Dispatches from the Hogtown Front

Police stopped Caledonia protesters from flying the Canadian flag

2009-11-27T15:14:00.007-05:00

Christie Blatchford writes in the Globe and Mail (Two protests, two different OPP responses, Nov. 27):

About six weeks after the OPP refused to allow a Caledonia residents group to march down the town's main street carrying a Canadian flag and even arrested one man for doing it, the same police force gave a respectful, lights-flashing escort to native protesters who did precisely the same thing while carrying flags of the Mohawk Warriors.

The jarring and undeniable contrast in the force's approach to policing the two marches is evident in videotapes played yesterday at the lawsuit of Dave Brown and Dana Chatwell now being heard before Mr. Justice Thomas Bielby of Ontario Superior Court.

The judge has already heard that one senior OPP officer involved in the Caledonia crisis describes the Warriors as an organization akin to the Hells Angels, whose members are usually armed.

Mr. Brown and his family, whose home is bordered on two sides by the former Douglas Creek Estates development seized by Six Nations protesters almost four years ago, are suing the OPP and the Ontario government for a total of $7-million.

Ironically given the tale of the tapes, a central allegation of the lawsuit is that though natives routinely behaved with criminal recklessness that sometimes turned violent, the OPP refused to police them in any recognizable fashion, leaving Mr. Brown and his family essentially on their own.

[...]

Read all of Christie Blatchford's report. At the bottom of the article, you will find links to more articles about the events in Caledonia.

This isn't an immigration story but it does show what happens to whites in Canada when their rights get in the way of a government-approved minority. The government's kowtowing to aboriginals reflects the same mindset that gave us multiculturalism and racial quotas in hiring. No matter what the situation, whites are presumed guilty.

Sinhalese Buddhist temple set on fire for second time in Scarborough

2009-11-27T12:35:00.002-05:00

Alexander Posadzki and John Rieti write in the Toronto Star (Arson suspected in latest Scarborough Buddhist temple fire, Nov. 27):

A Sinhalese Buddhist temple in Scarborough torched in May was set ablaze again in a fire police are calling arson.

The fire started before 2 a.m. Friday on the wooden porch that encircles the Kingston Rd. temple, near Beechgrove Dr.

The porch was lined with bottles of flammable liquid meant to help the flames spread quickly, thus making arson likely, said Toronto fire.

[...]

Police are again looking into the possibility that the conflict in Sri Lanka motivated those behind the arson.

May's fire occurred at the peak of the civil war in Sri Lanka and the protests by Toronto's Tamil community.

Police treated the incident back in May as a hate crime due to the threats the temple received from Tamils several days before the fire.

[...]

Read the whole Star article.

In 2005 there were major riots in the heavily Muslim suburbs of Paris. Some Canadians dared to ask whether such riots could ever happen here. In general the response was smug. Nothing like this would ever happen in Canada because we have a policy of official multiculturalism that promotes tolerance and understanding. I, however, strongly disagreed with the idea that Canada is somehow immune from racial violence.

Ethnic and racial diversity always contains the potential for violence. For a government to go out of its away to promote that diversity is insanity. Democracies can only be stable where citizens share a common identity. Canada already had enough problems coping with Quebec without making things worse by introducing multiculturalism. Mass immigration combined with a policy of celebrating cultural differences is a recipe for disaster.

Tamil Tiger supporter deported after speaking at rally

2009-11-27T11:35:00.001-05:00

Stewart Bell writes in the National Post (Tamil Tiger supporter deported after speaking at rally, Nov. 26)

TORONTO -- Canadian immigration officials arrested an Indian man in Toronto on Thursday after he gave a fiery speech at an event where the flag of the outlawed Tamil Tigers rebels was flown.

Sebastian Seeman, who was in Canada on a speaking tour, was taken into custody by Canada Border Services Agency officers and questioned before agreeing to leave the country immediately.

A CBSA spokeswoman, Patricia Giolti, confirmed the arrest, and his lawyer Hadayt Nazami said immigration officials had intended to deport him on security grounds unless he left voluntarily.

He departed Canada on Thursday night.

[...]

A film director from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Seeman is known for his hardline speeches in support of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers rebels and their fight for independence.

[...]

He was also targeted by the Indian press after photos surfaced showing him smiling and posing with the late leader of the Tamil Tigers, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

[...]

Read all of Stewart Bell's article.

"If you think that there are organized youth gangs out there and that they are out of control, I would say no," - Toronto police detective, 1992

2009-11-25T16:45:00.005-05:00

I have been going through back issues of the Toronto Star because I am researching the history of Toronto's gang problem. A quick review of headlines from as recently as the 1990s reveals how quickly this problem has developed. When the police and media started noticing gangs, there was concern, but there was also a tendency to downplay their danger.

Take, for example, an event that occurred in the early 1990s. On June 1, 1992 there was a huge brawl involving youth gangs on Toronto Centre Island. According to a story (Teen brawl shuts island, June 2, 1992) that appeared on the front page of the Star the next day, "at least eight people were arrested and eight more injured." After this violence the media was filled with the usual hand-wringing about causes. The opinions expressed at the time make for interesting reading.

Here's an excerpt from an article (Police, students agree gangs started Centre Island brawls, Toronto Star, June 3, 1992) that I found particularly telling:

Metro police and Toronto high school students agree that the Centre Island brawls this week were the work of gangs, possibly fighting a grudge match.

