Newsline Canada

No Goans among the 28 South Asian Candidates
There are at least 28 South Asians in the battlefield and their strength in the Parliament is set to go up by at least five or six more. The just dissolved parliament had two Liberals MPs (Gurbax Malhi and Herb Dhaliwal) and three Conservative MPs (Rahim Jaffer, Deepak Obhrai and Gurmant Grewal) of South Asian origin. The new one will have increased their number to 10 at the very least.
For listing see:http://www.weeklyvoice.com/CNews/?CNewsID=526522

Job Outlook Good For Canada
Solid Canadian hiring climate to continue into third quarter according to latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey
TORONTO, June 15 /CNW/ - The staffing picture remains strong for job seekers for the third quarter of 2004 as Canadian employers anticipate a healthy job market reported the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
According to more than 1,700 Canadian employers polled for the survey, 31 per cent expect to add staff while six per cent plan to reduce the number of employees for the July to September period, resulting in a Net Employment Outlook of 25 per cent. Sixty per cent anticipate no changes and three percent are unsure of their hiring intentions.

Let qualified immigrants work
From: The Toronto Star
This is an edited excerpt of an editorial from the Vancouver Sun.
If there is a single issue on the immigration file that the next government in Ottawa needs to address, it is this: Remove all the unnecessary hurdles that are keeping thousands of qualified immigrants from fully participating in our economy.
The Liberals, the Conservatives and the New Democrats all promise to do exactly that. It is a promise that must be kept - and quickly.
Canada admits more than 220,000 immigrants annually - many of them with advanced technical or professional skills. But too many of them cannot put their skills to good use. For full text click here.

Hot Housing Market in Toronto
Toronto Star - June 22, 2004
Excerpts
TONY WONG BUSINESS REPORTER
If you bought a home in the Toronto area over the last 10 years, congratulations. You just doubled your investment.
According to a study of the 20 biggest Canadian housing markets, released yesterday by Century 21 Canada, Toronto homeowners have much to smile about. But not as much as those in some other markets. For full text click here.

Prime Minister Martin Makes Personal Guarantee to Reduce Waiting Times for Health Care
CAMBRIDGE, June 16 /CNW/ - Prime Minister Paul Martin today personally guaranteed to Canadians that he will tackle health care waiting times the same way he did the deficit.
"I give you my word: I will bring the same energy, drive and determination to tackling waiting times for health care that I did to eliminating the deficit," Martin told a crowd at the Cambridge Rotary Club. For full text click here.

News Clips from Goa
by Joel D'Souza & Fred Noronha

Mathany becomes a minister at last

On June 14, UGDP MLA from Cortalim, Mathany Saldanha, was handed Tourism, Sports and Youth Affairs and Ports Administration portfolios, which were held by former minister Mickky Pacheco. In a swift and sudden move, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had Saldanha sworn in as a minister in the two-year-old Parrikar-led government at a function at Raj Bhavan while Tourism Minister Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco was dropped from the 13-member Cabinet. For full text click here.

Baina bulldozed
In one of the biggest demolition exercises witnessed in the State, so far, the government machinery razed about 250 illegal cubicles in a 20,000 sq m area in the Baina red-light area, rendering several families homeless. The displaced commercial sex workers were to be rehabilitated at the Bal Niketan in Ribandar, but agitated Ribandarites put up a solid opposition and even prepared for a Ribandar Bandh. However, the sex workers were not prepared to accept the government’s rehab package. When the government officials arrived to transfer them from Baina to be rehabilitated at Ribandar, all the cubicle doors were found locked and a mere handful of gharwallis in the area. Though the BJP and the Vascoites have responded favourably to the government’s move, most of the NGOs and concerned citizens feel that the act was “illegal” and “inhumane”.

Goa celebrates “Sao Joao” fest
Tradition inflamed anew on June 24 evening in Goa's suburbs, particularly at the picturesque riverside Siolim village in North Goa, with youngsters honouring the age-old ritual of jumping in the well to celebrate the feast of St John the Baptist, shouting "Viva Sao Joao, Viva!" with Goa’s rustic percussions – Ghumott-Madlem – providing the accompaniment. Another tradition specific to Siolim - the Sao Joao Boat Parade - also proved a throbbing event in front of the church of St Anthony, where beautifully decorated boats from Vaddy and Marna converged near the stage put up by the water's edge, along with those sailing up the river from Badem in Assagao, Zhor Vaddo in Anjuna, Chapora and elsewhere.
http://www.goacom.com/goanow/2004/jun/SaoJoao.htm

St Francis exposition
The Archbishop-Patriarch of Goa, Reverend Filipe Neri Ferrao, has appealed to the Christian community in Goa to participate actively in various programmes and events that would be organised at various levels during the XVI Solemn Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier from November 21 to January 2, 2005. In the meanwhile, the government proposes to provide inland waterway transport from various ferry points crossing to Old Goa to ferry pilgrims during the Exposition period. A sub-committee has also been constituted to look into arrangements for accommodation to meet demands of low income pilgrims, has identified several schools and sites for setting up camps to accommodate about 10,000 pilgrims in Old Goa and the neighbouring villages.

