The Asian Star March 5 2016

www.theasianstar.com Vol 15 Issue 5

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Tel: 604-591-5423

2 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

LOCAL

Trudeau’s brother lobbies Liberals to not deport terrorist Mohamed Harkat Does sunny ways means keeping terrorists in Canada

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itics. In his letter, dated rime MinFeb. 27, Trudeau appealed ister Justin to Public Safety Minister Tr u d e a u ’s Ralph Goodale to halt the brother has written unfair security certificate to a federal cabinet process and end the govminister on behalf of ernment’s attempt to deOttawa’s Mohamed port Harkat.

Harkat, asking the “I urge you to use your Liberal government unique position as minto continue its “sunny ister, and the discretion ways” by allowing the Justin Trudeau with his younger afforded to you under the Algerian-born terror brother Alexandre law, to exempt Mohamed suspect to stay in CanHarkat from deportation and let him stay ada. Alexandre Trudeau, a Montreal-based and live a productive life in Canada, ” Alexfilmmaker, said he has a policy of not lobbyandre Trudeau wrote, adding: “Make this ing the Liberal government in any way, but decision of yours another shining example decided to make an exception in the Harkat case because his involvement in the cause of your government’s commitment to sunny predated his older brother’s entry into pol- ways.”

A terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist’:

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Tory senators vow to fight changes to citizenship laws for dual nationals

onservative senators are vowing to fight legislation that would restore the citizenship of dual nationals convicted of terrorism, by stalling its passage.

“A terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist,” said Sen. Daniel Lang, chairman of the Senate national security committee, mocking the “a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian” line from Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau during a leaders’ debate last fall.

The government’s Bill C-6, tabled in the Commons last week, seeks to repeal 2014 legislation brought in by the former Conservative government.

Bill C-24, known as the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, included a change to the Citizenship Act to strip citizenship from dual nationals convicted of terrorism, high treason or espionage. Britain and more than 2o European nations have similar laws.

Before C-24, Canadian citizenship could be revokedonlyincasesoffraudulentapplications.

Bill C-6 would restore citizenship to anyone affected by the existing law, including

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Zakaria Amara, convicted in 2010 as ringleader of the Toronto 18 terror group, which planned al-Qaida-style attacks to push Canada to abandon its military mission in Afghanistan. Amara can apply for parole this year.

No further action will be taken against nine other terrorists who had been told their citizenship was being revoked. They include an Iranian-Canadian and a Pakistani-Canadian imprisoned for a 2010 plan to bomb military bases in Canada.

“Most Canadians, when someone has planned and enacted a terrorist act in this country and they have dual citizenship, why would they be able to keep their Canadian citizenship?” said Lang.

OtherTorysenatorsareliningupbehindhim.

“When someone is convicted of such a heinous crime as (conspiring) to behead a prime minister or kill Canadians just because we happen not to have the same values, (and) we want to defend his citizenship?” said Sen. Leo Housakos, former speaker of the Senate.

Housing sales set record February pace in Vancouver, Toronto

We’ve upgraded our Greater Vancouver network.

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If you’re a WIND customer in the Greater Vancouver area you should have already noticed better ousing sales in Vancounetwork coverage, faster data speeds and improved call quality. We’ve added new equipment, additional ver and Toronto set a wireless spectrum and expanded our coverage in Richmond, Surrey, South Surrey, Langley, Aldergrove, record pace in February, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Burnaby, Vancouver, North Vancouver and as unseasonably warm weather and New Westminster, with more to come in the future. low interest rates kept buyers in-

terested. In Vancouver, residential property sales totalled 41,172, a 36 per cent increase from the previous year. High-end home sales booming in Toronto & Vancouver, Sotheby’s says Housing in Vancouver, Toronto ‘dangerously unaffordable,’ says RBC In Toronto, 7,621 houses and condos changed hands, a 21 per cent increase. In both cities, that was the strongest February on record. With so many buyers chasing real estate, prices continued to rise. RBC economists and CMHC analysts have both expressed concern about housing affordability in Toronto and Vancouver, as homes fall out of reach of most people with average incomes. In February, the composite price, including condos, detached homes, semi-detached and townhouses, rose 27 per cent in Vancouver and 11 per cent in Toronto. In the city of Toronto, the average price of a detached house rose 16 per cent to $1.2 million.

The pressure on housing prices in the 905 region just as great, with detached home prices rising 17 per cent to $816,705.

For a condo in Toronto, the average price is up 17 per cent at $435,579, while in the 905, condo prices rose just 1.6 per cent to $327,086.

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 15

Issue 5

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Tel: 604-591-5423

A crisp chat with mortgage expert Rajan Saggi

Electric vehicles to get HOV lane access in BC

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Former chair of UN panel charged with sexually harassing colleague

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he U.N. climate panel’s former chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, was charged Tuesday with stalking and sexually harassing a woman who worked at the New Rajendra Pachauri Delhi environmental think-tank he’s headed for more than three decades. Police filed the case in a Delhi court after investigating a complaint by one of Pachauri’s colleagues at The Energy Research Institute, Press Trust of India said.

Pachauri has denied the allegations, but resigned last year from both the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and from TERI after the researcher’s allegations were published in Indian newspapers. The allegations caused a public uproar in a country where women face a stigma against disContinued on page 7

Ex boyfriend admits shooting Batalia 5 times

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Gary Dhaliwal will be jailed on Monday for 21 years before parole

aple Batalia’s family and friends wept in a New West- der the hood when speaking with minster courtroom Thursday as they heard how her media outside the courthouse. ex-boyfriend shot her, cut her, and left her for dead in “It was a very, very small opena Surrey parkade 4 1/2 years ago. Gurjinder “Gary” Dhaliwal pled ing that that shell casing could guilty to the second-degree murder of Batalia, and the have got into, and 24-year-old will be sentenced to life in prison on Monday it matched the morning, with the Crown and defence jointly requesting shell casings that no chance of parole for 21 years. Gursimar Bedi, the cowere found at the defendant facing charges of manslaughter and accessory scene, thereby after the fact, had his trial adjourned until Monday afterestablishing that noon. According to an agreed statement of facts read by vehicle was the Crown prosecutor Wendy Stephen, Dhaliwal fired five one used in the shots at the 19-year-old victim from close range, hitting shooting,” said her three times in the torso, and then slashed her multiStephen, crediting ple times in the head with a knife just after 1 a.m. in the a “thorough” poGurjinder “Gary” Dhaliwal parkade of Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus on lice investigation.

Sept. 28, 2011. Batalia, who was an aspiring dermatologist, “It’s a circumstantial case and, as a model and actress, was still alive when first responders arrived on result, it takes a very long time to scene, but succumbed to her injuries about an hour later in hospi- pull it all together. It’s like putting tal. A bullet casing found under the hood of a rented white Dodge together a bazillion-piece jigsaw Charger Dhaliwal had taken to the murder scene wound up being puzzle without the picture on the Maple Batalia a key piece of evidence. Batalia’s blood was also found inside the cover of the box.” Batalia ended Charger once it was seized by police. Since there were no witnesses, her on-and-off relationship with Dhaliwal after learning he had been Stephen said it was “incredibly fortuitous” the shell was found un- unfaithful in August 2011, Continued on page 6

Plumbers give up $50,000 gold bar they found while renovating bathroom prentice, a job he found after he

R PICS held its major fund raiser ‘Black Tie Affair’ in Surrey last Saturday to raise funds for a new seniors’ extended care complex. Pictured above are chief guest Harjit S. Sajjan (second from left) Mrs Kuljit Sajjan (second from right) Bobby Pawar, PICS Board member (left) and PICS CEO and chief fund raiser Charan Gill. Photo by: Lisa King

are art, original comics, prized love letters, vintage newspapers, fancy jewelry — home contractors are used to finding odd treasures behind walls and under floors.

But in mid-February, Alif Babul and his brand new employee Dean Materi noticed something extra unusual amid a dusty pile of rubble while ripping apart a Calgary home’s bathroom.

It was Materi’s second day working with Babul as a plumbing ap-

was laid off from a gig in the crane industry in November.

“I seen a gold shimmery thing on the ground and I thought it was a copper light fixture,” Materi said.

“But when I went to shovel it up, it seemed kind of heavy. I picked it up and it was a gold brick.”

Materi inspected the cellphonesized one kilogram gold bar imprinted with a serial number and the stamp of a well-known jeweller.

4 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

By Ujjal Dosanjh

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EDITORIAL

Extradition rejection for accused in Jassi Sidhu case denies justice to this murdered woman

he decision of the British Columbia Court of Appeal in the Jassi Sidhu murder case to not extradite to India her mother and maternal uncle to face murder charges has left me angry — an angry Indian and an angry Canadian.

The court of appeal rested its rejection of the Indian request for extradition on the potential of the accused facing torture in Indian custody. The court refused to accept as sufficient the assurance provided to it by former Minister of Justice Peter McKay that Canadian consular officials would ensure the accused would be treated fairly in India.

Jassi Sidhu, who was brutally murdered, allegedly at the behest of her mother and uncle, continues to be denied justice. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police didn’t initially take seriously at all the criminality of the role of the accused in this case.

For the longest time the RCMP didn’t feel the murder of Canadian Jassi Sidhu in India was worth investigating. Then pressure from the activists and media mounted. The RCMP began the investigation and finally we are where we are: the court of appeal believes there is strong

evidence of murder against the accused; under ordinary circumstances the accused would have been ordered extradited by the court of appeal; however, according to the court the potential for torture, assaults and lack of ‘proper’ health care in Indian custody stands in the way of justice for Jassi Sidhu. India is not a perfect society. Its justice system is not perfect. But it is a democracy where there is the fear of exposure and denunciation for any wrong that may happen. And I do understand that denunciation after the fact is no comfort for the victims of wrongdoing by the state. But what is troubling about this decision is the implicit assumption that every Indian prison cell is a potential torture chamber. Jassi Sidhu’s murder is not the first time Canada has failed to do justice to victims of crime. The crimes of Canadian society against aboriginal Canadians in the form of cultural genocide of the residential schools are a case in point; another is the more recent neglect and lack of due diligence in the matter of missing and murdered aboriginal women in British Columbia and across Canada.

And there are many more such instances. The 1985 bombing of Air India (Kanishka) flight 182 was planned and executed on and from Canadian soil by Canadian citizens while the Canadian

security establishment was asleep at the switch.

The murder of 329 Air India passengers, mostly Canadians of Indian origin, happened under the very noses of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and for the longest time it was not thought of or treated as a Canadian tragedy; and that had to do with many in Canada believing that Canadian violence on Canadian soil victimizing Canadians — the perpetrators and the victims being Indians like me — was not a Canadian problem.

The fact of the initial — official and unofficial — Canadian disconnect from the truth of Canadian terror that blew up the Air India flight 182 over the ocean off the Irish coast had everything to do with racism at the time.

The trial of Air India accused Ripudaman Malik and Ajaib Bagri took place in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The accused were acquitted because the court found unreliable the evidence of many of the material witnesses who happened to be Canadians of Indian origin.

One may agree or disagree with, like or dislike the decision of the B.C. Court of Appeal in Jassi Sidhu’s murder.

What troubles me and leaves me angry is the terrible truth that circumstances and interna-

Letter to the Editor Donald Trump needs to be stopped in his tracks now Dear Editor, I was shocked and disappointed to read that US Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has accepted the endorsement of David Duke, the former Grand Dragon of White Supremacist gang Ku Klux Klan.

In doing so he has indicated that he doesn’t care for the long and hard fight for justice and equality that millions of coloured people around the world have fought. I have personally been a target of David Duke’s venom and vicious racist behaviour. David Duke in 1980 came to BC with the intention of establishing a branch of KKK here. He spewed venom and preached hatred on radio stations resulting in many other racist organizations Continued on page 6

tional failings continue to conspire against justice for the brutal taking of Jassi Sidhu’s life.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

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Local

6 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

Ex boyfriend admits shooting Batalia 5 times because she dumped him From page 1 but he repeatedly contacted the victim in an attempt to reconcile. Dhaliwal called and texted Batalia more than 4,500 times in the six weeks leading up to the murder.

Dhaliwal then started showing up unannounced to confront Batalia in person, once at the former Mirage Nightclub and days before the murder at a Tim Hortons, where Batalia was meeting with a male high school friend.

Dhaliwal hit the friend and then tried again to convince Batalia to reconcile when the two went for a short drive, but she refused. Upon returning to her car, a struggle ensued when Dhaliwal tried to take her phone, with Batalia scraping her elbows during the incident.

Dhaliwal called the male friend on Sept. 25, telling him to stay away from Batalia. Stephen said Dhaliwal and Bedi went to a car rental agency the same day and rented the Charger under Bedi’s name.

On Sept. 26, Dhaliwal purchased a knife at Guildford Town Centre. He had previously obtained a nine-millimetre gun, intending to

use the weapons to confront the male friend.

Dhaliwal and Bedi went to the SFU campus that night, but left after Bedi found Batalia alone. The following night, the accused returned to SFU and Bedi found Batalia with the male friend. Dhaliwal became “enraged” when he saw them hug as the two departed, and then carried out the fatal attack on Batalia.

The judge has discretion to set parole ineligibility between 10 and 25 years. Stephen said the 21 years requested by both sides is long for a case involving just one victim, but she cited the domestic violence context and the use of a firearm in a public place as “aggravating factors.” “In this country, people are allowed to break up, and ‘no’ does mean ‘no,’” said Stephen. “She was a fine young woman who was shot down as she embarked on adulthood.

This is a very, very horrible case.”

Sentencing was delayed so that the victim’s sister, who was out of the country on Thursday, could participate when victim impact statements are delivered. Batalia’s family declined comment until after sentencing.

Fraser Valley teens face charges over driveby shooting

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raser Valley teens face slew of charges over drive-by shooting and police chase on Vancouver Island Fraser Valley teens face slew of charges over drive-by shooting and police chase on Vancouver Island Two teens have been charged in connection with a drive-by shooting and lengthy police chase through Nanaimo on Tuesday. Surrey resident Armaan Singh Chandi, 18, and Inderpal Singh Aujla, 19, of From page 4

Mission face six charges, including attempted murder, dangerous operation of a vehicle and reckless use of a firearm. The pair were arrested in Duncan Tuesday afternoon following a chase that began in Nanaimo. The pursuit was initiated by reports of multiple gunshots being fired into an occupied car. The lone male occupant was not harmed. Chandi and Aujla remain in custody pending their next court appearance on Friday.

Letter to the Editor

such as Skin Head International and Aryan Nation to crop up here as well.

This resulted in many South Asian homes being bombed and I as President of BC organization to Fight Racism was personally attacked as well. But steadfast in our resolve to oppose him, we carried out protests with over 2000 people marching on streets against him. I am glad that we were successful in driving him away from BC. By refusing to denounce the endorsement of David Duke, Trump is clearly signalling that his agenda is

racist and divisive. I fear that the great work done by the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King will be greatly undermined if Donald Trump is not stopped in his tracks now. I therefore urge everyone who holds social justice and equality close to their hearts and especially South Asians who have friends and relatives in the US to STOP supporting Donald Trump immediately.

Truly, Dr. Charan Gill, MA., M.S.W., O.B.C. Chief Executive Officer, PICS

Yellow Cab driver with elected members of their association at the elections held on March 1, in Vancouver. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

aman@ewfinancial.ca

LOCAL

Guests at the 12th annual Sahara Sisters fundraiser in Vancouver on February 28. $18,500 was given to various organizations. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

From page 1

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Former chair of UN panel charged

ussing issues such as sexual harassment in the workplace. His appointment last month to another top post at TERI renewed outrage, and a second woman, who had worked there for a year, came forward with additional allegations. The court scheduled an initial hearing on April 23. Separate from the police investigation, TERI’s internal complaints committee examined the evidence presented by the researcher, and questioned nearly 50 other employees, and concluded that the allegations of sexual harassment levelled by the researcher were valid. Police have charged

Pachauri, 75, with sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation of the 29-year old woman. Pachauri had headed the four-decade-old think-tank for the last 34 years, when it emerged as a global centre for research in efficient utilization of energy and sustainable use of natural resources. It has affiliate institutes in London and Washington. Pachauri chaired the climate panel — considered the world’s authority on climate science — since 2002, and had accepted the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on its behalf.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

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8 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

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PERSON OF THE WEEK

A crisp chat with mortgage expert Rajan Saggi

uying a home is one of the best experiences and that is where the need of mortgage brokers come into the picture. As of today’s scenario there are huge number of mortgage groups in the market and it gets very tough for one to find the right fit. Someone who could cater to the needs of the client, someone who could show them a clear picture of the situation rather than sugar coating things and over promising them.

