The Asian Star December 31 2022

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Canada Competition Bureau to investigage ‘price fixing’ in grocery sector

With the New Year looming and some especially dark clouds hanging over the Canadian economy, the Competition Bureau of Canada as well as the country’s Parliamentarians are proceeding in 2023 with in-depth investigations into whether Canada’s leading grocery retailers have

been colluding to fix food prices.

Who to blame?

Experts are attributing the rising costs of groceries (10.8 per cent in Canada over the past year, according to

Statistics Canada) to a number of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting supply chain disruptions, severe weather from climate change, and higher costs for everything from labour to transportation.

Continued on page 7

Supermarkets continue to increase profits on back of inflation, data shows

Canada’s big three supermarket chains have continued to increase profits on the back of record high grocery prices, a new analysis has found. Loblaw, Empire (Sobeys) and Metro

have all reported even bigger profits and profit margins than they did six months ago, when the Star published an investigation into grocery inflation.

South Asian Business Association of BC (SABA) donated $4450.00 to the Surrey Food Bank Society. Last week SABA directors arrived at the Food Bank Society and presented the cheque to the officials of Surrey Food Bank at their Surrey location. The Surrey Food Bank is non-profit, charitable organization which provides food to the needy and families living in Surrey, North Delta areas. The Surrey Food Bank operates by donations provided by generous people in the community.

Same trend was seen over the past four years among the major U.S. grocery companies, which include Walmart, Costco and Kroger.

Song from a Tamil movie tops worldwide Billboard chart

A two-minute song from an upcoming Tamil-language movie was the most talkedabout track in the world on Twitter for the past week,

according to Billboard.

Soul of Varisu, from the upcoming movie Varisu, took the top spot on Billboard’s “Hot Trending

Continued on page 7

The Law Commission of India has invited suggestions from the public and political

parties on the holding of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Legislatures. The

Continued on page 6

Soccer legend Pelé dead at 82

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, a three-time World Cup champion who’s largely considered to be one of the best players ever, has died. He was 82 years old. His daughter, Kely, confirmed his death on social media. “All that we are is thanks to you,” she wrote. “We love you forever. Rest in peace.” Brazil has planned 48 hours of national mourning. Pele, whose full name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is expected to be buried in Santos, southeast of Sao Paulo, where he played for the city’s Continued on page 6

Canada not following lead of US in requiring COVID tests for travellers arriving from China

As the United States and other nations impose new mandatory COVID-19 testing rules on travellers of flights originating in China, Canada is choosing instead to watch and wait. Cases of the novel coronavirus are surging in China after Beijing opted to end its zero-COVID policies mandating strict quarantines and lockdowns, as well as tight restrictions on its borders. Now with China preparing to reopen its borders early

Continued on page 6

Pictured above (from left) SABA directors, Parminder Chohan, Lakhvinder Gill, Ravi Cheema & Victor Lal.

South Asian Business Association (SABA) donates

to Surrey Food Bank Society

Law Commission wants one election in one day for all of India

South Asian man gets probation in Surrey cop ‘swarming’

Gurbakhash Singh Saini, 28, has been given conditional discharge and 18 months probation for resisting and obstructing a Surrey Mountie in a Strawberry Hill parking lot in September.

The police officer activated his lights and sirens while extracting his unmarked car from a group of South Asian men who swarmed it in a west Newton parking lot near Party City and the movie theatre. At the time, Surrey RCMP Cpl. Vanessa Munn told the Now-Leader that the Mountie

had on Sept. 11 responded to a complaint from on-site security that a vehicle with an “extremely loud and disruptive exhaust system had been unnecessarily driving around the parking lot and causing a disturbance for the preceding three hours. One person was served a ticket, as well as a notice and order for a vehicle inspection.”

The officer’s car was surrounded after he served the ticket.

Saini was sentenced Thursday, Dec. 22 in Surrey provincial court. Three men were arrested.

BC man whos apparment was burnt also looted by thieves

Some tenants displaced by a fire at a Burnaby apartment building say they’ve now been victimized by thieves as well. Police are investigating reports of multiple break-ins at the building on Albert Street, where about 50 people were forced to leave on Sunday.

As of Wednesday, officers had not yet been able to enter the building.

Tenant Fatemeh Tahami, who came to Canada with her young son less than two months ago, believed her wedding ring had been taken.

“Even if they give me money, my ring doesn’t come back,” she said. “It was horrible for me. I just want my ring.”

Another tenant named Haley, who asked not to use her last name, said restoration workers provided her with a cell phone video of her suite, which she described as ransacked. She’s also unsure where she’ll live

long-term once her time runs out at a hotel.

“I don’t know where I’m going after that,” she said. “I have nowhere to go.”

The fire department said the blaze was contained to a top floor suite, although surrounding units suffered smoke and water damage. The cause is still under investigation.

Tenant Billy-Joe Thorne said she heard the fire and ran to warn others, yelling and banging on doors.

“How could people rob us? When we’re in a hotel, when we just lost everything already, and you’re robbing us?” she said. “Red Cross and the province need to get involved.”

Tenants with nowhere to go were initially put up at a hotel for 72 hours. The city’s emergency support services confirmed that time frame is now extended for another three days for those who need it.

Youth arrested after shooting in Delta

A youth from Surrey has been arrested in connection with what police believe were shots fired at “mistaken targets” in Tsawwassen early Thursday. Delta police say officers were called out at 3:25 a.m. to reports of shots fired in the 5300-block of 4A Avenue. When they arrived, officers confirmed that shots had been fired into a residence. Police say that while there were people at home at the time, no one was injured.

A youth from Surrey, who is known to police, faces several firearms charges. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the youth’s identity can’t be revealed.

“Our officers are continuing to investigate. Although a house appears to

be specifically targeted, the investigators currently believe that this residence and its occupants are mistaken targets,” said Delta police acting Insp. James Sandberg in a statement Thursday. Sandberg said the occupants aren’t known to police and have no apparent connection to organized crime or the youth involved in the shooting. He added there are indications that the previous resident of this house is the intended target of the shooting. Officers will remain in the area this morning while they continue to collect evidence. Police are also conducting a door-to-door canvass for video collection and witness identification.

Truck on fire after collision with train east of Kamloops

A Canadian Pacific freight train has collided with a CP truck that was travelling along tracks east of Kamloops, B.C. The collision happened at about 10:30 a.m. The truck burst into flames after the apparently head-on crash on tracks along the south side of the South

Thompson River. First responders say the train was not carrying any dangerous goods. An emailed statement from CP says no one was hurt and there was no derailment when the train “contacted” the company’s truck. It says an investigation is underway.

One arrrested after teens pepper-sprayed shopper in Guildford Mall

Police arrested one person after receiving report that a group of teenagers had pepper-sprayed someone at Guildford Town Centre shopping mall on Wednesday.

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Vanessa Munn said police arrived shortly after 7 p.m. on Dec. 28, spoke with witnesses

and reviewed CCTV footage.

“One associated person was arrested and a can a bear spray was recovered,” she said. “It appears that there was a confrontation between two groups of youths and that bear spray was deployed.

Man and woman charged with first degree murder in shooting death of Ontario Police Officer

wo people accused of killing a provincial police officer near Brantford, Ont., were formally charged Wednesday with firstdegree murder, a day after the shooting.

Randall McKenzie, 25, and Brandi Stewart-Sperry, 30, who have been in custody since their arrest, appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cayuga via video link and are scheduled for their next hearing on Jan. 17.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer who was fatally shot while responding to a call Tuesday was “essentially ambushed,” said OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique in a news conference. Police said 28-year-old Const.

Grzegorz Pierzchala responded to a call for a vehicle in a ditch just west of Hagersville, Ont., on Tuesday afternoon and was shot dead when he got there.

Carrique said Pierzchala was at the scene for a very short period of time and stood “absolutely no chance of being able to defend himself.”

He says the ongoing police investigation into the shooting is examining the motive and circumstances behind it.

Carrique alleges the suspects robbed a citizen of their vehicle at the scene after the officer was shot.

Pierzchala was killed the same day he learned he had passed his 10-month probation period.

One dead, nine injured, as more than dozen vehicles crash near Calgary

One person is dead and nine others were injured after more than a dozen vehicles crashed in poor weather conditions north of Calgary on Tuesday night.

A preliminary investigation has found five sedans, four pickups, three SUVs, a van and a commercial vehicle with a trailer were involved, RCMP said Wednesday.

Airdrie RCMP were still on the scene around midday and traffic was starting to slowly move again. Police said the primary causes of the crash seem to be weather and road conditions.

Jeff McIntosh, a freelance photographer who works with The Canadian Press, was one of the drivers involved. He said there was a thick fog that made it hard to see the wreckage on the road ahead.

