Tag Archives: Canada

Canada sounds alarm over aboriginal teenage suicide epidemic

File photo of a tattered Canadian flag flying over a teepee in Attawapiskat Ontario

By Rod Nickel

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Canada’s parliament will meet in emergency session on Tuesday night over a rash of suicide attempts by aboriginal teenagers in a remote, poverty-stricken community whose people feel isolated from the rest of the world.

Over the past weekend alone, 11 people of the Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario tried to kill themselves, then a second group was brought to hospital Monday night after suicide attempts, prompting Chief Bruce Shisheesh to declare a state of emergency.

An 11-year-old child was in each of the groups treated over the past few days and the attempts follow a total of 28 attempted suicides in the month of March, some of them adults, health officials said.

The reasons for people trying to end their lives are varied but Attawapiskat leaders point to an underlying despondency and pessimism among their people as well as an increasing number of prescription drug overdoses since December.

Living in isolated communities with chronic unemployment and crowded housing, some young aboriginals lack clean water but have easy Internet access, giving them a glimpse of affluence in the rest of Canada.

“We feel isolated – we don’t feel part of the rest of the world,” said Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, who represents 30 aboriginal communities. “The basic needs are astronomical.”

Canada’s 1.4 million aboriginals, who make up about four percent of the population, have a lower life expectancy than other Canadians and are more often victims of violent crime. The problems plaguing aboriginals gained prominence in January when a gunman killed four people in La Loche, Saskatchewan.

Since December, Attawapiskat has seen a rash of prescription drug overdoses sending youth to hospital in “a fairly new phenomenon,” said Deborah Hill, vice-president of patient care at Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, whose region includes the community. Seven youth overdosed together on Saturday.

“An individual attempt at suicide is bad enough itself, but if there seems to be a group thing, it’s even more cause for alarm,” said National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations, Canada’s main aboriginal political group.

In Attawapiskat, a community of 2,000 people located near a diamond mine, this weekend’s state of emergency was the fifth since 2006. The community has previously sounded the alarm over flooding and raw sewage issues, poor drinking water and a housing crisis.

Resident Jackie Hookimaw-Witt, whose teenage niece committed suicide last autumn, said it was the third attempt for one 13-year-old girl who survived on Saturday. She said the girl had been challenged to kill herself on social media.

The emergency parliamentary session was requested by New Democrat legislator Charlie Angus whose constituency includes Attawapiskat. Angus is demanding Ottawa do more “to end this cycle of crisis and death among young people”.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called this weekend’s suicide attempts “heartbreaking”, took power last year promising to tackle high levels of poverty, bad housing and poor health among aboriginal residents and promised a new “nation-to-nation relationship”.

Last month, Canada said it would spend an extra C$8.37 billion over five years to help the aboriginal population deal with dire living conditions.

(Additional reporting by Alastair Sharp and Ethan Lou in Toronto and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; editing by Amran Abocar and Grant McCool)

Canada divided as 25,000 Syrian refugees settle in

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadians remain divided about the resettlement of Syrian refugees, with some saying Canada should accept more despite a series of racist incidents that have marred a mostly smooth arrival of nearly 25,000 migrants, a poll showed on Friday.

Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was elected in October on a promise to accept more Syrian refugees more quickly than the previous Conservative government had allowed, but the original deadline for accepting 25,000 by the end of 2015 proved too ambitious and the timeline was extended by two months.

During his election campaign, Trudeau said a Liberal government would work with private sponsors to accept “even more” than the immediate goal of 25,000, and Immigration Minister John McCallum said in December the government could double the intake to 50,000 by the end of 2016.

A poll by the Angus Reid Institute released on Friday showed 52 percent of Canadians support the plan to resettle 25,000 refugees before the end of February, while 44 percent opposed the program.

The poll also showed that 42 percent of respondents want Canada to stop taking in Syrian refugees, while 29 percent said Canada should stop at 25,000 and 29 percent said the country should accept even more.

Some 21,672 Syrian refugees – sponsored by both private citizens and the government – have arrived in Canada since November, dispersing into more than 200 communities, according to the Immigration Department.

While the arrival has been smooth for privately sponsored refugees supported by families or community groups, hundreds of government-sponsored refugees have struggled to find housing and remain in hotels in Toronto, where the housing market is tight and expensive.

There has also been a scattering of racist incidents, including one last week in which graffiti was sprayed on a school in the western Canadian city of Calgary urging “Syrians go home and die” and “kill the traitor Trudeau.”

The prime minister responded on Twitter: “Canadians have shown the best of our country in welcoming refugees. That spirit won’t be diminished by fear and hate.”

In January, a group of Syrian refugees were pepper-sprayed by a cyclist in Vancouver, an attack Trudeau also condemned on Twitter.

