www.theasianstar.com Vol 19 - Issue 40
Saturday, November 02, 2019
Federally funded voting guide told Muslims how to vote and gave failing grade to Conservatives A federally funded Canadian Muslim Voting Guide — released three days before the Oct. 21 election — gives Conservative leader Andrew Scheer a series of failing grades for apparently associating with far-right, Islamophobic figures, opposing the M-103 motion and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and for proposing immigration policies that “compromise asylum seekers.” The highly partisan, anti-Zionist guide — produced by the Canadian Islamophobia Industry Research Project out of Wilfrid Laurier University — contends that newly
re-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been the “target of Islamophobic hate campaigns” and gives him a free pass for his black face antics because of his public stance against Islamophobia. The 34-page guide was put together by Jasmin Zine, a professor of sociology and Muslim studies, as well as graduate students Fatima Chakroun and Shifa Abbas. The guide’s cover states quite clearly that it was supported by a grant from Social Sciences and Humanities Research
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Liberals promise to govern like Conservatives since they won more votes The Liberal government has vowed that, in the interests of fairness, they will be governing like the party who won the greatest proportion of the popular vote in the recent election: the Conservatives.“We don’t actually have to change all that much, we’re not that far away from the Conservatives on many issues. So we’re starting out by cutting taxes, and as always, giving a phenomenally large amount of subsidies and support to the fossil fuel industry,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said when outlining the Liberal’s future plans for the country. “We’re just lucky the Greens or NDP didn’t win the most votes, that would really force us to change our governing strategy.” While the Liberals won 36 more seats than the Conservatives and were able to form a minority government, the Conservative Party received almost a quarter of a million more votes than the Liberals. The
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Why do Jagmeet Singh & NDP seem so happy about the party’s crushing defeat? In certain quarters in Burnaby, you could feel the jubilation and excitement on election night. The Liberals’ 157 seats fell short of the magical 170 needed for a majority, and the NDP’s 24 looked to be the key to getting legislation in the next Parliament across the finish line. The NDP would likely hold the balance of power in the coming minority Parliament, and Leader Jagmeet Singh bounded on stage and delivered a long speech that had all the hallmarks of a victory lap. But the buoyant crows from NDP corners also made for a dissociating scene. After all, Mr. Singh and the NDP lost badly.
Other than Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada, no other party did as poorly as the NDP. Not the Liberals, who maintain government; not the Conservatives, who increased their caucus by 26 and won the popular vote; not even the Greens, who added their first non-Western federal seat. The NDP’s seat count plunged to 24 from 44, a decrease of 45 per cent – a grim follow-up to 2015’s showing, when they lost59seatsandfellfromofficialOppositionstatus.
This all appeared improbable, after Mr. Singh’s strong performance in the lone English-language national leaders’ debate, which seemed to give the NDP all the momentum and put the Liberals on their heels. The myriad criticisms of the Liberal Party – that they were fake environmentalists, corrupt and cozy partners with the wealthy and big corporations, disingenuous reconcilers, pretend feminists, ejectors of strong women from cabinet, apologists for
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Nigerian sex offender who came to Canada as illegal refugee fights extradition to USA A Nigerian sex offender who crossed into Canada at Roxham Road is appealing his extradition to the U.S. on the grounds he should be considered a refugee. Adesanya Prince is wanted in Harris County, Texas, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of “promotion of child pornography” on Feb. 23, 2018, but fled to Canada before he was sentenced. Prince is currently in custody in Canada, 19 months after he arrived via Roxham Road, the controversial
unofficial border crossing south of Montreal. Last March, Justice Minister David Lametti ordered that Prince be returned to the U.S. Yet in documents filed with Quebec’s Court of Appeal, Prince is fighting the extradition. In the appeal, Prince’s lawyer, Marie-Hélène Giroux, raises three arguments. She says the
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minister’s order should be quashed because it didn’t consider that if returned to the U.S., Prince might be deported to Nigeria. Giroux also argues the minister should have considered the conditions Prince would face in Texas prisons. And finally, she says the minister didn’t have the jurisdiction to determine Prince wasn’t a refugee under the United Nations Continued on page 7
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Two arrested, charged, following string of South Surrey B&Es Two Surrey men have been arrested and charged in relation to a string of break-andenters in South Surrey. Surrey RCMP announced the arrests of the men, who they describe as prolific offenders, in a release issued Friday morning. Bradley Richards, 33, and Michael Reeves, 41, have been charged with fraud offences relating to credit cards stolen during the break-and-enter occurrences. Following an ongoing investigation into a recent increase in break-and-enters in the South Surrey area, the RCMP Property Crime Target Team and Community Response Unit executed a search warrant on Oct. 23, at a residence in the 13100-block of 24 Avenue. The search yielded a number of items associated to the break-and-enters and thefts in South Surrey.
The investigation is ongoing and currently includes additional suspects, with further charges being considered, the release states. “To have your home broken into by someone can negatively affect a family and their peace of mind,” said Insp. Mike Hall, Surrey RCMP proactive enforcement officer. “Our hope is that those affected can take some solace from knowing the investigation has yielded positive results.” Anyone with information regarding the break-and-enter or fraud offences is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or, to make an anonymous report, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www. solvecrim
South Asian Father & son charged with murder in fatal fight in Surrey A father & son have been charged with murder after more than a year when Lakhwinder Singh Bal (pictured) was killed in a fight after an altercation beside McDonald’s parking lot near Prince Charles Boulevard & 96th Avenue in Surrey. Bal, 48, died on August 19, 2018. 73-year-old Gurmail Biring & his 42-year-old son Daljeet Biring were arrested and charged with seconddegree murder in Bal’s death, according to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. “I am exceedingly proud of our investigators and policing partners for their tireless work on behalf of Mr. Lakhwinder Bal’s family and the wider community,” IHIT Supt.
Dave Chauhan said in a press release. Lakhwinder Bal was 48 when he was killed. (IHIT) At the time of Bal’s death, investigators said the fatal fight broke out after a verbal disagreement. Investigators say the homicide was not random or gang-related. Both Birings appeared in B.C. provincial court on Monday.
A wrinkle in time: B.C.’s decision to kill time changes could have ripples nationwide Will British Columbia’s bid to do away with time changes cause widespread havoc? Probably not, but it will likely take some getting used to — both here and across the country, throughout the calendar year. The B.C. government introduced legislation this week that will pave the way for a shift to permanent Daylight Saving Time. That could mean time, for most British Columbians anyway, will no longer “spring forward” and then “fall back.” The change won’t affect all of the province directly. Currently, some parts of eastern B.C. are on Mountain Time. Some communities in the Kootenays set their clocks with Alberta, putting them an hour ahead of the rest of British Columbia. With the change, all of B.C. would be on the same time for at least part of the year. Meanwhile, some communities in the Northeast don’t change their clocks, they’re on the same time as Alberta for part of the year and the same time as B.C. for the other part. The change could put them on the same time as most of the rest of the province all year around. Despite the potential for a few missed-meetings as people across the country adjust to a variable time difference — a whopping 93 per cent of British Columbians who participated in the government’s consultation said they support following in Saskatchewan’s footsteps by adopting a permanent move to Daylight Saving Time.
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Brampton council votes to rename part of Peter Robertson Boulevard for Sikh religion founder Guru Nanak Brampton council has decided to rename a section of Peter Robertson Boulevard after the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak. A motion put forward by wards 9 and 10 councillors Gurpreet Dhillon and Harkirat Singh passed unanimously at council’s meeting last Wednesday to mark the 550th anniversary of Nanak’s birth. While part of Peter Robertson Boulevard will continue to carry the former Brampton mayor’s name, the section between Dixie Road and Great Lakes Road will be renamed “Guru Nanak Street” or “Guru Nanak Road.” Peter Robertson served as mayor from 1991 to 1999. “City of Brampton public works and engineering staff were directed to immediately undertake the renaming in time for Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary, also known as ‘Gurpurab,’ which will be celebrated globally by both Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike,” Dhillon said in a news release. He added the Guru Nanak Mission Centre Gurdwara is the only municipal address on the stretch of road to be renamed. The centre endorsed the name change and expressed their appreciation on behalf of the city’s Sikh population, which numbers approximately 200,000. The city will announce the date of the official renaming ceremony after the change is approved through the normal processes at
the Region of Peel. They’re immigrants to Canada. So why are they supporting far-right
parties that want to reduce immigration? They’re immigrants to Canada. So why are
they supporting far-right parties that want to reduce immigration?
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OPINION
Mike Robinson
So I voted Liberal. What did that accomplish? The 33.1 per cent of the 66 per cent of Canadian voters who managed to vote in the 2019 federal election gave the Liberals 157 seats, or 46.4 per cent of the 338 seats in the House of Commons. Clearly first past-the-post system has its advantages. The Liberal’s proportional share of seats would have been 112. Consider how you would feel if you voted Conservative, had a plurality of the votes cast (34.4 per cent) and your party came second with a seat tally of 121. (Your proportional share would have been 116 seats.) Or consider if you were among the 6.5 per cent of voters who voted Green. You’d have just three seats when your proportional share would have been 22. What happened to the notion of representation by population, you might ask? It certainly seems probable that the concept of proportional representation will once again have strong appeal to many voters and the Liberals will need to act on it. As a Liberal voter, it’s also interesting to see where the party elects its members. Notably not on Vancouver Island, Alberta or Saskatchewan.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Plenty of challenges await Liberals Certainly the Prairie middle of the country bears some resemblance to the Red Zone in the United States, where older, white, rural Republicans dwell in large numbers in small towns. Think of both countries as having a conservative centre and largely liberal coasts. An Indigenous northern friend noted that he also saw a connection between oil pipelines, oil wells, oil sands and the old industrial economy, and Canadian Conservative party strongholds. He further speculated that there may be a connection between what he calls “old and new tech zones,” with Liberal voters clustering in new tech centres promoting financial technology, artificial intelligence, social media and gaming startups. This is continuing good news for Liberals. However, to improve their base in the Prairie nether regions especially will be a vexing task requiring very high levels of political acumen. It’s also hard to look at the Liberal seat capture in the Greater Toronto Area and not see a connection between new job creation, the financial hub of the country and Liberalism. There’s a long-
standing tradition of sourcing Canada’s finance ministers from the region, which is home to one in six Canadians. A commensurate and continuing focus on the region will need to be a strong suit of the new Liberal minority government. Turning our attention to Quebec, we heard Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet speak of his party’s willingness to work with the Liberals on policy and legislation beneficial to Quebec, but not on external matters like Alberta pipelines to tidewater. Especially Alberta oil pipelines running through Quebec. With 7.7 per cent of the popular vote, and 32 seats to show for it, the Bloc would have earned 26 seats in a proportionally-representative House of Commons. The prime minister would be well advised to handle the Bloc with care, as it may represent a return of nascent Quebec separatism. It’s the only nationally recognized Canadian political party with a solitary provincial base, which seems odd in a federal state.Eleven Indigenous candidates were elected: five First Nations, four Metis and two Inuit. The NDP saw Niki Ashton (First Nations) re-elected in Churchill-Keewatinok, Leah Gazan (First Nations) win in Winnipeg Centre, Mumilaaq Qaqqaq (Inuit) in Nunavut and Charlie Angus (First Nations) re-elected in Timmins-James Bay. The majority of Indigenous candidates elected were Liberal incumbents, including Vance Badawey (Metis) in Niagara Centre, Yvonne Jones (Inuit) in Labrador, Michael McLeod (Metis) in the Northwest Territories, Dan Vandal (Metis) in Saint Boniface-Saint Vitale and Marc Serre (Metis) in Nickel Belt. Newcomer Liberal Jaime Battiste (First Nations) won in Sydney-Victoria. One-time Liberal Jody Wilson-Raybould (First Nations), now an independent, was reelected in Vancouver Granville. Presumably the Liberals can now work with this caucus to connect Canada’s climate crisis planning and programming more directly to Indigenous knowledge and awareness about climate impacts and their abatement. Many senior environmentalists (notably David Suzuki) see this as a wise and insightful move.
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Saturday, November 2, 2019 From page 1 Why do from cabinet, apologists for blackface and brownface, and hypocrites – seemed to be sticking. There was clearly room for a positive, progressive voice, unsullied by these issues. And while the NDP had every advantage thrown their way, and managed a campaign that surprised many in its strength, it delivered bupkis. Needing to hold, if not gain, seats in the Greater Toronto Area, the NDP was wiped out. One Conservative campaign insider, who was given anonymity in an interview with TVO, declared that despite their desire to split the progressive vote – even helping in their own way by holding back on any criticism of Mr. Singh – “the NDP bounce wasn’t a thing.” The results in orange-friendly British Columbia exemplify the campaign’s failure:
Jagmeet Singh & NDP seem so happy about the party’s crushing defeat? Not a single incumbent Liberal MP lost to the NDP. Not even in the riding of Burnaby North-Seymour, where environmental activists assured anyone who would listen that approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion had sunk any Liberal whose riding touched Burrard Inlet. To add insult to injury, the NDP’s failures will likely only embolden the Liberals to push ahead with TMX, since they know that such an act will carry no electoral penalty. The NDP will have some small say in the strong Liberal minority, and it’s a remarkable result given its early stumbles, including a wave of NDP incumbents declining to run this time around. But that cannot obscure the cold, hard fact that this was a big defeat. Mr. Singh himself seems oblivious to this: On election night, he
Federally funded voting guide told Muslims how to vote - and gave failing grade to Conservatives
From page 1
of Canada. According to the SSHRC website, Zine, in conjunction with National Council of Canadian Muslims, got a $24,923 Partnership Engage grant in September of last year to map the Canadian Islamophobia Industry. According to her own biography she has developed “award winning curriculum materials that address Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism” and has published numerous journal articles on Islamic feminism. However her guide states that it is not just a resource for Canadian Muslims but for anyone interested in “political decision making that will affect the future” of Canada. “Islamophobia is on the rise in Canada and political speech can fuel or quell it,” said Zine in an Oct. 18 press release. “We’ve examined party leaders’ stances based on their public statements and voting records to help Canadian Muslims, and anyone interested in the issues we’ve identified, decide how to vote in the Monday,
Oct. 21 federal election.” The guide scores Trudeau, Scheer, Jagmeet Singh, Elizabeth May and Maxime Bernier in five key areas. These include ties to alt-right groups and Islamophobia; support of M-103 (the federal anti-Islamophobia motion); religious freedom in Quebec; immigration/refugees; support of BDS and foreign policy. Not surprisingly Bernier gets a resounding fail on every issue and is described in the guide as having “little concern for the plight of oppressed people around the world,” a supporter of individuals with blatantly Islamophobic and anti-Muslim views and engaged in policies that are “blatantly xenophobic, Islamophobic” and reinforce “white nationalism.” NDP leader Singh gets a pass in every area except on religious freedom in Quebec and on the BDS movement. Singh and the Green Party’s Elizabeth May are the only leaders to get a “needs improvement” on the latter issue — both for not clearly aligning with the BDS movement.
declared that “if the other parties work with us, we have an incredible opportunity.” The reality is that the NDP will have to work with the other parties to get the “incredible opportunity” to not simply be ignored – not the other way around. The NDP is broke, too. According to its 2018 financial return, the party had negative net assets last year, and were bested in secondquarter fund-raising by even the Greens; it surely didn’t help that as of July, Mr. Singh had attended just one party fundraiser. Without the money necessary to campaign again in the nearterm, the NDP will need to settle for being a weak partner in a Liberal minority government. Since ousting Thomas Mulcair as leader in 2016, largely for his refusal to plunge headlong
into the Leap Manifesto – a document that included a harder move to the left and an opposition to fossil fuels – the NDP has been held hostage by an activist wing that has done its best to sink the mighty ship former leader Jack Layton built. Canadians are clearly not interested in the small minority who scream the loudest on Twitter or protest to shut down infrastructure projects indiscriminately. There is no balance or pragmatism left in the NDP. This needs to change. Adam Pankratz is a lecturer at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. He is on the board of directors at Rokmaster Resources and ran for the federal Liberal Party in the riding of Burnaby South in 2015.
Nigerian sex offender who came to Canada as illegal refugee Nations 1951 Refugee Convention. The federal government has yet to file a response to Prince’s request for the appeal. The Quebec Court of Appeals has not yet set a date, but may hear the case sometime this fall or winter. 2:00 Nigerian sex offender wanted in Texas slips into Canada Nigerian sex offender wanted in Texas slips into Canada Prince, 51, originally consented to extradition on Nov. 1, 2018. However, according to his lawyer, he later
changed his mind. He remains in detention at a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) facility north of Montreal. Prince walked across the border into Canada on March 9, 2018. He had pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge in Texas just days earlier and was out on a US$10,000 bond awaiting sentencing. Rather than show up for his sentencing hearing on May 10, 2018, Prince fled to Canada. He faces a minimum of two years in prison.
