The Asian Star - August 31, 2024 by The Asian Star Newspaper

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In a major shakeup to the province’s political landscape, the once-dominant B.C. United party announced Wednesday it will suspend its campaign, leaving the B.C. Conservatives to represent the centre-right in a two-way race with

the NDP. But United Leader Kevin Falcon’s latenight deal with B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad caught many of his 23 MLAs off guard and left them wondering about their political future, as Rustad made no promises to pick up United candidates for the Conservatives. Ten of those United MLAs are seeking re-election.

“What became apparent to me as I crisscrossed the province and heard from literally tens of thousands of people is the No. 1 major concern that they have is that ‘if you guys don’t do the right thing and be the adults in the room and help bring together that free-enterprise centre-right common sense coalition, you are going to help elect an NDP government,'” Falcon said during a joint press conference with Rustad.

Polls predict the Conservative Party will win next federal election in Canada

With BC’s next provincial election coming up in October and the United States gearing up for their federal election this November, some have started to ponder how the next federal vote will pan out.

The next Canadian federal election is slated to take place in October 2025, and thus far, polls show that most of Canada is looking to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and replace him with Pierre Poilievre.

According to 338 Canada, the Conservative Party is currently leading in every province, minus Quebec.

Across the country, this poll predicts the Conservatives would form a majority government if the election were to take place today with 209 seats.

To form a majority government a party needs to win at least 172 seats.

Trudeau policy allowed ISIS terrorist come to Canada Thousands of international students in Canada face deportation, sparking protests nationwide BC United drops out of election race in deal with BC Conservatives

CBSA seizes 25 kg of methamphetamine headed for Australia

Officers with the Canada Border Services Agency have seized large quantities of methamphetamine they say was destined for Sydney, Australia. On Wednesday, the agency said it made two seizures last month comprising of nearly 25 kilograms of the street drug. On July 27, officers using a drugdetector dog intercepted 10 kg of meth that a Canadian citizen had loaded inside falsesided compartments in two suitcases.

Two days later, officers discovered 15 kg of meth inside a Canadian citizen’s suitcase.

Police estimate the street value of the seized drugs at $1.25 million.

Canadian repeats 2020 Walmart grocery order in 2024 — the price difference is shocking

Canadians are well aware of sky-high grocery prices, but just how much have they increased over the years? One shopper decided to find out by comparing a Walmart grocery order from 2020 to the same one today.

In a post on Wednesday, Reddit user MrCrix said they found their oldest Walmart order from 2020 on what looks to be the Instacart app and duplicated it to see how much prices have gone up for the same order since. The shopper shared the results on r/povertyfinancecanada, and it was shocking, to say the least. “[The] oldest order I have is November 30, 2020. For 22 items, I paid $145.87. That included all the fees and a $10 tip,” MrCrix wrote in the replies.

They repeated the order in the present day, but only 10 items were automatically added to the cart,

and the remaining 12 had to be manually added.

“The reason for this is that the packaging sizes changed,” the Redditor explained. “For example Wheat Thins went from 200g to 180g, Kraft Dinner used to have a five pack, but now only have a four pack.”

That’s already a sign of shrinkflation.

MrCrix checked out the present-day order with a $11.15 tip; the grand total was $214.72. That’s a difference of $68.91, or a price hike of 47.2% from 2020.

“That also did not include a $3.99 delivery fee that I got taken off because it was a promo,” they wrote.

Ahead of the upcoming school year, B.C. Premier David Eby announced Tuesday that cellphones and other digital devices will be restricted in B.C. schools “from bell to bell.”

The province says all school districts now must have policies in place to limit cellphone use at school, after restrictions were first introduced in April. Eby and Education Minister Rachna Singh say it’s part of a larger effort to keep students safe and healthy by protecting them from online predators, extortion and harassment.

“We want to ensure that when kids are in the classroom, they can learn without distractions that take away from their ability to thrive in school,” said Singh.

BC, and teachers need adequate resources to ensure no child goes without the support they need,” the BCTF said.

The province also announced the Safe Access to Schools Act, which allows the government to “prohibit people from interfering with safe access to school grounds.”

“So, essentially, it is now 50% more expensive to order the exact same items, with lesser volume from Walmart than it was 3.5 years ago.” Mon-Fri - 12:00 - 9:30

“A restriction on cellphones to make sure that kids can be kids and can learn and can develop strong social relationships with their friends at school in the absence of these devices. And parents can make their own choices about whether or not their family is comfortable with a kid having a device or not, and removing that peer pressure that comes when everybody has a phone,” said Eby, speaking outside a school Tuesday.

The BC Teachers’ Federation says cellphone policies in schools is best dealt with in partnerships with teachers.

“While some teachers enjoy using cellphones as a learning tool, others find them to be a distraction. Ultimately, as professionals who know their students best, teachers are well-positioned to determine what’s most effective for their students’ educational needs,” it says.

The group says while teachers are happy to see cellphone policies get attention, there are much higher priority tasks that must be addressed.

“There is a staffing crisis across schools in

“Access zones are in place at K-12 schools, and police can arrest or issue tickets to anyone found impeding access, disrupting or interfering with educational activities, or attempting to intimidate an individual within 20 metres (66 feet) of school property,” the province said in a release.