(Reporting by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Canada’s Syrian refugee plan draws U.S. Senate panel scrutiny

WASHINGTON/OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada is proceeding with plans to take in 25,000 Syrian refugees, but the country’s background-vetting program is under scrutiny by a U.S. congressional panel, with a hearing set for Wednesday, amid lawmaker concerns about U.S. security.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee has questions about the Ottawa government’s intake of refugees by the end of February and the possibility that violent militants could mix in and cross the long, largely porous U.S.-Canada border.

At the public hearing, senators will question U.S. and Canadian experts and a U.S. Border Patrol officer on Canada’s “fast track” resettlement program. Canada’s government turned down an invitation to send a spokesperson to the session.

“We have been in frequent touch with members of the U.S. administration who are satisfied with what we are doing … if the U.S. Senate wants to engage in these activities, that is their right, of course,” John McCallum, Canada’s immigration minister, told reporters on Tuesday.

Initial inquiries show Canada’s background checks on refugees are less rigorous than the 18- to 24-month vettings done by U.S. authorities before letting any Syrian refugee set foot on American soil, congressional aides said.

Canada’s new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already delayed his government’s program. It had targeted resettlement of the 25,000 by the end of 2015. Now the target is February.

Still, congressional aides said, U.S. officials remain wary of Canada’s screening, noting it is nearly impossible for foreign governments to verify the backgrounds, and identities of refugees, given Syria’s dysfunctional government.

One way Canada is trying to allay concerns about infiltration of the refugee flow by violent militants is by limiting refugees it admits to women, children and lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender individuals.

Canada can vet would-be refugees in U.S. and Canadian law enforcement and intelligence databases, but congressional aides said these databases may omit critical and derogatory information on would-be immigrants’ previous lives in Syria.

Canada’s public safety minister, Ralph Goodale, told reporters on Tuesday that Canada had been “very strong in putting together the security system” used to vet the refugees, and had made a strong effort to keep U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and President Barack Obama fully informed.

(Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Andrew Hay)

Canada stops sharing some spy info with allies after breach

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada has stopped its electronic spy agency from sharing some data with key international allies after discovering the information mistakenly contained personal details about Canadians, government officials said on Thursday.

Ottawa acted after learning that the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) agency had failed to properly disguise metadata – the numbers and time stamps of phone calls but not their content – before passing it on to their international partners.

“CSE will not resume sharing this information with our partners until I am fully satisfied the effective systems and measures are in place,” Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement.

Sajjan, who has overall responsibility for the agency, did not say when Canada had stopped sharing the data in question.

Canada is part of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network, along with the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. CSE, like the U.S. National Security Agency, monitors electronic communication and helps protect national computer networks.

While the agency is not allowed to specifically target Canadians or Canadian corporations, it can scoop up data about Canadians while focusing on other targets.

Sajjan, blaming technical deficiencies at CSE for the problems, said the metadata that Canada shared did not contain names or enough information to identify individuals and added: “The privacy impact was low.”

He made the announcement shortly after an official watchdog that monitors CSE revealed the metadata problem. The watchdog said CSE officials themselves had realized they were not doing enough to disguise the information they shared.

An NSA program to vacuum up Americans’ call data was exposed publicly by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden in 2013 and prompted questions about the CSE’s practices.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Diane Craft)

Canada prepares to welcome 10,000th Syrian refugee, few problems so far

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada prepared on Tuesday to welcome its 10,000th Syrian refugee since November, and resettlement workers said the heavy influx has gone smoothly despite a shortage of housing in Toronto and a pepper-spray incident in Vancouver.

“We had a tough time bringing in this flow of 10,000, but we are getting used to it,” said Ahmad Hematya, executive director of the Afghan Association of Ontario, which has sponsored more than 200 newcomers in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, elected in October on a promise to accept more refugees more quickly than the previous Conservative government, had promised to bring in 25,000 Syrians by the end of December but pushed back that timeline to March because of concerns about security screening and logistics.

According to the government’s immigration website, 9,593 Syrian refugees had arrived in Canada between Nov. 4, when Trudeau was sworn into office, and Jan. 11.

The mostly smooth arrival of the refugees was marred on Friday when a man riding a bicycle unleashed pepper spray on a group of refugees after a welcome event in Vancouver, according to Vancouver police.

Trudeau was quick to condemn the attack, Tweeting that it “doesn’t reflect the warm welcome Canadians have offered,” and resettlement workers shrugged off the incident as not even worth mentioning, given an outpouring of public support.

Apkar Mirakian, chair of the committee helping to sponsor refugees through the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto, said the biggest challenge has been finding enough housing.

He said about 40 families are living at a city hotel temporarily but that sponsors and resettlement workers can usually find permanent housing within two weeks.