The Asian Star recently got a chance to talk to one of the most experienced and reliable mortgage broker who is highly passionate about helping people to deal with mortgage issues.

Graduating with commerce majors and having a background in finance management in his own business from Punjab, India, Mr. Rajan Saggi now helps people to manage their finances.

Rajan is a Mortgage consultant who came to Canada in 2005 and started his career in sales. After which he decided to enter the Finance Industry. He now has 12 years of experience in the field and has a franchisee of the most renowned The Mortgage Group.

Talking about putting his step in the field, Rajan smiled, “It was not out of chance. I am a B.Comm and was handling banking side of my business in India. I am good with numbers. So, I thought to utilize this skill and be a reason for others to smile.”

“After coming to Canada I

during my initial years, she helped me a lot with clientele.”

Talking about his best experience in the field, Rajan said,” I have recently done mortgage consultancy for one family in Vancouver.

They were living in a two-bedroom basement from past three generations and the great grandfather was in tears once they entered their home.”

For Rajan, it is more of a sense of responsibility to help someone out with the decision of purchasing their first home in Canada.

“People usu-

started from the scratch. I started my career as a salesman but realised that I had to do something on my own to survive. As I had experience in handling finances already, I decided to pursue this field ahead.”

Rajan is a big time family oriented person who likes to spend time with his wife and children.

For his success in the field, Rajan gives the credit to his wife,” I am highly thankful to my wife for her support and encouragement.

She holds a big share in my success. She helps people with life insurances and

Rajan Saggi

Sadhu Johnston named as the new city manager for Vancouver

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ancouver city council has selected Sadhu Johnston as the new city manager, after former manager Penny Ballem was fired last fall.

Johnston, the former deputy manager, has been working as the interim manager since Ballem’s departure Sept. 15.

Vancouver mayor Gregor Roberston said in a statement Thursday that he is thrilled Johnston is the new manager.

“Sadhu has demonstrated outstanding leadership at both the local and international level and has helped drive innovation across the organization,” he said.

“Council believes that he has the right skill set and vision to help take Vancouver to the next level as we tackle our affordability challenges and make Vancouver an even better city to live in.”

Johnston had been deputy manager since 2009, leading work on the city’s Greenest City Action Plan. He has also overseen extensive work on Vancouver’s emergency response preparations.

ally get confused at the time of Mortgage consultation because there are a lot of mortgage advisors in the market.

However, my advice to them is to go for a consultant who is clear, upfront and honest”, told Rajan.

Rajan is a very organised consultant who, before giving any suggestion to the clients, studies the situation briefly, analyses it and then derives the best possible options for them.

“I am straightforward. I don’t like giving fake hopes to anyone as I study a situation after putting myself into my client’s shoes”, told Rajan.

“I babysit my clients to make them ready in order to provide best of the services. I give them the facts than giving the wrong hopes”, told Rajan.

Apart from being a mortgage broker, Rajan likes to keep himself physically fit, socialise with people around and keeping himself occupied.

For budding professionals, Rajan says it is very important to analyse the client’s situation very deeply before suggesting any product. Also, he told that it is very important for everyone to maintain their credit properly.

Rajan, unlike other advisors is available for his clients 24/7. “I like to work on mutual benefit. If a client is happy, I get satisfield”, said Rajan.

For details please call: 604-767-5050 Or email: saggi.rajan@gmail.com

Vancouver home sells for more than $1M over asking price A Vancouver real estate agent says even she was shocked when a Point Grey home sold for more than $1 million over its asking price. The house was listed mid-February for $7,888,000, and sold for $9,000,060 a week later, Bo Park of Sutton West Coast Realty told. “I’ve been doing this for close to 25 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Park said. Vancouver teardown in Point Grey sells for almost $2.5M “Just before we listed [the house] two agents approached the sellers offering $7.6 million with deposit cheques in hand, so we thought we’d try for $7.8.”

Eleven offers were submitted on the property, which had been with the same owner for over 30 years. “[It was] more like a teardown,” Park said.

“We had 10 offers from Chinese families,” Park said. “I believe they all had Vancouver

home addresses. A good half didn’t speak English at all well.” In the end, the house was purchased by a young Chinese couple with two children, who, Park says, had been looking for the perfect Point Grey plot for over a year. “What’s unique about this property is the view is spectacular, you can see from downtown all the way to Horseshoe Bay.” She said as far as she knows, the buyers plan to rent out the house for a year or two while they go through permit applications to build a new one. Park said that the situation is equally crazy at the entry level of the market, noting that she was recently the buyer’s agent on a one-bedroom condo in Kitsilano.

It was listed for $429,000, received eight offers, and Park’s clients signed for $495,000.

“You know you have to go above asking in this market right now,” she said. “I absolutely feel bad for buyers.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Canada sells off almost all its gold reserves, leaving just 77 ounces — or less

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he government of Canada has wound down its gold reserves to basically nothing after a multiyear strategy of selling them off in favour of hoarding other countries’ currencies instead.

According to the Department of Finance’s official international reserves data released Thursday, Canada’s gold reserves were down effectively to $0 as of the end of February.

That’s the value that Ottawa assigns its gold holdings from an accounting perspective.

In fact, Ottawa still has 77 ounces of gold, worth about $130,000 Canadian at current market prices. All of that consists of gold coins, as opposed to large bullion bricks that the government once hoarded. The price of

gold surged to its highest level in more than a year on Friday at $1,274.70 US an ounce.

Ottawa’s gold holdings peaked in the 1960s at more than 1,000 tonnes. But the government has been steadily selling off its gold holdings ever since. By 2003, Ottawa was down to 3.4 tonnes, which it has now almost entirely sold. Figures show Canada sold 41,106 ounces of gold coins in December and another 32,860 ounces of gold coins in January. Last month, the government sold off another 21,851 in February. “The decision to sell the gold was not tied to a specific gold price, and sales are being conducted over a long period and in a controlled manner,� Finance Department spokesman David Barnabe wrote.

Witness thought Vancouver gunshots were firecrackers — until he saw muzzle flashes

A

t first, Brent Morrison thought the told a jury that after he heard the loud bangs loud noises he heard were fire- that seemed like fireworks or firecrackers, he crackers or fireworks set off by saw a man come out between two cars about kids in his Vancouver neighborhood. a block away and fall to the street.

Then the TV and film industry worker saw Then he saw two people standing near the muzzle flashes and realized man pointing their arms that shots had been fired. “I’ve worked down at him. “I’ve worked in film for 10 Morrison figured it in film for 10 might be a practical joke years and been around live years and been being played on the man ammunition on multiple sets,� Morrison explained on the ground, but then around Thursday during his testimosaw muzzle flashes from live ammuniny at a murder trial. the hand of one of the tion on multiple Two men — Colin Stewpeople pointing downsets,� art and Kevin Jones — have wardsThe pair started to pleaded not guilty to the Seprun from the area and tember 2009 first-degree murder of Rajinder once they got to 19th Avenue, they were Soomel, a resident of a halfway house who lost from sight, said Morrison. “They were was shot to death in an apparent case of mis- pretty motivated to get out of there. It was a taken identity. Morrison said he had returned high rate of speed.� When the two men dishome and of parked vehicle nearforthcoming appeared, Morrison out his cellphone, This from is a work PROOF yourhisad in the edition gotContract# his at West 19th and Cambie.Pages He called of residence the Indo-Canadian Business ‘2014 911 and approached the CALL: man604.502.6100 on the ANY QUESTION, READY FOR PRESS

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10 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

LOCAL

Trudeau, premiers agree to climate plan framework, but no specifics on carbon pricing

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rime Minister Justin Trudeau and the provincial premiers emerged from their meeting in Vancouver to say they are working toward a national climate change plan that includes an agreement in principle for a carbon-pricing mechanism — although they did not offer specifics on how it would work.

“The agreement as spelled out in the declaration, that the transition to a low-carbon economy will happen by a broad suite of measures that will include pricing carbon, that is something that we have all committed to,” said Trudeau Ottawa willing to impose carbon price if impasse drags on Trudeau under fire for not inviting some indigenous groups Northern premiers join forces on carbon tax Trudeau said a price on carbon is an essential tool in the effort to fight climate change and the leaders would continue to work together to meet that end, taking into consideration the varying challenges of the different provinces and territories.

First Ministers Meeting 20160303 Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, centre, and Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, right, listen to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the during the first ministers meeting in Vancouver. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press) “The working group that we have put together will dig into the mechanisms that will be most effective, and most appropriate, for each jurisdiction, recognizing that there are areas that face greater challenges,” he added.

Trudeau was meeting with his provincial and territorial counterparts in Vancouver at the first ministers meeting on climate change and the environment.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (middle) and the provincial premiers emerged after meeting in Vancouver Sources told CBC News earlier Thursday that Trudeau was digging in his heels on the need for a national price on carbon, something the premiers were said to be balking at. The government had signalled going into the talks that it wouldn’t allow carbon price talks to drag on indefinitely.

A federal source confirmed there was movement later in the day, saying they were in a bad spot, but the tone shifted when, as one source put it, the federal government finally agreed to put “water in its wine.”

Media placeholder Wall says pursuing national carbon tax is not his understanding 2:09 Provinces ‘stepped up’ After the meetings Trudeau said that for the past 10 years there was no federal leadership on the climate change file and in that vacuum the provinces “stepped up” and took a leadership role. He said 80 per cent of Canadians now live under some sort of carbon pricing and the “federal government will not undo what the provinces have done, we will add to it.”

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who is the most outspoken critic of a nationally imposed price on carbon, welcomed

Saturday, March 5, 2016

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92 year-old Indian Field Hockey legend, Balbir Singh honored at the at the B.C. Legislature

Legendary field hockey player, Balbir Singh (in red turban) was honored at the BC Legislature this week. Singh won three Olympic Gold medals in field hockey. The first was in 1948 in London, India’s first gold medal as a sovereign nation. He won the second Gold in Helsinki Olympics. He led his team in scoring, including setting an Olympic and Guinness Record in the final when he scored 5 goals. That record stands to this day.” He is pictured here with NDP MLA Harry Bains (right) NDP leader John Horgan and NDP MLA Raj Chouhan.

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Probe into man’s in-custody death

man arrested Wednesday night by Surrey RCMP has died. Investigators from the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. were deployed to the scene at about 8 p.m., the office confirmed Thursday. According to Surrey RCMP, officers responded to reports about a man causing a disturbance. He was arrested without

incident and subsequently collapsed, police said. The man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. “The initial focus of the IIO investigation will be to determine if there is a connection between the male’s death and the actions or inactions of the officers,” spokesman Marten Youssef said in a press release.

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B.C. students being squeezed by ‘sneaky’ fee hikes, says NDP

ritish Columbia’s colleges and universities are being allowed to squeeze hundreds of extra dollars from students despite a two per cent cap on tuition fees, the NDP says.

On Thursday, the party’s advanced education critic Kathy Corrigan produced documents in the legislature from North Island College president John Bowman explaining the reasons for a new resource fee of $5 per course credit.

“Earlier this year, the ministry advised B.C.’s colleges they had a new interpretation of the Tuition Limit Policy, which enables institutions to implement mandatory student fees,” Bowman said in a November 2015 president’s newsletter.

“This fee will not be used to balance the budget but it will relieve financial pressure to find funding in our current budget to expand services that students need and want.”

Jenelle Davies, secretary-treasurer of

the Canadian Federation of Students, which represents more than 200,000 students in 15 universities and colleges in B.C., said the fee hikes start at about $200.

An increase of $2,000 is expected in September for a pharmacy technician program at Vancouver Community College, she said.

“They are trying to make up the shortfalls in their budgets by implementing new fees,” Davies said.

She called on Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson to review each fee increase on a case-by-case basis to justify fee hikes despite a decade-long two per cent cap.

“It’s a sneaky move,” Corrigan said.

“They are trying to say they have a two per cent cap at the same time they are sneaking around the corner and allowing them to add a whole bunch of fees that are very clearly not allowed under the policy.”

Corrigan cited documents from Selkirk College in Castlegar, where a proposed new-stu-

Hamed Shafia should have been tried as youth for ‘honour killing,’ his sisters

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awyers for a man convicted along age daughters and Mohammad Shafia’s with his parents of the so-called first wife in his polygamous marriage. honour killings of four female They are all serving life sentences with no eligibility of parole for 25 family members are alleging that he years, but had Hamed Shafia been was only 17 at the time of his arrest tried as a young offender and givand should have been tried as a youth. en an adult sentence of life, he would Hamed Shafia’s legal team made the argument in the Court of Appeal for Onbe eligible for parole after 10 years.

Dates of birth not so importtario Thursday. They said newly discovered government documents show their ant in Afghan society, lawyer says client, who immigrated to Canada from Hutchison told the court that in many Afghanistan with his family in 2007, was Middle Eastern cultures, dates of birth actually a year younger than originally don’t hold the same significance that they believed at the time do in Western society. of his arrest in 2009.

He said there is a “caThe bodies of Rona sualness assigned to Amir Mohammad, dates of birth in Af58, and the three ghan and other Middle Eastern societies.”

Shafia sisters: Zainshafia canal murders ab, 19, Sahar, 17, A photo showing the and Geeti, 13, were wedding of Rona Amir found in a submerged Hamed Shafia Mohammad and Mocar near a Rideau Canall lock in Kingston, Ont., hammad Shafia in Afghanistan around on June 30, 2009. (trial evidence) 1980. Shafia was in a polygamous marThat would have made him 17 and riage with Mohammad and his secsubject to the Youth Criminal Jusond wife, Tooba Yahya, at the time of his arrest. (Handout/Canadian Press) tice Act, meaning, for example, that Hutchison said the new evidence inthere would have had to have been cludes three documents from Afghania hearing to determine whether or not he should be tried as an adult. stan: a certificate of live birth, a census “Onus is on the Crown to prove document and a government identity age beyond a reasonable doubt,” document. He said the age discrepansaid Shafia’s lawyer, Scott Hutchison. cy came to light when Shafia’s father If Shafia had been charged as a youth, it wanted to transfer property in Afghanistan and asked someone in the coun“would have caused a significantly different trial for this accused and a different try to prepare the required paperwork. outcome for this accused,” Hutchison said.

Hutchison said Afghan officials in Shafia and his parents, Mohammad Kabul and at the country’s embassy in Shafia and Tooba Yahya, were convictOttawa confirmed in writing that the documents are authentic and unaltered. ed of first degree murder in 2012 for Crown lawyers, however, argued that the the deaths of the couple’s three teen-

LOCAL

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Senior Green quits over lack of leadership debate

mutiny against Green leader Elizabeth May accelerated on Thursday when an official resigned over the refusal by the party’s ruling body to allow a debate on May’s leadership.

Colin Griffiths, chair of the party’s internal nominations and elections fairness committee, said the decision sprung from his failure to convince other members of the federal council during a Sunday conference call to accept his viewpoint.

The party is asking about 20,000 members to vote by email by next month on whether they support May’s continued leadership. If she gets less than 60 per cent, a leadership convention would be held.

However, the party has rejected pleas from Griffiths and other senior party members who say there should be a public online forum to debate May’s leadership and the direction she’s taken the party.

May easily won her Saanich-Gulf Islands seat in the October election, but for the second federal election in a row the party’s share of the vote shrank.

Griffiths, in a letter on Thursday to other federal council members and May’s “shadow cabinet,” said this is akin to Quebec holding a separation referendum without having a de-

bate on the merits of staying versus leaving.

Griffiths refused to do an interview Thursday, but The Vancouver Sun obtained a copy of his Thursday letter to members and a more explicit one to party president Bob MacKie on Monday.

“Greater engagement by members is something that I feel is essential in a democratic leadership review,” he wrote to MacKie. “Further, our failure to accommodate a mechanism of wider discussion, given the strong feelings that have already been voiced within council and cabinet emails, will very likely result in a more acrimonious and divisive process.”

May, in an interview Wednesday in response to three party dissidents who are also arguing for a leadership debate, said the party is simply following the constitution by conducting the review without a formal debate.

But Griffiths argued in his letter Thursday that the party could have provided an opportunity for a party-wide discussion while staying within the constitution.

“To put in place such a process does not run counter to the constitution, and would be fully consistent with our avowed democratic principles.”

Missing persons investigation finds human remains at Tsawwassen house

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uman remains have been found at an unoccupied house in Tsawwassen, Delta Police confirmed Thursday afternoon.

The house — on the 2000 block of Tsawwassen Drive — had been searched by a forensics team as part of a missing person investigation.

The search was prompted by information that a 33-year-old man reported missing to Surrey RCMP was believed to have been on the property, Acting Sgt. Sarah Swallow said.

Police are now working to confirm the identity of the human remains found, and the cause of death, but said Swallow, at this stage, they believe the dis-

covery is connected to the missing person.

Swallow said police do not believe there is a wider, public safety issue.

