Coalition of refugee advocates demand changes to Bill C-31

Members of the Justice for Refugees and Immigrants Coalition at a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa 

A coalition of human rights advocates and refugee lawyers have told Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, that he must change Bill C-31.

At a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, five prominent speakers from Amnesty International, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Council for Refugees, outlined what they say are serious flaws in the bill and why it must be withdrawn or defeated at second reading in the House of Commons.

"Among the many troubling provisions in Bill C-31 is the power given to the minister of immigration to designate a list of countries of origin that are supposedly safe," said Alex Neve of Amnesty International Canada.

Mr. Neve believes that people who apply for refugee status in Canada from a so-called safe country will likely be turned down because the government believes they do not face a threat from their own country.

"Introducing the safe countries of origin concept into the Canadian refugee system is unfair and problematic for so many reasons," said Mr. Neve.

"There is no reliable and objective way to distinguish safe and unsafe countries. Human rights violations occur in virtually all countries around the world," Mr. Neve added.

Bill C-31 will also allow the minister to detain refugees for up to 12 months, said Nathalie Des Rosiers of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, at a cost to taxpayers reaching $70,000 per person, per year.

Bill C-31 (Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act) was introduced in Parliament last month.

According to the government, it will provide faster protection to those who genuinely need refuge in Canada and faster removal for those who do not.

“Canadians take great pride in the generosity and compassion of our immigration and refugee programs," said Mr. Kenney in a press release. "But they have no tolerance for those who abuse our generosity and seek to take unfair advantage of our country.”

There are approximately 10.5 million refugees in the world, according to Peter Showler of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers. Canada receives about 25,000 refugee claims a year and about 40 per cent of them are accepted.

Traumatic brain injuries taking a toll

MRI scan showing damage due to brain herniation after TBI. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

With Sydney Crosby's (so far) successful second comeback to the NHL after suffering a debilitating concussion last year, there is a renewed interest in hockey – and a hope that he can stay healthy enough to remain in the game.

In his first game back Mr. Crosby contributed two assists and helped his Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the New York Rangers 5-2.

With the Stanley Cup playoffs just around the corner, the sports world will be watching to see if Mr. Crosby suffers any symptoms from his concussion that will once again take him out of the lineup.

What exactly is a concussion and what are the symptoms and treatment?

"A concussion is any impact on the head or body that causes a disturbance of consciousness," said Dr. Maryse Lassonde, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funded researcher in Montréal, in a telephone interview.

The proper term for a concussion (in scientific papers) is actually minor traumatic brain injury (MTBI) however, the word concussion remains in popular use.

What happens when you have a MTBI?

"Essentially, the brain may rotate within the skull," said Dr. Lassonde. "This provokes a cascade of neuro-chemical events."

This causes a wide variety of symptoms such as, headache, sensitivity to light and noise and balance problems. Fortunately, many people are able to function properly within 10 - 14 days.

According to Dr. Lassonde's research, many problems associated to MTBI end up being long term or even permanent. This may prevent an athlete from learning a new skill.

Dr. Lassonde has done extensive research on athletes – including the Montreal Canadiens – and says it is important to test each player and establish a baseline level. These include memory, computer, attention span and reaction time tests.

She says it is important that an athlete be symptom free before returning to a sport.

There is a phenomenon called the second impact syndrome, where an athlete takes a hit and gets a concussion, but returns to his or her sport without having fully recovered from the event. This further delays a complete recovery and a return to the game.

While we know Sidney Crosby is one of the most high-profile players to suffer a concussion, he is not the only one – although the NHL will not go into details about it.

"The NHL does not release numbers or players' names with respect to concussions," said a spokesperson for the NHL, in an email interview.

"I can tell you that the NHL has been at the forefront of concussion evaluation and management since the Concussion Working group was formed in 1997. There have been numerous improvements made to our concussion program over the past 14 years, particularly in the past 24 months. The NHL has also made numerous changes to the rules and the playing environment to maximize the safety of our players," said the spokesperson.

Athletes are not the only people to suffer from a variety of traumatic brain injuries.

No one knows this better than the Canadian Forces, who have seen many Afghan veterans suffer.

"Screening results of personnel returning from deployment to Afghanistan from 2009 to February 2011 showed that 5.1 per cent of this group self-reported experiencing a mild traumatic brain injury while deployed," said a spokesperson for the Department of National Defence, in an email interview.

"In combat, the majority of MTBIs are caused by exposure to blast. The most common symptoms of MTBIs are headaches, dizziness, problems with memory and attention, fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, and irritability," said the spokesperson.

Fortunately, the vast majority of CF members who experience MTBIs are able to return to work.

According to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, traumatic brain injuries are the number one killer and disabler of young Canadians under the age of 40. Each year, 50,000 Canadians sustain brain injury due to a blow to the head, a fall from a bike, a car accident or physical violence.

War Museum gets new Victoria Cross

Photo credit: Victoria Cross awarded to John Francis Young, VC
CWM 20110065-001
Tilston Memorial Collection of Canadian Military Medals
© Canadian War Museum

The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa has acquired the Victoria Cross that was awarded to Pte. John Francis Young for his service in the First World War.
Pte. Young was 22 years old when he enlisted in 1915. He became a stretcher-bearer with the 87th Infantry Battalion.
On Sept. 2, 1918, Pte. Young was part of a Canadian Corps attack on the German defensive line that ran between the cities of Drocourt and Quéant in northern France.
The Canadians came under heavy machine-gun and artillery fire and suffered heavy casualties. Pte. Young tended to the wounded and several times during the fighting he was forced to leave the battlefield to resupply his medical kit, always returning to continue aiding his comrades. He directed the evacuation of over a dozen men. Unfortunately, Pte. Young was himself injured as a result of inhaling mustard gas on the battlefield.
Pte. Young received his Victoria Cross from King George V on April 30, 1919, at Buckingham Palace.
After the war Pte. Young returned to civilian life in Montréal where he worked for a tobacco company.
He died on Nov. 7, 1929, in a sanatorium in Québec. He was suffering from tuberculosis.
Pte. Young's Victoria Cross was acquired through private purchase from the Young family, according to a spokesperson with the Canadian War Museum, in an email interview. The medal was purchased through the National Collection Fund, which receives contributions from many Canadians who support the acquisition of important artifacts.
According to the museum's spokesperson, it is the Canadian War Museum’s mandate to acquire significant artifacts that illustrate and demonstrate personal stories relating to wartime experiences on the battlefield and on the home front.  The Victoria Cross is the highest award for military bravery.