“The main objective is to get all these people to work, and then there are the children who want to go to school now that the holidays are over,” said Mirakian, whose group has overseen the arrival of 700 newcomers in four weeks.

While landing in Toronto and Montreal, refugees are also settling across the country.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, the province’s largest refugee resettlement agency has all its beds filled. Welcome Place, run by Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council, currently houses about 120 people, mostly Syrian refugees. The council is now filling temporary refugee housing in an apartment block and dormitory. Refugees stay for about two weeks before moving into more permanent housing.

(Reporting by Andrea Hopkins in Toronto and Rod Nickel in Winnipeg; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

British, U.S. Governments Warn of Potential Christmas Threat in Beijing

The British and United States governments are warning their citizens about possible threats against Westerners in China’s capital city.

The Beijing embassies of those two counties issued nearly identical advisories on Thursday, saying they received word that Westerners could be targeted in the city’s Sanlitun district “on or around Christmas Day.” The governments urged their citizens to be vigilant.

Sanlitun is a busy shopping and entertainment district.

Beijing police issued a yellow security alert, according to a post on one of its social media pages. The post says that more people will visit hotels, restaurants, malls and entertainment venues during the holiday season, and police will ensure that people remain secure.

China’s official Xinhua news agency reported that a yellow security alert is the second-lowest warning level on a four-tier system.

Neither the British nor the United States government mentioned the nature of the threat, though other countries issued similar warnings.

Global Affairs Canada, while not specifically mentioning Beijing or issuing any kind of nationwide travel advisory, said its citizens “should exercise a high degree of caution due to the occurrence of isolated acts of violence, including bombings and protests” in China.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told its citizens about the United States government’s warning and said “possible road closures and checks” could impact travel in Sanlitun. The French embassy also shared the United States’ information with its citizens.

North Korea Criticizes Canada Over Reaction to Pastor’s Life Sentence

North Korea is accusing Canadian government officials of “spouting rubbish” about the trial of Hyeon Soo Lim, the Canadian pastor who North Korea recently sentenced to a life of hard labor.

KCNA, North Korea’s state-run media agency, reported Tuesday that a spokesman for the country’s foreign ministry blasted Canada for its response to Lim’s sentence, handed down last week. The Toronto Star previously reported Canada’s government felt the punishment was “unduly harsh,” and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told said it sparked “tremendous concern.”

The spokesman told KCNA it was “very shocking” that Canada’s government reacted the way that it did, rather than “feeling guilty about the hideous crime,” that Lim allegedly committed.

The governments of both the United States and Canada actively warn citizens against traveling to North Korea, in large part because the North’s legal system isn’t known for consistently applying its strict laws. The U.S. Department of State warns that things that might not seem criminal — like bringing photographs into the country — can lead to people being detained, arrested or sentenced to hard labor or death. Unsanctioned religious activity is also illegal there.

KCNA reported that Lim was accused of subversion, committing anti-North Korean religious activities and spreading false propaganda about the country overseas, among other charges.

However, Lim’s family members have told CNN that the South Korean-born pastor of the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto, who is in his 60s, frequently went to North Korea over the past 18 years for a variety of humanitarian causes and his trips were not political in nature.

While KCNA reported the pastor confessed to all of the crimes, The Toronto Star reported other foreigners held in North Korea have said they were pressured into confessing. The paper quoted Trudeau as saying “issues about North Korea’s governance and judicial system are well-known.”

North Korea’s foreign ministry spokesman told KCNA that Canada’s stance on Lim’s sentence would only further complicate the situation. The spokesman said that Canada “has no legal justifications” to find fault with any of North Korea’s actions, and Canada should have apologized and taken steps to prevent future crimes rather than shifting blame to North Korea.

The war of words in the press comes two days after Reuters reported that North Korea allowed Canadian diplomats to meet with the pastor in prison last week. Relaying the information she received about the visit, a church spokeswoman on Sunday told the news agency that the pastor’s spirits remained high and that he had been given medicine to treat his health condition.

North Korea Sentences Canadian Pastor to Life of Hard Labor

A Canadian pastor was sentenced to a life of compulsory labor for “subversive plots and activities” against North Korea, the nation’s state-run KCNA news agency reported Wednesday.

The news agency reported Hyeon Soo Lim “confessed to all heinous crimes he had committed.”

According to a CNN report, Lim is a pastor at the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto. Family members have told CNN that the South Korean-born pastor, in his early 60s, has frequently traveled to North Korea over the past 18 years for various humanitarian efforts. This time, they said he planned to support church projects like an orphanage and nursing home.

North Korea didn’t see it that way. According to KCNA, Lim’s trips were far more political.