“I ended up stopping right beside

where the fire was and the fire just started to get bigger and bigger,” said McIntosh, who rear-ended a flatbed truck.

McIntosh, who was among many travelling home after the Calgary Flames game, only received a couple of bruises.

His vehicle, however, was not so lucky.

“It’s a writeoff,” said McIntosh. “All the airbags went off and it was beside the fire so I’m sure it’s scorched on one side for sure.”

One person died on-scene and nine people were taken by ground ambulance to hospitals for various non-life-threatening conditions.

“Road conditions are still poor, and police continue to recommend that drivers avoid travelling if possible,” RCMP said in a news release.

OPINION

Trudeau giving Quebec a special deal on carbon

All provinces are equal. But one province is a little more equal in the eyes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Next year, taxpayers in every province will have to pay his government’s mandatory minimum carbon tax rate. Every province but one: Quebec.

Quebec started in early on carbon taxes, establishing a cap-and-trade system with

California in 2014, when Stephen Harper was prime minister. Then, in 2018, the Trudeau government imposed a carbon tax backstop to be paid by any province that hadn’t made its own arrangements to implement a carbon tax.

Under it, nine provinces and the three territories are required to raise the carbon tax to 14 cents per litre of gas next year, going to

taxes

37 cents per litre by 2030. But the backstop doesn’t apply to Quebec. Though, theoretically, there’s no limit to the province’s cap-andtrade cost, which is the result of demand and supply, it’s currently nine cents per litre of gas. Next year, by law, it must stay above five cents per litre. But nothing requires it to be higher than that. Meanwhile, everyone else in Canada will be paying 14 cents per litre. In 2030, Quebec’s carbon tax is forecast to reach 23 cents per litre of gas. But everyone else will be paying 37 cents per litre. That means that in 2030, an Ontario family will pay $10 more when fueling up their minivan because of the carbon tax than drivers in Trudeau’s Montreal riding. Even La Presse notes that Quebec’s tax “is much less than in the federal system.”

The key part of the federal backstop is “ensuring that carbon pricing is in place across Canada at a similar level of stringency.” But if there’s supposed to be a “similar level of stringency,” then why will Quebec’s tax cost be 14 cents per litre less by 2030? Is there some scientific reason to explain Quebec’s lower tax? Or is it because Ottawa’s carbon tax is about politics, not the environment?

Compare Quebec with Nova Scotia and it’s clear it’s the latter. Nova Scotia currently has a provincial cap-and-trade carbon tax, too. And Nova Scotia has reduced its emissions by 36 per cent since 2005, Quebec only by 12 per cent. But Ottawa isn’t letting Nova Scotia off. Beginning next year, Nova Scotians will have to pay the higher federal tax, too – though Quebec gets to keep its system.

Instead of bullying Nova Scotia, the prime minister should be asking Nova Scotians for advice. The province’s carbon tax now costs about two cents per litre of gas, by far the lowest rate in Canada. Yet since 2005, Nova Scotia has somehow managed to reduce its emissions more than every other province except New Brunswick.

On the other hand, British Columbia had the highest carbon tax in Canada for years, yet B.C.’s emissions increased by about eight per cent between 2015 and 2019. Canada’s emissions also increased during the first year of Trudeau’s national carbon tax.

The federal government is misleading Canadians about Quebec’s preferential

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1. BC to decriminalize small amounts of cocaine & heroin

On May 31, BC became the first province in Canada to remove criminal penalties for possession of some hard drugs for personal use. The province was granted an exemption under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, making headlines in global publications like The Washington Post.

2. Canada: Indigenous community finds 93 potential unmarked graves

The world watched in shock and horror when Tk’emlúps te Secwe’pemc announced the presence of more than 200 suspected unmarked graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School last year. Since then, international media outlets have kept a closer watch on news from First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, which are forcing Canada to

confronttheviolenceandracismofitscolonization.

3. Lavish Money Laundering Schemes Exposed in Canada

When the long-awaited results of the Cullen Commission were released in B.C., The New York Times picked up on it, kicking off its June 15 article with these compelling findings: “Self-professed students were buying multimillion-dollar homes in the Vancouver area, with dubious sources of income, or none at all … Loan sharks cleaned their dirty money by giving garbage bags and hockey bags full of illicit Canadian 20 dollar bills to gamblers who took it onto casino floors.”

4. Cat chases bear away from owner’s driveway in British Columbia Tigger made headlines in B.C. when he chased a black bear out of his owners’ driveway in North Vancouver, but the story

7 charged in BC anti-gang unit’s guns and drugs probe

The integrated police unit charged with tackling gang crime in B.C. announced that the seven men who were charged in connection with an alleged major drug trafficking operation have now been arrested.

Accused are Jonathan Lutar, 39, Courtney Lafreniere, 41, Oakley Charest, 34, Matthew Shaw, 31, Allan Arcangel, 51, Roman Tassone, 28, and Lukas Tassone, 34, who are all now in custody, officials said.

Police served a dozen search warrants, resulting in 25 gun and drug charges, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit officials said.

They said one of the accused is a full-patch member of the Hells Angels Haney chapter.

During the searches, police say they seized two kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of MDMA and one kilogram of fentanyl, along with ketamine, cannabis and a cutting agent.

Officers also seized two handguns, three rifles, a shotgun, multiple prohibited magazines, ammunition, body armour and two vehicles, police said.

This is the provincial anti-gang unit’s third major charge announcement in gun and drug investigations since the start of December. Earlier this month, the unit announced charges against multiple men involved in the Wolfpack organization and the Vancouver Island Hells Angels.

A South Asian man, one of the victims of fatal bus crash on Christmas Eve near Okanagan Connector is being remembered as family man and beloved colleague , who lit up every room he entered.

Karanjot Singh has been identified as one of four people who lost their lives when an Ebus lost control in icy conditions between Kelowna and Merritt, rolling over and sending dozens to hospital.

Karanjot Singh arrived in B.C. just months earlier on work permit, and had been getting settled as chef at Masala Bistro at Kismet Winery in Oliver. He was on his way to visit family in Surrey for the holidays and to complete an English test necessary to apply for his permanent residency, with hopes of bringing his wife and two children to Canada from the Punjab to start a better life. “The only dream he had was to get his family here. He missed them a lot. He spent a lot of time away from them,” friend and coworker Anshul Thakur said.

“He finally felt like everything was coming into place. All the pieces were coming together.” Thakur spoke with Singh by phone shortly before the crash, just as the bus headed onto the Okanagan Connector. Singh had called, he said, to make sure Thakur had made it home safe from dropping him at the bus depot.

“We were almost like family. You know, you’re in a new country, you don’t have that connection. So we always had that with us.”

Kistmet chef Howard Collince Michael Samy said colleagues began to worry when they learned Singh hadn’t arrived as planned at his destination. He described frantic efforts on Christmas Day to track Singh down, until the RCMP finally called

with the devastating news, information he later had to relay to Singh’s wife.

“It was difficult for her, so she passed the phone to her father. All she could hear was the bad news. After five minutes she called me, and said ‘brother can you bring my husband back?’ And I didn’t have an answer for that question,” he said, becoming visibly emotional.

“When he is in the kitchen or inside the restaurant, you see it, like, the whole place lights up. He was always happy. You stand next to him you’ll feel happy. He was that kind of a person,” he added.

“We are going to miss him.”

Karanjot Singh, 41, was one of 45 passengers aboard the Vancouverbound bus when it rolled.

The RCMP said it was still investigating the cause of the crash Tuesday, but early evidence showed the westbound vehicle had left the road to the left, crossed the median and flipped onto its passenger side in the eastbound lane.

The bus was equipped with seatbelts, but it appears most passengers were not wearing them. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said on Tuesday the Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement unit was also investigating.

Asked about whether the highway should have been closed Saturday, he said maintenance contractors were out in force and conditions on the route were not unusual for the time of year and were within the specifications set by the province.

Singh’s cousin, a B.C. long-haul trucker with 10 years of experience, however, disputed that assertion.

“This crash was preventable if the road is clean. There is too much icy roads, and that bus company, why are they travelling in icy conditions?