It says the zones will be in effect from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. and during extracurricular activities, with limited exceptions.

“Disturbingly, in our province, we saw 20 different disruptive protests on elementary school and high school sites in British Columbia, including a demonstration in Burns Lake where adults were pounding on the windows of the school,” Eby explained. “That’s why we also introduced a ban on protests within perimeter around the schools.”

Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia all either have or are in the process of creating, rules that restrict the use of cellphones by students.

New poll puts BC Conservatives ahead of NDP as election looms

A poll released on Tuesday shows the B.C. Conservative Party ahead of the ruling B.C. NDP for the first time, as an October election looms.

According to a poll taken by Mainstreet Research between Aug. 15-18, 39 per cent of decided voters will support the Conservatives in the Oct. 19 provincial election, followed by the NDP at 36 per cent.

B.C. United has 12 per cent of the decided vote according to the poll, followed by the B.C. Greens at 11 per cent. The percentage of undecided voters identified by the poll was nine per cent.

Earlier this month, pollster Leger released its Government of B.C. Report Card that found a previously sizable lead held by the B.C. NDP had been almost completely eroded by the Conservatives.

“As the fall election approaches, the latest Leger polling data indicates that the previously

substantial lead held by the B.C. NDP under the leadership of David Eby (42 per cent) has been all but erased due to the significant gains made by John Rustad and the Conservative Party of B.C. (39 per cent) where support has risen 13 points since March 2024 (26 per cent). While the B.C. NDP still appears to be maintaining a stable support base, the Conservative Party of B.C. has been rapidly capturing support from undecided voters and ex-B.C. United supporters,” a Leger statement read. It went on to say that support for Kevin Falcon’s B.C. United had fallen significantly between March and August 2024.

“The dramatic rise in support levels for the Conservative party can be attributed to five main factors. Firstly, the increases in awareness, approval ratings and voter support of (leader) John Rustad have been significant across all age groups and genders.

Trudeau policy allowed ISIS terrorist come to Canada

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The RCMP also began an investigation and arrested Eldidi and his son Mostafa on July 28 for allegedly plotting an ISIS attack in Toronto. The committee voted to probe Eldidi’s path to citizenship after Global News reported he had come to Canada after allegedly appearing in an ISIS video in which he was shown dismembering a prisoner. His son is an Egyptian citizen who applied for a study permit in 2019 and was refused. He then made a refugee claim at the Fort Erie, Ont., land border in 2020, and was accepted in 2022, after security screening turned up no concerns, the chronology shows. At Wednesday’s hearing,

LeBlanc said an internal review was examining what information was available when, and promised to “move rapidly” to make any needed changes to the security screening system. The minister also said that as soon as Canada’s security agencies learned of the potential threat, they worked swiftly to secure the arrests of the suspects, who are now in custody and face a total of nine charges. “The moment the government of Canada became aware of concerning information regarding this individual, all of the appropriate steps were put in place by CSIS and the RCMP, which culminated in the arrest on the 28th of July,” LeBlanc said.

Police ID man accused of killing Ontario real estate agent, arrest warrant issued

York Regional Police say they have issued a Canada-wide warrant in connection with a suspect wanted for first-degree murder of an Ontario real estate agent whose remains were found burned. Police said the warrant has been issued for 47-year-old Zhixiong Marko Hu for the disappearance and murder of Markham, Ont. woman Yuk-Ying Anita Mui, 56.

On Aug. 9, Mui was reported missing by her family after they had not heard from her, police said. Police called the disappearance at the time “suspicious” because the woman, who spoke regularly with her family, had been unreachable for days. Investigators said her white 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 Sport was found about eight kilometres from her home in the Finch and

Warden avenues area in Toronto. Police have said it is unclear how her vehicle got there.

The day she went missing Mui was supposed to visit a large rural property on Vandorf Sideroad in Stouffville related to her real estate business, police said. A few days following her disappearance, on Aug. 12, police said officers with the Ontario Provincial Police reported that burned human remains were found near Avro Arrow Road and Highway 400 in the Town of Parry Sound, more than 200 kilometres from where she went missing. The human remains were positively identified by the coroner’s office as those belonging to Mui.

Last week, police said three teens — two 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old — were found

PICS car rally

PICS Society is organizing a Car Rally and Walk on September 6th, to bring awareness to the rising incidents of gang violence and drug abuse throughout BC.. The Car Rally and Walk is a part of our annual REACH (Realize – Educate – Accept – Communicate – Help) initiative to create awareness and share information about available resources for having Drug and Gang Free Communities. Everyone’s invited to the event. “Unregulated drug toxicity is the leading cause of death in British Columbia for persons aged 10 to 59, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, accidents and natural disease combined. The lives of at least 13,794 British Columbians have been lost to unregulated drugs since the public-health emergency was first declared in April 2016. The total number of lives lost in 2023 equates to an average of 6.9 deaths

per day and is 5% more thanthe previous high of 2,383 deaths recorded a year earlier in 2022”. Ref: BC Government Statistics. Similarly, gang related shootings have seen an exponential rise in numbers.

