haven for seniors, especially after the novel coronavirus pandemic. Internet user 'HDPlayer' wrote: "None of these sponsored immigrants don't end up getting Canadian benefits, and this is a loophole that should be filled. Otherwise, it would just be a temporary relief to address the aging population through immigration, because every time a young person moves here, two older people will come along. Sometimes young couples even bring over four seniors. How could they give birth to four children? There would only be more and more seniors." WEB - 51.ca - Toronto, 07/01/2021 - COMMENTARY, Chinese COVID-19
The politics of vaccines - Portuguese Description: Manuel DaCosta - Canada has engaged army generals to carry out what is being called the most complex population engagement since World War II. That’s quite a claim given the planning and implementation it took to defeat the Nazis. Some political posturing may be at play, but the engagement of soldiers to carry out the distribution of the vaccine creates more psychological comfort to people as it creates an impression that populations are being protected. The bottom line remains that until arms are pricked with a needle and the vaccine takes effect, there will not be an alleviation of fear in the population. Canada has announced that we are getting 200,000 doses in December, but we have to assume that the supply for the entire country may take as long as a year to distribute and inoculate all its citizens. Although statements have been vague about who should be vaccinated first, the consensus appears to be that retirement homes, chronic care and long-term facilities should be the first, followed by Canadians over 80. Vaccines provide immunity to a disease. What it doesn’t provide is protection against the absurdity of those who choose to ignore the rules and medical recommendations. Anti-vaxxers and others who refuse to be vaccinated should not have the protection of our medical system. Their insanity will endanger the course being carved by those who choose to protect society. Therefore, they do not deserve the protection afforded to those who sacrifice their lives and financial assets to immunize the world against Covid. PRINT - Milenio Stadium - Toronto, 11/12/2020 - EDITORIAL, Portuguese Ottawa gets vaccine before Peel Region - Punjabi Description: Peel Region is the biggest COVID hotspot in Canada, but it is not among the first places to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Instead, Toronto and Ottawa are first to get the vaccine. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the pandemic in Peel is like a leak in a ship and they need to plug that leak. He hopes that help is on the way where it is needed most. Ottawa is not even in a lockdown, and they had been assured that the areas that were most affected by the pandemic would get the vaccine first. If this is not corrected, it will ring of favouritism rather than decisions based on public health data. The reporter said Peel Region has 198 cases per 100,000 residents, Toronto has 116, and Ottawa has 29. Infection control epidemiologist Dr. Colin Furness said the bigger question is why Peel has not gotten resources, why they have not gotten funding and why there has not been surveillance testing. He wondered why they have been left to the terrible predicament they are in. It seems to be the continuation of a strategy, or lack of strategy, by which Peel has just been ignored. TV - OMNI TV Focus Punjabi - Toronto, 14/12/2020 - FEATURE, Punjabi Vaccination requirements vs. personal freedoms - Italian Description: While the COVID-19 vaccine will not be mandatory, employers may require their employees to get vaccinated. This may create a conflict between civic responsibility and personal freedom. Lawyer Sarah Coderre said many employers are considering making the vaccine mandatory for their employees. If there is no public health order with respect to vaccines, some employers will try to put in their own vaccination policy. This makes sense for some employers to keep their workplaces safe, but it may not be necessary for all employers, especially when employees can continue to work from home. Coderre said if an employee is dealing with vulnerable populations or a lot of people, like in schools, an employer could reasonably request vaccination. For employees at a call centre who can work from home, it may not be something an employer can enforce. Alberta has highlighted that vaccination will not be mandatory. Coderre said if the government makes vaccination mandatory and the employer is just enforcing it, an employee failing to get the vaccination could lose their job. The movement against the COVID-19 vaccine is growing. There is a need to fight disinformation, because indecision can prolong the pandemic. Coderre said the right to assemble and protest could be set aside for the anti-mask movement if the government decides it is essential to prevent people from clumping together in groups of more than 10 outside. TV - OMNI 1 TV 8:00 PM Italian