New immigrant from Punjab among victims of fatal bus crash near Okanagan on Christmas eve

From page 1

club from 1956 to 1974. The club said in a statement the public will be able to pay their final respects at Vila Belmiro Stadium, according to the Associated Press. Santos said the coffin carrying the star will leave Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo early Monday morning and will be placed in the center circle of the field. Visitation will start Monday at 10 a.m. and finish the next morning, the AP reported. A private funeral will follow attended by his family. Pelé had been in and out of the hospital over the past year as he fought colon cancer. In November, Albert Einstein Hospital announced that his cancer had advanced and that he was in palliative care. The hospital confirmed Pelé died at 3:27 p.m. local time from multiple organ failure as a result of colon cancer. The soccer star was hospitalized in December 2021 shortly after undergoing chemotherapy to treat a reported colon tumor. He had posted on Instagram that he was recovering. Over the past year, Pelé had dismissed fears over his health and continued to thank fans for their support. “Dear friends, it’s been a while since we talked about this. I want to let you know that I’m fine. I feel better every day. I don’t think even the mask for my protection can hide my happiness. Thank you very much to all of you who send me good energy daily,” he wrote

From page 1

Soccer legend Pelé died at the age of 82

in a November 2021 post on Instagram. Named FIFA co-Player of the Century in 1999 along with Diego Maradona of Argentina, Pelé spent his retirement as a global ambassador for the sport and devoted to other humanitarian causes. In 2020, when Maradona died, Pelé remarked, “One day, I hope we can play football together in the sky.” Pelé was born on Oct. 23, 1940, in the town of Tres Coracoes in the southern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. His parents named him after U.S. inventor Thomas Edison. Pelé’s father, João Ramos do Nascimento, nicknamed Dondinho, was also a professional soccer player. The young Edson received the nickname Pelé in school when schoolmates mocked his pronunciation of the popular Brazilian goalkeeper Bilé, he explained in a 2016 column for The Players’ Tribune. He began playing at 13 with a youth team in Bauru. He was scouted by Santos at 15 and began playing professionally with the team. At just 17, he emerged as a superstar with his performance during Brazil’s victorious

1958 World Cup, and he played his entire career in Brazil with Santos. He scored an astounding 618 goals in 636 games with Santos and won six Brazilian league titles. Pelé won two additional World Cup titles -- in 1962 and 1970. He is the only player to win three World Cups and one of only two players -- alongside teammate Vava -- to score in two World Cup finals for winning sides. He scored 77 goals in 92 international appearances. Brazilian forward Neymar tied his national record during the 2022 World Cup, just weeks before Pelé’s death, by tallying his 77th goal in a match against Croatia.

“I would say before Pelé, football was just a sport. Pelé has changed it all,” Neymar wrote on social media. “He turned football into art, into entertainment. Gave voice to the poor, blacks and mostly gave visibility to Brazil...He’s gone, but his magic remains.”

He ended his storied career with the New York Cosmos in 1977, generating a previously unmatched buzz for soccer in the U.S. The club, bankrolled by pioneering TV

executive Steven Ross, brought in stars like Pelé, Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia and German defender Franz Beckenbauer. The Cosmos was the only club besides Santos that Pelé ever played for. His last game on Oct. 1, 1977, an exhibition game between the Cosmos and Santos, was played before a sellout crowd at Giants Stadium. The game was televised on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” Pelé played one half for each team. “Pelé’s name will forever be synonymous with sporting artistry and genius,” the Cosmos said in a statement. “His lasting impact on the sport of soccer is inestimable. Rest in peace, O Rei.” He later starred in John Huston’s 1981 World War II sports film “Escape to Victory” alongside Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine. A biopic about his life, “Pele: Birth of a Legend,” was released in 2016. “A mere ‘goodbye’ to the eternal King Pelé will never be enough to express the pain that the entire football world is currently embracing,” Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the only man to score in more World Cups than Pelé, wrote. “An inspiration to so many millions, a reference yesterday, today and forever. The love you always showed me was reciprocated in every moment we shared even from distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will live forever in each and every one of us football lovers.”

Canada not following lead of US in requiring COVID tests for travellers arriving from China

in the new year, officials around the world are concerned floods of potentially infected travellers could soon be disembarking at their airports.

But Canada won’t be among the six nations intending to impose extra measures on travellers arriving in this country on flights originating in China. In a statement, the Public Health Agency of Canada said it is “closely monitoring” the situation and will advise of any changes via a travel health notice. Global Affairs Canada currently advises those travelling to China to exercise a “high degree of caution.”

Commencing Jan. 5, all travellers arriving

From page 1

Commission titled ‘Simultaneous Elections’. Stating that the current commission decided that it should seek the opinion of stakeholders, including national political parties, the Election Commission of India, bureaucrats, academicians, experts, etc, the questions have been put on public domain. They are:

> Will holding simultaneous elections, by any means tinker with the democracy, basic structure of the Constitution or the federal polity of the country?

in the United States from flights originating in China — regardless of nationality — will be subject to mandatory COVID-19 tests.

The restrictions also apply to passengers arriving from Hong Kong and Macau.

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans to reconsider travelling to China.

Japan followed suit, announcing similar measures for those arriving on flights from China as of Friday, while Taiwan imposes their new measures on New Year’s Day.

Those found with positive COVID tests will be sent to mandatory quarantine for seven days. India now requires negative

COVID tests and mandatory quarantine for travellers arriving from China and Hong Kong, as well as those flying in from Japan, Thailand and South Korea.

While Italy announced similar measures on Wednesday, Milan’s airport has already required negative tests from passengers arriving on flights from Shanghai and Beijing.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told local media on Thursday that he has no plans to impose restrictions on aircraft arriving from China, saying public health officials will continue to monitor the situation.

International officials say they’re concerned with Beijing’s lack of transparency

over China’s current COVID situation.

“Right now the pandemic situation in China is not transparent,” Taiwan’s Wang Pi-Sheng told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “We have a very limited grasp on its information, and it’s not very accurate.”

Beijing, however, accused nations that imposed measures of being discriminatory against the Chinese people.

During a Thursday press conference, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called the new restrictions “ill-intentioned” and part of international efforts to discredit China.

Law Commission wants one election in one day for all of India

> It is proposed that the Prime Minister or the state’s Chief Minister may be appointed or selected in the same manner as a Speaker of the House or Assembly is elected, in case no political party gains majority. Will it be possible and be in consonance and in conformity with the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution?

> Will such an appointment or selection by consensus amongst the political parties or elected members require amendment

to the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution [Provisions as to disqualification on ground of defection] and to what extent?

> What other Articles of the Constitution may require amendment(s) or insertion of new clauses or Articles, other than those discussed in the Draft Report?

> To hold simultaneous elections, are there any other issue(s) apart from those discussed in the Draft Report that would require elaborate study?

> Do any of the suggestions or

recommendations made in the draft report of the 21st Law Commission violate the constitutional scheme and to what extent?

The suggestions can be uploaded here before January 16, 2023.

The Law Commission’s public notice comes a day after the Ministry of Law and Justice informed the Rajya Sabha that simultaneous elections would lead to “huge saving to the public exchequer, avoidance of replication of effort on part of administrative and law and order machinery in holding repeated elections and bring considerable savings

Canada Competition Bureau to investigage ‘price fixing’ in grocery sector

From page 1

And yet, two of Canada’s three major grocery chains posted increased profits in their most recent financial statements.

Winter storm

death

The death toll from a fierce winter storm that gripped much of the United States over Christmas rose to at least 61 on Thursday, officials said. Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said two more deaths had been reported in the western New York region that bore the brunt of the historic storm, bringing the total to 39. Erie County includes the snow-battered city of Buffalo, where most of the deaths occurred.

Poloncarz said 17 of the 39 victims were found outside, 11 were in homes, four were in cars, four died while shoveling or snowblowing and three were the result of an inability of emergency responders to reach them in time. Nine deaths were reported in storm-related car crashes in the midwestern state of Ohio with scattered fatalities in at least half-a-dozen other states.

With temperatures rising and snow melting, officials in New York had expressed concerns about flooding but the county executive said “it does not appear like it will be bad.”

“Thankfully, it appears that flooding will be minimal,” Poloncarz said.

He said that electricity had been restored to all of the residents of the county.

As Buffalo dug itself out of the oncein-a-generation storm, there has been

Song from a Tamil movie tops worldwide Billboard chart

From page 1

Songs” chart, which tracks global musicrelated trends and conversations. The popularity of the singer and massive fan base of the movie’s lead actor likely fueled its rise to the top of the chart. A twominute song from an upcoming Tamillanguage movie was the most talkedabout track in the world on Twitter for the past week, according to Billboard.

Soul of Varisu, from the upcoming movie Varisu, took the top spot on Billboard’s “Hot Trending Songs” chart, which tracks global music-related trends and conversations. The popularity of the singer and massive fan base of the movie’s lead actor likely fueled its rise to the top of the chart.

Loblaw reported a quarterly profit of $387 million — an increase of $12 million, or 3.2 per cent, over the same quarter last year.

toll

rises

to 61 in US

mounting criticism of the response of the authorities with Poloncarz calling the city’s handling “embarrassing.”

A travel ban, for example, was not issued in Buffalo until 9:30 am on Friday morning when many people were already on their way to work.