The house is on Tsawwassen First Nation land, but police do not believe the case is connected to the TFN.

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Vancouver police warn public about high-risk sex offender

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Police have released a photo of Burrows, whom they describe as six feet one public warning about a highinch tall, weighing 260 pounds, risk offender with black hair and brown eyes. who plans to live in Burrows has to observe a Vancouver. James Burnumber of conditions to rerows, 56, was convicted main in the community, inof four sexual assaults cluding not to possess alcoagainst women between hol or illegal drugs; not to the ages of 72 and 93. enter any beer or wine stores, The federal offender and not to access pornography. is out of jail on statHe also has to report any utory release, but an intimate sexual or non-sexassessment by the High risk sex offender ual relationships with womJames Burrows, 56 Correctional Service en to his parole supervisor. of Canada concludes Burrows is a “high risk for violent Police ask anyone who sees Burrows and sexual re-offending, in particviolating the conditions of ular he poses a risk of significant his release to call 911. harm to the safety of elderly women.” ancouver police have issued a

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Surrey employee fired for texting while girl stuck on climbing wall

British Columbia climbing company has fired an employee for ignoring a crying child stuck on a climbing wall.

The mother of the upset girl took the video and posted it on Facebook on Wednesday.

The video, which was no longer available on Facebook as of Friday morning, showed a female Funtopia Surrey employee on her phone a few metres away for almost a minute.

“My daughter is crying up there and she is ON HER PHONE TEXTING!!!” the mother wrote online.

‘Not acceptable’ Funtopia Surrey’s general manager Yasen Nikolov said the video was disturbing and the employee was fired Thursday.

“Obviously that’s not acceptable. It shouldn’t have happened at all,” he said.

“This particular employee has broke at least three internal rules, starting with no phones outside of the employees room.

I took one look at that video and said we can’t keep such an employee around.”

Nikolov said the woman had worked at

the company for less than six months, but had received training. He said he’s apologized on behalf of the company to the mother and refunded her money.

Nikolov said while he’s not trying to excuse the employee’s behaviour, the child was not in any danger and was wearing a safety harness.

Mother’s actions queried Several people on social media have questioned the actions of the mother, saying she should have gone to her daughter’s rescue instead of recording it.

“It’s the world we now live in: Take pictures first, then help,” said one commenter on Facebook.

However, the mother said she wanted proof, claiming the climbing instructor had been on her phone prior to her recording as well.

“It broke my heart not to run and help my daughter right away,” she said, “but I needed to capture this as evidence.

“When class first started she was on her phone — didn’t even instruct Sephora to warm up. I did! Didn’t do stretches with Sephora. I did, while she was on her phone!”

Disturbing video that showed workers viciously beating cows leads to 20 charges of animal cruelty

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wenty counts of animal cruelty have been laid against a dairy farm and seven of its employees in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, about 18 months after a disturbing video surfaced showing farm animals being viciously beaten. Sixteen of the counts are related to cruelty against cows and four concern treatment of a pigeon, the SPCA said. Chilliwack Cattle Sales Ltd. and five of its corporate directors have also been charged with causing or permitting animals to be in distress — the first time a B.C. company has been held accountable for acts of cruelty on a farm, the SPCA says in a news release. Spokeswoman Marcie Moriarty said the agency received an undercover video in June 2014 showing dairy cows being beaten with chains, canes and rakes, and being kicked and punched after they were trapped and could not escape the abuse. “The images in this case were distressing and clearly unacceptable,” she says in a statement. “British Columbians

are increasingly concerned about the treatment of farm animals and we look forward to continuing to work with government and industry on solutions to prevent further neglect and abuse among the 100 million farm animals raised in B.C. each year.” She says six employees are each charged with causing distress to an animal and failing to care for

and protect an animal under the Protection of Cruelty to Animals Act. Three of the workers, along with an additional seventh person, face an additional two charges related to lifting a cow by a chain and kicking and hitting the animal. Four of the employees also face a charge under a section of the Wildlife Act that deals with injuring or destroying a bird, says a statement from the Criminal Justice Branch. No further details were provided about the charge related to the alleged treatment of a pigeon. =In June 2014, the SPCA recommended the province lay charges of animal cruelty against the company and a handful of its employees

Bosnian war crimes lab ID’s remains found in BC as teen who disappeared 35 years ago

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taff at Bosnia’s ICMP lab have developed unique skills and protocols for extracting DNA from skeletal human remains damaged by water, weather, and the ravages of time, in order to identify missing people. (ICMP) A Bosnian lab that specializes in identifying victims of war crimes has been able to link human remains found in northern British Columbia two decades ago to a Prince Rupert teenager who went missing in 1981.

The case of Robert (Bob) William Johnston has confounded investigators for 35 years.

Johnston was 19 years old when he disappeared from his hometown on B.C.’s North Coast. Despite an extensive search, he was never seen again.

Fourteen years after Johnston’s disappearance, hikers found skeletal remains on Mount Hays. The coroner was summoned, but the technology of the day could only determine that the bones belonged to a young man.

The remains were tested for DNA again in 2000 and 2002, but the results were inconclusive.

The bones were confirmed as belonging to Johnston by the International Commission on Missing Persons laboratory, which developed its advanced techniques and protocols as it worked to identify bones found in unmarked or mass graves.

‘We never gave up on him’ Johnston’s family was notified of the major development in the missing persons case.

“After 35 long years, waiting for Bob to come home, we’ve learned he’s been home all along,” Johnston’s family wrote in his recent obituary. His mother, brother, and sisters have requested privacy as they mourn.

The BC Coroners Office reached out to the Bosnian lab for help with 24 of its most difficult cold cases because of the ICMP’s skill at extracting DNA from old bones.

Laurel Clegg, the manager of the identification and disaster response unit for the BC Coroners Service, says getting DNA from old bones is difficult because over time water and weather break down the things which protect DNA and make it harder to get a sample from skeletal remains.

LOCAL

Canada Post employee caught with $3,000 stash of gift cards stolen from mail

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Canada Post employee who stole gift cards out of the mail will serve a probation term and perform 100 hours of community service to pay for the theft.

Anna M. Heinbigner, 51, pleaded guilty Monday in Saskatoon provincial court to theft. Her crime was discovered after a company complained that gift cards weren’t reaching their destinations.

When Canada Post looked into it, a Saskatoon postal facility was identified as a point of concern, Crown prosecutor Val Adamko said in court. Internal video showed Heinbigner removing the gift cards, and when Canada Post management confronted her, she admitted the thefts.

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“It’s serious, of course, because a Canada Post employee is in such a position of trust,” Adamko said.

Saskatoon police officers arrived and Heinbigner led them to $3,000 worth of unused gift cards that were in her vehicle. An estimated further $1,000 worth of gift cards was not recovered.

“There is no rational explanation for this, your honour,” H e i n b i g n e r ’s lawyer, Kevin Hill, said in court during her sentencing. The closest explanation, he said, was that Heinbigner had some unresolved grief issues, for which she has since started taking personal counselling. Following the thefts,

Vancity posts strong results and boosts membership

ancity continued its strong rate of growth in 2015, as the values-based financial co-operative added $1.2 billion to its consolidated balance sheet and welcomed 29,276 new members.

Assets reached $19.8 billion in 2015, which is a 6.8-per-cent increase over 2014. Total assets plus assets under administration are now $23.9 billion, a 6.7-per-cent increase, or $1.5 billion, over 2014.

The credit union’s net new membership also increased by 10,728 and the total number of Vancity members as of December 31, 2015, was 519,736. This growth in membership, combined with the greater financial footprint, will allow Vancity to further enhance the impact it has in the community.

Vancity’s net income in 2015 was higher than expected at $65.1 million. This was due in part to strong growth in the credit union’s volume of business, increased lending to small businesses (a key strategic priority) and the sale of part of Vancity’s commercial loan portfolio, which generated a one-time gain of $12.6 million.

Demand for residential mortgages also remained high, supported by historically low interest rates.

As part of its vision to redefine wealth and build healthy communities that are financially, socially and environmentally sustainable, Vancity allocates 30 per cent of its net income each year to members and community partners. This figure reached $19.5 million in 2015, up from $16.4 million the previous year. The funds will be allocated over the course of 2016.

Vancity measures its performance not just in terms of financial success, but also in terms of the positive impact it has in the communities where its members live and work. One key measure is the percentage of Vancity loans that have a direct positive impact on the community -- 49.1 per cent in 2015 versus 49.7 per cent in 2014. Another is how much profit Vancity generates with every unit of member equity. The return on members’ equity (ROME) before the distribution of Shared Success was 7.8 per cent in 2015. After the 30-per-cent Shared Success payout, ROME was 6.2 per cent.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

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Ex-hockey pro from Port Coquitlam gets jail time for ‘unsophisticated heists’

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oin dependency and a string former pro hockof “unsophisticated heists.” ey player hung his The defence counsel’s submishead Monday in sions included a letter written provincial court in Vancouthree weeks ago by Leavold’s ver, when a judge advised 10-year-old stepdaughter for him not to disappoint the a school project about heroes. stepdaughter looking up to Judge Gregory Rideout silently him as he tries to rebuild read the letter in court and said a life once full of promise. to Leavold: “Your stepdaughBrady Ron Leavold, ter’s letter is powerful. You know a 28-year-old Port Cothat you’ve got someone out quitlam native who played Brady Leavold, there who considers you a hero. in pro and junior leagues former pro hockey player So don’t let her down. OK?” around North America, Given the chance to address Ridewas sentenced Monday to 21 months in jail out, Leavold said: “I just want to apologize to minus time served, after pleading guilty to you, to the community, to my parents. I’m just a robbery charge and 10 lesser counts, inlooking forward to starting my life over again.” cluding theft and resisting a peace officer.

The most serious charge involved Leavold He has been in custody since November. robbing a taxi driver at knifepoint in Port CoThe crimes were committed, court heard quitlam in 2013, said Crown counsel Jonas Dow. Monday, while Leavold struggled with an More recently, court heard, Leavaddiction that started with prescription old committed a series of thefts last painkillers for a hockey injury, curtailed fall at Vancouver-area liquor stores. his hockey career and escalated into her-

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16 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

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Ottawa to eliminate rule used to crack down on marriage fraud

he federal Liberals are about to remove one of the major components of the previous government’s campaign against marriage fraud that typically involved immigration applicants from China and India.

Immigration Minister John McCallum was quoted in The Hill Times newspaper saying he plans to move in “a matter of months” to fulfill a 2015 election promise to end the two-year probation period before overseas spouses sponsored by their Canadian partners obtain permanent residency status.

That measure was brought in by the former Conservative government in 2012 in response to a growing number of fraud cases that eventually resulted in the Canada Border Service Agency warning in a 2013 report that “marriages of convenience,” especially from India and China, represented a “threat to the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.”

A second component of that 2012 initiative, which prevented anyone who has sponsored or has been sponsored under the spousal program from using it again for five years, isn’t being changed.

One Vancouver immigration lawyer said Monday that anecdotal evidence (the government has yet to make public the official data) suggests that the 2012 measures have been effective.

The two-year delay has had “the desired effect of discouraging this kind of behaviour.

So if you eliminate that, I wouldn’t be surprised if (marriage fraud) went back up again,” said Andrew Wlodyka, a former assistant deputy chair with the appeal division of the Immigration and Refugee Board.

“But the government has made this decision, and they’re going to have to live with the consequences.”

Geeta Ghardwaj, a settlement worker for Punjabi immigrants at Abbotsford Community Services, said she noticed a “significant” reduction in marriage fraud cases as a result of the 2012 policy changes.

But other immigration specialists praised the pending move, saying the two-year delay had unintended consequences that put new immigrants, especially women, in a vulnerable position.

B.C. applies for injunction to remove homeless campers from Victoria tent city

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he British Columbia government has filed a court application to evict the remaining homeless campers from a tent city occupying the lawn of Victoria’s courthouse.

A notice of application filed in B.C. Supreme Court Monday says people living in the camp are trespassing and have defied repeated requests and orders to leave the property, despite the government offering other housing.

The application alleges the campers have compromised health and safety in the area by creating fire hazards, defecating in and around the camp, leaving used needles and syringes in the area, and engaging in criminal activity such as drug trafficking.

Court documents say police are unwilling or unable to evict the campers without an enforcement order.

The tent city has grown from a few shel-

ters last spring to more than 100 people as many moved from alleyways and parks to the highly visible manicured grounds of the downtown courthouse.

Government officials say a court date has not yet been set to hear the application, but a draft injunction order says the remaining campers must leave by 5 p.m. on March 14.

Last week the campers staged a block party at the tent city in defiance of a Feb. 25 deadline to leave the area.

Campers were issued an order to eliminate fire hazards in the area on Saturday, but court documents say they have failed to comply.

Housing Minister Rich Coleman says the government and Victoria social service agencies have provided shelter homes to the residents of the camp, but while about 60 people have accepted the government’s offer, others remain.

Coleman says government staff have been working to identify whether people remaining on the property are homeless.

“The feedback I’m getting is that there’s sort of more protesters than there are homeless,” he says. “So the nice thing is that a lot of the people who needed help moved.”

The draft injunction order filed Monday says homeless people will be allowed to camp on the courthouse lawn overnight once the area has been repaired to its original condition.

Sex assault allegations lead to male student’s arrest

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aanich police say they have arrested a male University of Victoria student in connection with a series of alleged sexual assaults on campus.

Officers say four women aged 19 and 20 came forward two weeks ago claiming they had been sexually assaulted by a student they knew well.

“These assaults took place over a span of several months at the University of Victoria,” said Sgt. Jereme Leslie with Saanich Police.

Leslie said the man, who has not been named, is facing five counts of sexual assault.

He has since been released and is scheduled to appear in court in April.

Student banned from campus Jim Dunsdon, the university’s associate vice-president of student affairs, said the accused student has been banned from campus.

“Issues of sexualized violence are never acceptable and as a campus we’re deeply committed to providing members — all members of our community with a safe and supportive learning environment,” he said.

The university and the student union acknowledged the bravery of the alleged victims for coming forward. They also both said they have been working closely together to develop programs to educate students about sexualized violence.

But Kenya Rogers, the student society’s director of external relations, said more needs to be done.

“Institutions in B.C. don’t have any sort of framework for how they deal with sexualized violence on campus,” she said.

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Saturday, March 5, 2016

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Hindu Temple Burnaby held a fund raiser last week to raise funds for its new temple on Marine way in Burnaby. The temple supporters and devotees have raised $800,000 to build the new temple.

Pictured above are some of those who attended the fundraiser.

Photo by Chandra Bodalia.

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Smuggling dinosaur fossils into U.S. costs B.C. man $25,000 US

n Arizona judge has fined a B.C. man $25,000 after undercover agents caught him at a Tucson trade show trying to sell dinosaur fossils smuggled out of China.

According to U.S. court records, Jun Yang was targeted at the Globe-X Gem and Mineral Show in February 2015 after he was observed at a display table advertising a Psittacosaurus fossil and fossilized Hadrosaurus eggs.

He told agents the fossils were between 100 and 130 million years old and had been “dug up” in China.

“Mr. Yang stated that he illegally removed

Uber suspends operations in Edmonton over insurance delay

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ber is suspending operations in Edmonton as of 6 a.m. Tuesday after the province failed to make insurance available for its drivers.

“The province has cost thousands of Edmonton families a source of income by forcing Uber to suspend operations in the city,” Ramit Kar, Uber’s general manager for Alberta, said in a statement late Monday.

“Uber will respect the government’s decisions, and a temporary suspension will take effect at 6:00 a.m. on March 1, unfortunately depriving tens of thousands of local riders a safe, affordable and reliable transportation alternative.”

Kar said it will continue to operate in communities outside Edmonton.

Transport minister ‘concerned’ by Uber’s plans to operate illegally Edmonton’s ride-hailing bylaw comes into effect on Tuesday. It requires drivers to carry insurance specifically tailored to ride-hailing companies.

However the province announced Monday the insurance would not be available until July 1.

Transportation Minister Brian Mason also announced that the province was rejecting Uber’s request to waive the requirement for drivers to have Class 4 licences, which are required for commercial operators.

Uber drivers will also have to pass a police information check, he said.

“It’s our position that people driving vehicles for commercial purposes are not using their vehicles for the same purposes as those with a Class 5 licence,” Mason said.

“The bottom line is that the Class 4 requirement is essential for the safety of both passengers and drivers.”

In light of Mason’s announcement, Uber officials asked the City of Edmonton to postpone implementation of the bylaw until July 1, allowing them to continue operating in an environment free of regulations for another four months.