But they disagree on how well-organized the gangs are - and whether there's more violence ahead.

"It's definitely not over," said a student at a school in the west end, where gangs have fought. "Between these guys, it's never over."

But Detective John Muise, who waded into the thick of Monday's youth warfare on Centre Island, said the fights were "silly little juvenile macho things."

"We don't know what the summer is going to bring," he said.

"These kids are thumping each other," not the public, said Muise, an undercover officer with the street crime unit which deals with young people.

"If you think that there are organized youth gangs out there and that they are out of control, I would say no," he said.

[...]

Back in 1992 Det. John Muise's opinion may have been reasonable, but no police officer could say that today with a straight face. Toronto is a city where gang members shooting at each other has become so routine that people barely think about it any more. Thanks to bad immigration policy, the city now has a violent underclass. The social problems caused by Ottawa's reckless policies are not going to disappear any time. In fact, since there are no plans to reform immigration in a responsible way, Toronto's underclass will just continue to grow.

Fire at Buddhist temple in Scarborough

2009-05-16T13:11:00.013-04:00

It's important not to jump to conclusions; however, given the tensions surrounding the situation in Sri Lanka, this story is worth noting.

From the Toronto Star (Scarborough fire related to Sri Lankan conflict, monk says by Madeleine White, May 16, 2009):

A Buddhist monk believes a suspected arson at a temple in Scarborough is related to the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka.

The fire sent three monks running for safety from the building on Kingston Rd. just south of Military Trail Rd., at about 4:30 a.m. after its east emergency entrance was found burning. Police and the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office are investigating.

Nalaka, a resident monk, said he believes the incident is connected to the war in Sri Lanka. He also said the monks have been threatened in the last week.

The incident has caused upset across Toronto's Sinhalese community

Read the whole article.

See also:
If you support the Tamil Tigers, you support an evil cause

If you support the Tamil Tigers, you support an evil cause

2009-05-14T19:36:00.015-04:00

Tiger flags on University Ave. Click to enlarge
On Monday I wrote a message in which I said "The Tamil cause is evil." A neighbour of mine whose ancestry is Tamil, but who doesn't support the Tigers, objected. Perhaps my first message wasn't clear, so let me try again.

The Tamil protesters who have been blocking traffic in Toronto claim the moral high ground. They say they have the right to disrupt the lives of other Torontonians because they are trying to draw attention to a "genocide" in Sri Lanka. Our civic leaders have responded by giving protesters the benefit of the doubt. Dalton McGuinty, for example, called on Torontonians to have patience because the demonstrators are worried about relatives in Sri Lanka.

I'm saying the demonstrators don't deserve the benefit of the doubt. While I accept that the protesters are concerned about people dying, I note they also support the Tamil Tigers - a group that Canada has officially declared a terrorist organization. And Canada is far from alone. Thirty-one other countries have banned the Tigers.

While the Sri Lankan government has a bad human rights record, the Tigers have a long history of deliberately killing non-combatants as part of a campaign of terror. They are terrorists not because they have an army, but because they go out of their way to murder civilians. They have a history of bombing public places that are not military targets. That's terrorism and it's evil.

Many people have remarked on the fact that the protesters in Toronto have been flying red flags with a Tiger emblem. They say the protesters are carrying terrorist flags. Tamil spokesmen deny this. They say the flag they carry symbolizes Tamil Eelam (an independent Tamil state) and not the Tigers. This is disingenuous at best. An outright lie at worst.

First, it's hard to believe that a flag with a roaring tiger surrounded by a halo of bullets does not symbolize the Tiger terrorist group. Are we to accept as a coincidence the fact the two flags are virtually identical? (The official Tiger flag also has the name Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam emblazoned below the Tiger symbol.)

Secondly and more importantly, the protesters are chanting "Tamil Tigers Freedom Fighters" and "Our glorious leader Prabhakaran." Velupillai Prabhakaran leads the Tigers. It's not just a few protesters chanting either. The organizers of the rallies are leading the people in these chants. These demonstrations which Torontonians are being asked to tolerate in the name of "human rights' are an open show support for a terrorist group. If you support a terrorist organization, you support an evil cause.

Do all Tamils in Toronto support the Tigers? No. Are Tamil civilians dying in the war zone? Yes, they are. But who is responsible? I am not there, but there are reports that the civilians are being held hostage by the Tigers who shoot people who try to flee. The protesters ask Canadians to take on faith that their concerns are humanitarian. However, their support for an outlawed terrorist organization calls that claim into question.

I repeat what I said in my previous message. It's not enough for civic leaders to tell the protesters to stop blocking the road. They should also condemn the protests for what they represent. I am not saying the authorities should ban lawful protest, (i.e. protest that doesn't block roads and highways) but politicians should stop showing so much understanding. Instead of rewarding, the protesters our leaders should say, if you support the Tamil Tigers you are showing contempt for Canada's civic values. You are spitting in the eye of the country that granted you (or your parents) refuge.

The Tamil cause is evil

2009-05-11T19:58:00.010-04:00

Portrait of terrorist leader Vellupilai Prabhakaran carried by Tamil protesters on University Avenue

[Update: It's been suggested this post needs a better headline. Fine. Here it is: If you support the Tamil Tigers, you support an evil cause]

[Update: The National Post's Jonathan Kay has an article describing how the Tamil Tigers murdered a moderate Tamil politician by the name of Neelan Tiruchelvam. Read it here.]