Liberals promise to govern like Conservatives Liberals admit that gives the Conservative a mandate to lead, which the Liberals are more than happy to lay claim to. “Behaving like Conservatives from the get go this time will actually save us a great deal of hassle. For the last four years we’ve been breaking a lot of progressive promises we made about reconciliation, election reform, and protecting the environment, but now that we’re committed to overtly acting like Conservatives, we can stop making those
promises altogether,” Trudeau said. “Plus, in the future when we go out of our way to help giant corporations avoid criminal prosecution or let millionaire tax cheats off scot free, we can blame our actions on the Conservatives’ reverence for wealth and prioritizing of corporate interests, which we obviously share but would prefer not to discuss. It’s kinda win win. For us, at least.” Following their election loss and in light of
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‘This is a tragedy for Canada’: Fear and dismay as Encana chooses U.S. as its new home Described as a “tragedy” in a downtrodden industry, one of Canada’s oldest and largest energy companies Encana Corp. is dropping Canada from its name and moving to the United States to attract more investors. “Make no mistake, we have a long and proud history in Canada and our assets here are world-class,” Encana president and CEO Doug Suttles said on an investor call Thursday morning, where he announced what many in Calgary had long feared – the company’s headquarters was moving to the U.S. and the iconic company would be renamed Ovintiv Inc. But industry observers see it as another symbolic blow to the Canadian oilpatch that’s been broadsided by low commodity prices, stringent regulations, transport constraints
and opposition from climate activists over the past decade. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the combination of federal laws around new pipeline development and rhetoric about phasing out the energy industry had created “an inhospitable environment” for companies like Encana and exacerbated the underperformance of the Canadian energy sector. “What we’ve seen in the last five years is companies from Kinder Morgan to now Encana have taken the hint,” Kenney said, adding the country has seen an exodus of foreign capital. Texas-based Kinder Morgan Inc. sold its Trans Mountain pipeline and expansion project to the federal government last year for $4.5 billion after being stuck in a regulatory
quagmire for years. The company then sold off its remaining assets in Canada to Pembina Pipeline Corp. this year. The move had been rumoured in Calgary for over a year because Suttles left Calgary in 2018 to live closer to his family in Denver and publicly described steering Encana toward a “headquarter-less model.” Then in late 2018, Encana spent US$7.7 billion to buy Newfield Exploration, a move which shifted Encana from being a producer with assets split evenly between Canada and the U.S. to being 60 per cent weighted in favour of the U.S. While the relocation didn’t surprise, it did send shockwaves through the industry as analysts, investors and executives described
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the loss as “a tragedy” given the company’s history, with roots that trace back to the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and its size. “Here’s a company that had Canada in their name,” St. Louis-based Edward Jones senior analyst Jennifer Rowland said, adding that she wasn’t surprised by the move and expects the company to try to sell off “non-core assets” in Canada. Former Alberta finance minister and energy minister Ted Morton, now an executive fellow at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy, called Encana’s relocation “a particularly bitter pill to swallow” given the company’s history, as one of its predecessor companies was Alberta Energy Co. Ltd. formed by the revered former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed to directly invest in the province’s oil and gas development. “The initial share offering was only to Albertans, so this is how Peter Lougheed said Albertans can participate in our shared ownership of oil and gas,” Morton said, adding Encana’s exodus will fan the flames of Alberta alienation given that Ottawa reportedly attempted to prevent SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. from relocating its headquarters from Montreal to London.
BC to allow youth aged 16, 17 to preregister to vote when they turn 18
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Sixteen- and 17-year-olds would be on the voters registration list so they are ready to vote when they turn 18 under changes introduced to B.C.’s election law on Thursday. It’s one of several changes that include taking advantage of technology to count votes, print ballots and track those who cast their vote. The amendments would also give citizens more flexibility on how and where they vote. The B.C. government says youth aged 16 and 17 would be able to apply to be included on the voters list and when they turned 18, the current voting age, they would be transferred in a step aimed at helping them prepare to take part in the process. Vancouver students turning out for mock election want voting age lowered The province’s population has increased by 1.2 million people since 1995, the last time there were major changes to B.C.’s Election Act. Green Leader Andrew Weaver says creating systems that allow for early registration lowers barriers for first-time voters who come of age. The Greens made lowering the voting age to 16 part of their 2017 election platform. B.C. municipalities want to lower the voting age in local elections to 16 Chief electoral officer Anton Boegman says the key benefits of the changes would include better service for voters, improved data sharing to help get-out-the-vote efforts, and faster results reporting. “In particular, I welcome the opportunity to better engage young people in our elections and democratic process,” Boegman said. He says the participation rate for people between the ages of 18 and 24 in B.C. provincial elections is much lower than other age groups. “Enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote presents a significant opportunity to remove administrative barriers to their participation when they turn 18,” he said.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
BC Liberals play blame game as NDP government works to pull ICBC out of the ditch When BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson is looking to cast blame for the challenges at ICBC he should look in the rear view mirror. While he sat at the cabinet table, Wilkinson and his cabinet colleagues made a series of bad decisions that left the public insurer losing more than $1 billion annually, resulting in higher premiums for motorists. To help refresh the BC Liberal leader’s fading memory, here are the top bad choices made when he was in government: At a time when ICBC’s fiscal future was in question, the BC Liberals raided $1.2 billion from the company. When Liberal MLA Todd Stone served on the board of ICBC, he signed off on $1 million in bonuses to six executives in just two years,
a practice that was stopped by the BC NDP government. When the BC Liberals received a report in 2014 saying the company was headed for trouble, they deleted seven pages of recommendations that identified and would have fixed the problem before releasing it to the public. The BC Liberals concealed the financial issues ICBC faced before the last election using accounting tricks to hide hundreds of millions of losses, leaving British Columbians in the dark as they went to the polls. For example, they cooked the books by recording trumped up values for the company’s URL and the sale of ICBC headquarters even though it hadn’t even been listed for sale.
Surrey apartment fire displaces close to 100 people Halloween night Surrey Fire Service says close to 100 people were displaced on Halloween night as fire broke out on the third-floor of a Guildford apartment building. It happened around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday in the 10600-block of 150th Avenue. “We attacked the fire there, and were able to contain the fire just to that unit,” said Assistant Fire Chief David Burns. “But it did cause some water and smoke damage to surrounding units.” He estimated “close to 90 to 100” residents were evacuated from the building’s 48 units, but said roughly half had regained access to their homes by Friday morning. “Twenty four of those units are still unoccupied until we complete our investigation today,” he said around 8:30 a.m. Friday (Nov. 1).
Burns said fire investigators would be at the scene Friday. Asked when the remaining residents could return, Burns said “we don’t know exactly.” “We had to turn off power and heat to the building, so we need to make sure that we can restore that before they’re let back in,” he explained. Burns said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined. “That’s why we’re going to have investigators there today. There was lots of fireworks in a neighbouring park or open area, but we don’t have any proof that was the cause at this point.” Two people went to hospital with what are believe to have been minor injuries, noted Burns.
Wynn Las Vegas casino sues BC fraudster who scammed Chinese immigrants The company, which operates a luxury resort and casino in Las Vegas, won a judgment this year against Paul Se Hui Oei in Nevada to pay back a loan and interest of 18 per cent per year until the loan is paid. The loan and growing interest payments total nearly $100,000 Cdn.Wynn has filed in B.C. Supreme Court to have the judgment applied in B.C. where Oei lives. In its filings in B.C. Supreme Court, Wynn argued it “has a valid judgment against (Oei) issued by a foreign court.” Wynn Las Vegas LLC is suing a high-profile B.C. businessman who already faces large financial penalties and other lawsuits in the province.
Oei hasn’t responded in court to the Wynn suit filed at the end of the summer. Oei already owes more than $5 million in penalties and also has an order to pay back $3.1 million in fraudulent gains, following a ruling by a B.C. Securities Commission tribunal in 2018. On Thursday, contacted by Postmedia News through email, Oei said he had used the loan money from Wynn to pay lawyers in his fight against the securities commission’s allegations. He didn’t say whether he would respond to Wynn’s civil suit. He added he had no lawyer and was self-represented. His legal fights
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
SeaBus service first to be affected by transit strike: Union Fourteen SeaBus sailings will be cancelled during the Friday afternoon rush hour, as part of a strike by Metro Vancouver transit workers. Contract talks between Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) and Unifor, the union that represents about 5,000 bus operators, maintenance workers and SeaBus employees broke off Thursday. Earlier in the day, the union announced that if a tentative deal wasn’t reached by 8 a.m. on Friday, strike action would begin with a ban on uniforms by transit operators, and the company’s technicians and skilled-trades workers refusing to work overtime. On Friday morning, Mike McDaniel, president of Coast Mountain Bus Company, issued a statement urging the union to return to the bargaining table and avoid the job action.
“Our negotiators have repeatedly asked union representatives to participate in thirdparty mediation to help resolve the current situation, but they have refused to take part. We will make every effort to communicate any service disruptions to our customers as they occur. Coast Mountain Bus Company has put forward a fair and reasonable offer which boosts wages, benefits, and working conditions, while recognizing the important work of our employees,” said McDaniel. Mike Smith, president of Unifor Local 2200, which represents bus maintenance staff and SeaBus workers, said the the greatest impact will be at SeaBus. “Probably right off the bat we’ll probably be down a boat. They do not have the people to run the boats,” said Smith. SeaBus provides service between Downtown Vancouver and the North Shore, and this summer TransLink added a third
vessel, which had been used as a spare, into the rotation to provide more service during peak periods. Smith said the morning rush hour will look the same, but by the afternoon that third boat will be gone because every boat must have an engineer on board, and engineers work OT every day because there is a shortage of skilled workers. “There is no contingency plan for that either,” Smith said. That means the SeaBus will be back to 15-minute intervals instead of 10 minutes, and people will be waiting to get on a crowded boat. It’s likely more sailings will be cancelled over the weekend. “There’s a lot more people riding that boat than there ever has been,” Smith said. “They’re going to get home — it’ll just be a lot longer.” According to data from 2018, the weekday afternoon rush — between 3 and 6 p.m. — is the busiest time of day for the SeaBus, with the highest passenger
volumes. In the fall, during that time period the SeaBus carries a high of 238 passengers northbound and 245 passengers southbound. Smith said the overtime ban for maintenance workers won’t be noticed right away, but it will gradually increase pressure on the system. Mechanics work “sporadic overtime” to catch up on overdue work, like fixing buses that have broken down or conducting mandated vehicle inspections that have backed up, and without OT there will be fewer buses available. “The buses will be slower impact — not smaller but slower,” Smith said. “The longer this goes on, the less buses will be on the road because it will back up; the maintenance will back up.” TransLink spokesperson Jillian Drews said it’s not possible to tell customers which routes and runs will be cancelled.
$500K lotto win puts Surrey train conductor on track for dream trip to Portugal A train conductor who lives in Surrey is the latest lottery winner. Nelson Botelho matched all five numbers in the Oct. 21 Daily Grand draw to win the secondary prize of $25,000 a year for life. He opted for the lump sum payment of $500,000. He won’t be quitting his job. “I get to spend my day working with trains, doing what I love,” Botelho said in a BCLC news release. “Winning a half million dollars certainly makes it easier to pursue ‘Freedom 55’, though.” Botelho says it took a few days after the draw to realize he had a winning ticket in his wallet.
“It was in my wallet for four days,” he explained. “I only remembered to check my ticket on the BCLC Lotto! App just before I went to bed. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.” Botelho said he’ll use the prize money to help pay off his mortgage and leave enough for a trip to Portugal with his family. “I’ve always dreamed of being able to take my kids to the town that my parents grew up in.”
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
Khalsa Business Centre
128th Street, 84th Ave., Surrey, BC
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FortisBC and the City of Vancouver received regulatory approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) at the city’s landfill in Delta. The project, set to be the largest RNG facility in B.C., will capture and purify biogas created by decomposing organic matter, which will then be blended with the conventional natural gas in FortisBC’s existing infrastructure, thus lowering the overall carbon intensity of the gas being delivered to customers. “This new and substantial supply will bring us closer to our target of having 15 per cent of our gas supply be renewable by 2030 — a key deliverable within our 30BY30 Target to reduce our customers’ greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030,” Douglas Stout, FortisBC’s vice-president of external relations and market development, said in a press release. “This is
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Renewable natural gas to be extracted from Delta landfill our largest RNG project to date and the RNG generated from the landfill will be delivered into the local natural gas distribution system as a renewable source of energy.” According to FortisBC’s website, RNG helps reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions both by reducing the amount of conventional natural gas needed, and capturing and repurposing methane that would otherwise be released directly into the atmosphere. As well, FortisBC describes RNG as a carbon neutral energy source because is doesn’t add any net carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
Drunk driver of fuel truck arrested in Nanaimo A traffic stop in Nanaimo has shocked even some of the most seasoned RCMP officers in the region. Nanaimo RCMP investigators say the driver of an 18-wheeled fuel truck was arrested for impaired driving after officers witnessed the huge vehicle driving erratically on the Island Highway. On Oct. 25, police pulled over the large truck just south of the Fifth Street exit. Mounties asked the driver to step down from the cab of the truck and say they immediately saw signs the man was drunk. Inside the cab, police say they found empty beer cans beside the driver. “Very troubling and shocking, were just some of the comments made by the
investigating officers,” said Nanaimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien on Thursday. Police say the 46-year-old driver from northern Vancouver Island was taken into custody and the truck was impounded. At the Nanaimo RCMP detachment police say the trucker gave a breath sample that registered three times the legal limit for alcohol. “Although the fuel tanks were later found to be empty, given the sheer size of the vehicle, and distance travelled in an impaired state, it was simply a miracle that a tragic accident had not occurred,” said O’Brien. Police recommended charges of impaired driving and driving while over the legal limit. The man will appear in court on Dec.17.
— when RNG burns it releases “biogenic carbon dioxide,” which the company says doen’t add to the “natural carbon cycle.” The project is part of a shared commitment by the City of Vancouver and FortisBC to develop more renewable energy and support broader GHG reduction goals outlined in the province’s CleanBC strategy. In the fall of 2017, FortisBC and the city signed a memorandum of understanding highlighting a range of activities designed to reduce GHG emissions over the next five years. The landfill facility is
expected to help reach those goals by boosting both the RNG supply in Vancouver and its use. RNG produced at the landfill will be used in the City of Vancouver’s buildings and vehicles, including the Southeast False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility, which uses waste thermal energy captured from sewage to provide space heating and hot water to buildings in the city’s Southeast False Creek neighbourhood. “This is a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to maximize the beneficial use of the gas we recover at the landfill,” Cheryl Nelms, acting general manager for engineering services for the City of Vancouver, said in a press release. “Conversion of landfill gas to renewable natural gas which can then be used in city vehicles and facilities supports our efforts to address the climate emergency and cut carbon pollution by 50 per cent by 2030.”
Premier says ride hailing coming to BC by December The British government says hailing services schedule to be this year despite about unnecessary
Columbia rideare on operating concerns delays.
Premier John Horgan says the application process for prospective ride-hailing companies is underway and he expects vehicles and drivers on the road by Christmas. Opposition Liberal critic Jas Johal says recent documents from the Passenger Transportation Board indicate delays in processing applications that could stall the service indefinitely. The Passenger Transportation Board issued a notice Oct. 30 saying ride-hail application modifications will require
another 21 days to complete, a change implemented in part because of a judicial challenge by taxi associations. Last July, the government said the application process to permit ride-hail companies to enter the market would start in September and companies could technically be operating within a matter of weeks.
LOCAL
Saturday, November 2, 2019 Mayor Doug McCallum says Surrey Mayor says new city cops could the new city force cops could be and I think some of the patrolling alongside RCMP by mid 2020 as the goals in that police report city forges ahead with its epic policing transition. are certainly not going “There’s going to be a period of time where to be able to be attained we’re going to have both RCMP officers out there, in time, but like I said, and our own city police officers,” McCallum said. currently Mr. Oppal “There’s no way you can change and the committee are over in one day,” he explained. “You reviewing issues such can’t change 850 or 900 in a day.” as HR,” Hundial said. “I McCallum said in a recent videotaped look forward to seeing interview, “Your gonna see probably officers out what they have to say.” on our street probably in the middle of next year.” A typical Mountie will spend six The anticipated launch date of the city’s months at depot in Regina. Followed by new force is expected to be April 1, 2021. field training, it’s roughly a year before “We can’t just start by April 1st, because a rookie officer will hit the streets. we have to start before that,” McCallum Asked if he thinks there’s enough time told the Now-Leader, concerning when between now and the middle of 2020 new city police officers will begin duty. to properly screen and train new police Surrey Councillor Jack Hundial, who served officers for the job, Hundial replied, “From as a RCMP officer for 25 years before entering the policing report, as I understood it, the city politics, is skeptical of McCallum’s timeline. standards are lower than the RCMP, first of all.” “I think the mayor’s timeline is unrealistic
BC Liberals target MLA Jinny Sims’ riding with flyers asking about RCMP investigation The BC Liberals are distributing a flyer to all households in NDP MLA Surrey-Panorama riding asking what the NDP is hiding when it comes to an ongoing RCMP investigation of Sims. Sims resigned as Minister for Citizens’ Services on Oct. 4 after Premier John Horgan said he learned that a special prosecutor has been appointed to oversee an RCMP investigation into the MLA. Jinny Sims resigns from cabinet amid RCMP investigation Nearly a month later, Sims has still not been contacted by the Mounties. “Since the fourth of October, which is when I first heard I got a call from the premier’s office, no one has contacted me,” Sims says. Sims says “it’s unfortunate” the BC Liberals are targeting her riding with the flyer. The one page flyer, which was sent by mail, points fingers at Sims and Horgan for not providing information to the public, information the politicians insist they don’t have. “I am not trying to cover anything up. I do not know anything. Everything I know has already been shared,” Sims said. Vancouver lawyer Robert Peck has been appointed as the special prosecutor to assist
the RCMP investigation into Sims “and others.” Sims was previously accused of writing support letters for travel visas to be issued to 10 Pakistani individuals. Former employee Kate Gillie also claimed that Sims spoke openly about being promised campaign donations for writing the letters. Gillie — who was fired on Feb. 22 after working for Sims in her constituency office for six weeks — also alleged Sims told staff to bypass Freedom of Information laws by communicating through WhatsApp and personal email addresses, rather than official email addresses. The BC Liberals are distributing this flyer in Jinny Sims’ riding. The BC Liberals are distributing this flyer in Jinny Sims’ riding. BC Liberals BC Liberal Surrey South MLA Stephanie Cadieux says the Liberals are hoping constituents will call the premier and ask for answers as to why their MLA is under investigation. “There is a lot of mystery around this,” Cadieux said. “We have a cabinet minister who has resigned under a criminal police investigation and no one knows why. Her constituents deserve an answer as to why she is under investigation and how she continues to serve.”
