A Scottish-born midwife, who was ordered to stop working in British Columbia and threatened with deportation, has returned home, highlighting what advocates say is a case of a foreign-trained health care worker getting entangled in bureaucratic errors amid a shortage in the province.
Heather Gilchrist, who worked at The Midwives Collective in Victoria for about six months, left for Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday after she was unable to get clearance from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to remain in the country. Ms. Gilchrist completed the Internationally Educated Midwives Bridging Program through the University of British Columbia, which helps graduates transition to working in Canada.
She was told her work permit was not approved because she failed to upload an English proficiency test, according to politicians and families who have supported her. Later, immigration officials erroneously told her the UBC program did not lead to a certificate, diploma or degree, the supporters said. Ms. Gilchrist could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
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At the end of last month, two of Ms. Collins’s former parliamentary colleagues, Gord Johns and Jenny Kwan, wrote to Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab about Ms. Gilchrist’s situation.
The letter, dated March 28, detailed how IRCC initially rejected Ms. Gilchrist’s postgraduate work permit because results from an English exam were not uploaded. It said an online portal did not provide a prompt and that Ms. Gilchrist provided a copy of her results to the department but didn’t hear back.
The letter from the NDP MPs also described how the IRCC reviewed Ms. Gilchrist’s file again, but it was refused a second time because the IRCC claimed the UBC program does not lead to a certificate, diploma or degree. Ms. Kwan and Mr. Johns wrote that the program provided confirmation that graduates are eligible for a work permit upon its completion.
Click link to read the full news story - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-midwife-barred-from-working-in-bc-heads-home-to-scotland-amid-health/
"The Carney government decided to put $81 billion in defence spending, surely, surely he can find half a million dollars to support people in disabilities, in wheelchairs to find accessible housing."
Click image or link to watch the news video - https://globalnews.ca/video/11759649/disability-alliance-bc-points-to-lack-of-federal-funding-in-closure-of-key-program
For full-time wheelchair-users in the Lower Mainland, the ability to live independently has often hinged on one thing: finding accessible housing.
For Vancouver’s Mark Cody, 44, life was once confined to the parts of his apartment that he could physically reach.
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Cody lost the use of his legs after a missile strike while in Baghdad, Iraq. He spent years unable to bathe himself or leave his house until a program connected him and his wife, Zoey, with an accessible two-bedroom apartment in 2023 — making it possible for them to start a family.
Speaking Wednesday inside the Harmony Building in Vancouver’s Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood, clients of Disability Alliance B.C.’s right fit program stood alongside Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan to draw attention to the program’s closure after a recent $500,000 cut in federal funding through Reaching home: Canada’s homelessness strategy.
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About a dozen wheelchair-users attended the news conference. Many held signs reading: “Save the right fit program.” Some were visibly teary-eyed.
Click image or link to read the news story - https://vancouversun.com/news/ottawa-pulls-funding-to-program-matching-lower-mainland-wheelchair-users-with-accessible-homes
Financial institutions have backed multiple companies that have major contracts with ICE to provide equipment or services, through investments, loans and bonds totalling about US$35 billion, according to an investigation by non-profit Stand.earth.
OTTAWA - Major Canadian banks and pension funds provided tens of billions of dollars to American contractors for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, an investigation by the non-profit Stand.earth has found.
The group's analysis of loan and share data found Canadian financial institutions backed multiple companies that have major contracts with ICE to provide equipment or services, through investments, loans and bonds totalling about US$35 billion.
The companies that benefited from those Canadian investments include: data analytics firm Palantir; major U.S. defence contractors General Dynamics and L3Harris; the IT firm CACI; and telecom giant AT&T. CoreCivic and Geo Group, which construct and manage detention centres, also benefited to a lesser extent.
Left-wing politicians reacted sharply to news of the reported transactions. Newly elected NDP Leader Avi Lewis said Canadian businesses and public pensions should not provide support to "Trump‘s personal military arm."
"Canadians are scandalized by ICE, and we've been consistent as a party across this country that we don’t think that Canadian businesses should be doing business with ICE," Lewis told a news conference Monday in Winnipeg. "We certainly don’t think Canadian pension funds should be investing in the infrastructure of repression in the United States."
NDP MP Jenny Kwan said the Stand.earth report demonstrates the need for "greater transparency and accountability" and a "reassessment" of the ethical frameworks guiding public pensions and financial institutions.
Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/canadian-banks-pension-funds-have-poured-billions-into-ice-contractors/article_d023cc80-3127-57ef-9f02-3f16e7667368.html
I’m deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Stephen Lewis at the age of 88, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was a titan of democratic socialism with a global outlook that spoke to our better angels. His oratory remains legendary around the world. He could hold a room like no other. My thoughts go out to Stephen's wife Michelle, to Avi and the entire Lewis family.
Stephen Lewis spent a lifetime fighting for what mattered most: human rights, equality for women, and justice for the world’s most vulnerable—especially African families devastated by HIV/AIDS. His weapon was his voice, and it was one of unmatched eloquence, integrity, and conviction. He had the moral courage to speak out when it mattered. In the hallways of the UN to the corridors of power, he cornered political leaders and pushed them to act with urgency.
Even in his final years, he faced illness with the same indomitable energy that defined his life’s work. As his family so powerfully shared, he remained committed to “the unending struggle for justice and dignity for every human life.” That commitment never wavered. Avi's speech at the NDP Convention in Winnipeg spoke beautifully about how closely Stephen watched the details of the NDP leadership race. What a proud moment it must have been for him to witness the announcement of the leadership result.