As per Blue Line: Canada’s Law. The Car Rally will start at PICS’s Head Office (reach by 8.45 am) and move throughout Surrey and end at the Surrey City Hall, there will be a walk from Surrey City Hall to Holland Park. At Holland Park, there will be booth set up by our community partners showcasing resources to prevent addiction and gang involvement. You can show your support for this initiative by driving along in the rally or joining us at Surrey City Hall. Once we have received your confirmation, we will coordinate with your office to finalize the arrangements of your participation.

to be in possession of Mui’s property, such as credit cards that were allegedly used at multiple locations in the Greater Toronto Area. They were charged with fraud and firearm-related charges. A fourth suspect was then identified “as being involved in her disappearance,” police said, and the country wide warrant was issued for Hu. Police told Global News investigators believe Mui was at the property on Vandorf Sideroad for a real estate deal with Hu but they are still working to determine the exact relationship between Mui and Hu. Police said investigators

BC politicians watch closely as Ontario changes harm reduction strategy

When Insite first opened its doors in 2003 in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside it was the first sanctioned supervised drug consumption site in North America. However, public pressure is pushing changes to harm reduction strategies across the country.

On Monday, the Ontario government passed a law banning sites within 200 metres of a school or child-care facility. That means 10 consumption sites, including five in Toronto, will close in 2025. B.C. politicians will be watching closely what happens in Ontario.

“In most of our sites there are no challenges, but in some there are, and we need to work with community to address those challenges,” B.C.’s Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said on

PREMIER DAVID EBY AND YOUR SURREY AND DELTA

WISH WORKERS AND FAMILIES A HAPPY LABOUR DAY

Wednesday. Consumption sites are only part of B.C.’s strategy to deal with the illicit drug crisis, however, there is a growing sense among the public that these facilities contribute to disruption. The BC Conservatives said they would impose policies similar to those of Ontario.

“The definition of harm reduction has to include harm on the community. (When) we look to reduce harms (related to) the use of drugs we have to look at the harms on neighbourhoods,” MLA Elenore Sturko told Global News. Ontario’s government is redirecting funds from the closed sites to prevention and rehabilitation. Advocates in British Columbia caution that closing any facilities would push drug use even further to the fringes, endangering lives.

have seized two of Hu’s vehicles, a white 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van — a similar style vehicle police said last week was a vehicle of interest in the case and possibly used to transport Mui — and a grey 2021 Porsche Cayenne SUV. Anyone who may have seen these vehicles previously, or spot Hu, are asked to contact police.

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Trudeau’s crazy home taxes and deepening debt are hurting everyday people

TheTrudeaugovernment’sdisastrouspoliciesare crushinghardworkingCanadians,makingitnearly impossibleforustogetahead

By Kris Sims : Bad government policies force people to make tough decisions. “We decided to live in our garage.” That’s what a couple told the Canadian Taxpayers Federation during the recent Debt Clock tour in Alberta.

The drywaller and his wife stopped by to watch the federal debt going up in real time on the jumbo screen the CTF has bolted to the side of a cube truck, dubbed the Debt Clock. Jon, the tradesman who had pulled up in an older pickup truck, watched the debt numbers racing up past $1.2 trillion, and he winced.

“My parents worked hard and they were able to reach the next step,” he said at the gathering in Red Deer. “But my wife and I are working harder and we aren’t getting ahead, we can’t even see the next step.” Right now, it’s more than $1.2 trillion.

By later this year, the Trudeau government will have doubled the debt after less than a decade in power.

Think of the prime ministers – Harper, Mulroney, Pierre Trudeau, Diefenbaker, William Lyon Mackenzie King, all the way down the history railway back to Sir John A. MacDonald – who came before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Picture the debt under all those governments, stacked up – debts incurred during wars, recessions and a depression.

Now double it.

That’s what the current incarnation of the Trudeau government will have achieved, with a federal debt of more than $1.2 trillion. A trillion is such a big number. If you tried counting it in loonies, it would take you 30,000 years. If you put those debt loonies down, edge to edge, they’d circle the planet about 793 times.

Canadians will pay about $54 billion just to cover the interest charges on the debt this year. That’s about how much we all pay in the GST every year. Think about that. Every nickel in GST goes to debt interest charges. And it’s not getting better. This year, the Trudeau government delivered a budget with a $40 billion deficit, with no plan to ever balance it.

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City of Burnaby blames new BC government policy for inability

fund $215 million Confederation Park

The plan to build the new Confederation Park Community Centre in North Burnaby could have to wait.

In a new report this week, staff with the City of Burnaby are recommending to Burnaby City Council that the project be put on hold due to the “lack of available funding for the work.” City Council will consider this recommendation in a public meeting early next week.

ACC funds are generated from developer contributions, the timing of the collections of these funds are uncertain,” reads the City staff report.

Fax: (778)654-9226 | Email: info@NaiyaGillLaw.ca 9850 King George Blvd Unit 536, Suite 300, Surrey, BC www.NaiyaGillLaw.ca

Their rationale is not due to inflated market costs for construction equipment, labour, and materials, but rather because the municipal government’s planned funding stream — the long-running Community Benefit Bonus Reserve — has insufficient funding.

