Perfect storm of red tape to blame for IRCC delay of over a year, says immigration lawyer Daniel Torres has been in Canada since 2017, receiving his advanced diploma in marine technology and navigation from Georgian College in Owen Sound, Ont., last year. The Peruvian immigrant applied for his post-graduate work permit in May 2021 and permanent residency status in July last year, believing it would be granted well before his student visa expired in November. But he is still waiting. “So all I want is the minister of immigration can look atRead more

Group of MPs, border-city mayors call on Canada, U.S. to lift requirements A group of MPs and border-city mayors is calling on the Canadian and U.S. governments to lift COVID-19 restrictions at the border. On Tuesday, they published an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden that asks them to remove the “unnecessary” rules at the border, which they say would allow border communities to recover from the pandemic. “When COVID-19 was at its peak and border measures were effective at slowing transmission rates, we did our part toRead more

Official inflation rate hit a 40-year high of 8.1% earlier this year Canada’s inflation rate cooled to seven per cent in August, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. Economists had been expecting the rate to come in at 7.3 per cent, after inflation rose to a 40-year high of 8.1 per cent earlier this summer. Instead, the rate decelerated by even more than expected, in large part because gasoline got much cheaper during the month. Gas prices fell by 9.6 per cent in August from where they were the previous month. That is theRead more

Victim’s husband says he holds out ‘hope’ final report will be valuable Lawyers for most families of the 22 people killed in the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting laid out blunt assessments Tuesday of RCMP “failings” before, during and after the horrific massacre. The Mass Casualty Commission leading the inquiry into the tragic events of April 18 and 19, 2020, heard final submissions from family members of many victims during hearings in Truro, N.S., either through lawyers or speaking on their own behalf. Sandra McCulloch of Patterson Law, which represents most ofRead more

Calls for long-term support needed to help community heal from immense trauma WARNING: This story contains distressing details. Nicole Moostoos was jolted awake by her crying daughter sprinting into her bedroom. “She told me that my mom and Creedon had been stabbed.” It was around 6 a.m. on Sept. 4. Moostoos, 41, jumped up in a panic, threw on some clothes and headed out the door. She has walked the road to her mom Arlene’s on the James Smith Cree Nation countless times before. This time she ran. “As I was running by, there wereRead more

Victim is international student Satwinder Singh, 28, Halton police say Another victim in Monday’s shooting at an auto body shop in Milton has died, Halton Regional Police say. Satwinder Singh, 28, an international student from India, died in Hamilton General Hospital, police said in a news release on Saturday. Singh was working part-time at MK Auto Repairs at the time of shooting. His family and friends were by his side, police added. “This is heartbreaking news for our community which hasn’t even begun to heal from Monday’s traumatic events,”  Halton RegionalRead more

Panel reserved its decision on Friday to green light historic settlement agreement Tens of thousands of First Nations children and caregivers are waiting on the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to determine whether Ottawa’s $20-billion offer to compensate them for discrimination satisfies its human rights orders. The panel reserved its decision on Friday after hearing arguments over two days for and against the historic settlement agreement. “It’s not even close to the losses that we’ve incurred over time,” said Carolyn Buffalo, a mother from Montana First Nation in Maskwacis, Alta., duringRead more

Altercation happened Thursday afternoo Edmonton police say an officer shown on video roughly shoving a woman to the ground was attempting to disarm her, alleging she had a knife. Police responded after a video of the incident was posted to social media on Friday. The video was posted by Bear Clan Patrol: Beaver Hills House leader Judith Gale. Gale said the video was shot around 4 p.m. on Thursday at the corner of 106th Avenue and 100th Street not far from Hope Mission in central Edmonton. She said the video was shot byRead more

Addressing the abuse, not accepting it as part of the job, is key, say local leaders In the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam, about 30 kilometres east of Vancouver, a man allegedly became so upset over a bylaw issue he threatened to cause death or bodily harm to Mayor Brad West. West, who was not involved with the bylaw, claims the man also threatened his wife and two young children. “My son is five years old, my other son is 15 months old. They have nothing to do with anything that mightRead more

Experts say government must think long term when it comes to addressing supply For Canadians like Missy Anderson, the cost of living is becoming a crisis. She’s 38 years old, a mother of four, and lives in Burlington, Ont. Like many other Canadians she has been forced to make difficult choices about how she spends her money. “It’s a juggling act,” she said in an interview on CBC’s The House that aired Saturday. On top of the costs of feeding and caring for her children, a low-dose chemotherapy treatment to address Stage 1Read more