The Asian Star April 17 2021 by The Asian Star Newspaper

www.theasianstar.com Vol 20 - Issue 11

Saturday, April 17, 2021

BC’s Covid-19 spike could overwhelm hospitals, scientists say An independent Covid-19 modelling group says hospitalizations from Covid-19 are projected to overwhelm hospital capacity in British Columbia by May, unless rigorous restrictions are put in place. The B.C. Covid-19 Modelling Group is made up of a range of academics from Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia and has support from the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences. Sarah Otto, a UBC professor and a member of the group, has previously warned that the province is under-reporting its Covid-19 variants. She says transmission of the virus must be reduced by roughly 40 per cent from the levels seen in March to help health authorities control case growth. The group also projects cases of variants of concern to rise to nearly 2,000 a day by late April.

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Canada on track to pass USA in number of new Covid-19 cases relative to population In a reversal of earlier pandemic trends, Canada is on the verge of matching — perhaps surpassing — the United States in the number of new Covid-19 cases relative to its population. Updated data compiled from the Johns Hopkins University Covid-19 dataset shows that the United States is adding roughly 196 new Covid-19 cases per one million people daily, and Canada, as of Tuesday, was adding 180 new cases per one million people daily. The

data is based on a seven-day rolling average of daily new infections. While this amounts to, in raw numbers, a difference of some 59 million cases, it’s a worrisome trend, experts say. Anthony Dale, the president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association, said the United States has suffered “the biggest public health catastrophe in probably the modern Western world’s history.” Continued on page 7

Fraser Health area residents & youth should get priority vaccines says Vancouver physician Why are Surrey MLAs silent on this issue? A Vancouver family physician is questioning why people in Fraser Health and younger people are not being prioritized for Covid-19 vaccinations since they are both big drivers of the spread of the virus. Dr. Birinder Narang agrees with the decision to immunize all adults living and working in Whistler, and thinks many

factors make residents in Surrey more at risk to contracting the virus. “There’s still people working essential, front-line jobs, there are still people who don’t have financial security or don’t have the ability to work from home and are living in multi-generational settings Continued on page 7

13.5 lakh take shahi snan: ‘It is a matter of faith’ pandemic. Kumbh happens once in 12 years and they can’t miss it, the devotees said. “It is a matter of faith which is bigger than anything else. I am a believer in god. How can I miss this opportunity to take bath on this auspicious day,” said Vicky Tyagi, a railway employee posted in Delhi who arrived here on Tuesday with three of his friends. In their 20s, they said they took the Narsan route to enter Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh.

Despite the steep rise in Covid-19 cases across the country, more than 13.5 lakh devotees turned up at the ghats of Ganga in Haridwar for the third shahi snan during the Kumbh Mela on Wednesday, officials said. While the authorities said adequate measures, such as mandatory negative RTPCR reports for those coming in, have been in place to ensure safety of the devotees, many of the visitors The Indian Express spoke to said belief was more important than the

Surrey RCMP raid wedding party and fined host & restaurant owner for breaking Covid-19 rules Nearly $17,000 in fines have been handed out by RCMP in Surrey, B.C., in the last week to a growing number of people who police say are ignoring Covid-19 health orders. RCMP said in a statement that most of the fines were issued over large gatherings, including a $2,300 fine for the host of a wedding where 22 people attended against the provincial health officer’s orders. Sgt. Tyler Wickware, with Surrey RCMP’s COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team, says officers have seen the number of people and businesses ignoring the health orders “creeping up.” Mounties

say the majority of the fines announced Wednesday stem from large gatherings, with officers going to five separate homes between April 7 and April 11 to issue fines. Other fines went to a restaurant owner who violated dining-in restrictions and to a man who refused to wear a mask inside a business. Wickware says the sunny weather can make it very inviting to gather with others, but public health orders remain in place limiting those gatherings, even outdoors.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

Canada just had its worst week ever for new Covid-19 cases Canada’s seven-day average has reached its highest point of the pandemic, marking a grim milestone amid the country’s third wave. As of Wednesday, the rolling seven-day average number of new infections in Canada was 8,444.7 cases, setting a new record, according to data tracked by CTVNews.ca. Canada’s previous highest seven-day average was set back on Jan. 10 with 8,260.6 cases. Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox The new weekly record comes as several provinces continue to report a spike in daily infections across the country. Ontario logged 4,156 new infections on Wednesday, in addition to 28 more deaths linked to the virus. The numbers pushed the province’s own seven-day rolling average to just above 4,000 daily cases. The new cases come as Ontario’s hospitals face capacity

issues, with 642 patients currently in intensive care units. Quebec’s hospital system is also being strained amid the third wave, with 660 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. The province recorded 1,559 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths Wednesday. In Alberta, the province with the highest active case rate in Canada, health officials reported 1,412 new infections and eight additional deaths. The province currently has 420 patients in hospitals. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 also reached a new record in British Columbia on Wednesday. B.C. confirmed 1,168 new cases and six deaths, with 397 people currently in hospital.Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday that new cases are up 33 per cent, hospitalizations grew 29 per cent and the number in critical care went up 24 per cent over the past week.

