Yusef Yousuf’s dream is to serve Toronto’s immigrant communities as a family doctor
When Yusef Yousuf was 10, he had a health scare that set him on a path to improve medicine. He was playing soccer at lunch with his friends and took a tumble, fracturing his arm below the shoulder. His mother rushed him to the local hospital, where the doctor noticed something unusual on the X-ray:…
Rosa is a tour de force in pro wrestling. She’s tough, quick, agile, intelligent and fiercely competitive
Many pro wrestlers have unique backstories. The incredible, emotional and inspirational journey of Melissa “Thunder Rosa” Cervantes is possibly the most unique of them all. She was born in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1986. It’s a country where lucha libre has helped turn average folk into wrestling royalty. High-flying masked superstars like Mil Máscaras, El Santo,…
Juanita Gnanapragasam plans to use her career to help people achieve good health and wellness
Juanita Gnanapragasam isn’t the type to restrict herself to one interest, to study just one topic. She believes her varied passions and expertise will figure in her work toward her career and life goal – to build a community where everyone can thrive. She knows now that she doesn’t have to limit herself, something she…
Canada must immediately waive the Temporary Resident Visa requirement for Ukrainian citizens
While the world has watched with horror the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Ukraine, the federal government launched last week the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) – a special temporary residence pathway to welcome Ukrainians and their families to our country. Although well-intentioned, the application process is deeply flawed, and it will prove to be…
Centre's mandate is not just about meeting medical needs; it's about a more equitable community
Nearly 700 refugees – half from Afghanistan – have received care at the New Canadians Health Centre in Edmonton, Alta. since it opened in late August 2021. The centre is the result of a partnership between academics, local settlement and health-care organizations, and the provincial government. Family doctors, nurses, specialists, including a pediatrician, psychological therapists,…
Canadian-Iranians must hold Trudeau accountable for his promises, including finding justice for the PS752 families
Canada’s treatment of Iranian immigrants demonstrates the Trudeau government’s double standards on Iran. On the one hand, Ottawa allows Islamic Republic officials to live openly in cities such as Toronto. On the other hand, it deports innocent Iranian residents back to Iran, where they could face imprisonment or even execution. Morteza Talaei, Tehran’s police chief…
An important lesson for nation-building in Canada
As a new Canadian, I was fortunate to have had the guidance and mentorship of many outstanding Canadian role models. They helped pave my integration into a new society and provided me with invaluable advice for my professional career. There’s an important lesson here for nation-building in Canada. Bringing immigrants to Canada is only half…
Immigration policy must build bridges and align with economic, social, education and multicultural policy
I was recently invited to share my thoughts and take a futuristic peek at the role of immigration in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada invited me to speak at its annual executive leadership summit that included more than 250 decision-makers in the executive branch. My presentation spanned the unresolved immigration issues…
Immigrant wages in oil and gas extraction in Canada are 71 per cent higher than in manufacturing and are rising faster than in other sectors
By Mark Milke and Ven Venkatachalam Canadian Energy Centre A few years ago, one of us took an early morning taxi ride in Vancouver. The driver, originally from Latin America, began to complain – without prompting – about how crazy it was that local anti-oil-and-gas protesters were trying to block the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.…
Canadians believe in equality and compassion; we don’t believe in pitting one group against another
Canada has always prided itself on being one of the most open and least racist countries in the world. This view may not have always been true, particularly when it comes to our past immigration policies, which only became colour neutral in the 1960s. But since then, and continuing today, the vast majority of our…