Jazz Junction In Goa Again
Jazz Junction made its debut at Panjim's fashion and jazz show L'affaire Xtraordinaire in April this year and soon after made waves at the 'Down to Earth' jazz festival in Panjim. Since then the band has been performing to rave reviews all over the country and is ready to release a debut album recorded live at the Razzberry Rhinoceros in Mumbai. The band will be back in Goa to perform at the Marriott Resort's 'Ozone' on the 26th and at Goa's jazz club 'Jazz Goa' on the 27th. Jazz Junction's performance in Goa this time around is courtesy Jazz Goa, the organisation that will feature worldwide visiting jazz musicians in an informal club setting at Gonsalves Mansion, Campal. Jazz Goa plans on making these informal live jazz sessions a regular affair on the last Sunday of every month. Membership to Jazz Goa is open to all music lovers and not only jazz connoisseurs.

Events
For listing of events in 2004 please click here

Goan Soccer League (Toronto)
For 2004 Events go to:http://www.goansoccer.com/gsl/index.php

People Places and Things

Vision Docu Offers Glimpse Into 150 Year Old History Of Muslims In Canada
Excerpt from Weekly Voice
http://www.weeklyvoice.com/CNews/?CNewsID=526540
A New Life in a New Land offers a window on one of this country's fastest-growing faith communities
They are doctors and lawyers, storekeepers and farmers, journalists and artists.
The first Muslims arrived in Canada more than 150 years ago. In the last decade, their numbers have doubled to nearly 600,000, making Islam one of this country's fastest-growing faiths. Muslim Canadians can now be found in almost every walk of life.
Few minorities, however, have been subject to more ill founded prejudice. Today, public perceptions of the Muslim community are informed by stereotypical images of militant fundamentalists, and alarmist news reports about the recent introduction of Islamic sharia tribunals in Ontario.
On Thursdays, starting July 15 at 10 p.m. ET, VisionTV presents the national television premiere of a series designed to clear away such misconceptions.
A New Life in a New Land: The Muslim Experience in Canada is a three-part documentary that shines a light on the lives and beliefs of an often-misunderstood people.

Listen to the review
http://www.toronto.cbc.ca/metromorning/feature/index.jsp
Gomantak
Restaurant Bar
3452 Kingston Road and Markham Road in Scarborough
Closed on Mondays open from 11:30 to 10 p.m. at night.
Closes early on Sundays around 7 p.m.
Gomantak is the only authentic Goan restaurant in the city. Goa is in the south of India on the coast. Goan food tends to include seafood, coconut milk, and pork. Goan cuisine can be described as a cross between Indian and Thai.
Everything is made fresh, in slow simmered sauces. I enjoyed the Goan Fish Curry in an intense red sauce, Pork Bafado (small pieces of pork in a rich gravy) and Prawn Kaldin (cooked in coconut milk).
The prices are amazing! Everything is around the eight dollar mark. Six of us stuffed our faces, drank a couple of Kingfisher beer and had chai and the damage was about $25 each.
For more information on this restaurant listen to the review (runs 3:56)

Obituary

Excerpt from The Nation
17 June, Nairobi. VALERIE NUNES (born :25 July 1965). Dearly loved daughter of Dolly and Richard, Beloved sister of Vanessa, sister in law of Charles De Souza.
Valerie has always been a fighter! She has had several calls but always fought back bravely. This time, though, Our Lord finally said: Valerie, return to me! We know that she will now be in a place that is calm, serene and painless.
Valerie's wish was that there should be no floral tributes but, instead , for donations to be sent to the Goan Welfare Society for the tremendous help and support that it gave both her, and her mother, Dolly,Messages of sympathy can be sent via my e-mail to jdesouza@nbnet.co.ke or by post to Dolly Nunes, P O Box 43558 – 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.

Excerpts from Toronto Star
13 June, MONICA PECUS Daughter of the late Eloy and Auta Pecus. Sadly missed by her sisters Elvira (late Cleto D'Costa), Margaret, Barbara (late Joe Correa), Beryl (Evelyn DeSouza) and the late Bertha (Joe Alexander, Australia), and brothers Albert and Raymond. Fondly remembered by all her nieces and nephews.

13 June, MELYN PINTO. Melvyn, beloved husband of Ordella (Audi). Loving Dad of Wayne and Kevin. Son of Grace Pinto. He will be sadly missed by his brothers and sisters, Ken, Genevieve, Rosemary, Stan, Bernadette, Lourdes and Veronica, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends.

GOAN, BASED IN US, 27: Goan based in US, BSc graduate, 27, 5' 3" R.C. Spinster working in USA, wheatish complexion, slim invites proposal from from US RC Goan bachelor, God fearing and professionally qualified with sober habit. If interest reply with full details and photograph to: diamat27@yahoo.com

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