I'm too busy to post as much as I would like about the Tamil protests that first blocked University Avenue and more recently the Gardiner expressway. However, I would like to make a short comment.

I hear a lot of people saying they sympathize with the Tamil protesters but they object to the methods used. I hear civic leaders saying blockading roads and highways is counterproductive. That may well be, but the methods used by the protesters aren't the only problem. The Tamil cause itself is evil.

I work downtown and every day I go by the protesters who were on University and are now at Queen's Park. I've heard the organizers lead people in chants of "Tamil Tigers Freedom Fighters" and "Our Glorious Leader Prabhakaran." I've seen the terrorist flags the protesters are waving and as well as the portraits of Velupillai Prabhakaran.

These are demonstrations in favour of terrorism and they should be unequivocably condemned even if the protesters were law-abiding, which they are not.

Welcome to the new Canada where multiculturalism means flying terrorist flags while stopping other people from going to work

2009-04-30T01:15:00.012-04:00

Click to enlarge - More pictures here[Update: Tamil protesters moved off University Ave.]

As everyone in Toronto already knows, Tamil protesters have been blocking traffic on University Avenue for three days now. Yesterday there were clashes with police who made some arrests. Among the chants I heard when I went downtown yesterday afternoon were "Tamil Tigers - Freedom Fighters".

Right.

These are freedom fighters who kidnap children to use as frontline soldiers in a separatist war. These are freedom fighters who use extortion and other crimes to fund suicide bombings and other acts of murder.

Not that the Sri Lankan government is any better. It was Sinhalese chauvinism that started this mess in the first place.

Unfortunately, the approaching military defeat of the Tigers in Sri Lanka won't mean the end of Tamil terrorism in Canada. The Tigers will continue to exist. They will continue to raise money illegally. They will continue to teach Tamil children that their first loyalty is to murderous thugs on the other side of the globe.

People sometimes say immigration and multiculturalism have created a new Canada. That's certainly true. Welcome to the new Canada, where supporters of a foreign terrorist organization don't think twice about displaying terrorist symbols while occupying a major street in the country's largest city.

Welcome to the new Canada where police are afraid to clear the road because they know if they do, they will be called racists by the Barbara Halls of this world.

Speaking of which, isn't flying a terrorist flag somewhat you know, err, what's the word ... hateful? Why aren't these protesters being hauled before the human rights commission to explain their open display of hatred towards the Sinhalese? Why is the board missing out on this chance to invent a new crime? Why it could even coin a new word to join the growing list of phobic neologisms: homophobia, Islamophobia, Sinhalophobia. And speaking of words, what do we call citizens of one country who openly display loyalty to a foreign government or in this case foreign terrorist group?

More protest pictures here.

Please support Vdare (and Immigration Watch Canada)

2009-04-17T11:28:00.003-04:00

Even though I haven't posted regularly for over a year, people are still coming to this blog. Readers come for different reasons, but I assume most of you are here because you care about immigration. If you think Canada needs to reduce its immigration levels, I urge you to support Vdare. Although Vdare is an American site that focuses on America's immigration disaster, it also covers Canada, largely because its founder Peter Brimelow used to live here and has a better understanding of our country than most Canadian analysts. Just to be clear, when I say support Vdare, I mean GIVE MONEY. Another group that deserves support is Immigration Watch Canada. If you want to help their fight to bring some sanity to Canadian immigration policy, go here. Consider it an investment in Canada's future.

Ottawa ignored predictions high immigration would lower Income growth. Canadians have paid the price

2009-04-12T00:05:00.004-04:00

From Immigration Watch Canada's April 9th bulletin:

John Meyer, a Canadian businessman and a past-president of Zero Population Growth, is the author of the article ("Immigration To Canada Now That We've Grown") featured in this bulletin.

Mr. Meyer's observations are particularly relevant in this deepening recession :

(1) In the 1970's, it was predicted that higher rates of immigration would lower per capita income growth. Recent OECD stats on this issue show that Canada has under-performed every other OECD country and that the prediction has come true. High immigration to do the so-called "dirty low paid jobs that Canadians reject" was a clear attempt to expand and perpetuate low-paying work.

(2 The move to raise immigration even higher is a "smoke stack era policy" which ignores social and environmental effects. High immigration makes environmental goals, such as a commitment to Kyoto, worthless.

(3 Creating millions of low-paying workers means creating a group which contributes minimally to our tax pool. This makes it impossible for Canada to both balance budgets and maintain full social programs.

(4) The impact of mass immigration on deficits and the environment has never been officially calculated. High immigration supporters such as cheap labour employers (supported by huge indirect subsidies) and land speculators lobby our governments to keep things that way. Canada, now likely a net food importer, has moved from feeding the world to consuming the world.

(5) Canada's accounting system remains cash-flow based. It values negative things such as sitting in traffic and paving farmland because these activities increase paid activity. Our GDP does not present a true picture because it fails to measure much more important factors in our economy.

(6) Canada needs to advance to a real-wealth accounting system which values environmental assets and considers the true and total effects of high immigration. Our current system hides all these negative effects and allows Canada's immigration lobby to control immigration policy. We do not permit the tobacco industry to write health legislation. We should not allow the immigration lobby to control immigration policy.

(7) "Knowing what we are measuring , looking down the road and developing integrated policies are core competencies for a democratic government--as is keeping a full set of books." Canada does not have any of these "core competencies" in place.