The Government of British Columbia’s new legislation introducing the Amenity Cost Charge (ACC) tool for municipal governments replaces Burnaby’s previous funding tool that collects fees from developers to fund such community amenity projects. The new ACC changes how local governments across BC are able to fund such community amenities and infrastructure.

City staff state that because the ACC is brand new, the tool has yet to amass any pool of funding to support the total $215 million cost of building the Confederation Park Community Centre.

“No ACC funding has been collected to date to fund this growth portion of the Confederation Park Community Centre. As

“As per legislation, ACCs are only permitted to fund the growth component of a capital project; therefore, the remaining costs will need to be funded by the City outside of ACC revenues.”

City staff estimate that due to the ACC, there is currently a funding gap of $31.2 million for building the project. This amount would have to be collected from ACCs or funded directly by the City through an identified alternative funding strategy.

In January 2023, the City awarded the first phase work contract for the project, worth $50 million.

City staff are currently specifically recommending deferring the project and not awarding the phase two work contract to actually build the complex. This phase two contract is worth $142.6 million, plus a $12.6 million contingency allowance for unexpected construction costs in phase two.

Continued from Page 1..

“We cannot give the NDP one more day in power than they absolutely have to have, and that’s why I made the decision that I made as leader of B.C. United.”

At an event in Chilliwack Wednesday morning, Premier David Eby responded to the rumours that B.C. United would be dropping out by stating that there wasn’t much difference between B.C. United and the Conservatives to begin with, as both Falcon and Rustad were cabinet ministers in the B.C. Liberal government that ran the province from 2001 to 2017.

He accused both leaders of wanting to bring the province back to the days of cuts, where education and health-care services were reduced in the name of a balanced budget.

“They want to cut health care again, they’re really clear about that. They don’t want to build the new schools for kids, they’re happier with crowded classrooms. They want to cut, cut, cut, when we need to build, build, build, because this province is growing at a record rate, and the choice will be quite stark, whoever it is, who finally shows up on the ballot come October,” he said. There are rumours MLAs Ian Paton, Peter

Milobar and Tom Shypitka, as well as VancouverLangara candidate Jaime Stein, will run for the Conservatives. Rustad said he has not made any decisions on who from B.C. United will be invited to join his party as candidates.

He said his party will apply a rigorous vetting process to United MLAs and candidates, so the Conservatives can assemble the best team for the upcoming election.

“Our intention is to field the best candidates we can … to ensure that we get the best team possible for the betterment of British Columbia,” said Rustad.

The suspension of B.C. United’s campaign represents the latest hit to a party that rose to prominence in the 1991 election under Gordon Wilson and the B.C. Liberal banner, gaining 17 seats amid the collapse of Social Credit, before eventually forming government in 2001 under Gordon Campbell in a victory that reduced the then NDP government to two seats.

From 2011 to 2017 it was led by Premier Christy Clark before being defeated by a confidence-and-supply agreement between the NDP and Greens. In 2023, Falcon officially changed the party’s name to B.C. United.

Surrey road rage incident leads to arrest, charges

The Surrey RCMP says a 37-year-old Aldergrove man has been charged in connection with a road rage incident involving a gun. Police have since determined the firearm was a replica, however, the incident still prompted an arrest and the approval of two charges. According to Mounties, police received “a complaint involving a firearm” in the area of Fraser Highway and 148 Street just after 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15.

The caller said they were threatened by a man they didn’t know during the incident, though were not physically hurt. “This was a road rage incident where something happened between another victim and the accused. It was in regards to the driving behaviour of one of the people. This person then got out of their vehicle and pointed their firearm at the victim,” explained Corp. Sarbjit Sangha with the Surrey RCMP. Despite a search of the area, police say they were unable to find the suspect. Sangha says investigators were able to identify a suspect through CCTV footage. She says police arrested the man in the area of Fraser Highway and 271 Street a day after the incident, on Aug. 16. The suspect’s home on 33A Avenue was then searched, with officers finding “the firearm used in the offence.”

“This was a very volatile incident for the victim and anyone who witnessed it. Thankfully no one was physically injured,” said Sangha.

“It’s definitely a very scary incident,

especially for the victim … or anybody who was around at that time. And we do hear about road rage incidents all the time — like, every, single day, we do get multiple calls where people cut each other off or follow too closely. In most of those incidents, people decide to just walk away or ignore it or keep driving. But in this incident, this individual got out of his car and pointed a firearm at the victim.”

Dariusz Tonderys has been charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and assault with a weapon. He was released on Aug. 17 with conditions,, including a prohibition of possessing any weapons, including imitation firearms or weapons.

“This person has other investigations with the police, that’s all I can tell you,” Sangha said of Tonderys. The RCMP says additional charges could be recommended as the investigation progresses. Mounties are asking anyone with information about what happened to call the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.

Thousands of international students in Canada face deportation, sparking protests nationwide

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While it is never a promised pathway to cementing one’s future in Canada, foreign nationals have used study permits as an avenue to Permanent Residency and eventually citizenship for decades. What’s notable now, is that there is a record number of temporary residents who will be facing expiring work permits in the coming months. While speaking to reporters at the Liberal cabinet retreat in Halifax, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed that these foreign workers were vital during a labour shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic but says the country’s economic needs have changed since. International students across Canada are organizing protests against the backdrop of looming deportations.

