In 2011, financed with Canadian taxpayer money, the government initiated a billboard campaign in the predominant countries of origin of Roma claimants. It sought to deliberately deter Roma from seeking asylum in Canada, stating that "people who make a [refugee] claim without sound reasons will be processed faster and deported faster." Despite increasing refugee acceptance numbers under the current administration, Canadian authorities continue to practice racial profiling against Roma.
While I was able to create a life and family for myself here in Canada and put the anger and pain behind me, my past never left me. In my final goodbye to my father in Auschwitz, he had told me to survive so that I could tell the story of my family. This always stayed with me in the back of my mind.
The collection and dissemination of race-based statistics is essential to the examination and elimination of any racial disparities that may exist. By remaining uncommitted to this initiative, Canadian law enforcement has essentially shrugged its shoulders to the troubles many visible minority Canadians face.
British Columbia signed off on Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain oil sands pipeline and supertanker project in the Salish Sea. The announcement confirmed that Premier Christy Clark's posturing with her "five conditions con" over the past four and a half years has essentially been political Kabuki theatre.
The world's scientists vehemently condemn the captivity of whales, dolphins and porpoises, and it's time that we listened to them. Twenty marine mammal biologists from around the world recently signed a collective letter in support of the goals of Bill S-203, which would outlaw the practice of keeping these animals in captivity in Canada.
Few are aware that a Montréaler played key role in expanding British colonial rule across Africa. Sir Édouard Percy Girouard rose to fame by helping Britain conquer Sudan.
When they show hate, we will continue to show love. We cannot allow the Conservative party and its hate-inspired identity politics to destroy a vision we continue to build. The people united, will never be defeated.
There was at least one matter of vital global interests that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on when they met recently in Washington, D.C. -- that the opioid crisis sweeping North America was unprecedented, that opioid deaths had shot up in both countries and that opioid trafficking knows no borders.
Calling out rudeness, a lack of etiquette or a complete absence of compassion or empathy in public should never have to happen -- but it MUST. The recent examples that made the headlines -- of a woman allegedly sitting on the feet of a passenger whose feet dangled over an empty seat on public transit -- is a case in point.
When something goes wrong it can be handled with grace, style, and class; or it can be handled with blame, finger pointing, and a definite lack of class. Late Sunday night at the 2017 Academy Awards show we saw a little of both as the Best Picture award was given to the wrong film.
For the longest time even scientists believed that the natural aging process inhibits our mental capacity from improving, i.e. through learning. Lost brain cells were considered irreplaceable and growth of new ones practically impossible. Eventually, those assumptions have been proven false.
With Family Day fresh in my mind, I've been thinking about the way some teenagers are growing up these days. I see these kids all over. They're angry and frustrated, miserable and lost, and it's mainly the fault of their parents who've been letting them down.
My wife Evva of 17 years and I live a quiet, beautiful life in Sechelt, British Columbia. We enjoy walking our dog and manage the local women and men's clothing stores. Six years ago, however, our lives changed forever. I was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, an incurable form of blood cancer.
As our country continues to define itself as a welcoming society for all, and as Canada celebrates its sesquicentennial, many black Canadians are looking deeper within Canadian history for recognition and acknowledgement. For too long, the achievements of our community were rarely listed in text books, showcased in film, or shared with a wide audience.
Currently, the public education system in Ontario seems more focused on looking good to the public than actually being the best it can be for the children. Ontario should look to Finland. They are now doing something right, but they weren't always #1 in education. In the 1970s they made a conscious systemic decision to focus on learning rather than performance.
As I did, you are likely to experience some eye rolls or even lack of eye contact when you're having the "talk" with your teens about this tough issue. But stay on course and keep a fact-filled conversation going. It's critical for the safety of our kids.
When there are no beds, homeless youth often resort to sleeping in garages, in abandoned trailers and buildings or even worse, in forests and fields and other hidden places across the region. They are vulnerable to illness, emotional trauma, criminal threats and violence.
It is hard to not be inspired when the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that "to those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength." It is time for Canada to lead by example yet again.
Unless you're Facebook friends with all the Muslims in this country: we don't know that you're thinking about us - we don't know that you care. However uncomfortable you think you are feeling, it's not as bad as the sadness we feel from your real-life silence.
Ask most Canadians about black history and they'll tell you about slavery in America, victories of the Civil Rights Movement and the giants who led it. But what about Canada? Mathieu Da Costa, a renowned translator hired by Samuel de Champlain, was the first recorded black person in the country.
As people of colour, we sometimes have this idea that not being white meant going through similar struggles and hardships. And although this doesn't mean hardships and racism doesn't exist for South Asians, it's not the same and never will be. The n-word is offensive, and always will be.
Earlier this month, an international team of researchers discovered even more benefits to fibre. Based on their findings, eating the indigestible may help our bodies stay balanced. Even more interesting, these improvements may occur without the help of our gut bacteria.
When Pope Francis tells the world that it is better to be an atheist than a hypocritical Catholic, he is using the incredulous folks as the bar for what is usually seen as immoral or sinful. But here we are, post-backhanded compliment, and the world seems to be rushing to give him more progressive legitimacy.