Read the whole bulletin

An excellent resource: Immigration Watch Canada

2009-04-03T22:00:00.005-04:00

It's been a long time since I've updated this blog, but I'm still here and I'm still thinking about immigration. I see no reason to change my opinion that Canada's current immigration policies are a disaster. I plan to resume this blog, but I don't know when. In the meantime I would like to remind visitors that Immigration Watch Canada is an excellent resource for learning more about immigration policy. Also, please read, and just as important, support Peter Brimelow's website Vdare. Be sure to visit the blog. Even though Vdare is an American site, it often publishes articles about Canada. Just put Canada into the site's search engine. Furthermore, although Canadian and American immigration problems are different, there are enough similarities for the American articles to be of interest to Canadians.

School violence: Toronto principals reluctant to report fights

2008-06-18T21:22:00.002-04:00

From the Toronto Star (Principals balk at reporting fights by Kristen Rushowy, June 18, 2008):

Ontario's public school principals don't want to be forced to report altercations between students, saying it would be "time-consuming, inappropriate and costly."

"While reports to the police should be made" in cases of physical assault where a student requires medical attention, among other situations, "involving the police in school life is a decision best left to educators who know students the best," says yesterday's letter to the education minister from Lisa Vincent, president of the Ontario Principals' Council.

But Tory MPP Frank Klees (Newmarket-Aurora) says the province needs "the force and effect of law which provides for consequences when the protocol is not followed."

Klees has been pressing the provincial government to close the loophole in the Child and Family Services Act, which mandates reporting of adult-on-student crime or suspicion of it, but not student-on-student.

The move comes after a Grade 1 boy in a York Region Catholic school was allegedly whipped by two Grade 8 boys in a school washroom. The school's principal did not report the incident to police nor to the boy's parents, who found out from their older child.

The parents called police immediately, and two youths have since been charged with assault and assault with a weapon.

[. . .]

Read all of Kristen Rushowy's article.

See also:

Ontario Safe Schools Act - Liberals plan to abolish zero-tolerance policy. Too many black students being expelled

Toronto schools - "The escalation of guns and violence has made lockdown practices as necessary a routine as recess"

Trinidad-born killer apologizes for brutally murdering white student

Are teachers losing control of some Toronto schools? Are gangs starting to take over?

Urban Diversity Strategy aims to cut Toronto's black dropout rate from 40 t0 15 percent

2008-06-18T09:05:00.003-04:00

From the Toronto Star (Cut black dropout rate to 15%, schools told by Louise Brown, June 18, 2008):

Canada's largest school board is poised to set tough targets to chop the alarming 40 per cent dropout rate among black students to 15 per cent within five years.

Through mentors, teacher training and close tracking of the most needy students, the Toronto District School Board's sweeping new Urban Diversity Strategy – to be voted on tomorrow by a board committee and by all trustees next week – would aim to make all intermediate and high schools across the city more sensitive to the demographic roadblocks often facing students of differing backgrounds.

The action plan would also target the 25 most racially diverse, low-performing schools for extra youth workers, outreach staff to work with parents, summer programs for Grade 8 students who fail any of the 3 Rs, and a network of teachers who feel passionate about working in such challenging schools.

"We know this is not going to be an easy task, but with the data we now know about our students, and with what we see is working already at some schools – plus a little bit of pressure – we know it can be done," said Gerry Connelly, the board's director of education, in an interview yesterday.

The report is one of the ways the board is responding to new data showing children from poor or turbulent backgrounds or marginalized communities often lag behind.

While trustees voted to open an Africentric alternative school in September 2009 as a sort of test lab for a more global curriculum and more black teachers as role models, the board also charged staff to come up with ways to help children at risk in all schools.

[. . .]

Read all of Louise Brown's article.

This strategy seems to be based on the premise that all students have the same potential to do well academically. But what if that's not true? What if, for example, average IQ levels differ from group to group? I suspect five years from now the Star will be publishing articles asking why the Urban Diversity Strategy failed. There's nothing wrong in trying to help black students, but don't assume that all groups will do equally well in school.

See also:

Toronto school study shows great disparities among cultural groups in academic performance

Ontario Safe Schools Act - Liberals plan to abolish zero-tolerance policy. Too many black students being expelled

High number of immigrant children places huge strain on Toronto school system

Toronto high school students who speak Portuguese, Spanish or Somali drop out at higher rates

Canada adds World Tamil Movement to list of terrorist organizations

2008-06-17T23:59:00.001-04:00

From the Toronto Star (Canada brands Tamil group as terrorist front for Tigers by Paola Loriggio, June 17, 2008):

The controversial World Tamil Movement has been added to Canada's list of terrorist organizations, the latest move in an ongoing investigation that links the group to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers.

The group's assets have been frozen and could be seized by Canada's attorney general, said Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, who announced the decision at a Toronto news conference yesterday.

"We want to make sure any group who would help terrorist organizations is prevented from doing that," said Day. The minister would not say whether charges would be laid against the group or its members, citing a continuing government probe.

In 2006, the RCMP raided the group's office in Scarborough and seized documents that included step-by-step instructions on how to set up a front organization and indoctrinate children.

About two months ago, the federal police force sought court approval to seize the WTM's bank accounts.

In a 400-page affidavit filed in federal court, the RCMP accuses the World Tamil Movement of orchestrating a complex extortion scheme that targets Tamil Canadians and pressures them to donate money to the LTTE, a militant separatist group that has been fighting for an independent homeland in north and east Sri Lanka since the 1970s.

