BC Conservatives promise tax rebate to lower housing costs
The B.C. Conservatives have promised a major provincial tax rebate to address housing affordability, though the party has not said how it plans to pay for this proposal.
Leader John Rustad announced Monday that if elected, his party would exempt $3,000 per month of rent or mortgage interest costs from provincial income taxes.
The program — dubbed the Rustad Rebate — would start with a $1,500-per-month
exemption that would cost around $900 million for Budget 2026, according to the party.
The rebate would then be increased by $500 each year until it reaches the target amount in 2029, which the party says could cost around $3.5 billion if used by every home in B.C.
"This is one of the most significant tax reliefs that British Columbia has ever given," Rustad said at a news conference Monday.
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Abbotsford surgeon says hospital conditions are ‘unsafe’
More front–line physicians are speaking out about what they see as a crisis in some of B.C.’s busiest hospitals.
surrounding communities,” he said.
“We provide cancer agency care, including diagnostic radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgical care. We have advanced obstetric care for high-risk pregnancies with neonatal ICUs. It is the only dialysis site in this part of the Fraser Health. The only vascular surgical site providing repair of arteries. And we also provide advanced cardiology with pacemakers and diagnostic cardiology.”
Dr. Greg Lewis, a vascular surgeon at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, described the situation there as being on the verge of collapse.
“Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre provides tertiary care to about 600,000 people from Langley through Hope and
Lewis said the hospital was bought about 15 years ago and was too small then.
“So we are now running to overcapacity and breakdown of services on the medical wards,” he said.
“At least 30 to 40 per cent of patients are housed in beds in corridors, in toilets, in storerooms. They’re not in wards. It’s simply unsafe. Continued on Page 7...
New poll shows Conservatives ahead of NDP in BC
The B.C. Conservatives have inched ahead of the B.C. NDP among decided voters in the early days of the election campaign, based on a new Leger poll. Support for the Conservatives is 45 per cent compared to 42 per cent for New Democrats, and 10 per cent for B.C. Greens. The online survey polled 1,001 British Columbians between Sept. 20 and 23.
“It’s been a dramatic 12-month rise for the Conservative Party,” said Steve Mossop, Leger’s executive vice-
president in Western Canada.
Just a few months ago, polling indicated the governing NDP held a strong lead over its two centre-right party rivals.
Mossop attributed the results to Rustad’s growing appeal among young and female voters, as well as the collapse of the B.C. United Party in early September and former Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon’s support for Rustad.
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Canada’s fertility rate, which has been steadily declining, has hit a record low and the country is now among the “lowest-low” fertility nations.
Statistics Canada released new data on Wednesday showing that the Canadian fertility rate in 2023 was 1.26 children per woman, which is the lowest recorded level since the agency began collecting data.
The record-low fertility rate was registered across the country in 10 of the 13 provinces and territories. Continued on Page 6...
Businesses face new limits on temporary foreign workers
Starting today, employers in Canada will face new restrictions on their hiring of low-wage temporary foreign workers — a policy shift the federal government says will push businesses to make a greater effort to hire workers already in Canada.
Under the new restrictions:
Employers will be limited to hiring 10 per cent of their workforce through the program's low-wage stream.
Employers will be unable to hire through this program if they are in census metropolitan areas with unemployment rates of more than six per cent. Contracts for low-wage positions will be generally be limited to one year.
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Justin Trudeau's Liberal survive no-confidence vote, but new threats loom Burnaby approves 80-storey condo building
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has survived a motion in parliament aimed at bringing down his government and triggering an election. Wednesday's no-confidence vote is the first in a series of similar votes expected to be put forward by the opposition Conservative Party amid Trudeau's plummeting approval ratings. The motion failed after opposition leader Pierre Poilievre fell short in his effort to shore up support from leaders of two other political parties in parliament, the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois. Trudeau, who has been Canada’s prime minister for nine years, has been leading under a minority government. Voting was held on Wednesday afternoon, on the same day as Trudeau was set to host French President Emmanuel Macron. While this motion has failed, the Conservative party plans to bring at least two other similar no-confidence votes on Thursday in hopes of sending Canadians to the polls. Trudeau has been facing growing pressure to step down in recent months. His approval rating has plummeted from 63% when he was
BC Greens would keep carbon tax but increase rebate
first elected to 28% in June of this year, according to one poll tracker, amid concerns about housing unaffordability and the rising costs of living. His Liberal party lost two consequential by-elections this summer in Toronto and Montreal. A deal between his party and the NDP has helped him
stay in power since Canada’s last federal election in 2021. But the deal collapsed early in September after NDP leader Jagmeet Singh pulled out from the coalition, saying that the Liberals are “too weak” and “too selfish” to govern. Trudeau’s leadership has been under threat since, with Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre stating that he would put forward a no-confidence vote.
B.C. Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau says her party would maintain a price on carbon but put larger rebates into people's pockets.
B.C. taxpayers currently get quarterly rebates to offset its cost.
While B.C. NDP Leader David Eby and Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad are promising to end the tax, either in part or completely, Furstenau said she would be focused on reforming, rather than eliminating, carbon pricing in the province.
"Carbon pollution is expensive, and to not have a price on that, to not have a price that we then return back to people, that we return to communities, so that they can become more resilient in the face of these
A developer has received the green light from the City of Burnaby to build two towers that will soar above the Lougheed Highway corridor.
But the 80- and 72-storey highrises are not necessarily an indicator of things to come, observers say.
Even though Pinnacle International’s project for 1,466 condos could include one of the tallest residential buildings in Western Canada, the trend in the market is in the opposite direction with developers shifting to build shorter buildings. “We are seeing a number of developers make a switch to a sweet spot of building in between 35 to 45 storeys,” said Richard Bernstein, principal at Chris Dikeakos Architects. Jon Bennest of Zonda Urban, which tracks real estate data for developers, said acquiring financing for construction typically requires pre-selling about 60 per cent of units.
they require a higher-dollar volume of presale contracts to be in place.”