The storm also brought unseasonably cold temperatures to states such as Texas and Florida and caused chaos at airports, with thousands of flights delayed or canceled.

Permanent cap on food-delivery fees in B.C. goes into effect Jan. 1

Canada’s first permanent cap on fees charged to restaurants by food-delivery companies will go into effect in British Columbia on Jan. 1, 2023, giving restaurant owners more certainty about their costs. “We all have a favourite local restaurant, somewhere we celebrate as families and friends, eat our favourite foods, or get a taste of home,” said Brenda Bailey, Minster of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “When restaurants were being charged unfair fees, our government acted fast to implement a temporary cap on delivery-service fees. We’re excited to bring in a permanent cap in the new year that will provide more support to restaurants.”

The Food Delivery Service Fee Act was passed on Nov. 3, 2022, in response to delivery companies charging fees to restaurants as high as 30% of an order’s value during the pandemic. It followed a temporary cap put in place in December 2020, and extended in September and December 2021. The new permanent cap limits the fees that delivery companies can charge restaurants to no more than 20% of the dollar value of an order. The act also allows delivery companies to offer optional, enhanced services for restaurants to opt into at their discretion.

To ensure drivers are treated fairly, the act prohibits delivery companies from downloading costs onto drivers, ensuring employees and contractors will continue to be paid their wages and gratuities. “We’ve seen dramatic growth in app-based delivery work in recent years,” said Janet Routledge, Parliamentary Secretary for Labour. “But we need to ensure workers are treated fairly. It was a priority to include protections for food-delivery workers in this legislation that prevent the costs of the delivery-fee cap from being downloaded onto them.”

This permanent cap is in addition to the B.C. government’s ongoing supports for the industry, such as: the ability of bars and tourism operators with liquor licences to permanently purchase beer,

SPS narrative ‘astoundingly arrogant,’ Surrey’s top Mountie charges

The epic duel between the Surrey RCMP and rival Surrey Police Service – with both entities waiting with bated breath for Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth to reveal in the new year which will be the city’s police of jurisdiction – saw more thrust, parry and riposte from high levels after the Mounties and SPS submitted separate reports to the provincial government.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, in charge of the Surrey RCMP, on Dec. 23 slammed the SPS report’s “sweeping and broad generalizations about the RCMP,” saying a significant part of its narrative aims to “discredit the RCMP” and its ability to deliver effective policing in Surrey.

“It is truly unfortunate the transition has gotten to a point where SPS continually resorts to fear mongering and I need to respond,” Edward’s statement reads. “However, it is my obligation to ensure residents of Surrey know that Surrey RCMP has and will continue to provide effective policing in this city.

“SPS is a start-up police agency that is utterly dependent upon the RCMP, and is, at the same time, seeking to advance a narrative that questions whether the RCMP can

effectively police Surrey. It is astoundingly arrogant and is a disservice to the policing community,” Edwards charged. “The people of Surrey don’t need this – they should have confidence in whichever policing model is utilized in Surrey. SPS’s continued focus on discrediting the RCMP is unprofessional and unbecoming of a police service aiming to serve the second largest city in B.C.”

Both the SPS and RCMP were required to submit their reports on Dec. 22. The SPS submitted two reports, one of them 155-pages that the SPS said it cannot release publicly at this time because it contains “detailed operational and personnel information.”

The SPS report that was publicly released states that numerous independent investigations document the RCMP’s “unhealthy organizational environment and the absence of a respectful workplace, free of bullying, harassment, and a negative culture.”

Under the heading Modernization, the publicly released SPS report states the RCMP is “slow to implement policy recommendations even when public and officer safety is at risk.”

Detainee dies in B.C. immigration detention centre on Christmas Day

Border officials say a detainee at an immigration holding centre in Surrey, B.C., has died after being found unresponsive on Christmas Day.

Canada Border Services Agency says in a statement that first responders were called to the centre,wherestaffwereattemptingresuscitation.

But it says “all efforts to revive the detainee were unsuccessful,” and they were pronounced dead by the first responders. It says the person’s next of kin have been

contacted, but their identity won’t be released due to privacy considerations.

The statement says Surrey RCMP and the BC Coroner have been “engaged” after the detainee’s death, as is the case with all deaths in CBSA custody.

It says the CBSA will also conduct a review of the incident.

“The health and safety of those in our care is of paramount importance to the CBSA. We take this responsibility very seriously,” it says.

Details of $463K Christmas Day bank heist revealed in labour battle between Brink’s and fired guard

On Christmas Day 2016, four people wearing what were described as flesh-toned masks and winter clothing made what you might call the ultimate in unauthorized withdrawals from five bank machines in Langley, B.C.

They stole nearly half a million dollars in a Yuletide heist that has never resulted in charges, or even public disclosure — until now.

The main suspect in the robbery, a former Brink’s Company guard has been fighting to get his job back since the global security firm fired him in November 2018. And Brink’s has been trying to get him to pay back $463,220 it shelled out to make things whole for the victim bank.

The dispute has come before both a labour arbitrator and a B.C. Supreme Court judge, who ruled last month that the arbitrator was correct in deciding he had the jurisdiction to decide the matter.

Brink’s employee fights for job after being accused in half-million dollar heist CBC News has obtained the court documents filed in relation to the latest ruling, which detail a criminal caper described in one set of submissions as “involving significant planning and technical aspects.”

A test run? The story begins on Nov. 22, 2014 — when the suspect was hired. According to one of the

company’s submissions, Brink’s armoured guards use specialized keys, PIN numbers and combinations to access bank machines on assigned routes.

The suspect in the robbery was fired from his job as a Brink’s armoured guard in November 2018. His union is fighting to get his job back, and Brink’s is trying to reclaim the money it paid to the victim bank.

Each guard is assigned a separate key with a unique serial number that triggers an internal device in a high-security lock to record a date and time of access.

Brink’s generates new combinations for each armoured guard assigned to a run. Guards are issued the combinations by identifying themselves to the company’s national client services centre prior to each outing.

Brink’s claims the suspect copied a co-worker’s key at some point and also obtained his PIN number. In one submission, the guards’ union, Unifor Local 114, refers to the co-worker as “Mr. X.”

“The employer alleges that on Dec. 17, 2016, the [suspect] or another person, pretending to be Mr. X, made two separate calls ... to obtain combinations,” the document reads.

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Canada could set global precedent in attempt to redistribute oligarch’s millions

What unfolds in an Ontario court could set a sweeping global precedent, as Canada attempts to become the first G7 country to seize and redistribute the assets of a sanctioned Russian billionaire. The roughly US$26 million in question might not be a particularly significant amount in the context of the total wealth of Russian oligarchs, but if Canada succeeds that puts Russian assets in other countries at risk. “It’s setting a precedent for similar measures in other Western nations, where they will feel emboldened if this is successful,” said lawyer John Boscariol, who heads McCarthy Tétrault’s international trade and investment law group.

“And in those other countries, like the United States and the United Kingdom

and the countries of the European Union, Russian oligarchs have way more assets there than they do in Canada. So it is going to be a very important precedent.”

The Liberal government announced on Dec. 19 it would seize and “pursue the forfeiture” of US$26 million from Granite Capital Holdings Ltd. The company is owned by Russian billionaire and former owner of the Chelsea football club in England Roman Abramovich, who is on Canada’s sanctions list. The RCMP has already frozen C$122.3 million worth of assets from people sanctioned as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. When it passed the Budget Implementation Act in June, the government gained the power to seize and auction off assets from those on

Police urge travellers to buckle up on buses after fatal crash near Okanagan

An RCMP officer who interviewed survivors of the deadly Christmas Eve bus crash near Merritt, B.C., says it’s time for passengers to throw out their false sense of security on buses and buckle up.

“I think there’s a misconception that, because the buses are so large that if they get into a crash, they’re so high up, they’re going to be OK,” Const. James Ward said in an interview Thursday.

“But that’s not the event, as we’ve seen here, if the bus is to flip over.”

RCMP investigators said in a statement that the bus was travelling west from Kelowna towards Merritt

when it went off the road, crossed the median and flipped onto its side, coming to rest in the eastbound lanes.

Four people died and dozens were injured. Police have said they suspect extremely icy road conditions played a role.

The statement said the bus, operated by Alberta-based Ebus, had seatbelts but “unfortunately it appears the majority of passengers were not wearing them.”

“I do know from speaking to some of the victims that the ones that were wearing seatbelts, the majority of them received minor injuries,” Ward said in the interview. “The ones not wearing seatbelts all received significant injuries.”

As the calendar counts down the final days of December, Canadians are taking time to reflect on the past year — and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is no exception.

