Indo-Canadian Voice Main - Feb 25 2023

IT seems obvious that BC Liberal MLAs Trevor Halford and Shirley Bond and former BC Liberal MLA Brenda Locke, who is now the Mayor of Surrey, had planned their attack on Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth in the House during Question Hour on Tuesday in connection with the Surrey policing transition, accusing him of dragging his feet in the matter.

But Farnworth gave it back good and proper, making it abundantly clear that public safety will be the main factor in his decision.

From the exchanges, it becomes evident that Halford and Bond were only interested in scoring points against the government while shedding crocodile tears for Surrey-ites, who Locke claims with her unverified financial figures will face an exorbitant increase of 17.5 percent in property taxes.

In spite of Farnworth repeatedly stressing that the process had to ensure public safety for Surreyites, the BC liberals only seemed interested in pressuring the minister to make a hasty decision on the matter, whereas any responsible politician would in fact praise Farnworth for his due diligence.

Also, the heckling by BC Liberal MLAs betrayed a lack of both

decency and responsibility. Why couldn’t they let Farnworth complete what he was saying without interrupting him and then ask any supplementary questions so that British Columbians would know all the facts?

Farnworth was right to have chided the MLAs for not doing their homework!

On Wednesday, BC Liberal MLA Mike de Jong tried to browbeat Farnworth, but the latter slammed him back, making him also look pathetic. Farnworth also quoted BC

Liberal Kevin Falcon’s assurance to the Punjabi Press Club of B.C. in March 2022 that he would work hard for a smooth and successful transition from the RCMP to Surrey Police Service.

From Farnworth’s revelations, it becomes quite clear that the RCMP do NOT have enough officers to ensure proper staffing and that both the RCMP and the City of Surrey had submitted fudged plans for reversing the policing transition.

In fact, that is why Locke has been in a panic that was so vividly

exposed by her threat of a 17.5-percent increase in property taxes on the Saturday of a long weekend. She apparently wanted to create panic among Surrey-ites before others could refute her ludicrous figures.

But all that crafty strategy has once again blown up in her face.

(To view the videos, please visit our website voiceonline.com)

Langley’s generous philanthropist community showed their dedication to health care excellence at Langley Memorial Hospital during the fourth annual Giving Hearts Gala on February 11, raising $240,000 to renovate the hospital’s Spiritual Space.

Photo shows the donors’ group. CK Wright Photography

Mike Farnworth.

Members of :

MP Sukh Dhaliwal pleased at deferral of Rolling Truck Age Program; blames former Conservative government

SUKH Dhaliwal, Liberal MP for Surrey-Newton said on Thursday that he was pleased that the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority had heard the calls from himself and his Liberal caucus colleagues to defer the implementation of the Rolling Truck Age Program, which was set to go into effect in April.

He added: “The Rolling Truck Age Program was implemented under the former Conservative government. Since 2015, our Liberal government has been working with Port truckers and have heard their frustrations with this program. This program unfairly targets the owners and operators of the Metro Vancouver container trucking sector.”

He noted that this sector plays an essential role in sustaining and supporting Canada’s supply chains and contributes to employment in the province of British Columbia.

Dhaliwal said: “Although I support the Port’s interest to reduce emissions, it cannot be done at the expense of one targeted group. I have been working on this issue for many years and I will continue to advocate for workers and families in Surrey-Newton as drayage truckers are critical to our supply chain and Canada’s success.”

The Port of Vancouver announced on Thursday that “in light of the current economic landscape and continued pandemic-related issues, we will again defer implementation of the [Rolling Truck Age Program] for no less than nine months.” It also pointed out that “more than 85% of truck operators are now compliant with the requirements of the Rolling Truck Age Program – benefitting the region’s air quality as well as the health of families and communities throughout the Lower Mainland.”

EARLIER on Thursday, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene and cancel

the Rolling Truck Age Program. He said in a statement: “After eight years of Justin Trudeau, Canadians are struggling to deal with the costof-living crisis that his inflationary policies have caused. The cost of essential goods has skyrocketed.

Justin Trudeau’s out-of-touch government is supporting another back-breaking policy at the Port of Vancouver that will further drive up the cost of goods.

“The Rolling Truck Age Program, supported by Justin Trudeau, will make life even more expensive for Canadians. Although trucks that are 12 years old are fully legal to operate on British Columbia’s roads outside the Port. But for some inexplicable reason, hardworking truckers are being told they must purchase new trucks that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – simply to drive into the Port to do their critical jobs.

“Fewer trucks moving goods to and from the Port will further increase the cost of essential goods for already struggling Canadians. Justin Trudeau’s ever-increasing carbon tax is driving up diesel fuel costs, and now the costs of these new trucks will be added to the bill Canadians pay at the grocery store

from coast to coast.”

Poilievre pointed out: “Canada’s ports, just like airports, are a direct federal responsibility. But Justin Trudeau and his incompetent Minister of Transport are once again trying to dodge any responsibility. Just as the mess we have seen at our airports is a result of failed Liberal policies, our ports are a disaster as well. After eight years of Liberal failures, the Port of Vancouver ranks 368th out of 370 ports around the world.”

He added: “Justin Trudeau must direct his Minister of Transport to intervene and immediately cancel – not delay – this foolish and reckless policy. Canadians cannot afford anything less.”

Sant Mangat, 72, of Surrey convicted of child exploitation offence

SANT Mangat, 72, of Surrey has been convicted of a child exploitation offence following a proactive investigation by the BC RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit (BC ICE).

On January 20, Mangat pled guilty and was sentenced to a 15-month conditional sentence order for the offence of telecommunicat-

ing to lure a child under 16. He was also sentenced to 12 months of probation, and must abide by multiple conditions, including those governing his access to the Internet and children under the age of 16.

Mangat was arrested by BC ICE on December 15, 2021, following a proactive online investigation by

BC ICE that began in March 2020.

“This conviction is a direct result of the work of our specialized ICE investigators who identified a possible online predator communicating with someone whom they believed to be a youth online,” said Constable Katherine Bizier of BC ICE. “Our investigators work on a daily basis to iden-

tify, pursue, and disrupt offenders of these crimes targeting children.”

BC ICE encourages all parents to stay aware of their children’s online activities and to talk to their children about online safety. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection can help provide caregivers with the resources needed.

Department: newsdesk@voiceonline.com

The news deadline for this issue of The VOICE was Friday morning. For more news and updates, please visit our website voiceonline.com

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Community grieves over stunning loss of 14-year-old hockey player Robin Singh Janjua

THE community is mourning the sudden passing away on February 13 of 14-year-old Robin Singh Janjua who played on Delta Hockey Academy’s U15 Green team. Earlier, he played with Semiahmoo Minor Hockey in South Surrey/ White Rock.

The Delta Hockey Academy posted the following on Twitter on February 21: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Delta Hockey Academy student-athlete Robin Janjua. Robin was a kind-hearted young man who will be greatly missed by his U15 Green teammates and the entire Delta Hockey Academy family.

“Over the past week our community has been grieving the loss of our friend and our teammate. … We will continue to work with the Janjua family to honour Robin’s legacy as an exceptional student, athlete and teammate. Thank you

to the wider hockey community for supporting our student-athletes during this difficult time and for honouring Robin’s life in your own ways over the past week. We’ll miss you so much, Robin.”

The Surrey Eagles posted the following on their Facebook: “The Surrey Eagles are grieving the loss of one of the brightest stars of our local community, in the passing of Robin Janjua. Along with the Janjua family, our players and families, we remember the unforgettable presence that Robin brought as he touched the hearts of our entire hockey community in Surrey.

“He was a beloved son, brother and friend to many. He absolutely loved the game of hockey, he was exceptionally talented and had a strong commitment and positive attitude whenever he played. Robin embodied the essence of what it meant to be a great teammate, and his loss will continue to be

felt deeply across the hockey community. On behalf of the Surrey Eagles, our players and parents, we are sending our thoughts and prayers to the Janjua family at this very difficult time.

