Vol 16 - Issue 35
Saturday, September 30, 2017
22 killed in stampede on pedestrian bridge in Mumbai
Victims and survivors of a stampede at a railway station’s pedestrian bridge in Mumbai on Friday.
Fiji’s Opposition leader wants to remove politics of fear Umendra Singh
Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is using politics of fear to keep his grip on power - according the leader of Fiji’s Opposition N a t i o n a l Federation Party, Dr Biman Prasad Dr Biman Prasad. “People have been scared to such an extent that they are afraid to ask questions,” said Dr Prasad, who was in Surrey and Vancouver this past week to meet and greet supporters. “Bainimarama and his Fiji First party people have told Fiji voters that there will be lots of problems if Bainimarama is not the PM. These scare tactics worked in last election but it will not work this time,” he said at meeting of supporters in Surrey. Dr Prasad urged supporters to call friends and relatives in Fiji and urge them to vote
Continued on page 6
Story on page 26
Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver calls BC premier a ‘hypocrite’ for NDP insider hires Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver is accusing NDP Premier John Horgan of being a “hypocrite” for a spate of party insider hirings. For years as the Opposition, Horgan criticized the Liberal government for doing the same thing. “If you want to play the moral high ground you better practice what you preach, otherwise you are nothing more than a hypocrite,” said Weaver. “Right now I feel the NDP is looking like a bunch of hypocrites because they are doing exactly what they said they wouldn’t do. “It’s what makes people cynical about politics and they need to stop it because they are losing public trust. It’s just wrong what is going on here.” Kassandra Dycke lost as the 2013 candidate in Comox Valley and has now been hired to work for Health Minister Adrian Dix. The NDP have overhauled all of the political offices during the change of government. Continued on page 7
Kwantlen shifts application deadline for Indian international students Students hoping to head to Kwantlen Polytechnic University have until December 1 to make their application… unless, that is, they’re coming from India. The spring semester application deadline for prospective students from that country was moved ahead by nearly three months this year, to September 15.
School administrators say the move was necessary due to an unusually high number ofapplicationsfromtheSouthAsiancountry. “We had an unprecedented, unexpected and surprising influx of applicants from India,” said Sal Ferreras, Kwantlen’s Vice President, Academic. “Kwantlen University is always Continued on page 6
A serious car accident in Surrey A serious car accident sent two in hospital on Wednesday night put two people in hospital and RCMP hunting for driver of one of the cars. A small car with a driver and a passenger was on 124th heading north at 84th and stopped at the 4 way stop sign. A Mercedes sedan going in the same direction smashed into the back of the first car., sending it flying into a lamp post. The Mercedes (above) was broken in half and jaws of life were used to rescue passengers. Road was closed for 6 hours.
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Saturday, September 16, 2017
RCMP Constable Jasvir Dosanjh wins award for reducing numbers of impaired drivers from roads
Dianne Watts enters a close-packed BC Liberal leadership field
Eight contenders (above) have announced or are expected to announce shorty their intention to seek leadership of the BC Liberal party. Former mayor of city of Surrey Dianne Surrey. “I have served in public office as Watts announced September 24 she intends a city councillor, mayor and Member of to run for the leader of the BC Liberal Party. Parliament, and I believe that I can bring Watts is currently serving as MP for a much-needed new vision and common Surrey and said she will step down from sense approach to the BC Liberal party.” this position. She is the second candidate BC Liberal MLA Andrew Wilkinson is also to join the race after Sam Sullivan, former expected to announce his intention to run Vancouver mayor and current MLA for at an event. Watts said her priorities will include Vancouver-False Creek, announced his intention to run last week. “After much jobs in the forestry and resource sectors, consideration, I have decided to seek the affordability for families, addressing the leadership of the BC Liberal Party,” Watts opioid crisis and addressing transportation said at a September 24 supporter rally in issues. “We must reunite people from
North Vancouver RCMP Const. Jasvir Dosanjh was honoured with a national award for reducing the number of impaired drivers on the road. North Vancouver Police Const. Jasvir Dosanjh received the Terry Ryan Memorial Award, given annually for excellence in police service by Mothers Against Drunk Driving of Canada. “Jasvir has a passion for prevention and interception before a crash occurs,” said Tracy Crawford, chapter services manager for MADD in Western Canada. The constable was unavailable for comment, a spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP detachment said. Dosanjh has been an “Alexa Team all-star” every year since 2008, the year the Alexa program — focused on impaired drivers — began. To achieve all-star status, an officer must remove at least 25 impaired drivers from the roads in a calendar year through a Criminal Code investigation or administrative 90-day roadside prohibition. “He’s a family man, he’s committed to the community,” Crawford said. “It’s almost a pet peeve of his, he wants to get these people off the roads before an accident happens.” The annual award’s namesake was a police constable killed in a two-car alcohol-related crash on his way home from a police function near Durham, Ont., in 2002.
Dosanjh joined the RCMP’s Surrey detachment in 2004, after working at BC Sheriff Services. He moved to the North Vancouver detachment in 2009, where he serves in the municipal traffic unit. From 2011 to 2014 Dosanjh had the highest number of impaired driving investigations in the province. He has also been certified as a drug recognition expert and to date has suspended 962 drivers for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs since Canada’s stiffest impaired driving laws came into effect in 2010, giving officers more powers. “Those laws are definitely working,” MADD’s Crawford said. “Twenty-four hour suspensions were not working, people were not getting the message. “There has been a drastic decline in injuries and fatalities due to impaired driving. These sanctions have taken the blinders off.” Superintendent Chris Kennedy, officer in charge of the North Vancouver detachment, thanked and congratulated Dosanjh. “Const. Dosanjh’s commitment and hard work regarding the enforcement against impaired drivers is exemplary,” Kennedy said in a statement. “It is very fitting that he is being recognized for helping keep our roads safe on behalf of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.”
across this province and across the political spectrum for one common gold: to take our province back from an unstable coalition government,” she said to the crowd.
An August 22 Insights West poll showed Watts as the most highly favoured potential candidate for leader of the party, with a favourability rating of 39%. Sullivan came in second place at 30%.
See page 19 for more stories on BC Liberal leadership race
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Man charged in connection with shootings in South Surrey Surrey RCMP advises that one man has now been charged in connection with a pair of recent shootings in South Surrey On September 25th, the investigation led officers to a residence in the 15600 block of Goggs Avenue, White Rock. Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit (GIU) and Strike Force Target Team (SFTT), along with assistance from of the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team (LMD ERT,) arrested 5 persons and seized three vehicles. Four of the five persons were eventually released from custody. On September 26th, officers executed a search warrant at the Goggs Avenue residence. Officers located a substantial amount of evidence that included weapons, drugs and cash. On September 27th investigators compiled details of their investigation to date for Crown Counsel for review. An Information has now been sworn and charged is Cameron
BARTON, 27 years old of Surrey. BARTON, known to police, is charged with Reckless Discharge of a Firearm. Police now believe that these two shooting incidents are related to the dial-a-dope drug trade. BARTON has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance on October 4th. The investigation is ongoing and a number of additional charges are anticipated. “Every shooting investigation is unique in the challenges it may present,” says Corporal Scotty Schumann. “Thanks to an early lead in this case, officers quickly identified a suspect which culminated in an arrest. The investigation continues as police continue to document the evidence seized.” Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502. If they wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www. solvecrime.ca.
Editorial
Dianne Watts should not use her lacklustre city hall performance as an example of great leadershi Dianne Watts has announced that she will seek the leadership of the BC Liberal Party, and will be giving up her seat as Conservative MP. After much consideration, I have decided to seek the leadership of the BC Liberal Party. I have served in public office as a city councillor, mayor and Member of Parliament, and I believe that I can bring a much-needed new vision and common sense approach to the BC Liberal party,” she said in a release. Watts appears to want to use her time at Surrey City hall as proof that she could be a good leader of the BC Liberals and a good potential premier . Wrong idea! Watts time at the City Hall should not and will not inspire confidence among voters. Just look at the new Surrey City hall itself - a pet project of Watts that she wanted everyone to see as her legacy to Surrey. Instead it has become a white elephant. There was no need for a new City hall but Wattsclijes spending taxpayers money on pet projects. Originally bugetted at $97 million, it was completed at double the cost. Imagine what she would do if handed the keys to the provincial treasury! During her time, property taxes skyrocketed in Surrey and big business and big money benefitted at the expense of taxpayers. Gang warfare abs crime flourished in Surrey due to lack of a effective anti crime and anti gang strategy. So be careful Dianne Watts when using your time in Surrey City hall as a reference during the leadership race.
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Saturday, September 30, 2017
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From page 1
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Fiji’s Opposition leader wants to remove politics of fear
for the National Federation Party candidates in next year’s election. Dr Prasad, who gave up a lucrative job as a senior economics lecturer at top university to become leader of the NFP, said there is a need to change the government in Fiji. He said the government of retired military chief Admiral Frank Bainimarama, was not working in the interest of ordinary people but for big businesses only. The government was corrupt and piling up debt on Fiji taxpayers. He said the Bainimarama govt has increased national debt from $2.8 billion to $5 billion which is huge fir a small country like Fiji. He said Bainimarama had incorporated military decrees into the constitution -
Dr Biman Prasad with his supporters in Surrey on Saturday night
Dr Biman Prasad (left) with president of Ram Mandir in Surrey Dhiru Nair
military decrees with which he ruled Fiji for 8 years after overthrowing a democratically elected government in 2006. He said the ordinary and poor people in Fiji were suffering and if his party forms government, he wilL increase minimum wage to $5 an hour. He will also bring in reforms to the sugar industry to make it viable for the country. Bainimarama government has abandoned the sugar industry. In Surrey, on Wednesday night Dr Biman Prasad met supporters at a banquet hall and then addressed a large crowd at the Ram Mandir during Navratri celebrations. He also visited the Bay Area in California as well as Portland and Seattle and will be in Edmonton and Calgary this weekend.
Kwantlen shifts application deadline for Indian international students From page 1 developing students’ global competencies, and as a part of that we aim to maintain the diversity of our domestic and international populations.” Indian students only learned of the change in date one week before the arrival of the new deadline. But Ferreras said the change doesn’t discriminate against Indian students. “We already have hundreds of students from India in this intake. So if the concern is that we’re not accepting students from India, it’s unfounded because that’s not in fact true at all,” he said. “We’re still seeing a large number of students from India, we’re just trying to stem the flow, rather than stop the flow.” Despite the move, Kwantlen said it expects the proportion of applicants from India to grow for this year’s intake.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Andrew Weaver calls BC premier a ‘hypocrite’ for NDP insider hires From page 1 Following the 2013 election, Horgan criticized the B.C. Liberal government for hiring a number of failed candidates to work in the premier’s office or ministerial offices. But government house leader Mike Farnworth says the difference between what Horgan criticized and what he is now doing as premier is a matter of scale. “In terms of ‘failed candidates,’ the Liberals hired nine. We have only hired one and that was after a full screening process,”
Andrew J. Weaver said Farnworth. The B.C. Liberals have also waded into the fray. “You hire people who are of a like mind, my concern is the number of people they have brought in and the cost to the taxpayers,” said Vernon-Monashee Liberal MLA Eric Foster. The government says its political staff costs are now 13 per cent higher than when the B.C. Liberals were in government. The government has also been criticized for using taxpayer money for their Better B.C. campaign, that includes a selfpromotional online ad. The one-minute video posted on the government’s website, Facebook and Twitter talks about “A better B.C., where no one is left behind.” A woman in the video says she’s happy her family doesn’t have to pay expensive tolls anymore. “I think it’s great that the government has lived up to its promise,” she said. Farnworth defends the ad saying the government is simply using it to explain
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Roots to Results - UBCM Convention 2017
The Roots to Result UBCM 2017 held at Vancouver Convention Centre. A number of provincial ministers were part of the important Provincial Cabinet Town Halls meeting where they listened to people’s concerns and addressed them.
BC municipal politicians vote in favour of election finance reform Almost two weeks after the B.C. NDP government introduced a bill to ban big money from provincial elections, municipal politicians from across B.C. voted to do the same for local government election campaigns. Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference on Thursday passed a resolution calling on the province to implement reforms to campaign finance regulations, in consultation with the UBCM. “The thrust of it is banning union and corporate donations in municipal elections, period,”saidVictoriaMayorLisaHelps,anardent supporter of the motion, which was drafted by a councillor from the District of Oak Bay. The resolution came before delegates on Wednesday, but after much debate and an amendment it was referred back to the UBCM executive, which Helps said was a surprise and disappointment. Helps said she and others feared that if a resolution was not passed during this conference, changes would not be made in time for the 2018 municipal election. So, before Thursday’s policy session she and some other municipal politicians worked on an amendment and decided to ask their fellow elected officials to reconsider. Helps said the amended motion was essentially the same, but worded in a way that was easier to understand. Helps presented the motion to reconsider, which narrowly passed. Then the referral was rescinded and the motion was back on the table. An amendment was proposed and adopted, and the new resolution passed with support from most delegates.
Helps was pleased with the change of heart. “Hopefully with this push from UBCM, the province can bring that in by next September,” she said. Some other resolutions of note that were considered on Thursday: t 7BOEFSIPPG T SFTPMVUJPO UP TUPQ trains from sounding their whistles because they “severely infringe upon citizens’ quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort and convenience” did not pass. t 8FTU ,FMPXOB BTLFE UIF 6#$. UP call on the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to develop and fund a strategy to deal with the rat population in B.C. The resolution passed. t " TFDPOE SFTPMVUJPO QVU GPSUI CZ West Kelowna also passed. It wants the provincial government to amend legislation to allow local governments to pay for and implement photo radar on local roads. t " SFTPMVUJPO BJNFE BU DIBOHJOH MFHJTMBUJPO so minor accidents could be cleared from provincial roads, bridges and tunnels faster was debated at length, and then referred to the UBCM executive for consultation with health and safety professionals. t ćF 4VOTIJOF $PBTU 3FHJPOBM %JTUSJDU appealed for the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Land Commission to revise a regulation to allow breweries, meaderies and distilleries to contract with another B.C. grower to meet a requirement that they grow at least 50 per cent of the ingredients for their product on site. Persephone Brewing Company, a farmbased brewery in Gibsons, would be helped by such a change. The resolution was passed.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Toronto,Vancouver among global cities at greatest risk of housing bubble: UBS Toronto has topped the list of major global cities most at risk of a housing bubble with Vancouver ranking fourth, according to a new report by UBS Group AB. It’s the first time Toronto has cracked the annual rankings compiled for the UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index, in which other “bubble risk” cities include Stockholm, Munich, Sydney, London, Hong Kong and Amsterdam. The Swiss-based global financial services company said that the bubble risk in all of these cities has spiked over the last five years as house prices have climbed by almost 50 per cent on average since 2011. However, “bubble risk seems greatest in Toronto, where it has increased significantly in the last year,” it noted. Notably, prices rose more than 10 per cent in the last year alone in Toronto, Munich, Amsterdam, Sydney and Hong Kong. “Annual price-increase rates of 10 per cent
correspond to a doubling of house prices every seven years, which is not sustainable,” the UBS report said. “Nevertheless, the fear of missing out on further appreciation predominates among home buyers.” Affordability crisis worsens homelessness in Metro Vancouver: Report. Kelowna $6.5M luxury mansion to be auctioned off with no minimum bid. The report is based on data up to the second quarter of 2017. In Canada a large part of the negative impact of higher purchase prices on affordability has been cushioned by low mortgage rates. An overly loose monetary policy for too long, in addition to buoyant foreign demand which governments in B.C. and Ontario have tried to cool with the introduction of 15 a per cent foreign buyers tax, have also played a role in unmooring housing markets from economic fundamentals in Canada, UBS said.