In a year-end interview with CBC News Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touched on a number of topics that have been top-ofmind for Canadians over 2022.

The full interview will air on CBC television on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Here are five key subjects the prime minister discussed. Trudeau’s government invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 for the first time in the law’s 34year history to address protests against

COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa and at a number of Canada’s border crossings.

At that point, protesters who were part of the self-styled Freedom Convoy had for weeks gridlocked downtown Ottawa and later began blocking border crossings, snarling key trade routes as a result.

The invocation of the act (which was revoked a little over a week later) gave the federal government temporary powers to deal with the protests — but it also drew much criticism from protesters, opposition politicians and civil liberty advocates.

Government has no plans to bring back federal mask mandate, Trudeau says

Canada’s health agency ‘closely monitoring’ COVID outbreak in China

The national public health agency says it’s “closely monitoring” the COVID-19 situation in China, but gives no indication it’s planning to follow the U.S. by requiring that travellers from China be tested for the virus.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says in a statement that any policy changes will be made in a travel health notice. It says there’s already a “level two” notice for all countries, including China, meaning that travellers should practise enhanced health precautions, including the use of personal protective equipment, delaying travel and avoiding high-risk activities. An additional notice regarding Chinese New Year was posted Dec. 23, saying the festivities in late January are expected to involve large crowds in China, elevating the risk of

infection with COVID-19 or other diseases.

It says “China has recently lifted many of its COVID-19 restrictions,” which may increase case numbers in the country, and unvaccinated people should continue to avoid unnecessary travel. The PHAC statement says it’s monitoring genomic sequencing data and the impacts of COVID-19 variants on public health in China.

The U.S. announced Wednesday it was joining a few other nations by imposing travel restrictions because of a surge of infections in China after the rollback of strict anti-virus controls there. Beginning Jan. 5, travellers to the U.S. from China will have to take a COVID-19 test no more than two days before they travel and provide negative results before they board their flights.

PM Trudeau looks back on a tumultuous 2022 in year-end interview with CBC

Canadians fined at least $15M for breaking COVID-19 quarantine rules

Canadians who were caught violating federal COVID-19 quarantine rules racked up at least $15 million in fines this year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, but it’s not clear how much of that money will actually be paid.

The agency provided data to the House of Commons in the fall in response to a request from Conservative MP Eric Duncan.

Duncan did not respond to a request for comment.

This year saw the widespread lifting of Canada’s COVID-19 health restrictions.

Until October, travellers were required to follow testing and quarantine rules, depending on their vaccination status, and upload their public health information through the ArriveCan app.

The rules evolved over the year as public health officials responded to changing COVID-19 case levels. The ongoing restrictions also led to frustration among some travellers and those in the tourism industry, who said there was a negative impact on business. The Public Health Agency of Canada data includes British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada. It does not include information from Saskatchewan, Alberta or the territories

because those jurisdictions had not adopted the legislation needed in order for the fines to be levied. Its province-by-province breakdown also excludes Quebec, where fines are issued by provincial prosecutors.

Between January and August, 3,614 tickets were handed out under the federal Quarantine Act — legislation the federal government used to usher in border measures to stem the spread of the virus. Those fines totalled $14.8 million with the amounts varying, depending on the offence, from $825 to $5,000. A single ticket can sometimes include multiple offences.

Ottawa ups fine to $5,000 for travellers who refuse to quarantine in a hotel

Most of the fines were levied in Ontario, which is not only the largest province by population but is home to the country’s busiest airport and land border crossing with the United States. In all, 2,672 tickets were handed out during the eight-month period.

By comparison, 709 tickets were handed out in British Columbia and 210 in Manitoba. No one was fined in Newfoundland and Labrador or Prince Edward Island, while 21 fines were levied in New Brunswick and two in Nova Scotia.

BC stories that made international headlines in 2022

From page 5

feline also made international news on June 27, when it was published by the U.S.-based United Press International.

5. Wildlife Presenter Claims toFind ‘Bigfoot’ Skull In British Columbia. Here’s What Scientists Think

If you’re one of more than 225,000 people around the world following IFLScience on Twitter, you may already know that British Columbia graced its timeline in 2022 for a rather unusual reason.

The U.K.-based science publication helped debunk an American YouTuber and wildlife presenter’s claim that he had found a “non-human primate” skull somewhere in B.C. over the summer.

6. Canada-based Ripudaman Singh Malik, acquitted in Air India Kanishka bombing case, shot dead Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India terrorist bombings, was killed in a targeted shooting in a neighbourhood of Surrey, B.C., on July 14. That day, The Tribune of India wrote that Malik, 75, was a Sikh leader and businessman who had recently “heaped praise” on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a “commendable gesture” toward the Sikh community.

7. How Lytton, a Canadian village razed by wildfire, is wrestling with climate-proofing its future Like many parts of British Columbia, Australia has been gravely impacted by wildfires. The country’s bushfire season has grown by almost a month over 40 years, according to new research.

When Lytton was devastated by a deadly fire in June last year, Australians took note. More than a year later, as the southern B.C. village continues to rebuild, Reuters profiled its efforts to create a more environmentally-

friendly, climate change-resilient and fireproof community.

8. Amanda Todd: Dutchman sentenced for fatal cyber-stalking Fifteen-year-old B.C. teen Amanda Todd became an international symbol in the fight against online harassment when she published a YouTube video detailing her abuse, with help from cue cards, in the weeks before she took her own life. Almost exactly 10 years after the tragedy, her name made headlines around the world when her tormenter, Dutch national Aydin Coban, was sentenced to 13 years behind bars. 9. Severe drought torments British Columbia, a year after devastating floods Readers of The Guardian, a British daily publication, will know that the news outlet has paid close attention to B.C., particularly when it comes to climate change, wildlife, weather, and natural resources. This year was no exception, with a prolonged drought in the fall headlining an online article on Oct. 19.

10. Runner casually completes ‘mountain marathon’ before clocking on for shift at cocktail bar

When 27-year-old Ben Rowe of Whistler, B.C. ran a 42-kilometre mountain marathon to the peak of Mount Overlord, all before starting his evening bar shift, it was enough to make international headlines on Nov. 16.

When 27-year-old Ben Rowe of Whistler, B.C. ran a 42-kilometre mountain marathon to the peak of Mount Overlord, all before starting his evening bar shift, it was enough to make international headlines on Nov. 16.

Number of Canadians in hospital with COVID-19 has more than tripled since last year

Canada’s hospitals are being spared the waves of critically ill COVID patients that defined the first two years of the pandemic, but are now dealing with a larger baseline of patients.Chris Young/The Canadian Press

The number of people with COVID-19 in Canadian hospitals has more than tripled compared to this time last year, despite far fewer of those patients requiring intensive care – a shift experts say reflects the ubiquity of the virus and advances in treatment reflects.

But after three years of the pandemic, the virus remains deadly. It will kill more than 18,000 people in Canada in 2022, bringing the country’s official death toll to just under 50,000, a figure some believe

underestimates the true reach of COVID.

While Canada’s hospitals are spared the waves of critically ill COVID patients that threatened to collapse the system in the first two years of the pandemic, they are now dealing with a larger baseline of patients.

Additionally, hospitals may face a reduced burden of COVID in their ICUs, but influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other viruses have added to the challenges in 2022. These viruses have previously been contained by the same public health restrictions that governments have imposed to treat COVID. The rules were almost universally lifted in early 2022, when vaccines were widely available and public patience was waning.

Top health-care priority in Canada should be to hire more doctors & nurses: Nanos survey

A majority of Canadians say hiring more health-care workers should be the country’s top priority when it comes to changing the current system, a recent national survey from Nanos Research shows.

The survey of more than 1,000 Canadians found 53 per cent in favour of recruiting more doctors, nurses and staff as opposed to investing more money in public health care (28 per cent) or allowing private corporations to charge for health-care services (14 per cent). Another five per cent were unsure.

The results come as hospitals, namely

pediatric centres, across Canada deal with high numbers of new patients admitted for respiratory illnesses, as well as burnout among health-care workers and ongoing disagreements between the provinces and federal government around funding.

Support for hiring more healthcare workers was strongest in Atlantic Canada at nearly 69 per cent, the Nanos survey found, and lowest in Ontario at a little more than 49 per cent.

Atlantic Canadians were also least likely to prioritize increased funding in public health care at just over 21 per cent, while Ontarians were the most likely to support it, at a little more than 35 per cent.

Raj Kumar

Raaj Kumar was born as Kulbhushan Pandit on October 8, 1926 in Laralai, western Pakistan. He was an actor of his class, who worked in Hindi films exclusivelly. He appeared in Mehboob Khan’s internationlly acclaimed film ‘‘Mother India’’ and selected for Oscar-nomination, Raj Kumar acted in over 70 Hindi films with career that spanned over four decades.