Incident near Tsawwassen ferry terminal ‘no threat to public’ Delta police have been at a scene near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal since early this morning, officials confirm. The detachment’s public affairs officer, Cris Leykauf, confirmed officers were dispatched to an incident just before 7 a.m. Wednesday (Oct. 30). She would not elaborate on what
exactly police were dealing with, but did say it involved just one individual. Members of the public are asked to “stay back” to allow officers to bring it to a safe conclusion, Leykauf added. Leykauf said it’s her understanding that ferry traffic is unaffected by the police activity.
patrol with RCMP by mid 2020 At Surrey council’s inaugural meeting on Nov. 5th, 2018 it served notice to the provincial and federal governments it is ending its contract with the RCMP – which has policed these parts since May 1, 1951 – to set up its own force.
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The city’s 189-page proposed transition plan, revealed in June 2019, states the the new force will “go live” on April 1, 2021 at an operating cost of $192.5 million for that year. The plan includes five “milestones” that address staffing needs. They indicate the “foundations and recruiting process” would be 19-21 months prior to the transition date, with training, policies and equipment to be dealt with 12-18 months prior, recruiting and training “progress” seven to 11 months prior to the transition date, and management and emergency planning two to six months prior.
Surrey mayor ‘disheartened’ by latest Surrey RCMP crime stats Mayor Doug McCallum says he’s “disheartened” by the city’s latest quarterly crime stats released Thursday and maintains increases in violent crimes and property crimes underline the city’s need to have its own police force instead of the Surrey RCMP. “While I am disheartened by the latest crime statistics released today, it does not come as a surprise to me,” McCallum stated in a press release. “Over the last year, I have spoken to many members of our community. From residents to business owners, the one message that I have constantly heard is that people continue to feel unsafe in our city. Unfortunately the third quarter crime statistics backs up what the people of Surrey have been telling me.” According to the Surrey RCMP’s crime statistics released for the third quarter of 2019, the total number of Criminal Code Offences increased by six per cent over the previous quarter, to 12,063 crimes from 11,396. The number of violent crimes rose by five per cent, to 2,189 from 2,092; property crimes are up 10 per cent, to 7,203 from 6,552. The RCMP says these latest local
statistics are consistent with increases in violent and property crime in the region. Meantime, McCallum said while “our RCMP members are doing the best job they can” it is clear to him, from what he’s heard from Surrey residents “that Surrey would benefit from having its own police department. I continue to urge the Solicitor General to make this a top priority and that we work as quickly as possible to establish the Surrey Police Department.” Councillor Linda Annis also put out a press release Thursday, saying “the mayor’s freeze on any new officers is compromising public safety.” Surrey is 52 officers short of the hiring commitments made by the Surrey First council in 2016, she said. “In fact, the truth is that compared to Vancouver we should really have 300 new officers,” Annis said. “The RCMP tell us the number of service calls they’re handling is up four per cent year-over-year, and Surrey continues to grow by 300 families every month, but our police numbers aren’t keeping up. That definitely puts public safety at risk.”
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
$20M lottery ticket sold in sparsely populated Stikine region Someone is getting ready to reap a $20-million windfall after buying a winning Lotto Max ticket somewhere in B.C.’s remote Stikine region. The ticket matched all seven numbers in Tuesday night’s draw, according to a news release from the B.C. Lottery Corporation. According to the B.C. government, about 740 people live in the Stikine region, located in the far northwestern corner of the province on the borders of Alaska and Yukon. The largest population centre is the community of Atlin. Lottery officials say they’ll announce exactly where the winning ticket was purchased after
the winner comes forward. They have 52 weeks to claim their prize. The largest jackpot won in BC was $60 million on
a
Lotto
Max
ticket
in
July.
Former vice-principal reprimanded for making students show underwear bands
A former vice-principal in British Columbia’s francophone school district has been reprimanded for asking students to show her the bands of their underwear. In a consent resolution agreement posted publicly online on Tuesday, the British Columbia commissioner for teacher regulation says a soiled pair of boy’s underwear was found on the lid of a toilet and feces were found on the floor of a bathroom in June 2018. The documents say Delphine Yvette Andree Guerineau wanted to identify the student responsible and had boys from grades 3 to 11 show her the waistbands of their underwear.
The province’s francophone school district placed her on paid leave two days later, pending its investigation. It terminated her employment on October 1, 2018. The commissioner says in the agreement, which does not identify the school, that Guerineau admits the conduct constitutes professional misconduct and has agreed to a reprimand. The document says Guerineau, who could not be reached for comment, has agreed not to make any statement that contradicts, disputes or calls into question the terms of the agreement or the admissions made in it.
Man shares horror story about Vancouver cab ride What should have been a quick trip from a Yaletown restaurant to the Sutton Place Hotel turned out to be a 35-minute adventure that unnecessarily weaved in and out of downtown. To begin, the man says it was difficult to even hail a taxi and he had to physically stand in front of a Yellow Cab that was dropping off a fare to get him and his two friends a ride. Once the three of them got inside the vehicle, the story really gets good. “Hearing the stories of how the taxi system is so broken in Vancouver I started a GPS tracking app on my smartphone,” he wrote in his now-viral Reddit post. “When he turned towards the Cambie (Street) Bridge, that’s when it got interesting.” The driver asks where the men are from and the man tells him Wisconsin, at which point the driver starts a 10-minute phone conversation in a different language.He drives the three men over the Cambie Street Bridge and out of downtown, before taking the Granville Street Bridge back downtown. Then, he takes the men over the Burrard Street Bridge twice, in and out of downtown, before asking his passengers how they planned on paying. “I lied and told him we only had Amex,” the man wrote on Reddit. “He was furious then said the machine was broken, the network was down.”
As a result, they stopped at a 7-Eleven and the man took out money, flashing the driver a $100 bill before they finished the unnecessarily long ride to the Sutton Place Hotel. “At the hotel the fare on the machine was $65 dollars. I gave him a $10 (bill) for the fare, he threatened to call the police,” he explained.
“I showed him the GPS tracking app and scam he tried to pull. He drove off.” The man explains in his post that he only took a taxi because he had a sprained ankle, but even hobbling the seven to eight blocks between the restaurant and hotel may have taken less time than their scenic cab ride. BC’s Taxi Bill of Rights says that all customers have the right to “direct the route, or expect the most economical route,” which these men certainly didn’t get.
Man Tasered by Mounties dies in hospital A man has died after police used a stun gun on him during an arrest near Sicamous, B.C. The 38-year-old went into medical distress during the arrest in Malakwa during the early hours of Monday morning and died in hospital Tuesday evening, according to the Independent Investigations Office. The IIO, which investigates policeinvolved incidents causing serious harm or death, is looking into what happened. RCMP say they came into contact with
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the man after witnesses called to report an erratic driver on Highway 97 near Lake Country just before 1:30 a.m. on Monday. Man Tasered by Vancouver police catches fire; watchdog investigating Officers from the Armstrong detachment tracked down the vehicle and tried to pull it over, but the driver did not stop and allegedly came close to striking a Mountie as he fled. Sicamous and Salmon Arm RCMP managed to stop the driver south of Sicamous, but before they could speak to him, he allegedly fled again. Officers finally were able to stop the vehicle in Malakwa at around 3:20 a.m., but the driver allegedly resisted arrest. Police say they used a Taser and managed to get him into handcuffs before he went into distress.
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
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New ‘downtown’ plan for South Surrey near completion
City of Surrey’s framework, designed to guide the transformation of Semiahmoo Shopping Centre neighbourhood into a central urban area including ample space for highrises up to 24-storeys is nearly complete. During an information open house held Tuesday evening and attended by about 250 people, the plan, which is not yet finalized, gave residents a glimpse of what the neighbourhood could look like by 2050. The plan outlines information on building heights, transportation solutions and park space. City of Surrey community planning
manager Patrick Klassen told Peace Arch News this week that the land-use plan couples with White Rock’s official community plan for that city’s Town Centre area. If Surrey’s plan were to be finalized by council this winter, White Rock and South Surrey residents could eventually see the re-development of a new “downtown,” which crosses municipal borders. Surrey’s plan will allow tower heights on the mall property up to 24-storeys north of 16 Avenue to 18 Avenue, and on both sides of 152 Street. Tower height limits drop to
12-storeys on the perimeter and fall to four-six storeys thereafter. The plan also features space for three-storey townhouse development and low-density residential (2.5 storeys). Surrey’s framework also includes a stretch of 12-storey buildings on 16 Avenue across the street from the Peace Arch Hospital. South of North Bluff Road (16 Avenue) and along Johnston Road (152 Street), White
Rock is allowing 25-storey towers which then drop to 18 storeys east and west. Southbound heights drop to 16 storeys by Thrift Avenue and continue to diminish farther away from the Town Centre core (Johnston and North Bluff). The creation of the shared urban centre is supported by Metro Vancouver through the regional growth strategy.
BC introduces bill for eventual move to permanent daylight time BC gov’t has introduced bill on Thursday aimed at eventually making daylight time permanent across the province, ending the twice-yearlychangestoandfromstandardtime. The government has confirmed it will introduce the Interpretation Amendment Act, which will pave the way for the long-expected move. The bill will remove an existing law about the twice-yearly clock changes and name the permanent time zone Pacific Time. But don’t expect to get out of “falling back” this weekend. The clocks will still change on Sunday at 2 a.m. How Canadian time zones will work if B.C. stops changing clocks twice a year
Premier John Horgan previously suggested B.C. will wait until similar efforts in other West Coast jurisdictions move forward. Washington state, Oregon and California are still awaiting congressional approval and U.S. legislators have indicated that could take time, given everything else that’s going on in U.S. federal politics right now. B.C. currently observes Pacific standard time during the winter months and Pacific daylight time during the summer months. The province says this new legislation will not require areas of northern B.C. and the Kootenays, which currently observe mountain time, to make any changes.
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How Canadian time zones will work if BC stops changing clocks The government in B.C. is taking a concrete step toward scrapping the practice of changing clocks twice a year for daylight time in the province. The attorney general is set to introduce enabling legislation Thursday, which paves the way for government to make the move sometime in the future. So, what would happen across the country, time-zone wise, if B.C. sticks to one time year-round while other provinces and territories keep switching? The National Research Council Canada, the organization which sets and maintains the country’s official time, provided a breakdown. If British Columbia makes daylight time
permanent, the council said, the province would be choosing to stay on the UTC-7 time zone all year as opposed to switching between UTC-7 in the summer and UTC-8 in the winter — the province wouldn’t “fall” back an hour each November while most of the country still would. Year-round daylight time will cause ‘permanent jet lag,’ sleep experts warn in letter to government UTC, or co-ordinated universal time, is the worldwide 24-hour standard for time and, combined with the Earth’s rotation, is maintained using precise atomic clocks. With daylight time permanent, B.C. summers would have the same time
TransLink’s first double-decker bus hits the raod TransLink’s first double-decker bus had its official maiden voyage Wednesday morning, serving commuters on the 620 route from the Bridgeport station in Richmond to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and vice versa. As of now, service is limited to that route, but Dan Mountain with TransLink says over
the coming months, the 620 route will have more double-decker buses added and service will be expanded to the 301 route from Newton Exchange to Richmond-Brighouse. An order of 25 more double-deckers is scheduled to arrive by fall 2020 expanding to more routes throughout the region. The pilot project began in November 2017 in response to Translink’s surging ridership, and after four months, it was deemed a success. According to TransLink, the doubledecker bus has 87 seats which is almost double the capacity of a 12-metre bus.
WATCH: TransLink enters new era with new double-decker bus entering its fleet
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
By, Stephen Ferguson
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ICBC Claims Process: What is a Discovery, why do I need to go and what should I expect?
he ICBC claims process can be daunting and unfamiliar. If you have an ongoing personal injury claim, then the ICBC lawyer will likely ask you to attend an Examination for Discovery (“Discovery”) at a specified time and location to give your testimony under oath. The Discovery is a formal part of the court proceeding which you must attend.
During a lawsuit, each side of the lawsuit has the right to examine the opposing party under oath at an Examination for Discovery (“Discovery”). The purpose of a Discovery is for the lawyer who is examining the individual to get as much information as possible that will assist them in preparation for moving on with the lawsuit, such as for trial. At the Discovery you will be asked to either swear on the bible, or affirm to tell the truth. The lawyer representing ICBC will ask you questions relating to all aspects of your claim. This includes asking detailed questions about the accident,
your pre-existing medical conditions, injuries you’ve sustained in the accident, treatment you’ve attended, medication you’ve taken, the impact on your daily routines, your employment information, your income prior to the accident and the income loss you are claiming. A Court Reporter will be present at the Discovery to record all the questions that are asked and all the answers that are given during this process. If the claim goes to trial, then the Discovery transcripts may be used if your answers at trial, are different then the answers
you gave at the Discovery. It is very important to be truthful with your answers at the discovery and to not guess or speculate, when you do not know the answer to a question. Our legal team at Simpson, Thomas & Associates is experienced in representing individuals injured in motor vehicle accidents and helping them through each step of the legal process. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, please call us at (604) 689-8888 to schedule a complimentary consultation.
BC company files patent for invisibility cloak The Maple Ridge company that says it’s invented an invisible cloak has now applied for four patents for its high-tech no-vis gear. Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp., said in an October 8 news release, that the four applications are all related to its Quantum Stealth light-bending material, also known as the Invisibility Cloak. That technology was previously announced in 2011, drawing widespread media attention. One patent application is for the light-bending material, that bends ultraviolet, infra-red, and visible light rays, making an object invisible. According to the release, the material is paper thin and needs no power source and “can hide a person, a vehicle, a ship, spacecraft and buildings.” The company refers readers to videos on its website for more information. The applications for the other patents are for
solar power amplifier, a display system that can produce holographic images, and a laser system. Hyperstealth CEO Guy Cramer said Wednesday that the material is not ready to be commercialized yet “as we only have crude prototypes. “The manufactured versions will be better and clearer then those seen in the videos. We are now looking into the manufacturing side as the next stage of progression with the technologies,” Cramer said. Hyperstealth developed the lightbending technology after developing digital patterns for uniforms uniforms. The material renders the target invisible by bending light waves around it, just as light bends in fibre-optic cables, Cramer said in 2012. A president of a Vancouver security firm, was at presentations in 2012 and said the device works.
Local musicians gathered for celebration on Ocotber 24th in Surrey. Pictured above are Tejaswita Mohan, Raj Toora, Swaran Dhaliwal, Dr. Sunil Bhatt, Dr. Birendra Sahu, and Suman Sharma.
Police still looking for clues in 2013 murder of Vimal Chand in Surrey Crime Stoppers’ “Crime of the week” is the 2013 murder of Vimal Chand, 29, whose body was found inside a car that had been parked in front of a Newton elementary school for days on end. The Whalley resident was last seen by his family at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2013, when he said he was going to the store to buy some smokes. His father reported him missing the next day. His body was found three days later inside the family car, a grey 2000 Toyota Corolla with B.C. license plate number 948 FTP, that had been parked across the street from Hyland elementary school in Newton, at 66th Avenue and 140th Street, for four days.