He was accused of hurting the dignity of North Korea’s leadership, committing anti-North Korean religious activities and spreading false propaganda about North Korea overseas. He also allegedly helped U.S. and South Korean programs “lure and abduct” North Korean defectors.

Lim left for North Korea in January and had been detained since February, CNN reported.

The United States and Canadian governments both caution their citizens not to travel to North Korea, with both citing that unsanctioned religious activity can lead to detainment. The U.S. Department of State warns that North Korea isn’t known for consistently applying its strict laws, and that visitors could be arrested or detained for things that might not seem criminal — like disrespecting the country’s former leaders or bringing photographs into the nation. The State Department also warns violating laws there can result in long sentences of hard labor or death.

While Lim reportedly confessed to the crimes, CNN reported that other citizens of Western nations have previously stated they were forced into confessing by North Korean officials.

Canadian officials released a statement to multiple media outlets that criticized the sentence.

Canadian news agency CTV reported the statement said the government was “dismayed at the unduly harsh sentence,” especially because of Lim’s age and health, and that North Korean officials have not approved “repeated requests” to let Canadian authorities visit with the pastor.

Flight of 163 Syrian Refugees Arrives in Canada

A plane carrying 163 Syrian refugees arrived in Canada this week, Canada’s government said.

A Royal Canadian Air Force plane brought them to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Thursday night. It was the first flight of privately sponsored Syrian refugees to arrive in Canada.

Canada’s newly elected Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has announced it plans to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in the country by the end of February. The government wants 10,000 of those refugees to arrive in Canada before the new year.

Trudeau originally wanted to bring in all 25,000 refugees by the end of 2015, but adjusted the timeline in November. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported at the time that host communities needed more time to prepare for the refugees, but some politicians had asked for more time for security vetting.

Canada’s resettlement plan says that security checks on refugees will be conducted overseas, before the Syrians even board airplanes. Canada is working with the United Nations Refugee Agency and government of Turkey to select refugees who are not seen as potential security risks and are particularly vulnerable, like members of the LGBT community and complete families.

The government says 687 total Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada since November.

Trudeau personally greeted the refugees who landed at the airport on Thursday.

“I know that, even for those facing extreme hardship, tragedy, and war in their country, leaving home is very difficult. The transition to a new life in a new country can be a very daunting process,” the prime minister said in a statement. “Let me reassure those coming to our country that our communities and all orders of government will work closely, together, to make it easier for you to adjust to these changes and become full participants in Canadian society.”

On Friday, Canadian National Railway announced it would donate $5 million to help various communities welcome Syrian refugees. Canada’s government has announced it will spend as much as $678 million over the next six years to fund its Syrian refugee resettlement program.

Canada to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees by February

Canada’s newly elected government will resettle 25,000 refugees from Syria in the next three months, according to multiple published reports, with 10,000 able to arrive by the end of 2015.

That’s a change to the Liberal government’s original plan to bring all 25,000 in by year’s end.

During his election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had promised to bring in all of the refugees before Dec. 31, 2015. But the country’s immigration officials said host communities needed more time to prepare to receive the refugees, according to a CBC report on the subject. They will be spread out through 36 different cities throughout Canada, 13 of them in Quebec.

Resettling 25,000 refugees between the Oct. 19 elections and the Dec. 31 deadline would have required the country to accept more than 340 refugees every day. Some politicians had been asking to slow down the timeline to allow more time for security vetting, the CBC reported.

Trudeau told the CBC that the adjustment to the proposal was “not about security.” While he conceded that recent terrorist attacks in Paris has affected the public perception of refugees, the prime minister insisted that the ISIS-affiliated attacks did not influence the revision to the plan.

“We want these families arriving to be welcomed, not feared,” Trudeau told the CBC.

The country’s public safety minister, Ralph Goodale, told the CBC that security screenings will completed on the refugees before they board a plane to Canada. If the checks uncover any doubts about applications, interviews or data, he said, the application will be put on hold.

The refugees will be a mix of privately sponsored and government-assisted individuals. They must register with the United Nations or government of Turkey, according to a BBC report.

Canada will accept the most vulnerable individuals first. These include entire families, at-risk women, and members of the LGBT community. Single men and those not accompanied by their families won’t be initially included in the relocation plan, according to multiple media reports.

Some are wondering if excluding straight, single men from the plan is really necessary.

Benoit Gomis, an international security analyst, wrote in an email to Newsweek that “the multi-layer vetting process should be sufficient enough to alleviate security concerns,” and noted that there wasn’t any evidence that suggested refugees were more dangerous than non-refugees.

“The Migration Policy Institute recently pointed out that out of the 784,000 refugees resettled in the U.S. since 9/11, only three were arrested for terrorism offenses (and they were not plotting attacks in the U.S.),” he wrote. “This type of knee-jerk reaction is common after terrorist attacks.”