Mayor Don Iveson said it was too late to postpone the bylaw.

the fossils from China, put the fossils in containers with stone carvings, shipped

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ICBC may appeal order to pay $350,000 for false fraud accusation

CBC is considering an appeal after a ica Arsenovski. The charge was later stayed. judge this week ordered the corporation The ruling, issued Tuesday, described how to pay an immigrant couple more than Gould wrote his report “from a presumption of $350,000 over a false accusation of insurance guilt” rather than a “presumption of innocence.” fraud. Questions about the decision and the Addressing Transportation Minister Todd Insurance Corporation of B.C.’s treatment of Stone on Thursday, Dix read an excerpt from Danica Arsenovski and her husband came up the ruling where Justice Susan Griffin said in question period on Thursday at the B.C. she was “‘confident that the residents of Britlegislature. “They were systemish Columbia would find it outatically and maliciously pursued rageous for a public corporation

by ICBC over the past many to use its resources maliciously.’” years,” said MLA Adrian Dix, “I’m wondering if he is prepared the opposition critic for ICBC. today to formally apologize for In January 2000, Arsenovski and these actions to Mrs. Arsenovski her husband Gone, then newly and to say what action he is taking landed from the former Yugoslain response to this ruling,” Dix said. via, were hit by a vehicle while Stone did not go into detail crossing a street in Burnaby. in his response, as the matThe couple, both of whom sufter is now before the courts.

Todd Stone fered injuries in the accident, “ICBC is considering its options, filed a report with ICBC the following week. which could potentially include an appeal,” ICBC special investigator John Gould Stone said. “But I will say this, ICBC is exthen wrote a report to Crown counsel that pected to ensure, with each and every claim resulted in a charge of fraud against Dan- that they handle, that those claims are han-

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Zinta (right) and her husband

Saturday - March 5, 2016

Salman Khan-daan tries to patch up Arbaaz & Malaika

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Arbaaz Khan

alman Khan is trying to broker peace between his bhaiyya Arbaaz and bhabhi Malaika). The latest is that Salman’s family has now got into the act. A little before midnight yesterday, Arbaaz and Malaika were at The Korner House (a restaurant in Khar, Mumbai) with Arpita Khan, Amrita Arora and Sohail Khan.

Shahrukh Khan bereaved

Preity gets married

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he wedding ceremony of Priety Zinta, which took place in Los Angeles \ was a private affair, with only family and close friends in attendance. The setting for the wedding was dreamy, with a simple but beautifully decorated mandap overlooking the city. Meanwhile, many of PZ’s Bollywood friends took to social media to wish the newlywed couple.

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Boman Irani and Vir Das on the sets of ‘Santa Banta’

oman Irani (right) does not look too pleased with the antics of Vir Das (left) on the set of their film, Santa Banta. Vir will definitely have to try hard to tickle Boman’s funny bones. -

Arijit Singh charges Rs 1.5 crore for a live performance

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Shah Rukh, wife Gauri Khan and his mother-in-law Savita Chhibber arrived at the cremation of his father-in-law Col. Ramesh Chandra Chhibber.

Colonel Chhibber breathed his last in Fortis Escorts Hospital in Delhi.

rijit Singh is said to be the first singer to charge over a crore for a live performance. What makes him so special?

Singing sensation Arijit Singh, who is presently ruling Bollywood charts, seems to be making the most of his popularity as far as live concerts are concerned. If sources are to be believed, the 28-year-old has increased his fee for stage performances by over three times — apparently, he used to charge anywhere between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh last year, but now asks for Rs 1-1.5crore per gig.

Star & Style

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Horoscope Libra

Aries

Sept. 24 - Oct 22

March 21 - April 20 How hard must we try to please other people? Perhaps the easiest way to answer that is to ask how much effort we might expect them to go to on our behalf? If we really care about someone, there would be a limit to how much trouble we might expect them to go to. Isn’t there something dysfunctional about expecting endless sacrifice? Give, this week, as fully as your heart feels truly inspired to share.

The Sun has now moved into the sign of Pisces: one of the signs noted for romance. It’s not at all uncommon for people to experience a dreamlike sequence during this particular part of the year. You may be no exception. Monday’s Full Moon could coincide with the triggering of ideas of perfection.

Of course, there is a problem with this! It’s rare indeed for anyone to attract their ideal companion.

Taurus

Scorpio

What are you supposed to do now in the face of provocation? It is good to feel well-disposed towards our fellow humans when they, in turn, are treating us with respect. But when it seems they are going out of their way to make life difficult for us, how can we resist the urge to be awkward to them in return? Actually, we can resist.

We must! Don’t exacerbate a silly situation now, give it a chance to heal. Your heart won’t be the only thing that thrives as a result of a gesture of transcendence and for-

Moon could signal a surge in romantic activity for those of your sign. It’s not always possible to differentiate between romance and creative thinking: what seems certain, is that you could find a means to express your feelings to someone who clearly matters a great deal to you. By next weekend, the Moon will be travelling through your sign as the Sun and Neptune form their annual conjunction. The combined effect suggests a wave of strong emotions. This will surely be the natural outcome of energy

April 21 - May 20

Oct 23 - Nov 22

Gemini

May 20 - June 21 Beware a sense of pressure this week. Be particularly resistant to the temptation to feel as if an unsatisfactory situation, in your emotional or personal life, must be urgently, immediately, addressed. You really don’t have to do as much as you may imagine. Indeed, to a point, at least, the less you say and the more you relax, the more naturally things will sort themselves out in a way that suits you. A minor misunderstanding can be happily resolved, as long as it isn’t made into a major, unnecessary row. Now, you should read your 2016 Guide to the Future. In-

Cancer

June 22 - July 23

Full Moon on the horizon. Some of you may fear the intensity of emotion. Monday’s Full Moon is in the sign of Virgo and if you have a propensity to experience anxiety, yes, there is the potential for this to increase. Yet interestingly, other aspects this weekend suggest you could as easily be anchored - and significantly by someone born under either Scorpio or Capricorn. Though their perspectives may be very different to your own, their understanding could help if the emotional waters prove trying.

Leo

June 24 - August 23 This could yet proven to be very expensive weekend?, ahead of that several aspects suggest that it might not be hard for others to lure you into expensive encounters. These could yet prove to be an investment. It might be wise not to flex your credit card too much however. Indeed, an imbalance in attitude to money could make for very real difficulties in even the most long-standing of partnerships.

Frank exchanges might need to take place next week. Though it might sound as though this precludes easy romance, it may be that these matters simply need to be

Virgo

Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22

The Sun has now arrived at the very base of your solar chart. Think of this as a light being shone on your emotional base.

Full Moon could come decisions about your domestic and working life. It may be that there needs to be more flexibility. It wouldn’t of course be abnormal for there to be discrepancy in the work-life balance. Now though you may be in the mood to put things right and to ensure that romance is given the same attention as your career. Those born under the air signs of Gemini, Libra or Aquarius could have your particu-

Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20

It might help to know in advance that there is a full lunar energy in another of the Earth signs.

May be more obviously emotional than usual.

This could have course be slightly uncomfortable for those of your sign. It’s likely to be Tuesday before you feel sufficiently confident to talk about things that that special person seems either to be avoiding or dealing with in panic mode over the weekend. The potential for re-aligning a partnership is strong on Thursday. Those yet to meet someone could find that this is an important date too. With the Sun

Aquarius

Jan 21 - Feb 19 Venus passes through your sign each year, and as it does, focus is on appearance and attractiveness - as now. Mercury’s presence at the same time suggests others might be quick to respond to any signals you give. If there’s a ‘problem’ it’s that the Sun has now moved on into Pisces: you could attract attention from those you’re not that interested in. Relationship issues then could prove muddly - especially around Full Moon.

Pisces

August 24 - Sept 24 Many eyes are likely to be on you. Given that Mercury, your ruling planet, also makes a series of significant aspects over the next seven days, it’s hard to imagine that your social life will be in any way boring. In fact, if you imagine that Virgo Full Moon as being a flower in bloom, it would seem that many bees will be headed in your direction. You could, by next weekend, be spoilt for choice. Those already in partnership are likely to engage in discussions about an adventure scheduled to take place later in the year.

Feb 20 - March 20 You may remember that Neptune is presently passing through your sign. This is the area of the zodiac in which it said to have greatest affinity. At the end of February the Sun and Neptune align. This could be your special moment. Though it might seem to others that you’re living in a parallel universe and are completely ungrounded, it’s as likely that many will appreciate your ability to see things from different perspective. Your particular magic is set to shine through. All this should increase your attractiveness.

‘Wanted to keep it very classic’ : Priyanka

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to wear. So, when I told Sophia I was like... It has to be a moment... the outfit. That I definitely want.

It’s one of the biggest red carpets in the world. It’s super long so, I want to be comfortable for sure. And something that lasts the whole evening...you know it’s not ripping,” she said.

The busy actress had to hop from the Oscars ceremony to the afterparty and finally to film Baywatch in Miami. -

ctress Priyanka Chopra, who chose a Lebanese designer’s pristine white ensemble for her Academy Awards appearance, says she wanted to turn up at the gala in a pretty, feminine and a “very classic” gown. She looked stunning in a structured cage bustier mermaid dress in white silk tulle adorned with 3D shimmering climbing flowers.

The dress was a creation by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad. “I can’t be told what

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Urvashi is excited about Ariadna Gutierrez’s Hollywood debut in ‘xXx’ sequel

he was in the news when the host of Miss Universe 2015, Steve Harvey accidentally crowned the wrong winner at the pageant. But looks like, things are finally working for Ariadna Gutierrez. And well, Mr Harvey, this time you can’t snatch this away from the 22-year old beauty queen.

The stunning Miss Universe Colombia will make her film debut in ‘xXx 3: The Return of Xander Cage,’

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as

confirmed by People magazine.

However, more than Ariadna, someone in India is super excited for the same and well, she’s none other than Miss Universe India 2015 and Bollywood actress, Urvashi Rautela.

Gorgeous Urvashi shared some pictures of Ariadna with herself and captioned, “Yayyyy!!! Super thrilled about my doll’s n bestie’s #ariadnagutierrez ‘s Hollywood debut in #xxx opposite #vindiesel.

Oscar-winning filmmaker pressures Pakistan gov’t to strengthen law against honour killing

akistani-Canadian filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won an Academy Award Sunday night for her short documentary A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness. The film tells the story of a Pakistani girl, Saba Qaiser, who was a victim of an attempted honour killing. The 18-year-old was brutally Pakistani journalist and filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy accepts attacked by her father and uncle after she fell in love the award for Best Documentary Short Subject Film for “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness” at the 88th Academy Awards in with a man her family Hollywood, California on Sunday, February 28, 2016. didn’t approve of. But she survived. “I spoke with ernment is very serious, it seems, on passing [Qaiser] ... after the Academy Award win. She’s these laws ... There are a lot of women who are tremendously excited,” Obaid-Chinoy tells As clamouring for their rights, who are becoming it Happens host Carol Off. “I think that it’s im- very vocal and who are asking for change,” says portant for us to realize ... here is a young wom- Obaid-Chinoy. “There are a number of laws an that has stood up to society and told her sto- that are favouring women that exist on the ry. Her story will become a catalyst, hopefully, books. It is the implementation of those laws for change in the country.” Even though this that is weak. So, having legislation is one thing. is Obaid-Chinoy’s second Academy Award, But, we must train our police and our social she says it’s a small victory compared with the services to deal with violence against women one she is having in Pakistan. Prime Minister as well. And, only then, will we see change.”

Nawaz Sharif has shown the film at his official Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy studied at Karachi residence. He has also promised legislation to Grammar School and graduated from Stanford put an end to honour killings in the country — University, started her film career in documena commitment that Obaid-Chinoy mentioned taries. in her acceptance speech last night. “The gov-

Bollywood personalities’ birthdays this week ANUPAM KHER 7 MARCH

FARDEEN KHAN 8 MARCH

AAMIR KHAN 14 MARCH

KANGNA RANAUT 20 MARCH

Star & Style

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New released Bollywood films March 4, 2016 Zubaan Vicky Kaushal, Sarah Jane Dias, Raghav Chanana

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Do Lafzon Ki Kahani Randeep Hooda, Kajal Aggarwal

Global Baba Abhimanyu Singh, Sandeepa Dhar, Ravi Kishan, Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra (actor), Akhilendra Mishra

117 St., and 80th Ave., (near Scott Rd) Delta BC

A kisser’s confessions

Farah Khan to make Salman Khan dance

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Kareena and Saif

areena Kapoor Khan once made a statement that there would be ‘no kissing’ clause in her and husband Saif Ali Khan’s movies.

While the couple kept their clause intact but now are open about it for their films. Reportedly, Kareena, who was asked about the kissing clause, recently opened up as what made her break the clause.

Apparently, Kareena said that was a decision taken by the couple four years back and since then many things had changed.

The Begum said that they were possessive about each other after marriage and that is common for any newly married couple.

However, things changed with time for the two and they decided to do ev-

erything the character demands.

Kareena has shed her inhibitions by kissing Arjun in her upcoming film Ki & Ka. Now, when Saif turns a kisser will be interesting to see on screen.

Mu m b a i . arah Khan has However, stopped disince the recting songs shoot was after she turned a full stalled, time director and now director she only comes forAli Abward to put cinematic bas asked beauty through music Farah to and dance for her close step in and friends like Shah Rukh she happily Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala obliged. and brother Sajid Khan.

Salman Khan and Farrah Kahn (right Farah was However, the news spotted redoing the rounds hearsing at a dance hall in Versova, Mumbai. that Farah will be directing Salman for It will be an item song with Anushka a song in his upcoming film Sultan. and Salman and 100 background dancApparently, the song was supposed to be ers. The song will be shot from March choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant. The 5 to 10. It will be total desi environchoreographer lost her father recently and ment which has been built at Film City. to spend some time with her family she left

4 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

An evening with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted by Dr Gulzar S. Cheema and Harinder Cheema at Maharaja Restaurant in Surrey

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Vol. 6 No. 27

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Saturday - March 5, 2016

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Prominent architects slam Vancouver’s planning and development

ancouver’s planning and architecture have suffered over the long term from a lack of foresight by City Hall and heavy-handed management, three of the city’s prominent architects said Friday.

From a singular focus on protecting view corridors and restricting height limits downtown to the departure of experienced staff unhappy with the consolidation of power in the city manager’s office, Vancouver’s architectural and planning direction has drifted off course, said James Cheng, Richard Henriquez and Joost Bakker at an Urban Development Institute luncheon.

In comments at the event and in interviews later, the three said city council’s failure to hire a new director of planning and manager of development services since Brian Jackson retired last year has hurt the city.

“Without a planner and a manager of development services, every junior clerk is inventing a process to his job,” said Cheng, whose projects have included the Shangri-La, the Shaw Tower and adjacent Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.

Said Henriquez, the founding partner of Henriquez Partners Architects: “They are also not prepared to exercise any discretion because they don’t have the confidence, they don’t understand the principles on which the project is based. They rely back on the policies that are written.”

And Bakker, a partner in DIALOG, believes the parade of planning directors who have gone through the city since Ray Spaxman and Larry Beasley 20 years ago has not resulted in a consistent vision for the city.

“I don’t think it has helped us at all. You like to have some certainty, some consistency. You’d like to have a good long run so some ideas can manifest themselves,” he said.

The architects’ comments came on the same day the city finally made public a plan to divide in two the traditional role of planning director and manager of development services.

For all of its history Vancouver has relied upon the director of planning to also be responsible for managing development. But the decision to split the roles is an acknowledgment that they are now mutually exclusive and contain an inherent conflict, with daily development pressures impeding long-term city planning.

Bakker said the split also signals that the city has grown up enough to support the sophisticated and conflicting roles.

“I don’t think this city has seen anything yet,” he said. “People have no idea what is yet to come in the next 40 years and I think some of it is in a lot more exuberant, expensive buildings. We’re starting to see that appear.

I think we are at the tip of a new iceberg.”

Under the new plan, the director of planning — a legislatively mandated job under the Vancouver Charter — will report to the new manager of development services.

“You need both a dreamer and an implementer,” said Cheng, who believes the lack

of direction has also made it more costly for the average citizen. “It affected the cost of doing business in Vancouver, because everything takes longer. There is nobody there to make decisions,” he said, noting that a decade ago a homeowner might pay a few hundred dollars for a building permit. Now the 4 ipre-permit Saturday, fees Julyare 25,nearly 2015 $15,000 just to get the mandatory geotechnical, arbor-

ist and environmental engineering reports.

“Think of the poor citizen who owns a 33-foot lot and has saved all his life to build his own house. Before he even gets started he is slapped with all these fees, plus all these months just to get a permit,” he said.

“This is not helping affordable housing.”

Bakker said former City Manager Penny Ballem’s consolidation of power has left Vancouver with a lack of senior management with long institutional knowledge.