Published reports have previously suggested that as much as $1 million a month leaves Canada to support the LTTE. Day, however, refused to speculate on the amount when speaking to reporters yesterday.

"They (the WTM) have been collecting lots of funds," said Sri Lankan Consul General Bandula Jayasekera, describing complaints from community members who say the group harassed them for money.

"We've known for years they're the front of the LTTE – it's not a secret."

[. . .]

Read all of Paola Loriggio's article.

See also:

Tamil Tigers exploit Canadian electoral database to extort money for terrorism in Sri Lanka - RCMP alleges

World Tamil Movement leader supports Tamil Tigers but denies his group funded them

Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention. Tamils wanted terrorist group delisted

Regent Park residents 'rattled' by shootings

2008-06-13T11:37:00.010-04:00

From the Toronto Sun (Regent Park rattled by Cris Doucette, June 13, 2008):

Regent Park residents are feeling more than a little uneasy after a brazen afternoon shooting that left an 18-year-old youth critically injured and a 15-year-old boy wounded.

Watching his two little girls play on a slide just steps from what was a bloody scene a day earlier, Iamtiaz Mohammad couldn't help but feel relieved yesterday that his children were not in the park when the gunfire erupted Wednesday.

[. . .]

Toronto Police say a group of youths were gathered behind the lowrise building on the southwest corner of Gerrard and River Sts. and there was some sort of altercation just before the bullets started flying around 4:15 p.m.

Two teenagers arrived at St. Mike's hospital minutes later in a private vehicle, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds. The older youth was hit in his chest and the younger boy in the legs.

[. . .]

Read all of Chris Doucette's article.

There is a lot of discussion about whether or not crime in Toronto is getting worse. Some people point to statistics that show crime is not in fact increasing. I would agree that overall Toronto remains a safe city. However, the problem of guns and gangs is new. This is not something that existed twenty-thirty years ago. It is a new phenomenon and it is related to immigration policies that have brought in people from countries like Jamaica and Somalia where there are serious social problems. I'm not saying all immigrants from these countries are bad. Of course not. However, it stands to reason that if countries are dysfunctional large-scale immigration from those places will bring those dysfunctions here. I should also point out that I know full well that most of these gang members were born in Canada. They may have been born here but they are growing up in social environments that have been transplanted from other countries. You can't blame white racism for the fact that so many black children are being raised by single mothers. White Canadians don't force black men to father children with multiple women. (Though knowing Stephen Harper, I expect him to issue an apology shortly. After all, it's the only thing he's good at.) Toronto never was and never will be crime-free, but it would be a safer city if we had better immigration policies. Just to be clear, better immigration means less immigration. Much less immigration.

Toronto school study shows great disparities among cultural groups in academic performance

2008-06-13T07:50:00.004-04:00

Below is more evidence that Canada is paying a heavy price for its senseless immigration policy. Different groups will always perform differently because aptitudes vary from group to group. I fear that the effort to achieve equal outcomes where there aren't equal abilities will cause a lot of harm. We need to be more realistic about racial and cultural differences.

From the Toronto Star (Toronto's schools fail to overcome barriers by Louise Brown, June 13, 2008):

A startling demographic snapshot of students across Canada's largest school board shows the system is failing to help children overcome roadblocks of culture, race, poverty and family background.

The ambitious personal student survey of achievement, to be made public next week, is a call to action for the Toronto District School Board to try to reduce these barriers over the next five years, says director of education Gerry Connelly.

"It confirms our belief that the status quo for too many of our students is not working," said Connelly in a covering letter for the 55-page report, which shows boys lag behind girls in almost everything including math, that teens born in Mexico tend to fail more Grade 9 courses than classmates born India, and that students whose first language is English are less likely to pass Ontario's compulsory Grade 10 literacy test than those who speak Hindi or Serbian.

[. . .]

At a board committee meeting next Thursday, staff will unveil a sweeping new plan aimed at helping students over some of these demographic roadblocks through changes that could range from curriculum and teaching staff to extra free help for certain groups.

Among some of the gaps it will try to address:

Grade 9 students who identify as gay somehow do worse at geography than those who say they are straight – although both do about the same on the literacy test the next year;

Children of single fathers are more likely to do worse at Grade 8 science than children of single mothers – and both do worse than classmates who live with two parents.

Among the 4,800 black students in Grades 7 and 8, the 400 born in Africa are more likely to earn at least a B in math than those born in the Caribbean or Canada.

While board officials are not talking until they put the finishing touches on this blueprint, leading Canadian researchers in the minefield of demographics and learning warn these numbers can be more complex than they seem.

"This isn't some sort of horse race – we do this kind of research in the interest of equity because we know kids from different countries can come to school with different degrees of preparedness, depending on the dominant values of their culture," said Vancouver researcher Bruce Garnett, who has just completed his doctorate in the achievement of immigrant students.

"It's dangerous to use this kind of data to make genetic assumptions. The differences often reflect economic status or the school system in the country you came from."

[. . .]

Read all of Louise Brown's article.

See also:

High number of immigrant children places huge strain on Toronto school system

Toronto high school students who speak Portuguese, Spanish or Somali drop out at higher rates

An effort to encourage more Portuguese students to get post-secondary education

Ontario Safe Schools Act - Liberals plan to abolish zero-tolerance policy. Too many black students being expelled

90 percent of pupils in Mississauga school come from non-English-speaking homes

Does Muslim alienation start in high school?