Integrated Homicide Investigation Team officers produced an online video, posted on YouTube, in which Chand’s sister Karishma appeals for anyone with information to contact police. “Vimal was like the glue that held our family together,” she said. Tony Sullivan, operations manager of public safety for Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers, noted that Chand was “known to police.” “The family was devastated by their loss and are still looking for answers as to the death of their son and brother,” Sullivan said. “Do you know who is responsible for the murder of Vimal Chand?” This case is Crime Stoppers’ “Crime of the
Week” beginning Nov. 3. “If you have any information regarding the incident listed here, please contact Crime Stoppers anonymously,” Sullivan said. “You could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000 upon arrest and charge. You will never be asked your name or have to appear in court.” Police ask anyone with information related to this case, or others, to contact the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team’s tip line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Chand was Surrey’s seventh murder victim in 2013 – a year in which the city had a record 25 killings.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Home delivery task has been testing the integrity and loyalty of the contestants. Amidst all the planning and plotting, each contestant is fighting for their survival. Two buzzers down and post Devoleena and Shehnaz’s delivery, Shefali is seen standing confused on whether or not to give an extra point to Paras. She finally decides to play neutral and not give her delivery to either of the three boys. Shefali, seems a bit unsure of her game as she is dicey of supporting Paras knowing that he would choose Mahira and take her ahead to the next level. A dejected Shefali was seen trying
Hrithik ’s amazing transformation Hrithik Roshan’s journey from reallife Bihari mathematician Anand Kumar in “Super 30” to crack espionage agent gone bad, Kabir, in “War,” told by the man himself. 2019 has been incredible for Roshan with two back-to-back successes. It was a difficult journey for the actor to ace the role of a Bihari for “Super 30” and then immediately get into the skin of Kabir for “War.”
Roshan took to his social media and shared a video giving us an insight into his journey of transformation with the caption, “The other side of K.A.B.I.R Behind the scenes.” “It all began in September 2018,” he states in the video. “The transformation was the hardest thing I had to go through and the only person I had to blame was myself! That was the toss over after Super 30.” With the back injury as a hindrance, the superstar had a long way to go to achieve his goal and the tenure to reach there was extremely short. “War” has become a record-breaker with its box-office collections and fans cannot stop gushing over his perfect body, his dance moves and, most importantly, his tremendous performance.
‘Bigg Boss’ - The things turn intersting her best to manipulate the girls to listen to her and stay neutral so each girl gets a fair chance on voting basis if the game reaches a draw. The girls need to play smart as one boy will win the ticket to finale basis the choices the girls make. With a heavy head and unaware of what’s in store for them, they retire for the night. Decked up for day’s task the housemates start prepping up with their strategies amongst their respective groups. While Sidharth Shukla, Asim, Aarti and Shehnaz stand strong by each
other’s side, the opposition team is dealing with an issue after Shefali decides to go against her team members. Bigg Boss announces the day’s task and all three boys place fruit salad as a part of their order. Aarti fights against the majority of girls to become the delivery girl but Rashami promises her that they will give her a chance in the next round. However she goes back on her words, and at the same time, Rashami drops a bomb and insists on becoming the
delivery girl herself. An angry Aarti reacts and a fight ensues. Standing strong and supporting Aarti, Shehnaz fights against this unjust behavior. Towards the end of the day Shefali, Aarti and Shehnaz come together and devise a plan to pull the task to a draw. However, in the last food delivery, Deoleena gets chosen as the delivery girl who decides to deliver the food to Paras. While they were completely oblivious to what is happening on the other side of the
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Bollywood
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Radhika Apte
Stunning Sunny Leone
S
unny Leone has been doing it all from her films to TV shows, and even promoting her makeup business. When not neck deep in work commitments, the star makes it a point to jet out on relaxing holidays with her hubby Daniel Weber and their three kids. This time around, the beauty headed over to Jaipur for a short break and surprised fans with a stunning photo to assure all that she is having a swell time there. Posting a mirror selfie in a floral bikini, the star not only showed off her curves but also gave everyone a good look at her sculpted abs. “Pulled this bikini after a long time! Time for a swim in my private villa pool here in Jaipur! Gorgeous resort!” she captioned the photo. While shooting for her TV show, Sunny also ventured South and starred in ‘Madhuraja’ featuring superstar Mammootty in the lead. known by the name Sunny Leone a Canadian-born Indian-American star and actress, model, currently in Indian film industry, Bollywood. She has American citizenship. She has also used the stage name Karen Malhotra.[8][9] She was
named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment, and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010. She has played roles in independent mainstream events, films and television series. Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005, when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India. In 2011, she participated in the Indian reality television series Bigg Boss. She also has hosted the Indian reality show Splitsvilla. In 2012, she made her Bollywood debut in Pooja Bhatt’s erotic thriller Jism 2 (2012) and shifted her focus to mainstream acting which was followed up with Jackpot (2013), Ragini MMS 2 (2014), Ek Paheli Leela (2015) and Tera Intezaar (2017). Apart from her acting career she has been part of activism campaigns including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half-Marathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society and has also posed for a People
She was recently nominated as best actress at the Emmy Awards for the web series “Lust Stories.” The nomination is another feather in the cap for her after her movies “Andhadhun” and “Pad Man” won diverse National awards. In a media release, the actor spilled the beans on how easily she steps into multiple characters while working on different projects. “Every character requires a different type of preparation,” she said. “A lot of it has to do with your collaboration with
D
the director and your co-actors. Some characters require a lot of research to be done, while others require a lot of practice.” “So the process may differ each time. I’m not someone who gets attached — I detach myself from my character with a lot of ease and it almost happens automatically when I’m done shooting.” In the international space, the actress will be seen as a spy in “Liberte: A Call to Spy,” based on real incidents from World War II. She will be playing the role of Noor Inayat Khan a.k.a. Nora Baker, who was the first female wireless operator to parachute into Nazi-occupied France to help the French resistance.
Deepika Padukone
eepika is an active celebrity endorser for several brands and products, including Tissot, Maybelline, CocaCola, and L’Oreal Paris, among others. In 2014, Business Standard reported that Padukone earned ₹50 million (US$720,000) to ₹60 million (US$870,000) per endorsement deal and TAM AdEX named Padukone the most visible face on television in India that year. In 2016, Duff & Phelps estimated her brand value to be US$86 million, the third highest of Indian celebrities. Padukone is considered a sex symbol and style icon in India – the
media cites her figure, height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in), smile, and eyes as her distinctive physical features. The actress ranks high on various listings of the most attractive Indian celebrities. In 2008, she topped Indian Maxim’s “Hot 100” list, and in 2012, she was named “India’s Most Beautiful Woman” by the Indian edition of People magazine.Padukone has frequently featured in The Times of India’s listing of the “Most Desirable Woman”, topping the list in 2012 and 2013. In 2010 and 2014, she was named the “World’s Sexiest Woman” by the Indian edition of FHM. and she
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Neha Dhupia announces her pragnancy After months of speculations and denying the news of her pregnancy, actress Neha Dhupia has finally announced her pregnancy through an adorable photoshoot with husband Angad Bedi. In the photos, both Neha and Angad look extremely excited as they pose together. S e e m i n g l y, the actress is in her third trimester stage of pregnancy. Taking to Instagram, Neha Dhupia wrote, “Here’s to new beginnings ... #3ofUs .... #satnamwaheguru [sic].”
Talking about Neha’s pregnancy two months ago, when Angad was asked about it, he refuted the news saying that there was no truth to it and that when it happens, they will tell the world. Off late, Neha was mostly spotted wearing ill-fitting clothes, which let everyone speculate more. In the same manner, the couple surprised their followers about their marriage, the actress took to her Instagram account to confirm the news. The newlywed couple were married in an Anand Karaj ceremony attended by close family and friends in a Gurudwara in South Delhi. She shared a photo of hers
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Bollywood Horoscope Aries
March 21 - April 20 With a potent focus on the sign of Scorpio this week, your attention may be drawn to issues involving shared assets, business matters, and deep soul bonds. This is a great time to clear the air, find closure on difficult issues, and do whatever you can to release those blocks that are preventing you from being and doing more. Monday’s electric sunUranus link could encourage you to purchase something on impulse.
Taurus
April 21 - May 20 As emancipated Uranus begins to work its magic in your sign, you may find you’re less worried about security, particularly when it comes to your relationships. As a Taurus, you can have a reputation of being a tad possessive, but with this restless planet at work in your sign, you may begin to feel the benefits of being your own person and valuing your individuality. Monday could see this principle in action when an encounter leaves you pleasantly intrigued and interested to know more but wanting to let things develop
Gemini
May 20 - June 21 While there are lighter and brighter forces at work in your life, your focus may be very much on lifestyle and wellness issues. Monday could bring a startling realization that inspires you to give up certain habits and routines and replace them with others that encourage greater wellbeing. This is also a week when you can get along with co-workers and perhaps forge a stronger connection with them. Going out to a meal or social event could help you bond, and this could lead to greater productivity.
Cancer
June 22 - July 23
An encounter early this week could take you by surprise because it could involve a fascinating conversation that leaves you feeling lighter and happier. With a major focus on your romance zone, there is great potential for meeting a special someone. If it happens when you least expect it, it can be even more exciting. Synchronicity and coincidence can play a part in finding love this week, as well as in making new friends and discovering activities that you really enjoy.
Leo
June 24 - August 23 In need of some inspiration? Keep an eye out on Monday as coincidence and synchronicity could play a part in helping you find creative solutions. If you need to resolve a key problem, the answer may come to you when you least expect it. A get-together with family and other close ones could be a very positive event that brings everyone together. This can be a chance to catch up and talk over anything that needs discussion.
Virgo
August 24 - Sept 24 A conversation could be like a breath of fresh air at the start of the week that encourages you to think outside the box rather than stick with the tried and trusted. Be willing to experiment with new ideas—you never know where they may lead. As talkative Mercury, your ruler, embraces seductive Venus in your sector of talk and thought on Wednesday, you may find yourself drawing closer to someone. The more willing you are to discuss personal issues, the more you may find you have in common. However, it might also be that you have a natural rapport and are genuinely
Libra
Sept. 24 - Oct 22 You could get a surprise windfall early in the week, and the sun’s link to energizing Uranus on Monday could deliver it out of the blue. It might not be very much, but it could give you a chance to treat yourself or perhaps invest in something worthwhile. The focus on your finances encourages you to monitor spending and look for ways to make your money go further. You can be very resourceful when you want to, which is something that people may not realize about you.
Scorpio
Oct 23 - Nov 22 Someone could surprise you with an invitation or perhaps a gift you didn’t expect at start of the week. Equally, they might have news for you that puts your friendship with them in a new light. The emphasis on your sign can be a call to think about yourself and do what you want to do. Some might say this is selfish, but it’s a chance to reaffirm your identity, and it can revitalize and recharge you. A delightful MercuryVenus connection could see you drawing closer to someone, especially if it has taken some time to break the ice.
Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22
You could be a tad restless at the start of the week, finding it difficult to knuckle down to your usual tasks. But if you have a chance to do something more exciting, the time can pass quickly. Arrange an opportunity to let off steam and give yourself something to look forward to. With an emphasis on your spiritual zone, you may be drawn to events with people who share your ideas and ideals. Wednesday could coincide with an event that is truly heartwarming and leaves you feeling positive and upbeat.
Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20
An encounter early in the week could be most enjoyable and may lead to a romantic date or other social opportunity. With energizing Uranus in your sector of leisure and romance, you may appreciate people who are true individuals. The influence of this electric planet can encourage you to be true to yourself as well. There are plenty of opportunities for getting out and about and making new friends. Joining a group or club associated with an
Aquarius
Jan 21 - Feb 19
This continues to be a time to focus on your goals and ambitions with a view toward getting ahead. Continue to promote your work, but also try to find other ways to impress the right people. For instance, if you enjoy giving presentations or public speeches, this can be another way to make others aware of your talents and abilities. A conversation midweek could have positive repercussions and lead to new opportunities and developments. If someone invites you to an event, go to it because it could be very worthwhile. At the same time, with quicksilver Mercury turning retrograde on Thursday and remaining so for
Pisces
Feb 20 - March 20 The more willing you are to move out of your comfort zone, the more opportunities can come your way. However, expect the unexpected on Monday, because someone could make you an offer you can’t refuse. It might be different than anything you’ve attempted before, but this might be part of its appeal. Traveling brings a chance to meet all kinds of people, and midweek could see you connecting with a delightful stranger. This may be the sort of person you’d like to keep in touch with once you get back home.
20
Bollywood
Saturday, November 2, 2019 Kajol’s mood swings if anyone asks
Many moods of Kajol
• A qestion that annoys Kajol most - “Will your cousin Rani Mukerji tie the knot with Aditya Chopra?” • “Are you still friend with SRK? It leaves lovely lady thinking for a unique reply this time around! • Sometime in tears, Kajol tries to get happy about “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’’ alright, but certainly not before singing ‘‘Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha.” • The stunner shows us how she gained her current fab figure through those Baba Ramdev’s expert pranayam tips. • Kajol takes a trip down memory lane and remembers how her initial cine-avatars used to wipe the smile off.
Great films on India being made only by foreigners: Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher wonders why great films on India are being made only by foreigners. In Toronto for the premiere of Australian director Anthony Maras’ debut feature film “Hotel Mumbai” based on the September 2008 terror attacks, Kher said: “This is fascinating that the film ‘Gandhi’ was also made by a foreigner. Now this (‘Hotel Mumbai’) film has
also been made by a foreigner. Thank you, Anthony, for making this movie. This film is a tribute to everybody who has lost a dear one anywhere in the world.” Without naming the person, Kher said: “Somebody had made a film on it (Mumbai terror attacks), but it was atrocious. That person wanted to cash in on the
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tragedy.” But Anthony’s “Hotel Mumbai” “humanises’” the tragedy that Mumbai went through 10 years ago, the actor added. “The Taj Palace Hotel is not just another hotel. It is an icon and its owner — the Tatas — are a respectable name not just in India but also around the world,” he said. At the press conference, Kher revealed
that“HotelMumbai”isthe501stfilmofhiscareer. As he was congratulated by the cast, the veteran actor said even his mother asked him for the first time as to how he did so many films. “’Hotel Mumbai’ is my 501st film. My mother, who is 85, asked me ‘How did I do it?’” said Kher. The movie premiered at the on-going Toronto International Film Festival on September 7
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
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After several years, BoundarySimilkameen MLA Linda Larson is one step closer to achieving her long-standing goal of halting the time change in British Columbia. “Today, a bill is being tabled in the Legislature that lays the groundwork to move British Columbia to permanent Daylight Saving Time,” said Larson. “For years as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, I have fought to end the archaic practice of changing the clocks twice a year and we are finally moving forward.” The time change process disrupts sleep schedules and has been linked to an increase in accidents and a decrease in productivity. Over 223,000 British Columbians participated in public consultation on Daylight Saving Time (DST) earlier this year and a resounding 93 per cent supported a move to permanent DST. “The people have spoken and today we take the first real steps towards ending the time change,” added Larson. “I have received letters and emails from across the country supporting my position on this issue and I am proud to finally see progress. I look forward to one day soon living in Pacific Time all year round.”
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British Columbians’ personal information at risk as NDP ignores advice of privacy commissioner
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The NDP is putting British Columbians’ privacy at risk by turning down recommendations from the B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Official Opposition regarding Bill 35, the Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act. The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Michael McEvoy, expressed clear concerns in a letter to the Attorney General and the Acting Minister of Citizens’ Services regarding the government’s tabled provisions being “too permissive” and “vague”, where stronger limits are needed to better protect the privacy of all British Columbians. “What’s the point of consultation if the Attorney General had no intention to follow through on any of the recommendations provided by the Privacy Commissioner?” said Steve Thomson, BC Liberal Citizens’ Services Co-Critic.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
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Press release
MLA Joan Isaacs stands up for reduction of small business tax burden related to unused airspace BC Liberal MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, Joan Isaacs, is standing behind Todd Stone, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson and Opposition Critic for Municipal Affairs and Housing who today, introduced a bill in the legislature that, in response to requests made by a broad coalition of stakeholders, will enable local governments to reduce property taxes on unused airspace above small businesses through a new commercial property sub-class. “When neighbourhoods plan for future development small businesses are forced to pay the highest and best use tax rate, which means the unused airspace above their buildings is heavily taxed,” says Isaacs. “It may be years until the development plans actually materialize but, in the meantime, these small businesses are stuck paying excessive taxes on unused air space and their viability is being seriously challenged.” The Assessment (Split Assessment Classification) Amendment Act, 2019, introduced in the legislature today, will create a new commercial property subclass that local governments can use to provide relief for organizations facing massive property tax increases based on the development potential of the airspace above their heads. This solution has been supported by business organizations and local government officials across the province. Coquitlam City Councilor, Dennis Marsden has shown his support for the legislation after hearing input from local businesses. “I’m happy to see these amendments as they will give cities the tools to support businesses in continuing to serve neighborhoods while they undergo change and redevelopment,” said Councilor Dennis Marsden. “Family businesses, arts groups, and small, family-run businesses are the heart and soul of our communities and give them their sense of identity. If they continue to be taxed like high-rise developments we may lose many of these iconic businesses that make places like Coquitlam unique,” added Isaacs. Chris Florian, co-owner of iconic Coquitlam Pizza Parlor Me-n-Ed’s, is concerned that her restaurant, a staple of the community since 1975, will not be able to survive the continuous spikes in property taxes at the restaurant’s current location. “Many of my 45 workers are young students, 25 of whom? work here full time,” says Florian. “Tax rates doubling every three years will mean businesses like mine are going to face tough choices like shutting down, laying off employees, or raising prices. I am relieved that action is finally being taken to address this.” “The survival of many small businesses in BC, including a large number in the Austin Heights neighbourhood of Coquitlam, is being threatened by extreme and unprecedented increases to property tax bills,” commented Michael Hind, CEO of the TriCities Chamber of Commerce. “That is why, together with eleven other regional Chambers and Boards of Trade, we submitted a letter to the government for support and action on this pressing problem. We
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Vol. 10 No. 40
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Saturday - November 2, 2019
Home sales in every BC region to recover in 2020 - a forecast. Total home transactions across province expected to rise 11 per cent versus 2019, with average sale prices also predicted to increase in every area.Although every region in B.C. is expected to see lower home sales in
Tel: 604-591-5423
Housing market forecast through 2020
2019 than in 2018, sales will more than recover in 2020, according to a September 5 forecast by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).Overall in 2019, residential transactions across the province are predicted to be five per cent lower, at
about 75,000 units, than the 78,505 sales of 2018. Every one of B.C.’s 12 boards is expected to report a year-over-year decline in total sales across 2019, with drops ranging from one to 14 per cent. However, BCREA forecasted that every board will see considerable sales jumps
E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com in 2020, totalling a province-wide increase of nearly 11 per cent to 82,700 homes — which the association said would be just below
the 10-year annual average. “B.C. markets are showing signs of recovery after nearly a year and a half of policy-induced declines,” said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA’s deputy chief economist. “We expect that recovery to continue into next year, with home sales normalizing around long-term averages.”
housing market to see modest price growth in 2020 and 2021, predicts CMHC
The Metro Vancouver housing market will remain “balanced” over the next two years with home prices expected to increase in line with population growth, according to the latest housing market outlook report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Housing sales and prices have dipped recently as a result of multiple factors — including rising mortgage rates and new taxes — but the CMHC predicts that starting in 2020 and through 2021, there will be a modest increase both in prices and sales volume. Attached homes, condos and apartments priced under $700,000 are expected to generate the strongest demand because “homes in this price range can be accessible to buyers making a purchase based on their income compared with properties requiring substantial equity for a down payment,” says the report. The report says housing starts are expected to remain high, especially multi-family homes, which currently account for 88 per cent of unit starts.