In spring, one realtor selling presale units at the 60-storey Curv condo building in Vancouver on Nelson Street was offering a Porsche GT3 for buyers who close on the purchase when the building is completed in 2029.
“As taller buildings typically have more units,
climate events, is folly," she said. Furstenau said closing a series of loopholes she sees in the current policy, including carbon offsets for companies, would bring in more than an extra $1 billion, which then could be used to increase the rebate sent to British Columbians.
"We will increase the price of carbon, but unlike before, we will not be a burden on the household budgets of people," she said.
"Because with the rebate increasing, with the price of carbon being fair and applied to the biggest polluters the way it needs to be, people will see bigger rebates."
Furstenau said a portion of the revenue would also go to municipalities, something that was requested by delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities
There is still a pipeline of more than two dozen projects with buildings of more than 45 storeys that have been approved in Metro Vancouver. The 26 projects that are either for sale or under construction include 14 in Burnaby, four in Surrey, five in Coquitlam and three in Vancouver, according to Zonda Urban. In addition, there are 43 additional tall-tower projects that have been publicly presented to city councils or are in the stages of seeking approval, again with the most in Burnaby at 17 and then 10 in Surrey, eight in Coquitlam and eight in Vancouver.
Convention in the lead-up to the election campaign. It was at that same convention that Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad told delegates that while he believes humans are contributing to climate change, "taxing people into poverty is not going to change the weather." Rustad said he wants to take "a different approach" to addressing the province's changing climate and mentioned issues such as food production, water management and infrastructure while offering few details. And while Eby and the B.C. NDP have been hammering Rustad over past comments and social media posts that cast doubt over climate change science, Eby's party has also adjusted its position on a carbon tax.
Rising cost of living is shaping British Columbia’s election
In the seven years since the NDP came to power in British Columbia, food prices have jumped by almost 30 per cent.
Rent and transport costs are up by about a quarter, while the cost of filling up with gasoline has risen by almost half.
It’s been a painful process that has made the cost of living a major battleground ahead of the October 19 provincial election. But experts say that while some provincial policy strategies can have an impact, much of the inflationary pressure has global origins. University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business associate Prof. Werner Antweiler said interest rate and fiscal policy can effect change in housing prices, but the pressures that have forced up grocery prices cannot be easily influenced at a local political level.
In a note published through the research agency C.D. Howe Institute, Antweiler said Russia’s war on Ukraine was a fundamental reason why grain, fertilizer and energy costs had cascaded into food costs.
“The blame for high food prices falls neither on greedy retail chain CEOs nor on Canada’s carbon tax,” Antweiler said in the note. “Most contributing factors can be attributed to global sources.”
Nevertheless, the issue of costs has been a key driver of political debate in B.C.
On Sept. 12, before the campaign period officially began, BC NDP Leader David Eby announced that his party would end the provincial carbon tax on consumers if the federal mandate requiring such a tax was removed by the party that wins the next federal election.
Traffic disrupted, East Vancouver SkyTrain station closed due to ‘unstable crane’
TransLink closed the Millennium Line’s East Vancouver terminus station on Thursday, as crews worked to deal with a nearby crane incident.
TransLink suspended service to the VCC-Clark station around 11 a.m., citing concern about an “unstable crane.”
The station is next to a construction site where crews are working on a five-storey building called Hive. Vancouver police said traffic was also closed in both directions between Clark and Glen drives and on Keith Drive between E. 6th and E. 7th Avenues as a safety precaution.
All activity on the site appeared to have been suspended, with a large piece of material left hanging from a crane. WorkSafeBC said it was aware of the incident and had deployed
prevention officers to the scene. TransLink said the Millennium Line was terminating at CommercialBroadway Station until further notice.
It said it had re-routed and extended the #84 bus from BCC-Clark station to CommercialBroadway station, and had increased bus service between Main Street-Science World station and Glen Drive, near the VCC station.
Jagrup Brar talks with The Asian Star South Asian Business Association (SABA) announces new executive roles following AGM
The South Asian Business Association (SABA) held its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, September 25, where new executive roles were confirmed for the upcoming term. The meeting brought together members to discuss ongoing initiatives and future plans, with a key focus on leadership and growth within the association.
New Executive Team for SABA:
President: Lakhvinder Gill
Vice President: Puneet Sandhar
2nd Vice President: Anoop Sihra
Treasurer: Ravi Cheema
Secretary: Supreet Gill
Joint Secretary: Ruby Bains
The new executive team is committed to advancing SABA’s mission of fostering a vibrant and supportive environment for South Asian businesses. Under their leadership, SABA looks forward to a productive year ahead, filled with opportunities for networking, growth, and community involvement.
For more information about the South Asian Business Association and its upcoming events, please visit https://sababc.ca/.
New poll shows Conservatives ahead of NDP for first time in BC
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“I don’t think anyone expected a change like this to happen as fast as it did,” said Mossop.
In the last week, Conservatives have surpassed the NDP as more popular with young voters.
Leger polls show an eight percentage point of growth in support from decided voters between ages 18 and 34 who plan on casting a ballot for the Conservatives, to 46 per cent, compared to NDP’s steady 43 per cent support
among the same age group.
Among decided female voters of all ages, support for the Conservatives has climbed six percentage points since Sept. 16, while those backing the NDP dropped by two.
“Traditionally, a right-wing party of their nature would typically attract the 55-plus age group at a much higher rate than the rest of the age groups, but Rustad has managed to strengthen public support for his party across all age groups,” Mossop said.