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Liberal income tax policy weakened Canada’s economy before Covid-19 As the Trudeau government prepares to table the first federal budget in roughly two years, it’s worthwhile to consider how Ottawa’s policies of higher taxes, more spending and borrowing, and more regulations weakened the economy, well before COVID-19. In 2015, the Liberals

campaigned on cutting income taxes for the middle class, particularly for families with children. After forming government, the Liberals reduced the middle-income tax rate from 22.0 to 20.5 per cent on earnings (2020) between $49,020 and $98,040. However, they simultaneously eliminated several tax credits

for children’s fitness, education, textbooks, public transit and income-splitting for couples with young children — effectively increasing the amount of income taxes payable by Canadians who previously claimed such credits on their tax returns. In fact, a 2017 analysis of these two tax changes — lowering the tax rate and eliminating tax credits — found that 81 per cent of middleincome families paid (on average) $840 in higher income taxes than before these changes were made. Moreover, in 2016 the federal government in conjunction with nine participating provinces (excluding Quebec) agreed to increase the tax for the Canada Pension Plan starting in 2019. As a result, once the hike is fully implemented in 2025, 98.8 per cent of middle-income families will experience a tax increase. To be clear, the proposed policy of the Liberals, namely to lower income tax rates, was a good one. There has been a consensus of consecutive governments, including both Liberal and Conservative, that Canada should lower personal income tax rates, thereby making Canada more competitive compared to other countries and improving incentives for entrepreneurship, risk-taking, investment and work effort. But again, the Trudeau government offset the benefits of the reduced tax rate by eliminating tax credits, resulting in an actual tax increase. When faced with this fact — that it increased income taxes, particularly on the middle class — the government’s consistent refrain, including the former finance minister, was that the analysis ignored government transfers, specifically the increased Canada Child Benefit (CCB). In other words, the government sees no difference between people keeping more of their own earnings through lower tax rates and government transfers.

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Saturday, April 17, 2021 Surrey cops see surge in non-compliance with Covid-19 public health orders The Surrey RCMP’s Covid-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team issued 18 violation tickets totalling nearly $17,000 in fines last week for non-compliance with public health orders. “Our officers have recently seen the number of people and businesses ignoring public health orders creeping up,” said Sergeant Tyler Wickware, of the CCET. “Especially with sunny weather now here, it can be very inviting to gather with others, so we are reminding everyone that public health orders are still in effect limiting gatherings, even outdoors.”Corporal Joanie Sidhu said most of this stemmed from large gatherings. She said between April 7 and April 11, CCET officers dealt with five separate residences after receiving complaints about large gatherings. One involved a wedding in Newton attended by 22 people on April 7. “The host of the gathering was issued

a violation tickets for $2300 for hosting a non-compliant event,” Sidhu said. On April 10 officers checked a restaurant in the 9400-block of 120 Street and found people dining inside it contrary to current public health orders. “A violation ticket was issued to the restaurant owner. This was the second violation for this establishment, as such Fraser Health authorities were also notified,” Sidhu said. The following day, police responded to a report of a man refusing to wear a mask in a store in the 7300-block of King George Boulevard and spoke with him in the parking lot, Sidhu said, “where he was uncooperative with police and continued to cause a disturbance. He was issued violation tickets for failing to wear a face covering, failing to comply with direction, and for abusive and belligerent behavior.”

Backroom organizer Mark Marissen announces bid for mayor in Vancouver Longtime political organizer Mark Marissen has announced his bid for mayor of Vancouver. In messages posted Wednesday on social media, Marissen says he will run for Vancouver’s top job in the next civic election set for October 2022. The biography accompanying the announcement says Marissen has advised political, business, labour and arts groups in B.C., and is the founder and owner of a Vancouver-based public affairs company. Marissen, also the ex-husband of former

premier Christy Clark, says on social media that he is “building a new coalition to get Vancouver on the right track, for everyone.” Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart, who ran as an Independent, has not said if he intends to seek re-election. The city’s Non-Partisan Association announced earlier this month that it has nominated park board commissioner John Coupar as its mayoral candidate. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2021.

Man arrested in stalking case after woman shared video online A 33-year-old man has been arrested in an alleged stalking case that garnered significant attention after a video was shared online. Vancouver resident Jamie Coutts said she was followed closely by a strange man for more than half an hour on March 17, and although she filmed much of the encounter, she said the man didn’t appear to be phased by the camera. Mohammed Majidpour of no fixed address is charged with one count of criminal harassment in relation to that incident, police said Thursday. He has also been charged in several other cases not related to the March 17 incident. Majidpour has been charged with

one count of criminal harassment in connection to an incident on March 13 near Dunsmuir and Granville Street; one count of mischief in connection to an incident on March 14 at a hotel on Burrard Street; one count of break and enter in connection to a March 16 incident at a hotel on Burrard Street; one count of assault with a weapon in connection to a March 19 incident near Bute and Robson Street; and one count of uttering threats linked to an incident that occurred March 19 near Bute and Robson. Police said he remains in custody. Following Coutts’ experience, Vancouver police said they had spoken to other possible victims.