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
R
Reasons why Canada’s apartment building owners are happy
ental apartment building market in Canada is trongest it’s ever been, especially from the perspective of apartment building owners. Buildings are practically full across the country, rental rates are at or near 10-year highs in nearly every market, and average national rents have climbed 4.4 per cent annually over the last two years, according to a new report by commercial property brokerage house CBRE. This rapid rise of rental rates is earning more money for building owners. Total annualized returns for the Canadian multifamily sector were 9.8 per cent as of the first quarter of this year, just behind the industrial sector. Canada’s national average rental apartment vacancy rate ended 2018 at 2.4 per cent, below the 10-year average of 2.6, CBRE said in its national multifamily mid-year update. Investors are lining up to get into the market in most cities. Multifamily investment volume reached record levels for four consecutive years, including an all-time high of $8.3 billion in 2018. Apartments are traditionally viewed as stable and defensive assets to own, said CBRE Canada vicechairman Paul Morassutti. “(The asset class) never displays great amounts of volatility,” he told Postmedia last week. “Very rarely would you have declines in rental rates or net operating income. Typically, things would go up in a
slow and steady fashion and it was always a favoured asset class for all those reasons.” Here are other main drivers that Morassutti and his firm believe will continue to stoke demand for apartment buildings in Canada. Population growth: Canada’s population is expected to grow by nearly one per cent annually over the next four years, surpassing growth in all other G7 countries, the report said. Much of this momentum is being fuelled by immigration, which accounted for 80.5 per cent of the country’s population growth last year. The government has a plan to welcome one million new immigrants between 2019 and 2021. Much of that new population is settling in the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver regions, with Toronto and Vancouver experiencing the sharpest annual apartment rental price growth of 5.0 per cent
and 7.1 per cent, respectively, over the past four years. Shortage of new supply Canada’s big cities are not building enough new rental apartments to keep up with demand, when compared to global peers, the report said. The largest rental market in Canada is Montreal with just under 600,000 units. Toronto follows well
behind with 313,000 units, and Vancouver trails with just 109,000 units. Units on the secondary market, including privately rented condos, do close the gap, but it’s clear that renters across the country need more options, or else rents will continue to climb. While we are seeing increased construction of rental units more recently, the overall number remains relatively low, Morassutti said. Rising cost of home ownership An expanding proportion of Canada’s big-city dwellers can’t afford to buy a home. This factor, above all others, is probably having the greatest effect on stoking apartment rental prices, while spurring investors to buy buildings, Morassutti said. “In Toronto, if you want to buy a detached house or semi-detached house, you need to have a household income of close to $200,000,” he said. “The average household income in Toronto I believe is something like $100,000.” (According to the last Canadian census, the average household in the Greater Toronto Area earned $87,993 after tax.) That leaves residents with only a couple of choices. They can buy a condo, or they can rent. “As affordability has become more of an issue, and it’s an issue that I don’t believe is going to go away in (Vancouver and Toronto), that will continue to underpin strong rental growth — especially when we really don’t have a lot of supply in purpose-built housing coming on stream,” Morassutti said.
Condos, the ‘future of our communities,’ now cost more per square foot than a detached home Condominiums may be the “future of our communities” but per square foot, they are hardly a bargain. According to a Royal LePage report released today, aside from Vancouver and Calgary, every major city’s condo price per square foot has increased. With the exception of Vancouver, the median price per square foot of a condo is now higher than that of a single family detached home nationwide. Canadian home prices are up — but by the smallest amount in
a decade. Seven reasons Canada’s housing market is stronger than it looks Vancouver’s housing market is dismal — but you still need six-figure income to get your foot in the door “While condo units are smaller, they are the present and future of our communities. With more development opportunities, they can meet both the growing need for housing and lifestyle expectations of homebuyers,” said Phil Soper, the president of Royal LePage in a
press release. The Greater Ottawa condo price per square foot appreciated the fastest among the cities that were measured, rising 17.9 per cent year-over-year to $395, while the Greater Vancouver price actually declined the most by 8.3 per cent to $764. “We are seeing significant interest in Ottawa’s south and west ends from residents working in the nearby military and technology hubs,” said Kent Browne, broker
Over 11% of Vancouver condos have a non-resident owner, says new CMHC report
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Over 11 percent of Vancouver condos have at least one non-resident as an owner, a number that jumps to more than 19 per cent when it comes to newer built condos. The information is contained in a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation housing market insight report which also found that non-residents — defined as someone who
doesn’t have their principal residence in Canada — tend to own more expensive properties than residents, especially in Vancouver. Some of the other findings: 7.2 per cent of all Vancouver properties have at least one non-resident owner. Non-resident ownership is highest in
and owner of Royal LePage TEAM Realty. The city of Vancouver remains the most expensive condo market in the country, with homebuyers paying $1,044 per square foot for a condo and $1,279 per square foot for a single-family detached home. Greater Calgary offers the lowest condo price per square foot, with a fall of 6.7 per cent to $313.“For the fourth consecutive month, condo inventory in the region declined compared to last year.
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Child care provider required at a private home Location Surrey, BC - Salary $14.50 to $14.75 / Hour (To be negotiated) Permanent, Full time 40 Hours / Week Start date As soon as possible Job requirements Languages English Education College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma from a program of 1 year to 2 years Experience 1 year to less than 2 years Additional Skills Assume full responsibility for household in absence of parents, Perform light housekeeping and cleaning duties, Shop for food and household supplies, Travel with family on trips and assist with child supervision and housekeeping duties, Wash, iron and press clothing and household linens Children’s Ages School age (6 - 12 years), and 2 - 3 years Specific Skills Bathe,
dress and feed infants and children, Discipline children according to the methods requested by the parents, Prepare infants and children for rest periods, Keep records of daily activities and health information regarding children, Sterilize bottles, prepare formulas and change diapers for infants, Maintain a safe and healthy environment in the home, Take children to and from school and to appointments, Tend to emotional well-being of children, Instruct children in personal hygiene and social development, Organize, activities such as games and outings for children, Prepare and serve nutritious meals, Supervise and care for children, Help children with homework Work Setting Employer’s home How to apply By email: umendrasingh@hotmail.com By phone: 604-537-3551
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
1 in 5 homes bought by newcomers - survey
One in every five homes in Canada is bought by newcomers to the country, according to a Royal LePage survey released on Wednesday. The Royal LePage Newcomer 2019 th Asian Survey, which was s - Issue of c o m m i s s i o n e d Certificates to by the real estate es from India, company, found that spend ember 3rd 2019 newcomers about three years ay) at Lakshmi an Temple from in Canada before buying a home and m to 3.00 pm. that 75 per cent of newcomers arrive with savings or cash dic Seniors to help buy a home. ar Center About 1,500 people, all of whom Vedic Hindu arrived in Canada within the last 10 ural Society years, were interviewed by public ey invites South opinion polling and market research n seniors from company Leger for the survey and it n origin, those was conducted online in August.Phil have retired Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage, said in an interview with CBC’s Radio-Canada that the survey found that newcomers represent about 21 per cent of all homebuyers in Canada. That number suggests people new to the country are contributing “significantly” to real estate demand, he said. “We know that Canada is a country of immigrants and we know that newcomers to Canada are an important part of our economic growth. What surprises us in the data is just how important they are to Canada’s real estate market,” Soper said on Tuesday. If current international migration levels are maintained, Royal LePage estimates that
newcomers are expected to buy 680,000 homes in Canada over the next five years.
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The projected home sales was calculated using historic migration levels from Statistics Canada, the survey’s home ownership rate of newcomers and Canadian Real Estate Association and Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation unit sales data. Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage, says: ‘We know that Canada is a country of immigrants and we know that newcomers to Canada are an important part of our economic growth. What surprises us in the data is just how important they are to Canada’s real estate market.’ (CBC)
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Royal LePage defined newcomers as people who have lived in Canada for 10 years or less. They include immigrants, students, refugees and citizens from other countries in Canada to work. According to the company, 31 per cent of newcomers are part of a family, 25 per cent are students, while 20 per cent are on their own. The vast majority of newcomers are immigrants, Soper said. Soper said newcomers to Canada represent between two to three million people, while the total Canadian population is roughly 37
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, November 2, 2019
BC gov’t introduces rules to crack down on hidden business ownership The B.C. government has introduced a new set of rules to further crack down on hidden ownership, money laundering and tax evasion in the province. Starting in May 2020, private businesses will be required to keep transparency records of their true owners, including people or entities with direct or indirect control of the company or its shares. Finance Minister Carole James said in a statement the records will help drive down B.C.’s real estate market and prevent distortions to the provincial economy. 2:10 B.C. government announces changes to end hidden real estate ownership B.C. government announces changes to end hidden real estate ownership “Right now, businesses operating in our province can hide their ownership
behind numbered companies and offshore and domestic trusts,” James said. “This is hurting communities throughout our province that are dealing with the consequences of criminal activity and high home prices, and it needs to stop.” The amendments to the Business Corporations Act will require the transparency records to include full legal names, dates of birth, citizenship information and the last known addresses of anyone found to be an owner of a private business. James said hidden ownership can be used
to avoid paying taxes and launder money. Multiple reports have found money laundering to be running rampant in B.C.’s real estate and gaming economies. Maureen Maloney’s expert panel report released in May said disclosure of beneficial ownership would be the “single most important measure that can be taken to combat money laundering.” That report estimated $7.4 billion was laundered through B.C. in 2018 alone — $5 billion of which was laundered through real estate. The panel found that illegal activity
contributed to increasing the cost of buying a home in the province by at least five per cent. “The previous government let criminals shelter the illegal proceeds of crime, but we are listening to British Columbians, experts and municipalities to end hidden ownership,” James said. “Requiring businesses to maintain transparency registries means that criminals cannot hide what they own and that people are paying their fair share.”
Vancouver’s only cemetery looks to add more bodies to single grave in sustainability move Vancouver’s only cemetery is thinking outside the pine box in its efforts to find space, become more environmentally friendly and make the graveyard an interesting place for the living. Vancouver City Council has approved changes that would allow strangers to share grave spaces, could permit three or more bodies in one site, will establish a green burial option and would consider eliminating tombstones or markers. Cemetery manager Glen Hodges said the changes could allow for hundreds of other spaces and keep the site operating in an environmentally friendly way. “One of the concepts that we’ll be looking at for our green burial areas is also the notion of non-permanent markers,” he said. “This notion that the body is buried and it naturally returns to the earth, that some people might be interested in having that same sort of return to the earth symbolized in their memorial or marker.” He said if the marker was made of wood, over the decades it would erode in the same decomposition process as the bodies underneath. Mountain View Cemetery has been operated by the city since 1887 and sale of new burial space in the 42-hectare site was shut down in 1986, but redevelopment began and the sale of internment space reopened in 2008. While the city approved the bylaw changes, a cemetery committee that includes Mr. Hodges will still need to establish the expanded options. Mr. Hodges said they’ve traditionally sold the two-dimensional space, a four-by-eight-foot site, to one person or family. Now, they’re thinking of internment space as three dimensional.
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
Quebec will make immigrants pass ‘values’ test to qualify for residency Immigrants to Canada who want to settle in Quebec will soon be required to pass a provincial values test. Starting Jan. 1, new arrivals will have to prove they have learned “democratic values and Quebec values” in order to obtain a selection certificate, the first step toward permanent residency for immigrants wanting to live in the province. Premier François Legault said the test, which was a promise made by Coalition Avenir Québec in last year’s provincial election, sends a clear message to would-be immigrants. “I think it’s important if somebody wants to come and live in Quebec to know that, for example, women are equal to men in Quebec,” he said Wednesday, stressing that some religious extremists don’t share that view. He added that it’s important newcomers understand the province’s new secularism law, which bans public workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols.
“I think it’s important before deciding and coming to Quebec if you expect to be in a job in a position of authority, you will not have a right to wear a religious sign. I think it’s important that we understand the values and the society where you want to live.”
The values are defined as those expressed in Quebec’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, which was recently amended to emphasize the secularism of the state
Greater Victoria area approves 6.2% spending increase, paves way for tax hike The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has approved a provisional budget that calls for a 6.2 per cent bump in spending, paving the way for property tax hikes. District Chair Colin Plant, a Saanich, B.C., councillor, said the spending increase was required to meet the commitments previous boards had already made. Property taxes will vary across the municipalities, but the district expects to take in $72.9 million in taxes, an eight per cent increase over last year. Plant says the budget increase will pay for wage increases for CRD workers, and the completion of the wastewater treatment plant coming into operation next year, for which new workers will have to be hired. “While nobody likes to see tax increases, the board has landed on a provisional budget that will see the average resident pay about a dollar extra per week,” Plant said. “We did feel that the services that the CRD provide must be maintained and in some small areas enhanced.” The decision to approve the provisional
budget was not unanimous. Geoff Young, a director with the CRD and a Victoria city councillor, voted against the budget. Young says while he agrees some things need to be properly budgeted for — namely the wastewater treatment plant — there are other programs funded by the CRD that could use some closer scrutiny. Capital region to develop regional mountain biking policy For example, he said, within the parks department the CRD could review its program offerings and pull back on its nature houses, educational programs, and recreational programs. “Maybe given the increases that we know we’re facing, I think maybe we need to sharpen our pencils and in a few other areas and maybe there are services that we can no longer afford to provide at the same level we have,” Young said. The operating portion of the CRD budget — which pays for labour, supplies, programs, services and repayment of debt — totals $278 million for the 2020 year.
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Former Calgary police officer and wife sentenced in harassment case A former Calgary police officer has been sent to prison for his role in the harassment of a young woman who was in the middle of a hostile custody battle. Steve Walton, 62, who along with his wife ran an unlicensed private investigation firm, received a three-year sentence from Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Glen Poelman on Wednesday. “[Steve Walton] traded on his experience, reputation and connections as a long time officer … to conduct and oversee the criminal harassment of Ms. Taylor,” said Poelman. Heather Walton, 56, was sentenced to 15 months for bribery but will be allowed to serve the time in the community under strict conditions, including 24-hour house arrest. The couple, both dressed in black T-shirts and jeans, hugged and kissed goodbye as Steve was led by a sheriff into custody. The Waltons, along with Ken Carter, were convicted of corruption-related offences last October for their roles in stalking Carter’s ex-girlfriend, Akele Taylor. Carter was convicted of criminal harassment and is currently in Russia with an undisclosed medical condition. Prosecutors Katherine Love and Ryan Persad are considering whether to have a hearing in which they would argue Carter is absconding. Akele Taylor’s former partner, Ken Carter,
hired the Walton’s private investigation firm to stalk her in order to gain custody of their daughter. The Waltons were sentenced Wednesday while Carter remains in Russia. (Instagram/Supplied) In 2012, after a bitter breakup with Taylor, Carter hired the Waltons in an effort to force his ex to give up custody of the daughter they shared. Carter paid the Waltons about $1 million for their work. In turn, the Waltons used their connections to access Calgary Police Service resources. Steve Walton, a former 25-year member of CPS who worked as a drug expert, was found guilty of criminal harassment as well as charges of bribing an officer and improper storage of a firearm. Heather Walton — a former civilian employee of the police service — was convicted of bribing an officer and on the firearm charge. 3 officers also convicted The bribery charges relate to paying police officers to access and share information from internal CPS databases on Taylor and her friends. In allowing Heather to serve her sentence in the community, Poelman noted her “admirable record” for work and volunteering as well as several letters of support and a statement to court in which she expressed remorse. Jurors were unable to decide whether Heather was guilty of criminal harassment, so a mistrial was declared on that charge.