Jagrup Brar is the incumbent candidate for MLA for the Surrey-Fleetwood riding. This is the riding most impacted by the new SkyTrain being built to connect Langley to Surrey and on to Vancouver.
The Asian Star asked Jagrup Brar for an update on the Langley – Surrey SkyTrain's progress, and it's impact on housing along the Fraser Hwy.
"The new SkyTrain is on its timeline. As you know the SkyTrain was to be built in two phases – from Surrey's downtown to 166th Street, and then to Langley. When we, the BC NDP, took over the project from TransLink, we decided to build it in one phase and that has allowed us to build it quicker," continues Mr. Brar, "this action also helped us save time and save money."
The initial project was two-phased because of lack of funding. "The BC NDP took over the responsibility to fund this project fully, we also brought in federal funding to the budget. The project is now being run by the BC Ministry of Transportation."
Mr. Brar also shared that the government has bought 4 acres of land at 152nd St where there will be a station with 700 units of affordable housing where the residents will have easy access to public transportation. This same concept will be repeated at every station along this SkyTrain line to Langley.
"Affordable housing will consist of government housing through BC Housing, through non-profit organizations, through a church or other religious organizations. We are building one now with PICS called Diversity Village as an example. This is a huge project."
This is Mr. Brar's seventh election having been elected five times so far. "I want to thank the people of Surrey for putting their faith in me."
The Asian Star asked Mr. Brar what issues his constituents were facing.
Here is what he had to share, "Surrey is the fastest growing city in the province, and that brings with it its own opportunities and challenges. Because of that, the people of Surrey are facing huge challenges regarding public projects like housing, schools, and
healthcare. I'm very proud of David Eby and his team for the broad steps they took to tackle these issues."
Mr. Brar repeated what The Asian Star is hearing from other BC NDP candidates. This BC NDP government is tackling issues Surrey has faced as it grew as fast as it has in the last thirty-plus years.
Jagrup Brar shared these points, "New hospital in Surrey, created Surrey-Newton Urgent and Primary Care Centre which is located at 6830 Kg George Blvd – this centre was opened by the BC NDP to address the lack of family doctors, 15,000 new elementary school seats locally – that's equivalent to 20 new Elementary Schools – another matter BC Liberals neglected to address as this city grew, opening a new medical school here in Surrey so we can train more doctors, particularly family physicians, and we have hired 6000 nurses across BC – in Surrey we now have an extra 70 plus doctors to provide care."
He went on to share how the BC NDP gave prescription rights to pharmacists for minor illnesses, this step helped both the patient and a healthcare system at capacity.
"In contrast, John Rustad is part of the BC Liberal government that neglected Surrey. BC Liberal which is now the new Conservative Party of BC, neglected Surrey by selling land put aside for a new hospital, which should have already been built. They neglected Surrey by selling land that was put aside for new schools in the city. In total, they sold 21 properties. They cut healthcare funding – laying off 8000 healthcare workers – this impacted mostly women workers in the support positions of service and janitorial; while giving tax cuts to corporations, they also closed schools by making class sizes bigger."
"We can expect the same from John Rustad and his team if they get in power. They have already said they are going to cut healthcare, and they have no plan for the housing crisis. This is what Surrey and BC residents can expect from the new Conservative Party of BC led by John Rustad."
Lakhvinder Gill Puneet Sandhar Anoop Sihra Ravi Cheema Ruby Bains
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Andrew Weaver: David Eby’s carbon tax flip-flop puts politics ahead of principle
The B.C. NDP’s sudden abandonment of the consumer carbon tax is a disappointing and cynical ploy announced just days after the federal NDP did the same.
Rather than taking this golden opportunity to follow the lead of Alberta NDP’s Naheed Nenshi in calling for the separation of the provincial NDP from Jagmeet Singh’s party, David Eby piled on populist rhetoric with no alternative to offer in its place. When leadership is so desperately needed on the most important environmental issue of our time, Eby put politics ahead of principle. This is the same type of ambiguity in climate change policy-making that ultimately inspired me to run for office in 2013. Simply put, the B.C. NDP botched the implementation of carbon pricing by completely omitting B.C.’s middle class from receiving the money other Canadians across the country enjoy. Take, for example, Alberta, where under Danielle Smith’s United Conservative government, households of four are entitled to $1,800 per year from the Canada Carbon Rebate. If we ignore the noise from the many falsehoods being spread about the federal carbon tax, the quarterly cheques that Canadians collect in eight other provinces add up to more in their pockets than they pay in overall costs. By contrast, that same family of four in B.C. receives nothing if their household income exceeds $107,688 and only $1,008 if it is below $57,288.
This is a deliberate decision that the B.C. NDP government has implemented. They chose who would be eligible for rebates, and the results equate to most British Columbians being left high and dry on financial relief. Herein lies the egregious political error that caused Eby to capitulate on the eve of the election. Over the coming fiscal year, the government will collect just over $2.5 billion in carbon tax revenues. Of that total, only $1 billion, or about 40 per cent, is returned to B.C. residents.
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Fertility rate is an estimate of the average number of live births a woman can be expected to have in her reproductive life, according to StatCan.
In 2022, the fertility rate had already fallen to a record low of 1.33 children per woman. But that record has now been broken again.
“This decline from 2022 to 2023 mostly reflects an increase in the number of women of childbearing age in 2023, as the number of births was similar in both years,” StatCan said. In total, 351,477 babies were born in Canada last year, which is similar to the number from 2022. With the new data on fertility, Canada joins the group of “lowest-low” fertility countries that have a rate of 1.3 children per woman or less, StatCan said.
