There’s good news for Janilee Cadongonan. The 27-year-old Duncan woman was supposed to be on a plane to her native Philippines on Thursday, having been thrown out of Canada by immigration authorities.
Instead, the Canadian Border Services Agency has granted her a 90-day reprieve. She hopes that will be enough time for Citizenship and Immigration Canada to hear her application to be allowed to stay here on compassionate grounds — though that seems optimistic, given the excruciatingly slow pace at which the system proceeds.
Those who have been following Cadongonan’s story know that after 61Ú2 years living here with permanent resident status, she was to be expelled for what Ottawa calls deliberate misrepresentation but she maintains was an innocent misunderstanding.
This week’s last-minute call from CBSA was a huge relief.
“I had already packed all my things,” she says. What was supposed to be a farewell dinner with friends turned into a celebration. Her co-workers at the Duncan Real Canadian Superstore cheered her news. “I was very glad that I get to stay.”
Vancouver immigration consultant Ron Liberman cautions that the stay of Cadongonan’s removal order offers only temporary relief. She has been given three months, but it can take 30 to 40 for Immigration to hear applications such as hers.
It’s fairly rare for CBSA to stay a removal order; it’s uncertain whether the agency would be willing to do so again should the 90 days elapse with no word from Citizenship and Immigration.
“We’ve won a little victory,” Liberman says, “but by no means have we won the war.”
• A couple of other updates:
You might recall March’s story of Stacey and Karen Olynyk, 25-year-old twins struck by Hodgkins lymphoma a year and a half apart.
Karen, having endured her final chemotherapy treatment in February, is now back to work part time.
Stacey, fully recovered, is training to cycle June’s Ride to Conquer Cancer. At 10 a.m. on May 11, IMAX Victoria is showing a special screening of Wired to Win: Surviving the Tour de France, with the proceeds going to her team’s fundraising efforts.
Tickets are $15. Go to teamspaghettifactory.com for details.
The twins really are remarkable. They’re putting their efforts into helping others despite being drained both physically and financially. Cancer doesn’t mean forgiveness of student loans, or that the rent doesn’t need to be paid, or that the rest of the bills stop while you’re off work getting treatment. Nobody should have to fight cancer, but it seems particularly unjust when it hits at the age when someone is putting together the building blocks of an independent life.
• Or, if you prefer a fleshier tone to you cancer fundraisers, check out the action at the Red Lion’s Fox showroom pub on May 26.
Exotic Dancers for Cancer is an annual event in B.C. strip clubs. The proceeds are offered to a variety of cancer-related charities, though not all are eager to pluck the bills from the G-strings, as it were. “We have had issues with some of them in the past refusing to accept our donations,” said Wayne (Chicken) Kalnciems, a booking agent for Stripper Entertainment.
Kalnciems, whom you might remember from a story on the closing of Monty’s, will take to the Red Lion stage to cut off the ponytail he has been growing since age 16. His lopped locks will go to Angel Hair for Kids, which provides wigs for financially disadvantaged children who have lost their hair to medical conditions.
• No takers on the 40-year-old handmade Father’s Day card that Victoria’s Karen McLeod found in a book purchased at the Times Colonist Book Sale.
There was, however, good news about one of the other items mentioned in this week’s column on the odd items uncovered in the boxes of donated books. A collection of team photos was returned to its rightful home after the donor learned of its discovery.
Remember, the sale runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday at the Victoria Curling Club.
If books are to Victoria what beer is to Bavaria, then the TC sale is our version of Oktoberfest.