Police say MS-13 different from other Toronto street gangs

2008-06-05T19:47:00.009-04:00

Yesterday Toronto police sent out a press release announcing they along with Halton Regional Police had launched raids aimed at people linked to the notorious Central American street gang known as Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13. There have been reports in the past that this gang has been establishing itself in Canada. Earlier this year a MS-13 member who admitted being a murderer was temporarily released before finally being deported.

Today Chief Bill Blair held a press conference to discuss yesterday's arrests. (You can download audio of the conference in mp3 format on the police website.) I listened to the audio this evening. Unfortunately it's no surprise to hear that MS-13 is using the refugee system to enter Canada. This is, after all, the same system that has allowed Tamil, Sikh and Muslim terrorists to set up shop here.

The police said something else interesting. In recent years, Toronto has seen the emergence of black gangs that call themselves Crips and Bloods. While these black gangs imitate the American originals, Toronto police see little evidence of actual links between the Canadians and the Americans. MS-13 is a different story. It is a transnational gang that actively recruits members in other countries. In Canada, MS-13 has been working to recruit local Latino gangs into their transnational network.

Police say yesterday's arrests stopped a plan to murder someone in the justice system, but didn't say what job in the system the target of the plot held.

Toronto police raids connected to MS-13 street gang

2008-06-04T20:49:00.003-04:00

This bulletin was sent out by Toronto police this morning:

Toronto Police Service
News Release

Early morning raids, 22 search warrants executed in the GTA, 21 people arrested, Update, Statement from Deputy Chief Tony Warr

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 - 4:40 PM
Specialized Operations Command
416-808-7100

The following is from Deputy Chief Tony Warr:

During the spring of 2008, investigators from the Integrated Gun & Gang Task Force started a focused investigation into the distribution of controlled drugs, firearms, and acts of violence surrounding a group of men in the northwest area of Toronto and surrounding region.

As a result, investigators identified numerous persons involved, and addresses allegedly used to facilitate the distribution of illicit drugs and weapons.

Some of the persons identified are believed to be members of the organized criminal street gang known as MS-13. Some are associated with the gang through their distribution of drugs and weapons. The focus of the enforcement action was on the offences surrounding the firearms and the distribution of drugs that were affecting community safety.

Today, in a joint operation, the Toronto Police Service Integrated Gun & Gang Task Force and the Halton Regional Police Service, assisted by other Organized Crime Enforcement units, the Drug Squad, TAVIS Rapid Response Teams, 23 Division, 31 Division, and the Emergency Task Force, executed 22 search warrants in residences, and several more on related vehicles. There were four warrants executed in Peel region, one in York region and the remainder in Toronto.

At present, 21 people have been arrested. The investigation is continuing.

Investigators have seized large quantities of cocaine, related firearms, other prohibited weapons, and a significant amount of cash related to proceeds of crime. As well, investigators have seized paraphernalia associated with the drug distribution network. The seizures are matters of evidentiary concern, and are being investigated and processed accordingly. The total number of charges is increasing as the seized evidence is assessed.

Im sure you understand why, as the investigation is ongoing, there is much I cannot say. I will not do or say anything which might affect the safety of the officers or the public.

There will be a news conference, at headquarters, at 10 a.m., tomorrow, in which we will be able to provide a complete summary of todays events, including arrests, charges and the property seized.

Constable Wendy Drummond, Public Information, for Deputy Chief Tony Warr, Special Operations Command

There are no files attached to this release.

Tamil Tigers exploit Canadian electoral database to extort money for terrorism in Sri Lanka - RCMP alleges

2008-05-06T04:31:00.002-04:00

From the Globe and Mail (Tamil Tigers using electoral list, RCMP say by Colin Freeze, May 6, 2008):

Tens of thousands of Sri Lankans living in Canada have been funding the Tamil Tigers' terrorism campaign through a secret strategy of profiling carried out using Canada's electoral database, the RCMP allege.

In what amounts to the most detailed examination of alleged terrorist fundraising ever filed in a federal court, the national police force claims as much as $50,000 a month was being drawn from bank accounts in Toronto and funnelled to the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.

The Tigers' operation in Canada, responsible for providing 15 per cent of global funds for the secession movement, identified potential donors by postal code and used a "sales team" of locals to extract the cash, alleges the 400-page police affidavit unsealed in the Federal Court of Canada this week.

The affidavit suggests the Toronto offices of the World Tamil Movement - a non-profit organization - may have been generating funds for the Tigers. The RCMP says it has also obtained a significant letter sent to Toronto from the head of the Tamil Tigers. Velupillai Prabhakaran, one of the world's most sought-after fugitives, is said to have urged that Canadian Tamils commit about 15 per cent of the global contribution to his cause.

Read all of Colin Freeze's article.

See also:

Civil war in Sri Lanka - bought and paid for with Canadian dollars

Banning Tamil Tigers had positive effects but Ottawa and Toronto police should do more - Human Rights Watch

World Tamil Movement leader supports Tamil Tigers but denies his group funded them

Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention. Tamils wanted terrorist group delisted

Tamil Tigers use child soldiers to fight their separatist war in Sri Lanka

No economic benefits to mass immigration - British study concludes

2008-04-21T20:43:00.007-04:00

From CanWest News (Is immigration helping us? by Margret Kopala, April 21, 2008):

While Canada's opposition parties quibbled over modest measures expediting the arrival of skilled immigrant workers, one answer to that question appeared in a report from the British House of Lords. Stunningly, it concludes that record levels of immigration bring no economic benefits.