South Korea, Spain, Italy and Japan are other nations in this categorized group. A StatCan
report published in January said Canada, like other countries, is riding the “fertility ‘pandemic rollercoaster’” with more families putting off having children.
“Given the COVID-19 pandemic initiated a period of public health crisis, as well as economic and societal shocks, it is possible that a segment of the population responded to this period of widespread uncertainty via their childbearing choices,” it reads.
Experts also point to prolonged economic uncertainty, the high cost of living, lifestyle changes and work decisions for the drop in births. It is estimated that on average, one in six Canadians experience infertility, according to the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS).
Advocates say there are barriers to getting timely and affordable care, with long wait times and limited health-care options.
Things haven’t been going all that smoothly for the B.C. Lottery Corp. in recent months.
Some of that has to do with the switch to new retailer terminals and self-serve kiosks across the province starting in late May, a monumental tech project that was bound to have rollout glitches.
The self-service machines in pubs have been unable to take cash and coin for weeks, and all BCLC has said is that it is working with the vendor to fix the problem. In some recent cases, the terminals weren’t taking debit cards either, rendering them largely non-functional.
Last month, BCLC had to urge players at PlayNow.com to reset their passwords because of a “credential stuffing” incident, a hacking attempt that may have compromised the login information of “a small percentage” of online accounts.
And waiting times to talk to customer support earlier this week were very long after a significant number of players reported they couldn’t sign in to play at the lottery app.
However, Postmedia’s questions about the recent problems were not fully addressed because government communications departments aren’t talking about non-essential issues.
“During the provincial election and interregnum period, government is in a caretaker mode and all Government of B.C. communications are limited to critical health and public safety information, as well as statutory requirements,” said a BCLC spokesperson.
Instead, BCLC urged players to read its FAQ on topics such as account logins and security. Of course, there’s going to be a financial hit from the disruptions. BCLC said in its 2024-25 service plan that it expected as much. It noted income projections for this year were lowered to account for “a minor disruption in lottery terminal sales during the rollout of the lottery terminal replacement project (approximately 3,400 terminals across the province) which was delayed from the prior fiscal year.”
Shoppers Drug Mart alleges BC pharmacist spent $1M on Gucci items, trips and home renovations
Shoppers Drug Mart is suing a pharmacist owner of four stores for $1 million of its money it alleges he spent on overseas trips, pricey hotels, home improvements and $11,000 worth of Gucci products and other luxury items, according to a lawsuit.
Mulugeta Woldetsadik, owner of Mulugeta Pharmacy, improperly accessed the funds through withdrawals, credit card charges and bank transfers and used the money for “luxury vacations, meals and shopping sprees in foreign jurisdictions, and to pay down the mortgages and make improvements on his home,” according to the notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court.
And Woldetsadik charged $580,000 on credit cards unrelated to the businesses, the suit says. That included more than $71,000 at the Address hotel in downtown Dubai, more than $51,000 at Madison Avenue Couture, almost $43,000 on Expedia, more than $21,000 on Ethiopian Air, more than $11,000 at Gucci and about $10,500 at the Four Seasons Resort.
Woldetsadik — who for more than 10 years owned two Shoppers in Terrace and one in Kitimat and, when he sold those earlier this year, one in Powell River — owes the chain $1,037,000, the lawsuit says.
It’s alleged he made 41 transfers and withdrawals from the franchised businesses’ accounts between July 2022 and December 2023 totalling $654,000, money that was supposed to be used to operate the Terrace and Kitimat stores.
Under the agreement signed with Shoppers, Woldetsadik — as licensee or franchisee owner of the stores — was required to maintain a minimum amount of money in the business accounts, which were instead left with an equity shortfall, the lawsuit says.
Woldetsadik, as of Oct. 23, has been in a shortfall and “despite numerous requests,” hasn’t explained where the money went or how the money was used to operate the stores.
Because of his breaches, Shoppers has suffered loss, damage and expense because most of the liabilities are financed by the chain and the debt he owes exceeds the assets of the franchised businesses
BC Conservatives promise major rebate to address housing costs
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He also added that when fully implemented, the program could save renters and homeowners around $1,600 to $1,700 annually. In addition, he says the rebate — which is aimed at middle-class tax relief — would also have a cap of around $250,000 in annual household income.
But the party has yet to explain how it plans to pay for the rebate, and Rustad said Monday it still needs to take a close look at the budget. "Are we going to be able to balance right away? No," he said. "But we also need to make sure that we're providing tax relief immediately."
CBC News contacted the B.C. Conservatives Tuesday for additional comment about how the party would pay for its proposal. Currently, the B.C. NDP's rebate — which was enacted last year — shaves up to $400 off taxes owed by low- and middleincome renters. Tenants making a combined net household income of $60,000 or less are eligible for the full amount, and those making up to $80,000 are eligible for a reduced amount. Beyond increasing the deficit, UBC economist Tom Davidoff said Tuesday that there are few options to fund the B.C. Conservatives' proposed rebate.
Mild earthquake felt on Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland earlier Thursday morning
A 3.8 magnitude earthquake near Sidney, B.C., rattled parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver Thursday morning.
Earthquakes Canada reports it happened just after 4 a.m. PT. The earthquake's centre was about 11 kilometres east of Sidney, B.C., and about 75 kilometres south of Vancouver.
Collin Paul, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, said the earthquake was "lightly felt" along the south coast of Vancouver Island, between Sooke and Ladysmith, and in Metro Vancouver.
"People in Victoria had light shaking, and
in Vancouver, we had weak shaking," he said. Paul said no damage was reported, and none is expected for an earthquake of this size.
An interactive map by Earthquakes Canada shows residents reported feeling the earthquake as far as Chilliwack and Nanaimo. Paul said an earthquake of this magnitude is expected to happen once a decade.