Double homicide in Vancouver, Police search for missing vehicle Vancouver police are looking for a vehicle that’s gone missing from the Marpole home where two people were killed this week. Investigators have confirmed the dead man and woman found Wednesday inside the small blue house at West 64th Avenue and Hudson Street were victims of a homicide. Now, officers are asking the public for help locating a white vehicle bearing B.C. licence plate ACK 605. “Based on the information collected so far, detectives believe a white 2014 Kia Soul is associated to the home on West 64th Avenue and it’s missing,” Const. Jason Doucette said in a news release. “We are asking the public to keep an eye out for this vehicle, not to approach if they see it and instead call 911.” 2014 Kia Soul A white 2014 Kia Soul, similar in
White 2014 Kia Soul, similar to this model, was missing from the home where two people were found dead model to the vehicle shown here, was missing from the home where two people were found dead. Both victims in their 60s Police were called to the quiet tree-lined south Vancouver neighbourhood Wednesday afternoon to check on the well-being of the residents.
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Request that your child be excused from the FSAs Dear parents, We work hard to give your children the best education possible. Because we care, it’s our professional responsibility to raise our concerns about the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). Standardized tests like FSAs for Grades 4 and 7 students take time away from classroom activities, do not count for marks, and have not been meaningfully used to support student learning. FSA results
provide no new resources or other funding for classrooms. The misuse of FSA results to rank schools and the inadequate protection of student privacy are other major concerns. We are urging the provincial government to work with teachers and others to protect school and student information, rather than proceed with this year’s FSA. These are some reasons why BC teachers recommend that parents of Grade 4 and 7 students write to their school principal to request that their children be excused from the FSAs. More information, including a sample withdrawal letter, is available at bctf.ca/fsa.aspx.
A message from the Surrey Teachers’ Association
Surrey teens arrested in connection with Langley home invasion The RCMP has after two tires were deflated by a police arrested two Surrey teens in connection spike belt. Four with an early morning people exited the vehicle and made a home invasion in South Langley. run for it. Officers, Langley Mounties with the help of a canine unit, were received a report at 1:30 a.m. that a group able to locate and apprehend two of of unknown men had broken into a the suspects. The Two teens arrested, two at large aft er Langley residence and made vehicle and the home invasion recovered stolen off with items from items will be returned to the owner. inside the home as well as the family vehicle. RCMP is recommending charges against Officers responding to the call spotted the stolen vehicle fleeing the scene. The RCMP the two Surrey youths, aged 16 and 17. Police helicopter, Air One, followed the vehicle say the investigation into the identity of the into Surrey where it came to a stop at the two outstanding suspects is ongoing. intersection of 168th Street and 92nd Avenue
High-risk sex offender living in Vancouver, police warn Police are warning the public of a high-risk sex offender living in Vancouver. According to a VPD news release, Frank William Skani, 39, is now living in a halfway house in the city. Skani is serving a 10-year, long-term supervision order after convictions for sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault, forcible confinement, and breaking-andentering. Skani is described as Aboriginal, 5-foot-9, 198 pounds, has brown eyes and black hair. According to his supervision order, Skani is barred from alcohol and drug
use, possessing sexually explicit material or owning a computer or any other device that has Internet access. He is to report all relationships with women to his parole supervisor and can’t be in the company of sex workers or have any unwanted or inappropriate physical contact with any female. As well, Skani is barred from visiting Burnaby or Coquitlam without permission, in writing, from his parole supervisor. Police ask that anyone witnessing Skani in violation of these conditions contact their local police.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
ISIS supporter fights to stay in Canada Days after being acquitted from dozens of of terrorism charges, Facebook comments Othman Hamdan appeared he posted in 2014 and before the Immigration 2015 supporting ISIS and Refugee Board on and lone-wolf attacks Tuesday to begin his fight in Canada, the U.S. and to stay in Canada. The other countries. Butler Canada Border Services said that Hamdan’s Agency is investigating posts may be offensive whether Hamdan should Othman Hamdan posted pro-ISIS comments to Canadians, but be allowed to remain and support for lone-wolf attacks on his Defeat that doesn’t mean the here after Facebook posts of the Alliance Facebook page before it was taken Fort St. John man down by administrators. supporting the Islamic State was encouraging and an admission he was once involved in or inciting acts of murder, assault and an international hashish smuggling ring. A mischief as alleged by the Crown. Despite Jordanian citizen, Hamdan came to B.C. from Hamdan’s acquittal, he remains in jail. He was the U.S. in 2002 and made a successful refugee transferred to the custody of Canada Border claim based on his conversion to Christianity. Services on Friday afternoon. His lawyer, He later rejected his new religion. Canada Erica Olmstead, argued Tuesday against his Border Services official Randal Hyland told continued detention, saying it was unfair to Refugee Board member Trent Cook that keep him in jail given the not guilty verdict Hamdan, 35, is neither a Canadian citizen in the criminal case. She said if he is released nor a permanent resident of Canada.And he into the community, he intends to stay at a said the agency had grounds to believe that shelter and apply for a work permit until he Hamdan was inadmissible as a security risk is “back on his feet.” Olmstead won a ban on as well as because of his serious criminality. publication of any photo or image of Hamdan, Hyland asked at a detention hearing Tuesday who appeared in red prison garb escorted by that Hamdan remain incarcerated until a full two border agents. After the proceedings, admissibility hearing can be held before the Hamdan threatened to sue a Postmedia Refugee Board. The detention hearing was reporter “if you publish any photo.” Hyland adjourned until next week. Last Friday, B.C. pointed to some of the comments Hamdan Supreme Court Justice Bruce Butler acquitted made on Facebook that first caught the eye of Hamdan on four terrorism charges stemming RCMP investigators in the fall of 2014.
Expert on money laundering appointed to review practices in BC casinos An independent expert has been appointed by the B.C. government to conduct a review of the province’s policies and practices to prevent money-laundering in the gambling industry. Attorney-General David Eby says the review will focus on gaming in the Lower Mainland to ensure casinos are following policies already in effect. Eby says concerns about money-laundering have been growing for years and the review is aimed at dealing with them. Peter German, a former deputy commissioner of the RCMP and Correctional Service Canada, will conduct the review. German’s report is due by March 2018, but Eby says German has been asked to make
recommendations to the government as he develops them, rather than waiting for the final report. The attorney-general says the review has the full support of casinos, the B.C. Lottery Corp. and the government’s gaming policy and enforcement branch. “I believe that if we have the right policies and procedures in place, we can address any concerns the public may have about gambling in B.C.,” Eby says in a news release. German has a broad knowledge of money-laundering, anticorruption programs and international asset recovery, having spearheaded the creation of market enforcement and international anticorruption teams while he was with the RCMP.
Richmond, Downtown Eastside have similar levels of low-income, working-aged people: study Richmond City Centre and the Downtown Eastside (DTES). On the surface, the two areas could not be more different. One is a Vancouver suburb with rapid transit, pricey housing and condos for expensive cars. The other has poverty levels so high that it’s been cited, controversially, as “Canada’s poorest postal code.” Yet similarities emerge when you look at the share of low-income people who live in these communities. Andy Yan, the director of SFU’s City Program, found those similarities when he compared the low-income populations in these areas using Census data. He found that 35.5 per cent of Richmond City Centre’s workingage population (18- to 64-year-olds) was in a low-income household, only five per cent lower than what he found in the DTES. Yan calculating this by taking the
five Census tracts that cover the Downtown Eastside and contrasted them against the five Census tracts that cover Richmond City Centre, an area largely seen as downtown Richmond, using incomes from 2015. The finding stood out to Yan largely because they showed a low-income, working-age population comparable to the DTES in a city where the benchmark price of a home ran to over $700,000 at that time. But that was just one component of a broader study called “Low Income Populations in Metro Vancouver,” which showed that Richmond had the highest share of individuals living in lowincome households of any Metro Vancouver municipality in 2015. Richmond’s share of individuals living in low-income households was 22.4 per cent, followed by Burnaby (20.6 per cent), the City of Vancouver (18.8
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Canadian dollar weakens as economy stalls, denting rate hike prospects
October 5 is the day set aside by UNESCO to celebrate the enormous contribution of teachers worldwide to educating the next generations. BC teachers are committed to universal quality public education founded upon values of equity, inclusion, and respect for all.
Because kids matter, and teachers care!
A message from the Surrey Teacher’s Association
The Canadian dollar weakened against its U.S. counterpart on Friday after domestic data showed the economy stalled in July, further dampening prospects of a another interest rate hike by the Bank of Canada next month. Canada’s economy was unchanged in July following eight consecutive months of growth, including a 0.3 percent increase in June, Statistics Canada said. “This report is consistent with the widely expected moderation in growth during the second half of this year,” said Ryan Brecht, a senior economist at Action Economics. The Bank of Canada raised rates in July and September
after the country’s growth accelerated in the first half of the year. But chances of another increase next month edged lower after Friday’s data, to around 20 percent, the overnight index swaps market indicated. They were 40 percent before a speech on Wednesday by Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz that analysts said was dovish. Both Poloz and Deputy Governor Tim Lane have helped talk down the Canadian dollar in recent weeks after the currency’s strength put growth at risk. At 9:14 a.m. EDT, the Canadian dollar was down 0.3 percent at $1.2458 to the greenback, or 80.27 U.S.
B.C. eyes stricter distracted driving penalties as collisions surge The B.C. government is considering imposing stricter penalties on distracted drivers as collisions across the province continue to surge. BC Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says the province is keeping a close eye on Ontario, where new penalties have been introduced to reduce collisions — including a $50,000 fine and up to two years jail time aimed at distracted drivers who kill. “Deaths due to distracted driving are now overtaking those from alcohol-related [collisions],” Farnworth told CBC News. “You have to enforce the rules that we’ve had, hit people in the pocket book, education campaign, and, in the case of distracted driving that causes death or serious bodily harm, look at what Ontario is doing.” According to ICBC, one in four deaths on B.C. roads involve
distracted driving. Current penalties in B.C. include a $368 traffic violation ticket that also carries four penalty points for each offence. Repeat offenders can also be slapped with 90-day prohibitions. Criminal defence lawyer Paul Doroshenko says increased fines, however, don’t necessarily deter people from breaking the law. “The whole idea here is to deter people — we just don’t want people to pick up their phones and be distracted,” said Doroshenko. “The problem that I see is that we never see the follow-through on enforcement.” Distracted driver racks up $736 in fines in 8 minutes, caught twice According to ICBC, one in four deaths on B.C. roads involve distracted driving. Doroshenko says increased penalties don’t necessarily deter drivers from using their phones behind the wheel.
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Pedestrian dies after hit and run accident in Surrey A man injured in an early morning hit and run in Surrey on Tuesday has died in hospital. According to Surrey RCMP, police were called to the 14300 block of 92 Avenue in Guildford area at 7:20am after a passerby found an unconscious man on the road with head injuries. Police say no one had witnessed the accident and it wasn’t immediately clear how the man was injured. After RCMP examined the scene with help from the Integrated Collision and Reconstruction Service, investigators found glass fragments and pieces of a vehicle suspected to have been involved.
Surrey RCMP’s Criminal Collision Investigation Team is now leading the investigation. Officers are canvassing the neighbourhood for witnesses and surveillance video. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
App that tracks driving habits and offers insurance discounts for good drivers comes to BC With ICBC rates going up again this year, and probably next year, a private insurance company is introducing a new app it says will save good drivers money on their insurance premiums. It seems just about everyone thinks show us,” Henry Blumenthal, Belair Direct they’re an above-average driver. sales vice-president, said. Discounts on One insurance company is asking optional coverage start at five per cent upon confident drivers sign-up and can to put their money go as high as 25 where their per cent after mouth is, offering a six-month a smartphone evaluation. app that tracks “Overall, driver behaviour B r i t i s h in exchange for Columbians a discount on its using telematics optional insurance will become rates. Belairdirect, better drivers a private insurer and hopefully that offers optional have additional ICBC rates going up again this year coverage, has s a v i n g s ,” and probably next year released an app that Blumenthal said. tracks hard braking, excessive speeding, Insurance Corporation of BC (ICBC) says and late-night driving. “They want to tell it is focusing on tech that curbs distracted us they’re better drivers than the average driving but is not ruling out a future and by having this application they can pilot project with user-based insurance.
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Two huge wildfires cost BC more than $127M in damages Two of the biggest wildfires in BC this summer caused more than $127 million in insured damage, reports the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). The wildfires burning near Williams Lake, which eventually merged to become the Plateau Fire, caused almost $100 million in damage to homes, vehicles and businesses. This was the largest fire in B.C.’s history, combining the Chezacut, Tautri, Bishop’s Bluff, Baezaeko, Wentworth Creek, Arc Mountain, and others to become approximately 521,012 hectares in size. Meanwhile, the Elephant Hill wildfire caused more than $27 million in damage and the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents to emergency centres in Kamloops, Prince George, and across B.C. The Elephant Hill wildfires remains a wildfire of note in B.C., having grown to 192,725 hectares.
It is now 95 per cent contained. “The size and scale of the wildfires this summer have been the largest in British Columbia’s history,” said Aaron Sutherland, vice-president, Pacific, IBC, in a release. “These wildfires are yet more evidence that severe weather events are happening with greater frequency and intensity across Canada. Given these trends, a more disciplined and sustained approach is required to help British Columbians prepare for natural disaster. Governments, businesses, and individuals all have a role to play to help build a culture of preparedness in this province.” Professors from UBC and the University of Northern British Columbia, along with fire ecologists, have drafted a letter to the province saying they believe 2017’s record-setting fire season “represents the new normal and is part of a global trend of increasing mega-fires.”
Teens facing possible criminal charges in connection with vandalism at school Two teens face 8:00pm on Sunday, possible criminal September 17. charges after a bout The two 13-yearold suspects are from of vandalism that occurred at a Coquitlam Coquitlam. Police Middle School are not disclosing earlier this month. how the suspects, who because they Windows were smashed, fire hydrants are minors will taken, computers not have their damaged and a vending identities released, machine broken at got into the school. Montgomery Middle The vandalism was cleaned up School, totalling An estimated 80 windows of the school were broken. $10,000 in damages. enough for school Police were called to the scene around to resume the following morning.
Affordability crisis worsens homelessness in Metro Vancouver: Report Affordability crisis in Metro Vancouver is worsening numbers of homeless people getting worse specially for seniors and First Nations people, according to the latest homeless count. The 2017 count found 992 people — or 45 per cent of the total homeless population — are homeless for the first time. “We know affordable dwellings have declined within Metro Vancouver at an estimated rate of eight per cent per year since 2007,” said Mike Clay, chair of the Metro Vancouver Housing Committee. “Not only are we not getting enough units per year, but we have a catch-up that we have to do for the last 10 (years).” Across Metro the number of homeless people jumped by 30 per cent to 3,605 people compared with 2014 — the highest to date since 2002 when the homeless counts started. About half of the homeless who participated in the anonymous survey identified high rents and lack of income
as the main barriers to housing. Addiction and mental illness were also factors, with 82 per cent of people dealing with at least one health condition. “(Homelessness) is a huge burden of cost and conscience on our municipalities and communities,” said Clay. “We are very concerned we are failing to protect our mostvulnerable citizens, and the problem will not get better until we make some real changes.” Vancouver, where Mayor Gregor Robertson had once pledged to eliminate homelessness by 2015, has 2,138 homeless, the highest in the region. Surrey is second with 602, followed by Langley at 206. In recent weeks the City of Vancouver has unveiled a new housing strategy setting new targets for housing based on income and affordability. Between 2014 and 2017, the largest increase in homeless numbers were found in Delta/White Rock, where the homeless population increased by 142 per cent from 19 to 46; Langley, by 124 per cent to 206; and the Tri-cities, by 113 per cent to 117. The growth in homelessness outside of the major urban centres of Vancouver and Surrey indicate suburban and rural communities are also under stress from a lack of housing and limited rental options, said Lorraine Copas, chair of the community advisory board for Metro. “It’s hitting all parts of Metro Vancouver,” she said. “Vacancy rates are way lower in some of these communities. Choices aren’t great and people get pushed out.” The count, which was conducted by 1,200 volunteers over a 24-hour period in March, found the majority of homeless people have lived in the municipality they were interviewed in for at least five years, debunking the commonly held belief that homeless people are flocking in from other provinces and municipalities. The number of homeless seniors is on the rise, with people aged 55 and older making up 23 per cent of all homeless in 2017, compared with 18 per cent in 2014. Aboriginal people are vastly overrepresented in homeless statistics, making up a third of the total homeless population though they account for only 2.5 per cent of the region’s population. Youth aged 24 and under was the only age group where the count showed a decrease from 20 per
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Woman urges BC to stop charging newlyweds for hyphenating surnames A young mother who wants to add her husband’s last name to her own says she’s run into roadblocks due to Second World War-era regulations in BC, leaving her with little choice but to pay for a name change or stick with her maiden name. Julia Lott says the problem stems from the BC Name Act, which only permits newlyweds to fully assume their spouse’s last name for free, after presenting their new marriage certificate. Newlyweds cannot hyphenate the two surnames or go with the “double-barrelled” approach of using both last names together, without paying a fee. Lott discovered the issue when she went to renew her driver’s licence under
the province’s new combined licence and health card program. “They told me I’d have to go to the cop shop and do a formal name change where I’d have to be fingerprinted Julia Lott and it’d cost me $137, which I thought was ridiculous,” she said. “It’s just a pain in the butt.” Lott is one of a growing number of women calling for the province to make it easier for them to combine their own last name with their
TransLink and BC Transit working to connect Sea-to-Sky and Metro Vancouver The head of BC how much time and effort is being Transit says his organization is working put into identifying on a plan to connect where to hook into the TransLink system Sea-to-Sky corridor and coordinating residents to Vancouver elements such as using the transit system. fare payment, which President and CEO differs between transit Manuel Achadinha was authorities. “As we one of three presenters work hard to get on a transit-focused panel Tuesday at our citizens out of Sea to sky highway the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities their cars, because they are commuting to conference. He said integrating B.C. the Lower Mainland, we don’t want them Transit’s system with TransLink’s is part dropped off in the boondocks,” Elliott of a long-term transit plan developed said. “We want our citizens to come into by communities in the Sea-to-Sky area, SeaBus stations and SkyTrain connections including Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, so they can get where they’re going the Lil’wat and Squamish First Nations and easily.” Achadinha said he understands communities are eager to get moving and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. Squamish Coun. Karen Elliott wondered planners working to come up with a solution
US Court tosses appeal by BC woman falsely branded as terrorist A British Columbia woman has hit a dead end in her quest for compensation from the Canadian government, whom she accuses of falsely branding her a terrorist and an arms dealer to American authorities. The United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal from
United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal
Perienne de Jaray, upholding a Washington state district court’s ruling that says she can’t sue Canada for malicious prosecution or abuse of process. The lower court wrote in its decision earlier this year that American law grants immunity to foreign states. De Jaray is a former co-owner and executive of Apex USA, once a multimillion-dollar subsidiary of electronics maker Apex Canada, which her father founded. She alleges she suffered years of baseless investigation on both sides of the border after the Canadian government told the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2009
that it had intercepted a shipment of illegal, weapons-grade electronics from Apex – a claim later revealed to be false. The Canadian government ordered all criminal charges against de Jaray and her father stayed in 2011, and the charges were eventually dismissed.
spouse’s after marriage. “I think it’s rather archaic that you should just drop your old name once you get married,” she said. Political science instructor Janni Aragon, of the University of Victoria, says the province needs to change the Name Act to catch up with the modern world. “It needs to be updated to fit within this century,” she also said. “The current way
this process exists is out of date, out of reality, for the high use of hyphenated last names.” Minister of Health Adrian Dix says he’s aware of the anger involving name changes and the new combined cards, which fall under the jurisdiction of his department. “It is a problem,” he said. “It’s a problem that was created because of actions in recent years, so we’re going to get on it and try and fix it.”
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Teachers visit Gurdwara Nanak Niwas Richmond’s Highway to Heaven is a very popular place for visitors. In this context, India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas is usually on top of the list for visitors not only from Metro Vancouver but also from all across Canada. On September 25, it was an honour for the Management Committee of the Gurdwara to welcome teachers from George Greenaway Elementary School in Cloverdale, Surrey 29 teachers and support staff took advantage of the school’s Professional Development Day
to learn more about different faiths including Sikhism. Led by Greenaway School Principal Marg Geddes,they enjoyed the presentation by retired School Psychologist and Committee member Balwant Sanghera and asked him some very interesting questions about the Sikh faith and the Indo-Canadian community. After the formal presentation all of them enjoyed a delicious vegetarian langar (lunch)
prepared for them by very dedicated volunteer ladies. The visitors were very thankful for the warm welcome , presentation and the langar . Here the
group is with some of the Management Committee members of the Gurdwara. Balwant Sanghera
KPU awards honorary degree to Save-On-Foods’ Darrell Jones When a massive windstorm knocked out power to the Surrey Food Bank in 2015 and caused 10,000 pounds of food to spoil, the food bank’s clients did not go hungry. Not only was the food replenished by SaveOn-Foods, but company president Darrell Jones and a team of company volunteers arrived to help distribute the extra food. “Mr. Jones and the Save-On-Foods team were the first to come to our aid and replaced the lost product and donated even more so that the food bank was able to provide emergency aid to those affected by the storms,” recalls
Feezah Jaffer, associate executive director of the Surrey Food Bank. Most people know Jones as the affable “Save-On-Foods guy” from the television commercials. But the South Surrey resident is also a successful business leader who combines his passion for the retail grocery industry with a commitment to support local food banks and the residents they serve. Jones’s philanthropy has touched the lives of thousands in Surrey, White Rock and North Delta. “He has a spirit of philanthropy and a commitment to his community in equal
measure,” notes Dr. Alan Davis, president and vice-chancellor of Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU). KPU will present Jones with an honorary degree at its fall convocation ceremony Oct. 5 in recognition of the many ways in which he supports his community. As president of Save-On-Foods and its parent company, the Overwaitea Food Group (OFG), Jones has overseen the largest expansion in the company’s 102-year history. Originally from Cranbrook, Jones joined OFG as a bagging clerk while still in high school, and has remained with the company for more than 40 years, working at 20 different stores as clerk, senior clerk, grocery manager, assistant store manager and store manager. He supported his local community everywhere he has worked. Jones was appointed to the board of directors of BC Children’s H o s p i t a l Foundation in 2016 and he continues to serve that organization. Locally, his unwavering commitment to local food banks has had an enormous impact
on vulnerable residents in Surrey, White Rock and North Delta. Through contributions from Save-on-Foods and Overwaitea Foods, the Surrey Food Bank has received donations of thousands of dollars and thousands of pounds of food, which help the food bank provide for the 14,000 clients it sees every month. Jones has also worked with the food bank personally, advising the management team on logistical issues. Over the past year, Jones has also been a key partner with Rotary clubs in South Surrey and White Rock in developing a gift card program with Save-On-Foods that has seen over $68,000 raised for the Sources Food Bank, which distributes food to over 600 families every week. Save-On-Foods provides
the gift cards to the program at an eight per cent discount. “The ability to put food on the table — it’s something thousands of people can’t do without help from food banks and community-minded good citizens like Darrell,” notes Davis. “At Save-On-Foods, we’re deeply committed to supporting the communities we serve, because we live here too,” says Jones. “Finding ways to partner with organizations who, like us, are committed to giving people a hand up, rather than just simply a hand out, makes all kinds of sense to us. This is especially true when it comes to helping ensure that our vulnerable populations — particularly children — have access to safe, nutritious food. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do.” Honorary degrees are awarded to those honoris causa in recognition of dignified achievements or outstanding service to the public. Members of the university community and the community at large are invited to nominate candidates. Nominees are exceptionally distinguished scholars, creative artists, public servants, prominent people in the community and the professions, and others who have made significant contributions locally, nationally or globally.
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A $15 minimum wage could cost Ontario up to 90,000 jobs, TD Bank says Ontario’s plan to hike minimum wage to $15 an hour will cost the province’s economy as many as 90,000 jobs by 2020, according to a new report from TD Bank. The findings come in an economic analysis released Tuesday by the bank that says that despite the job losses, Ontario’s economy will continue to grow but at a slower rate of 0.5 per cent annually. The report says raising the minimum wage can potentially generate more benefits to society than costs but the rapid speed of implementation will increase the negative hit to employment. TD senior economist Michael Dolega said the job forecasts don’t reflect layoffs the proposed policy would cause, but jobs which won’t be created because the minimum wage hike will slow
economic growth in Ontario. “It’s not that the minimum wage to $15 an hour by come Jan. 1 that there’s going to be 90,000 Jan. 1, 2019 — with the increase phased people laid off,” he said. “It’s that there would in gradually and rising with inflation, have been more jobs as scheduled, from created had the economy $11.40 currently to expanded. Now, these $11.60 in October, to jobs are potentially $14 an hour on Jan. going to be taken by 1, 2018 and $15 the automation or there’s just following year. The going to be less impetus proposed changes for hiring.” Unions pan are in response U.S., Mexican response to a governmentOntario is planning to raise minimum commissioned report to Canada labour wage upto $15 / hr. standards proposal for released last week that NAFTA Quebec shared included 173 recommendations addressing concerns with feds over tax proposals, precarious work. The Changing Workplaces right from the start The provincial Liberal review concluded that new technology, a government has announced it will increase
shrinking manufacturing sector and fewer union jobs, among other factors, have left approximately one-third of Ontario’s 6.6 million workers vulnerable. The TD analysis makes a number of suggestions to help mitigate the impact of the increase, including establishing different minimum wages for different cities in the province and doubling the phase-in period from two to four years. “Our main concern is the speed in which it’s being implemented,” Dolega said. “We do suggest the government potentially extend the timeline … that allows businesses time to prepare for this and implement whatever measures they need without cutting labour or taking other measures that are more severe.” Premier Kathleen Wynne said that she hadn’t seen the TD analysis but that economists are not in complete agreement about the impact of the proposed policy.
Families probably paying more under Trudeau By: Charles Lammam and Hugh MacIntyre On the campaign trail, Justin Trudeau promised to cut income taxes on middleclass Canadian families. Since becoming prime minister, he and his government have repeatedly claimed to have kept this promise. For instance, the Trudeau government’s first budget in 2016 proclaimed “the government cut taxes for middle-class Canadians everywhere.” And just last week, he made a similar statement to a global audience at the United Nations General Assembly. But as is often the case, reality doesn’t match political rhetoric. In fact, despite the repeated claims from Ottawa, the Trudeau government has increased the amount of personal income taxes paid by the vast majority of middle-class families. What is causing the disconnect between its rhetoric and reality? Cutting income taxes is a laudable goal. After all, the average Canadian family currently devotes approximately 43 per cent of its income to its total tax bill to all levels of government. So many families would welcome tax relief. So what’s causing the disconnect between the government’s rhetoric and reality? Immediately after coming to power, the Trudeau government reduced the second-lowest personal income tax rate from 22 to 20.5 per cent. This lowered the personal income tax rate for income earned between $45,916 and $91,831 (so, anyone with income above $45,916 benefitted from this specific tax change). However, the government also eliminated a number of tax credits — provisions in the tax code that reduce a person’s income taxes if they qualify for the specific credit. For instance, one of the tax credits eliminated was for children’s fitness. Previously, if a family spent money on its children’s fitness in a qualifying organization, part of those costs would be offset by a reduction in its tax bill. The elimination of several tax credits means that for those who previously claimed such credits, their income taxes increased. The list of eliminated tax credits includes the children’s fitness tax credit, the education tax credit, the textbook tax credit and the public transit tax credit. But the largest source of the increase to the middle-class family’s tax burden was the elimination of the income-splitting tax credit for couples with young children.