News - Toronto, 14/12/2020 - FEATURE, Italian Second stage of COVID-19 vaccination should target those most likely to spread the virus, say some experts - Tamil Description: When it comes to the first stage of administering the vaccine for COVID-19, particularly when it's in short supply, there appears to be a consensus that policymakers should attempt to limit deaths and target the most vulnerable. But some researchers suggest that by the second stage, once more vaccine is available, that strategy should change to trying to prevent the spread. For stage 2 of the vaccination rollout, Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended that recipients include: health-care workers not included in the initial rollout, residents and staff of all other congregate settings such as living quarters for migrant workers, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and essential workers, including police, firefighters and those in food production. RADIO - East FM 102.7 - Toronto, 14/12/2020 - News, Tamil Health Canada authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine - Chinese Description: Chauncey Jung - Canada reached a critical milestone in its fight against COVID-19 with the authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccine thanks to advances in science and technology, and an unprecedented level of global cooperation. Health Canada received Pfizer's submission on October 9, 2020 and after a thorough, independent review of the evidence, it has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada. The vaccine was authorized under Health Canada's Interim Order Respecting the Importation, Sale and Advertising of Drugs for Use in Relation to COVID-19. This process allowed Health Canada to assess information submitted by the manufacturer as it became available during the product development process, while maintaining Canada's high standards. Internet user 'griff' wrote: "No vaccine is absolutely safe and effective. Novavax has performed well recently, but it would take several months before the third phase is completed." Internet user 'Re Xin Chang' wrote: "There have already been news reports saying that people must get a second dose of the vaccine, otherwise the efficacy would be less than 50%. Also, the vaccine is by no means effective for everyone, only 89% of Asians have antibodies. The sequelae cannot be determined. If there are sequelae or death, can one seek compensation from the country?" WEB - 51.ca - Toronto, 10/12/2020 - COMMENTARY, Chinese Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force - Punjabi Description: The Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force was formed to raise awareness about COVID-19 in different languages and population groups. Naseeha Mental Health Social Worker Rufaida Mohammed said the Muslim COVID Task Force is comprised of medical experts, religious leaders and community organizations that have held a series of meetings to discuss these unprecedented times. She said there are a lot of implications for health that affect all Canadians, so it was particularly necessary for this task force to pull community members together. President of the Muslim Medical Association of Canada Dr. Aleem Hussain said young and old, every age group has WhatsApp and Facebook and some of the other social media platforms. Unfortunately, there is a lot of disinformation out there. We can't wish it away, so we have to make sure there is sound information coming from a reliable source. The Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force spread information over social media, a website and infographics on, for example, proper mask wearing and hand hygiene. In particular, the infographic showed how to wear a mask properly with different styles of Hijab. Dr. Hussain said it was helpful that the task force has many organizations that have great respect in the community. They bring prominence to the organizations, and people recognize that the messages coming out are supported by these well-established organizations. The task force was looking for volunteers. They have Health, Spiritual, Community, Communications, Advocacy & Outreach and Knowledge Translation committees and want to improve public health messaging, identify community concerns and advocate with decision-makers. One of their messages addressed how to tell others if one tests positive without shame or guilt. The task force is local, regional and national. Hussain asked viewers to find their information on social media and share the graphics and information. TV - OMNI TV Focus Punjabi - Toronto, 10/12/2020 - FEATURE, Punjabi IMMIGRATION Joe Biden’s presidential victory and possible effects in Canada - Sri Lankan Description: Raymond Rajabalan - Once Joe Biden is officially sworn in as the next president of the United States in January, we may expect various political and economic effects to take place in Canada. Donald Trump made wide-ranging changes to US immigration policy that had an effect on the flow of people to Canada, including a