"This is one of the more significant events we've seen in the last 10 years," he said, adding the last earthquake from the same area was reported in 2015.
Abbotsford surgeon says hospital conditions are ‘unsafe’
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“An interventional radiology suite has been down for over a year. This is critical for the service of vascular as well as the cancer agency and the dialysis unit. Currently, if we have an inpatient on the surgical ward waiting for an intervention before we can do surgery, that wait is somewhere between seven to 10 days, and that’s occupying a hospital bed that we can’t afford.”
Abbotsford’s Regional Hospital is also a no refusal site, meaning it is required to accept patients, despite the hospital being full.
Lewis said doctors have approached Fraser Health and hospital administrators, along with government officials and Adrian Dix, who served as health minister in the government. Lewis said he is frustrated and he wants elected officials to pay attention to the alarm he is
ringing.
Lewis said he does not know why Abbotsford Regional Hospital seems to have been left behind.
“But at the moment, the service is failing the 600,000 people that are supposed to be providing universal health care and at the moment, we just simply are not getting universal health care,” he added.
“Resources are diverted to major sites in Surrey and Royal Columbian. Surrey has now got a fully functioning vascular IR (interventional radiology) unit. They don’t have vascular service.
“They’re scheduled to get to more IR units and they don’t have a vascular service. We don’t have an interventional OR suite where we can do some of the more complex vascular operations.”
IHIT investigating woman’s suspicious death in New Westminster
Homicide investigators are in New Westminster following a sudden death Tuesday afternoon. Police were called to a home on Salter Street in the Queensborough neighbourhood around 5:00 p.m.
Police say a 38-year-old woman was found dead in what police believe were suspicious circumstances.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) and the New Westminster Police Department Major Crime Unit are reportedly working together to determine a cause.
Anyone with information regarding this
investigation is invited to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448).
Wasp stings David Eby during campaign event
But moments later he was apparently stung, scrunching up his face in a grimace as he told reporters it was a bee that had made its way down his collar.
In fact, it was a wasp that Eby eventually flung to the ground where it was later stepped on by a member of his staff.
The interruption was reminiscent of a moment in 2022 when Ontario Premier Doug Ford accidentally swallowed a bee during a news conference.
Eby said he was fine after being stung, but the encounter was probably "fatal" for the insect.
"The bee is not gonna make it," he said.
After the event, the B.C. NDP sent out a campaign email referring to their party leader as "David E-bee."
Crown to seek adult sentence for alleged high school fire attack, defence to argue not criminally responsible
A 14-year-old girl told Saskatoon police "voices told her to do things" in the moments after a 15-year-old classmate was lit on fire Sept. 5 at Evan Hardy Collegiate.
The detail emerged as Judge Sanjeev Anand questioned the defence on an application Thursday in youth court. The 14-year-old, charged with arson, aggravated assault and attempted murder, appeared by video.
The accused cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The Crown gave notice that, if the teen is convicted, it will seek to have her sentenced as
an adult. The defence applied for an assessment to find out whether the 14-year-old was not criminally responsible. Anand granted the request to assess whether, at the time of the alleged offence, the teen was suffering from a mental disorder.
Under questioning by Anand, court heard that the teen had been under the care of a nurse practitioner and had been diagnosed with a "psychotic disorder." She had also been admitted to hospital this past summer for emergency psychiatric care.
She has also been diagnosed with autism.
City apologizes after porn shown during Kamloops council meeting
Kamloops city council and city staff have apologized after a pornographic video was shown in council chambers on Tuesday.
It happened during the public inquiries portion of the city's regular council meeting, which allows members of the public to participate in discussions in person or remotely via video.
One of the online participants shared a graphic video clip, prompting the meeting to end early.
"We deeply regret the inappropriate behaviour that occurred and distress it may have caused," the city said in a statement, referring to the incident as a "Zoom-bombing."
For Coun. Bill Sarai, it's the final straw in the city's current public participation process, which he says has been plagued by disruptions for months.
Originally meant to let the public ask questions or comment on items on the night's
council agenda, the inquiries portion of the meetings have increasingly become "attacks on our staff and our council," he said.
"It's really swayed far, far away from what it's meant to be," he said, describing "yelling, screaming" and other disruptions in the council chambers, taking up "two hours" of time answering "frivolous questions" and accusations of wrong-doing against city leaders.
Sarai says council and city staff are available to answer questions through email or inperson meetings, and he believes that's a more appropriate use of time rather than bogging down council meetings.
He says he's looking at a process for eliminating the public inquiries portion of the meetings.
In the meantime, the City of Kamloops says it is reviewing its screening processes for the meetings and that a recording of the meeting has been sent to RCMP for review.
British Columbia NDP Leader David Eby was briefly upstaged by a wasp Thursday that got caught in his shirt and stung him during a news conference.
Eby was delivering remarks in Chilliwack while on the election campaign trail when the insect interrupted him, prompting him to swat at his neck and identify it as a "bug."
Leaders promise trades training, power plants and mental health supports
British Columbia’s three major parties all laid out new campaign pledges Thursday, as the province’s election neared the one-week mark.
The New Democrats put their focus on job training, with the party pledging $150 million over three years to create more apprenticeships through SkilledTradesBC.
Speaking at a campaign event in Chilliwack, leader David Eby said the money would double the number of trade apprentice spaces in the province, from 26,000 to more than 50,000.
The plan would increase apprentice opportunities for a variety of skilled trades, including welders, industrial electricians, machinists and plumbers.
“These are trades where employers are ready to hire, where they are desperate to find people with these skills, they are in demand,
they are good paying jobs,” Eby said. “They are needed for two reasons. One is to help grow our economy … but also to build the housing we need, the hospitals we need, the schools we need.”