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Court of appeal rules against Kinder Morgan, federal gov’t on existing Trans Mountain Pipeline The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled against Kinder Morgan Canada and the federal government in relation to the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline. Tuesday’s ruling states the federal government failed in its legal obligation to act in the best interests of the Coldwater Indian Band when it neglected to modernize the terms of a 1952 decision that allowed Kinder Morgan to use Coldwater’s reserve for the pipeline. Coldwater Indian Band, which is located about 12 kilometres south of Merritt, B.C., has about 860 members, half of which live on the reserve. The existing Trans Mountain Pipeline was constructed through the reserve in 1952. The ruling states the Minister of Indigenous Affairs failed to ensure the terms authorizing Kinder Morgan’s use of
the reserve were updated from the outdated terms instated in 1952. According to court documents, the minister approved the transfer without properly scrutinizing the transaction. “In the circumstance, particularly in light of the importance of Coldwater’s interest in its reserve lands, the Crown was under a continuing duty to preserve and protect the Band’s interest in the reserve land from an exploitive or improvident bargain,” the decision reads. “The Minister’s failure to assess the current and ongoing impact of the continuation of the easement on Coldwater’s right to use and enjoy its lands rendered his decision unreasonable.” In a release issued on Wednesday, Coldwater Chief and council said they were happy with the court’s decision.
Vancouver-Langara MLA Michael Lee steps into BC Liberal leadership race “My name is Michael Lee and I want to environment featured high in Lee’s speech. change the future of British Columbia by So too did infrastructure and the economy. seeking the leadership of the BC Liberal “We need them all. We can’t always have this party.” And with that declaration to a loud situation where we’re having to pick and and cheering crowd of some 200 at the Bill choose … They’re all interconnected.” Reid Gallery in downtown Vancouver on Lee spoke of the importance of strong Tuesday, Lee’s public campaign began. relationships with First Nations, a forwardFor that they may l o o k i n g be forgiven, because education Lee is a newcomer to system and political office, having increased childwon his first seat in the care options. He legislature in May. The also lingered for question won’t bother some time on the Vancouver-Langara the importance MLA any — he’s well of ensuring aware that he’s a fresh y o u n g e r face. For Lee, newness generations can may just give him afford to live and Vancouver-Langara MLA Michael Lee the edge over a long build futures in slate of high-profile, BC. experienced, leadership hopefuls in the race Lee made it clear he didn’t support to replace Christy Clark. taxpayer subsidies for political parties, and “Our party needs change,” he told said he wanted to cut taxes for workers supporters after setting out several of his and businesses. He sees a strong mining priorities. Last election, voters saw the future for B.C., more affordable housing Liberals as the party that was strong on jobs, through added supply and more culturally the economy and balanced budgets, Lee appropriate care for seniors. Among said. “And they saw the other parties as those those backing Lee is former Vancouverthat care. I think that’s wrong. B.C. Liberals Fraserview MLA Suzanne Anton, a former care.” Social programs, health care and the justice minister and attorney general.
BC politics
MLA Mike de Jong also enters into BC Liberal leadership race BC’s former finance minister Mike de Jong has joined his party’s crowded leadership race, saying he brings the best mix of prudent fiscal management, and targeted spending, to defeat the New Democrat government. De Jong will announce his candidacy Tuesday, with endorsements from MLAs Teresa Wat, Simon Gibson, John Martin and former MLA Pat Bell. He’ll join a race of around eight candidates, including alreadydeclared contenders Sam Sullivan, Andrew Wilkinson, Lucy Sager, Dianne Watts and Mike Bernier. Also expected to enter are MLAs Todd Stone and Michael Lee. “I’ve tried to serve loyally under two leaders for almost 24 years now and along the way have developed some specific ideas and approaches that I would like to have a chance to pursue in the capacity as leader,” de Jong said in an interview. “I think the free-enterprise team needs to be re-energized. Candidly, I think I’ve got the energy, the experience, the talent, the communications skills to do that.”De Jong ran in the 2011 Liberal leadership race and placed fourth, behind George Abbott, Kevin Falcon and victor Christy Clark. De Jong said the former Liberal government suffered from arrogance after 16 years in power, and he wants to spearhead a provincewide tour to reconnect with
Mike de Jong
voters. The Liberals won 43 seats in the May election — one seat short of a majority — but were badly punished by Metro Vancouver voters over affordability issues, which allowed the NDP and Green parties to team up to topple the government. “We’re also obliged to listen to and acknowledge where we fell short, particularly in how we deployed the benefits of the strong economy that we helped create,” said de Jong. However, it could be an uphill battle for the Abbotsford West farmer to make that case, given it was he as finance minister who presided over years of austerity budgets, constrained spending and rejected expansion of programs and services. It’s a criticism de Jong acknowledged, though adding he’s comfortable with his “oldfashioned” concepts of paying off debt, spending within his means and saving for the future.
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Bank of Canada boss warns more surprises could be ahead for interest rates The head of the Bank of Canada says that after two interest rate hikes this summer there is “no predetermined path” for the benchmark going forward. In a speech Wednesday, governor Stephen Poloz said many unknowns and external risks remain, even though the economy had a surprisingly powerful start to the year. Due to these uncertainties, Poloz warned there could be more surprises ahead – in “either direction.” “Although we are confident that the economy has made significant progress, we cannot be certain of exactly how far there is left to go.” His speech comes after the sizzling
national economy motivated the bank to raise the rate once in July and again earlier this month. Poloz pointed out that the bank’s decisions have become “particularly” data-dependent due to uncertainties such as protectionist sentiments in some parts of the world and geopolitical developments. He also said there are “unusual” unknowns following a protracted period of slow economic growth and extremely low interest rates. The speech’s focus on the importance of data could be seen as a way to respond to some criticism the bank attracted around its communications approach.
Liberal gov’t has spent upwards of $13.7M on sponsored Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts The Canadian government has spent at least $13.7 million on sponsored social media posts since the Liberals took office, part of an ongoing shift away from traditional advertising. Documents tabled in the House of Commons show departments and agencies’ use of paid promotion on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has ramped up considerably in the past couple of years. These are “new dynamic ways to reach Canadians,” according to Transport Canada, and “the most cost-effective,” says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in the government’s response to a question from Conservative MP Blake Richards. Conservative MP Blake Richards canvasses door-to-door in Banff, Alta., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. Daniel Katz/ Crag Canyon/ Postmedia Network Amounts
listed in the document cover expenses between November 2015, shortly after Justin Trudeau’s Liberals formed their government, and May 2017. Most departments and agencies that spent money on sponsored social media posts used Facebook — about 60 of them — while just under 50 used Twitter, and half that number used Instagram. Destination Canada, a Crown corporation that encourages tourism to Canada, spent the most, with $4.3-million worth of posts targeted at travellers from specific countries including the U.S. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spent another $1.5 million, with the bulk of that going toward raising public awareness of a new Electronic Travel Authorization requirement for visaexempt travellers to Canada.
Bank of Canada’s surprise caution leaves bulls reeling as Loonie weakens Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz looked to temper recent optimism over the Canadian economy in a speech Wednesday, signalling a more open-ended monetary outlook that could see interest rates move “in either direction” amid fears over rising household debt levels. In comments to a local trade organization in St. John’s, N.L., Poloz said there was “no predetermined path” for interest rates in the second half of 2017 and beyond. He also said rising household debts in Canada leave the economy exposed to
anything from higher housing prices to an uptick in unemployment levels. “The Canadian economy is not well prepared for a negative shock to the economy,” Poloz said. The governor laid out several highly uncertain factors that are likely to influence future rate decisions, including oil prices movements, an overheated housing market and a higher Canadian dollar. The loonie fell 0.27 per cent to 80.57 cents US on the governor’s dovish comments.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
TELUS honours Lower Mainland charities and individuals making a difference TELUS hosted its 10th annual Celebration their app at a “Dragons Den Style Pitch” session. of Giving, where TELUS and their team Two Technovation teams triumphed over 20 members honour local charities, dedicated other teams from across Canada, earning the community members and local businesses right to compete with nearly 70 projects from who work tirelessly to make a significant around the world at the World Pitch Summit in impact on the lives of children and youth in Silicon Valley in August. It was also announced need throughout the Lower Mainland and that this year, the TELUS Vancouver Community Fraser Valley. Since 2011, TELUS Innovation Board is committed to giving $10 million to Awards have been presented to 16 projects local grassroots organizations throughout the during the annual Celebration of Giving, and Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. Here is this morning two extraordinary projects were more information about TELUS giving and honoured with the award and a TELUS cheque their community boards. ·There are 13 TELUS Community Boards for $2,500. The recipients of this year’s honour are One Health Clinic, a project of Paws for across Canada, and five internationally. Hope Foundation; and Technovation, a project of Simon Fraser University Faculty of Applied Science. The One Health Clinic is the first of its kind in BC Paws for Hope is an animal welfare organization that partnered with Directors Youth Services and Community Ve t e r i n a r y Outreach to offer medical assistance for vulnerable Josh Blair, TELUS Executive; Nini Baird, Chair of the TELUS Vancouver people and youth, in Community Board; Rochelle Miller, SFU Faculty of Applied Sciences and addition to helping recipient of the Innovation Award. them care for their pets. There’s a special bond between homeless youth and their ·In 2016, TELUS gave more than $42 pets, and many homeless youth don’t have the money to pay for their pets’ veterinary care. The million and our team members and retirees One Health Clinic offers medical and dental volunteered more than 870,000 hours. care for the pet owners, and veterinary care for ·In 2016, TELUS Community Boards in the animals. In just one day in December, this Canada gave out $6 million in charitable clinic touched the lives of 25 homeless youth grants and supported 60 projects from coast and their furry friends.Technovation is part of to coast. Locally, TELUS partners directly an international initiative that since 2011 has with organizations including BC Women’s challenged more than 5,000 girls from more Hospital, A Loving Spoonful, Dr. Peter than 28 countries to participate in the Global AIDS Foundation, WE, and the Nature Technology Entrepreneurship Program. In Conservancy of Canada. 2016, SFU Faculty of Applied Science realized ·In honour of Canada’s 150th birthday, this was a perfect way to inspire local girls aged TELUS is committed to donating more 10-18 with a love of STEM (science, technology, than one million volunteer hours in the engineering, math). Girls learned how to code and develop an app to address such community communities where our team members live, issues as poverty, environment, peace and work and serve. ·For more information, visit community. equality. At the end of 12 weeks they pitched telus.com
Ottawa could make to settle nerves around proposed tax changes When Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced proposed tax changes in July, he said he expected some push-back, but it’s clear the Liberals did not expect the shove to be quite this forceful. The Liberals say they’re open to tweaks based on what they’ve heard during the 75-day consultation period, but they’ve been vague on which areas might be changed when that period ends Monday. “We’ve heard some concerns that we agree with and some concerns that we don’t agree,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week. But in an appearance at the House of Commons finance committee Thursday, Morneau revealed, to some extent, which voices have been heard above the fray: farmers. Premiers want federal tax proposals on agenda at first ministers’ meeting Feds working to avoid ‘unintended consequences’ with tax reform: Bardish Chagger “Nothing in what we’re proposing is intended to change the ability of a family member work on the farm, nothing is intended to in any way limit the farmer’s ability to save for that investment...and nothing is intended
for it to make it more difficult for the farmer to pass the farm to the next generation,” said Morneau. Here are four possible tweaks experts say finance officials could consider, to help farmers and other small business owners. 1. Exempt intergenerational business transfers One of the proposals is designed to stop private corporations from converting corporate income, which would be taxed at a higher rate, to capital gains, which is taxed at a lower rate. While some use this vehicle to game the system, there are those who use this mechanism to sell all or part of the family business to their children — for example, to keep a farm in the family. The new rules would increase their tax rate from 25 per cent to between 40 and 45 per cent. “Canadian families can’t afford the tax bill to sell to their children if they were in that situation,” said Todd Nixon, a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Osgoode, Ont. If they sold to someone outside the family, he said, the taxable income would be subject to the lower tax rate, making it cheaper to sell to a stranger than family.
FINANCE
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SOUTH ASIA
Rohingya refugees attacked in Sri Lanka Rohingya refugees near Sri Lanka’s was filmed by his radical Sinhale Jathika capital were attacked by radical Buddhist Balamuluwa (Sinhalese National Force) as he monks stormed into a United Nations safe urgedotherstojoinhimandsmashthepremises. house on Tuesday and forced authorities “These are Rohingya terrorists who to relocate the group, officials said. killed Buddhist monks in Myanmar,” Saffron-robed Buddhist monks led a the monk said in his live commentary mob that broke down gates and entered the on Facebook, pointing to Rohingya walled multi-storied compound as frightened mothers with small children in their arms. refugees huddled Sri Lanka’s together in upstairs e x t r e m i s t rooms, a police Buddhist monks official said. have close links “We have pushed with their ultraback the mob and nationalist the refugees will be counterparts relocated in a safer in Burma place,” the official (Myanmar). Both told AFP, asking not have been accused Myanmar has been accused of ethnically cleansing of to be named as he of orchestrating Rohingya minority was not authorised violence against to speak to the media. minority Muslims in two countries. The 31 Rohingya refugees were The police official said the refugees were rescued by the Sri Lankan navy in taken into “protective custody” and had May after they were found drifting in been brought back to their safe house when a boat off the island’s northern waters. the mob returned and started throwing The Rohingya were eventually to be resettled stones. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in a third country, the official said, adding refugees have fled Myanmar in the face of that they were authorised to remain in Sri the current wave of violence in that country. Lanka pending the processing of their papers. The Rohingya Muslims have been the target A monk who stormed into the building of decades of state-backed persecution and
Hindus recount massacre in Myanmar as mass graves unearthed insurgents launched Rika Dhar watched as her coordinated raids husband, two brothers and on police posts that countless neighbours were unleashed a surge of brutally hacked to death with communal bloodshed. machetes by masked men The military’s who stormed their Hindu sweeping reprisal has village in western Myanmar left hundreds dead and and frogmarched the terrified sent nearly half a million inhabitants to the hills. Rohingya refugees “After the killing, they Hindus recount massacre in Myanmar as fleeing to Bangladesh, dug three large pits and mass graves unearthed where they have threw them inside. Their hands were still tied behind them and described a campaign of army-led violence their eyes blindfolded,” said 25-year-old the UN says amounts to ethnic cleansing. Myanmar’s army has rebuffed the Dhar in a Hindu camp inside Bangladesh where she fled with her two children. accusation and defended its operation as a Eyewitnesses told AFP the bloodshed proportionate crackdown on the Rohingya occurred outside their small Hindu village in “extremist terrorists”, while highlighting the Kha Maung Seik in northern Rakhine state, plight of other groups, such as Buddhists where Myanmar authorities have exhumed and Hindus, swept up in the unrest. On Wednesday the army lifted its tight net 45 corpses from mass graves since Sunday. The army says the grim discoveries are over the conflict zone to fly reporters to the evidence of a massacre by Muslim Rohingya area in northern Rakhine where the mass militants on August 25, the same day the graves of Hindus, including many women
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Nepal names 3-year-old as new ‘living goddess’ Once she is anointed a A three-year-old girl living goddess, Shakya — has been named the new Kumari of Nepal’s capital who, like her predecessors, belongs to the Newar Kathmandu after her community indigenous to predecessor retired when she reached puberty, continuing the Kathmandu valley — will only be allowed to leave an ancient tradition that her new home 13 times a sees young girls worshipped as “living goddesses”. year on special feast days. She will be paraded through Trishna Shakya will Kathmandu in ceremonial be anointed as the new Newly-appointed living Goddess Kumari in a ceremony on dress and elaborate Kumari, Trishna Shakya, in makeup to be worshipped. Thursday, when she will Kathmandu, Nepal When outside, the Kumari be taken from her family home to live in a palace in Kathmandu’s — who is considered an embodiment of the ancient Durbar Square where she will be Hindu goddess Taleju — is carried because cared for by specially appointed caretakers. her feet are not allowed to touch the ground. Selection criteria for aspiring Kumaris She was selected from among four candidates, Uddhav Man Karmacharya, is strict and includes a number of specific a Hindu priest who attends to the physical attributes such as an unblemished Kumari, told AFP on Tuesday. body, a chest like a lion and thighs like a deer. Even if a girl fulfils all the physical “She will take her place on the Kumari’s throne after we perform prayers and requirements, she must then prove her bravery tantric rituals,” Karmacharya said. by not crying at the sight of a sacrificed buffalo.