“All are welcome to attend the funeral for Robin Janjua on Saturday, February 25th at 10:00am at Riverside Funeral Home in Delta.”

A few days earlier, on February 19, the Surrey Eagles held a pregame ceremony to honour Robin with. They posted the following on their Facebook page: “Our hockey community is hurting following the passing of Robin Janjua. In honour of Robin and in the support of the Janjua Family, both the Eagles and [Chilliwack] Chiefs are using Robin’s favourite color, blue stick tape tonight as well as stickers with Robin’s initials on their helmets.”

Semiahmoo Minor Hockey on its

Facebook page wrote: “Semiahmoo Minor Hockey is grieving the loss of one of its brightest stars with the passing of Robin Janjua. Along with the Janjua family, our players and families, we remember the unforgettable presence that Robin brought as he touched the hearts of our entire community. Robin left the Ravens to play for Delta Hockey Academy at the start of this season. He is a beloved son, brother and friend to many. He absolutely loved the game of hockey, he was exceptionally talented and had a strong commitment and positive attitude whenever he played. Robin embodied the essence of what it meant to be a great teammate, and his loss will continue to be felt deeply across the hockey community. On behalf of Semiahmoo Ravens Hockey, our players and parents, we are sending our thoughts and prayers to the Janjua family at this very difficult time.”

Photo: Delta Hockey Academy Twitter

Photo: Semiahmoo Minor Hockey

Photo: Surrey Eagles Facebook

Surrey Police Service calls for independent audit of transition costs

Why can’t Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke be honest about financial numbers?

OVER the long weekend, the City of Surrey released their draft 2023-2027 General Operating and Capital Budgets, which claim that a 9.5% general property tax increase is required in 2023 to fund the “policing shortfall”. Surrey Police Service (SPS) said on Monday that it has repeatedly disputed the financial numbers used by the City to arrive at inflated costs attributed solely to SPS. Previously, the City attributed these same cost increases to the RCMP, citing the RCMP’s slower than anticipated rate of demobilization, security clearance delays, and lengthy RCMP decision making process.

The SPS said that there are a number of other factors that Surrey residents should be informed of when considering the cost of their policing, and any tax increases being proposed by the City.

These include:

1. The slowdown of deployments and cessation of RCMP demobilizations since the

October 2022 municipal election. This added an estimated $5 million in costs without the demobilization of RCMP officers.

2. The City’s proposed addition of 25 new RCMP officers and four administrative staff in 2023.

3. The retention of the RCMP would actually cost taxpayers $50 million more in 2023 than continuing the transition to SPS, as there would be no need for the costs to “wind down” SPS (severance, legal, etc.).

4. The fact that SPS officers currently make up 45% of the City’s current targeted strength of 734 officers. If SPS was allowed to continue, that would increase to 80-90% by the end of 2023.

Furthermore, should the transition to SPS be approved to continue, the City’s cost estimates include a nine-month pause of the transition and five more years for the com-

pletion of the transition. Both of these assumptions would unnecessarily extend the transition timeline, resulting in higher costs than necessar y.

“We are becoming increasingly concerned by the City of Surrey’s financial numbers that seem to be inflated and mischaracterized simply to call the viability of Surrey Police Service into question,” said Chief Constable Norm Lipinski.

“Surrey residents don’t know who to believe and, quite frankly, I don’t blame them. There are many benefits that municipal policing will bring to Surrey, however, I certainly understand that cost is a significant factor to residents. SPS would fully support an independent audit involving SPS, the City, and the RCMP in order to ensure taxpayers get the clarity they deserve on the policing transition.”

Safe Surrey Coalition slams Mayor Locke for her “Keep The RCMP Tax” that will ruin families, businesses

SAFE Surrey Coalition councillors Doug Elford and Mandeep Nagra are strongly opposing the Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke’s proposed property tax increase of 17.5% for the next three years.

The property tax increase is aimed at keeping the RCMP in Surrey instead of transitioning to the Surrey Police Service, which has been budgeted for at an overall 2.9% property tax rate. This would be the biggest tax increase in the history of Surrey, if not British Columbia.

Elford and Nagra are criticizing the Mayor for being out of touch with the financial realities facing Surrey families and small businesses during uncertain economic times.

“This tax increase is unnecessary and will financially ruin families and small businesses. Mayor Brenda Locke will put families and small businesses at the brink of bankruptcy,” said Elford. “The Safe Surrey

Coalition has kept property taxes at 2.9% for four years while budgeting for the SPS transition, making record investments in capital projects, creating business friendly environments and maintaining a balanced budget.

This tax increase is completely unjustified.”

Nagra echoed Elford’s concerns, emphasizing that the proposed tax increase would be devastating for many Surrey families and small businesses.

“The cost of living due to high inflation has already created hardship for many families and small businesses, and this tax increase will only make matters worse,” said Nagra.

“Mayor Brenda Locke’s tax increase is an attack on small businesses and jobs in Surrey, her 17.5% tax increase for next three years will cause a mass exodus of businesses moving out of Surrey to neighbouring business friendly municipalities. The Mayor needs to wake up and realize that Surrey families and businesses cannot afford her “Keep The RCMP Tax” increase.”

Elford and Nagra are urging the Mayor to reconsider the proposed tax increase and continue in line with previous capital budgets, which have already been budgeted

for at a 2.9% overall property tax rate. They argue that the Mayor’s proposal will only further hurt families and businesses in Surrey, and that the Mayor needs to start listening to the concerns of her constituents.

SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski Photo: SPS

Doug Elford Mandeep Nagra

Surrey councillors Linda Annis and Mike Bose slam Mayor Locke’s threats of 17.5 per cent tax increase

SURREY First councillors Linda Annis and Mike Bose on Tuesday slammed Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke for her threats of a 17.5 per cent tax increase worth more than $400 for the average home.

Annis said: “We’re still dealing with a lot of financial assumptions about the cost of keeping the Surrey Police Service, or continuing with the RCMP, and that lack of solid information has bothered me right from the start. An independent set of eyes on numbers provided by the RCMP and the SPS would have ensured we had the best and most accurate information, something we still do not have, and something that’s critical to making good financial decisions for the city. Facts, not fiction, that’s what we need as we build the 2023 budget.”

Annis said keeping the SPS would save millions in severance costs, but keeping the SPS means higher annual policing costs than those charged by the contracted RCMP.

“The Mayor says the SPS would cost about $250 million more than the RCMP over the next five years, but the SPS disputes that figure,” said Annis. “Again, we don’t have a cred-

ible third party checking any of these claims, and as a result, our 2023 budget is being built on sand rather than a bedrock of facts we can count on. For instance, the budget makes a big assumption that if the SPS is disbanded that half of the SPS members would join the RCMP. SPS members are more likely to join another municipal police service, like the Vancouver Police Department, which is looking for 100 new officers. It is unlikely that very

many SPS members will decide to join the RCMP, which is a completely different organization and culture. Every police force is hiring, so it is more likely SPS members will go to municipal forces than the RCMP.”

Bose said he wants City Hall to look at options, rather than imposing a damaging tax increase on families and businesses in a single year.

“There isn’t a family or business in Surrey that isn’t stretched right now, and the last thing our community needs is City Hall making their lives harder,” said Bose. “This financial mess wasn’t created by the residents of Surrey. But like every mistake made by incompetent and short-sighted politicians, taxpayers are the ones that have to clean it up. So, I’m saying to my colleagues at City Hall, we should be looking at ways to limit or reduce the pain.”

Annis said one option would be a more affordable increase brought in gradually over three or four years.