A group of students have set up encampments outside the legislative assembly in Prince Edward Island, protesting overnight for more than three months.

The international students say they are

facing a critical situation as new provincial policies for a 25 per cent reduction in permanent residency nominations have left many unexpectedly vulnerable to deportation.

Similar scenes can be witnessed in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.

“I spent the most crucial six years of my life taking many risks to come to Canada,” says Mehakdeep Singh, a former international student who is facing deportation.

“For the past six years, I studied, I worked, I paid taxes, I earned enough CRS [Comprehensive Ranking System] points, but the government has just taken advantage of us.”

The protests reflect the growing frustration and desperation among international students who feel the government has unfairly targeted them.

Having invested heavily in education and the Canadian economy, they say they are now being told to finish their studies and return home while dealing with massive debts.

Vancouver police officer faces possible charges over collision

The Independent Investigations Office is asking prosecutors to consider charges against a Vancouver Police officer whose vehicle hit a pedestrian in the city’s Eastside last year.

It says in a statement that the officer was responding to a call on the evening of Sept. 29 when his vehicle hit the woman on Commercial Drive. It says she was treated by firefighters at the scene, but got medical treatment on her own.

The civilian-led police watchdog says the VPD reported the woman’s injury to the office a month

later, and investigators concluded it met the threshold of “serious harm” under the provincial Police Act. The statement says the police officer “may have committed an offence in relation to the use of their police vehicle” and it has filed a report with the BC Prosecution Service for possible charges.

It says charges will only be approved if prosecutors decide there’s a “substantial likelihood of conviction” and if the charges are in the public interest.

Charter violations kill case against man caught with loaded gun on Burnaby SkyTrain

Charges against a 24-year-old man caught with a loaded handgun at a Burnaby SkyTrain station have been dismissed because police violated his charter rights, according to a Vancouver judge.

Mateo Zanatta was on a curfew and under multiple firearms bans in March 2023 when Metro Vancouver Transit Police approached him on a Millennium Line train at about 1:20 a.m. to check his fare, according to information presented in court. After Zanatta acknowledged he didn't have a ticket, police ended up detaining, questioning, searching – and ultimately arresting him when a search of his backpack turned up a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol with a 15-round overcapacity magazine and six live rounds.

In court, however, Zanatta's lawyer argued the detention, questioning, searches and arrest had violated his charter rights and the gun should, therefore, be excluded as evidence.

B.C. provincial court Judge Patricia Bond agreed. On Tuesday, she ruled the gun was

not admissible as evidence because police had obtained it by violating Zanatta's right not to be arbitrarily detained, his right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure and his right to talk to a lawyer without delay. Bond said the charter breaches by the arresting officer – 20-year veteran Const. J. Chow – were not fleeting or technical but "reckless" and "serious." "Considering the scope of these breaches in these circumstances, I find they are more in the nature of a flagrant disregard for the accused charter rights which raises concerns that the officer has probably engaged in similar conduct with others over the years of his service," Bond said.

"I find that to admit the gun in the face of the breaches would send the message that, when the charges are serious, individual rights count for little," Bond said.

In Zanatta's case, she concluded police had deprived the accused of the charter's intended protections.

Surrey secondary students and their families are bracing for a difficult year as overcrowding plans come into effect.

Some say they don’t know how they will manage. The plan divides students into two blocks with some starting earlier, others starting later, and which will increase school capacity by 10 to 15 per cent. Staggered start times will affect students at Kwantlen, Grandview, Lord Tweedsmuir, Tamanawis and Fleetwood Park with the first block of classes starting at 8 a.m., and at Salish Secondary, where the first block will start at 7:55 a.m. Some students will start an hour later and end their day later.

“It sucks,” said Jak, a Grade 10 student at Kwantlen Park Secondary who will have a 10hour day door-to-door, five days a week.

“He will be leaving home at 7 a.m. to walk to

the bus. It will be pitch black and rainy in the winter,” said Jak’s mom, Katrina Kroh. “He won’t get home until 5, possibly later.”

The changes will make it more difficult for kids to participate in clubs, sports and extracurricular activities.

“For some students, it’s these aspects of schools that may be the reason they enjoy attending school,” said Lizanne Foster, president of the Surrey Teachers’ Association.

For teachers, Foster said: “Extended days add a dimension of difficulty to the challenging work of teaching in overcrowded schools.”

An Ocean Park mother who asked not to be identified to protect the children’s privacy, said their family had to insure a second vehicle to make the new schedule work for her three school-aged kids.

APPLIANCES REPAIR SERVICE

There’s been an increase in newcomer parents who are receiving Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments — which could be as much as $7,787 a year per child — compared to other permanent resident couples, a new study reveals.

Newcomers with some employment income the year after arrival were “much more likely to receive the CCB that year,” per the Statistic Canada report, released in July 2024.

The study looked at immigrant couples who came to Canada together between 2016 and 2019, who were between the ages of 25 and 64 upon arrival and had at least one child under the age of 18 at the time.