Police-training pact with Kabul okayed The government today approved a relations and the police personnel of memorandum of understanding (MoU) to Afghanistan National Police regularly be signed with Afghanistan for technical come to different training institutes India for training purposes. cooperation in police training and of development to help the war-torn country India and Afghanistan signed an in strengthening its security apparatus. The decision was taken at a meeting of agreement on strategic partnership in Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister October 2011. A meeting was held between delegates of the Narendra Modi. Ministry Under the MoU, of Interior the two countries Affairs, would cooperate in Afghanistan, police training and the United development, an Na t i o n s official statement Development said. The MoU Programme, would help in Police training in Kabul Afghanistan capacity building and officials of Afghanistan National Police and improving the of the Bureau of Police Research and security apparatus in the region, it added. Development in New Delhi in October 2016. The delegates from Afghanistan expressed The Cabinet approval will be effective for five years from the date of signing of their desire for assistance from India in the the MoU and will be extended for a further field of police training, police development, period of five years on the condition that law enforcement, strengthening the rule of there are not further changes and revisions. law in Afghanistan and building sustainable India and Afghanistan have friendly long-term cooperation, the statement said.
PUNJAB
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Punjab gov’t woos voters with promise of early loan waiver The Congress party in Punjab has been in power for six months. That causes a slight problem in the campaign in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha byelection. It can no more get away with Akali bashing. Forced to present its “achievements”, the party campaigners are making do with recycling promises from the Assembly poll as there is little to show for delivery. Sunil Jakhar with other party leaders during a rally in Gurdaspur From promising to waive On why the Congress has been unable farm loans, Punjab Congress leaders have now graduated to promising “early loan to deliver on the promises, the party blames waiver”, even as notification of the scheme the Centre. The government has demanded is pending. Addressing gatherings ahead of relaxation of the Fiscal Responsibility and the October 11 election, party leaders are Budget Management Act, 2003, to enhance asking farmers to prepare lists of potential the state’s borrowing limit to enable it beneficiaries to facilitate the scheme. to meet the debt waiver commitment. Defending the strategy, PPCC chief and Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar said the government was committed to waiving crop loans, benefitting 10 lakh small and marginal farmers. “It is just a matter of time,” he said. However, other achievements the party is peddling are also at the stage of “decisions”. Prominent among these are the decision to enact a new Lokpal law; freezing of power tariff at Rs5 per unit for industry; and cancelling of all bus permits issued after 1991. The fact is that the Lokpal Bill is still at the draft stage; power rates are yet to be notified; and the bus permits can be cancelled only after a new transport policy is notified.
Plea against subsidy to the rich farmers
Acting on a petition for discontinuing agricultural pumpset subsidy to rich farmers in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice to the state, the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). As the petition, filed in public interest, came up for hearing before the Division Bench of Justice AK Mittal and Justice Amit Rawal, petitioner-advocate HC Arora submitted that rich farmers, including Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Manpreet Singh Badal, Capt Amarinder Singh and Kuljit Singh Nagra, were enjoying the concession of free power for tubewells Arora stated that Punjab had been providing free electricity for tubewells to farmers for the past several years. The subsidy reimbursed to the PSPCL by the state government had touched Rs 6,113 crore during 2016-17. The court was also told that one such rich farmer, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, had surrendered subsidy. No other MLA had given it up despite an appeal by Capt Amarinder, who himself had not done it so far, the petitioner claimed.
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Gov’t to promote tourism in Punjab: Sidhu To promote tourism and generate additional revenue for the state, the Punjab Government has come up with a new tourism policy that will be tabled before the Cabinet on October 16. Presiding over a state-level seminar on the occasion of the World Tourism Day at Punjabi University, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said Punjab had got rich cultural history and heritage, but the previous government did not pay attention towards it and the state lagged behind in tourism at the national level. Sidhu said the Congress government had taken measures to make tourism selfdependent under which all three Mughal serais in the state were being developed as wedding circuit. “Punjabis can organise lavish weddings at these serais like the ones held at Rajasthan palaces. Besides, the 20 hotels of the Tourism Department, which were shut down, are being revived. Big industrial houses will be given these hotels, who will give a
part of their income to the state,” he said. Sidhu said Baba Ala Singh Qila Mubarak was being given a major facelift for Rs 25 crore and was being converted into a boutique hotel wherein five-star facilities would be available. The government would register all dhabas in the state for quality control with an aim to providing hygienic food to the tourists. He said three hotel management institutes had been asked to prepare a report on possible improvements in dhabas.
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PUNJAB
Saturday, September 30, 2017
CM Amrinder Sihgh gives charge to key men in election campaign Gurdaspur: Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar, who is also the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur, have devised an elaborate campaign plan following which key men have been given charge. Casterelated vote banks have been taken into consideration while allotting work. Cabinet Minister Brahm Mohindra has been sent to the Hindu Rajput dominated seat of Sujanpur, while in the Jat Sikh hub of Batala, MLA Sukh Sarkaria is in charge. Former OSD to the CM Sandeep Sandhu, considered to be a blue-eyed boy of Capt
Three people get 7 years jail for sacrilege of holy scriptures Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Shivmohan Garg has awarded sevenyear imprisonment each to three persons in a case of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, gutka and other religious articles at a gurdwara in Ramdiwali Musalmana village in Majitha constituency. The guilty are Prem Singh alias Titu, Shamsher Singh alias Shera and Raju
Masih alias Rajan, all residents of Ramdiwali Musalmana village. Lawyer Bhagwant Sialka said a fine of Rs7,000 each had also been imposed on them. SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar said, “We welcome the decision and appeal that courts should be set up to get speedy trial in sacrilege cases.”
Former MLA booked in suicide case Amarinder, is the fulcrum around which the entire campaign is being run.
Patran police booked former Malina, her brother Mohit Kumar, his friend Kuldeep, school owner Budhlada MLA Mangat Rai Bansal for allegedly abetting the Rakesh Kumar and the latter’s wife, suicide of Sandeep Kumar (33). principal Beena. Sandeep, a resident The latter, who had immolated of Goyal lane (Patran), had locked himself yesterday, succumbed to himself in a room yesterday and set burn injuries here today. himself afire when the city police Sandeep had a dispute with his raided his house. He allegedly had wife, Malina, whom he suspected a heated exchange with his wife of having illicit relations with the on the campus recently, following owner of the private school where which the school management had Former MLA she worked. When confronted, informed the police. Aman Pal Virk, the school owner had allegedly Mangat Rai Bansal SHO, said the case was registered used the former Congress legislator’s name following a complaint by the deceased’s to threaten Sandeep. Following a complaint relatives. He denied the charge that the police against Bansal, the police also booked had harassed Sandeep.
Short of funds, Punjab levies user charge for canal water With few resources at its disposal, the Punjab Government has initiated the exercise of collecting “abiyana” (canal water user charge) from farmers. Officials in the Irrigation Department have been asked to start collecting this charge at the rate of Rs 50 per acre per season or Rs 100 per annum from all farmers using canal water. The department hopes to collect Rs 200 crore per annum. Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation, VK Singh said 30 per cent of the farmland in the state was irrigated by canal. “We will start collecting the user charges so the money can be used for repair of canals. Punjab’s huge canal network is in urgent need of repairs. If we start collecting ‘abiyana’, we can convince the Finance Department to release the charges collected for canal repair,” he said. The decision comes at a time when Punjab is facing its worst-ever financial crisis — the Centre has put curbs on the state’s
borrowings, stopping it from raising Rs 1,000 crore through selling of bonds; bills worth Rs 5,000 crore are pending in the treasury; and the state is in an overdraft, after exhausting
its ways and means advances limit of Rs 960 crore. While new taxes to raise revenue have been put on hold for political considerations, the state government has decided to collect the existing taxes/user charges. “Abiyana” has been collected in the past, but given the political implications, subsequent state governments have discontinued the practice. Also, irrigation officials have been reluctant in collecting the cess on the plea that the proceeds are not used for canal maintenance.
4 cops held for letting murder accused escape The city police have arrested Ferozepurbased ASI Nishan Singh, head constable Kulwinder Singh, Home Guards Balwinder Singh and Gurbachan Singh from whose custody two murder accused had escaped yesterday. A case had been registered against them on the statement of Naib Court (police official) Surjit Singh under Sections 223, 224 and 225 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The erring police personnel had escorted the murder accused — Amritpal Singh of Kandhwala Road and Ranjit Singh Rana of Dhani Bishesharnath village — from Central Jail, Ferozepur, to Abohar yesterday. They were
reportedly not handcuffed. As they alighted from the vehicle outside the sub-divisional court complex here, two motorcyclists were waiting for them nearby. They simply ran towards the waiting bikers and escaped. The duo is charged with the murder of a son of a retired PSPCL employee but they were to be produced in an old criminal case in a court here yesterday, the police clarified. Bhim Tank murder accused Harpreet Harry and Kanu Soni, who had allegedly thrown an acid bottle at his estranged “girlfriend” in her house in Nai Abadi last year, were also in the same vehicle, but they reportedly stayed put.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Rahul Gandhi peddles soft Hindutva to reach voters’ hearts in Gujarat Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice-president’s three-day visit of the politically significant Saurashtra region in Gujarat was not only aimed at targeting Narendra Modi over issues like note ban and GST but also an attempt to help his party counter ‘anti-Hindu’ and ‘minority appeasers’ labels emblazoned on it by the BJP. Along with hard-hitting speeches targeting Modi, Gandhi also played with `soft Hindutva’ by paying obeisance in five temples+ and performing aartis at a garba venue each in Jamnagar and Rajkot in three days. Gandhi, who began by visiting Lord Krishna temple in Dwarka on September 25, wrapped up the tour by climbing nearly 1,000 steep steps to Chamunda Mata temple on Chotila hill-top on Wednesday . He also visited Khodaldham in Kagvad village where Leuva Patels have built a grand temple of their community deity Khodal Ma and was closeted in a meeting with the temple trustees for around 20 minutes. After he offered prayers at Chotila, the priests apprised him of the importance of the religious place. On his way back to Rajkot, Gandhi made an unscheduled visit to the Jalaram Bapa temple in Virpur too. Later, the Congress leader came out of the temple and climbed down the steps in another 15 minutes, greeting devotees on his way back. State Congress spokesperson
India, China should dance together: Chinese envoy The Chinese Embassy in Delhi celebrated the 68th anniversary of the Founding of People’s Republic of China with much enthusiasm and colour. With the bilateral tensions over the Doklam standoff resolved for now, Ambassador Lou Zhaohui recalled the prominent persons, including Bodhidharma and Tagore who had served as bridges between India and China through history. Talking about one of his teachers Professor Xu Fancheng who lived in Sri Aurobindo Ashar, from 1945 to 1978, the envoy who visited the ashram in Puducherry last week said, “He was one of the most famous Chinese scholars translating the Upanishad, Bhagwat Gita and Shakuntala from Sanskrit to Chinese. He also introduced Sri Aurobindo to China.” “History could teach us a lot of things. Standing on their shoulders, we should do more today,” added the envoy. The Ambassador hoped that with joint efforts the two Asian Giants could ‘handle the differences properly’ and ‘enhance mutual trust.’ Recalling the message of ‘reconciliation’ and ‘cooperation’ delivered by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi during the BRICS meeting in Xiamen, ambassador Zhaouhui said, “We should dance together. We should ‘make one plus one eleven’.” A colourful cultural performance, including acrobats, magic and dance was at display. The Ambassador’s Wife Counselor Jang Ili herself took to the stage to perform to a Chinese song as well as Hindi movie song Navrahi Majhi, enthralling the audience.
Rahul Gandhi visits Chamunda Mata Temple near Rajkot in Gujarat. Manish Doshi alleged that the BJP and RSS have deliberately painted the party as anti Hindu and the temple visits were aimed at countering this assault. All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson, Shatkisinh Gohil, told TOI: “Congress has equal respect for all religions.
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Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee composes theme song for Durga Puja West Bengal Chief Minister Music composer and singer Jeet Gannguly had been composing Mamata Banerjee has composed music for the ‘Suruchi Sangha’s puja the theme song for a popular city theme song for the past couple of Puja since theme music has become a new trend among community years. pujas in the metropolis. The song “I have a bonding with them and — “Boichitrer muktoy gantha every Bengali feels connected with ekotar monihar” (the jewel of unity Durga Puja celebrations,” Gannguly Mamta Banerjee had told PTI recently when asked is stitched with a string of pearls of diversity) — is being played at the ‘Suruchi about his ‘musical association’ with ‘Suruchi Sangha’ puja, winner of multiple awards. Sangha’. As theme music becomes popular Singer Shreya Ghosal lends her voice for the with Durga Puja committees, thespian theme song that has been composed by Jeet Soumitra Chatterjee has recited a few lines Gannguly. - ‘Ami Sei Diganto Periye Asa Uttaradhikar’ The CM has posted the video of the theme (I have walked through the past, I am the song on her official Facebook page and torch-bearer) being played at the ‘Kumartuli shared the links on her Twitter handle. The Sarbojonin’. “This recital mirrors the story CM had also composed lyrics for ‘Suruchi of potters of Bengal, of Kumartuli over the Sangha’ in the past. centuries,” he said.