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Bank of Canada holds rate, but darker outlook signals cut ahead
The Bank of Canada could soon capitulate and cut interest rates because of the trade wars. Canada’s central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75 per cent on Oct. 30, as hiring has been strong and inflation is on target. The new policy statement said “choppy” consumer spending will be supported by “solid income growth,” while lower mortgage rates are driving a rebound in housing. But policy makers seem wary that the country’s run of relatively good fortune will
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
esla’s still working on quality issues, but the Californian automaker is making steady progress, according to the results of a huge survey Bloomberg released on Tuesday.
last for much longer. Governing Council is mindful that the resilience of Canada’s economy will be increasingly tested as trade conflicts and uncertainty persist Bank of Canada They cut their outlook for global economic growth in 2019 to 2.9 per cent, the weakest
since the financial crisis, and said Canada’s gross domestic product will expand only 1.6 per cent next year, compared with a previous estimate of two per cent. That rate of growth would be slower than the central bank’s estimate of how fast the economy can expand without triggering
inflation (1.7 per cent), suggesting Governor Stephen Poloz and the rest of his policy committee could feel compelled to cut interest rates in order to resist disinflationary pressures. The Bank of Canada sees exports and investment contracting temporarily in the near term due to weaker demand, uncertainty and the transportation constraints that continue to limit shipments of Alberta oil.
Tesla’s Model 3 is great to drive, but what’s it like to own? The study, which polled 5,000 Tesla Model 3 owners, focuses on the ownership experience with the car in the first 30 days. That tight focus means the survey is less of a comment on the Model 3’s reliability
and more of a statement on the car’s initial quality. With that in mind, how did the Big T do in the eyes of its customers? Not as bad as we’d have expected, actually. Tesla’s quality seems to have improved more or less steadily since hitting a low point this year in February when the company was averaging 101 defects per 100 cars. This had a lot to do, Bloomberg says, with Tesla starting to ship the Model 3 overseas and stretching to hit production targets. The worst month in the last two years for major defects was February of 2018, with February 2019 and July 2019 coming in second and third place. The last month documented is September of 2019, and
that shows the lowest number of defects per 100 cars built at just 31.7 defects. That number looks good, but how does it compare outside of the vacuum of Tesla? That’s hard to say accurately. Obviously, sample size will have some bearing on the results, but for comparison’s sake, the Porsche 911 was ranked highest in J.D. Power’s 2019 Initial Quality survey with 58 problems per 100 vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership. While that’s not an apples-to-apples comparison -- 90 days is obviously longer for problems to surface -- it’s still something to think about. (Tesla does not participate in the J.D. Power survey.) Tesla didn’t immediately return Roadshow’s request for comment.
Sasktchewan premier asks PM to pause carbon tax for one year Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for a pause on the carbon tax in 2020. The letter sent Thursday asks for an in-person meeting and expanded on concerns Moe raised last week. It is Moe’s second written statement directed at Trudeau since the election. He initially posted a statement calling for a “new deal with Canada” and said he was handing Trudeau a fire extinguisher to put out fires burning in Western Canada. His initial ask was elimination of the carbon tax, a commitment to negotiating a new equalization formula and the pursuit of new pipeline projects. Thursday’s letter asks for Saskatchewan, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador to receive one-time per capita payments as a makeweight for money they don’t
receive through the federal equalization formula. The three provinces will not receive payments next year. He also asked for a commitment to reform the formula in 2020.
Moe referred to Saskatchewan as a “perpetual donor” to the rest of Canada. On the carbon tax, Moe is asking for a “one-year pause” on the federal carbon tax backstop. Moe said this would allow, “Saskatchewan and federal officials [to] work together to re-evaluate Saskatchewan’s carbon emissions plans.”
1 million Canadians juggling jobs, working 50-hour weeks: StatsCan Just over a million Canadians are now juggling more than one job and work an average of 50 hours a week, according to a new Statistics Canada survey. The number of people working multiple jobs has almost doubled since 1978, rising rapidly in the 1980s, then edging up to 5.7% of the Canadian workers in 2018, according to the report, titled Multiple Jobholders in Canada. Women, part-time workers and people in their 20s are more likely to hold multiple jobs, the report said. “People engage in multiple jobholding for various reasons, such as out of financial necessity, to ensure continuous employment, or to accumulate skills and
expertise in other occupations,” report said. People who hold more than one job typically work in female-dominated sectors of health care and social assistance, and educational services, said the report. While the Statistics Canada report does not offer insight into how these workers’ fare financially, a recent Bank of Canada survey found one third of Canadians chose to take up “informal work,” such as driving for a ride-sharing service, housecleaning and babysitting, as a result of weak economic conditions. Logging 43 hours a month for $465 on average, these “gig” workers make less than the minimum wage, Blacklock’s Reporter reported.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Bloc’s leader Blanchet prepared to work with Liberals despite pipeline talk Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said Thursday that he’s willing to work with a re-elected Liberal government, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s support for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Speaking in Quebec City, Blanchet said that he’s not closing the door to discussions with any party, just because they don’t agree on all issues. “There are issues we’ll agree on, sometimes with the Liberals, sometimes the NDP, sometimes the Greens,” he said following a caucus meeting. “When we’re in agreement, we’re in agreement. When we’re not, we’re not. But it’s not because we can probably identify one or two major issues where we won’t agree with the Liberals that we’ll close the door to all forms of discussion.” Finance Minister Bill Morneau told The Canadian Press in an interview this week that the expanded pipeline is not fodder for negotiating with other parties in the minority Parliament. Rather, he said, the $4.5 billion pipeline is crucial to financing Canada’s transition to a clean energy economy. The NDP and Greens have called for the expansion to be cancelled, but Blanchet, who has opposed having a pipeline cross Quebec, declined Thursday to outline what specific actions he would take concerning
Trans Mountain in western Canada. He said he would wait for Trudeau to present his plan first. The Bloc Quebecois held its first caucus meeting since Monday night’s election, which saw the party more than triple its seat count to 32. The results suggests Blanchet’s party could hold some sway in a minority Parliament, since the governing Liberals will have to seek the support of other parties to pass legislation. But Blanchet said he felt it wasn’t his role help topple the government, saying he doesn’t believe voters want to return to the polls. He said the new Bloc MPs will evaluate each piece of legislation on a case-by-case basis, voting in favour of those that are good for Quebec and against those that aren’t. “I will work with anyone who wishes it, there will be exchanges, and when the ideas converge there will be collaboration, and when they differ we’ll each do our own thing,” he said. The Bloc’s rapid rise has been attributed to the party’s tapping into a renewed sense of nationalism embodied by the Coalition Avenir Quebec government of Francois Legault. Repeatedly, Blanchet campaigned on a promise to carry the voice of the provincial legislature to Ottawa and ensure its projects weren’t stymied.
Courts order election recounts in Quebec, B.C. ridings Superior courts in B.C. and Quebec have ordered judicial recounts in two federal ridings following close races where the winning and losing candidates were separated by only a few hundred votes. Elections Canada said recounts were granted after requests from the second-place candidates in the riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam, about 25 kilometres east of Vancouver, and in the Montreal riding of Hochelaga. In Port Moody- Coquitlam, Conservative candidate Nelly Shin had 153 more votes than NDP candidate Bonita Zarrillo, according to official Elections Canada results. Liberal candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada led Bloc Québécois candidate Simon
Marchand by 328 votes in Hochelaga. The Bloc Québécois also requested a recount in a third riding, Quebec, where Liberal candidate JeanYves Duclos beat Bloc challenger Christiane Gagnon by 325 votes. A court hearing set for tomorrow will determine whether that recount will proceed. Under Elections Canada rules, an automatic recount is triggered when the difference in the number of votes received by the top-finishing candidates equals 0.1 per cent or less of the total number of votes cast. A requested recount can be granted when a candidate or voter asks a judge for one within four days of the release of the validated results.
Saudi Arabia is $3.4B behind on its payments for Canadian LAVs
Saudi Arabia still owes about $3.4 billion in late payments for Canadian-produced Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs), according to the latest quarterly financial results released by General Dynamics last week. The Liberal government endorsed a controversial deal, made by the previous Conservative government in 2014, to supply the Saudis with hundreds of LAV 6.0 advanced combat vehicles used to transport troops on the battlefield. The LAVs are wheeled military vehicles armed with various weapons, including automatic cannons, machine guns, mortars and anti-tank missiles. They’re being produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) at its plant in London, Ontario. The roughly $14-billion contract was brokered and is being managed by the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), a Crown corporation that helps Canadian companies in aerospace, defence, infrastructure and other sectors land contracts with foreign governments. According to General Dynamics’ quarterly earnings statements, the Saudi late payment debt has been growing by $200 million every quarter since the beginning of the year. According to CCC’s website, “every contract signed has the legal effect of being signed in the name of the Government of Canada, providing
foreign government buyers with the assurance that the contract will be delivered per the agreed terms and conditions, guaranteed.” That arrangement means that the exporting company acts as a subcontractor and gets paid by the federal government — once Ottawa receives payment from the foreign purchaser. During a third-quarter earnings call with market analysts on Oct. 23, General Dynamics Corp chairperson and CEO Phebe Novakovic admitted that the payments from Saudi Arabia “have remained slow.” “There’s no dispute on the fact that it is owed,” Novakovic said. “It’s simply a question of timing. And we’re still hopeful that we resolve that by the end of the year.” However, it’s not clear whether Canadian taxpayers might be on the hook for any interest and late payment fees accrued by the Saudis, according to experts. General Dynamics said in its quarterly earnings report that the late payment amounts — totalling $2.6 billion US, or roughly $3.4 billion Cdn —will be billed to the Canadian government “in accordance with the agreed-upon contractual terms.” “We continue to meet our obligations under the contract and are entitled to payment for work performed,” the company said in its earnings release.
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1.3 million Indian bank cards are up for sale on the dark web Researchers at Group-IB, a Singapore-based cybersecurity company, have found a data dump of over 1.3 million credit and debit cards from India on a dark web site called Joker’s Stash. As reported first by ZDNet, researchers found the dump on October 28. Group-IB says some cards are being sold at $100, with a total value of the database estimated at over $130 million. According to researchers, this is the single biggest and one of the most valuable database uploads on the dark web. Right now, details of the source or origin of these card details are not known. Ilya Sachkov, CEO and founder of Group-IB,
said data uploads from this region are quite rare, and it has notified authorities of this incident: The cards from this region are very rare on underground markets, in the past 12 months, it is the only big sale of card dumps related to Indian banks. Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence customers have already been notified about the sale of this database. The information was also shared with proper authorities. It’s not clear at the moment which banks are compromised. However, Group-IB said more than 18 percent of cards were related to a single Indian bank. We’ve asked the cybersecurity company for more details, and we’ll update the story if we hear back.
Mumbai to be “Wiped Out” by 2050 due to rising seas: study A new research has found that rising seas could affect three times more population by 2050 than it was previously thought, and India’s financial capital, Mumbai, is at the risk of being ‘’wiped out’’. The research paper was produced by Climate Central, a science organization based in New Jersey, and published in the journal ‘’Nature Communications’’. However, the projections don’t account for future population growth or land lost to coastal erosion. A report in The New York Times said that the authors have developed “a more accurate way of calculating land elevation based on satellite readings, a standard way of estimating the effects of sealevel rise over large areas, and found that the previous numbers were far too optimistic.” According to the new research, some 150 million people are now living on land that will
be below the high-tide line by mid-century. Much of India’s financial capital, Mumbai is at risk of being wiped out, the new projections suggest. Built on what was once a series of islands, the city’s historic downtown core is particularly vulnerable, it said. “Overall research shows, that countries should start preparing now for more citizens to relocate internally,” Dina Lonesco, International Organization for Migration, was quoted as saying. International Organization for Migration is an inter-governmental group that coordinates actions on migrations and development. “We’ve been trying to ring the alarm bells. We know that it’s coming. There is a little modern precedent for this scale of population movement,” Lonesco was quoted as saying.
B SE EST RV IC E
French Army contingent in Bikaner for military exercise A French Army contingent comprising 38 personnel has arrived in Bikaner to participate in the Indo-French military exercise ‘’Shakti-2019 being conducted from October 31 to November 13 at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges. On its arrival at the exercise area at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges on October 28, the Indian Army extended a warm and traditional welcome to the French contingent. Exercise Shakti-2019 is the fifth edition in the series of bilateral exercises under this banner. The joint exercise would focus on counter terrorism operations in backdrop of semi-desert terrain under
United Nations mandate. The joint training would also focus on high degree of physical fitness, tactical drills, techniques and procedure. A comprehensive training programme for a period of two weeks has been worked out for achieving the same. During the exercise, the participants will engage in a variety of missions from joint planning, cordon and search operations, search and rescue, joint tactical drills and basics of special arms skills, said Col. Sombit Ghosh, PRO Defence, Rajasthan.
IIM Calcutta MBA course is among top 20 in the world The IIM Calcutta’s two-year MBA programme has bagged 17th position globally in the Financial Times Masters in Management Rankings 2019. It is a jump of six places — from 23rd rank last year. In the rankings released Monday night, the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta has been adjudged the best business school in the country. The institute pipped IIM Ahmedabad, which has been ranked 21st globally (down from 19th rank in 2018), and IIM Bangalore, which has taken the 44th slot. Swiss business school University of St Gallen maintained the number one position among the top 100 institutions for yet another year. The parameters that were considered
for the rankings include value for money, career services, employability among students within three months of completing the course, involvement of women in the Institute’s board, international student intake, international mobility ranking, international course experience, faculty with doctorates, languages, course fee (local currency), course length (months), number of students enrolled in 2018-19 and company internships. According to an official statement by IIM Calcutta, the institute bettered its nearest Indian compatriots on salary, weighted salary, salary percentage increase, career progress ranking, involvement of international faculty, inclusion of international board members,
Hindi is most popular Indian language in USA, with 8.74 lakh speakers Hindi continues to be the most widely spoken Indian language in the US, followed by Gujarati, and Telugu. In terms of absolute numbers, Hindi was the most spoken Indian language in the US. UU. With 8.74 lakh speakers as of July 1, 2018, reflecting a slight increase of 1.3% compared to 2017 figures. Over an eight year period, since 2010, the numbers have increased by 2.65 lakh, an increase of 43.5%. However, in terms of percentage increase, the number of Telugu-speaking people far exceeded speakers of other Indian languages in the US. UU., Increasing 79.5% between 2010 and 2018. Data (ACS) for 2018 (which measure the population of the U.S. as of July 1, 2018), recently published by the U.S. Census Bureau. UU., Show that 67.3 million US residents. In the US, over five years old (which includes native, legal and illegal immigrants) speak a language that is not English at home. As part of the population, 21.9% of US residents. UU. They speak a foreign language at home; the
percentage is only slightly higher than the 21.8% reflected in the 2017 data. The ACS survey is the largest conducted by the US government. UU. Each year and covers more than 2 million homes. The Bengalispeaking American population in 3.75 lakh has shown an increase of almost 68% over the same eight year period. Then, those who speak Tamil show an increase of 67.5% to stand at 3.08 lakh as of July 1, 2018. However, it should be borne in mind that people from countries other than India also speak Bengali (predominantly Bangladesh). Tamil is spoken in countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia. Immigration experts say the increase in the Bengali-speaking population may also be representative of a greater influx to the United States from Bangladesh. Surprisingly, the number of people who speak Gujarati and Telugu has decreased slightly between 2017 and 2018. Those who speak Gujarati stood at 4.19 lakh, a 3.5% decrease from the previous year.
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Can’t blame us for Delhi pollution: CM
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Terming the Aam Aadmi Party’s proposed protest outside the Punjab Bhawan in Delhi as “a political stunt” with an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections in the National Capital, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today lashed out at Arvind Kejriwal over his “brazen lies” on the issue of air pollution. Air pollution in Delhi was directly related to the rampant construction activity, widespread industrialisation and total mismanagement of the city traffic, claimed Capt Amarinder, lambasting his Delhi counterpart for trying to divert public attention from his government’s failures by indulging in such outright lies. By blaming others for his lapses, Kejriwal was
showing signs of poor leadership, the CM added. Kejriwal’s claim that stubble-burning in neighbouring states was responsible for the horrendous situation in Delhi was absolutely ludicrous, especially considering that the number of farm fires in Punjab had actually been the same as last year, claimed the Chief Minister. “If stubble-burning is the primary cause of Delhi’s air pollution, then how can he explain the atrociously high AQI in the Capital even during December and January?” asked Capt Amarinder, adding that Kejriwal should also explain how he could blame Punjab when the AQI levels in the state were better than Delhi.