“There’s an old rule in politics that you do the unpopular things early in your term, because people might forget by the next election,” said Annis. “But a 17.5 per cent increase in

a single year is a lot more than many people can handle, and I doubt any of us will forget about it down the road. Frankly, it’s incumbent on all of us on Council to look at the financial capacity of our citizens and find options that don’t damage families and local businesses over the long term. It’s the least we can do, particularly when the problem we’re facing started right here at city hall in the first place.”

Surrey Police Service dismisses Surrey Mayor Locke’s bogus policing budget figures

EVEN as Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke tried yet another one of her desperate scare tactics on Saturday (February 18) in connection with the policing budget for the City, the Surrey Police Service hit back by pointing out that it “has repeatedly disputed the financial numbers offered by those opposed to the policing transition, adding: “We believe in the strength and accuracy of our submission to the province.” The SPS said: “More importantly, we believe in the progressive policing model that we are able to deliver through our dedicated staff of nearly 400. Once again, we wish to allow the province the time and space, free from politics, to make the appropriate decision for public safety in Surrey and for the rest of British Columbia.” Government sources say that the Province rejected the bogus figures that the City and the RCMP submitted about their ability to ensure a proper number of officers for adequate security, whereas the SPS’s figures were reassuring. That is why the Province had to ask the different parties involved in the policing transition

dispute to resubmit their plans.

Locke immediately launched another of her scare tactic moves, but was exposed by others.

Quite apparently, both the City and the RCMP know their latest submissions also lack merit, so on Saturday (February 18), Locke in a carefully calculated move during the long weekend sent another one of her press releases about the City’s budget to put pressure on the Province and try to incite Surrey-ites against the ongoing transition with fudged figures.

LOCKE announced in a long press release that the City of Surrey’s 2023-2027 General Operating and Capital Budgets were now available for the public to view, adding: “More than half of the property tax increases for 2023 is to fund the costs associated with the police transition.” But her figures are all apparently distorted and / or made up and cannot be relied on. This is quite obviously another one of her scare strate-

gies in partnership with the RCMP that is desperately trying to cling on to Surrey although the majority of Surrey-ites want to get rid of them.

Locke said that a public meeting of the Finance Committee will be held March 6 at 2 p.m. to consider the 2023 Budget. The public can provide comment in person at the Finance Committee meeting or through written submissions. The deadline for written comments is noon on Friday, March 3.

The Draft 2023 Budgets and Five-Year Plan can be viewed at: www.surrey.ca/city-government/city-departments/finance/financial-documents

So why didn’t Locke wait until Tuesday (that is, after the end of the long weekend) to say the same thing?

Because she feared that she would have been exposed right away — which is what the VOICE is doing now anyway!

Linda Annis Mike Bose

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke (right) with her buddy, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards: From laughter to panic!

Giving Hearts Gala donors raise $240,000 to renew Spiritual Space at Langley Memorial Hospital

LANGLEY’S generous philanthropist community showed their dedication to health care excellence at Langley Memorial Hospital during the fourth annual Giving Hearts Gala on February 11, where 350 donors and sponsors raised $240,000 to renovate the hospital’s Spiritual Space.

The urgent needs to renovate the hospital’s Spiritual Space inspired extraordinary donors Racy Sidhu, Garry Gill of Surrey Cedar, and the Bath Family Foundation to commit $10,000 each for the cause.

In an exciting turn of events, the Mann family, made up of local philanthropists Balraj Mann, Giving Hearts Gala co-founder, his wife Jasbir Mann and his children, donated an additional $100,000 to help equip Langley Memorial’s Pain Clinic, which offers daily care and treatment to people who seek treatment for chronic pain.

The new funding will help the pain management team replace aging equipment that threatened to slow down treatment and led to waiting lists as long as three months.

“Patients with chronic pain are referred by their doctors, but there’s a long waiting list for the pain management services, because equipment wears quickly with so much use.

“With less working equipment, our specialists have to work slower, and the waiting lists grow even longer,” said Heather Scott, Executive Director of Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation. “Thanks to the generosity of the Mann family, hundreds of patients will find relief sooner.”

The family dedicated the gift to the memory of Satnam Kaur Mann, Balraj’s mother, who passed away last year.

One in five Canadians suffers from chronic pain, which can impair nearly every aspect of their lives, from employment and finances, to their social and family dynamics and emotional well-being. Visits to LMH’s Pain Clinic involve detailed exams, and diagnostic tests with four clinicians, who help patients manage their pain through Injections, medication, therapy and self-management programs.

“The Mann family’s generous donation allows me to double the number of patients I see, because we’ll be able to acquire new state of the art equipment to enhance their safety, and help to alleviate their suffering,” says Langley Memorial Hospital anesthetist

and pain management specialist Dr. Sri Kollipara.

Journalist and Giving Hearts Gala committee member Sonia West emceed the event, which featured lively performances from Royal Academy of Punjab’s Bhangra Dance team, Dhol (Indian drumming) from Darvn Gill and the soothing sitar mastery of Anju Bedi.

This year, guest speaker Retired Cpl. Baltej Singh Dhillon, the first Sikh to wear a turban as a part of the official Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) uniform, addressed the crowd with his message on integrating the principles of Sikhism in local philanthropy.

“We have the opportunity to serve and to support a space that will help patients, their loved ones and health care workers find peace, solace and support in a time of crisis or loss,” said Dhillon. Giving Hearts guests’ donations will support renovations to the Spiritual Space at Langley Memorial, transforming it from a dated, dim space into a serene environment designed for privacy and healing, prayer, meditation, or quiet thought.

“At the Foundation, we knew that a Spiritual Space would inspire the generosity of the Giving Hearts Gala

community, which is dedicated to hospital care that serves emotional and psychological needs — care from the inside out,” said Heather Scott.

Since 2019, Giving Hearts gala guests and sponsors have raised $905,000 for advances that make an impact on the lives of Langley residents every day, including $200,000 to help fund the Martini Family Emergency Centre and MRI Suite; $150,000 for wheelchairs and walkers to aid patient mobility, and another $215,000 to fund lifesaving care for vulnerable newborns through a new Giraffe Carestation for Langley’s Maternity unit.

Retired Cpl. Baltej Singh Dhillon

The Mann Family All photos: CK Wright Photography

BC Secondary Schools Wrestling Championship takes place February 24-25

What: the 2023 BC Secondary Schools

Wrestling Championship

Who: Wrestlers from all nine BC School

Sports zones

Where: Pacific Coliseum on Renfrew Street, Vancouver

When: Friday & Saturday, February 2425

Finals: Saturday, February 25, 2-5 p.m.

Tickets: reserve your entrance to the event via Ticket Leader through their website: (www.ticketleader.ca/events/detail/ bc-school-sports-wrestling-provincialchampionship); or at the box office entrance to the Pacific Coliseum.