“A key takeaway from this study is that filing T1 tax forms or having a T4 record is the strongest predictor of CCB receipt,” the study found.

It also revealed that certain subgroups of immigrants, like refugees, were more likely to file T1 tax forms and receive CCB. The payments were crucial for families who “may not have adequate financial resources shortly after landing.”

The Canada Child Benefit is described by

the federal government as a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. It may include the child disability benefit and any related provincial and territorial programs, per the government’s webpage dedicated to the CCB.

“The eligibility for CCB is largely determined by residency status and income levels, both of which are verified through tax filings and other employment records,” per an article in CIC News, a site dedicated to Canadian immigration. How much money can a family receive?

Every July, the benefit payment is recalculated based on an adjusted family net income from the previous year.

For the payment period of July 2024 to June 2025, according to the federal government, the family can receive the maximum amount if their net income is below $36,502.

That means such a family could receive $648.91 monthly ($7,787 a year) for a child under 6 years old or $547.50 monthly ($6,570) for a child between 6 and 17 years old.

Current polls predict the Conservative Party will take next federal election in Canada

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In BC, the federal election projection suggests the Conservatives would take 33 of 43 seats, as of this publication.

Additionally, BC-based analytics firm Research Co. did a recent poll as well that supports the findings of 338 Canada’s polls.

Respondents to Research Co.’s most recent poll said that if the election were to be held tomorrow, they’d vote:

Conservative Party – 36%

Liberal Party – 22%

New Democratic Party – 15%

Bloc Québécois – 8% Green Party – 5%

Party of Canada – 2%

– 1%

– 11%

Additionally, the Research Co. poll asked Canadians what the most important issues are to them.

Respondents’ answers to the survey suggest that housing, homelessness and poverty (32%); the economy and jobs (25%); health care (15%); immigration (10%); and the environment (6%) are the most crucial issues to them.

Earlier this week I was honoured with the King Charles Coronation Medal . On behalf of the Governor General of Canada Honourable Mary Simon , my Richmond MLA Teresa Wat presented the Medal to me on August 23 in the presence of my friends at Gurdwara Nanak Niwas , Richmond and my family.

Researchers tested a bottle of Fiji Water against a glass of tap water and here's what they found

There has been an ongoing global debate about the quality of drinking water. While many people swear by filtered or packaged water, others vouch for tap water. There are various health and economic reasons attached to both and people have been stuck between figuring out which to pick. Years ago, The Story of Stuff shared a mind-boggling instance from the city of Cleveland that settled the debate for many. The Fiji brand created an ad campaign proposing that they’re better than tap water any day. However, the campaign didn’t have much effect as the city of Cleveland defended tap water with concrete evidence. Tests conducted to compare tap water and branded water shockingly revealed that Fiji’s water quality and taste were poorer than tap water, while the costs were bafflingly high. Elaborating more, it was

revealed that the tests were done by reviewing with various people all over the globe. In terms of quality, packaged water could be better sometimes but not always. The only reason people believe otherwise is that bottled water companies are not required to reveal as much information as municipal water utilities for tap water, per The New York Times. And when it comes to taste, many people pointed out that they prefer tap water over bottled water any day.

Apart from health-related and financial reasons, tap water is also better than bottled water due to environmental reasons. Bottled water does more harm to the environment than to people. The massive demand has companies manufacturing bottles on a humongous scale, which are dumped within seconds.

80% of Early Childhood Education teachers apply to leave Fiji due to low pay - Manumanunitoga

About 80% of Early Childhood Education teachers have lodged their applications to go overseas. This has been highlighted by the General Secretary of the Fijian Teachers Association, Paula Manumanunitoga who says that many teachers are leaving for greener pastures because of low pay.

Manumanunitoga says teaching is a noble profession, but the government pays them peanuts. He says in primary schools, there is a shortage of about 500 teachers,

which means nearly every school is short of at least one teacher. He adds the union cannot stop the migration of teachers, but if the government wants them to stay, it should consider increasing their pay.

The General Secretary also says the message they have passed on to teachers is that they need to remain passionate about their work and not to be swayed or change their attitude just because the government is not listening and must continue doing the right thing.

Pakistani man to remain in officers’ custody over misinformation that sparked rioting in the U.K

A court in Pakistan on Thursday allowed investigators to question a man in their custody for four more days about his role in spreading misinformation that sparked widespread rioting in the U.K. earlier this month, officials said.

The court’s decision came a day after authorities charged the suspect Farhan Asif, 32, with cyber terrorism following his arrest from his home in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province.

Asif, who is a freelance web developer, was produced before the court amid tight security. He was not allowed to talk to the media.

Investigation Agency, told the court that Asif did not cooperate with officers after the same court the previous day allowed them to question him for a day. They demanded his custody for two weeks but the court said it would only allow it for four more days.

Muqeem later told reporters that Asif disseminated fake news and caused riots in England.

Asif was handcuffed and wearing blue shalwar kameez garments when brought to the court.

Kiran Muqeem, a prosecutor for the Federal

His lawyer Rana Rizwan told reporters that the court remanded his client into the custody of the federal agency in a hurry and without hearing him.

Pakistan invites Indian PM Narendra Modi to attend SCO meeting in Islamabad in October

Pakistan on Thursday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's Council of Heads of Government meeting to be held here in October.

Pakistan holds the rotating chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) and in that capacity, will be hosting the two-day inperson SCO Heads of Governments Meeting in October.

“Invitations have been sent to the heads of countries to participate in the meeting which will take place on October 15-16. An invitation has also been sent to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi (too),” Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told the weekly press briefing.

Some countries have already confirmed participation (for the meeting), which will be informed in due course, she said. When asked about ties with India, the spokesperson said, “Pakistan does not have direct bilateral trade with India.”

The Islamabad summit meeting will be preceded by a ministerial meeting and several rounds of senior officials' meetings focused on financial, economic, socio-cultural, and humanitarian cooperation among the SCO member states.

The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is an influential economic and security bloc that has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.

Buying vehicles in Punjab becomes more expensive

Days after increasing the collectorate rates for registration of properties, the state has increased the motor vehicle tax on two-wheelers and fourwheelers with immediate effect.

Much to the disappointment of prospective vehicle buyers and dealers, the tax has been increased just ahead of the festival season when the maximum sales are reported.

The tax is on the actual cost of the vehicle excluding taxes, said a senior functionary of the transport department. Last time, the road tax was revised in 2021.

Now buying a four-wheeler costing up to Rs 15 lakh has become dearer by anything between Rs 7,000 and Rs 20,000. The maximum effect would be on the vehicle costing between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, wherein the tax has been increased by 1 per cent. A new category has been introduced for high-end vehicles like SUVs costing above Rs 25 lakh, where tax at 13 per cent on the cost of the vehicle has been imposed. For a vehicle costing Rs 30 lakh, the tax would be Rs 3.9 lakh.

For two-wheelers, the increase is comparatively less. For two-wheelers up to Rs 1 lakh, the tax has been increased by 0.5 per cent and for those costing between Rs 1 lakh and 2 lakh, the tax has been increased by 1 per cent. A new category has been made for high-end two- wheelers costing above Rs 2 lakh, wherein the tax is 11 per cent of the cost of the vehicle.

Officials said there has been pressure from the government to increase the revenue generation from such taxes.

SC asks Punjab, Haryana to talk to farmers for removal of tractor-trolleys at Shambhu border

As deadlock continued on reopening of the Shambhu border where farmers have been camping since February, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the governments of Punjab and Haryana to hold further meetings with protesting farmers to persuade them to remove their tractors and trolleys to allow the passage of ambulances, senior citizens, women, students, essential services and commuters.

At the outset, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh informed a three-judge Bench led by Justice Surya Kant that in terms of its August 12 order officials of the two states held a meeting with the farmers who have agreed to partial reopening of the blocked highway but they insisted on marching towards Delhi with their tractors and trollies.

The Bench – which also included Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan -- asked the two state governments to keep engaging with the protesting farmers and persuade them to remove their tractors and trollies from the highway in order to allow the passage of ambulances, senior citizens, women, students, essential services and commuters. While hearing the Haryana Government's

petition challenging the July 10 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court requiring it to remove within a week the barricades at the Shambhu border, the Bench asked Punjab Advocate General Singh and Haryana senior Additional Advocate General Lokesh Sinhal to inform it by the next date about the progress made in the talks with farmers.

Noting that it would set a multi-member expert committee within a week to amicably resolve the farmers’ grievances "for all times", the Bench asked the governments of Punjab and Haryana to submit tentative issues concerning farmers for consideration of the committee.

The top court also allowed the Punjab Government to submit two-three additional names of “apolitical” and “neutral” persons to be included in the proposed expert committee after Singh said Punjab has suggested the name of one expert and it would like to submit a few more names.

Maintaining that its August 2 interim order to the governments of Punjab and Haryana not to precipitate the situation at the Shambhu border would continue, the Bench posted the matter for September 2.

Punjab and Haryana High Court directs Punjab DGP to instruct SSPs to monitor progress in drug cases

Taking a strong stance against the lack of progress and arrest of accused in drug cases, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked Punjab DGP to issue necessary directions to all SSPs to monitor probe progress in such matters. He has also been asked to elaborate on drug cases where the accused have not been arrested for more than six months.

Justice NS Shekhawat also ordered that the accused not arrested within reasonable time period should immediately be declared proclaimed offenders (PO) and their properties attached. The directions are significant as 97 accused have not been arrested for the last more than six months in 83 criminal cases registered under the NDPS Act in Bathinda district alone.

“The DGP, Punjab, is directed to file an affidavit of all the cases registered under the provisions of the NDPS Act in all police stations of Punjab State, where the accused have not been arrested even after a lapse of more than six months. He shall also mention the fact as to whether such accused have been got declared proclaimed offenders or not,” Justice Shekhawat asserted. The direction on an anticipatory bail plea filed by an accused

not arrested for the last 11 months. Taking up the matter, Justice Shekhawat, on a previous date of hearing, directed Bathinda SSP to file an affidavit mentioning all cases registered under the NDPS Act in police stations across the district, where the accused were not arrested for the last six months.