In late 1940s, Kulbhushan Pandit moved to Bombay, where he joined police department as sub-inspector.

Raaj Kumar adopted his name as Raj Kumar in films with his acting debut in 1952’s film Rangili and appeared in films like Aabshar, Ghamand and Lakhon Mein Ek, but it was as Sohrab Modi’s Nausherwan-E-Adil (1957) that made Raj Kumar real famous.

In 1957, he became more prominent with Mehboob Khan’s world renowned film ‘‘Mother India’’. Also in film Paigham 1959 He did memorable role of mill worker starring along with Dilip Kumar. Then Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Raaj Kumar won his first ‘Filmfare’ award for Best supporting actor. Raj Kumar acted with other famous actors, such as Sunil Dutt,

Shashi Kapoor, Balraj Sahni in Yash Chopra’s great musical film Waqt 1965.

He became known for his distinct style & dialogue delivery.

His other notable films included Hamraaz (1967), Heer Raanjha (1971), Maryada (1971), Lal Patthar (1971) and Pakeezah (1972). In late 1970s and early 1980s after a period of some flops, finally He got successes as supporting actor in Kudrat (1981), Ek Nai Paheli (1984), Marte Dam Tak (1987), Muqaddar Ka Faisla (1987) and Jung Baaz (1989). In 1991, he reunited with

fellow veteran and great actor Dilip Kumar after 32 years in Subhash Ghai’s Saudagar. His last hit was 1992’s Tirangaa and his final film was God & Gun (1995).

He married with Jennifer, whom Raj met in a plane amid flight. They married, got three kids, named Puru Raaj Kumar (son), Panini Raaj Kumar (son) and Vastavikta Pandit (daughter), She made her film debut in 2006. Raj Kumar died on July 3, 1996 at the age of 69.

Awards Best Supporting Actor Dil Ek Mandir (1964 Best Supporting Actor Waqt - 1966

Disha Patani keeps her step forward

Canadian folk legend Ian Tyson passes away at the age of 89

TORONTO - Ian Tyson, the Canadian folk legend turned cowboy storyteller who penned “Four Strong Winds” as one half of Ian & Sylvia, has died at age 89.

The Victoria native died on Thursday at his ranch near Longview, Alberta., following a series of ongoing health complications, according to his manager Paul Mascioli. The Victoria native was a part of the influential folk movement in Toronto with his first wife, Sylvia Tyson. But he divided much of his life and career between two passions largely unrelated to his folkie past: living on his southern Alberta ranch and pursuing songs about the cowboy life.

Disha Patani’s style game is always on point. The actor never fails to impress with her sartorial choices — no matter what the occasion is, and what outfit she chooses to wear. From flowy gowns, and bodycon dresses, to traditional wear, the Malang actor can effortlessly carry it all. So, if you are also a fan of her impeccable choices, we’ve got you covered with some of her best style moments.

First up is Disha acing the all-black look in a satin dress that featured a sweetheart-halter neckline and high thigh slit. Needless to say, the actor was a sight to behold as she carried off the look with oodles of elegance and confidence. Disha channelled her inner diva as she completed the look with short

curled hairstyle, and accessorised it with black stilettoes and a silver handbag that added an element of bling. Not to miss, the red vibrant lip shade and a set of emerald-

coloured earrings added the perfect finishing touches along with her contoured face and black eyeliner. Prior to this, Disha was seen in a strapless red body-fit gown during the promotions of her film, Ek Villain Returns.

One of the best actors of India cimema

23 townhouses to go up next to Coquitlam elementary school on Burke Mountain

Coquitlam city council unanimously gave fourth and final reading to the bid by Annesley Homes to change the city-wide Official Community Plan and rezone 3421 and 3431 Queenston Ave. Two lots close to Smiling Creek Elementary on Coquitlam’s Burke Mountain will soon have townhomes catering to families. This month, city council unanimously gave fourth and final reading to the bid by Annesley Homes to change the city-wide Official Community

Toronto real estate was definitely one of the hottest topics in 2022 with a major housing correction hitting the market in the spring, resulting in plummeting home sales and prices. But after a year of consistent interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada and limited housing stock across the nation, 2023 is set to be a different market story that is leaving many homeowners, prospective buyers and renters wondering what’s to come.

“I think the big question that people will be asking around the dinner table over the holidays

Plan and rezone 3421 and 3431 Queenston Ave., where the company plans to build 23 threelevel townhouse units.

Coun. Dennis Marsden recused himself from the vote, citing past contractual work with Annesley. According to a city report, Annesley

will construct two two-bedroom units and 21 three- and four-bedroom units in four buildings, at the intersection with Soball Street.

The development is expected to bring in for the city: $608,000 in development cost

Toronto’s housing correction set to stabilize

is, you know, what do I want to do in 2023?”

Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) President Kevin Crigger told CP24 on Friday.

With many residents across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) waiting on the sidelines to make any housing-related moves, Crigger predicts next year will be a turning point for many who want to enter the market or make changes to their housing situation.

“I think just based on the pace of life and obviously pace of growth in the market, you’ll

certainly see more activity in 2023,” he said.

“I think the price stability we’ve found towards the end of 2022 will carry through to 2023. I think rental rates clearly will remain at an elevated pace. And I think if we see an increase in demand as people come back into the market, I think that could provide a favourable direction to price at some point in the market,” he added.

RBC Assistant Chief Economist Robert Hogue says many parts of the GTA are

charges $113,072 in community amenity contributions $20,000 for the community amenity enhancement program In 2020, when the proposal came before council, the city received nine responses, including a 66-name petition and two letters, against the project.

Opponents cited increased density and traffic, as well as loss of privacy to the single-family home neighbours plus environmental impacts.

currently experiencing a buyer’s market with higher interest rates and stretched affordability. However, some experts are saying that the market will remain a balanced one heading into 2023.

RE/MAX Realtron Realty Broker Cameron Forbes says the interest rate hikes mixed with rising unemployment due to an economic slowdown will persist in 2023, further levelling out the market.

“For buyers, this includes having fewer competitors, reduced prices and an increase in choices in the market.

Housing market update December 2022

It’s hard to believe, but we are already rounding off the year of 2022 and are about to head into 2023.

Although not much has changed since our last update, there are still some points that must be considered as the year ends.

So, in this month’s economic update, we’ll talk about some big moves coming from some of the nation’s largest corporations as well as the U.S. treasury.

To begin, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite topic, the U.S. Treasury.

A Leap In Treasury Yields Treasuries sold off on Monday as stronger-thanexpected US economic data added fuel to traders’ bets on how high Federal Reserve interest rates might ultimately go. The pullback in US debt markets drove yields in the belly of the curve up by around 10 basis points, with the 10-year rate jumping to 3.58%.

Swaps showed a similar increase in expectations for where the Fed terminal rate will be, with the market indicating a peak of close to 5% in the middle of 2023. The dollar also strengthened, while US stocks lost ground.

Monday’s moves were also influenced by the Institute for Supply Management’s services gauge, which unexpectedly rose to 56.5 in November from 54.4 the month before. This increase in the business activity measure was the biggest since March 2021, suggesting that the largest part of the US economy remains resilient.

Investors are likely to closely watch data releases, including next week’s consumerprice inflation report. Additionally, liquidity may be strained heading into the holiday period, potentially leading to larger market movements from smaller transactions.

Blackstone Property Bets Getting Rockier Sky-high rents for non-mainstream real estate may be a pandemic trend that is about to reverse, with Blackstone’s $70bn property fund potentially having performed too well for its own good.  Clients were told last week that they will have to wait to get their money out of the private equity firm’s semiliquid, nontraded realestate investment trust, known as BREIT. More than most REITs, Blackstone’s portfolio is stuffed with the kind of property that has been in high demand: 55% is rented residential, 23% is logistics buildings, such as e-commerce warehouses, and the rest is data centers, student housing, offices and retail.

Starwood Limited Investor

Redemptions Starwood Real Estate Income Trust (SREIT), a $14.6 billion real estate investment trust (REIT) managed by Starwood Capital, is limiting investor redemptions after receiving requests that exceeded its monthly limit in November.

SREIT is the second-largest nontraded REIT behind Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT), which also placed limits on redemptions in November. Both SREIT and BREIT allow for 2% monthly redemptions of net asset value (NAV) and 5% of NAV quarterly.

Amid elevated interest rates, here’s what to expect from Canada’s housing market in 2023

After a series of interest rate hikes throughout 2022, the average price of a home in Canada has dropped by more than $180,000 since hitting its peak in February. This “softening” of the market represents a shift to more accurate

home valuation, said Moshe Lander, an economics professor at Concordia University in Montreal. This landscape of lower home prices is likely to continue

into 2023, he said.