surge in asylum seekers who crossed irregularly into this country due to a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement. Canada has been trying to renegotiate that deal and might find a more willing partner in Biden – or the flow might dry up. Trump’s move to make it more difficult for people from certain countries to enter the US and for people to obtain skilled worker visas also saw a jump in immigration to Canada. Biden may reverse those changes, and there could be a subsequent “brain drain” from here. PRINT - Monsoon Journal - Toronto, 11/12/2020 - Article, English Immigration consultant talks about the possible impact of farmers’ agitation in India on Canadian immigration - Punjabi Description: Harjinder Thind - The host spoke to immigration consultant Aman Khaira. Khaira said that the Indian government’s treatment of protesting farmers can have an impact on Canadian immigration. He added that for asylum, people need to prove that they do not have state protection in their own country. He gave the example of how the Canadian government opened its door for people from Hong Kong. Khaira said that due to an increase in the number of asylum claims, it now takes 5-6 years for claims to be processed. He added that the Indian government’s laws are such that, if an asylum claim is rejected in Canada, the applicant will be unable to return to India because the Indian government refuses to issue a passport in that case. Khaira said that people are still being deported from Canada to India, but he said that those people who will be affected by the ongoing protests should make this evident in their pre-removal risk assessment. Khaira also answered questions about spousal applications. RADIO - Red FM 93.1 Punjabi Morning - Vancouver, 09/12/2020 - INTERVIEW, Punjabi Chinese international students complain: graduating means unemployment - Chinese Description: wenba-ca - Recently, many Toronto Chinese international students went on a forum and shared the challenges they anticipate to face after graduation. Some even openly requested help from others. One graduate said: “I graduated from U of T in summer 2020, but was unable to find a job for half a year. I have tried everything and no longer have my hopes up.” Another Chinese student who is a finance graduate said: “I have visited the career centre at my university numerous times, sent out multiple resumes, and attempted to network with people on Linkedin. It was very awkward and did not result in anything. If this continues, my resume will have a huge gap, and it will make it even harder for me to find a job later on. I am ashamed to return home to China to see my parents.” As of recently, 16,000 international students have petitioned for an extension to the post-graduate work permit (PGWP), and IRCC has finally promised to make adjustments. According to CIC News, Canadian immigration minister Marco Mendicino recently responded to the question about the extension of the PGWP. Mendicino promised: “No international students will be deported from Canada because of their work permits expiring. They will be allowed to restore status after their permit expires.” WEB - Vansky - Vancouver, 10/12/2020 - ARTICLE, Chinese Canada in global immigration - Tamil Description: Sami Appathurai - Canada has about 100,000 illegal immigrants at present. This is just a fraction compared to the 11 million undocumented immigrants in US. Before President Trump started deporting undocumented immigrants, the number was 13 million. Canada did not agree with the expectation of the US administration on deporting/closing doors for refugees, especially from Islamic countries. With Trump's deportation of undocumented immigrants, the headache began for Canada as many of those ordered to leave the US began entering Canada. This trend will continue in 2021 under the Biden administration. 49% of Canadians say that attention should be paid to undocumented immigrants entering from the US. Most of the undocumented immigrants entering Canada come from the US. PRINT - Canada Ulahathamilar - Toronto, 14/12/2020 - ARTICLE, Tamil Why choose to immigrate to Canada? - Farsi Description: Why is Canada, with long, very cold winters and high taxes in addition to the high cost of living, still an attractive country to emigrate to among immigrants from other countries? During Canadian summers, autumns and springs, the country is breathtakingly beautiful. From high mountains, majestic landscapes, diverse wildlife, over two million lakes and 300 billion trees, there is plenty to explore in the second-largest country in the world. Provincial governments typically guarantee just two weeks of paid vacation time every year. In addition to paid leave, employees in Canada are entitled to just five personal days, which are usually used for illness or emergencies. Only two countries offer less than Canada in terms of paid leave: Japan and the United States. WEB - icpimmigration - Montreal, 09/12/2020 - ARTICLE, Farsi |
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