Whether as a political leader, diplomat, or global advocate, he championed the disenfranchised, spoke out against violence and inequality, and helped bring the realities of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa to the world’s attention with urgency and humanity. He had a rare ability to both challenge and collaborate—to speak hard truths while still bringing people together to act. For those of us in political life, he asked us dig deeper and bring moral courage, urgency and clarity to our work. I was honoured that he attended my event when I first ran federally in 2015 - and, as always, he inspired the entire room.
His legacy is profound and enduring, reflected not only in policy and social progress, but in the countless lives he touched and inspired through his indomitable work ethic. He made us all better.
My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who were moved by his words and his work. The world has truly lost a uniquely remarkable generational voice that will continue to inspire the next generation of leaders.
I’ve issued an open letter to the Ministers of Immigration & Public Safety regarding the unjust denial of entry to MEP Rima Hassan. This last-minute reversal of her eTA raises grave concerns about political neutrality & freedom of expression in Canada.I am calling for an immediate explanation & for the Ministers to facilitate her entry to allow for scheduled democratic exchange
Ottawa hopes to bring immigration under control but social advocates see legal battles ahead.
A major bill reforming immigration powers is now law in Canada, giving Ottawa powers to mass cancel groups of visas and setting time limits on asylum claims in the name of bringing immigration numbers under control.
But the legislation, passed Thursday, (new window) has also raised concerns from a coalition of civil society groups, including Amnesty International, immigration lawyers and public sector unions, that says it places too much authority in the government's hands and is vowing to fight it.
Bill C-12 attacks the rights of refugees and migrants, Julia Sande, a lawyer specializing in privacy and migrant rights at Amnesty International Canada, said in an interview with CBC News. It makes it harder for people to have their claims for refugee protection fairly assessed, so it puts people at risk of being deported to face persecution and torture.
Click image or link to read the news story - https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/en/news/2242744/a-major-immigration-reform-bill-is-now-law-in-canada-some-worry-it-rolls-back-refugee-rights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MP Jenny Kwan Calls for Urgent Investigation into Canadian Pensions Profiting from ICE and Human Rights Abuses
I am deeply concerned by recent findings that Canadian public pensions and major financial institutions are investing billions in companies linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. These investments raise serious ethical questions about the role Canadian public funds play in supporting practices widely criticized for human rights violations, including the detention and mistreatment of migrants.
Canadians expect that their pensions and savings are managed responsibly and in alignment with our shared values of human dignity, justice, and accountability. The revelation that public pensions and banks may be profiting from corporations connected to detention centres, surveillance systems, and enforcement activities associated with repression is deeply troubling and demands urgent scrutiny.
These concerns are not new. In 2020, a Private Member’s Bill, Bill C-231, was introduced by the NDP to amend the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act to strengthen ethical investment standards. The bill recognized that Canadians should not be involuntary shareholders in companies linked to environmental destruction, human rights abuses, or exploitative practices. It called for embedding clear environmental, social, and governance principles into investment decision-making.
There must now be greater transparency and accountability. I support calls for a thorough, independent investigation into these investments and a reassessment of the ethical frameworks guiding public pension and financial institution portfolios. Canada has a responsibility to ensure that our public funds reflect our values and do not contribute to harm.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MP Jenny Kwan Statement on the Auditor General's Report on the International Student Program
The Auditor General report confirms what many students, communities and post-secondary institutions have been saying for years: under Justin Trudeau and now Mark Carney, the Liberal government has allowed the International Student Program to drift into disorder—failing both the people who come here in good faith and the communities that rely on a fair, well-managed system. Without a transparent structure and process, the politically driven policy lurches have had devastating effects for students and for the post-secondary sector as a whole.
The findings expose a system that has been neglected at the top while ordinary people pay the price. For years, the government allowed bad actors—unscrupulous recruiters and exploitative institutions—to take advantage of international students, many of whom arrive in Canada with hopes of building a better life. Instead of protecting them, the system left them vulnerable to fraud, abuse, overwhelming debt, and uncertainty. Now, rather than fixing those structural problems, the government has lurched to the other extreme.
The rushed cap on study permits is a clear example of policy driven by political pressure rather than principle. After years of inaction, the Liberals abruptly imposed sweeping cuts that have hit smaller provinces and communities the hardest. Atlantic Canada and the Prairies—regions that depend on international students to sustain local economies and public institutions—have seen reductions of 59 percent or more, despite earlier assurances. Even more troubling, the department admits it cannot explain why approval rates fell so far below projections. The government's policies have been driving the chaos and putting post-secondary institutions deep into deficits and job cuts.
This pattern of neglect followed by overcorrection reflects a government reacting to hysterical political criticism from Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives instead of leading with a clear, humane, and evidence-based vision. Canadians deserve better than policies that swing back and forth depending on the political winds, leaving students, workers, communities, and post-secondary institutions caught in the middle.
A fair immigration system must be built on integrity, transparency, and respect for the people it affects. That means cracking down on exploitation, properly resourcing enforcement, and ensuring that international students are treated with dignity—not as revenue streams or political talking points.
Under Mr. Trudeau and now Mr. Carney, we have seen the consequences of a system shaped by sudden politically driven decisions and policy reversals. It is time to build an immigration system that is stable, accountable, and rooted in long-term planning, not short-term political calculation and issues management.