“The thing I find disconcerting is that … we’ve had a really powerful city manager and a lot of traffic has been directed out of that office,” he said.

6 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

Expensive real estate: Need help from the city buying a home?

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omes may be astoundingly expensive in Vancouver, but they’re pretty pricey in other cities across North America as well.

While tax breaks and incentives for homebuyers can be found at provincial, state and federal levels, some local governments have found their own ways to chip in.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the ways municipalities are helping out.

The City of Montreal offers cash up to $6,250 per home to eligible first-time buyers, and households with at least one child get a full refund of their real estate transfer tax. Experienced buyers also get the refund.

The deals apply to new or used homes and exclusively residential buildings up to a maximum purchase price that include up to 3 above-ground dwelling units. (For buildings with 2 or 3 above-ground dwelling units, at least one of them must be offered for rent). They also get a break on entry into the city’s renovation programs.

As a bonus throw in from the city, families in the program receive six months of free transit if they buy a year pass.

The average price of homes in Montreal was $338,000 in January, according to

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the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Montreal had a $4.88-billion budget for 2015. For the sake of comparison, that amount of cash could buy about 14,440 homes in La Belle Ville.

Austin: The City of Austin gives two options to eligible first-time homeowners keen on buying within city limits: a $14,999 forgivable, 0 per cent interest loan, or up to $40,000 with a shared equity loan.

Those shared equity loans have no interest and are forgiven after 10 years provided the home is not sold, rented, transferred or refinanced with cash back but the shared equity remains for a 30-year term.

Austin’s real estate market has been one of the hottest in the U.S. in recent years,

and the city’s median listing price on realtor.com was US$409,000 on Friday. Austin’s 2015 budget was US$3.5 billion. That cash could buy 8,560 Bat City homes.

Kingston, Ontario The City of Kingston opens up its public coffers to help eligible renters afford a down payment. It doesn’t offer up a whole lot of cash. In 2015 buyers could receive just five per cent of their purchase price up to a maximum of $14,000, but it’s

enough to help some folks into the market.

Prospective buyers can’t have a vested interest in any other real estate or — as of 2015 — make more than $80,400 a year, and they need to buy a home priced at $280,000 or less. The city found enough cash last year to help about a dozen renters buy homes.

Kingston’s 2015 budget was $338 million and homes were selling for about $285,000 that year according to realtor Brent Cook. That budget is equivalent to the price of nearly 1,190 local homes.

Arlington, Texas First-time homebuyers or anyone unfortunate enough to be from a federally declared disaster area in the U.S. might want to consider buying in Arlington. The city’s homebuyer assistance program offers buyers a forgivable loan of $7,500 toward down payment and closing costs, and anyone buying in a “revitalization area” can get as much as $10,000. The loan has 0 per cent interest and is payable only for homes that are sold, refinanced with cash out or leased in the first five years after it was bought. The program is for low income buyers who can put a minimum of $1,000 towards their purchase. The median listing price on realtor.

Housing in Vancouver, Toronto ‘dangerously unaffordable,’ says RBC

ousing in Canada remains affordable — unless you want a single family detached home in Toronto or Vancouver, according to the RBC housing affordability measure.

There’s been a marked erosion of affordability in Vancouver and Toronto, where housing is approaching the “dangerously unaffordable” level, according to Royal

Bank economists. That situation is likely to continue as long as the demand for single family homes outstrips the supply.

Affordability levels are improving or stable in every other market, according to the RBC housing affordability measure, which has been expanded to look at 14 Canadian urban markets.

“In most markets the price increases

are modest. You’re not seeing those double-digit gains like you’re seeing in Toronto and Vancouver. With modest gains in prices, as long as incomes keep growing, you’ll see that affordability improve,” said RBC chief economist Craig Wright.

New mortgage rule might briefly ‘temper’ hot markets Are young homeowners

doomed if housing prices drop?

“It has never been so unaffordable to own a single detached home in the Vancouver area,” the report said.

Housing Recovery Paying for a single-family detached home in Vancouver takes 109 per cent of the average household income — in other words, it’s out of reach. Affordability is also poor in Toronto.

Saturday, March 2016i i Saturday, March 5, 5, 2016 7 7

The ‘Black Tie Affair’ fund raising by PICS in Surrey last week

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AUTO

Google self-driving car crashes into California public bus

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self-driving car being tested by Google struck a public bus on a Silicon Valley street, a minor accident that appears to be the first time one of the tech company’s vehicles caused a crash during testing.

Google accepted at least some responsibility for the collision, which occurred on Feb. 14 when one of the Lexus SUVs it has outfitted with sensors and cameras hit the side of the bus near the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

Google self-driving car has 1st accident involving injuries Driverless cars may save lives, but will they kill driving?

Let Morgan Freeman narrate your commute as a GPS navigation voice No one was injured, according to an accident report Google wrote and submitted to the California

Department of Motor Vehicles.

It was posted online Monday.

According to the report, Google’s car intended to turn right off a major boulevard when it detected sandbags around a storm drain at the intersection.

The right lane was wide enough to let some cars turn and others go straight, but the Lexus needed to slide

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Electric vehicles to get HOV lane access in BC

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rivers who go electric in British Columbia are about to get the green light to travel the province’s high occupancy vehicle lanes passenger-free.

Premier Christy Clark is set to announce Wednesday at Vancouver’s Globe Conference on Sustainability and Innovation that drivers of eligible electric vehicles can travel the province’s HOV lanes regardless of occupancy requirements.

Currently, HOV lanes are open to vehicles with a driver and at least one passenger in efforts to reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

In the announcement obtained by The Canadian Press, Clark said the changes are immediate, with the government moving to provide decals that must be clearly displayed on the vehicles.

“British Columbians are increasingly embracing alternative and greener transportation options, and we can encourage even more by making it easier and more efficient,

like allowing electric vehicle owners to use HOV lanes regardless of occupancy requirements,” says Clark in a statement. The government defines electric vehicles as battery-electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Vehicles that rely on gas-electric hybrid motors and do not plug into an external source are not eligible to receive the HOV pass decal, says a government statement.

The HOV changes are part of series of vehicle emission initiatives that Clark is set to announce, including almost $7 million to fund more electric vehicle charging stations and to encourage people to buy electric vehicles.

Of the $6.8 million in the initiative, $6 million goes towards incentives to purchase electric vehicles, with the remaining $890,000 to expand public and residential charging programs.

B.C.’s Clean Energy Vehicle program includes point-of-sale

incentives of up to $5,000 for the purchase or lease of new battery-electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The potential saving could rise to $8,250 when combined with vehicle scrap incentives. Clark is also set to announce an electric vehicle-price cap of $77,000 in an effort to encourage more British Columbians to buy electric vehicles.

Many electric vehicles are pricey, with one of the lowest-price Tesla electric vehicles currently selling for about US$80,000 while other Tesla models list for about US$130,000.

B.C. has spent $31 million in its Clean Energy Vehicle program over the past five years. There are more than 2,300 clean energy vehicles on the road in B.C., says Clark’s statement. “We’re also targeting the fund to people who need the support when they buy affordable electric vehicles, those that sell for $77,000 or less,” says Clark’s statement.

venkyshanky23@yahoo.com

to its left within the right lane to get around the obstruction.

‘We clearly bear some responsibility’ The Lexus was going 3 km/h when it made the move and its left front struck the right side of the bus, which was going straight at 24 km/h.

An electric version Ferari would be ‘obscene’

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here will never, ever be an electric Ferrari, the Italian automaker’s chairman Sergio Marchionne told reporters at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The company does make the $1.4 million LaFerrari plug-in hybrid supercar, and will continue to expand its hybrid technology, he said. But all Ferraris will have an internal combustion engine.

“With Ferrari, it’s almost an obscene concept,” said Marchionne. It’s obscene, he explained, because a crucial part of the Ferrari driving experience is the aggressive sound of the engine. Marchionne described his experience driving an all-electric Tesla car, which has no internal combusion engine sound at all. “This is not Ferrari,” he recalled thinking as he turned up the radio to fill the silence.

Marchionne also said he has no interest in building a self-driving Ferrari since the Ferrari brand is, fundamentally, about driving.

“You’ll have to shoot me first,” the auto industry veteran told a room of reporters. ferrari geneva motor show 2016 Ferrari (RACE) makes some of the most exclusive cars in the world and currently caps production at 8,000 vehicles per year, ensuring demand consistently outstrips supply. Some customers wait years for the delivery of their new vehicles.

Marchionne’s comments come as electric and self-driving cars have captured the public’s imagination and grabbed headlines around the world.

Porsche is one high-end car maker that has pledged to make an all-electric performance car.

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Liberal fiscal plans less transparent than under Harper, Kevin Page says

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The deficit will balloon to $18.4 billion in 2016-17 and $15.5 billion in 2017-18 — and that is before any new spending Morneau outlines in the March budget.

Those numbers are drastically different from the $3.9-billion and $2.4-billion shortfalls forecast just three months ago.

“A less ambitious government might see these conditions as a reason to hide, to make cuts or to be overly cautious. But our Kevin Page government might see that the economic downturn makes our plan to grow the economy even more relevant than it was a few short months ago,” Morneau said Monday.

Page, who frequently squared off with the previous Conservative government over their fiscal secrecy, says his concerns about transparency stem from a lack clarity around the deficit figure.

anada’s former parliamentary budget officer says the Liberal government is even less transparent on fiscal matters than the Conservative government it succeeded.

“I don’t think it is [more transparent]. The documents — they’re not better from a government that promised to be better, more transparent ... there’s no more information, perhaps even less information, than what we got from the previous government,” Kevin Page said said in an interview CBC Radio’s The House.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the transparency yet,” he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau campaigned on a pledge to run three “modest” deficits of no more than $10 billion a year.

But Finance Minister Bill Morneau released his second fiscal update this week ahead of the March 22 federal budget, and his figures show it will be much higher than that.

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Trudeau boosts Vancouver launch of ‘once-in-lifetime’ clean economy working group

new cross-sectoral group that includes business leaders, labour, non-governmental organizations, government and academics says it’s time to seriously accelerate the transition to a high-efficiency, low carbon economy and make Canada a global environmental brand.

Smart Prosperity officially launches Tuesday in Vancouver with a boost from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose Liberal government’s climate agenda appears to dovetail with the economic transformation envisioned by the new market-oriented group.

Twenty-six individuals have signed on to the initiative, including an eclectic mix of top representatives from banks and insurance companies, aluminium smelters, the United Steel Workers union, a grocery chain, investment firms and the World Wildlife Federation.

They’re looking to identify and promote policies that spur innovation, gen-

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erate jobs and boost the economy while improving the environment and conserving Canada’s natural heritage.

“I’m a big believer in government not playing the leadership role,” Annette Verschuren, one of three Smart Prosperity co-chairs and the former president of Home Depot Canada, said in an interview.

“But government is critical to developing the right policy, the right triggers, the right environment.

What’s really more important is that private capital gets attracted to this industry — spurred on by policies that make sense for our country.”

Smart Prosperity’s launch coincides with four days of climate-focused networking, marketing, trade shows, policy discussion and federal-provincial arm-twisting, with Trudeau on hand to meet indigenous leaders and his provincial and territorial counterparts cheek-by-jowl with Vancouver’s massive, biennial Globe conference on clean tech.

OPINION

Air Christy- Why did Premier spend half a million dollar on private jets?

By John Horgan, Leader of BC New Democrats Imagine: a private jet whisks you away to the Okanagan. You attend a wine-tasting event, then zip back on another private jet, all within a day.

It may sound like a lottery win or a grand prize, but for Premier Christy Clark, it was just a typical Wednesday.

Documents recently uncovered show that the premier has now charged the people of British Columbia more than half a million dollars for private jets to fly her and her entourage around the province and the country. That includes $63,000 for flights between Vancouver, where the premier lives, and her constituency in Kelowna – a route well serviced by commercial airlines.

In fact, airlines fly morning, noon and night between Vancouver and Kelowna for just over a couple hundred dollars.

And Air Christy isn’t just transporting the premier. Premier Clark also brings along her personal camera crew, so that she can stage photo ops at a moment’s notice wherever she goes.

Even though we asked Premier Clark about her waste of taxpayer dollars multiple times in the legislature this week, the premier has yet to explain why she needs a camera crew to visit her own riding. What is clear, though, is that taxpayers are paying dearly for this premier’s penchant for photo ops.

When I travel through this province, I enjoy the opportunity to meet people and talk to them about their lives. It says a lot about the premier that she would prefer to travel with only her supporters and avoid rubbing shoulders with real British Columbians.

It says even more that she would not hesitate to use the most expensive travel option while her government is asking so many British Columbians to make do with less. Not only is travelling by private jet out of reach for nearly all British Columbians, just taking a bus just got harder thanks to this government and its out-of-touch priorities.

For people with disabilities in this province, Christy Clark’s budget raised the assistance rates for the first time in nine years – only to all but erase the bump by hiking the cost of bus passes for people with disabilities.

Premier Clark’s government continues to pick the pockets of British Columbians through hikes to everything from hydro rates to ICBC rates to ferry fares – and those Continued on page 21

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POLITICS Air Christy- Why did Premier spend half a million From page 20 dollar on private jets? pound the pressures of rising housing costs and food costs. The budget did nothing to ease these pressures – despite promises of an overhaul of the medical services tax, the premier failed to do even that and tinkered around the edges instead.

At the same time, the budget included a tax break for millionaires that will cost British Columbians a billion dollars over four years. And the premier is billing British Columbians for private jets.

Premier Clark doesn’t seem to have learned the lesson from the ousted pre-

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mier from the province next door.

Alison Redford’s lavish travel expenses led to the end of her term as premier of Alberta, and the sinking of her party in the subsequent election. A weekend in London, a $45,000 trip to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s memorial, and several trips with her daughter, were all charged back to taxpayers. Her staff even blocked off empty seats on government planes so the premier and her entourage could travel alone.

Premier Clark needs to look hard at her spending, and remember that it’s the people of this province who are paying her bills.

Liberals spend $3.5M in government advertising in first 4 months

he Liberal government has spent approximately $3.5 million in advertising since coming into power, with most departments choosing to purchase internet advertising over TV ads in prime time. The government ads were purchased by six departments within the first 100 days of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals being sworn into office on Nov. 4, said Michèle LaRose, a media relations spokesperson with Public Services and Procurement Canada in respond to a query by CBC News. The previous Conservative government spent a total of $68.7 million in advertising in 2014-15. Veterans Affairs Canada was responsible for the bulk of the new spending and was the only department to spend money on TV ads, with an estimated total media ad buy of $2.26 million. The department purchased internet, television and out-of-home advertising to honour and remember Canada’s servicemen and women in the lead-up to Remembrance

Day on Nov. 11. In its ongoing efforts to recruit new Canadians to join its depleting ranks, National Defence spent an estimated $454,000 on internet advertising to encourage millennials to consider a career in the Canadian Armed Forces.

That also included internet ads “to recruit for various specialized positions in the Forces,” LaRose said. With the government committed to resettling 25,000 Syrian refugees by March 1, the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship purchased internet advertising at an approximate cost of $389,750 to urge Canadians to welcome Syrian refugees to Canada. The Liberals pledged in their election platform to ban “partisan” government ads and appoint an advertising commissioner to help the auditor general oversee government advertising.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which has long been a vocal critic of governing parties using taxpayer dollars to fund partisan ads, is supportive of the new government’s pledge.

Half of Canadians do not support Saudi arms deal, poll suggests

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he Saudi arms deal is one that Canadians wish the government would refuse, a new poll suggests.

The poll, from the Angus Reid Institute, shows that only 19 per cent of Canadians think the government’s decision to stick by the deal to sell light-armoured vehicles to the desert kingdom is a good one, with 48 per cent of Canadians thinking the opposite.

Canadian arms trade larger than data suggests, expert says Neil Macdonald: Liberals sunny on surface, fudgier underneath

The remaining one-third of respondents were unsure. The $15-billion deal with Saudi Arabia, signed under the previous Conservative government, has become increasingly controversial as the Middle Eastern country intensifies its involvement in a civil war in Yemen. It has led to calls for the government to abandon the deal, notably by former Liberal cabinet minister and human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler. The poll was conducted in early February, when the issue was being widely covered in the media and being discussed on a near daily basis on Parliament Hill.

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Canada moves a step closer to ratifying ‘gold-plated’ trade deal with EU

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he Canadian government is one step closer to ratifying a “gold-plated” trade deal with the European Union, says International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland on the agreement in principle reached by the previous Conservative government in 2013. The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is expected to remove 98 per cent of EU tariffs on a wide range of Canadian products. “This is really a gold-plated trade deal. It is going to bring tremendous benefit to Canadians and to Europeans, we are going to feel it all in a real in-

crease in prosperity,” Freeland said in Ottawa on Monday. Freeland announced that some amendments have been made to a controversial investment protection clause which had become a sticking point in negotiations between the two countries.