BC Conservative Leader John Rustad took his campaign north, unveiling a plan to bring local power generation to the province’s northwest.
Speaking in Prince George, Rustad said a Conservative government would turn to “local solutions” to provide electricity for communities like Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert.
Those solutions, Rustad said, include burning wood waste and burning natural gas to power communities. The proposal would support the forestry industry while ensuring reliable electricity, he said.
“Ratepayers do not need to spend more on
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another boondoggle project by David Eby’s NDP in the form of unneeded power lines from the northeast,” Rustad said.
“Instead we’ll generate the power locally and save British Columbians millions in energy costs.” BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau, meanwhile, was in Creston, where she unveiled her party’s mental health platform.
The plan would see MSP cover mental health professionals, introduce full regulation for psychotherapy and integrate mental health services as an option for someone calling 911.
“We need to ensure we remove the barriers to accessing mental health care,” Furstenau said.
“It affects all of us, either personally or through someone we love. But too often, people can’t find or afford the help they need. We want everyone in BC to get mental health support when they need it without worrying about how to afford it or where to go.”
The party is also pledging to launch an all-party review of B.C.’s Mental Health Act and to create an independent Office of the Mental Health Advocate.
Akshay patel of Akshadeep entertainments brings the soul of Gujarati culture to Vancouver
Vibhooti Vaishnav : Garba of Gujarat has been recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of India last year, and Vancouver has never been so active in bringing big name celebrity singers from Gujarat for the festival of Navaratri.
Aditya Gadhvi, youth icon, star of Gujarati folk music, delivered a mesmerizing performance. Held at the Aria Convention Centre on September 20, the event organized by Akshadeep entertainment saw Gadhvi captivate the audience with his soulful voice and lively stage presence.
His unique blend of traditional folk songs and contemporary musical arrangements had the crowd singing and dancing to his popular hits. Known for his powerful vocals and emotional depth, he created an unforgettable experience for garba lovers.
Aditya gadhvi inherits Gujarati folk music and story telling skills from his gadhvi
lineage. His god gifted talent was nurtured by his father and cultivated and groomed at the Oscar winner AR Rahman’s music academy. After graduating from such a reputable institution, entry into doors of Bollywood was so obvious. But he proudly chose to stick to his heritage and enhance the traditional Gujarati folk with his lyrics, song writing, music composition and arrangements. His concerts are always sold out in any part of the world Down to earth, simple and dedicated to his craft, he brings the flavour of his motherland to the world.
Among many big events, he has performed on mahashivratri at Sadguru’s ashram and at Ambani’s wedding. His performance was a grand success and attracted all the young Gujarati crowd, students and families. People were nostalgic when he sang his most popular song of you tube- Khalasi and some of the other equally crowd pleasing favourite numbers.
Businesses face new limits on temporary foreign worker program
Continued from Page 1...
There are some exceptions to the above rules, such as for employers in health care and construction.
The federal government is aiming to rein in the temporary foreign worker program after it loosened hiring rules in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, the low-wage stream has seen particular growth, with the number of positions approved through this stream nearly
quadrupling from 21,394 in 2018 to 83,654 in 2023.
The program's low-wage stream is for positions whose wages are below the territorial or provincial median hourly wage. Employers are required to offer similar wages to those paid to Canadians and permanent residents working in the same jobs and locations, and with similar experience.
"I think these changes make sense," said Christopher Worswick, professor and chair of the economics department at Carleton University.
Taxes will not be increased to fund NDP 2025-2029 – Prof. Prasad
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance
Professor Biman Prasad has clarified that the government will not raise corporate and personal income tax to fund the National Development Plan 2025-2029. While responding to a question from a USP student if there is a plan by the coalition government to raise corporate and personal income tax to fund the National
Development Plan 2025-2029, Professor Prasad says they have increased the corporate tax from 20 to 25 percent, and there is nothing in the agenda to increase it further.
He says they have kept the personal income tax at the same level, which is probably the lowest compared to some other countries.
He adds they do not envision changing that now because they realize that people are still transitioning after COVID-19 in terms of getting a good income.
Professor Prasad says one of the things they said when they came into government is that they are going to be open and transparent in particular with our tax policies.
Drug raids lead to arrest of 2 men in Labasa
Two men have been arrested in Wailevu, Labasa following a drug seizure where several bags of dried leaves believed to be marijuana were found. Assistant Commissioner of Police – Operations Livai Driu says a 24-year-old man was arrested from his home while a 27-year-old man was arrested at the scene.
The seized substances have been sent for analysis.
ACP Driu says divisional surge operations covering known popular hangout spots for youths are being conducted.
He says they are clearing individuals seen loitering in places frequented by young people, as they are being targeted by drug pushers.
He further says areas of coverage also include learning institutions.
ACP Driu says the raid was made possible
Chaudhry:
through community-shared information which demonstrates strong support in efforts to combat the illicit drug trade.
The Fiji Police Force urges anyone with information regarding the illicit drug trade to call the Crime Stoppers 919 line and assures that the information shared will be kept confidential.
Tell us the truth about 2000 coup
Former prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry who was held at gunpoint during the civilian coup in 2000, has called on George Speight to disclose the truth of that tragic event.
In a statement, Mr Chaudhry said the release
of Mr Speight has sent tremors of apprehension throughout the nation.
“If George Speight is truly contrite about the violence and devastation his reckless actions unleashed on the nation, the least he can do in recompense is to disclose the truth about 2000,” he said.
“Particularly concerned are Indo-Fijians who were the major target of the violence and mayhem instigated by Speight and his thugs. Hundreds of innocent families in rural communities were traumatised, and driven from their homes and farms, victims of months of terror and violence.”
OVER $12million in claims have been filed against employers who failed to pay the correct minimum wage and overtime.