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INDIA
Saturday, September 30, 2017
BJP controls damage after attack by Yaswant Sinha
Coalition govts produce better economic growth, says ex-RBI Guv Reddy
A day after Varun Gandhi put his party and years in combined efforts of all the regulators the government in a spot with his musings on and the Central Government and are growing the Rohingya, senior ministers in the Narendra forward. I think this will become the economy’s Modi government today rushed to undo the strength,” Goyal said. While some BJP leaders embarrassing damage caused by veteran BJP claimed “Sinha’s frustration (over being leader Yashwant Sinha’s castigating column on sidelined in the party) was showing”, others said most of such (anti-Modi government) the state of India’s economy. Without naming Sinha, Railway Minister renditions were coming from those with “nothing to lose” politically. Piyush Goyal refuted the claims The scathing commentary that Indian economy was on a by Sinha, the former Finance downward spiral. The minister said Minister in the Vajpayee under the saffron party’s regime, government, on Finance the economy had strengthened. Minister Arun Jaitley and “Each one is entitled to his own understanding of the situation. The the government’s economic moves has come as a shot reality is India’s economy is today a in the arm for the Congress, strong economy. What we inherited Rajnath Singh in 2014 was a period of near doubleeven as it is indicative of churning within the BJP. digit inflation. “Very high fiscal deficit, very high current While Sinha refused to go beyond his column, account deficit, GDP almost touching 5 per Modi’s detractors in the party indicated “this is cent and in some sense there was policy just the beginning. It is a long fight”. However, the Modi government appears to paralysis due to which the entire economy was have decided to go in for some institutional not having a clear vision where it was headed. “We have set everything right in the past three and system course correction, as recently it
Coalition governments in India have in policy space to meet the expectations of produced better economic growth rates in the people is constrained by globalisation,” the last three decades than a strong majority he said. “Now, we are searching for a government, former RBI governor Yaga new balance between global and national, Venugopal Reddy has said. “Interestingly, state and market, new balance between the highest growth in India from 1990 finance and non-finance. That is the search to 2014 was really during coalition that is going on,” he said, adding that in governments...So, in a way it’s consensus the next 10-15 years there would be a based...in Indian situation, a transformative demographic coalition probably produces and technological shift over a better economic results than fear of environmental issues. a strong government,” Reddy “So, these three will be the told a Washington audience on biggest challenge for global Wednesday. economy,” Reddy said. In Referring to the 1991 balance response to a question, Reddy of payments crisis, Reddy said everybody agrees that said, “The remarkable thing the Bankruptcy Code is a was that despite an unstable good development. “There political situation, they is a large non-performing managed a political consensus assets. Something has to be Former RBI governor Yaga for whatever need to be taken done,” he said. “We must Venugopal Reddy to manage it successfully.” make a distinction between Speaking at the Hudson Institute, a top banking crisis and public-sector banking American think-tank, Reddy, who was crisis. ‘‘‘In this case the problem is public the RBI governor from 2003 to 2008, said sector which accounts 55 per cent of them,” the world economic crisis of 2008 is still he said. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy not over. “In short term definitely things Code was enacted last year, paving the are better, but in medium term there is a way for India to have a bankruptcy law question mark,” he said. “I think significant that will ensure time-bound settlement of changes I see in the next 10 years in the geo- insolvencies, and enable faster turnaround political situation. Now, in the process of of businesses, besides creating a database of globalisation of capital what has happened serial defaulters. is many governments feel that their capacity
Yashwant Sinha’s views in BJP’s and in national interest: Shatrughan BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday came out in support of his party colleague Yashwant Sinha over his criticism of the state of economy, saying he was a true statesman and had shown the government the mirror. The Bihar MP, who has been at variance with the BJP’s stand on a host
of issues, also targeted his party leaders for dismissing the former finance minister’s views, saying it would be “childish” to do so as they were “entirely in the party’s and national interest”.
Economic mismanagement has become synonymous with Modi, Jaitley: Congress The Congress on Friday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as synonyms of economic mismanagement. Speaking to ANI here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “The truth is people are tired of Modinomics and Jaitleynomics, because they have wrecked India’s economy. Now the economic mismanagement has become synonymous with Prime Minister Modi and Jaitley.” Reacting to the Finance Minister’s remarks on Friday on BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha, Surjewala said the former’s statements were marked with disdain, arrogance and ‘jumlas’. “What the Finance Minister said today was merely, arrogantly mocking at his predecessor Yaswant Sinha, who is the senior
Mumbai stampede kills 22, injures 35 at train station From page 1 At least 22 people have been killed and 35 injured in a stampede at a train station during morning rush hour in the Indian financial hub of Mumbai, according to Deepak Deoraj, spokesman for the Mumbai police department. The deadly stampede happened around 10:30 a.m. local time Friday on a footbridge at Prabhadevi train station, formerly known as Elphinstone station, Anil Saxena, spokesman for India’s Ministry of Railways told local media. Saxena said the crowd on the footbridge grew larger as people took cover during an unexpected rain shower. Once the rain stopped the crowd started moving and someone “must have slipped” leading to the initial blockage. Television and social media footage from the scene shows heaving crowds of trapped commuters desperately trying to climb over railings and stairways to escape the crush, as lifeless bodies are pulled free.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
SUPERSTORE
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FIJI
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Man walks free after Judge acquits him of rape and sexual assault charge A 37-year-old man is a free man today after High Court Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe acquitted him of a count each of rape and sexual assault. The man who was represented by lawyer, Jiten Reddy could not control his emotions as he came out of the courtroom. It was alleged that he had raped his 9-year-old sister in law in September last year. However, Justice Rajasinghe stated in his judgment this morning that the evidence of the father of the complainant failed to support the evidence given by the complainant. Justice Rajasinghe says the girl had said that the 37-year-old man had accidentally touched her private part and did not have any intention to touch her. He said
the girl gave evidence that the man had lifted her while playing with her and accidentally touched her private part. The Judge says that
for the adoption and use in order to increase access to and support high quality teaching and learning at the school. Pro Vice-Chancellor of Flexible Learning and Director of the Centre for Flexible Learning Professor Som Naidu had drafted the policies hoping that flexibility in learning and teaching is relevant in any
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says the constitution is clear for unions and their members wanting to take strike action. He says they have the right to strike provided the strike is termed legal and all the provisions are exhausted. While speaking to Fijivillage, Bainimarama said that it sounds like Fiji Teachers Union General Secretary Agni
PM Voreqe Bainimarama
Deo Singh wants the 14,000 civil servants who are members of the public sector unions, to break the law. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says the Bill of Rights is clear and the unions have to follow the processes of negotiation and then a legitimate strike ballot before they can take strike action. He stresses that everything should be done within the law.
Fiji PM will now have two business dinners in Surrey
the prosecution has failed to prove that the man raped the girl. The Judge disregarded the assessors unanimous guilty opinion and acquitted the man.
University of South Pacific to adopt flexible learning and teaching strategies University of the South Pacific has drafted two policy documents after consultations with the institution’s stakeholders. In a statement yesterday, the Flexible Learning policy provides the perimeters for the adoption and integration of flexible learning and teaching strategies at USP while the Open Educational Resources (OEP) Policy provides direction
Bainimarama calls on unions to follow the law in relation to strike action
mode of study including campus-based faceto-face education. “The adoption of flexible approaches to learning is central to the ethos and culture of the University. “Its distributed nature required the University to engage in flexible learning and teaching which it has done since its establishment, with the need for flexible approaches to learning and teaching at USP growing in order to open up access to further enrich the educational experience of students beyond its conventional campus-based educational o p e r a t i o n s ,” Professor Naidu said. “The University is increasingly looking towards making the adoption and integration of these resources a priority, in order to mitigate the high costs of textbooks and other required educational resources throughout the region and also to promote equality of access to educational opportunity.”
It is not two for one but the Fijian Prime Minister’s dinner in Surrey almost seems like it. While still shrouded in official secrecy with no official announcements from the Fijian government, Prime Minister Admiral (retired) Frank Bainimarama’s one public dinner has now become two dinners- and maybe a lunch thrown in too. Initiallly, PM Bainimarama was supposed to be chief guest at a dinner hosted by Fiji Canada Business Association on Wednesday, October 4, in Surrey with tickets at $40 each. However, due to a dispute with some of the organizers, who are Muslim and belong to the BC Muslim Busieness Association, a separate dinner for the Prime Minister will be held on Tuesday night (Oct 3) as well. Apparently the Muslim members of the organizing committee were not
happy that alcohol would be served at the original Wednesday night dinner and demanded a separate dinner with the Prime Minister where no alcohol would be served and dinner would be according to Muslim traditions. The Prime Minister also held a separate meeting with leaders of Fiji Muslims living here during his last visit. There is no word yet whether people of other religions from Fiji, such as Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, etc, will get an opportunity to have separate dinners and meetings with the the Prime Minister in the interest of fairness and equal opportunity fo all. A separate lunch is also being planned by members of the native Fijian community but this has not been verified yet.
Fiji Teachers Union leader tells members that strike will be legal if they all walk out General Secretary of the Fiji only go on strike if more than 50% of the members agree Teachers Union Agni Deo Singh has revealed their plan to the to walk out of their jobs. The civil servants where he has said Confederation of Public Sector Unions which is made of the that they will go on strike even if there is no strike ballot. Although Fiji Public Service Association, the law is clear that the public Fiji Teachers Union, Fijian Teachers Association and Fiji sector unions have to enter the negotiation process and go for Nursing Association, has 14,000 Agni Deo Singh a strike ballot when there is a members. The total number of deadlock, the unions are now calling on the civil servants is more than 28,000. When asked workers to just walk off their jobs. They can by one of the members in the union rally at FTA
Employers urged to abide by new wage rate The new minimum wage rate of $2.68 comes into effect this Saturday. And the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Jone Usamate has reminded all employers to abide or face a penalty of $10,000 maximum or two years imprisonment. Yesterday, he reiterated any employer who continued to pay below this minimum wage
would be taken to task. The minimum wage rate would also cover housemaids, babysitters, farm workers and shop assistants in villages. He said political parties and trade unions had suggested for a higher increase but it was not possible at this time.
PAKISTAN
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Don’t blame us for Hafiz Saeed or Haqqani networks, they were your darlings: Pakistan to US Foreign minister Khawaja Asif said “Don’t blame us for the Haqqanis networks and don’t blame us for the Hafiz Saeeds (chief of Jamaatud-Dawa terror group),” “These were the people who were your darlings just 20 to 30 years back. They were being dined and wined in the White House and now you say ‘go to hell Pakistanis because you are nurturing these people’,” Foreign minister Khawaja Asif was
quoted as saying by the state-run media PTI. It is very easy to say Pakistan is floating the Haqqanis and Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. They are liabilities, Asif said. “I accept that they are liabilities, but give us time to get rid of them because we don’t have the assets to match these liabilities and you are increasing them (our liabilities) further,” the minister said.
An opportunity for Pakistan to engage in counter-terrorism: Mattis President Donald Trump ‘s recently announced South Asia strategy is an opportunity for Pakistan to engage in “counter-terrorism campaign”, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has said, as he praised India’s commitment towards the development of Afghanistan. The South Asia strategy is “not exclusive of someone”, Mattis said in response to a question. It is inclusive for all responsible states that wanted to stop terrorism in its tracks and defend the innocent, he said. As such, Mattis said, he saw the South Asia strategy announced by Trump in August as an opportunity. “I agree 100 per cent with President Ghani that this South Asia strategy and this renewed commitment is an opportunity for Pakistan to engage in the counter-terror campaign,” Mattis told reporters at a joint news conference in Kabul, according to a
Pentagon transcript. In what could come as a disappointment to Pakistan, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani echoed Mattis, as the latter travelled to Kabul directly from New Delhi, without going to Islamabad. This is primarily because for the first time, the United States seeks to hold Pakistan accountable for its support to terrorist groups and organisation. And much to the inconvenience of Pakistan, Trump’s policy seeks greater developmental role for India in this war-torn country. “The reaction for the (Pak) government and the public at large was of utter disappointment, though not shocking. It was not unexpected but it was unpleasant,” Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif told a New York audience this week. “We don’t see any military role or any strategic role of India in Afghanistan,” the top Pakistani diplomat said.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife hospitalized once again in UK London: Ailing wife of ousted , disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was taken to London hospital once again after her condition deteriorated, her daughter
said. Kulsoom, in her mid-sixties was diagnosed with early-stage of cancer last month and has been in London since then, where she has undergone three surgeries.
Pakistan is ready to work with the US for effective management of the Afghan border to stop terrorist infiltration and to facilitate a peace settlement in Afghanistan, he said. CSpeaking at the forum, Asif said that there was no military solution to the festering conflict in Afghanistan. “Scape-goating Pakistan for all the Afghan ills is neither fair nor accurate. This will only help forces that we are trying to fight collectively,” he
said. Asif also talked about Pakistan’s relations with India, the Kashmir dispute, counterterrorism measures and the country’s economic progress. “We cannot take responsibility for Afghanistan’s peace and security and be asked to achieve what the combined strength of some of the most powerful and richest countries could not accomplish,” he said.
Pakistan seeks to ban party backed by US-named terrorist President Donald Trump ‘s recently announced South Asia strategy is an opportunity for Pakistan to engage in “counter-terrorism campaign”, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has said, as he praised India’s commitment towards the development of Afghanistan. The South Asia strategy is “not exclusive of someone”, Mattis said in response to a question. It is inclusive for all responsible states that wanted to stop terrorism in its tracks and defend the innocent, he said. As such, Mattis said, he saw the South Asia strategy announced by Trump in August as an opportunity. “I agree 100 per cent with President Ghani
that this South Asia strategy and this renewed commitment is an opportunity for Pakistan to engage in the counter-terror campaign,” Mattis told reporters at a joint news conference in Kabul, according to a Pentagon transcript. In what could come as a disappointment to Pakistan, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani
echoed Mattis, as the latter travelled to Kabul directly from New Delhi, without going to Islamabad. This is primarily because for the first time, the United States seeks to hold Pakistan accountable for its support to terrorist groups and organisation.
Hafiz Saeed’s house arrest extended order to extend his house arrest Lahore: The house arrest of Hafiz was issued on July 28. On January Saeed has been extended by another 31, Saeed and four others were put month by the authorities in Punjab, under house arrest by the Punjab saying his activities pose a threat government for 90 days under the to the peace and tranquillity in the Anti- Terrorism Act 1997. country. Saeed, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa In its latest order, the Punjab (JuD) chief, has been under house Hafiz Saeed Home Department said, “...Jamaatarrest since January 31 this year. The Punjab Home Department yesterday issued ud-Dawah and Falah-e-Insaniat have an order extending the house arrest of Saeed planned to spread chaos in the country on and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik their expected release. They have planned to Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi make demonstrations under the leadership Kashif Hussain - for another 30 days with of Saeed. He will be portrayed as hero and effect from September 25. The previous his acts will be glorified.”
