Nawel Izard is the host of a popular radio program on Cortes Community Radio and the head of the Polaris Law Collective, whose head office is in Campbell River. She was born in Algeria, but lived almost her entire life in Canada. In this morning’s interview Nawel describes her motivations and something of her legal practice.
Continue reading Nawel Izard: the lawyer behind the ‘In Session’ radio show
By George Lee, The Macleod Gazette, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Editor’s Note: Light profanity appears in a direct quotation in this story.
A nine-question referendum announced by the premier Thursday charts new territory for direct democracy, as the government looks to define and entrench an Alberta approach for dealing with immigration and Ottawa.
The United Conservative Party (UCP) initiative appears to feature the most — and most complex — federal or provincial questions ever asked on a single referendum ballot in the country’s history.
The electorate’s participation will help the government shield Albertans from an intrusive Ottawa and its potentially harmful policies, Danielle Smith said during a televised and streamed address.
Continue reading History-making nine-question referendum punts Alberta into unprecedented territory
Europeans knew about North America for over a century before they began settling here. Basque, Portuguese, French, and English fishermen regularly sailed to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in the 1500s and 1600s for the rich offshore cod harvest. They often camped on the beaches but rarely stayed through the harsh winters. At the time, most Europeans lived in smoky, windowless huts heated by an open fire on the floor—hardly an incentive to brave even colder conditions overseas.
Archaeologist William Gilbert, working at Cupids in Newfoundland, suggests a few changes in homes construction changed everything.
“Recently it has been suggested that the late 16th century innovations such as fireplaces, wooden floors, glazed windows and woolen and felt clothing may have made it easier for Europeans to adapt to and survive during our cold northeastern winters. The first successful colony was established at Port Royal in Nova Scotia in 1605, followed by Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, Quebec City in 1608, and Cupids in 1610.”
Continue reading How did settlers get to British Columbia?Editor’s note: There are very few Chinese ‘immigrants’ in North Vancouver Island. Most new Canadians appear to be attracted to more urban areas of British Columbia, and our area is primarily populated by descendants of earlier ‘settlers.’ Most of the foreign born residents in our area reached Canada sometime prior to 1980. The 2021 census reports some Chinese immigrants in Comox (100), Courtenay (80), Powell River (55) and Campbell River (50). There were no Chinese immigrants reported on Cortes Island or in Area C.
The vast majority of people who ‘look Chinese’ in our area, are actually Canadians. The numbers of people who stated their ethnic origin is Chinese are: in the Comox Valley (795), Courtenay (460), Campbell River (310), Powell River (200) and Area C (20). While no of Chinese ancestry was reported on Cortes Island, there could be 1 or 2 as Statistics Canada rounds numbers off to the closest multiple of 5.
One of the hindrances to immigration for Hong Kong mentioned below, is that it is a Cantonese speaking area and when Canadians speak a Chinese language it is usually Mandarin. This is not true of our area. Only 5 of the 20 people of Chinese origin in Area C speak a Chinese language: Cantonese. There are more Cantonese speakers than Mandarin in Comox (180 vs 110) and Campbell River (80 vs 65). There are almost equal numbers of people speaking these languages in Courtenay (110 vs 115). Powell River is the only place where Mandarin was used by the vast majority of people still speaking a Chinese language (60 vs 30).
Two other hindrances to immigration: difficulty finding high-quality work and lack of affordable housing.
By William Koblensky Varela, New Canadian Media, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Hongkongers have largely stopped applying for Canadian work and study permits under a policy for those fleeing the Beijing-imposed national security law, previously unpublished data from Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows.
Thousands of people from Hong Kong fled to Canada after China cracked down on dissent and free speech in the former British colony by imposing the national security law in 2020. Since then, many pro-democracy activists have been silenced, civil society groups have been shut down and outspoken media outlets have been closed.
However, a tough job market for new immigrants, housing challenges, competition from the UK and Taiwan, as well as a downturn in the Hong Kong economy could all be behind the sudden slowdown in asylum applications to Canada, according to expert opinion.
Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Hong Kong asylum applicants suddenly shun Canada. What’s happening?
On the surface, one might ask how relevant an article about immigration is to people living in the Discovery Islands. The vast majority of us either came from more urban parts of British Columbia, and/or are the descendants of an earlier wave of immigrants. Many non-Indigenous Cortesians trace their roots back to the era when most immigrants were ‘British,’ European or from the United States. There are undoubtedly many reasons why this predominantly ‘white’ population is now found in more rural areas. Some of us are the descendants of the first settlers in this area, others sought a more rural lifestyle and many moved here because of real estate values.
According to Statistics Canada, a new wave of immigration has become the principal driver of our nation’s population growth.
Continue reading Immigration in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands