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Saturday, November 2, 2019 Pakistan to issue tourist visas to non-Indian Sikhs for Kartarpur visit The Pakistan government will issue tourist visas to non-Indian Sikhs visiting the Kartarpur corridor and other ‘gurdwaras’ in the country during the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev. Under the Kartarpur Corridor agreement between India and Pakistan, pilgrims coming from India for one day would not require visa but they can only visit Gurudwara Baba Guru Nanak. However, those coming from other countries will need a visa and be free to visit other religious places. “The Pakistan government will issue tourist visas to (non-Indian) Sikhs coming from Europe, Canada and America for their visit to
the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Narowal, some 125kms from Lahore,” said a source in the Pakistan Foreign Office. The official said Indian pilgrims will have to obtain a visa for touring other holy sites in Pakistan. India and Pakistan signed the historic Kartarpur corridor agreement on October 24. The Kartarpur corridor will connect the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Punjab with Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, just 4 kilometres from the International Border, located at Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. While PM Modi will inaugurate the Indian side of the corridor on November 8.
Fund crunch hits scheme to curb female foeticide The Balri Rakshak Yojana, a state gov’t funded welfare scheme to discourage female foeticide, reduce infant mortality rate and balance the skewed sex ratio, has flopped just because of shortage of funds. Only 24 couples are enrolled under the scheme in Muktsar district. Since 2013, no one has got the incentive money. Interestingly, the scheme was introduced in 2005 during the Congress regime when a considerable decline was witnessed in the girl child ratio. However, after initial eight years, the funds were not released under the scheme. As per the scheme, the state government has to deposit Rs 500/1,000 per month into the account of the beneficiary couple who preferred sterilisation, having only one or two daughters and the younger child is below five years of age. The amount has to be given till the time the younger daughter turns 18 or until her parents turn income tax payers. Even the ASHA workers were to be paid motivational allowance of Rs 500 per case, but that too did not happen. Some officials in the Health Department told The Tribune that they were regularly corresponding in this regard to get the money sanctioned from the state government, but it was never deposited in the accounts of beneficiaries after 2013. “The matter is in the notice of seniors. However, the incentive money has not come after 2013. In our district, 24 couples have been enrolled under the scheme,” said a senior official in the local Health Department office. However, repeated attempts to contact Dr Navdeep Singh, Civil Surgeon, Muktsar, proved futile. The benefit of the Balri Rakshak Yojana can be availed of by a family which is nonincome tax paying and has adopted the two-child norm, with either of the parents undergoing sterilisation. The couple should have no male child and can have one or two daughters. The state government promises to give a monthly incentive of Rs 500 for one girl child and Rs 1,000 for two girl children, till the younger child attains the age of 18.
Central gov’t denies permission to Punjab ministers to visit Kartarpur The state government flayed the Ministry of External Affairs for denying clearance to the delegation of Punjab ministers, MPs and MLAs to visit Nankana Sahib in Pakistan in connection with Parkash Purb celebrations. Cabinet Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said it was not only unconstitutional, but also a grave danger to the federal structure of country. He alleged that it was the decision of BJP-SAD alliance government that carried the stamp of the RSS to demean other religions. Lashing out at the Union Government and the SAD, Channi said the act had brought to fore
the anti-Panthic face of both the SAD and the BJP. Channi said both alliance partners were indulging in dirty politics concerning the Parkash Purb celebrations. Their actions were against the philosophy of Guru Nanak Dev, which was based on universal brotherhood, he added. Sources privy to the developments said denial of clearance to Punjab ministers was the outcome of politics as permission was granted by Pakistan High Commission to a nagar kirtan led by Paramjit Singh Sarna, former president of the DSGMC, but not to the jatha that was to by Majinder Singh Sirsa, DSGMC’s be led
Parents of missing youth want travel agents grill
Govt sets up panel to probe ‘missing’ machinery banks Taking cognisance of The Tribune report on an alleged scam in stubble management machinery banks, the state government has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the matter. In a report appeared on October 18, The Tribune had highlighted how a large number of farm custom hiring centres (machinery banks) established under In-Situ Crop Residue Management Scheme couldn’t be untraced on the ground, when a team of Union Ministry of Agriculture carried out a field survey. Sutantar Kumar Airi, Director, Agriculture, confirmed the development and said the committee comprised senior officials
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of the level of Deputy Director, Agriculture. The committee would give its report in a time-bound manner. Kahan Singh Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture, said they had provided all details to the ministry and had asked to review their list and conduct a fresh survey.
Parents of six youths, who went missing since they left for USA in 2017, alleged that Hoshiarpur police were not properly interrogating the two accused travel agents who were arrested earlier this month. They said only the agents could tell about the whereabouts of the youths. The six youths include Inderjit Singh from Abdullapur village of Mukerian, Sarabjit Singh from Purika village of Mukerian,
Jaswinder Singh from Amritsar, Gurdeep Singh from Gurdaspur, Navdeep Singh from Manna Talwandi village of Bholath and Jaspreet Singh from Khassan village of Bholath. Narrating the ordeal, Inderjit’s father Subedar Shamsher Singh (retd), said, “Two travel agents – retired ASI Sukhwinder Singh and Ranjit Rana — had taken lakhs of rupees from us to send our sons to the US.
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INDIA
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Former Haryana Chief Minister gets bail The Enforcement Directorate Special Court granted interim bail to former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Moti Lal Vora in the AJL plot allotment case. The ED had filed a laundering complaint against the two leaders in August this year. As Hooda and Vora’s applications for regular bail came up for hearing today, the court
granted them interim bail till November 6 on a surety of Rs 5 lakh each. Both leaders submitted before the court that they had fully co-operated with the probe agency and during the course of investigation, their conduct had been “transparent and above board”. The duo claimed the case was predominately based on documentary evidence and there was no allegation of personal enrichment against them.
Devindra Fadnavis’ olive branch to Sena Shortly after his election as leader of the BJP Legislative Party for a second consecutive term here today, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis extended an olive branch to the Shiv Sena amid reports of backchannel talks resuming between the two parties. “This is a mandate for the Mahayuti (grand alliance) and only the Mahayuti will form government,” he said. Thanking Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray for
the victory of the saffron alliance, Fadnavis dismissed as rumours reports of a rupture in their ties. “There are many rumours about various formulas on government formation… these only have entertainment value,” he said. Meanwhile, backchannel talks have started again, said sources. The BJP has sought to placate the Sena with Deputy CM post and some important portfolios.
Congress plans nationwide anti-BJP stir from November 5 The Congress will hold nationwide protests against the Narendra Modi government over economic slowdown in the country from November 5 to November 15. “The party will raise issues surrounding the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), current economic crisis, mounting unemployment, spiralling price rise, bank frauds, job losses in public and private sectors, and farm distress,” Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement. The protests will first be held across state capitals and will culminate in a massive protest in Delhi in November-end. All state-level party workers, PCC presidents, CLP leaders and senior AICC functionaries will take part in the agitation. “Congress party workers and its volunteers will raise the voice of the people and try to
make this insensitive Central government accountable for the countless miseries and sufferings that it is causing,” the statement said. In this regard, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will chair a meeting of AICC general secretaries, state in-charges, heads of frontal organisations and departments on November 2. The party has deputed a total of 31 senior Congress leaders and observers across states/UTs to monitor the agitation. Ahead of the party’s mega protest against the Modi government, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has left for a foreign trip. However, Gandhi will return to India in first week of November, reported ANI. Recently, BJP chief Amit Shah had also taken a jibe at Rahul Gandhi for being on “holiday” during Assembly elections
Didi seeks ‘strong’ probe into killings Condemning the killing of six labourers from West Bengal in Kashmir, CM Mamata Banerjee today demanded a “strong investigation” into the incident to find out the “real truth”. She announced ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the victims. “Innocent labourers were brutally killed in a pre-planned manner. We are shocked. At present there are no political activities
in Kashmir and the entire law and order is with the Government of India,” she said. She asked a senior state police officer to coordinate and find out details about the killings. “We, therefore, demand a strong investigation so that the real truth comes out. We are deputing Sanjay Singh, ADG South Bengal, to find out details,” she tweeted. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar termed the killings a “cowardly act”. —
EU MPs with India on terror fight, 370 A group of EU Members of Parliament, at the end of their twoday tour of Kashmir, said the abrogation of Article 370 was India’s “internal matter” and they backed India’s fight against terror. The delegation appealed to India and Pakistan to hold talks so that Kashmir did not become another Afghanistan. Before winding up the tour, four MEPs, Bill Newton Dunn from the UK, Henri Malosse and Thierry Mariani from France and Ryszard Czarnecki from Poland, addressed a select media gathering at the old airport here. “Article 370 is an internal matter of India. What concerns us is terrorism which is a global menace and we should stand with
India in fighting it,” said Malosse at the briefing. “We are not here to interfere in internal politics and we fully support the country in its efforts for lasting peace and end of terror.” The delegation was hopeful the change in J&K status would improve the situation in the region. “Terrorism in Kashmir is not only an issue for India, but also the international community,” MP Mariani, said. “In Kashmir terrorism is severe and this is a global question,” he stressed. The delegates condemned those calling them fascists. “We are here only to assess the ground situation.
J&K ceases to be state, 2 UTs come into effect The state of Jammu and Kashmir will cease to exist from midnight with the August 5 announcement on its bifurcation into two union territories coming into effect from Thursday. This historic change — for the first time a state will be downgraded to two UTs — will alter the region’s geography, demography and politics with the two Lt-Governors for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh taking oath on Thursday. The announcement on the creation of two UTs was made in Parliament by Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with the scrapping of Article 370 that granted special status to the state. Later, the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, was passed. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation
Bill on August 9. The UT of J&K will have a 107-member Assembly while the UT of Ladakh will have no Assembly. All powers of police, public order and other major decisions will rest with the Lt-Governors of the two UTs. Girish Chandra Murmu will be the first Lt-Governor of J&K and former bureaucrat RK Mathur will be Lt-Governor for the UT of Ladakh bordering China and Pakistanoccupied Kashmir. Mathur had retired as Defence Secretary. It is significant that the new Lt-Governor for J&K UT will take oath in Srinagar, the summer capital, even when the seat of governance was shifted to winter capital Jammu last week. This is to underscore the point that Kashmir has been integrated fully with India. With the change in status, the UT will be directly administered by the Centre.
Saturday, November 2, 2019
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
India, Germany will strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism: Modi Asked if the leaders discussed the situation in Kashmir, sources said it was not raised during the IGC. The Modi-Merkel meeting comes amidst concerns expressed by some foreign lawmakers, including from the US, over restrictions imposed by the government post abrogation of Article 370 to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August. “We will strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation to deal with dangers such as terrorism and extremism,” Modi said in a statement at a joint media event with Merkel. A joint statement, issued after
India and Germany will strengthen their bilateral and multilateral cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday after holding extensive talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on enhancing ties in strategic areas, including defence, artificial intelligence and energy security. The two leaders, who co-chaired the fifth InterGovernmental Consultations (IGC), also called on nations to ensure that their territory is not used for terror activities against other countries, in a veiled message to Pakistan.
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Modi and Merkel talks, emphasised on strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation and called for a stronger international partnership in combating the “global scourge”. It also called upon all countries to work towards rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and financing channels and halting cross border movement of terrorists.“They emphasised the need for stronger international partnership in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism, including through increased sharing of information
and intelligence and in full compliance with the rule of law and international law, including human rights law and international humanitarian law,” it said. Underlining the need for all countries to ensure that their territory is not used for terror activities against other countries, the two leaders stressed the importance of the combined effort of all countries to fight global terrorism and to send out a consistent message that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is not acceptable to the international community.
Delhi-NCR chokes as air quality dips to ‘severe plus’ category The skies hung heavy and acrid over the national capital and its suburbs on Friday with the air quality dipping to the hazardous “severe plus” category, prompting a Supreme Court mandated committee to step in and declare a public health emergency. As smog enveloped the city in grey, many people moved around with masks and others stayed resolutely indoors in what could well be a dystopian nightmare come true, the EPCA banned all construction activity in the Delhi-NCR region till November 5. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority panel also banned the bursting of crackers during the winter. A Central Pollution Control Board official said the air quality index (AQI) entered the “severe plus” or “emergency” category early Friday morning, the first time since January this year. According to official data, the overall AQI was 504 at 3.30 am. An AQI between 0-50 is considered “good”, 51-100 “satisfactory”, 101-200 “moderate”, 201-300 “poor”, 301400 “very poor”, and 401-500 “severe”. Above 500 is “severe-plus or emergency” category. If the air quality persists in the “severe plus” category for more than 48 hours, emergency measures such as oddeven car rationing scheme, banning entry of trucks, construction activities and shutting down schools are taken under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the official said. About 46 per cent of pollution in Delhi on Friday was caused due to stubble burning
in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana, the highest this year, government agency SAFAR said. Faced with the city turning into what he called a “gas chamber” and in accordance with the GRAP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government had decided to shut all schools till November 5. The odd-even scheme comes into force on November 4 for a fortnight. “Please write letters to Captain uncle and Khattar uncle and say, ‘Please think
about our health’,” he said in a message to children, referring to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Haryana’s M L Khattar. The chief minister also met EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal and assured him of all cooperation in implementing the GRAP. Meanwhile, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar targeted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for “politicising” the issue of air pollution and indulging in a blame-game as the air quality in Delhi-NCR deteriorated further. In a letter to the chief secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Lal sounded a warning.“The air quality in Delhi and NCR deteriorated further last night and is now at the severe plus level.
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SOUTH ASIA
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Nepalese climbs 14 peaks in 7 months
A Nepali mountaineer, Nirmal Purja, on Tuesday smashed the “record” for summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks, racing up all “8000 m in just seven months”, according to a post on his social media accounts. The
previous record was almost eight years. “MISSION ACHIEVED! says @nimsdai from the summit of #Shishapangma,” read the post on Purja’s Facebook page, referring to the final peak in China.
Sri Lanka president assures that MCC agreement won’t be signed before November 16 President Maithripala Sirisena assured that Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) agreement will not be signed before November 16. The President had given this assurance to MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, who had gone to meet him to verify reports that the MCC was to be signed at 3.00 pm today. “When we informed this to the President, he telephoned Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in our presence and asked him about it. We understood from the conversation
that it would not be signed in a hurried manner,” MP Weerawansa told the media. “President Sirisena told that the cabinet nod was granted for the agreement on the condition that it would not be signed before November16,” MP Weerawansa said. The agreement consisted of grant funds for traffic management in Colombo, road construction island-wide and land administration improvements covering the whole country. These compact programmes to be funded by this project have been developed by the Sri Lankan officials of the line ministries
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Sri Lanka secures $480m US grant a year after political crisis Sri Lanka will accept a $480m grant from the US to improve infrastructure and traffic management, officials said on Tuesday, after President Maithripala Sirisena withdrew his opposition. “This is a great victory for the government and augurs well for the future,” Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said in a statement after the cabinet formally approved accepting the Millennium Challenge Corporation Grant. The US had withheld the funds last year after Sirisena sacked his former ally, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and called snap elections, prompting a constitutional standoff. Sirisena’s shock move - which followed a host of personality and political clashes since they formed a coalition in 2015 - was later ruled
unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, which restored Wickremesinghe’s government. But tensions between the two remained and Sirisena had resisted signing off on the funds, which the government had been banking on to improve traffic in the congested capital Colombo and its suburbs. Sirisena is not a candidate at the November 16 presidential elections and must leave office as soon as a winner is elected. Tourist hotspot Sri Lanka is heavily dependent on foreign aid and loans. Economic growth slowed to 1.8 percent in the last quarter of 2018 due to the political instability. It took a further hit earlier this year after local armed fighters carried out suicide bombings against three hotels and churches,
Powerful earthquake strikes south Philippines A powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Thursday, crushing a man under falling debris and sparking searches of seriously damaged buildings that had already been rattled by two previous deadly tremors. The 6.5 magnitude quake hit the island of Mindanao, the US Geological Survey said, causing locals to run to safety in the same area where a strong tremor killed eight people on Tuesday. The powerful shaking caused serious damage to a condominium building in the major southern city of Davao, which was about 45 kilometres from the epicentre. At least eight people were hurt at the building, and rescuers had launched a search to determine if residents might be trapped inside, police told AFP. A collapsed structure in another town crushed and killed a local of-
ficial who was inside to help with an improvised medical treatment centre set up after the previous quakes. A hotel partially collapsed in another area, but a disaster official told AFP the building had already been evacuated. Locals have been left terrified by a string of powerful quakes, and hundreds of aftershocks since the first powerful tremor struck on October 16. “Everyone rushed outside,” said Reuel Limbungan, mayor of the Tulunan town, which was once again near the epicentre. “It was as strong as the previous one.” Hundreds of families on Mindanao island, which makes up the southern third of the Philippines, have been living in shelters because they are afraid to go home. USGS initially said the quake had a magnitude of 6.8, and added there was no threat of a tsunami.