“I’m absolutely confident that Canadian investors and Canadian businesses will have their rights fully protected in this agreement,” Freeland said.

Freeland said the modifications were made as part of the legal review of the English text of the CETA deal. The minister said the amendments include:

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CLASSIFIEDS

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JOBS

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Need Janitorial Helpers

Employment Requirements: Completion of Secondary School with 2-3 years of experience or Completion of 3-4 years apprenticeship training program or Trade certification with several months of on-job training.

If interested please send resume at mobilezonecommunicationinc@gmail.com” -----------------------------Jan 02_16

124Street, Surrey BC V3W 3X9, has an immediate vacancy of Carpenter. We design and manufacture high end solid wood exterior doors, solid wood interior doors and custom doors.

Full time permanent job position with wages of $25per hour.

35 to 40 hours per week.

Job Duties includes Read & interpret drawings & sketches to determine specifications; Estimate height, width, length, & other proportions; Measure, cut, shape, & assemble materials using woodworking machines, power tools and hand tools; Build exterior doors, interior doors, custom doors with jams; Install hardware such as hinges, handles, catches using hand tools and power tools; Repair doors & replace panels of doors.

Job requirement: High school with 2-3 years of experience. Trade certificate will be considered as an asset. If interested send resumes by email at westerndoormanufacturing@gmail.com ------------- September 5, 2015

Surrey Janitorial Services urgently require helpers for Surrey and Abbotsford and Vancouver.

Experience not a requirement but will be preferred. Please call 778-859-9234 ------------------- Feb 06 2016 Cell phone Technician “Mobile Zone Communication Inc., located at 123-9855 Austin Road, Burnaby, BC V3J1N4, has immediate 2 vacancies for Cell phone Technician for two different locations. One vacancy for 123-9855 Austin Road, Burnaby BC V3J 1N4 and one vacancy for Brentwood Town Centre 4567 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby, BC V5C 3Z6. Full time, permanent positions with 35-40 hours per week, $31/hour.

Job Duties include: Perform Inspection,Testing, Diagnose and Troubleshoot smart phone and other mobile devices; Disassemble the device to install, remove, repair or replace defective parts; Perform high quality repairs and refurbishment of phones/cell phones/tablets; Ensure all repair meets quality standards; Monitor parts inventory and inform management of status; Accurately document repairs and parts information on repair tracking document; Maintaining and using tools and equipment properly; Interact with customer as needed, providing exceptional customer service.

Vacancy for In-home Caregiver Balwinder Singh Singhmaar, resident of 15095 92Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 5V8 has a vacancy for Inhome Child caregiver for infant child and 9 years old son. Full Time, $11 / hour, 40 hrs/week.

Applicant must have high school with minimum of one year of related experience within last three years or six months of full time training in caregiving.

Job Duties includes Supervise and care for children, prepare formulas and change diaper of infant, feeding, bathing, dressing, prepare children for rest period, escort child to school, prepare and serve nutritious meal and snacks, accompany to and from activities & appointments, light housekeeping, laundry, maintain safe environment at home, keep record of day-to-day activities, health and progress of children.

Send resumes by email at balwinderssinghmaar@gmail.com -------------- Oct 31 2015 Western door manufacturing Ltd. located at #109-8250

Jun13_155 Long Haul Truck Drivers Reqd. Sal:$23.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yr exp. & Class A 0r 1 license reqd., FT/PT Duties: Operate, drive straight or articulated trucks to transport goods & materials on local routes or over long distances.Plan trip logistics & obtain required documentation to transport goods.Perform pre-trip & post-trip inspection of vehicle systems.Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled & fuel consumption.

May perform emergency roadside repairs. Lang: English. Work at various location in Canada & USA. Contact: Balwinder from Metro Transport ltd.12772 82nd Ave, Surrey, V3W 3G1 E-mail your resume at metro_transport@ yahoo.ca.

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1 Optical Frame Fitter Reqd. Sal: $22.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yrs exp. or certification reqd., FT/PT Duties: Obtain specifications for eyeglasses or contact lenses from a prescription. Assist clients in

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JOBS selecting eyeglasses. Grinding & polishing of lenses. Cut & edge lenses & fit lenses into frames.

May supervise or manage activities of other opticians. Lang: English. Location: 12841 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 6V9 Contact: Imran from Eye See 2020 Optical at opt_eyesee@yahoo.ca.

------------------------------Jun 06_15 Dosa Corner Restaurant Ltd in Vancouver Looking to hire an authentic south indian chef .

This is a full time permanent position. $18.50/hr. 40hrs/week.

Must have at least 3-5yrs experience in south indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Dosas.

Duties include Prepare & cook meals.kitchen management. Plan menus & quality. Orders food supplies.

Mail your resume to selvamm164@gmail.com or apply by person at DosaCorner Vancouver. 110-8248 Fraser Street.

Vancouver. B.C.. V5X 3X6 Ph: 604-324-3672.

-----------------------------------Seamstress required Seamstress (Tailor) needed Foam & Décor is looking for Full Time or Part Time Seamstress ( tailor) for drapery in Surrey.

Salary will be provided @ 12 per hour. Please call 604-594-1882 Mayuri Indian foods inc is looking to hire an Ethnic Food Cook in Surrey BC. F/T & Perm.$17/hr.

Must have at least 2-3 yrs experience in South Indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Indian spicing. Duties: Prepare & Cook meals; Supervise Kitchen helpers; Plan menus; Ensure quality & determine food proportions; Monitor & order food supplies; Set up & oversee buffets; Manage kitchen operation. Mail resume or apply by person Mayuri indian cuisine , Unit 102A,12677 80th Ave., Surrey BC V3W 3A6 Fax: 604-572-3281 ------------------------------------English Classes for Adults Register for classes September 2-8 For more information,Visit: www. victoryesl.com

S Basement for Rent

One bed room basement suite is available for rent from 1st of January 2016. Rent $ 600 including utility & internet .

Walking distance to Bell Centre, Elementary & High School and Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib. Call 778-628-4473 Call: 604.755.7976 E-mail: victoryesl1@gmail.com ---------------------------Cook Require Curry junction Restaurant in White Rock need cook immediately, This is a full time permanent position for a experienced person, Depending on experience salary will be upto $21 per hr. with other benefits. Call:604-729-6741 or 604-385-1558 ---------------------------Transworld Security located at 2nd Floor, 5050, Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4H2 is looking for a Static Guard, Static Guard Supervisor, Mobile Supervisor and Field Manager.

These are permanent full-time positions. Static Guard pay rate is $13.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows and gates. Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors and guests.

Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency. Circulate among visitors, patrons and employees to preserve order and protect property.

Static Guard Supervisor pay rate is $14.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to

To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR CLASSIFIEDS Section Please

Call: 604-591-5423

COMMUNITY NEWS

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Hindu Temple Burnaby raises over $800,000 for new Temple

indu Cultural Society and Community Centre of BC concluded its recent Fund Raising Drive on Saturday,February 27, 2016 at the Fraserview Hall, Vancouver, BC with oversold Fund Raising Gala. The first 64 families who donated $,5000 each i.e. $320,000 were matched by our generous donors Rakesh and Anita Dhir of Richmond with a donation of $.320,000. Some donations less than $5,000 were also gratefully acknowledged which helped us to raise over $800,000 in donations for the Fund Raising Gala. We thank all donors for their generosity and also take this opportunity to thank all our various committees and volunteers who worked very hard in organising this event including the attendees. Our 31,000 Sq.ft. Cultural and Community Centre under

construction at 5420 Marine Drive, Burnaby now 75% complete will be one of the largest Hindu Cultural and Community Centre in North America blending traditional and modern facilities-including Prayer Hall and Dining Hall with capacity of over 800 persons in each Hall; Auditorium/Wedding Hall with Stage and 324 chairs capacity as well as Foyer for tea/coffee and snacks; Multipurpose Room for Seniors, Meetings, Birthday Parties as well four classrooms, Priest Rooms, Caretaker Room and a Guest Room for outof -town visitors.If you would like to help or make a donation for the New Temple, please phone our Temple at 604-299-5922 or visit our Website at www.hindutempleburnabybc. com.

Krishan Soni, Chair Temple Fund Raising Committee.

Don’t give fraudsters an extra “tax” this season

Another scam that residents should be aware of that is making the rounds locally is the “black” or “white” money scam. This sophisticated counterfeit scheme comes in multiple forms but usually involves currency that on initial appearance has no colour but can apparently be washed with a chemical that makes it a legitimate bank note. In most cases, the victims are usually conned into making an initial investment into this counterfeit money with the promise of large returns.

“Surrey is a very diverse community that includes many residents who are new to Canada,” says Cpl. Schumann.

“Unfortunately those who are unfamiliar with how our institutions and businesses operate can be more susceptible to these frauds. We ask that residents take this opportunity to discuss these recent fraud trends with family members who may not be aware.”

For more information on fraud prevention please visit the Scams & Fraud page on our website. If your business or community group would like to host an info session on fraud prevention please contact the Surrey RCMP’s Economic Crime Unit at 604-5990502. If you are the victim of a fraud, please contact your local police and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or at 1-888-495-8501.

With March being Fraud Prevention Month and residents making final preparations to their tax returns, the Surrey RCMP is reminding residents to be extra vigilant when it comes to protecting their personal and financial information.

As frauds involving the Canada Revenue Agency are on the rise not only in Surrey but across the country, tax season is prime time for fraudsters to prey on unsuspecting victims. Residents need to be vigilant if they receive fraudulent communications from these agencies and report it to authorities immediately if they suspect they are a victim.

“This time of year serves as a good reminder for residents to check their mail regularly when sensitive financial and personal information may be arriving daily in your mailbox,” says Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann. “If criminals are able to access this information they can fraudulently use it to gain access to bank accounts, apply for loans and credit cards, or engage in criminal activity that ultimately becomes associated to you.”

Surrey RCMP has also noticed a trend in fraudulent telephone calls claiming to be from debt collectors for unpaid phone, cable, hydro, or other utility bills.

Most of the reports involve complainants who have lost their wallets or purses within the last year and have not reported it to authorities. Scams like this are good reminders to cancel and replace all important cards once lost and to routinely check your credit report to ensure you are not a victim of identity theft.

------------------------------------Train-the-Trainer workshop for Hepatitis and other communicable diseases at PICS, Surrey Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) is hosting Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Healthcare Providers to make them

Balwant Sanghera was presented with a Saropa at Guru Nank Gurdwara for his services to the community in Surrey last Sunday

aware about Hepatitis C and other related communicable diseases in high risk Immigrant ethnic communities.

PICS is part of the Sexually Transmitted Infections and Tuberculosis Co-infections project undertaken by Canadian Ethnocultural Council, Ottawa and will provide training in the Metro Vancouver region. In Canada, STIs and TB continue to be public health concerns, however; very little information is available on the prevalence of these diseases in the selected ethnic populations and therefore; appropriate training is a must.

What - Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Healthcare Providers Where – PICS Surrey, #20512725-80th Avenue, Surrey When October 7th 2015 at 10 am – 11:30- Who can attend – healthcare providers, settlement workers and community leaders.

For more information & registration, please call 604-5967722 ext. 107.

Mosaic Networking Are you new to the country/ looking to meet new friends or seeking networking opportunities? You are invited! Refreshments will be served!

Mosaic Church meets on Saturday evening 6:30 pm in Surrey/Abbotsford.

Surrey: 12150-92 Avenue; Abbotsford: 2940 Clearbrook Road For more info call Dave at 604 897-4224 or email dmclauren@gmail.com ----------------------------------------------PICS Entrepreneurship Program – New Session Begins January 27th, 2016 PICS is currently accepting applications for it’s PICS Entrepreneurship Program, a nine week training course

which will teach you all the ropes of how to start a successful business.

Classes include helping you develop a business plan and ways in which you can secure finance for your plan. The training is followed by sixteen weeks of mentorship and consultation as well.

New session begins on January 27, 2016 in Vancouver. Participants will be recruited from the following groups: Youth (15 to 29 years), or Aboriginals, or Persons with Disabilities (self-identified disability that restricts regular employment).

Potential participants may contact Deshpal Grewal at PICS at 604-596-7722 ext. 126 and register for the next information session scheduled for: •January 13, 2016 at 2:30 PM – PICS Head Office in Surrey (#205 – 12725 - 80th Ave, Surrey, BC) January 20, 2016 at 2:30 PM – PICS Vancouver Office (#200 – 8153 Main Street, Vancouver, BC) ------------------------------------------Local Church Announces Saturday Service to Accommodate Young Families David McLauren and Mosaic Community Church announced a new Saturday service today to accommodate the demanding schedules of the local community.

Did you know that the Lower Mainland is one of the most diverse regions of the North America, with over 100 different spoken languages? Our communities are being joined by thousands of people from nearly every nation, culture, and ethnic group of the world.

The Lower Mainland is increasingly becoming a multicultural mosaic; however, over 90% of churches in the area have church services only on Sunday morning.

Mosaic Community Church is a new missional church in the Lower Main-

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Business / Finance

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Scotiabank Q1 profit rises 5%, dividends hiked

cotiabank grew its first-quarter profit by five per cent to $1.81 billion on stronger earnings from both its Canadian and international banking operations.

That’s up from the $1.73 billion in net income that the bank reported during the same period last year.

The earnings amounted to $1.43 per diluted share, up from $1.35 per share a year ago. Revenue was $6.37 billion, up from $5.86 billion during the first quarter of 2015.

Scotiabank also boosted its quarterly dividend by two cents to 72 cents per share.

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83,000 low-income seniors to get overdue GIS payments

ome 83,000 low-income seniors who were denied their guaranteed income supplement (GIS) for up to seven years will not get any interest on the missing retirement money, even though government bureaucrats are responsible for the problem. The government is sending out at least $245 million worth of GIS cheques by the end of next month, with a few individuals getting between $20,000 and $40,000 in back payments. Some people are owed money retroactive to 2008, with the average repayment about $6,000. An internal document obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act shows the late payments, affecting seniors largely in Ontario and the western provinces, were partly the result of “misunderstandings by officials in various … processing centres.”

The guaranteed income supplement payment gaffe, along with another employment insurance problem, were both discovered last year at Employment and Social Development Canada when Conservative minister Pierre Poilievre was in charge. But the department

says there will be no compensation for failing to deliver years’ worth of cheques. “Interest is not paid on retroactive benefit payments,” Julia Sullivan, spokeswoman for Families, Children and Social Development, said in an email. The legislation that governs GIS payments, known as the Old Age Security (OAS) Act, gives the minister discretion about whether to take “remedial action” to compensate anyone improperly denied benefits because of an “administrative error.”

Eligibility for GIS is largely determined automatically through income data supplied by the Canada Revenue Agency, affecting some 1.6 million recipients, but about 100,000 files must be reviewed manually to determine eligibility. The back payment problem was discovered in late April last year as a new computer system was being installed to end the manual review process. Officials learned that 140,000 people had never been reviewed, some cases dating back to 2008.

The department found that 43,000 of those were in fact not eligible for GIS, but 83,000 had indeed been denied their benefits.

Canada’s economy grows more than expected, but that’s still not very much

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anada’s economy slowed at the end of 2015, although performing at a better pace than many analysts had expected, with fourth-quarter growth limited by declines in business investment along with a drop in both exports and imports.

Overall, gross domestic product rose 1.2 per cent last year, compared to a gain of 2.5 per cent in 2014, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

The economy edged up by an annualized 0.8 per cent between October and December, down from 2.4 per cent in the third quarter, according to the federal data agency.

On average, economists had predicted zero growth in the fourth quarter of 2015.

“It wasn’t good, but against the low bar set by expectations, Canada’s economy managed to deliver at least a bit of a pleasant surprise,” said Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at CIBC World Markets.

The Canadian dollar was up 0.31 US cents at 74.22 after the data was released.

Despite a slowdown in the second half of last year, the economy still managed to claw back from a technical recession in the first two quarters — when GDP contracted consecutively by 0.9 per cent and 0.4 per cent as the collapse of global oil prices began to squeeze output — hitting resources-dependent Alberta and Newfoundland the hardest.

Most estimates are forecasting GDP growth of 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2016.

The Bank of Canada responded to the energy crisis by twice cutting its key interest rate by 25 basis points in 2015 — first in January and then again in July — taking the trendsetting lending level to 0.5 per cent. Governor Stephen Poloz and his policy council will announce its next rate decision March 9.

However, the central bank is unlikely to make any more moves on rates the federal government’s 2016-17 budget is tabled March 22, a fiscal blueprint that will detail the Liberal’s proposed multi-billion-dollar economic plan that will include spending on infrastructure and tax breaks for middle-class Canadians.