Liberal MP caught stark naked during House of Commons video conference A Liberal MP was caught wearing his birthday suit in the virtual House of Commons. William Amos, who has represented the Quebec riding of Pontiac since 2015, appeared on the screens of his fellow members of Parliament completely naked Wednesday. A screenshot obtained by The Canadian Press shows him standing behind a desk between the Quebec and Canadian flags, his private parts hidden by what appears to be a mobile phone in one hand. “This was an unfortunate error,” Amos said in a statement sent by email Wednesday. Capital Dispatch: Stay up to date on the latest news from Parliament Hill “My video was accidentally turned on as I was changing into my work clothes after going for a jog. I sincerely apologize to my colleagues in the House of Commons for this

unintentional distraction. Obviously, it was an honest mistake and it won’t happen again.” Bloc Quebecois MP Claude DeBellefeuille, the party whip, raised the incident in a point of order after question period, suggesting a reminder about parliamentary decorum. “It may be necessary to remind the members, especially the male ones, that a tie and jacket are obligatory, but so are a shirt, boxer shorts or pants,” she said in French. “We have seen that the member is in great physical shape, but I think members should be reminded to be careful and control the camera well.” Speaker Anthony Rota later thanked DeBellefeuille for her “observations” and clarified that while he had not seen anything, he checked with technicians and confirmed they saw something.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

Canada just had its worst week ever for new COVID-19 cases Canada’s seven-day average has reached its highest point of the pandemic, marking a grim milestone amid the country’s third wave. As of Wednesday, the rolling seven-day average number of new infections in Canada was 8,444.7 cases, setting a new record, according to data tracked by CTVNews.ca. Canada’s previous highest seven-day average was set back on Jan. 10 with 8,260.6 cases. Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox The new weekly record comes as several provinces continue to report a spike in daily infections across the country. Ontario logged 4,156 new infections on Wednesday, in addition to 28 more deaths linked to the virus. The numbers pushed the province’s own seven-day rolling average to just above 4,000 daily cases. The new cases come as Ontario’s hospitals face capacity issues, with

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642 patients currently in intensive care units. Quebec’s hospital system is also being strained amid the third wave, with 660 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. The province recorded 1,559 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths Wednesday. In Alberta, the province with the highest active case rate in Canada, health officials reported 1,412 new infections and eight additional deaths. The province currently has 420 patients in hospitals. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 also reached a new record in British Columbia on Wednesday. B.C. confirmed 1,168 new cases and six deaths, with 397 people currently in hospital. Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday that new cases are up 33 per cent, hospitalizations grew 29 per cent and the number in critical care went up 24 per cent over the past week.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

From page 1

Fraser Health area residents & youth should get priority vaccines increasing everyone’s risk,” he said. “What I’m asking for and I’m sure other people are asking for as well, is other places that we have identified as increased at risk and are consistently at high risk should also be prioritized on a community level.” Narang admits the populations and densities of Whistler and Surrey are very different. In addition, the decision to extend the vaccination to all adults in Whistler was largely based on the spread of COVID-19 variants. Narang also explains the province’s age-based approach does not ensure that those who are most at risk of contracting the virus are being protected — and a priority should be given to younger demographics as well.“By vaccinating youth or essential frontline workers, it’s still protecting the vulnerable because by vaccinating people that are at increased risk of contracting and transmitting the virus, you’re indirectly also protecting the people who are vulnerable.”

Canada on track to pass USA in number of new Covid-19 cases relative to population While the situation is improving south of the 49th because of a massive vaccination campaign, Canada is trending the opposite direction, yet we’re still feeling a bit of “Canadian exceptionalism,” Dale said, even as we’re “probably about to surpass” the U.S. in terms of community spread. “We’ve been somewhat blind to our overall performance internationally because we’re sitting right next door to the United States and the disaster that clearly was their experience during this pandemic,” Dale said. “They have clearly experienced much worse outcomes overall than Canada, make no mistake, however, it’s the future I’m worried about, and we’re trending in a worrisome direction in comparison to them when it comes to community spread.” The figures come as Canada is solidly in the midst of a third wave of COVID, driven in part by deadly and contagious variants, and a vaccination rate lagging behind many other nations.

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Saturday, April 17, 2021 Canada is losing the race between vaccines & variants as 3rd wave worsens

Much of Canada is in the grips of a worsening third wave as COVID-19 vaccinations slowly ramp up, and experts say the spread of more contagious coronavirus variants is throwing gasoline on an already-raging fire. “We have a lot of virus moving around the country and escalating very, very quickly,” said Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair of emerging viruses. “Vaccinations are certainly starting to pick up, but we’re nowhere near where we need to be to get this thing under control.”

More than 15,000 cases of the more transmissible and potentially more deadly variants have been reported across Canada to date, with more than 90 per cent of those being the B117 variant first identified in the United Kingdom. But the P1 variant first discovered in Brazil is also on the rise in Canada, with cases doubling in the past week to close to 1,000 — mostly in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta. And the B1351 variant first found in South Africa is also picking up steam, with over 150 cases identified in Quebec, more than 70 in Ontario and over 50 in B.C. as of Tuesday.

‘Surging like absolute crazy’: Ontario hospitals ‘pray’ they don’t reach last-resort stage in third wave The idea of people being removed from intensive care, unhooked from ventilators that might have saved them to make room for someone else more likely to survive is almost unfathomable, says the president and CEO of Canada’s largest university hospital. “I believe we’ll fight that one as long as humanly possible, and I pray we never get to the point of having to consider that,” said Dr. Kevin Smith, head of Toronto’s University Health Network and co-chair of Ontario’s COVID-19 critical care table.

Staged withdrawals of life-support from people with low chances of survival are not part of a 32-page emergency triage protocol that would be enacted should Ontario ICU’s become saturated. “Only the provincial government can take the steps necessary to enable physicians to withdraw life-sustaining treatment without consent” in order to give that care to someone with better prospects, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario said in a notice to physicians last week.