Interesting Facts:

* 494 qualified athletes – 304 boys, 190 girls

* Wrestlers from furthest away: Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert, Bella Coola, and Nelson

* Wrestlers closest to the venue: Notre Dame Secondary

* Regions with highest participation at their Zone Qualifier tournament: Vancouver Sea-to-Sky (220), Fraser North (169), Fraser South (111)

* School with the most qualified boys’ entries: Byrne Creek Secondary with 19

* School with the most qualified girls’ entries: Maple Ridge Secondary with 12

* Zones with most seeded wrestlers on the boys’ side of the draw in each weight class (top four): * Sea-to-Sky (14-but mostly third and fourth seeds), Fraser South (10–mostly first and second seeds), East Valley (8-mostly first and second seeds)

* Zones with most seeded wrestlers on the girls’ side of the draw in each weight class (top four): Fraser North (7-mostly first and second seeds), Vancouver Island (5-mostly first and second seeds), Vancouver Sea-to-Sky (3-mostly third and fourth seeds)

* Schools with the most seeded wrestlers on the boys’ side of the draw: Tamanawis (5-mostly first and second seeds), W.J. Mouat (4-mostly first and second seeds), Carson Graham and Abby Senior (3 each, mostly third and fourth seeds)

* Schools with the most seeded wrestlers on the girls’ side of the draw: Maple Ridge (4-mostly first and second seeds), Guildford Park and Elphinstone (3 each, one top seed, the others are third and fourth seeds)

* Five boys to watch for: Micah Calipiz-54 kg (Notre Dame Secondary), Arad Ahangi-57 kg (Carson Graham Secondary), Sartaj Sanghara-74 kg (Khalsa Secondary), Rohit Bal-78 kg (Tamanawis Secondary), Tejvir Dhinsa-84 kg (W.J. Mouat Secondary)

* Five girls to watch for: Alice Clements51kg (Elphinstone Secondary), Olivia Rhodes-54 kg (Ucluelet Secondary), Ella Finding-57 kg (Port Moody Secondary), Mera Batha-60 kg (John Oliver Secondary), Marley Jackson-64 kg (Burnaby Mountain Secondary)

* Schools most likely to compete for the Aggregate Award (combined Boys and Girls points): Maple Ridge Secondary, Elphinstone Secondary, Alberni District Secondary

CANADIAN Olympians who emerged through the BC High School championship tournament, held for the first time in 1965:

Munich, 1972-Taras Hryb (Oak Bay)

Montreal, 1976-Jim Miller (Delbrook)

Los Angeles, 1984 and Seoul, 1988-Clark Davis (Mt. Douglas)

Los Angeles, 1984 and Seoul, 1988-Chris Rinke (Poco)

Seoul, 1988-Steve Marshall (Poco)

Seoul, 1988-Dan Payne (Poco)

Barcelona, 1992-Tom Petryshen (Guildford Park)

Photo:

Barcelona, 1992-Greg Edgelow (Vernon)

Atlanta, 1996-Scott Bianco (Norkam)

Atlanta, 1996-Craig Roberts (Smithers)

Atlanta, 1996-Yogi Johl (Tupper)

Sydney, 2000-Cam Johnston (Smithers –represented Australia)

Athens, 2004-Lyndsay Belisle (Hazelton)

Beijing, 2008-Travis Cross (Alberni)

Beijing, 2008 and London, 2012-Carol

Huyhn (Hazelton)

London, 2012-Arjun Bhullar (McRoberts)

Tokyo, 2020-Amar Dhesi (Burnaby Central)

**Olympic Wrestling referees who first emerged through officiating at the BC High

School Championship tournament: Atlanta, 1996 and Sydney, 2000-Kjeld Brodsgaard; Beijing, 2008-Jim Mitchell.

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‘Home-based withdrawal management and detox program’ for Surrey, Delta and White Rock

Program will have an ethno-specific focus for South Asian community

OPTIONS Community Services (OCS), a nonprofit society, has received approved funding through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) to operate a ‘homebased withdrawal management and detox program’ to serve the Surrey, Delta and White Rock regions. This much-needed community-driven initiative will operate over two years as a pilot from the funded $2.6 million received from Health Canada.

The demand for detox services in these communities outstrips the availability of resources. Wait times for government-funded rehab centres are anywhere from 30-60 days currently. The consequences of substance use for the individual, family, workplace, and community are overwhelming and devastating, while the costs in terms of money, relationships, reputation, and family wellbeing is immense and can last for generations. A 2014 study suggested that $15.7 billion dollars in productivity was lost to the Canadian economy as a result of substance misuse.

The program will have an ethno-specific focus for the South Asian community. The provision of outreach reduces the barriers to access services so that individuals can continue to participate in their familial responsibilities, culture, employment, etc. Outreach workers alongside medical staff will give support to the individual and their families, providing wrap-around resources where needed.

“I would like to congratulate Options Community Services (OCS) on the launch of the ‘homebased withdrawal management and detox program’,” said Surrey Centre MP Randeep Sarai. “It is an important program that will provide Surrey residents with the support and resources needed to combat substance abuse. OCS is a pillar in the community, and I am pleased to see such a pilot program beginning in the city. As the Member of Parliament for Surrey Centre for the past seven years, I have heard first-hand how substance abuse can affect those most vulnerable, and I have witnessed the increased demand for such programs. The ‘home-based withdrawal management and detox program’ is one such

program. I look forward to watching it succeed.”

OCS, with over 600 staff and 19 plus locations throughout the South Fraser has a wide range of services from supporting new families and new Canadians, to Work BC programs, mental health programs, shelters, transitional houses, Fraser crisis lines and supported housing programs, to name a few.

OCS will partner with Dr. Julian Somers and his research team who will be assisting in the evaluation of this initiative.

The pilot program will be launched in April 2023. In April, you can refer to www.options.bc.ca for more information about how to access the project.

NOTE:

This home-based program was developed after the Options Community Services team examined data showing that South Asian men in BC were dying at an alarming rate from drug toxicity, increasing 250% between 2015 and 2018. 66% of these men were under 40 years old, 89% lived in a private residence and 65% lived with family, while 51% were fathers to children under 18 years of age.

The program will require an approval from the patient themselves and involve a minimum of five days of home visits by a nurse, doctor, and outreach worker. If they choose to do so, the patient will then have access to referrals to the next steps of recovery, such as counselling and other treatment options.

There will be a careful medical screening done in advance to ensure that the individual who needs to detox is able to do so safety from a home setting.

There are cultural differences within the South Asian community, and concerns about privacy, therefore the hope is that this program will help those in need to access detox that may not otherwise choose to access the current detox and withdrawal management offerings. There are also often long waits to access detox in BC, overall.

More VPD officers being temporarily deployed in Downtown Eastside to curb gun violence

VANCOUVER Police are temporarily increasing the number of officers in the Downtown Eastside, following nearly a week of gun violence that injured two men and left people in surrounding neighourhoods shaken. The decision comes after a 24-year-old man was shot on Thursday morning while riding his bike near East Hastings Street, and in the midst of a four-day span in which VPD officers have recovered 14 real and replica firearms from the neighbourhood.

“The number of guns currently in the Downtown Eastside is alarming, and we’re worried for the safety of people who live and work in the area,” said Sgt. Steve Addison on Thursday. “Besides putting extra officers on the street, our organized crime experts and major crime investigators are working to determine why we’re seeing such an increase in guns in the area.”

VPD officers found the latest shooting victim this morning near East Hastings and Carrall Street, after being called to an SRO hotel by BC Ambulance Service. Investigators believe the victim was shot around 5 a.m. while riding a bike near the Downtown Eastside. The man was able to make his way back home before calling 9-1-1. The incident comes less than four days after a man was shot multiple times near Main and Hastings, in what police believe was a targeted attack that originated near the encampment on East Hastings Street.

Frontline officers conducting proactive enforcement in the Downtown Eastside have made a number of arrests since Sunday’s shooting. The additional officers are part of a dedicated quick-response team that nor-

mally moves around the city. They’ll assist by conducting additional patrols on East Hastings Street, in Chinatown, and throughout Gastown to deter crime and respond to in-progress violence.

“Residents of the Downtown Eastside already face so many hardships, and they shouldn’t have to worry that someone with a gun, a machete, or bear spray is going to make their lives more difficult,” said Addison. “Our only goal by adding more officers is to restore a sense of safety in the community and to target the law-breakers who are putting people at risk.”

Police encourage anyone who believes their safety is in immediate danger, or anyone with information about a violent crime in progress, to call 9-1-1.

Vancouver Police seize loaded guns, bear spray, other dangerous weapons over the long weekend

VANCOUVER Police made multiple arrests following a volatile weekend in the Downtown Eastside, which saw officers seize loaded guns, bear spray, and other dangerous weapons.

Officers responded to several in-progress crimes throughout the long weekend, conducted proactive enforcement, and made a number of arrests to curb increased violence in the neighbourhood, the VPD said on Tuesday.