Justice Shekhawat asserted the police was not only having legal obligation to arrest the accused, but also to initiate the PO proceedings and attach properties. But surprisingly such efforts were not made by the investigating officers/station house officers of 19 police stations in the district, clearly reflecting that the higher police officials there had not supervised the investigation of these drug cases.

Justice Shekhawat asserted Bathinda SSP’s affidavit indicated the submission of challan on January 29. It had now been found that head constable Sukhraj Singh had not made any entry in the police station record on the pending of investigation against the petitioner. Even Inspector Sandeep Singh, posted as SHO at the relevant time, and investigating officer Dilbag Singh did not pay any heed.

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Tesla’s Indian-Origin VP Of Finance Quits; Says Working At Elon Musk Firm ‘Not For The Faint Of Heart’

Top EV maker Tesla's Vice President of Finance and Business Operations, Sreela Venkataraman, has quit after 11 years of service at the firm. She was one of the two women VPs in the Elon Musk EV company. In her farewell note on LinkedIn, Sreela, who joined the firm as the Director of Accounting in March 2013, quipped that her gig at Tesla “has been nothing short of extraordinary.” Sreela’s departure leaves Laurie Shelby, Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety, as the lone woman VP in the company. Earlier in August 2023, Tesla’s CFO, Zach Kirkhorn, stepped down and was replaced by Vaibhav Taneja. Off late, there have been a bevy of bigwig exits in the company. Sreela joins the cohort. In her departing note, Sreela Venkataraman reminisced about the journey she began at Tesla in 2011, when the company had little less than $1 billion in revenue and a market cap that was about $4 billion. That

year, the company delivered less than 3000 EV vehicles. Now that she leaves the organization as the VP, the company’s annual revenues are soaring, with a figure close to $100 billion and a market cap of $700 billion, which had reached $1 trillion during the pandemic. She wrote about her role in the expansion of Tesla services across the globe, including China. While thanking everyone at the job, Sreela quipped that she is taking “a break to spend quality time with family,” “reconnect with old friends,” and “focus on personal well being.” She further added that when the time is right, she would happily hop on an “opportunity like Tesla.” Bhavish you listening? Meanwhile, replying to a flurry of congratulatory comments on her LinkedIn post, Sreela Venkataraman commented that working at the Elon Musk firm “is definitely not for the faint of the heart.”

India gets 2nd nuclear-powered missile submarine

India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine was commissioned into the Navy on Thursday in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who said this would further strengthen the country's nuclear triad and enhance nuclear deterrence. The ceremony for commissioning took place in Visakhapatnam.

The second Arihant-Class submarine 'INS Arighaat' was commissioned into the Indian

Navy on Thursday at Visakhapatnam in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the defence ministry said in a statement.

In his address, Singh exuded confidence that 'Arighaat' will "further strengthen India's nuclear triad, enhance nuclear deterrence, help in establishing strategic balance and peace in the region, and play a decisive role in the security of the country".

Audio clips of phone calls from RG Kar hospital to victim’s parents spark row

Three purported audio recordings of phone calls, allegedly made by RG Kar Medical College authorities on August 9 morning to the parents of the rape-murder victim asking them to report to the hospital, hit the public domain on Thursday and sparked a fresh controversy over "insensitivity" and "disinformation" of the institute's management in breaking bad news.

The caller, a woman who identified herself as the assistant superintendent of the hospital, reportedly dialled the parents of the victim from the same number thrice within a span of around 30 minutes asking their urgent presence at the facility.

"I am calling from RG Kar hospital. Can

you come over immediately?" the caller could be heard telling the victim's father when he picked his phone the first time around 10.53 that morning. The father responded, "Why? What has happened?" To this, the caller replied, "Your daughter has fallen a little ill. We are admitting her in the hospital. Can you come down quickly?"

When the parent insisted on details, the caller was heard saying, "Those details only doctors can provide. We only managed to find your number and call you. Please come down quickly. The patient has been admitted after falling ill. The rest, the doctors will brief you after you arrive."

How Ukraine war killed hope in India's 'Diamond City'

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, residents of Surat, India could not have imagined that a war thousands of miles away would lead to a suicide problem in their community.

Surat — a city in the western state of Gujarat — is the hub of India's diamond industry, which employs over 600,000 people.

Workers in Surat are responsible for cutting and polishing 80% of the world's diamonds, according to industry statistics.

Surat's diamond industry was already facing many problems — floods in Africa, falling demand from the West, stuttering exports to China — when the war began in February 2022.

What followed was a massive wave of Western sanctions against Russia, which also included Russian diamonds, and Surat was suddenly facing a deep financial crisis. How is the war in Ukraine causing the financial crisis in Surat?

Russia's invasion prompted the European Union and G7 to ban imports of Russian diamonds via third countries, severely limiting access to key raw material used by India's diamond industry.

When the ban came into effect on March 2022, it cut off nearly a third of India's diamond revenue. At least 63 diamond polishers have committed suicide in Surat in the past 16 months. Several left suicide notes blaming financial distress, according to local media reports. Many thousands of others have lost their jobs or are facing staggering salary cuts. "Over 30% of India's

raw material supply came from Russia's Alrosa mine," said Dinesh Navadiya, regional chairman of the Gem and Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) which was formed under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. "That lost business still hasn't recovered," he told DW.