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Saturday, April 17, 2021

BC to request federal exemption to decriminalize personal drug possession On the fifth anniversary of the province’s other public health crisis, B.C. officials announced they’ll be requesting a federal exemption from Health Canada to decriminalize personal drug possession. Earlier this year, Sheila Malcolmson, the province’s minister of mental health and addictions, sent a letter to the federal health minister inquiring about the possibility. In her letter, she asked for a federal approach to decriminalization. But, she wrote, failing that, she’d pursue it on a provincial level. On Wednesday, Malcolmson announced the province will move forward with a formal request. “This isn’t about legalization, like what happened with marijuana. This is about possessing a small amount of drugs. So that will no longer be a crime,” said Malcolmson in a news conference. She reiterated this week what she’s said before: the point of decriminalization would be to address the

stigma associated with drug use. She said the shame can prevent people from reaching out for help, which can be life-saving. It appears the formal request has not yet been made, but Malcolmson said officials with her ministry have already been working with Health Canada on an agreement that would outline how it would work. Before anything is put in place, consultations will be held with Indigenous partners, peers, law enforcement, municipalities and public health officials, Malcolmson said. “We know that there is no silver bullet to end the overdose crisis. And that’s why we are working across the continuum of care to build that truly comprehensive system of mental health and addictions care that works for everyone in British Columbia,” said the minister. The City of Vancouver has already sent a preliminary application to Health Canada.

Saturday, April 17, 2021 Man shot outside motel in Whalley area of Surrey Wednesday night A 38-year-old man was rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound Wednesday night after being found at a motel in Surrey. RCMP were called at 11:38 p.m. to a motel in the 9400 block of King George Boulevard and found the man suffering from a “serious injury.” Police said in a release the investigation is in its early stages but

the victim is known to them and they believe this is a targeted shooting.Officers are in the area gathering evidence Thursday morning but if anyone has any information about the shooting they are asked to contact Surrey police.

Covid-19 hospitalizations are at record highs in BC For the past several weeks, the number of hospitalizations in B.C. due to COVID-19 has hit record numbers — and with it, concern from experts that numbers will continue to spike, with doctors and nurses becoming too overwhelmed with new patients to effectively treat them. “Right now, we have the capacity, but it’s very important that we act to try and flatten the curve as quickly as possible using the tools at our disposal,” said Vancouver Infectious Disease Centre medical director Dr. Brian Conway. An independent Covid-19 modelling group in B.C. has released a report warning

of the potential of more than 3,000 people in hospitals within a month if transmission levels stay at the levels they were at March. Here’s what we can say at this current moment. What are the numbers? As of April 14, there were an all-time high 397 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in B.C. An all-time high 120 of those people were also in critical care, still testing positive for the virus. That last part is important: it effectively means that while the province’s total is correct, the critical care number could appear misleading, as there can be people still in ICU wards who entered for Covid-19.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

BC NDP promises more health care spending, business support in 2021 budget Record infrastructure spending, thousands more people hired to work in health care and further “targeted” support for businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic are on the way, Premier John Horgan promises in a speech from the throne to begin the spring session of the B.C. legislature. The next round of pandemic-related spending is to be detailed in the NDP government’s budget on April 20, adding billions more to the

province’s debt after it finished its fiscal year in March with a deficit of about $13 billion. “Then, after the pandemic ends, it will carefully return to balanced budgets as the economy recovers,” Lt. Governor Janet Austin told the legislature in presenting the speech April 12. “In the year ahead, your government will continue to improve care for seniors by hiring thousands of new workers for long-term care and fixing the cracks COVID-19 exposed.

City of Delta asks for ‘equitable approach’ for first responder Covid-19 vaccination Delta’s first responders should also be given priority to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. That’s what Mayor George Harvie is requesting on behalf of council in a letter this week to Health Minister Adrian Dix, saying they’ve become increasingly concerned for the health and safety of first responders and their ability to carry out essential duties. “It is my understanding that first responders in

other jurisdictions, including Surrey, White Rock, and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority have been approved to begin receiving vaccines. Given the essential and life-saving work done by first responders in all jurisdictions, it is imperative that the sector be treated consistently throughout the region with an equitable approach to priority vaccine access. This is especially important because first responders frequently work across jurisdictional borders to respond to emergencies to save lives,” Harvie said.

Calls for government transparency in Covid-19 data continue as BC’s 3rd wave wears on As B.C. passes the one-year mark in its struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic, an assistant communications professor said that the province needs to keep its messaging clear and back up its reasoning. Ahmed Al-Rawi, the director of The Disinformation Project at SFU, said that it’s hard to tell whether it’s the communication that’s faulty or the government just does not have the data. Al-Rawi acknowledged that governments are working in an ever-changing environment

as they deal with the novel coronavirus. “People are really distracted as well as confused because…. everything is happening in a very fast way. And they don’t know what is good or bad for them and and they have all the right to feel this way,” he said. “This process has been ongoing for over a year. And I don’t think this is sustainable, to be honest… the psychological impact of this pandemic on people, I think it’s showing now.”