Business / Finance

Bill Gates richest man in the world while Mukesh Ambani islikely 36th: Forbes to resume buying crude oil from Iran after

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icrosoft’s co-founder Bill Gates continued his reign as the world’s richest person with a net worth of $ 75 billion, according to Forbes’ annual ranking of billionaires, with Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani (pictured) leading the pack of 84 Indian billionaires in 2016. Forbes’ 2016 list of the World’s Billionaires includes 1,810 billionaires, down from a record 1,826 a year ago. Their aggregate net worth is $6.5 billion, $570 million less than last year. Gates remains the richest person in the world with a net worth of $75 billion, despite being $4.2 billion poorer than a year ago. He has been number one for 3 years in a row and topped the list 17 out of 22 years. Forbes said Ambani, 58, has retained his position as India’s richest person despite shares of his oil and gas giant Reliance Industries taking a hit due to lower oil prices.

Whichever way the market goes, your returns will only go up! He is ranked 36th on the list with a net worth of $20.6 billion, the magazine said, adding that “the $62.2 billion (revenues) firm is

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Shiv Nadar (88 and $11.1 billion networth) coming in among the top 100 billionaires.

Other prominent Indian billionaires include ArcelorMittal Chairman Lakshmi Mittal (135), Bharti Airtel’s Sunil Mittal (219), ports and power magnate Gautam Adani (453), matriarch Savitri Jindal (453)

A huge windfall from mom and dad not likely, Vancity report finds

f you are counting on a giantsized windfall from your parents, you might want to think again.

That’s the finding of a new Vancity report that concluded while nearly 40 per cent of those between 18 to 34 years old expect an inheritance of over $300,000 from their parents, just 12 per cent of parents anticipate leaving a legacy that big. “There’s a gap between what the millennials expect and what may be the reality of what their parents are expecting to leave them,” Vancity investment adviser Sophie Salcito said in an interview about the report, titled Great Expectations: Wealth Transfer Between Generations in British Columbia.

“They need to be thinking about doing their own planning, because the bank of mom and dad may run out. If they don’t do it, they may have mom and dad back with them or be needing to help them later on.”

The report found that a contributing factor to the disconnect may be that fewer than

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the lifting of sanctions.” Occupying the second spot on the list is Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, founder of closing retail giant Zara and the richest man in Europe. Bill Gates at least donates to poor through Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation throughout the world. Did our richest man ...

Read MoreRamesh Sargam On the third spot is billionaire philanthropist and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu (4) and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (5). Ambani leads a pack of 84 billionaires from India, with pharma magnate Dilip Shanghvi (rank 44 and $16.7 billion networth), Wipro Chairman Azim Premji (55 with $15 billion networth) and HCL co-founder

half of parents in the Lower Mainland have spoken with their kids about what to expect in terms of inheritances or wealth transfer.

As well, 60 per cent of B.C. parents surveyed said they have already provided a portion of their wealth to their children, helping with down payments for a house or car, or paying off student loans or other debts.

The report also found: The average inheritance in B.C. in 2012 was $137,800, while the median was just $50,200, suggesting that the vast majority of inheritances were less than $100,000.

The median asset value of B.C. households 65 years and older is about $594,400.

85 per cent of men and 71 per cent of women 18 to 34 expect to receive an inheritance.

66 per cent of B.C. parents expect to leave $100,000 or less to each child.

44 per cent of parents have discussed wealth transfer with a financial planner.

Bank of Canada warns of email scam using its name and logo

he Bank of Canada is warning Canadians not to fall for an email scam that tries to extort money or personal information using its name. In a press release Tuesday, it says the scams on email and social media are using its name, logos and letterhead without authorization. It is warning consumers that it does not: People should not follow any links included in social media or email messages purported to be from the Bank of Canada, the bank said. Ransomware, bogus emails from your ‘boss’ mark growing skill of cyber-criminals CRA phone scam uses fear of tax man to swindle ‘not so smart’ Canadians Anyone who receives such a message should delete it and contact local authorities.

The Bank of Canada is the country’s central bank, meaning it sets monetary policy, issues currency and works to keep the financial system stable. The only deposits it handles are from government and financial institutions.

The real Bank of Canada can be contacted at www.bankofcanada.ca or at its Public Information Office at 1-800-3031282, Last year, some Canadians were taken in by fraudsters who pretended to be from the Canada Revenue Agency and demanded “back taxes.”

Cyber-criminals are increasingly sophisticated in trying to dupe users to extort money or give up personal information that can help them break into bank accounts or credit cards.

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PUNJAB

Bhullar may get parole

pointed out that the ADA convict police should have D av i nd e r p a l filed the challan beSingh Bhullar may get parole in case fore the court within 90 days of the inthe court grants him bail in a 23-yearcident. This period could be extended old case in which two alleged terrorists to 180 days. But in this particular case, were shot by the Batala police. The inciit took 21 years for the Batala police dent had occurred in 1992, but Bhullar to file the challan. The police submitwas named in the case in 1995. After Davinderpal ted it before the court on February 10 the doctors declared him ‘fit enough’ to Singh Bhullar this year. The case pertains to a police face trial, the counsel appearing on his behalf expressed hope that he might get bail encounter in which two heavily armed “terrorin the case. Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur ists” were shot dead by the Batala police.

Central gov’t blames Punjab law for canal dispute Ranjit Kumar he Centre

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told a today took a five-member Constistand against tution Bench headed Punjab in the Supreme

by Justice Anil R Dave Court on the river wathat “we stand by the ter issue by contending two judgments” of the that the law enacted by SC for the constructhe state in 2004 cantion of the SYL canal celling its agreements which was opposed by with Haryana and othPunjab. Kumar made er neighbouring states the clarification as the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal was against the SC orders for the comple- Bench took up for hearing the 2004 Presition of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. dential reference on the validity of the Punjab Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Termination of Agreements Act 2004.

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Kejriwal attacked near Ludhiana

elhi Chief Minister and national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal was today A picture showing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in his car near Ludhiana attacked by a Akalis for the attack. They claimed that inmob which threw stones at his car near Has- timidated by the public response that Kejriwsanpur village in Ludhiana. It is probably the al had received during his five-day tour of the first time that a visiting Chief Minister has state, the Akalis had plotted to kill him. The been attacked in the state. Kejriwal escaped Mullanpur police have lodged an FIR against unhurt but his aide suffered minor injuries. unidentified persons under Sections 336 (enCalling it a murder bid, Sanjay Singh, AAP’s dangering the life and safety of others) and political affairs in-charge in Punjab, and Su- 427 (mischief causing damage) of the Indian cha Singh Chhotepur squarely blamed the Penal Code

Sportsman Sajjan Singh Cheema joins AAP

International basketball player from Kapurthala Sajjan Singh Cheema joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He was welcomed in the party by its Punjab affairs in charge Sanjay Singh, state convener Sucha Singh

Sanjay Singh of AAP party (left) along with basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema Chhotepur and party’s Punjab co-convener Durgesh Pathak. Cheema hails from Dabulian village in Kapurthala and is a national record holder basketball player. He represented India four times. Cheema served as an SSP with the Punjab Police. He was posted with the anti-riot unit at the Punjab Armed Police, Jalandhar, before he took voluntary retirement around a month ago to join politics.

He said youngsters in the state were losing life and strength to drugs. “In such a scenario, the Aam Aadmi Party is the only hope,” he said.

Punjab-based gang cheats Flipkart of lakhs

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ansa police on Tuesday arrested six persons for cheating online shopping portal Flipkart by allegedly ordering costly products using mobile phone sim cards procured on fake documents. The accused used to take out original parts and put cheap quality parts and return these to the online shopping company and to seek refund for their purchase, said police.

Police have recovered 10 mobile phones, laptops and Rs 17 lakh in cash from the arrested persons, identified as Suresh Kumar of Mansa, Gagandeep Singh of Karamgarh village, Yadwinder Singh, Sandeep Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Kuldeep Singh of Gharagna village. Cut their hands & throw them in in front of hungry lions...these peegs are cancer to the society. They think they ar...

Read Moretruthprevail Mansa superintendent of police (investigations) Vinod Kumar said, “The arrested persons used to make fake email IDs and procure mobile phone sim cards on fake names. They used to get va rious products from Flipkart and after few days used to return those by terming these as defected.” After nearly two months, the company sensed mischief and approached police with a complaint. SP Vinod said police arrested the accused on the basis of the complaint filed by the company.

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Real Canadian Superstore速 location is the convenient one-stop shopping solution for everyday needs and for special occasions. You'll find variety, value, and a wide range of South Asian specialities -- at great price!

350 SE Marine Drive, Vancouver T: (604) 322-3727

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INDIA fOOD

Saturday, March 5, 2016 628 ii Saturday - April 4, 2015

Rahul says Modi gov’t ‘it has launched fair and lovely scheme to turn black money into white’

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ongress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government, saying it has launched a “’Fair and Lovely Yojana’ to convert black money into white”. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said: “Nobody who has black money will be jailed under Modi’s ‘Fair and Lovely’ scheme.

All those who have black money can make it white under this scheme.”

The Congress vice-president was participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, marking the beginning of the Budget session. He hit

out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “Modi ji had promised that he will put people with black money behind bars, now they have come up with way to save those people.”

“I was shocked to see finance minister Arun Jaitley launching such scheme.”

He said the Prime Minister had failed to fulfil his poll promise of bringing back black money from foreign countries. Gandhi also raked up the issue of suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula and said the Prime Minister neither called up his mother nor did he speak on the issue.

CBI chief slams banks for not reporting Kingfisher fraud on time

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Tamil Nadu ready to release Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts, writes to Centre

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he Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday expressed its willingness to release all the seven convicts serving life sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. In a letter to Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, chief sec-

retary K Gnanadesikan has said the state is informing the Centre on its readiness to release Perarivalan, Murugan, Santhan, Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran as they have served 24 years in prison. “The state government has received petitions from the convicts seeking their release.

Nalini has also filed a petition in the Madras high court seeking her release. It is only after these pe-

Asia Cup

titions that the government has decided to remit their sentences and release them as they have served 24 years in prison. Of the seven convicts, four are foreigners,” said Gnanadesikan. Killers of scumgress ministers should be given Bharat Ratna for clearing the filth from India!

Adhiraj Kumar “It has become necessary for us to request you to communicate your views under Section 435 Cr.P.C on the decision of the state government. We would also move the Supreme Court seeking it to review its judgment dated December 2, 2015 where in

the Constitution bench took the view that the word ‘consultation’ means ‘concurrence’,” said the chief secretary.

Ingredients • 250g boneless chicken T20 Cricket: • 2tbsp rapeseed oil • 1 medium red onion • 3 large tomatoes Mohd• Sami two no-balls, one of ½ cupconceded cashew nuts which• Mahmudullah cut past the point to hit 100g tomato puree the boundary, that was a turning point. It left • 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves Bangladesh needing just three runs to win in • 100ml low fat cream the last over. Mahmudullah, who was at the • 1tsp garam masala crease during Bangladesh’s two-run defeat by • 1tsp red chilli powder Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup final, then hit • 1tbsp ginger- garlic paste a boundary to the wild delight of the home • 2tbsp thick low fat yoghurt48 against crowd.

However, Sarkar’s run-a-ball • salt to taste a high-quality Pakistan attack, despite losing

India to meet Bangladesh in Asia Cup Final

Vijay Mallya-promoted airliner has defaulted arning that non-payment of on loans of Rs 7,000 crore way back from Janangladesh qualified for the final of loans by big borrowers will uary 2012, Sinha said, “Despite our the Asia Cup T-20 cricekt after beaterode people’s faith repeated requests, the banks did ing Pakistan by five wickets in Semi in the law, the CBI on Wednesday not file a complaint with the CBI. Final. Pakistan seemingly recovered from 28-4 blasted lenders for not coming forWe had to register the case on our to post 129-7, before Bangladesh reached a ward with a complaint in the Kingown.” Regretting that only “one final total of 131-5 in 19.1 overs. Bangladesh’s fisher Airlines “fraud”, saying the among the 17 lenders” who owed Mahmudullah secured victory, and a place delay helped the company “divert money, had declared KFA as a “wil- in Sunday’s final against India, with a deep funds and destroy evidence”. “The ful defaulter”, Sinha said the loans mid-wicket boundary for four runs. Mahmudmessage to the public is that the Vijay Mallya in question were taken between ullah was unbeaten on 22, Soumya Sarkar (48) rich and powerful are able to avoid 2004 and 2012, while the CBI filed also provided the platform for reaching into Tamim Iqbal for seven and in-form Sabbir consequences of cheating and fraud, while the case only in July 2015. The comments, the final. Pakistan pace bowler Mohd Amir Rahman for 14, was the key to Bangladesh’s Procedure: the ordinary citizens are promptly booked. made before an audience comprising top had good bowling figures of 2-26 and kept his performance. Earlier, Sarfraz Ahmed led PaMarinate the chicken with the ginger garlic paste and the yoghurt for 20 min. soak the cashew in warm water for 15 minutes.chop the onions and tomatoes. Heat 1 tbsp This undermines faith of people in rule of bankers, including Arundhati Bhattacharya side’s hopes alive until Mashrafe Mortaza (12 kistan’s recovery with an unbeaten 58. He and oil to a pan. sear the chicken pieces in the hot oil for 1 minute on each side to a golden colour. remove the chicken pieces. in the same pan, add 1tbsp oil and the chopped law, which has dangerous consequences in of SBI, ICICI Bank’s Chanda Kochhar and not out) hit him for two consecutive boundar- Shoaib Malik, who scored 41, combined in a onions. saute till a translucent pink. Add the tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala powder and cook on medium flame till the tomatoes are tender (approx. 4-5 a democracy,” CBI Director Anil Sinha said Axis Bank’s Shikha Sharma, come amid a ies in the 18th over. Those two boundaries (4’s) 70-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Howminutes). remove from flame and run in a blender with the soaked cashews to make a smooth paste. return to the pan and add the tomato puree. Bring to a boil and add at a bankers’ conference in Mumbai. Citing huge spike in banks’ bad assets and the RBI’s off a searing yorker and a bouncer came after ever Pakistan elected to bat at first was 28 runs the chicken pieces. simmer for 4-5 minutes till the chicken is cooked. Add the low fat cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Broil the fenugreek leaves on a pan. crush the the case of Kingfisher Airlines, in which the attempts on cleaning up the books to show a Shakib Hasan had a reverse sweep shot, put- for 4 early wickets after 10 overs, before the fenugreek leaves over the curry and remove from fire. serve hot. ting Pakistan on pressure. With 18 runs need- duo counter attacked to give the bowlers a ed in the last two overs, Pakistan fast bowler decent total to defend.

chicken (no butter) Masala Your favourite butter chicken but without the butter and added calories!

B

Saturday, March 5, 2016 i 29

!! d a w !! a y a n y i a r h k D Shu

The Black Tie Affair, a gala fundraiser organized by PICS in support of PICS Diversity Village, a culturally sensitive extended care home for seniors on Saturday, garnered a whopping $400,000 (approx.) bringing the total up to an impressive $850,000 for the project. Thanking all sponsors and the community PICS CEO Mr. Charan Gill said, “We are overwhelmed with the faith and support that the entire community has shown for this project. We can assure you that when built PICS Diversity village will indeed be a legacy our future generations will be proud of and a testament to the values and the traditional circle of care that we have all inherited. More than 800 people attended the event including Canada's National Defence Minister, Honourable Harjit Singh Sajjan who was also the key note speaker.

30 i

INDIA

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Pastor gets 40 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping 12-year old girl

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n a rare judgment, the Thrissur first additional district sessions court judge K P Sudheer on Tuesday sentenced a pastor of Salvation Army Church of Peechi for 40 years of rigorous imprisonment on charges of raping a 12-year-old girl. The judge, who is also the designated district judge for the trial of the cases charged under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, has also slapped fine of Rs 20,000 on the accused, while the victim will receive a compensation of Rs 3

lakh from `Victim Compensation Fund’.

The accused Sanil K James, who is the son Kuttikkal James of Nedunkandam of Kottayam, has been found guilty under the section 376 (2)f of IPC , and sections 4 and 5 of POCSO Act, read with Section 6 of the same Act. The judge has slapped 20 years of RI under IPC and another 20 years of RI for the offences proved under the POCSO Act. Since the sentences run concurrently the accused will have to undergo 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann booked for creating communal tension

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criminal case has been filed against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and prominent AAP leaders on the charges of creating communal tension and spreading terrorism in the state.

Those named in the case are Sanjay Singh, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Sadhu Singh and Bhagwant Mann.

It has been alleged that to woo hardliners, the AAP leaders had conspired and got the photograph of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale printed on the party pamphlets.