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NRI
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Musical event in US by Calcutta University alumni association For the first time, the Calcutta University Alumni Association, US chapter, organised a musical event at Nashville Airport Mariott. The three-day event starting from September 1-September 3) s hosted by BPACON (Bengali Performing Arts Conference). Alumni members from neighbouring cities, too, chipped in with their contributions to make the event a grand success.
While the venue became a melting pot of old friends, teachers and students, the event was a rare combination of performing arts, including recitation, shadowgraphy, folk songs by Atlanata-based band ‘Madol’, performance by Arkansas’s father-daughter duo etc. Visually impaired singer Diya Chakraborty and her father
Meghnad Desai’s book explores Narendra Modi, Donald Trump rise; ‘collapse’ of old world order The elevation of Narendra Modi and Donald tendencies and adds it is “presumptuous” to cast Trump to top government positions in their either as an “unmitigated bad”. Talking about respective countries, the significance of their rise Modi, the author brings to fore his penchant for and whether the old liberal world using social media “imaginatively” to attract youth, a “quality elusive to order has collapsed are among a bevy of issues Lord Meghnad Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, then Desai analyses in his new book. 40, who was pitted against the threetime Gujarat chief minister in the race In “Politic Shock: Trump, Modi, Brexit & the Prospect for Liberal for the prime minister’s office”. “Modi Democracy”, Desai makes a study won because he had a message which of how Modi and Trump won carried to the new voters who were Meghnad Desai the elections. Desai, who sits children when the riots had taken as a Labour Peer in the UK’s House of Lords, place. They did not read newspapers but relied navigates the issues of populism and nationalism on social media. Modi had mastered the social which he says now are cast as “undesirable” media technology.
India-origin bodybuilder dies after celebrity kickboxing bout A 32-year-old Indian-origin bodybuilder in Singapore died of cardiac arrest, an hour after he stepped into the ring for a “celebrity” bout of Thai kick- boxing, local media reported. Pradip Subramanian took on YouTube personality Steven Lim, 42, in his first-ever Muay Thai match at Marina Bay Sands for the inaugural event of the Asian Fighting Championship last evening, The Straits Times reported on Sunday. Subramanian, president
of the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (WBPF) Singapore, had replaced singer Sylvester Sim, who pulled out of the match citing insurance issues. Both Lim and Sim were contestants in the first “Singapore Idol” series in 2004. The match was called off in five minutes after the referee noticed Subramanian’s nose bleeding and declared Lim, 41, the winner by technical knockout.
Australian Hindus protest meat advertisement featuring Lord Ganesha Hundreds of people attended rallies in Australia’s major cities on Sunday to protest an advertisement the Indian community described as “highly insulting” in its depiction of the Hindu deity Lord Ganesha. The India Forum Australia (IFA) arranged the protests in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth in response to a Meat and Livestock Livestock Australia’s newest advertisement has caused Australia (MLA) advertisement, aired earlier this month. The ad featured outrage worldwide after its depiction of Lord Ganesha, a revered Hindu deity. various religious figures including the “This is not the multicultural Australia that we Hindu god, considered vegetarian by followers, truly love.” Earlier this month, India’s High sitting down to a meal of lamb. IFA president Commission in Canberra lodged a complaint Nihal Agar said on Sunday the MLA had not with the Australian government asking for listened to the Indian community’s earlier the ad’s removal. The Advertising Standards concerns when the ad initially screened. “To Bureau dismissed complaints, saying Lord say something is legal is one thing, but it’s Ganesha was depicted positively and that the something else to touch the heart and that is advertisement’s intent was to be inclusive. how MLA has failed our community,” he said.
Indian-origin bizman drives petrochemical, fertiliser projects in Nigeria After making his name in India, Manish finally aluminium maker Hindalco, is an Mundra, the founder of Drishyam Films, is MBA with over 20 years of international in the news in Nigeria for contributing to its management and mergers and acquisitions economic growth in several ways: experience. Mundra joined From petrochemicals to fertilisers. Indorama Group in 2002 in the Indorama Corporation, the corporate strategy department. conglomerate Mundra heads Given his resourcefulness, he in Nigeria, aims to boost the was transferred to Indorama agriculture sector in the West Nigeria as a project manager. There, he supervised the African nation with the opening acquisition of the stateof a $1.5 billion project to produce Manish Mundra owned Eleme Petrochemicals 1.5 million metric tonnes of urea Company Ltd for $225 million. fertiliser per annum so as to make Mundra was appointed Deputy Managing the country self-sufficient in the product. Mundra, who has worked with the Aditya Director of the company in 2007 and Birla Group, Indian Rayon, Indo-Gulf and Managing Director in 2009.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
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FRUITICANA
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Kajol is a sight for sore eyes as she attends Durga puja
t
is that time of the year when even Bollywood celebs can’t resist celebrating. Kajol was spotted attending the Durga puja in Mumbai with her sister, Tanisha and mother, Tanuja. She looked so pretty we can’t even! Now that’s what we call Bong beauty. Kajol chose a traditional yellow saree with a golden border and a tinge of red to add the festive touch. She tied her hair up in a fancy bun and accessorized it with flowers and completed the look with chandbalis. Kajol even posted a video of her look on her Instagram. The actress never misses a Durga puja and
attends it with her family every year. What I loved about her look was the big red bindi. That adds the right amount of Indian touch to her attire. Tanisha, on the other hand, had a Indo-western thing going on. While she chose a pink saree and traditional earrings for her Durga puja look, she chose to pair her saree up with a noodle strap blouse instead of a traditional one like Kajol. But she looked pretty, too. We just wish she spent some more time doing her hair, it would have looked so much better.
The nightingale of Indian music Lata Mangeshkar turns 88
L
ata Mangeshkar’s first recorded song was in 1942. She was only 13. It was for a Marathi movie but was later dropped from the album. Despite every filmmaker’s best efforts to have at least one ditty sung by the Lata Mangeshkar, these days the nightingale rarely enters the studio – her “temple”, in the immortal words of Naushad. Lata Mangeshkar was born in Indor, Madhya Pardesh (Central India) on September 28, 1929 popularly known as Lata ji, She is a singer and an occasional music-composer. In her singing career of over seven decades she has been one of the bestknown and most admired playback singers in India. Lata Ji is also known by the epithet “Melody queen”. Her songs are recorded in over thirty-six regional Indian languages and foreign
languages with maximum recordings in more than 1,000 Hindi films and also songs in her mother tongue Marathi. She has won innumerable awards for film songs and is also the recipient of the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India. She is also recipient of the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. Lata Ji is the world’s most prolific recording artist. She was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Gurdas Mann a singer par-excellence
Gurdas Maan, who brought Punjabi folk music to the forefront, refuses to follow the typical commercial pattern of music. Thus, in the age of singles, the 60-year-old talks about his new album called Punjab, the evolving industry and his resistance to change. Excerpts of the interview: What was the idea behind your latest album? People have become more hateful towards each other. They are constantly creating barriers on the basis of religion and gender. Secularism to bacha hi nai hai duniya me (There is no secularism left in the world). People should realise that everyone is free to practice whatever religion they want, and that they should treat fellow humans with love and respect. Do you think musicians need to be more responsible towards the their work?
What other musicians are doing is their business and I am no one to comment on that. Having said that, I do believe musicians have a certain responsibility towards the masses. Unka farz banta hai ki woh janta ko batayein jo bhi galat kaam ho rahe hain aaj kal.
Bigg Boss 11 - Salman Khan responds to Rs 11 crore per episode
T
he time of the year is here when the audience will be seen getting hooked onto their television screens every night. Yes, Bigg Boss has arrived with full pomp with its eleventh season. Once again, the charming host Salman Khan has taken charge. With an interesting theme of neighbourhood, the season will see a mix of celebs and commoners who will stay put in the closed house for over 100 plus days with more than 80 cameras snooping in their every moment. Apart from controversies, Bigg Boss also makes noise each year about the Sultan actor taking home a huge amount as his remuneration. This year, there was a buzz that Salman Khan is getting a paycheck of Rs 11 crore per episode, the highest in the world for any
actor. With more than 13 weeks of shoot, and two episodes shot each day, well, you can calculate the total amount that will go into Salman’s pocket. At the press launch of Bigg Boss last night, a journalist asked Salman about his fees. Giving her a strange look, the Dabbang actor in his inimitable style laughed loudly while walking on the stage before going to Raj Nayak, COO, Viacom 18. ‘Bolo na, Bolo na..’ he started humming his Har Dil
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Bollywood
Oct
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MUAVZA *ing: Annu Kapoor , Akhilendra Mishra
Oct
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Saturday, September 30, 2017
New Released Bollywood Films Oct
6
Oct
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Tu Mera Sunday *ing: Barun Sobti , Shahana Goswami, Vishal
Oct
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Call for Fun
Chef
I’M Not A Terrorist
*ing: Zaan Khan , Charu Asopa,
*ing: Saif Ali Khan , Svar Kamble
*ing: Gulshan Grover , Rahul Dev
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Bollywood
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“Lucknow Central”based on a real-life incident Lucknow Central is based on a real-life incident and is about a group of prisoners who form a band inside the jail so as to escape from there. Farhan Akhtar and Diana Penty play the main leads in the movie.
Director: Ranjit Tiwari Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Diana Penty, Gippy Grewal, Rajesh Sharma, Inaamulhaq, Deepak Dobriyal, Ravi Kishen and Ronit Roy
Sunny Leone adds oomph and sizzle to Mithun ’s Company
Sunny Leone, who was last seen in an item song in Baadshaho, will be appearing in an upcoming episode of the show. While we won’t know which movie she will be promoting on the show, since she will be next seen in an item song in Bhoomi as well as the female lead in Teraa Intezaar. Sunny Leone had shot for her episode for the show at Mehboob Studios, and going by the below pics, it looks like the entire cast, along with Leone, are having a ball of a time. Sunny Leone was looking really pretty in that striped dress with her hair in curls. Here are pics from the studio…
The Story and Trailer Farhan trying to get his music heard but gets badly rejected. Then something happens and he lands in jail. Post that, he only hatches plans to run away from the jail and the best opportunity comes along when the prison is asked to prepare a band. That’s his cue and he assembles people to do just that. It
looks gripping, especially because, Farhan will get ample support from the rest of the cast. We spotted Deepak Dobriyal in it and now we know why we will definitely watch the film. The Music Since the movie is about a group of prisoners forming a band, music has to be the core of the film and it has to connect with the listeners.
Thankfully the soundtrack of Lucknow Central largely succeeds at that, though we miss an angstfilled rock number like Hulchul from Qaidi Band, a movie with a similar theme released a month ago. Still, the album is overall pleasant, and I will recommend it solely for Rangdaari.
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Saturday, September 30, 2017
HOROSCOPE Aries
Libra
March 21 - April 20
Sept. 24 - Oct 22
You’ll be eager to explore the potential in an idea that could see you traversing new territory. This could be a serious plan that you’ll want to explore with someone else. However, don’t dive into the details just yet, because that could slow down the process. Focus on the bigger picture and brings a fabulous opportunity for a social event that could be truly enjoyable, whether it’s a date or other fun occasion.
You might need someone’s help with a business venture or idea that you can’t manage on your own. This week, a positive blend of energies involving harmonious Venus your personal planet, could see you making great strides with this person’s aid. However, try to avoid a tendency to overthink this matter. Rather than make progress, you could go around in circles.
Taurus
Scorpio
April 21 - May 20
Oct 23 - Nov 22
Funds may be available to help you get started on a domestic project, and this could bring you a lot of satisfaction. It may not be anything major, but it’s well worth it if it will add extra sparkle to your home. In addition, a get-together on Friday could be a very special occasion if you’re holding it at your place. Whether it’s a school reunion, gathering buddies, it could lead to new friendships.
There’s plenty of action in your social zone, but with lively Mercury moving to catch up and connect with feisty Mars, you won’t be backward in sharing your opinions. Moreover, doing so could cause others to feel irritated and perhaps answer back. If you want to keep the peace over in coming days, it would help to be sensitive in how you broach and discuss certain topics. On another note, keep your eyes open for an opportunity to showcase a key skill.
Gemini
Sagitarius
May 20 - June 21
Nov 23 - Dec 22
An undertaking could have a serious note, but it can be a fun occasion as well. A focused blend of energies could see you collaborating with someone on a plan that needs two pairs
to help out of the blue, and this input could also add a dash of creative inspiration and extra sparkle. Options for a lively weekend ! getting upset regarding a family issue.
Cancer
A decision to hook up with someone could present you with a solid opportunity. Early in the week, give some consideration to a serious idea, as it could work in your favor. However, you could clash with someone in authority unless you’re willing to compromise. Friday and the weekend look like a lot of fun if you can keep work and professional matters out of the conversation. If you want to discuss business, socialize with like-minded colleagues.
Capricorn
June 22 - July 23
Dec 23 - Jan 20
If you have money to spend, you might be eager to invest it in something that gives you an advantage at work. Investing in a class could be one of your wiser purchases this week, as it could give you the ability to apply for jobs that pay more. Aside from this, you might want to splurge on items that add extra cheer to your domicile. If you’re entertaining guests, you might want to treat them to something special.
The desire to travel could prove very tempting, especially if you’re invited to join someone on a short break or vacation. It could also be a good opportunity to enjoy some peace and quiet and
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At the same time, a business deal looks very promising. A meeting with someone on Friday could turn out well for you both, and it could
Leo
# small windfall could come your way.
Aquarius
June 24 - August 23 There is such a thing as serious fun, and it could appear as an invitation to join activities that involve certain skills and knowledge. Connecting with friends who share your passion could make this a delightful week. Even so, you might want to look at the cost before you splurge on leisure outings, as one option may prove far more expensive than another. A cozy evening for two on Friday could enable you to explore the potential in your relationship.
Virgo
Jan 21 - Feb 19 $ could be very rewarding over the coming days. It might be hard work, but it could also be worth it. On another note, you
% likely relent if you can persuade them why this is important to you. There’s a lot of fun to be had and new experiences to enjoy.
Pisces
August 24 - Sept 24
Feb 20 - March 20
You may be very enamored of one idea that seems to have special resonance for you, but ! how good it really is. If you want other people to team up with you or support you, it might be easier to get things up and running yourself and lead by example. The weekend could see you adopting a spiritual approach to the deeper issues in life, and this could lead to a change in a key relationship.