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Saturday, April 17, 2021

Canadian snowbirds landing in US border towns to avoid Trudeau’s Covid-19 quarantine hotels With warmer weather approaching, snowbirds are flocking back to Canada and some of them are finding ways to avoid spending three days in a government-mandated quarantine hotel. Business is booming for car services in American border towns where Canadian

snowbirds are arriving to be driven across the border to their front doors. “Triple, probably quadruple the amount of calls, it’s crazy. The phones are ringing off the hook,” Tony Moore, owner and president of Buffalo Black Car Service in Buffalo, N.Y., told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Monday.

Friends rally to help family of Surrey doctor dead of heart attack at age 42 Dozens of donors have stepped up to financially help the family of a Surrey-area doctor who died of a heart attack at age 42. A father of three boys, Dr. Inderjit “Andy” Jassal passed away last month. “Andy was a devoted father to his three

young boys, a devoted husband, son, brother, friend and a family physician in Surrey,” Gagan Wilkh posted in an online fundraising campaign launched on gofundme.com. “Andy’s passing has devastated those who knew him and those who did not.”

Man who spent $1,500 to stay at Toronto quarantine hotel got Covid-19 anyway, infected whole family A Toronto family is speaking out about what they call the “utter uselessness” of Canada’s hotel quarantine program where their 74-year-old father believes he contracted a coronavirus variant of concern and then spread it to the rest of the family. On March 2, Syed Shah landed at Pearson International Airport on a flight from Pakistan, where he had been staying to sort out a tenant issue with a property the North York family owns. He was swabbed for a PCR test at the terminal while his son, Syed Haider, booked his father a stay at the Sheraton Hotel

and Conference Centre on Dixon Road. His father checked in, and like many people staying at quarantine hotels over the past few weeks, had issues. “I can’t believe this is a Sheraton,” Haider recounts his father telling him. “They don’t have water – the hot water wasn’t working – the phones were down.” The Wi-Fi coverage was spotty, and so instead of relying on WhatsApp to talk to family, his father used the hotel phone to make calls that never got through to his home, at a cost of $12.70.

Canada on track to accept Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine amid blood clot concerns Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is still on track to accept its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine doses from Johnson & Johnson at month’s end even as American authorities recommend pausing those jabs. U.S. federal agencies recommended suspending the use of the vaccine early Tuesday amid concerns over a small number of blood clots linked to the single-dose vaccine. “Right now, these adverse events appear

to be extremely rare,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centre for Disease Control said in a joint statement, referring to six possible cases out of 6.8 million doses administered. “We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution.” The agencies will be reviewing the cases and assess what to do next on Wednesday.

BC working on measures to ensure COVID rule breakers are paying fines B.C.’s public safety minister says the province is working on making sure people who are flouting COVID-19 rules are held accountable. Mike Farnworth says additional measures will be introduced this legislative session to make sure people are paying what they owe. “To ensure that those individuals who have received a ticket will have to pay

those fines,” Farnworth said Tuesday. “The reality is we live in a democracy, and people do have the ability and the right to dispute a ticket. And that is what is happening. At the same time, when they don’t dispute a ticket, they are then deemed to be guilty. That is sent to a collection agency,” he explained. Farnworth insists

Throne Speech doesn’t meet the needs of Peace River residents Press release Peace River North MLA Dan Davies says he’s disappointed by the NDP government’s latest Throne Speech, which offered empty promises instead of a clear plan to help B.C. recover from the pandemic. “The NDP talked about support for child care, mental health, housing, and infrastructure development, but it’s clear that after four years of inaction, they are simply recycling the same promises they have failed to deliver on,” says Davies. “There was also no mention about how to grow our resource and agriculture sectors, which are vital industries in the North. The Premier has repeatedly botched attempts to get pandemic relief to people, and fumbled the rollout of grants for small and medium-sized businesses.

This government called an unnecessary pandemic election and failed to deliver a budget on time. All of this has delayed muchneeded assistance for British Columbians.” Davies says his constituents and other British Columbians are looking for real supports and a clear vision moving forward – and the NDP’s Throne Speech did not deliver. “Amidst surging COVID-19 cases, mental health challenges, and widespread financial hardship, we have a Premier playing politics. Slogans, mixed messages, and a lack of clarity are not sufficient in this time of crisis. The Speech from the Throne called on British Columbians to do more, yet John Horgan and the NDP seem incapable of doing the same.”

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, April 17, 2021 Vancouver biotech CEO voices frustration over delay in potentially ‘life-saving’ Covid-19 treatment The head of a Vancouverbased biotech company says he’s frustrated at the delay in delivering what he calls a potentially “lifesaving” COVID-19 treatment. Carl Hansen is the CEO of AbCellera, which discovered an antibody treatment for the virus last year. In partnership with Eli Lilly Canada, the two companies developed the drug bamlanivimab. It was first approved for emergency use by Health Canada in November, shortly after FDA approval in the U.S. Since then, Hansen says nearly half a million people over the border have been treated with the drug, but

that’s not the case in Canada. “Within the country it then falls within the provinces to make recommendations on use and that recommendation has been withheld so it has not been getting to patients,” Hansen said. In B.C., the treatment is not recommended for use outside of approved clinical trials. When referring to therapies for COVID-19, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website states, “While positive results for a small number of treatments are being published, the efficacy, safety and role in therapy for most pharmacological treatments for COVID-19 remain unknown.”

