The kirpan, which is a stylized representation of a sword, will be allowed in public areas of Toronto courthouses subject to certain conditions.

The kirpan, the Sikh ceremonial dagger

Sikhs’ ceremonial daggers now allowed in Toronto courthouses

Published On Wed, 16 May 2012

Curtis Rush
Police Reporter

Toronto has become the first city in Canada to develop a formal policy allowing Sikhs to bring their ceremonial daggers into its courthouses.

The kirpan, which is a stylized representation of a sword, will be allowed in public areas of Toronto courthouses subject to certain conditions.

For instance, the court officer must be informed the person is a Khalsa Sikh, which is an initiated Sikh, and that they are carrying a kirpan.

“This is not a Christian country or a Christian city. It is a secular multicultural country and secular multicultural city with people from numerous religions as well as spiritual people, agnostics and atheists,” Solo said.

Atheist Ashu Solo threatens human rights complaint after Saskatoon councillor’s dinner blessing

Betty Ann Adam, Postmedia NewsApr 21, 2012 – 5:02 PM ET | Last Updated: Apr 23, 2012 10:06 AM ET

Richard Marjan/Postmedia News

“It made me feel like a second-class citizen. It makes you feel excluded,” atheist Ashu Solo complained after a Saskatoon city councillor said grace at a volunteer appreciation dinner.

SASKATOON — A Christian prayer by a city councillor at a City of Saskatoon volunteer appreciation dinner discriminated against non-Christians, says a volunteer who intends to complain to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.

Ashu Solo, a member of the city’s cultural diversity and race relations committee, was among the guests at the dinner Wednesday, where Coun. Randy Donauer said a blessing over the food in which he mentioned Jesus and ended with “amen.”

“It made me feel like a second-class citizen. It makes you feel excluded,” said Solo, who is an atheist.

“It’s ironic that I’ve now become a victim of religious bigotry and discrimination at this banquet that was supposed to be an appreciation banquet for the service of volunteers like me.”

Ron Leech apologized for saying :"“I think as a Caucasian I have an advantage. When different community leaders such as a Sikh leader or a Muslim leader speak, they really speak to their own people in many ways. As a Caucasian, I believe that I can speak to all the community.”

Alberta Election 2012: Calgary-based Wildrose candidate attributes his electoral edge to being Caucasian (Audio)
By Keith Gerein, edmontonjournal.com April 17, 2012 5:30 PM

Wildrose candidate Ron Leech running in the multicultural riding of Calgary-Greenway.
Photograph by: Supplied , edmontonjournal.com

CALGARY – A day after an Edmonton-based Wildrose candidate came under fire for controversial religious views, a Calgary-based candidate with the party found himself in the headlines for on-air comments suggesting his chances of victory were better than his non-white rivals.

“I think as a Caucasian I have an advantage,” Ron Leech told a radio station on the weekend. “When different community leaders such as a Sikh leader or a Muslim leader speak, they really speak to their own people in many ways. As a Caucasian, I believe that I can speak to all the community.”

Leech, a longtime pastor running in the multicultural riding of Calgary-Greenway, has previously been at the centre of controversy for some of his religious views against homosexuality and abortion.

On Tuesday at a Wildrose rally, Leech apologized for his radio comments, saying he meant to say that he has no disadvantage as a Caucasian candidate running in Greenway.

We decided to post a comment to an article on the Gypsy problem in Parkdale: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1159031–fiorito-the-roma-of-parkdale-yin-and-yang

The author, Joe Fiorito, spent a week writing about the lamentable community support of Canada’s new-ish Roma (Gypsy) refugee population. An interesting report overall, as it gives us a glimpse into what kind of people are destined to replace Canadians.

Our original comment posted to the Toronto Star piece follows:

Put your money where your mouth is
I wonder how many sympathetic people like Mr Fioriti would be willing to sponsor a refugee for immigration to Canada.

Of course, this means paying out of pocket for all the community support he has so lovingly described, as well as any medical or legal cost incurred by these new Canadians.

The problem with individuals like Mr Fioriti is that they are very keen on Canada becoming a caregiver for people who have been born in countries that have unfortunately been unable to provide an attractive standard of living, however do next to nothing in regards to the altruism they so proudly proclaim. Either adopt a immigrant/refugee (and their family) and pay our of pocket for all cost and problems associated with their presence in Canada and cease putting the burden on the general taxpayer. Then we can talk of your humanitarian benevolence.

Mr Fioriti’s heart is warmed by the “plight” of these people and goes about the issue with a smug satisfaction that he stands on a moral high plane, but yet expects Canadian society in general to deal with any problems associated with this population influx.

If he or any pro-immigration proponents would accept to be fiscally responsible for these newcomers, he would have a leg to stand on. As it is currently, however, people of his ilk are glad to feel emotionally rewarded by helping out the less well-off from the entire planet, yet expect everyone else to shoulder the effort.

Put your money where your mouth is, sir, and the same goes to all bleeding hearts.

This was posted at about 11am on the 11th of April and was awaiting moderation. It did not appear immediately.

After about 4 hours of waiting for the comment to be approved by The Star, the following non-sequitur comment of quite different substance was posted:

More funding
It’s incomprehensible that the Tories are cutting funding for programs while Canadians can’t even get their human rights respected.

We need to do more for the Roma people instead of buying useless planes.

It was approved in under twenty minutes.

Only after an email inquiring about the comment approval process was sent to The Star did our first initial comment appear, about 36 hours later.

A good insight into how the editorial and comment boards are managed…

CIReport.ca

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair holds on to his chair while promoting diversity /DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair honoured as ‘champion for diversity’
Published On Mon, 19 Mar 2012

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair will be honoured on Friday for his efforts in promoting diversity.
DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO
Kirsten Parucha
Staff Reporter

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair is being honoured as a “champion for diversity.”

The award, to be presented Friday by the Diversity Business Network, honours Blair for his success in the implementation of diversity strategies. Blair is credited with promoting diversity in the workplace and for his commitment to building positive relationships with the diverse communities across the city, the business group says.