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FIJI
Saturday, November 2, 2019
New Zealand needs to learn more about Pacific Island countries New Zealand’s Speaker of Parliament Trevor Mallard has stressed that there is a need for New Zealanders to learn more about the geography, economy or political system of Pacific Island countries. He made these comments while speaking at the New Zealand High Commissioner’s residence in Suva. He says they learned a lot about European economic geography, the economy in the United States and actually almost nothing about the geography, economy or the political systems of their nearest neighbors. Mallard says not long after he became speaker, he managed to do a bit of budgetary allocation for funding to take
him to the parliament to the Pacific every year and Fiji was top of the priority list for the visit. He added that the relationship between Fiji and New Zealand is developing and getting warmer and warmer. While welcoming Mallard, Fiji’s Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau thanked the New Zealand Government for assisting Fiji in the early stages of the peacekeeping missions. Ratu Epeli says we have over the years a very strong peacekeeping role around the world and he emphasized that this would not have been possible without the assistance of New Zealand.
Student questioned for stealing examination papers A 19-year-old student is being questioned for allegedly stealing FSLC Examination papers that were kept at Lelean Memorial school. The incident occurred after Nausori Police station received a report today in relation to the allegation which resulted from a break-in at Lelean Memorial School.Police says the exam supervisor made the discovery yesterday and
found some of the sealed portions of the exam papers were already open. Year 12 exams got underway yesterday with more than 12 thousand students expected to sit the exam throughout this week. The Ministry of Education says, the Year 12 exams at Lelean will continue as scheduled and with Police investigating, they are not in a position to comment.
Father remanded in custody for alleged murder of 4-month-old daughter The 26-year-old father who is charged with murdering his 4 month old baby has been remanded in custody by the Suva Magistrates Court. Tevita Kunawave appeared before Magistrate Waleen George who has transferred the case to the Suva High Court. Magistrate George told Kunawave that murder is a serious offence and it cannot be heard in the Magistrates Court and that is why she has transferred the
matter to the High Court. Kunawave who said that he works for the RFMF wanted to represent himself, but was told by Magistrate George that when the case will be heard in the High Court, there will be no Police Prosecutors to fight the case against him but lawyers from Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Kunawave then requested for Legal Aid assistance. Magistrate George says the bail application will be
Former head teacher of primary school in Naitasiri jailed for 18 years for sexually assaulting 6 students The former head teacher of a primary school in Naitasiri has been jailed for 18 years for sexually assaulting six students during school hours in the school compound in 2017. The 43-year-old has been convicted of one count of rape, one count of sexual assault, three counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecently
annoying any person The six girls who all testified in court were all students of the primary school and were between 12 to 14 years of age. It was heard in court that the Victim Impact Statement Reports recorded that the girls have been emotionally and psychologically traumatised.
New Australian Awards Information Centre opened The Australian Government today opened the new Australian Awards Information Centre for Alumni, Current Award Holders and Fijians who would like to be awarded with or to enquire about the Australian Aid Scholarship. Australian High Commissioner to Fiji, John Feakes says Fiji is now in line with Tuvalu
in being one of the countries the Australian Government has established an Information Centre. Feakes says the Australian Government has been supporting Fijians since 2007 and has had 700 students in Australia to study through this current award program.
Life imprisonment for partner’s murder 21-year-old Suliasi Fuata who murdered his partner in Nasinu earlier this year has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Suva High Court in the last hour. He had pleaded guilty to one count of murder.
Fuata punched and stabbed his 19-year-old partner Salanieta Leba in Nasinu on 28th of June. The incident occurred after a heated argument over a facebook message that Leba had sent to a relative. Fuata must serve a minimum of 18 years before being considered for a pardon
Father charged with one count of murder for killing child he 26-year-old Father alleged to have seriously injured his four-month-old daughter resulting in her death has been charged. The accused has been charged with one count of murder. He will be produced at the Suva Magistrates Court later today. The four-month-old baby girl died after been caught in the middle of an alleged domestic dispute between her parents.
Police had earlier reported that the incident occurred on Sunday. The victim’s father had allegedly returned home heavily intoxicated and was refused entry into their home by his wife. The man is then alleged to have thrown a concrete block at his wife which instead hit the baby’s face. The victim was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Headteacher and teacher of Nabau District School suspended for allegedly leaking Year 6 external exam papers The headteacher of Nabau District School in Rakiraki and Year 6 teacher have been suspended by the Education Ministry for allegedly opening the packaging of the Year 6 external exam paper and revising it with the students. It is alleged that the headteacher and the class teacher opened the packaging of the eternal exam papers one week before the exam began. The headteacher and the Year 6 class teacher are also alleged to have answered the questions in the paper and asked all the year 6 students to cram the answers. The papers which the class teacher is alleged to have been revising with the students are the mathematics
paper, English essay question and some parts of the general subjects and the Itaukei paper. Fijivillage has been informed that a teacher who was supervising the year 6 students saw the students revising the papers and reported the matter to the ministry. Meanwhile, Minister for Education, Rosy Akbar says those who have been implicated are suspended. She says they will definitely take strict action against any breaches in examination policies. Akbar has warned heads of schools to adhere to policies and rules within the Ministry so that exams are fair and transparent.
Elderly woman rescued from Toorak fire An elderly woman was rescued by firefighters from her house which was destroyed in a fire at Spring Street in Toorak, Suva last night. The National Fire Authority say the wooden and corrugated iron house was occupied by an elderly couple who lived in the house with their son. The NFA say the elderly woman was trapped in the house when the fire started and access to locate the woman was very difficult due to the fire and the collapsed and hot corrugated roofing irons.
The NFA says they fought hard against windy conditions to stop the fire from spreading and destroying the adjacent three-storey building and neighbouring wooden homes. They say after they managed to contain the fire and by the Grace of God, they found the elderly woman sheltered in one of the amenities unharmed. They add the fire had actually burnt everything, up to the area where she was sheltered.
PAKISTAN
Saturday, November 2, 2019 Pakistan and the United States are moving forward to resolve the Afghanistan issue as Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad completed his visit to Islamabad. The US had expressed satisfaction over Pakistan’s role for Afghan peace. “They (Pakistan and the US) want to move forward and clinch a deal with the Afghan Taliban for stability in
US and Pakistan move forward on issues related to Afghanistan Afg hanist an,” said one official. S e n i o r government officials said there could be more meetings with the Afghan
Coins issued to mark Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary To mark 550th birth anniversary of the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, Pakistan issued a commemorative Rs50 coins on Wednesday. The coins with the words ‘550th birthday celebrations’ and ‘Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’ embossed on the edges. The other side illustrates Pakistan’s emblem, a crescent & star, with ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ etched in Urdu. According to officials, the 50 rupees coin will be available to pilgrims at the Kartarpur Sahib, along with postal stamp worth Rs 8. The goodwill gesture is part of the initiatives by Pakistan to promote interfaith harmony ahead of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations
of Guru Nanak and the opening of Kartarpur Corridor. Prime Minister Imran Khan will formally inaugurate the corridor on November 9, which would allow Sikh pilgrims from India visa-free travel to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib – one of Sikhism’s holiest pilgrimage sites. Pakistan and India signed the muchawaited Kartarpur agreement last week in a rare act of cooperation between the two sides in these tense times. The peace corridor will allow around 5,000 Sikh pilgrims to visit the shrine every day.
70-year-old Ahmadi mosque razed in fire A 70-year-old worship place belonging to Pakistan’s minority Ahmadis has been demolished by the authorities in Punjab province, the community members said on Monday. In 1974 the Parliament declared Ahmadi community as non-Muslims. A decade later, they were banned from calling themselves Muslims. They are banned from preaching and even from travelling to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage. Ahmadi community spokesperson Saleemduddin said the worship place, which has been destroyed, was located in village Murad in Hasilpur, district Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. “The assistant commissioner of Hasilpur along with town committee (Baldia) workers attacked 70-year-old Ahmadi place of worship in Murad and destroyed parts
of the building without notice,” Saleemduddin said in a tweet. “It is important to note that this place of worship is built on property owned by the community... It has remained the same over past many many decades,” he said. The minority community lamented the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf government for arresting one of its members who filmed this demolition. “Instead of initiating action against those involved in its demolition, police have arrested an Ahmadi who filmed this attack under baseless charges,” Saleemduddin said, asking “how on earth filming something on a public space falls under this law?” Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan often boasts about his government’s commitment regarding protecting the rights of minorities in the country.
Army officers dance with singer to mark ‘Kashmir Black Day’, criticized on social media Throwing basic military disciplines to the wind, top officers of the Army danced along with Punjabi pop singer Humaira Arshad at the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army on Sunday evening to observe “Kashmir Black Day”. October 26 is the day the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to the Dominion of India. The show was organised by the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR), the media
wing of the Pakistan armed forces, for the officers to show solidarity for Kashmiris. However, the event, which got leaked through Humaira’s tweets, drew sharp reactions from the Pakistani Twitterati. Later, Humaira deleted her tweet, which by the time caused enough embarrassment for Islamabad.
Three minors killed in explosion in Pakistan Three minors of a family were killed when a bomb exploded in northwestern province on Wednesday, police said. The incident happened in the vicinity of University police station, Daraban Khwar in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province. “The bomb explosion killed three minors, including two brothers and their sister, on the spot. The children aged from 5 to 9 years,” police said.
Taliban in the near future to finalise a deal. “Pakistan wants all the Afghan parties to accept the agreement for a long term solution. The US agrees with this idea,” he added. A US embassy statement said yesterday, Zalmay Khalilzad visited Islamabad on October 28-29. “In his meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff General
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Qamar Javed Bajwa, and other government officials, Ambassador Khalilzad discussed the current status of the Afghan peace process and the importance of reducing violence,” said the statement. Khalilzad completes new round of talks with Pak leaders. It added: “He also underscored the economic and security benefits peace can bring to the region.” The Afghan government has set new conditions for talks with the Taliban and appeared to shed a previously conciliatory stand towards Pakistan.
Pakistan needs to do more to be off FATF list: Pak bank Pakistan needs to put in more efforts to come out of the Grey List in the next meeting of the international terror financing watchdog FATF, the chief of country’s central bank has said. Pakistan was placed on the Grey List by the Paris-based watchdog in June last year and was given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019, or face the risk of being placed on the Black List along with Iran and North Korea. The FATF retained Pakistan on the Grey List and warned it of action for its failure in combating money laundering and terror financing. The
decision was taken after a five-day plenary of the FATF held in Paris early this month. It expressed dissatisfaction at the progress made by Pakistan and gave it a six-month deadline to complete the task. “There was a major rethink of the approach being taken by the authorities in the early to mid-2019. Consequently, a number of steps were taken to significantly strengthen our approach to make progress on these issues,” said Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Reza Baqir on Monday.
NRI
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Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz faces 6-month suspension in UK One of Britain’s longest-serving Indianorigin MPs Keith Vaz faces a six-month suspension from Parliament after a House of Commons standards watchdog found he had “disregarded” the law. Goan-origin Labour Party MP from Leicester East had been caught up in a scandal around his private life in 2016 following newspaper headlines linking him with male escorts. At the time, he had issued a public apology and stepped down as the head of the influential House of Commons’ Home Affairs Committee. A Parliament Standards Committee inquiry into his conduct concluded this week that the MP’s claim that he had met the men to discuss the redecoration of his flat was “ludicrous” and recommended his suspension for “expressing a willingness” to supply cocaine to the two male prostitutes. The watchdog said the 62-year-old politician had committed a “very serious breach” of the Commons code of conduct over an incident first reported in September 2016.
MPs will now have to vote in the House of Commons on whether to enforce the recommended action. If they do, it could trigger the process for constituents of the Leicester East MP to unseat him and force a by-election if supported by 10 per cent of his constituents. The committee said there was “convincing evidence” that Vaz was “evasive or unhelpful” during an investigation into his conduct by the Commons standards commissioner, launched in the wake of the ‘Sunday Mirror’ allegations in 2016. The investigation was paused in December 2017 for “medical reasons” and recommenced in March 2018. The final report said the MP “failed, repeatedly, to answer direct questions, gave incomplete answers and an account that was, in parts, incredible”. “Mr Vaz has done his best to complicate, obfuscate and confuse the inquiry through arguments of little merit and documentation of dubious relevance,” the watchdog noted.
For the second consecutive year, Indians have been the largest group to obtain an Australian citizenship. According to recent statistics from the Australian Department of Home Affairs, in fiscal 2018-19 (which is the twelve-month period ended June 30), a total of 1.27 lakh people, representing at least 200 countries of origin, were conferred Australian citizenship. Of these, 28,470 or 22.3% were from India. Australia has seen a spike in total number of people obtaining citizenship– this has increased by 58% as
compared to the previous year 2017-18. The year ending June 30, 2018 (fiscal year 201718) had seen India emerge as the largest group to obtain Australian citizenship, toppling UK. In this period, Indians obtaining citizenship by conferral numbered 17,756, out of an aggregate of 80,649 (a ratio of 22%). Immigration specialists say the aggregate numbers had hit a new low in 201718.
Three Indian-origin CEOs in Harvard Business Review’s top 10 best-performing heads
India received $79 billion in remittances in 2018, tops in the world According to the World Bank’s latest Migration and Development Brief, India has been recognised as the top recipient of remittances, with the country receiving a whopping $79 billion as remittances in 2018! However, a large chunk of this amount is often kept in savings accounts, which inevitably translates to low returns. Here’s where fixed deposits come into play. Bank FDs are lowrisk investment instruments that allow you to grow your wealth substantially over a fixed period of time. And similar to how an Indian citizen can opt for domestic FDs, NRIs (Nonresident Indians) too have dedicated FD accounts through which they can earn higher than a savings account. However, before you start investing, it’s better to know about these
Indians for 2nd consecutive year are largest group of new citizens in Australia
accounts first. For Non-resident Indians, there are two types of accounts they can open with Indian banks—Non-resident External accounts (NRE) and Non-resident Ordinary accounts (NRO). NRE FDs are beneficial for those earning in a foreign currency and who would like to get the amount converted to the value of Indian currency. Some of the major highlights of an NRE FD account are that the interest earned is tax-free and both the principal and the interest amount are completely repatriable. Do consider that the money deposited is subject to currency rate fluctuations, and also that NRE joint accounts can only be opened with another NRI.On the other hand, NRO FDs are meant primarily for income earned by NRIs in India.
Three Indian-origin CEOs, Shantanu Narayen, Ajay Banga and Satya Nadella are among the world’s top 10 best-performing chief executives, featured in a list complied by the Harvard Business Review (HBR). ‘The Best-Performing CEOs in the World, 2019’ list by the HBR features 100 CEOs and has been topped by American technology company NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang. Among the top 10 chief executives on the list, three spots have been occupied by the Indian-origin CEOs. On the 6th spot is Adobe CEO Narayen, followed by MasterCard CEO Banga, ranked 7th and Microsoft chief Nadella on the 9th spot. The list also features India-born CEO of DBS Bank Piyush Gupta on the 89th spot. Apple CEO Tim Cook is ranked 62nd. The list also includes Nike CEO Mark Parker ranked 20, JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon (23), Lockheed Martin CEO
Marillyn Hewson (37), Disney CEO Robert Iger (55) and SoftBank head Masayoshi Son (96). The HBR said since 2015, its ranking has been based not only on financial performance but also on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who has been the top CEO every year since 2014 on the basis of financial performance alone, failed to make this year’s list owing to Amazon’s relatively low ESG scores. To compile the list of the world’s bestperforming CEOs, HBR said it began with the companies that at the end of 2018 were in the S&P Global 1200, which is an index that reflects 70 per cent of the world’s stock market capitalisation and includes firms in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia.
HELLO has arrived AT ART KNAPP SURREY!
Now that summer’s over, Fall is in full force at Art Knapp Surrey. There’s tons of fun to be had around the store, and it is all kid-friendly! NEW FALL ARRIVALS Telus will be here on Saturday, Oct 19th between 12-4 • Fall Mums, Winter Pansies, and Spring flowering bulbs! Want tulips in the Spring? Plant now!
• Cozy sweaters and jackets in the ladies clothing section arriving daily!
Prizes will include:
TRAIN RIDES TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH! • •
with their facepainters and the opportunity to
Enter a contest which will end December 31 st.
Under cover, mud-free pumpkin patch; great for toddlers! Let the train drop you off at the patch! $3.50 per person (plus tax.) Pumpkin sold separately. FREE spooky forest maze - but not TOO scary for the little ones! Open during our regular business hours!
1 55” 4K Smart TV 1 Philips Hue Smart Light Kit (contains 3 bulbs, 1 control bridge, 1 dimmer switch and 1 Google Home Mini) 2 Google Home Minis 2 $50 Amazon gift cards
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR REGULAR UPDATES!! n ily fu Fam ith mini w zone lf and a go ride train
Art Knapp Surrey
4391 King George Blvd., Surrey
604-596-9201
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Celebrating
77 Years 1942 - 2019
9am - 5:30pm every day, including holidays Leave the car at home, bus stops right in front of our store.
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Saturday, November 2, 2019