O’Toole to vote against Conservative MP’s private bill on ‘sex-selective abortion’ Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says he will vote against a bill brought forward by a member of his caucus that aims to ban so-called “sex-selective abortions.” O’Toole said he supports a woman’s right to choose and will personally vote against the private member’s bill from Saskatchewan MP Cathay Wagantall. “I’m a pro-choice member of Parliament, was elected leader of the Conservatives in that fashion,” O’Toole told a news conference Monday. “I will always defend the rights of all Canadians and focus on their prosperity. That is my relentless focus. There is freedom of speech of all Members of Parliament, including with private motions and bills.” Wagantall said the bill, which is up for debate on Wednesday, is about gender equality and believes many Canadians think pregnancies

should not be terminated on the basis of sex. Abortion is among the delicate issues O’Toole must navigate as he hopes to grow the Conservative party ahead of the next general election. O’Toole also won the leadership of the party with the help of social conservatives in the race’s ranked ballot system. He had asked to be the number 2 and number 3 choice for supporters of Derek Sloan, who was booted from caucus earlier this year, and Leslyn Lewis, a Toronto lawyer who plans to run for the party in the next general election. Their down-ballot support pushed O’Toole to victory over Peter MacKay, who previously said issues around same-sex marriage and abortion were hung around former leader Andrew Scheer’s neck like a “stinking albatross” during the 2019 election, when the Liberals were re-elected.

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Kelowna RCMP officer at centre of alleged assault caught on video formally charged A Kelowna RCMP officer has been charged with assault in connection with his actions during the arrest of a man that was caught on video May 30, 2020. “The charges were approved by an experienced Crown Counsel with no prior or current connection with the officer,” B.C. Prosecution Service spokesperson Dan McLaughlin said in a press release announcing the single count of assault Wednesday. Cst. Siggy Pietrzak was seen on video throwing numerous punches at a man who was being detained by other officers. In a lawsuit filed by alleged victim Tyler Russell, Pietrzak ran into the situation and began levelling punches on him after two other Kelowna RCMP officers had asked him to step

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out of a work vehicle he was seated in near the corner of Queensway and Water Street. “Without any hesitation, he began punching the plaintiff repeatedly, causing the plaintiff lacerations, damage to his nose, cuts on his face, facial bruising, swelling and excessive bleeding, as well as damage to his ribs,” the lawsuit reads. The civil suit also alleges that Russell was handcuffed and “for no legal reason” taken to the detachment, where a bag was placed over his head and he was strapped to a chair. “The plaintiff complained about feeling pain in his ribs and his face, and while blood was dripping from his face, the officers refused to provide medical attention to the plaintiff,” according to the allegations.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

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Delhi records massive jump of 17,282 Covid-19 cases Delhi recorded 17,282 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the highest single-day surge in the national capital since the onset of the pandemic, while over 100 fatalities were reported, according to data shared by the health department. As per the latest bulletin, 104 new fatalities were recorded, pushing the death toll to 11,540. These record new positive cases came out of record 1.08 lakh tests conducted the previous day, the bulletin said, adding, the positivity rate mounted to 15.92 per cent. The highest single-day spike in Delhi till the third wave of the pandemic -8,593 cases—was reported on November 11 in 2020, while on November 18, the city had recorded 131 COVID-19 deaths.

Highest ever single-day Covid spike in India with 1.84 lakh new cases India reported a record singleday rise of 1,84,372 new coronavirus infections pushing the total tally of cases to 1,38,73,825, while the active cases surpassed the 13-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll increased to 1,72,085 with 1,027 daily new fatalities, the highest since October 18, 2020, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase for the 35th day in a row, the active cases increased to 13,65,704, comprising 9.84 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate has dropped to 88.92 per cent.

India-Russia ties lack old warmth; it’s time for New Delhi to embrace emerging geopolitical order A news item in Pakistan’s Tribune Express, titled ‘Putin offers ‘blank cheque’ to Pakistan’ succinctly captures the growing divergence between the Indian and Russia worldview. Accordingly to the news published on 11 April, Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, during his recent visit to Islamabad, had delivered a message from his President, Vladimir Putin, to the Pakistani leadership that Moscow is “open for any cooperation” with Islamabad. This has been interpreted by Pakistani officials as Putin’s “blank cheque”.

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India slams China over calling Quad as Asian NATO Slamming those who have described the Quad as a “Asian NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation),” Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar said that discussions among the Quad countries focus on issues like vaccines, student mobility, semiconductors, emerging technologies, climate change and maritime security. Speaking at the sixth Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar also said that the Indo-Pacific construct reflects a more contemporary image of the world, mirroring the overcoming of the Cold War and not reinforcing it. “The IndoPacific is a clear message that India will be be constrained between the Malacca Straits and the Gulf of Aden,” Jaishankar said. “Our interests, our influence, our activity today go way beyond, When we look at a large canvas, we see Australia there, we see France there… there are a range of activities and projects on which we can act together,” the minister said. The minister’s comments came soon

after Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev criticizing the Indo-Pacific strategy describing it as “dangerous” and an effort to revive the cold war mentality. Jaishankar was on a panel which saw the Australian foreign minister Marise Payne and the visiting French foreign minister Jean-Yves le Drian also commenting and offering remarks on a new trilateral among the three countries. Le Drian in his remarks said that three countries ie France, Australia and India shared the “same willingness to work together.” The three countries also respected the rule of law, the French minister said. In her comments, Payne said developing nations across the Indo-Pacific were facing various challenges due to the pandemic. She also touched on issues like challenges to rulesbased global, sustainability of the oceans, climate change and strategic competition being witnessed in several parts of the globe.