Minister for Employment Agni Deo Singh said some security companies and supermarkets were often the worst offenders of not complying with the labour law.
“To be honest the worst offenders in our experience are some security companies and supermarkets, not all,” he said.
Mr Singh said they had received reports of some companies not complying with the new minimum wage rate.
“The minimum wage work had increased to $4.50 by last month, companies are expected to comply with this. We have received reports some have not.”
In an interview with this newspaper, he said employers failing to adhere to the
new wage standards would face penalties.
“With nearly 30,000 employers in the country, monitoring compliance is challenging.”
However, he said, upon receiving reports, the ministry acted swiftly to investigate and address the issues.
Pakistan Supreme Court says poll panel failed to perform duties in general election
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Monday released its detailed judgment on the July 12 order in the reserved seats case and said the top election body of the country failed to perform its duties as per law in the February 8 general elections.
The 8-5 majority order had declared jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan
Hindus
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) eligible for more than 20 seats reserved for women and minorities, dealing a major setback to the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah penned the 70-page verdict, more than two months after the short verdict was issued earlier.
Lt Gen Malik new ISI DG Islamabad: Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed as the new Director General of Pakistan’s spy agency - Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), state-run TV announced on Monday. Lt Gen Malik, currently serving as an adjutant general at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, will assume his new role on September 30, replacing the current DG Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum.
our citizens, says Bangladesh's Hossain as Jaishankar takes up issue of minorities
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has taken up the issue of safety of minorities and the Hindu community in Bangladesh during a meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Mohd Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the UN ‘Summit of the Future’ in New York.
The meeting happened on Monday. Hossian, separately, told news agency ANI that “Hindus are our citizens, we are taking care of them”.
On being asked what the Mohammad Yunusled interim government of Bangladesh was doing about the reported attacks on the minorities and Hindus in the country, Hossain said, “We are doing everything possible for the protection of our citizens, and Hindus in Bangladesh are our citizens, we are taking care of them.”
Amarasuriya new Sri Lanka PM
Harini Amarasuriya was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister on Tuesday, becoming the first woman leader since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 2000 to hold the post.
The 54-year-old National People's Power (NPP) leader was sworn in by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who appointed his cabinet of four, including himself.
She has been assigned the portfolios of justice, education, labour, industries, science & technology, health, and investment. She has replaced PM Dinesh Gunawardena, who resigned from his post following the presidential election.
Lt Gen Asim Malik appointed new DG of Pakistan's spy agency ISI
Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed as the new Director General of Pakistan's spy agency - Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), state-run TV announced on Monday.
Lt Gen Malik, currently serving as an adjutant general at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, will assume his new role on September 30, replacing the current DG Lt Gen
Nadeem Anjum. The ISI chief is appointed by the prime minister but as part of a tradition he executes this power in consultation with the army chief. The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 77-plus years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.
Over 350 leaders of Imran’s party face terrorism charge
More than 350 leaders and workers of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM ]Ali Amin Gandapur, have been booked under terrorism and other charges by Pakistan’s Punjab police.
The Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leaders have been booked under anti-terrorism and attempted murder charges for their alleged involvement in an
attack on policemen during their rally in Lahore last Saturday. The police have started raiding the residences of the leaders for their arrest. Gandapur is also accused of vandalising a plaza. Other senior leaders have been booked for facilitating the escape of absconding leader Hammad Azhar in the Lahore rally. Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz said Gandapur wanted to attack Punjab on the pretext of rallies.
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Ukraine bets on India to help get peace deal with Putin
Ukraine has found its favored middleman to help end the war with Russia: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As part of a blossoming diplomatic relationship, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Modi on Monday evening in New York, during which the two leaders and their entourages discussed the pathway to a peace deal.
A high-ranking Ukrainian official, granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive subject, confirmed that India was Kyiv’s big hope to reach a peace pact it can live with. According to the official, Modi was clear in summertime discussions with Kyiv that — while Ukraine would inevitably need to compromise on some things to end Moscow's onslaught — any proposals to end the war should not include giving up territory to Russia. Modi, in Kyiv's eyes, has come a long way in a short time. When
he visited Moscow in July and warmly embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin, the response from Kyiv was scathing. Zelenskyy called the hug — on the same day a Russian missile strike killed dozens of Ukrainians — “a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.” But since then, Ukraine has come to increasingly view India — the world’s most populous nation, which has long promoted non-alignment in its foreign relations — as its ideal intermediary in dealings with the Kremlin.
While New Delhi has consistently refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has spoken in support of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ending the war. Six weeks after his Moscow trip raised Ukrainian hackles, Modi traveled to Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy. He vowed to be “a friend” to Kyiv and help bring about a peace deal.
Kejriwal given seat 41 in Delhi Assembly with Sisodia next to him
He once had the 'number one' chair. On Thursday, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was allotted seat number 41 in the Delhi assembly, many paces away from the chief minister's chair.
While his successor Atishi got the chief minister's 'one' seat, trusted lieutenant Manish Sisodia was given a spot next to Kejriwal, who was chief minister for close to 10 years, at seat 40. After taking charge, Atishi had kept the chair
used by her predecessor Kejriwal empty at the chief minister's office, a move the BJP and the Congress said was a "grave insult" to the post. Days after coming out of Tihar on bail in the excise policy case, Kejriwal resigned as chief minister, saying he would return to the post after getting a "certificate of honesty" from the people of Delhi in the assembly polls due in February.
Govt blocks websites exposing Aadhaar, PAN details of Indian citizens
The government has blocked a few websites exposing sensitive personal identifiable information, including Aadhaar and PAN card details of Indian citizens, an official statement said on Thursday.
The action was taken after the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, found security flaws in the websites.