“Housing prices have been disconnected from reality for some time now,” Lander told CTVNews.ca

in a telephone interview. “The rapid increase in interest rates is probably going to generate a rather quick fall in housing prices [and] a sudden correction.”

Will rising interest rates be the pin that bursts the housing bubble?

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked higher demand for Canadian housing, even as the market was arguably already overpriced and undersupplied. In our view, the elevated housing market has been an ongoing tail risk for the Canadian economy. Now, increased consumer leverage and rapidly rising interest rates could be the catalyst that pushes the housing market, and possibly the economy, into a slower growth or even recessionary phase.

Canada has been one of the few global markets benefiting from inflation in commodity prices because it is a significant producer of oil and gas, which has helped the TSX Index outperform most international equity markets this year. However, in our view, this outperformance remains vulnerable in the months ahead, given the potential for softening commodity prices, as well as a cooling Canadian housing sector. In this backdrop, the Canadian financial sector, as well as the energy and materials sectors, are at risk of underperformance.

Growing household debt and rapidly rising prices

During the pandemic, household debt, in relation to disposable income, has risen to new record highs, reaching above 180%, as housing prices have outstripped wage growth. From 2020 to 2022, the new home price index rose almost 20%,

while wages grew at a mere 7.3% over the same time frame. This rapid rise in debt has led to increased monthly payments and shrinking discretionary income.

Comparatively, we’ve seen debt levels internationally in the U.S. on a long-term downward trend since the 2008 financial crisis. Although the average price for a house in the U.S. has risen sharply, many consumers

used the federal pandemic stimulus to pay down mortgages, and debt to disposable income has remained steadily low.

Rapid Rise in Housing Prices and Debt Levels

Source: Statistics Canada

This chart shows the rapid rise in housing prices and debt levels, especially around the start of the pandemic in 2020 Higher interest rates lead to higher monthly payments

The Bank of Canada (BoC) has been raising its key interest rate aggressively to combat high inflationary pressures by resetting the supply-demand dynamic in the marketplace.

However, higher BoC interest rates almost immediately impact the housing market through higher monthly housing payments. As the five-year-fixed mortgage period ends for consumers in Canada, households will have to start higher monthly payments.

Using data from the BoC and Statistics Canada, we can do a rough calculation of how much monthly mortgage payments

#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005

New British Indian Army memorial to be built in Scotland

A new British Indian Army Memorial, commemorating the sacrifice of millions of Indian soldiers who fought alongside the British during the two World Wars, is to be built in the Scottish city of Glasgow after the local council approved the plans.

Glasgow City Council cleared the planning application recently, subject to conditions, paving the way for finalising the designs for the memorial to be built near Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The memorial initiative is being led by the Colourful Heritage multimedia project, which celebrates the history of Scotland’s South Asian community, and is visualised as Scotland’s first permanent memorial wall to recognise the service and sacrifice of over 4 million soldiers of the British Indian Army. “We aim for the memorial to represent the diversity of all the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Gurkhas and more who fought alongside British troops in World War I and II,” notes Colourful Heritage with reference to the memorial. It is intended to honour the special link between Scotland and

Force K6, an all-Muslim Punjabi regiment that escaped from Dunkirk during World War II, and made its way to Scotland.

It also aims to represent the key values of “selfless commitment and respect for others” that was epitomised by local campaigner Isobel Harling, who was honoured with the British Empire Medal (BEM) for tirelessly looking after the Force K6 graves in Kingussie in the Scottish Highlands for more than 70 years.

Colourful Heritage, which collates first-hand accounts of early South Asian migrants to Scotland, held several focus groups to narrow down ideas for the new memorial design, including involving schools and multi-faith local community members. The team has proposed a multistructure memorial design, which has been discussed with the charity Ancre Somme Association Scotland and their architect.

According to ‘The Glasgow Times’, samples of the materials for the pavilion and surrounding blocks and full details of the designs and content of carvings into the stone will now

be submitted for council approval.

The memorial will feature a chattri (an elevated, dome-shaped pavilion) and pillars, which will be carved creating a

South Asian design, and include benches so people can sit and reflect amid new cherry trees to be planted. The call for such a memorial was backed by members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) from

Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra - says BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday asserted Mumbai belongs to the state which will not tolerate anyone’s claim over its capital and strongly condemned remarks made by some Karnataka leaders amid the raging boundary dispute between the two states.

Speaking in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Fadnavis said the state’s feelings will be conveyed to the Karnataka government and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Raising the issue in the House, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar (of Nationalist Congress Party) claimed Karnataka CM and ministers have been hurting Maharashtra’s pride by their remarks and the Maharashtra government’s response is not in the same coin. “Law

minister (of Karnataka) Madhu Swamy has demanded that Mumbai should be made a Union Territory. (Bharatiya Janata Party MLA) Laxman Savadi said Mumbai belongs to Karnataka and has rubbed salt on the Marathi people’s wounds,” Pawar said. Fadnavis said, “Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra and not to anyone’s father. We will not tolerate anyone staking claim over Mumbai and we will put forth our feelings before the Karnataka government and Union home minister.” He said Union minister Shah will be requested to reprimand such “motormouths”.

In a meeting between the chief ministers of the two states with Shah, it was decided that no fresh claim would be laid by any of the two parties, he said.

India makes negative Covid report mandatory for flyers from China

Passengers arriving in India from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand will be mandatorily required to provide negative Covid reports from January 1, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday. They will have to upload the negative Covid reports from RT-PCR tests on the Air Suvidha portal prior to their departure.

The tests have to be conducted within 72 hours of undertaking the journey to India, Mandaviya said. This requirement is in addition to the random two per cent tests of all international passengers

in all incoming international flights on their arrival in India irrespective of their port of departure, the minister said.

Amid a spike in coronavirus cases in some countries, the government has sounded an alert, tightened Covid guidelines and asked states and Union territories to prepare for any eventuality. India recorded 268 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 3,552, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.11 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.17 per cent, the ministry said.

Happy New Year 2023

Cold wave to further intensify in Delhi

A fresh spell of dense fog and cold wave is likely to commence over the northwest India from New Year’s Eve, the IMD predicted.

Gulmarg on Thursday afternoon witnessed snow under the influence of western disturbances while some parts of Punjab and Chandigarh witnessed light rain. Various parts of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are likely to experience snow on Friday.

Rise by 3-7 degrees Celsius in minimum temperature was expected

on Thursday in the northwest parts. The IMD predicted abatement of cold wave, cold day and dense fog conditions over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan on Thursday.

Minimum temperatures were in the range of 7-10 degrees Celsius over many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Delhi.

Dense fog conditions are expected to intensify in Punjab and Haryana on Friday while very dense fog conditions are expected in Punjab on Saturday.

40% of India’s mobiles export in 2022-23 are iPhones

About 40 per cent of India’s mobile exports so far in 2022-23 are iPhones. “Way to go! Thanks to PLI Scheme, India crossed Rs 50,000 CR export mark during Apr -Nov,2022 - up 110 per cent compared to same period last year. Main contributors are three Apple manufacturers- Foxconn, Pegatron & Wistron & Samsung. 40 per cent worth of smartphones exported from India are iPhones,” former CEO of Niti Ayog Amitabh Kant, who is also G20 Sherpa, said in a tweet.

As part of its AtmaNirbhar plan, the Government launched Production Linked

Incentive (PLI) schemes in 14 sectors to make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investments, enhance exports, integrate India into the global supply chain and reduce dependency on imports.

On Tuesday, the government approved the incentives for two companies -Foxconn India and Padget Electronics -- for mobile manufacturing under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

The incentives for the two companies were worth Rs 357.17 crore and Rs 58.29 crore.

Serbia is terminating visa-free entry for Indians

With an intention to control illegal immigration and follow the requirements of the European visa policy, the government of Serbia has decided to end visa-free travel for Indians. According to the statement, from 1 January 2023, Indian passport holders will no longer have the luxury of traveling to Serbia without a valid visa. Earlier, diplomatic and official Indian passport holders were allowed to visit the country for 90 days without any visa, while the duration was 30 days for ordinary passport holders. Earlier, diplomatic and official Indian passport holders were allowed to visit the country for 90 days without any visa, while the duration was 30 days for ordinary passport holders. “The existing arrangement of visa-free entry into Serbia for all Indian passport holders for staying in Serbia up to 30 days has been withdrawn by the Government of Serbia,” said the government in a statement.

The visa-free entry was started by Serbia in September 2017. The Indians traveling to Serbia cannot travel to other countries, including Serbia’s neighboring countries and other European countries, by virtue of visa-free entry into Serbia. After the announcement by the government of Serbia, the Indian embassy in Belgrade, Serbia issued an advisory informing Indian citizens about the change in visa rules.