Covid-19 2nd wave may last till May end with 3 lakh daily cases The second wave of Covid-19 that is battering most parts of India right now could continue till the end of May and the number of new daily cases may rise to about 3 lakh, well-known virologist Dr Shahid Jameel has said. India reported 1,84,372 new coronavirus infections in a 24-hour period, hitting the highest daily tally once again, according to the health ministry on Wednesday. The new figures pushed the total cases to over 1.38 crore, even as the number of deaths rose by 1,027 to 1,72,085. “What is really scary is the rate at which cases are increasing,” Dr Jameel told CNN-News18 on the show News Epicentre. “If you look at the growth in active cases, that’s about 7% per day. That’s a very high rate of increase. Unfortunately, if this rate keeps on, we will be looking at somewhere around 3 lakh cases per day. And this is what some modellers are suggesting.” India’s tally of over 1.38 crore Covid cases

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Over 1,000 Covid-19 cases found at India’s Kumbh Mela More than 1,000 people found positive for Covid-19 at the site of Kumbh Mela in India, officials said, as huge crowds of mostly maskless devotees descend on the banks of Ganges River in northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. The virus was detected in the city of Haridwar, which lies along the river where the weeks-long Kumbh Mela, or the pitcher festival, is being observed, officials said.

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Of some 50,000 samples taken from people in Haridwar, 408 tested positive on Monday and 594 on Tuesday, the Uttarakhand government said. The latest figures came as Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state, tweeted on Wednesday that he had also tested positive for COVID-19.

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Even though there is an unusual rush of people across interstate bus stations and railway stations, most of the migrants said they were going back to their villages for harvest season, festivals and local body polls in Uttar Pradesh with some admitting that they feared a complete lockdown. In Mumbai, amid talk of a complete lockdown to arrest the Covid-19 surge, the passenger rush on outstation trains in Mumbai has increased since the last weekend, Railway

officials said on Tuesday, attributing the increase to the summer season during which a large number of people travel to their native places. “Trains were completely full but since the last few days there has been more rush,” said a Railway official at Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. The officials familiar with the developments said the rush on outstation trains has gone up since the state government announced fresh Covid-19 curbs earlier this month.

India’s vaccine complacency has global impact In early March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s smiling portrait appeared in the unlikeliest of places — on billboards in Toronto, Canada. A Canadian-Indian group aligned with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was thanking Modi “for providing [the] COVID vaccine to Canada”. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared, “If the world managed to conquer COVID-19, it would be [because

of] Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in sharing [India’s manufacturing] capacity with the world.” Trudeau was right — India is playing and will continue to play a major role in supplying vaccines to the world. He was alluding to India’s massive privately-run vaccine manufacturing facility in Pune — the Serum Institute of India. Serum Institute made an early move to secure the license to produce the Oxford University-AstraZeneca

FM discusses India’s five-pillared strategy with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday lauded the World Bank Group (WBG) for its initiative to increase lending space for India to enhance availability of finance for development. In her interaction via virtual mode with World Bank Group President David Malpass, the Union Finance

Minister discussed various issues, including the WBG’s lending envelop for India; the country’s ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive, economic recovery and India’s strategy of green resilient and inclusive development. Sitharaman shared the measures being taken by India to contain the spread of second wave of pandemic.

Gennova starts enrolment for human trials of HGCO19 vaccine candidate Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, Pune based has initiated the enrolment of volunteers for Phase 1/2 clinical trials for its mRNA vaccine candidate HGCO19, said the Department of Biotechnology, which has provided seed funding for its development, on Tuesday.

The DBT said it has approved additional funding towards clinical studies of India’s first of its kind’ mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, HGCO19, developed by the biotechnology company. The funding has been provided under the DBT’s ‘Mission COVID Suraksha.

Saturday, April 17, 2021 Advertorial

Sharifa Khan breaks glass ceiling as the country’s first multicultural marketer to be inducted into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends

Visionary marketer, Sharifa Khan, founder and CEO of Canada’s largest, longest-running multicultural marketing agency, has broken many glass ceilings throughout her career, but this one, making history today represents the highest industry honour that our country offers. At a virtual gala on April 22, Khan will become the first multicultural marketer to be inducted into Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends (CMHOL), as appointed by a jury of her industry peers. “To every person out there who is quietly holding onto big aspirations, who is seeing an untapped opportunity, and who is following an as yet uncharted path: I hope this induction re-enforces you and your dreams, that they are worth pursuing, even if they haven’t been fully articulated yet,” said Khan. “When I first opened up our multicultural marketing agency 30 years ago, there was no such marketing discipline at the time; to see it now breaking through to be honoured at the highest levels, moves me deeply.” The line-up of legends being inducted for their achievements in 2021 is indeed, awe-inspiring. Khan will be honoured alongside: Judy John, global chief creative officer, Edelman, Rem Langan, former CMO, McDonald’s Canada and president & CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada, Bryan Pearson, former CEO, LoyaltyOne Co., and Ratana and Arran Stephens, cofounders, Nature’s Path. Since 2004, CMHOL has inducted 94 Canadian luminaries. This year, Sahar Saidi, founder and CEO, LUS Brands is also being named as the 2021 Marketer on the Rise for her exceptional work in her direct-to-consumer commerce brand based in Toronto.