Incidents of note:

* Officers were patrolling West Hastings Street around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday when they spotted three men in balaclavas jay-walking near Abbott Street. The officers stopped the men to write a ticket for the bylaw offence, then discovered one was in possession of a loaded handgun. The two others were carrying knives and bear spray. Kaugen Bull, 22, has been charged with possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, and possession of a firearm with an altered serial number.

* Officers patrolling near Columbia and East

Hastings streets saw a man commit a bylaw offence just before 10 a.m. on Saturday. The man tried to run away from the officers, but he was arrested less than a block away after a brief foot chase. The officers recovered a loaded Glock handgun and illicit drugs, which police believe the man possessed for the purpose of trafficking. Garret Thomas, 25, has been charged with possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm.

* After a woman in her 30s was bear sprayed outside the Carnegie Centre at Main and East Hastings streets on Sunday morning, VPD officers tracked the suspect to a tent near the Patricia Hotel, where they arrested two men and recovered a sawed-off shotgun. A man in his 20s from Winnipeg and a 40-year-old man from Alberta are due back in court in April. The bear-spray victim was not seri-

ously hurt.

* Officers patrolling East Hastings Street earlier on Tuesday stopped a man who was riding his bike recklessly through traffic and on the sidewalk. The cyclist had bail conditions not to be in the area, and when officers arrested him, they discovered a cache of weapons, including a gun, a machete, bear spray, a baton, and ammunition.

The uptick in violence and weapons comes as VPD continues to investigate a broad-daylight shooting near Main and Hastings streets that left a 31-year-old man with serious injuries on Sunday afternoon. Investigators from VPD’s Major Crime Section and Organized Crime Section are reviewing the cases to determine if they are linked or isolated. Anyone with information is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477.

Man charged in Sunday’s shooting in Downtown Eastside

A VPD investigation has led to charges following Sunday’s shooting in the Downtown Eastside.

Jamie George Guimond, 32, has been charged with attempted murder and discharging a firearm in connection with the incident, which occurred near Main and Hastings just after 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

VPD officers were working on East Hastings Street when the 31-year-old victim was repeatedly shot. While some officers stayed to care for

the injured man, others tracked the suspect as he fled from East Hastings to Chinatown, where he was arrested moments later.

The victim, who is known to police but does not live in the Downtown Eastside, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. He is expected to survive.

The suspect is originally from Alberta. Guimond remains in custody and will appear in court on February 24.

UTA says Port of Vancouver’s Rolling Truck Age Program being shelved because of its efforts

THE United Truckers Association (UTA) said on Friday that it is celebrating the Port of Vancouver’s announcement that it is further delaying the Rolling Truck Age Program to “reassess our emissions strategy” so that no less than nine months of consultation with “the drayage sector, the port community, government, and local Indigenous communities to refine the approach moving forward.”

The UTA’s February 11 meeting attracted over 2,000 container truckers, as well as various community leaders from the Punjabi community as well as MPs from both the Liberal government and the Conservative opposition.

The UTA said it was able to clearly demonstrate the hypocrisy of the Port on two key points:

1) The Port claim of the program reducing emissions equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the road is moot when considering their annual coal exports, which release emissions equal to putting 15 million cars onto the road;

2) 98% of BC’s 90,000 commercial vehicles

face different standards regarding pollution, where trucks are not judged on age, but rather on the amount of emissions they release into the atmosphere.

Following the meeting, four of the Liberal government MPs in attendance wrote a letter to federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra asking for the program to be cancelled, as all the burden of cost was being unfairly put on the backs of container truckers during a severe economic downturn.

This reversal of policy and approach by the Port of Vancouver is a testament to the UTA’s members and the vast number of community allies who acted in solidarity, according to UTA spokesperson Gagan Singh.

“The intervention of local MPs and the Minister was prompted by the overwhelming show of strength by UTA members and our local community partners, and we thank everyone for their efforts,” said Singh. “The Rolling Truck Age Program represents a huge injustice which targets container truckers in

comparison to all other commercial operators, and we are anxious to work with the Port of Vancouver and government to find a fairer alternative.”

The UTA said it is supportive of environmental protection and reducing pollution, but has consistently called for the Port’s approach to target emissions, not people. Arbitrary criteria like truck age or the way in which a truck looks (both things that the Port’s program factored in) should never be put ahead of the only measure that counts: how much particulate matter a truck is releasing into the atmosphere?

The UTA said it will continue to amplify the voices of thousands of container truckers in this period of consultation and program restructuring by the Port.

“We will be active and fully participate in upcoming discussions by offering tangible solutions that will improve air quality while ensuring equal, fair treatment for all container truckers,” added Singh.

Vancouver preparing for potential heavy snowfall this weekend

THE latest Vancouver forecasts are showing a likelihood of significant snowfall across the city this Saturday and Sunday. To prepare, City crews have been out treating all major routes with brine and/or salt. Staff and equipment will be available around-theclock over the weekend as needed. With as much as 30 centimetres in the forecast, the City encourages residents to only take essential trips and to take safety precautions if they need to drive. There are many things they can do to help keep the city safe in the event of snow:

* If you must travel, plan travel according to the City’s prioritized winter maintenance plan.

* If you need to be on the roads, travel with caution and give way to, or stay at a safe distance when following a plow, salt or brine truck.

* If your car is parked on a major route, move it to a side street to make room for plows.

* Remove snow before it hardens to ice.

Vancouver property owners and tenants are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the full width of sidewalks that surround

their property by 10 a.m. on the morning when there are freezing temperatures or snow on the ground.

* If you are unable to clear your walk and have no other alternatives, you are encouraged to sign up for the Snow Angel Program where volunteers are matched with people with mobility issues to help clear their sidewalks.

* Learn about preparing an emergency kit for your car and what to do if you get stuck

* Check Translink for transit updates and the

Provincial Drive BC website to plan travel on highways and commuter bridges exiting Vancouver.

* Learn about sustainable salt use to help

protect pets, vehicles, infrastructure and waterways. For the links to the above-mentioned, please visit our website voiceonline.com

UTA spokesperson Gagan Singh.

Photo by SUKHWANT DHILLON / AM 600 Sher-E-Punjab Radio

Snowfall in Vancouver's Gastown last December.

B.C. on Friday launched a new action plan with immediate steps to better prevent, detect and treat cancers, delivering improved care for people now while preparing for the growing needs of the future.

“Nearly every British Columbian has been affected by cancer in some way, through their own diagnosis or that of a family member or friend,” said Premier David Eby. “With this significant investment in cancer care, we can prevent and detect cancer earlier and improve access to treatment. This will help save lives and improve the quality of life of British Columbians, now and into the future.”

An initial $440-million investment will expand cancer-care teams and service hours, introduce revised pay structures to ensure B.C. is attractive and competitive for oncologists and cancer-care professionals, improve cancer screening programs, support cancer research, increase Indigenous patient support positions, and support patients who must travel for care from rural communities. To make access to cancer care more equitable for people living in rural and remote communities, this plan will include increased funding to support expenses relat-

ed to travelling for cancer care. Also, more cancer centres will be added throughout the province to bring treatment closer to home for people.

“As a cancer survivor and a patient partner, I’ve seen first-hand the kindness, compassion and commitment to putting patients first that’s shared by all of BC Cancer’s dedicated health professionals,” said Penelope Hedges.

“With these new investments and BC Cancer’s commitment to keeping patient voices at the forefront, there’s no limit to what we can do to change the lives of people with cancer in our province.”

Undertaking research and integrating findings is also critical for providing the best cancer care in B.C. The Province is providing a grant to the BC Cancer Foundation to support cancer research and attract highly skilled cancer-care providers.