Go easy when discussing sensitive matters, as such discussions could put you and another at odds. In fact, it might be better to avoid rocking the boat, particularly over the weekend and especially if you want to spend a relaxing time together. Consider broaching the subject later next week, when both of you feel a lot more relaxed about it. On another note, you may easily impress someone in authority by using your charm and natural abilities.
BOLLYWOOD PERSONALITIES’ BIRTHDAYS
AMITABH BACHCHAN OCTOBER 11
FREIDA PINTO OCTOBER 18
KAREENA KAPOOR SEPTEMBER 21
AYUSHMANN KHURRANA SEPTEMBER 14
Saturday, September 30, 2017
When I got Akshay and Bhumi to do t.... Talk
Y
ou know how most of us get embarrassed when it comes to talking about t.....oilet in public. I mean, I remember the other day when I was discussing about having a stomach upset with one of my office colleagues, this another friend overheard our conversation and made such a disgusting face by judging me for sharing the details of my t.....oilet
talk. Like that’s what most of our “t.....oilet talks” lead to or the max is we use end up using the word like a friendly abuse. But same is not the case with Akshay and Bhumi, who were actually such a sport when I got them to take me inside t..... oilet talk, . Yes, it happened! Considering Akshay and Bhumi are out with their film
titled ‘Toilet, Ek Prem Katha’ that deals with the issue of open defecation, I got both of them to get into BollywoodLife’s “Tatti Talk Challenge”. Basically the actors had to answer everything about what one does in the Toilet within 5 seconds and boy, it turned out to be so damn hilarious! Warning you for you might gross out a little but not without LOL-ing for at least 3 seconds after every answer. Especially because I also made them use a fart sound as their buzzer! Here, watch the video below and tell me if you don’t crack up!
It’s like if Twinkle Khanna is called Mrs Funnybones, Akshay is the Mr Funny Bone of Bollywood. And as far as Bhumi is concerned, I totally enjoyed watching her make the “pressure” sound after every question. Here’s sending more love to both of them for being such a sport and I really hope even you give them the same amount of love by watching their film – Toilet Ek Prem Katha at a theatre near you. Not only does it have a strong message but also because not all actors would have agreed to do a film like this! Kudos to Akshay and Bhumi!
Bollywood
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Bollywood
Saturday, September 30, 2017
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Saturday, September 30, 2017
W
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THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC) AND TERRITORIES, GOVERNED BY CANADIAN LAW. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. PROMOTIONAL PERIOD MAY 1, 2017 THROUGH OCTOBER 15, 2017. FULL RULES AT WWW. WINWITHWU.CA. ELIGIBILITY: This Promotion is open only to legal residents of Canada within all Canadian provinces and territories, 18 years of age [or the age of majority in the province or territory in which they reside] or older at the time of entry). THE INSTANT WIN GAME Enter using your MTCN Number, Visit www. winwithwu. ca and follow the on-screen instructions to play the “Win With WU” Instant Win Game and receive an Official Game Message. You will need to provide your complete name, email address and the last five (5) digits of your 10 digit Money Transfer Control Number (“MTCN”). NO PURCHASE/TRANSACTION NECESSARY. Eligible entrants who wish to receive a 5 digit unique Game Code to enter the Promotion without making a Qualifying Transaction can send an email to: winwithwuca@mkpromosource. com with the subject line: Western Union “Win With WU” Code Request. In the body of your email include the following Information: your complete name, address,
daytime phone number and age. Limit one Code Request per person per day. THE SWEEPSTAKES: By participating in the Instant Win Game, you will be automatically entered in the Sweepstakes drawing for a chance to win the Sweepstakes Grand Prize. Odds of winning the Sweepstakes Grand Prize depends on the number of eligible entries received. The random drawing will be conducted on 10/27/17 from among all eligible entries received during the Promotion Period to award one Grand Prize. Each confirmed Prize winner will also be required to correctly answer a mathematical skill question administered online/by mail/via telephone, at the Sponsor’s sole discretion, prior to the awarding of their prize. AVAILABLE PRIZES, REWARDS AND APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES (ARV): Instant Win Game Prizes: A total of One Hundred and Forty-Nine (149) Instant Win Prizes are available to be won as follows: Fifteen (15) $100 Vanilla® Prepaid MasterCards®; Fifty (50) $25 Metro gift cards; Two (2) $500 Cash prizes from Hasty Market; Eighty-two (82) Western Union limited edition “WUHOO” buttons (value not to exceed $3 each). Sweepstakes Prize: One (1) Grand Prize, consisting of a check in the amount of $10,000, awarded in the form of a check. The total approximate retail value of all prizes available to be won is $13,996. SPONSOR: Western Union Financial Services, (Canada) Inc., 330 Bay Street Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2S8. ADMINISTRATOR: Marden-Kane, Inc., 195 Froehlich Farm Blvd., Woodbury, NY 11797 USA.
AA
8
Telus
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Travelling elevator for the TELUS pitch lands in Vancouver for startup week Local small business owners will get their shot at winning $150,000 in prizing
With more than $150,000 in prizes on the line, the TELUS Pitch is here and offering Canadian entrepreneurs the chance to reap the rewards of their hard work through the largest small business contest payout in the country. TELUS has partnered with renowned entrepreneur, Arlene Dickinson, CEO of District Ventures Capital and judge on CBC’s Dragon’s Den to be the lead judge in this contest. Running until October 29, the TELUS Pitch is an annual competition aimed at accelerating success through the adoption of technology. For one lucky small business owner, it gives them the opportunity to receive $100,000 cash, and others a shot at $50,000 in additional prizing from TELUS Small Business Solutions, making it the largest payout in Canada GPS B TNBMM CVTJOFTT DPNQFUJUJPO tć F XJOOJOH TNBMM CVTJOFTT XJMM SFDFJWF t5XP SVOOFST VQ XJMM SFDFJWF t0OF TNBMM business that is giving back in a meaningful way to their local community will be selected by a panel of TELUS Community Investment team members to receive a $10,000 cash prize, plus an additional $10,000 to donate to the charity
PG UIFJS DIPJDF t0OF NPTU QSPNJTJOH TUBSUVQ that is making significant strides in the industry will be selected to receive $10,000 in cash and prizes of two Samsung devices and mentoring and marketing services from startup marketing firm EightyEight. “The inaugural TELUS Pitch is a contest we’re very proud of because the winners will receive so much more than cash prizes. We’ll provide e nt r e p r e n e u r s with national e x p o s u r e and connect them with the best minds in Canadian small business for ongoing support,� said Suzanne Trusdale, vicepresident of Small Business at TELUS. “Entrepreneurs are the heart of Canada’s economy, and we want to accelerate their success. These unique experiences are invaluable, and to have a shot at winning, entrepreneurs need only do what they do every day; pitch their business.� To help drive awareness of the TELUS Pitch contest, a life-sized custom elevator is travelling
the country, stopping at local small business events to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to step in and deliver their 60 second live “elevator� pitch. Entrepreneurs in Toronto were first to step inside the elevator when 20 small business owners were surprised with the opportunity to deliver their pitch directly to Dickinson and will be entered to compete with other contest entrants. Entrepreneurs are also invited to enter the competition online. “I’ve worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs over the course of my career and I know firsthand what it takes to build a successful business from the ground up; $100,000 when you’re a startup or an early-stage business is equivalent to winning the lottery. It means everything,� said Dickinson. “But the TELUS Pitch is not only providing financial support, it’s providing mentorship and resources to help Canadian small business owners achieve the next step in their dream, and I’m excited to take part.� Dickinson and Trusdale join four other successful Canadian business leaders and
small business experts as TELUS Pitch judges: Bruce Poon Tip, Founder of G Adventures; Sunil Sharma, Managing Director at Techstars
Toronto; Erin Bury, Managing Director of Eighty-Eight, and Mark Childs, Chief Brand Officer at Samsung Canada. Three semifinalists will be invited to pitch all six judges in Toronto on November 13 on how they plan to use the $100,000; the final winner will be announced live at the event. Stay tuned for more details about the Live Pitch event and exciting announcements and additional prizes throughout the contest period. For full contest details please visit: telus. com/pitch. About TELUS TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is Canada’s fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $13 billion of annual revenue and 12.8 million subscriber connections, including 8.7 million wireless subscribers, 1.7 million high-speed Internet subscribers, 1.3 million residential network access lines and 1.1 million TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video. TELUS is also Canada’s largest healthcare IT provider, and TELUS International delivers business process solutions around the globe. In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed over $482 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 7.7 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Created in 2005 by President and CEO Darren Entwistle, TELUS’ 12 Canadian community boards and 5 International boards have led the Company’s support of grassroots charities and have contributed more than $60 million in support of 5,595 local charitable projects, enriching the lives of more than 2 million children and youth, annually. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com. For media inquiries please contact: Jill Yetman TELUS Social and Media Relations Jill.yetman@ telus.com 416-992-2639 Morgan Craig Senior PR Manager, Eighty-Eight morgan@ eightyeightagency.com 416 944 2722
9
Saturday, September 30, 2017
BC-IBN’s third Diwali gala a grand success
BC-India Business Network’s 3rd Annual Grand Diwali Gala at Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver on September 22. Pictured above are the guests particiating in the event.
Vancouver - Over three hundred people including businessmen, dignitaries, community leaders and representatives from political parties attended BC-India Business Network’s 3rd Annual Grand Diwali Gala at Fairmont Waterfront Hotel on September 22, 2017. Among those who attended included Hon. Carla Qualtrough, Federal Minister of Civil Supplies and procurement, Hon. Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade & Technology, Hon. Harry Bains, Minister of Labour, Her excellency, Abhilasha Joshi, Consul General of India; MP Randeep Sarai, Ed Fast, former Minister of International Trade, prominent politician Stockwell Day, Former federal Minster Herb Dhaliwal; James Howey and Serge Corbeil from Air Canada, Kathy Kinlock, President of BCIT and Dr. Lane Trotter, President of Langara College. The occasion became even more
celebratory when Minister Carla Qualtrough and her Excellency Abhilasha Joshi unveiled a special stamp jointly released by Canada Post and India Post on the occasion of Diwali. “It is indeed an honor that the Minister has chosen BC-India Network’s Platform to release the stamps here in Vancouver. Diwali is one of India’s largest festivals and this gesture showcases the importance the federal government is giving to Canada-India relations,� said Mr. Vivek Savkur, Chairman Emeritus of BC-IBN. President of BC-IBN Catherine Sas, welcomed the audience to the Diwali Gala and thanked each and everyone for being so engaged with the organization. “It’s wonderful to note that BC-IBN is growing from strength to strength and we sincerely hope that more and more people would become members of our organization,� said Sas. She also announced an Awards
Gala that will be organized by BC-IBN in April next year and will honour both BC businesses doing work in India and Indian businesses making their mark here. “If you wish to nominate any business please visit our website� she said Speaking on the occasion, Hon. Bruce Ralston, Minster of Jobs, Trade & Technology said that the Government of British Columbia was committed to furthering trade with India and emphasized that he would work proactively with organizations such as BC-IBN to further improve trade. The audience were kept entertained throughout the evening with a host of scintillating dance performances and were also treated to a delicious Indian sponsors of two pairs of Premium Economy tickets from Vancouver to India and these were won by some very
lucky people in the audience. BC-IBN is a networking organization whose mandate is to facilitate trade between BC and India. They have organized a number of networking events which have been highly successful. Their next big project is a joint concert by famous Indian Composer Ricky Kej and his Team of Grammy Award winners along with a leading Philharmonic orchestra from BC in July 2018. “This concert will focus on the ravages of climate change, environment and the Green Peace movement and we are lucky to have SFU as our partners on this big project,� said Mr. Savkur. Savkur also announced project Horasis- Global India Business Meet which will attract approx. 300 businesses from India to BC. “This ambitious project in 2019 is aimed at boosting BC-India trade manifold,� he said.
10
Classifieds / Jobs
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Community / News
11
12
Auto
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Vol. 8 No. 35 - Saturday - September 30, 2017
Tel: 604-591-5423
E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com
14
Real Estate
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Real Estate
Saturday, September 30, 2017
15
Home sales stayed strong in August but experts predict change is coming
T
he association representing realtors in British Columbia says home sales remained healthy across the province in August, but it expects to see a change over the coming months. The B.C. Real Estate Association says 9,162 residential properties were sold in August. That’s a 2.4 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. The total dollar value of all sales climbed significantly to $6.2 billion, a 22 per cent jump from August 2016, while the association says the average property price was up 19.1 per cent to $678,186. Association chief economist Cameron Muir points to strong economic
conditions propelling the August sales, which he says mirror figures in July on a seasonally adjusted basis. But Muir also warns that climbing mortgage rates and home prices could dampen housing markets
this fall. “R i s i ng home prices combined with upward pressure on mortgage interest rates is expected to temper demand over the balance of the year,� Muir says in a news release. Year-to-date
Canada’s housing market seen headed for deceleration over next 5 years Amid tighter housing rules and rising interest rates, the Canadian real estate market is facing several years of “retrenchment� and slow price gains, a new report from Moody’s Analytics suggests. However, the moderation won’t be even across the country, says the author of the report. “Exact turning points are difficult to predict, but the combination of restricted mortgage lending, taxes on foreign purchases in the largest metro areas, and the expectation of higher mortgage rates means that house prices are likely to experience a slowdown in the next few years, especially if speculative home purchases in Toronto and Vancouver are reduced or shut down,� Moody’s director Andres Carbacho-Burgos said in the study. He said that while Greater Vancouver and Toronto will avoid any significant house price downturn, it is likely that Quebec, the Prairies, and the Atlantic
provinces will have at least minor house price corrections. Nationally, the price for a single-family house will undergo a “dramatic deceleration� when compared to the 14.5 per cent annualized growth rate seen in the second quarter, he said. That growth rate is projected to slow to 1.3 per cent between the second quarter of this year and the same quarter in 2022 Hamilton, Oshawa, Toronto buck the trend Ontario metropolitan areas will buck the trend, thanks to imbalances in several regions, with the price of singlefamily homes in Toronto expected to grow by average annualized rate of 7.7 per cent. Areas around Toronto are also expected to show prices gains over the same five-year period, with Oshawa to follow close behind Toronto at 7.5 per cent, while Hamilton is forecast to see 5.8 per cent annualized growth.
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figures in 2017 are still overshadowed by the sizzling first half of last year’s residential property market in B.C., with sales dollar volume down 15.9 per cent to $51.8 billion when compared with the first eight months of 2016. Residential sales dipped 15 per cent over the same period while the association says the average property price was down 1.1 per cent to $706,839. Douglas Todd: Tax avoidance behind Metro’s disconnect between housing, income After census figures this week revealed alarming gaps between housing costs and average incomes in Metro Vancouver, a veteran real-estate analyst‌
16
Garry Grewal
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