"It has come to the notice of the MeitY that some websites were exposing sensitive personal identifiable information, including Aadhaar and PAN card details of Indian citizens. This has been taken up seriously as the government accords the highest priority to safe cyber security practices and the protection of personal data. In line with this, prompt action has been taken to block these websites," the statement said.
Parliament standing committees formed; B Mahtab to helm panel on finance
Parliament's standing committees have been constituted; BJP's B Mahtab will helm the panel on finance. Crucial committees of external affairs, home will be chaired by Congress's Shashi Tharoor, BJP's Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, respectively. BJP's Radha Mohan Singh will head
Defence committee, and Shiv Sena's Shrirang Appa Barne, NCP's Sunil Tatkare will lead Energy, Petroleum panels. Ex-minister Anurag Thakur will chair parliamentary panel on Coal, Mines and Steel, committee on Education to be led by Congress's Digvijay Singh.
5-year-old girl found dead in Bhopal flat, rape-murder suspected
A five-year-old girl who was found dead in a house in a multi-storey building in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal on Thursday is suspected to have been raped and murdered, a senior police official said. A man, his mother and sister have been arrested in this connection, the official added.
As per a short post-mortem report, it is suspected that she was raped and killed, Bhopal police commissioner HC Mishra told PTI. A man, his mother and sister, who are neighbours of the victim, have been arrested, Mishra said.
The complete post-mortem report will be available on Friday, the commissioner added.
After the girl went missing on Tuesday from the building in which she resided, at least 100 policemen along with drones and divers (for search in nearby water bodies and drains) were deployed to trace her.
"She was found dead in a flat of the same building. Her body was in a plastic container on a high shelf of the bathroom. It was not visible when the house was earlier searched. The accused wanted to dispose of the body and tried four times but could not do so as there was strong police deployment at the building and in the vicinity," the commissioner said. Police teams searched around 1,500 houses in order to trace the girl, Mishra said.
Punjab Congress alleges AAP government manipulating Panchayat election
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, has expressed grave concern over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)led state government’s alleged manipulation of the upcoming Panchayat election. Warring accuses the Bhagwant Mann administration of deliberately delaying the release of the reservation village list, giving an unfair advantage to AAP-connected candidates.
Warring stated that this move is a calculated attempt to ensure AAP-aligned individuals are elected as sarpanches, undermining
the democratic process. He emphasised the importance of this election, which form the foundation of grassroots democracy and are essential for ensuring politics at the village level prospers.
The Congress leader criticised the delay, explaining how it hampers aspiring candidates’ ability to complete crucial procedures like filling the ‘chulla’ tax and submitting required documentation. Warring accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of prioritising personal power and party expansion over the state’s wellbeing.
Frequent police commissioner transfers disrupt law and order in Amritsar
The city of Amritsar is facing a crisis in its law enforcement leadership, with the sixth police commissioner, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, taking charge in just two-and-a-half years. This frequent changing of the guard has taken a toll on law and order, leading to a rise in petty crimes like snatching, looting, and robberies.
Bhullar’s appointment comes after his abrupt transfer as IG provisioning just three-and-a-half months ago. Previously, he served as Amritsar police commissioner in November 2023, preceded by ADGP Naunihal Singh in April 2023, IG Jaskaran Singh in November 2022, and IG Arun Pal Singh in April 2022. Local resident and retired banker Anil Vinayak expressed concerns about the
impact of these frequent transfers on the city’s law and order. “Changing the police commissioner every few months undermines the effectiveness of the police commissionerate system,” he said. Human rights activist and lawyer Sarabjit Singh Verka added that the constant changes demoralise the police force, making it challenging for officers to understand the city’s issues and implement solutions.
Newly appointed Commissioner Bhullar has pledged to prioritise crime prevention and detection, increase police visibility, and take a zero-tolerance stance against gangsters and drug peddlers. He has also sought public cooperation to address these issues.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann admitted to Mohali hospital
More than 24 hours after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was rushed to the Emergency ward of a private hospital in Sector 62 here, he remains admitted to the hospital till Thursday night.
Throughout the day, the Punjab government termed his visit to the hospital as a "routine check-up and tests" with only an update coming on his medical condition late in the evening.
According to the statement from the CMO, "Various tests are being conducted to assess the CM’s health. Doctors say he is absolutely
fine right now and is not facing any problem. Doctors have found that there are signs of inflammation in an artery of one of the lungs of Mann, which is creating pressure on the heart, due to which the blood pressure starts fluctuating. Some more investigation is yet to be done on this and some blood tests have been done, whose report is yet to come. The CM will be kept under observation tonight and a decision on his discharge from the hospital will be taken after seeing the report tomorrow morning."
Punjab Police crack down on online child sexual abuse; one arrested
Punjab Police's Cyber Crime Division has arrested one person and identified 54 suspects involved in viewing, transmitting and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using various online platforms, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Thursday.
The development came close on the heels of the apex court, in a landmark verdict recently, holding that watching and downloading child pornography are offences under the POCSO Act and the Information Technology Act.
CSAM refers to any content depicting or exploiting minors in a sexual manner, including photos, videos, or media, which is illegal to produce, distribute, or possess, causing long-
lasting harm to victims and considered a severe form of child exploitation due to the lasting impact it has on victims, a Punjab Police statement said here. The arrested accused has been identified as Vijaypal, a resident of Ramsra in Fazilka.
Police teams have also seized electronic devices following standard procedures, with proper hash values recorded.
An FIR has been registered under Section 67B of the IT Act at the Cyber police station in this regard, the DGP said. He said that in the first phase of the operation, as many as 54 suspects have been identified across Punjab, while, one person found selling and sharing CSAM using Instagram and Telegram has been arrested from Fazilka.