The Ministry of Health has worked closely with BC Cancer to develop the plan. The commitment and expertise of BC Cancer, health authorities, physicians, nursing and allied health, public health and others who contribute to the cancer-care system are the cornerstones on which this plan is built.

The plan aligns with recommendations made in the In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care report, and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The 10-year cancer-care action plan is supported by B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy, which supports patients by ensuring they get the health services they need

and are cared for by a healthy workforce. This strategy focuses on 70 key actions to recruit, train and retain health-care workers in B.C. while redesigning the health-care system to foster workplace satisfaction and innovation.

(For backgrounders, please visit our website voiceonline.com)

Quick Facts:

* In 2021, more than 30,000 people in B.C. were newly diagnosed with cancer and more than 11,000 died because of cancer.

* Since 2017, B.C. has committed more than $1 billion to support the creation of a strong and sustainable cancer-care system.

* The Province has eliminated the 4,000-person waiting list for the Hereditary Cancer Program, launched the Lung Screening Program and launched the first at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) cervix screening pilots.

* BC Cancer has recently hired more than 325 full-time equivalent positions, including physicians and clinical support staff, to implement a new team-based care model in all six regional cancer centres.

Three youths take responsibility for North Vancouver racist graffiti incident

ON January 31, North Vancouver RCMP received a report of mischief at a residence in the 3000 block of Griffin Place. The homeowner reported that someone had spray painted racist remarks on their garage door. The victim believed the suspects involved may have been youth from the same neighborhood.

Patrol officers and the Youth Support Team worked diligently to identify the suspects, all three of whom are youths. The youths have cooperated with the investigation and have taken responsibility for their actions.

“While the investigation continues, the Youth Support Unit

Constable Mansoor Sahak

is taking steps to work with the youths and their families in partnership with the North Shore Restorative Justice Society,” said Constable Mansoor Sahak. He added: “That follow up has

already begun,” emphasizing that once issues of ongoing public safety have been resolved through de-escalation, the focus is to use principles of dialogue to foster reparation and healing.

North Shore Restorative Justice Society is a non-profit, charitable organization that aims to address the impacts of crime and conflict through processes that seek to meet the needs of the victims, offenders and their communities. Based on the values of accountability and respect, the restorative justice process provides youth and others with an alternative to the Criminal Court.

David Eby

Former cabinet minister Melanie Mark stepping down as MLA

FORMER cabinet minister, Melanie Mark, announced on Wednesday in the legislature on Wednesday that she is stepping down as MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant. Mark, an Indigenous MLA, had resigned from cabinet and gone on medical leave last September for personal and systemic reasons.

“This place felt like a torture chamber,” she said. “I will not miss the character assassination.”

She later tweeted: “While I am stepping back from politics, my will to see the pride and dignity restored for the DTES remains stronger than ever. Know that I will always be your ally, and I promise to keep paddling for justice, reconciliation and a BC that works for everyone.”

Mark will officially resign at the end of March.

BC NDP President Aaron Sumexheltza said in a statement: “On behalf of the BC NDP and its members, I share my deep gratitude to Melanie Mark for her years of service to her community and her constituency as the MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

“When Melanie was elected in 2016, she was the first First Nations woman to serve

V E R Y

Melanie Mark

in the BC legislature. In 2017, she became the first First Nations woman cabinet minister. Her contributions to our province are great, and while we wish her well on her next journey, we will miss her terribly.

“It is essential that we continue Melanie’s legacy in government. The BC NDP is committed to recruiting and electing Indigenous candidates to serve in the legislature.”

Richmond RCMP urgently seek more witnesses in connection with February 14 violent assaults on women

RICHMOND RCMP investigators on Wednesday sent out yet another urgent appeal for more witnesses to come forward in connection with the February 14 incident in which two women were randomly and violently assaulted that Valentine’s Day in the downtown core.

In particular, the investigation has revealed that a man stopped to assist the second victim after she was violently assaulted. Investigators believe he may have witnessed the assault and would like to speak with him directly.

They would also like to speak with the driver and occupants of a white sport utility vehicle (SUV) captured on video in the area at the time of one of the assaults.

(For videos, please visit our website voiceonline.com)

Given the typically high volume of traffic and pedestrians near the crime scene during weekday mornings, investigators believe there are further witnesses who have not yet come forward.

Shortly after 10 a.m. on February 14, a bystander flagged down a frontline Richmond RCMP officer along the 6400 block of Buswell Street after she discovered a woman lying unconscious on the sidewalk. The woman did not regain consciousness at the scene, and was transported to hospital by Emergency Health Services. In the absence of witnesses at the scene,

investigators initially believed this was a medical emergency of some sort.

Later that evening, a second woman reported to police that she had been randomly assaulted by an unknown male at approximately the same time that day as she was walking along the sidewalk at the same location where the first woman had been found lying on the sidewalk.

She too had been rendered unconscious for a brief time, but did not report the matter to police in the first instance.

In the interests of public safety, a team of investigators from Richmond RCMP’s Serious Crimes Unit, General Investigations Section, Organized Crime Unit and Strike Force immediately began a very thorough investigation, which quickly lead to the identification and location of the suspect believed to be responsible for these violent assaults.

On February 17, investigators arrested 41-year-old Ernesto Mendoza Malgapo of Richmond. He remains in custody, facing one charge of assault causing bodily harm. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 1.

Again, these random and violent assaults occurred along Buswell Street, between Cook Road and Saba Road, shortly after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14 – Valentine’s Day.

Anyone who may have witnessed these assaults, or who may have dash-cam video from the area, is requested to call Richmond RCMP at 604-278-1212.

Quote file numbers 2023-4816 or 4877 when you call.

Bringing our communities together with festivals and events

BY AMAN SINGH NDP MLA Richmond Queensborough

EVERY year, people around B.C. look forward to an array of festivals and events. From music festivals to sports tournaments to agricultural fairs, B.C.’s festival and events sector celebrates the diversity of people across our communities.

Our government understands that the tourism and events sector has been hit particularly hard over the past few years. To help, over the past three years, we have supported the tourism sector with over half a billion dollars in tourism support.

At the same time, we know that festivals and events continue to face many challenges –the loss of staff, volunteers, and attendees, increasing costs, supply chain shortages and other operational complexities. Our

government is stepping up to support the tourism industry and ensure amazing events throughout our province can continue. We’re providing $30 million to support B.C.’s fairs, festivals, and events as they re-

52 kilograms of illicit cannabis seized by New Westminster Police

ON February 1, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a member of New Westminster Police’s Gang Suppression Unit pulled over a vehicle that was speeding across the Queensborough Bridge. The officer initiated a traffic stop and spoke to the driver. The driver was arrested and search of the vehicle resulted in dozens of vacuumsealed bags of illicit cannabis, with a total weight of 52 kilograms.

“The Gang Suppression Unit routinely intercepts people with large amounts of drugs or dangerous weapons,” said Constable Gallagher, who made the traffic stop. “Though marijuana has

The seized illicit cannabis.

been legal in Canada since 2018, it is illegal to sell marijuana outside the measures outlined in the Cannabis Act,” said Sgt. Andrew Leaver. “Penalties for offences

under the Cannabis Act range from warnings and tickets for minor offences, to criminal prosecution and imprisonment for more serious offences.”

cover from the pandemic. With as much as $250,000 available to each event, these grants will help to cover venue rentals, wages for workers, marketing, and other operational costs so that the events can be held.

Supporting the tourism sector also means supporting local economies. Events and festivals create jobs for people, both at the event itself and at the local businesses in the area. Additionally, people travel from both near and far to attend events. People will spend time and money in our communities, visiting restaurants, hotels and motels, campgrounds, and shops. It is not just the event that benefits; multiple industries can benefit from the festival and events sector.

For example, the Richmond Night Market is an important event in our community and is something I look forward to every year.