One common thread among all of this year’s inductees is their deeply held conviction for following their passions and making a difference. For Khan, deepening the value of multicultural communities in Canada, and meaningfully connecting them to mainstream brands, businesses and governments has been a lifelong, personal mission. In making their selections, CMHOL looks for the industry’s “most inspiration visionaries, enablers, builders and mentors,” who have positively influenced the Canadian and global marketplace through branding, marketing and giving back to community. To this end, Khan is not only credited for envisioning and establishing the industry known as multicultural marketing today, she is also lauded for giving countless newcomers over the past three decades their first big job breaks in Canada. In fact, Khan is recognized for launching the decorated careers of many talented marketers, and mentoring them over the years as they pursued their own passions in this field. Today, with Khan at the helm, Balmoral continues to be a trailblazer in the industry. It is the first multicultural marketing agency to operate offices in Canada, China and India – marketing to would-be newcomers, and building loyalty before they arrive to Canada. The agency has won many industry accolades, from such prestigious award shows as: the CASSIES, Marketing, and Summit. Under Khan’s leadership, her 40+ team members are guided by the principle that cultural relevance is the most powerful connector and the agency serves such clients as: the Government of Ontario, City of Toronto,

FIJI Police officer worked hard to become lawyer Police Constable Sanil Kumar is no stranger to the legal field after joining the Police Prosecution Department in 2009, five years after he joined the Fiji Police Force. That is where his dream to become a lawyer was born after prosecuting criminal cases in the Magistrates

Court and observing lawyers in action. On Friday, Constable Kumar was joined by 19 other University of Fiji law graduates to be admitted to the bar as a legal practitioner. A journey he started in 2012 and completed this year with his Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

State proceeds with frivolous case against union leader The state has informed the Suva Magistrates Court this morning they will proceed with the case against the National Union of Workers General Secretary, Felix Anthony. Anthony is facing a count of malicious act in the Suva Magistrates Court. It is alleged that Anthony spread by word of mouth false news relating to the expiry of

Water Authority of Fiji worker contracts to Fiji Times reporter Felix Chaudhry which tended to create or foster public anxiety. The alleged incident happened on 26th April 2019. The case will be called again on the 8th of November.

27,705 Fijians vaccinated against Covid-19 so far 27,705 Fijians have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine so far. The Ministry of Health says 9,932 people were vaccinated yesterday alone. The Ministry says based on the high uptake of vaccine by the public, the current phase of the vaccination campaign is expected to end by this Saturday. They say the target for this phase

was to vaccinate 50,000 people. People who have not registered for COVID-19 vaccination do not need to worry as they can get registered and vaccinated at the vaccination centre. You just need to turn up with your photo ID. If you have already registered then you just need to show your reference number and get vaccinated.

Trial set for 2 suspended police officers in robbery case The High Court in Suva has set trial dates in the case of two suspended Police officers facing robbery charges. Karim Begg and Roneel Ravinesh Chand are jointly charged with one count of aggravated robbery. They appeared before Justice Vinsent Perera yesterday, represented by lawyer Jitend Reddy. It is alleged that on March 24, 2020, the two Police officers stole $500 cash from

a Chinese national after approaching him on the Sigatoka Valley Road. Before stealing the money, it is alleged the Police officers used force on the victim. Both the accused persons have entered a not guilty plea to the charge. The trial has been fixed to begin on July 12, and to conclude on July 16, this year. The matter has been adjourned for a pre-trial conference on April 22.

OLG, Metrolinx, BMW, Sobeys, Canada Life, Samsung, Ottawa Tourism, Clorox, Brita, Burt’s Bees, Oxford Properties among others. Throughout her 40-year career, Khan has personally broken boundary after boundary, all as a result of serving her calling. She has been honoured by former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien for her entrepreneurial success. In 2002, she was the recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Award and then in 2012, she received the Diamond Jubilee Award. In 2013, she was selected one of Canada’s top 25 immigrants. And in 2018, Khan was named as one of Canada’s top 18 Women of Influence. Khan has also served many boards and charities over the years to promote goodwill – always making valuable connections for Canada’s multicultural communities. For example, Khan was the first minority group female vice president of the Canadian Club.

She has served on the boards of the United Way of Greater Toronto, and the Toronto Board of Trade. Khan was vice-chair of OCAD University and a director of Ontario Creates. Today, she is Honorary Advisor to Chinese Cultural Centre of Great Toronto and the Canadian Ethnic Media Association and on the board of governors of two Toronto hospitals. “I’d like to thank the Toronto Chapter of the American Marketing Association and all of the contributors to Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends, including its sponsor, Architech, and partners, the Globe and Mail and Lulu Marketing for such an exemplary collective effort to advance our industry,” said Khan. “I would also like to offer my heartiest congratulations to my fellow inductees for their extraordinary accomplishments, it is a great honour to be in your company.” For more information, please visit: www.balmoralmkt.com

Saturday, April 17, 2021

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4750 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

604.435.1383

*All illustrations reflect the artist’s interpretation of the project and do not take into account the neighbouring buildings, physical structures, streets and landscape. The developer reserves the right to make modifications, substitutions, change brands, sizes, colours, layouts, materials, ceiling heights, features & finishes and other specifications without prior notification. This is not an offering for sale. Any such offer may only be made with the applicable disclosure statement and agreement of purchase and sale. Concord Metrotown SkyPark Limited Partnership. E & O.E.