These phamphlets were pasted at important places, including some gurdwaras “to create communal tension among Hindus and Sikhs which could provoke terrorism in the state”. The complaint was moved by a Moga resident, Jagdeep Singh Gill, president of Jagrati Manch, Punjab.

He alleged that AAP was trying to woo

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Arvind Kejriwal with Bhagwant Mann (right)

extremist forces with an eye on the 2017 state Assembly elections. Due to their acts, terrorism could return to the state and vitiate peace, alleged the complainant. The case would come up for hearing on March 19 before the court of the Judicial Magistrate, Harpreet Singh.

Indian consulate in Jalalabad attacked, 9 dead, 19 wounded

uicide bombers targeted the In- cars. The attackers hid in a house and exdian consulate in the Afghan city changed fire with security forces before of Jalalabad on Wednesday, kill- they were killed. ITBP personnel guarding ing nine people and injuring 19 before the consulate also engaged the attackers.

Besides the Indian consulate, several forthey were gunned down by security forces. eign missions are located in the same area.

The consulate was damaged but all No group claimed the brazen attack, the Indians escaped unharmed. One Afwhich coincided with a NATO changeghan employee was injured. The dead inof-command ceremony that saw US cluded a policeman and two civilians.

“The Indian Consulate in Jalalabad has Army Gen John Nicholson take charge been attacked. All Indians in the mission of international troops in Afghanistan. are safe but one ANP officer was killed during the gunfire,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi.

“One suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the mission while another blew himself up along with the car which carried the attackers. Four terrorists were killed by the Afghan security men.”

Anil Kumar, an official at the Indian embassy in Kabul, said no one Afghan security forces inspect the site of a suibreached the consulate building. cide attack, inside a resident house, in Jalalabad The attackers were killed before The attack highlights the worsening secuthey could enter the consulate compound, rity situation in Afghanistan as Taliban insurAfghan officials said. “Their target was the gents step up nationwide attacks and Islamic Indian consulate, but our forces shot and State jihadists make inroads in the volatile east. killed them all before they reached their tarWednesday’s attack was reminisget,” said Attahullah Khugyani, a spokesman cent of a 25-hour siege near the Indian for the governor of Nangarhar province. consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in January.

The powerThe attack coincided with a terrorist asful explosions sault on the Pathankot airbase in India. blew out winIn December, Afghan security forces dows in nearby said they had foiled two attempts to atbuildings and tack the Indian mission in Jalalabad, the destroyed eight capital of eastern Nangrahar province.

Student leader Kanhaiya Kumar gets bail

The Delhi High Court today granted bail to Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case. Kumar was sent to Tihar Jail here on February 17 following a magisterial order remanding him in 14-day judicial custody.

Kanhaiya Kumar Justice Pratibha Rani of the HC ordered the release of Kumar on bail for six months as an interim measure. Kumar had approached the Supreme Court seeking bail, but the SC forwarded his petition to the HC on February 19, observing it did not want to short-circuit the HC. “By entertaining the bail plea directly, we don’t want to short-circuit the HC and create an impression that other constitutional courts are incapable of handling such petitions and extraordinary situations,” a Bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and AM Sapre said while explaining the reason for its order. The SC had, however, acknowledged that two days of violence at the Patiala House Courts complex here.

FIJI

Government not doing enough to help Indian cane farmers

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Munna Prasad

estruction by cyclone Winston is heart breaking, to see so much loss of life and property.

However it is heart warming to see the government and both the opposition parties have joined hands to help Fijians.

The National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad has suggested that value added tax (VAT) suspended at this time on house building supplies and any one violating must be prosecuted. He also suggested that there must be a price control on all building materials. Professor Prasad is donating half his MPs salary towards the cyclone relief and the two other NFP MPs are donating ten percent of their salaries for one year The Official Leader of Opposition Ro Teimumu Kepa and the SODELPA MPs are donating ten percent of their salary and allowances towards the Cyclone.

Ro. Teimumu Kepa has also asked the Speaker of the Parliament be recalled to deal with this natural calamity.

The foreign and Fijian media have covered this devastation; however it appears that the Fijian media has failed to mention the devastation suffered by

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ethnic Indians in Fiji, especially those who are sugarcane farmers in the Western part of the country. They concentrate their coverage only on the suffering of native Fijians.

The government must give priority to rebuilding of Rakiraki Sugar Mill.

The EU Commissioner understands the importance of sugar industry for Fiji and has offered and is prepared to help as the mills which are in state of complete disrepair since government take over in the seventies.

Since most of the sugarcane crop has been destroyed, farmers are asking the government for financial help to tie them over until next harvest. They are still waiting for Bainimarama Governments response.

Government officials did not visit devastated cane farming areas nor was food aid or any other aid was given to the cane farming settlement by the government.

The Minister of Agriculture and Disaster Management said that “some political parties are politicizing this issue” without mentioning any political party. He further stated that he will get to it when he can.”

The Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji has helped cane farmers by providing food rations.

3 NFP MPs give $35,000 from their salary towards cyclone relief

ationalL Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad will give away half his salary to assist the thousands affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston. The other two NFP members - Prem Singh and Tupou Draunidalo - have authorised the deduction of 10 per cent of their salaries for the same purpose. “It’s a small contribution when you look at the scale of suffering and destruction,” Prof Prasad said. The

three NFP members will contribute a total of $35,000 from their annual salaries towards the relief and rehabilitation work being carried out following TC Winston. “The NFP supports the decision of SODELPA parliamentary colleagues in Opposition to contribute ten percent of their annual salaries, totalling $77,000, towards relief work.” He said the three NFP MPs have written to Secretary-General to Parliament Viniana Namosimalua authorising the deductions from their salaries.

80pc food rations, supplies distributed nationwide

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ov’t has distributed food rations and relief supplies to about 80 per cent of areas affected by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Director National Disaster Management Office Akapusi Tuifagalele said they hoped to cover the remaining areas by the end of this week or early next week.

“Weareusingair,landandseatransportation to get to areas where people have not received any forms of assistance,” Mr Tuifagalele said.

“For the interior of Viti Levu, especially the areas in Rakiraki, parts of Taveuni and

other remote areas that were not being able to be assisted by road, food rations and other supplies are being airlifted to them from Nausori.”

The HMAS Canberra is stationed in Lomaiviti waters, ready to assist Severe TC Winston victims in the group.

He said the HMNZS Canterbury from New Zealand, which arrived yesterday, would also help people in Lau and Southern Vanua Levu.

“We are positive that within a few days, we should be able to cover the rest of the areas that have not been provided with rations yet,” Mr Tuifagalele said.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

i 31

Fallen pine trees to be used to build 3000 homes

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ine trees felled by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston at Dawasamu, Lakeba, Koro and Vanuabalavu — estimated at about 392,542 cubic metres — would be used to rebuild about 3000 houses destroyed by the monster storm. This was confirmed by the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) director Akapusi Tuifagalele yesterday, who said this was based on field assessments carried out by the Ministry of Forests. He said assessments in affected areas were yet to be completed. “Because those were assets that were built over the years, a lot of them are on the ground and what we need to do now is to mill those logs so that we can have some sort of economic benefit for the community and it can also be used extensively now for the rehabilitation that will be done in the construction industry,” Mr Tuifagalele said. He said as an estimate, they had about 25,536 cubic metres in Dawasamu that could cover about 670 houses, while the

standing volume in Lakeba, Koro and Vanuabalavu stood at 367,006 cubic metres which should be able to provide for over 2000 houses.

“So these are the kind of things Government is trying to do in trying to estimate and look forward into the future. Right now the use of existing assets — even though they are on the ground — can provide some sort of relief in terms of the construction industry.” The Ministry of Forests has tendered out an expression of interest for contractors to harvest, cart pine, mill and process, and sawmilling of wind-blown pine trees. The tender closes on March 11. Meanwhile, statistics released by the NDMO on Monday — ten days after Severe TC Winston — revealed that 3360 houses were completely destroyed around the country with 5846 partially damaged.

Yesterday, reports from Mualevu District on Vanuabalavu revealed 188 dwellings were destroyed and 80 partly damaged.

32 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

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Bengal village teen bags top NASA scholarship

ighteen-year-old Sataparna this could be used to create a ‘Time Machine’, Mukherjee, a Class 12 student from was hugely appreciated. “I am very happy to get a village around 30km from Kolkata, this opportunity where I will also work as a rehas been selected by the National Aeronausearcher at the Nasa centre in London,” she said. tics and Space Administration (Nasa) for its Under the Goddard Internship Proprestigious Goddard Internship Programme gramme, Sataparna will work as an “employunder the Goddard Institute for Space Studee and researcher”, where she will be part of ies ( GISS). She is among five scholars chosen its earth science and technology developfrom across the world for this programme. ment programme. Nasa is paying her a genNasa’s GIP selects five exceperous sum as honorarium, apart tional individuals from across from bearing all her expenses. the world every year and funds Her father Pradip Mukheree, a their entire education after school. headmaster of a primary school who Sataparna, who will appear for led a people’s movement against her school-leaving exams this year goons and political pressure to drop from St Judes School, Madhyamthe infamous June 2013 Kamduni gram, in Kamduni - it gained notogang-rape case, said, “She has made riety for a brutal gangrape in 2013 us, and the entire country, proud.”

Sataparna Mukherjee will be at Oxford University, where Pulak Chakraborty, a professhe she will pursue graduation, post-graduasor of English at the Nabagram Hiralapal tion and PhD (as Nasa faculty) in aerospace enCollege, who’s acting as Sataparna’s refergineering at its London Astrobiology Centre. ee at Oxford, said, “She is a very good stuSataparna told TOI, “It all started in May dent and her ability should not be judged last year when I was a member of a group on a through her marks alone. She is original, social networking site where there were many and that has made her attain so much.” members, including some scientists. One “She is going on August 17,” said Pradip. day I shared some of my thoughts on ‘Black “Though every cost is borne by the uniHole Theory’, and one of the members of this versity and Nasa, we will arrange for the group gave me Nasa’s official website and told passage money, which is quite high. I am me to post my findings, which I did.” Satathinking of taking a loan because I don’t parna’s paper on Black Hole Theory, and how want to let this opportunity go,” he said.

A

13 years jail in Pakistan for religious post on Facebook

Pakistani man was sentenced to 13 years in prison on Thursday for allegedly posting religiously offensive material on his Facebook page, lawyers in the case said. Rizwan Haider, 25, was convicted in an anti-terrorism court of three charges including promoting sectarian hatred, after

he supposedly published a post referring to Prophet Mohammed. “This case... was registered against Haider, who is a Shiite Muslim by faith, in January for posting objectionable material against the belief of Sunni Muslims,” Adeel Chattah, public prosecutor in the case, told AFP.

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Saturday, March 5, 2016

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Pakistan minister rules out rollback of nuke programme

akistan’s finance minister on Thursday said that his country will never roll back its nuclear programme despite financial hardship and threat of mounting external debt.

Ishaq Dar was briefing the Senate, the upper house of parliament, on the country’s economy.

The Express Tribune reported that Dar dismissed reports about Pakistan bartering away its nuclear arsenal.

“We did not start this (nuclear) programme to roll it back. This is a programme of our security, and it is a national responsibility to protect it. All political parties of Pakistan share the ownership of our nuclear programme,” he said.

“Even if our debts swell to USD 100 billion or USD 100 trillion, we will not roll back our nuclear programme,” he said.

He referred to a 2008 article in Wall

Street Journal headlined ‘Let’s Buy Pakistan’s Nukes’ in which the author asked Western donors to agree on a USD 100 billion economic package in exchange for eliminating Pakistan’s nuclear stockpile, currently said to be the world’s fastest growing.

He mentioned another article which suggested the ever-ballooning debt may lead Pakistan to compromise on its national security assets.

Dar’s forceful statement came after US secretary of state John Kerry pressed Pakistan at this week’s strategic dialogue in Washington to reduce its nuclear arsenal.

Dar did not mention Kerry’s statement but Senate chairman Raza Rabbani asked Adviser to Prime Minister on foreign affairs sartaj Aziz to brief the house on the issue.

Aziz had urged the US not to contribute to “strategic imbalance in South Asia” by aiding India.

US asks Pakistan to reduce its nuclear arsenal

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he US has pressed Pakistan to reduce its growing nuclear arsenal but Islamabad has refused to accept any curbs on it saying America must show “greater understanding” of its security concerns in South Asia.

Citing the example of the US and Russia which are working to further reduce their nuclear arsenals, secretary of state John Kerry asked Pakistan to understand this reality and review its nuclear policy.

The nuclear issue was discussed during security talks held here on Monday as part of the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue.

“I think, it is important for Pakistan to really process that reality and put that front and centre in its policy,” Kerry said in an apparent reference to the reports that Pakistan has the fastest growing stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world.

His remarks come ahead of this month’s Nuclear Security Summit to be hosted here by President Barack Obama that would be attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

“We look forward to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s participation in the nuclear security summit next month,” Kerry said, adding “non-proliferation” and “nuclear safety” is of obvious concern to both countries.

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34 i Saturday, March 5, 2016

Slain blogger’s daughter remembers him a year on:

Donald Trump’s flip-flop over H1B lands him in controversy

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S Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump today stoked another controversy when he said he has softened his stance on H-1B visas for highly-skilled workers, but took a U-turn soon by vowing to abolish the visa programme, popular among Indian techies. “I’m changing. I’m changing. We need highly skilled people in this

country, and if we can’t do it, we’ll get them in.

But, and we do need in Silicon Valley, we absolutely have to have,” Trump, 69, said during the Republican presidential debate in Detroit.

Responding to a question on his views on immigration, Trump said America needs highly skilled professionals.

Hindujas acquire iconic London building

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he Hinduja Group has formally acquired the historic 1,100-room Old War Office building in central London, once occupied by Britain’s war-time PM Winston Churchill, which will now be restored and re-developed into a five-star hotel and residential apartments. At a ceremony held on Tuesday, the key of the building was formally handed over to GP Hinduja, co-chairman of the Hinduja group and his brother PP Hinduja, chairman of the Hinduja Group in Europe. No more NY arrests for public urination New York: The New York police are loosening up, at least when it comes to drinking alcohol and urinating on the

street. From next Monday, offenders will no longer be arrested or prosecuted in Manhattan for minor misdeeds such as public consumption of alcohol, public urination or putting your feet on the seat in the subway. Officials say the city is introducing reforms to give the police more time to focus on serious crimes.

Los Angeles: Harry Potter creator JK Rowling (pic) has confirmed that the upcoming “Fantastic Beasts” will be a triology.

The 50-year-old British novelist made the revelation while correcting a fan, who thought that her new play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” will also be a film. “You heard wrong, I’m afraid.

‘My father taught me to be bold and unafraid’

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lain Bangladeshi-American secular blogger Avijit Roy’s step-daughter has said her father was a fun dad who taught her to be “informed, bold and unafraid” as she penned an article to mark the first anniversary of his death.

In a moving piece Roy’s 19-year-old step-daughter, Trisha Ahmed, a second-year student at Johns Hopkins University wrote for CNN, she recounts the father she remembers and the brutal atPeople pay respect to slain US blogger Avijit Roy in Dhaka tack she’s trying to forget. goal of incorporating more secular discus“Though my dad worked as a computer sion into mainstream Bangladesh,” she said. programmer during the day, he was a writ“He and my mom started dating when er when he came home. His books were I was six years old. In the twelve years about the science behind homosexuality and that followed, he became my friend, the virus of religious extremism. With the my hero, my most trusted confidante.

‘Mystery’ body flown to UK not that of NRI

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n a maj o r go of-up, the body of a mystery man has been mistakenly flown Ranjit Singh Power from India to the UK, believing it was that of a 54-year-old Indian-origin British hotelier who was allegedly murdered last May during a visit to the country. The body was today handed over to the UK social services.

Indian authorities had sent the body believing it was that of Ranjit Singh Power, allegedly murdered during a visit to Punjab 10 months ago. Officials thought the corpse, one of five pulled from a river in Punjab, was of the missing hotelier

Efforts to use bamboo to rebuild post-quake Nepal

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n an effort to address Nepal’s post-earthquake housing crisis, a new initiative is underway to harness the Himalayan country’s abundant bamboo resource to rebuild its devastated communities and promote sustainable livelihoods. On April 25, 2015, a massive earthquake left around 1,500 people dead and over 300,000 Nepalese homeless. Over 730,000 structures affected by the quake are now in need of upgrading, an official said.

The initiative is funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and implemented by the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) in partnership with the Nepal government, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and ABARI, a research and design firm that promotes the use of natural material in contemporary design practices. The current CFC project will build 150 homes and 10 transitional schools by May 2016.

The project has got government validation, including approval for the bamboo-based school design.

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36 i Saturday, March 5, 2016