People from across the Lower Mainland and province attend, supporting our local

economy in Richmond. I am pleased that our government understands the need for a flourishing tourism sector; this funding will ensure B.C.’s festivals and events can continue and thrive in 2023 and 2024.

For this funding period, event organizers are asked to apply as soon as possible, and no later than March 3, 2023, for events that take place between April 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024. We’re going to continue to work closely with the industry to understand what’s working and get their input on what’s needed for a robust recovery.

These community events give us a chance to celebrate our communities and rekindle connections with our friends and neighbours. You might be gathering to honour a decades-old family tradition or starting a brand new one. I hope to see you out in our Richmond community, celebrating the variety our community has to offer.

43-year-old woman and 14-year-old girl found deceased in Richmond residence

ON Monday, February 20, Richmond RCMP responded to a report of a deceased female in a residence in the 6500-block of Barnard Drive. Frontline officers located the bodies of a 43-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl inside the residence. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has taken conduct of the investigation and continues to work closely in partnership with the Richmond RCMP, the RCMP Forensic Identification Service and the BC Coroners Service.

IHIT investigators believe this to be an isolated incident with no outstanding suspects. The two victims were related. At this time, the victims are not being identified to allow for proper notification of the family. “The effects of this tragedy are being felt by the entire community,” said IHIT Sgt. Timothy Pierotti. “Anyone in need of assistance is encouraged to call the Richmond RCMP’s Victim Services.”

IHIT is asking anyone with information regarding the investigation to contact the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

Sgt. Timothy Pierotti

Photo by SUKHWANT DHILLON / AM 600 Sher-E-Punjab Radio

MORE than 350,000 families in B.C. will get their second BC Family Benefit boost to help with the cost of living, starting immediately.

“Global inflation continues to squeeze household budgets, and paying for essentials like groceries and gas is hard on many families right now,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Finance, announced on Monday. “Through the second enhanced BC Family Benefit payment, parents will have a little extra money this month to stretch their budgets and provide their family with life’s essentials.”

Recognizing people are being pinched by price surges, the B.C. government has boosted the monthly BC Family Benefit payments for low- and moderate-income families for three months, January through March. A family with two children can receive up to $350 more than usual over the three months. Added to the regular monthly payments, the three-month enhancement means a family with two children will get as much as $330 each month. Eligibility is based on income and number of children. People can expect to see their family benefit and the bonus cost-of-living

payment as a deposit or cheque through the Canada Revenue Agency alongside the federal Canada Child Benefit program. Eligible families are automatically determined when someone registers for the Canada Child Benefit.

“We’re helping people with the additional challenges they’re facing right now, while making investments in a future B.C. that

works for everyone,” Conroy said. “No matter what is on the horizon, we’re here for people and families in British Columbia.”

Since fall 2022, the Province has provided approximately $2 billion for supports to help people with increased costs through the BC Family Benefit, the BC Affordability Credit, support for back-to-school expenses, a one-time energy rebate and a cap on rent increases below the rate of inflation.

Budget 2023 will continue to make investments in the things that matter most to help build a stronger, more secure B.C. for everyone, the Province said.

Quick Facts:

* Inflation in B.C. peaked at 8% in May 2022 and has since dropped to 6% as of December 2022, but inflation and prices remain high, particularly for shelter, food and trans-

portation.

* According to the Bank of Canada, inflation is expected to fall an additional 3% mid2023 and return to the 2% target in 2024.

* BC Family Benefit payments for February start Feb. 20, and can take as long as 10 days to arrive for all eligible families.

* Approximately 75% of B.C. families are receiving the enhanced BC Family Benefit credit and approximately 85% of those families will receive at least an additional $50 per month, per child.

* The BC Family Benefit was formerly known as the Child Opportunity Benefit.

For links for information about new and existing affordability supports; the enhanced BC Family Benefit; and about other ways to apply for the Canada Child Benefit, please visit our website voiceonline.com

EVENTS

South Asian Adults and Seniors Programs

* Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC invites South Asian adults and senior members only to play Bingo on the House on Sunday, February 26 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Shanti Niketan Hall at Lakshmi Narayan Temple, 8321 140 Street in Surrey. Please bring only $2 with you for 2 games. Members will teach you how to play. Please use a facemask and maintain social distancing while seated for everyone’s safety. Tea and light snacks will be served. Contact Surendra Handa, Coordinator, at 604-5079945 or email: surendra_handa@hotmail.com, for further information.

* Yoga classes in person for members only at Shanti Niketan Hall at Lakshmi Narayan Temple conducted by yoga instructor Ashwini Bansal on every Monday and every Thursday from 10 to 11:15 a.m. on both days. This is only for participants who have been double vaccinated for COVID-19. They should bring facemasks and a yoga mat and maintain social distancing. Pure vegetarian lunch is served

in the dining hall of the Temple to all seniors every Thursday after the yoga class.

Mahalakshmi Temple - Holi Show 2023

Shree Mahalakshmi Temple is organizing its annual Holi Show at Michael J. Fox Theatre on Saturday, March 18. It kicks off with dinner from 5 to 6:30 p.m., while the cultural show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 & $25 including dinner. For info and tickets, contact Surinder Vashisht at 604-671-5612 (phone /text) or the Temple at 604-874-0175.

Lohana Cultural Association of BC

Lohana Cultural Association of BC cordially invites all to Jalaram Bapa Punyatithi with bhajans and kirtans on Saturday, February 25 at 5:30 p.m. at Shiv Mandir, 5600 Dorset Street, Burnaby. The program will commence at 5:30 p.m. There will be Priti Bhojan after Arti. Donations received will assist in serving those in need. For further information please contact Vasant Lakhani at (604) 987-1925.

More than 350,000 families in B.C. will get a boost to help with cost of living

Katrine Conroy

Doon Entertainment Group’s Bollywood Valentine’s Night a rocking success

IT was a packed house of fans of Bollywood music at Doon Entertainment Group’s Bollywood Valentine’s Night in Surrey on February 10. Local artists from Metro Vancouver, Nirupama Jagannathan, Suchita Nahid Salam, and Raj Bharti performed at the show. Dr.

Sunil Bhatt was the star performer of the night. The audience took to dance floor when he started singing. It was a mesmerizing performance. Dhot Group was the title sponsor for the event.

Doon Entertainment Group’s Aradhna Shar-

MORE STORIES ON PAGES 22 & 23

ma said: “We are going to bring many memorable events to Metro Vancouver. Our aim is to promote local talent and provide great entertainment to our audience. We are thankful to all our sponsors who supported us in putting this event together.”

The group’s Abhishek Dobhal said: “We are overwhelmed with the response our Valentine’s event has received. Attendees had very positive things to share about the event. You can socialize and build relationships with the community at our events.”

WORLD MONEY

Seattle becomes first US city to ban caste bias

New York (IANS): Seattle has become the first US city to ban caste discrimination pushing back against opposition by several organizations representing Hindus.

The City Council on Tuesday approved the legislative measure sponsored by Councillor Kshama Sawant, a member of the radical Socialist Alternative party.

The legislation, modelled after laws against racial bias, seeks to ban caste-based discrimination in jobs, housing rental and sales and in public places like hotels, restaurants and stores.

It pitched some Hindu organizations, which opposed it, against an assortment of leftist groups, civil rights groups and a union which linked it to broader civil rights and socio-economic issues in the US.

The legislation was passed after heated discussions when the public was allowed to comment on it.

Over a hundred people had signed on to speak but only some could speak because of time limits.

A National Public Radio reporter, Lilly Ana Fowler, tweeted from the Council chamber that things “calmed down after a bit of chaos” before the vote with “lots of shouting with people holding signs that say ‘stop gaslighting Dalits’ while others hold signs saying, ‘Shouting lies does not make them true'”.

Pramila Jayapal, who heads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, tweeted her support for the legislation: “I’m proud to see Seattle leading the country by taking steps to end this discrimination and ensure that all people are able to live freely and thrive.”