The Economic Impact of Immigration argues that immigration addresses neither labour shortages nor problems associated with an aging society. Rather, low-paid and young workers are being placed at a disadvantage because of competition from immigrants; worse, strains on public services and Britons being priced out of the housing market risk stoking social tensions.

According to the Telegraph, the British government welcomed this contribution to its "huge immigration shakeup."

Here in Canada, few noticed the British report or even Britain's "immigration shakeup," though for similar reasons cracks have been appearing in Canada's immigration portfolio too, and a small but growing number of academics, former civil servants and diplomats knowledgeable about Canada's complex and inefficient immigration system are speaking out.

Martin Collacott and James Bissett have reached conclusions similar to the new thinking on immigration now gripping most Western democracies, as did the late Bernard Ostry, while economists and professors emeritus such as Alan Green (Queen's University) and Herbert Grubel (Simon Fraser) are backing them up with far-reaching data and analysis.

Read all of Margret Kopala's article.

See also:

Canada is bringing in skilled immigrants for jobs that don't exist - Martin Collacott

Immigration agreement won't reverse negative trends

Immigration realism at the Toronto Star

Princeton sociologist: "Toronto is becoming increasingly segregated along racial and economic lines"

The Axis Of Amnesty’s Ideology Of Cheap Labor

Economist George J. Borjas analyzes the impact of immigration on American wages

Government immigration ad campaign targets ethnic minorities

2008-04-21T20:00:00.001-04:00

From the Toronto Star (Ad blitz touts reforms of immigration system by Tonda MacCharles, April 21, 2008):

The Conservative government has launched a massive, nationwide ethnic media blitz to promote its proposed immigration reforms to wary immigrant communities.

Billed as "public notice" ads, the campaign has just begun in ethnic radio and print media to amplify the message of the big speech Prime Minister Stephen Harper made Friday to a who's who of the Indo-Canadian community.

Several sources said it is a government, not a Conservative party, initiative, and is not "political advertising" but an attempt to get the facts out to new Canadians. The Toronto Star could not determine how much the blitz will cost.

[. . .]

Senior government and department officials believe debate over the proposed changes has become too political. A decision was made to speak directly to immigrant communities – voters the Conservative party is keen to woo.

Conservatives believe that, among second-generation immigrants and more affluent newcomer communities, there is support for a more economically strategic approach to immigration policy.

The Liberals and NDP say many immigrant communities are nervous the reforms will block efforts to reunite families if applicants don't have certain skills or don't meet the government's "priorities."

The advertising campaign stresses three "F's" – a more fair, flexible and fast system. It also argues the backlog is growing, family reunification is being delayed and the government is committed to "fixing this," as Harper said in Toronto.

[. . .]

Read all of Tonda MacCharles' article.

See also:

Harper defends multiculturalism and wide-open immigration

Ethnic pandering alert - Conservatives set to recognize Komagata Maru incident

Tarek Fatah describes demands made by ethnic delegates at the Liberal convention. Tamils wanted terrorist group delisted

Historian Jack Granatstein is concerned about the influence of ethnic groups on Canadian foreign policy

Pandering to Ukrainians part of Harper strategy

The perils of ethnic pandering: Canadian branch of Pakistani political movement accused of terrorism actively supports the federal Conservatives

Oh my God, they killed Kenny!

2008-04-09T22:18:00.006-04:00

Promises, promises. Why do they taunt us with good news when they know it's not true?

From a Canadian Press article in the Toronto Star (Canada could lose multiculturalism, critics warn by Michael Oliveira, April 8, 2008):

Canada is signalling to the world that it views immigrants as commodities and not people, ethnic groups warned Tuesday as they voiced concerns about controversial legislation that they say could threaten the country's tradition of multiculturalism and diversity.

The proposed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act would give Ottawa new power to fast-track certain types of applicants, especially highly sought after skilled workers and give lower priority to others.

Many visible-minority communities – which added up to five million residents according to the latest census – fear the proposed changes would result in some immigrants being discriminated against and judged only as commodities, said Sima Sahar Zerehi of the group Status Now.

"Canadian immigration is being totally reverted from a system that is based on a humanitarian basis to a system that is totally being catered to economic gains," said Zerehi, who is Iranian and came to Canada as a refugee.

"Immigrants are being stripped of humanity and viewed as strictly economic units – and they can then be discarded when they're no longer useful."

The new policy could spell the demise of well-established ethnic communities that would shrink instead of grow as new immigration priorities are established, she said. And eventually, some ethnic cultures could disappear almost entirely from Canadian society as a result, she added.

[. . .]

Read all of Mike Oliveira's article.

See also:

No economic benefits to mass immigration - British study concludes

Princeton sociologist: "Toronto is becoming increasingly segregated along racial and economic lines"

Soccer violence. Is Toronto one out-of-control celebration away from a major riot?

Polygamous Muslims collecting welfare for each of their wives - Toronto Sun article

2008-02-10T09:34:00.000-05:00

This was in the Toronto Sun (Harems pay off for Muslims by Tom Godfrey, February 8, 2008):

Hundreds of GTA Muslim men in polygamous marriages -- some with a harem of wives -- are receiving welfare and social benefits for each of their spouses, thanks to the city and province, Muslim leaders say.