“From 1 January 2023, all Indian nationals visiting Serbia would require a visa to enter the Republic of Serbia. The existing arrangement of visa-free entry into Serbia for all Indian passport holders for staying in Serbia for up to 30 days has been withdrawn by the Government of Serbia. Indian nationals, who intend to visit Serbia on or after 1 January 2023, should apply for the visa at the Embassy of Serbia in New Delhi or in the country of their residence,” the advisory said.

In a major decision, the Defence Ministry has cleared the procurement of around 120 Pralay ballistic missiles for the Indian armed forces that will deploy them along the borders with China and Pakistan .

The Indian Army is set to get massive boost along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan as well as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

In a major decision, the Defence Ministry has cleared the procurement of around 120 Pralay ballistic missiles for the Indian armed forces that will deploy them along the borders with China and Pakistan.

At present, the Pralay ballistic missiles

LAC

can take out targets from 150 to 500 kms and are extremely difficult to intercept for the enemy through interceptor missiles. “A high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry cleared the acquisition of around 120 missiles for the armed forces and their deployment along the borders,” senior defence officials were quoted as saying.

The acquisition of these ballistic missiles is being seen as a big development for the country which now has a policy that allows the use of ballistic missiles in tactical roles. Both China and Pakistan have ballistic missiles which are for tactical roles.

India to spend $32 billion on free grains for 800 million people

India to spend $32 billion on free grains for 800 million people

The Indian Air Force on Thursday successfully testfired the extended range version of BrahMos air launched missile against a ship target from a SU-30MKI aircraft, the government said. The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region, it said.

“The Indian Air Force today successfully fired the extended range version of BrahMos air launched missile against a ship target from a SU-30MKI aircraft,” according to a statement issued by the defence wing of the ..

The latest announcement comes ahead of polls in several states in 2023 and the general election in 2024. Free grains to about 800 million people for one year, a move that could help the ruling party reap political benefits and set the tone for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reelection

for a third term.The government will spend 2 trillion rupees (S$32 billion) on the programme, Food Minister Piyush Goyal said after a cabinet meeting on Friday. The new initiative will replace an earlier drive of highly-subsidised food grains for eligible people in the world’s secondbiggest producer and consumer of wheat and rice.

India to get massive boost against China, will deploy Pralay missile at

from January 1st

India successfully test-fires extended-range version of BrahMos air-launched missile

Politician sets himself on fire and died in protest blaming police behaviour in viral video

Alleging harassment at the hands of three police personnel and a DSP-level officer, a Patiala man, who contested the recent Punjab Vidhan Sabha poll as an Independent and lost, died by suicide by setting himself on fire at his office in the Sanauri Adda area. In a video that has gone viral, he has named the three police personnel, but not the DSP.

Till the filing of the report, family members and local BJP leaders were

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann paid tributes to 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh on his birth anniversary.

Mann greeted Punjabis living in India and across the globe on the auspicious occasion.

In a message on ‘Parkash Purb’ of the 10th Sikh Guru, the Chief Minister said Guru Gobind Singh preached and

holding a protest against the police, demanding the “arrest and an FIR against the guilty police personnel”. They had started a dharna. No senior officer was willing to comment on the issue. Gurmukh Singh Dhariwal (42) allegedly died by self-immolation. “My brother-in law would be summoned at odd hours and humiliated. Even I was taken to the police station and tortured by these cops late at night.

practiced the ethos of love, oneness of mankind and universal brotherhood throughout his life. Mann said the creation of the ‘Khalsa Panth’ by the great Guru in 1699 had a universal relevance by which he raised a unifying force in the world ever ready to make self sacrifice for achieving the goals of justice.

Police seize 5 kg opium being smuggled to Punjab

The Delhi Police have arrested two interstate drug traffickers and seized 5.4 kg opium which was to be smuggled to Punjab’s Bathinda district for a New Year party, officials said on Thursday.

The accused have been identified as Ravinder Bhuiyan (45) and Vinod Yadav (41), both residents of Jharkhand, they said.

On Monday, a joint team of police and RPF personnel were patrolling the Shakur

Basti Railway Station when they noticed two people sitting on a bench. They had covered themselves with blankets in a suspicious condition at Daya Basti end side.

On seeing approaching policemen, they started walking fast towards Daya Basti. The staff chased and apprehended them, said Hareesh H.P, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways).

Pakistan

Govt of Pakistan resorts for taking some desperate cost-cutting measures as country continues to face “financial emergency”.

The measures include rationing of fuel for govt driven vehicles, restrictions on official travel, stopping leave encashments, medical bill payments and removing allowances among others.

The Cabinet Secretariat in recent notification said, “In view of the principal approval by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and present financial calamity of the state and the severe shortage of funds, it has become imperative to issue the following instructions, otherwise further financial catastrophe may

Pakistan should take care of its minorities: India on reports of Hindu woman’s beheading

Pakistan should take care of its minorities and fulfil its responsibility of keeping them safe and secure, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday against the backdrop of reports that a Hindu woman was allegedly beheaded in that country.

Responding to a question on the reported killing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said he does not have a detailed report on the

specific incident. “...In the past too we have said that Pakistan should take care of its minorities and fulfil its responsibility of their safety, security and well-being. I would like to reiterate that,” he said, adding that he would not be able to comment on an individual case.

A Hindu woman was allegedly murdered in Pakistan’s Sinjhoro town on Wednesday. The 40-year-old woman was beheaded,

Pakistan selling embassy property in USA amid economic crisis

Pakistanhasreceivedthreebidsforabuilding which once housed the defence section of the country’s embassy in the US capital.

The highest bid, worth $6.8 million, is offered by a Jewish group that wants to build a synagogue in the building, according to Dawn.

The second bid of about $5 million

offered by an Indian realtor and the third bid of about $4 million from a Pakistani realtor, the report quoted sources as saying.

Pakistani-Americans in the realty market say that the building should go to the highest bidder. The sale of property comes amid a deepening economic crisis in the country.

No other option’ but to implement IMF deal: PM Shehbaz

PM Shehbaz Sharif said the government had “no other option” but to implement the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

He regretted that if they wanted to give any subsidy in any sector, they had to go to the IMF, ‘which is a factor and a painful reality’. He said the coalition government

never wanted to transfer the burden of price hikes. In the past, the PTI government blatantly breached the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Meanwhile, the prime minister said that they had devised a plan to immediately convert all the federal government entities’ buildings to solar power by April next year in order to

A border alert has been issued by the Police Criminal Investigations Department for Opposition MP and former Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

The CID has said that Sayed-Khaiyum is a person of interest and is currently under investigation regarding a case of alleged inciting communal antagonism.

They say they are yet to deal with Sayed-Khaiyum who is believed to be currently in Australia.

The CID says according to the

travel history, Sayed-Khaiyum departed Fiji on the 26th of December 2022. It says the CID should be contacted upon the arrival of Sayed-Khaiyum. The border alert seems to have been leaked and is being widely shared.

Police Commissioner, Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho says that is a normal monitoring mechanism of CID writing to the Border Police to inform them that if Sayed-Khaiyum returns, they should be notified in order to carry out investigations on a report against him.

No military personnel to perform bodyguard duties or close protection for all Ministers

Minister for Home Affairs, Pio Tikoduadua says there are no military personnel to perform bodyguard duties or close protection for all Ministers.

He says as of yesterday all soldiers employed as Personal Protection Officers

or for other capacities in government except for those that are at the Ministry of Home Affairs will be back in barracks.

Tikoduadua adds they want to build confidence in their armed forces and that starts within government.

Newly elected Fiji PM vows to tackle growing national debt

Bainimarama as prime minister.

The People’s Alliance Party leader, who formed a tripartite coalition to win office, promised to audit the spending of the former government and said he will institute an austere approach while in power.

Frank

Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka vowed to address the “litany of woe” created by the nation’s former government while raising concerns about the Pacific nation’s massive debt. In his first address to the country since being sworn in to office on Christmas Eve, Rabuka said Thursday there had been a “great and joyful awakening” in a nation where democracy is considered fragile. The 74-year-old’s election Dec. 24 at a special sitting of Parliament in Suva ended the 16-year reign of Fiji First Party leader

“The mood for a new government was evident,” Rabuka said. “There was a whole raft of reasons for that including the problems with infrastructure and essential services, education, increasing poverty, abuse of rights, a climate of fear and a massive national debt.”

CID orders border alert for Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and declares him as a person of interest

Pakistan resorts to desperate cost-cutting measures as financial emergency declared

CM Mann pays tribute to Guru Gobind Singh Ji at his birth anniversary