Mumtaz Ali, president of the Canadian Society of Muslims, said wives in polygamous marriages are recognized as spouses under the Ontario Family Law Act, providing they were legally married under Muslim laws abroad.

"Polygamy is a regular part of life for many Muslims," Ali said yesterday. "Ontario recognizes religious marriages for Muslims and others."

He estimates "several hundred" GTA husbands in polygamous marriages are receiving benefits. Under Islamic law, a Muslim man is permitted to have up to four spouses.

However, city and provincial officials said legally a welfare applicant can claim only one spouse. Other adults living in the same household can apply for welfare independently.

The average recipient with a child can receive about $1,500 monthly, city officials said.

[. . .]

Read all of Tom Godfrey's article. For a detailed analysis about immigration and the welfare state, download for free Herbert Grubel's Fraser Institute study.

See also:

Diversity Is Strength! It’s Also…Polygamy?

Thou shalt not criticize Islam! Canadian Islamic Congress wants to censor Mark Steyn

Is it legal to say Muslim immigration is bad for Canada? For that matter, is it even legal to ask the question?

The Problem with Polygamy

Thou shalt not criticize Islam! Canadian Islamic Congress wants to censor Mark Steyn

2007-11-29T08:05:00.000-05:00

This press release was in my inbox this morning:

The Canadian Islamic Congress
Press Conference Announcement

The Islamic Congress launches human rights complaints against Maclean's magazine for publishing Islamophobic article

WHEN:
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 At 10:30 am

WHERE:
The Niagara Room (Lower Lobby),
Hotel Intercontinental,
Downtown Toronto next to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre,
225 Front Street West,
Toronto, Ontario.

WHO:
Faisal Joseph, CIC's Legal Counsel, Partner with the Law Firm of Lerners
LLP. Mr. Joseph is a former Federal and Provincial Crown Attorney, and
former Chair of the Criminal Section of the Canadian Bar Association (Nova
Scotia).

WHAT:
The Canadian Islamic Congress has launched human rights complaints against Macleans Magazine and its editor-in-chief, Kenneth Whyte, for publishing a flagrantly Islamophobic article, "The Future Belongs to Islam," in its Oct 23, 2006 issue.

This article continues to be published on the Macleans website at this web address.

The complaints have been submitted to the British Columbia, Ontario, and
Federal Human Rights Commissions on the grounds that the article subjects Canadian Muslims to hatred and contempt.

The complaints have been accepted by the British Columbia and the Federal
Commissions; hearings have been scheduled in British Columbia for June 2-6, 2008.

The press conference will be conducted by Mr. Faisal Joseph who will be
arguing the matter before the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

CONTACT:
Faisal Joseph
(519) 640-6342

Last October, I asked, Is it legal to say Muslim immigration is bad for Canada? According to some people the clear answer is no. Already during the ridiculous Muhammad cartoon controversy, the Star's Haroon Siddiqui wrote there is "a growing realization that freedom of speech is circumscribed." Siddiqui, by the way, thinks restricting speech is a good idea.

Better read Mark Steyn's article while it's still available. If some Muslims have their way, it will soon be illegal to say Muslim immigration is bad for the West. 9-11 be damned. Thou shalt celebrate multiculturalism! (Disclaimer: Christian-bashing is still OK.)

See also:

Windsor police board member wants speaker arrested for saying Islam promotes terrorism

Pakistani-Canadian journalist may have been beaten for questioning whether Muslim leader wrote Mohammed's name on the moon

The media's selective concern for free speech: Ernst Zundel and the Dixie Chicks

Dalhousie fallout - long National Post article about Jared Taylor, racism and freedom of speech

Asian Assasinz and other Toronto gangs use internet to recruit and intimidate

2007-11-19T19:56:00.000-05:00

From the Toronto Star (Gangs turn to the Web to boast, threaten and recruit by Betsy Powell, November 19, 2007):

Just five years ago, a Toronto gang calling itself the Asian Assassinz had four members and claimed as its turf two blocks in downtown Chinatown.

Back then, they "tagged the living crap" out of the area, according to a police officer who has tracked them, but not any more because, now, "they have the Internet."

Police say gang members' appearances on Web pages, chat rooms, blogs and social networking sites have allowed the Assassinz to recruit new members and expand their criminal activities far beyond the downtown core.

[. . .]

An officer who tracks the Assassinz, and prefers to stay anonymous, patrols the streets building his base of confidential informants and getting to know gang members – when he's not trolling the Internet. He says the two investigative techniques complement one another.

The Internet allows a gang to grow and to reach out to areas where "they aren't known," the front-line officer says.

Four youths charged in a recent home invasion case in Windsor, Ont., for instance, are alleged to be members of the Asian Assassinz and Project Originals, another downtown Toronto gang.

Police were initially stumped as to how the accused knew that the residence, hundreds of kilometres from Toronto, was a suspected gambling operation. Then the Toronto officer searched the Internet and made a link to a southwestern Ontario man who recently pleaded guilty to the crime. The alliance of the Assassinz and P.O. Boys, as they're also known, came to the attention of police after they spotted Web pages containing both logos.

[. . .]

Read all of Betsy Powell's article.

See also:

Project Top Hoodlum - Fear of 'escalating conflict' with Regent Park gang led to Project Originals arrests