The Democrat’s House of Representatives constituency includes most of Seattle.

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), which spearheaded the opposition, however, said the legislation would promote prejudice against South Asians.

It “advances nothing but bigotry against the South Asian community by using racist, colonial tropes of ‘caste'”, the organization said.

“It is also shocking to see the blatant singling out of a minority community based on nothing but unsubstantiated claims based on faulty data from hate groups,” it added.

Samir Kalra, the managing director of another organization, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), said: “Seattle has taken a dangerous misstep here, institutionalizing bias against all residents of Indian and South Asian origin, all in the name of preventing bias.

“When Seattle should be protecting the civil rights of all its residents, it is actually violating them by running roughshod over the most basic and fundamental rights in US law, all people being treated equally.”

HAF said that according to its

lawyers, Seattle is “now in violation of the US Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process that prohibit the state from treating disparately people on account of their national origin, ethnicity, or religion, and implementing a vague, facially discriminatory and arbitrary category”.

However, HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla, clarified that the organization opposes caste discrimination: “Throughout our two decades of existence, HAF has maintained that caste discrimination is wrong, violating core Hindu principles of the divine oneness of all beings.”

Another organization, Hindus for Human Rights-USA, supported the Seattle anti-caste legislation.

One of the technology centres in the US, Seattle is the main city in Washington State which has a South Asian population of 167,000.

It hosts the headquarters of Amazon and Remond, where Microsoft is headquartered, is nearby.

Sawant said: “We know that caste discrimination has been growing in the US across many industries,

including technology, construction, restaurants and the service industry, and in domestic work.”

Making a leap of logic, the socialist asserted that the legislation “is also linked to the larger working-class fight against the ongoing brutal layoffs in the tech sector”.

US Dalit rights activist, Thenmozhi Soundarajan said: “Caste is a feminist, queer, and workers’ rights issue, and the time has come to ensure that discrimination, bias, and worker exploitation on the basis of caste is not only illegal, but will be properly enforced throughout the city.” Equality Labs, of which she is the executive director, is heading the movement for legislation across the country “to add caste as a protected category”.

Similar anti-caste discrimination measures have been adopted by the California University System and Brandeis and Brown universities, while Harvard included an anticaste discrimination clause in a contract with graduate students.

California State Civil Rights Department has filed a suit in a federal court alleging caste discrimination at Cisco against a Dalit engineer by others of Indian origin in the leading technology company.

HAF filed a countersuit against the department asserting that it discriminates against Hindus by singling them out for “special monitoring”.

The Seattle legislation was supported by a union representing student employees of the University of Washington, the Washington unit of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Indian American Muslim Council, the Ambedkar Association of North America and the Ambedkar International Centre.

Supporters rally for a legislation passed by Seattle City Council on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, to outlaw caste discrimination. Photo: Twitter

British Indian ex-cop accuses Met Police of victimising her

London (IANS): An Indian-origin former Metropolitan Police officer has accused the UK’s largest police force of victimising her for exposing alleged racism within the ranks in her book.

Parm Sandhu, who joined the Met in 1989 and served for 30 years, said she has been targeted after the Met Police threatened her with a legal action over her tell-all, which she doesn’t regret writing.

Sandhu has been forced to start paying back half of the 120,000 pounds she received in a settlement from the Met after the latter said it would otherwise sue her, The Times reported.

The Met claimed that Sandhu had broken a confidentiality agreement asking her not to make “disparaging” or “derogatory” comments about the Met or former Met commissioner, Cressida Dick.

According to The Times, the deal was signed in 2020 when Sandhu’s claim of discrimination was settled before an employment tribunal.

She had launched a discrimination lawsuit in 2019 against the Metropolitan Police alleging that she was denied promotion and work opportunities on the basis of her race and gender.

In her memoir titled ‘Black and Blue’, Sandhu said she had endured “regular episodes” of discrimination in an “institutionally racist” organisation for 30 years. She said the incidents included “commonplace” low-level sexual and racial abuse and efforts to hinder promotion.

The Times report stated that Sandhu had agreed to return 60,000 pounds to the department to avoid the Met seeking to injunct publication with a court order.

But it emerged in 2022 that Sandhu refused to give the money following which the Met started a legal action, seeking 60,000 pounds plus 8 per cent interest. Sandhu consequently started paying in instalments after facing the challenges

of expensive court proceedings.

“I lost 60,000 for the privilege of speaking out. And if I could get it back, I would. But I don’t regret writing the book,” The Times quoted Sandhu as saying.

Lawrence Davies, who represents Sandhu, said it should not be legal to put into tribunal settlements confidentiality clauses or nondisclosure agreements.

“The public has a right to know about racism and sexism in the Met Police,” he told The Times.

“To be clear, the Met has made no admissions of liability in respect of the allegations made. The agreement was signed voluntarily by Ms Sandhu and part of that agreement was a clause against publication of derogatory statements,” Scotland Yard was quoted as saying by The Times.

Sandhu was honoured in 2006 with an Asian Women of Achievement public sector award for her work in the aftermath of the 2005 London bombings.

PM Modi describes UPI-Pay Now link as

gift for India, Singapore

New Delhi (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described the launch of the UPI-Pay Now link as a gift for the citizens of both India and Singapore. Expressing his views after witnessing the launch of cross-border linkage between India and Singapore using their respective fast payment systems, namely Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow, along with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, Modi said: “After today, people in Singapore and India will be able to transfer money from their mobile phones in the same way as they do inside their respective countries. This will help the people of both countries to transfer funds from their mobiles instantly, at a low cost.”

The facility was launched through token transactions by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das and managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Ravi Menon, using the UPI-PayNow linkage. “With this facility, a cheap and real-time option of remittance transfer between the two countries will be possible. This will especially benefit our overseas brothers and sisters, professionals, students and their families,” Modi further said. He added: “The good thing is that UPI’s partnership with different countries is also increasing. Singapore is the first country with which person to person payment facili-

ty has been launched today.” Funds held in bank accounts or e-wallets can be transferred to or from India using just the UPI-ID mobile number, or virtual payment address (VPA).

To begin with, the State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank and ICICI Bank will facilitate both inward and outward remittances, while Axis Bank and DBS India will facilitate inward remittances.

For Singapore users, the service will be made available through DBS-Singapore and Liquid Group (a non-bank financial institution). More number of banks will be included in the linkage over time.

Customers of the abovementioned participating banks can undertake crossborder remittances to Singapore using the bank’s mobile banking app or internet banking.

Initially, an Indian user can

remit up to Rs 60,000 in a day (equivalent to around SGD 1,000). At the time of making the transaction, the system will dynamically calculate and display the amount in both the currencies for convenience of the user.

The UPI-PayNow linkage is the product of extensive collaboration between RBI, MAS, and payment system operators of both countries through NPCI, International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Banking Computer Services Pte Ltd. (BCS), as well as participating banks and non-bank financial institution.

This interlinkage aligns with the G20’s financial inclusion priorities of driving faster, cheaper and more transparent cross-border payments and will be a significant milestone in the development of infrastructure for cross-border payments between India and Singapore.

Lee Hsien Loong and Narendra Modi met last November.

Washington (IANS): The US said that it had issued 36 per cent more visas to Indians so far this year than in preCovid-19 pandemic times because of “number one priority” being accorded to cutting of wait-time that has included unprecedented steps such as remote processing of applications from India, sometimes all the way in Washington D.C.

The longest wait-time, typically for first-time visitors, is down from over 1,000 days to about 580, as a result of such measures that also include interview waiver for repeat visitors, additional staffing at consular operations in Indian missions and “Super Saturdays” when mission staff just process visas all day.

From summer stateside renewal of visas will be allowed in some categories on a pilot basis.

“It is the number one priority that we’re facing right now,” said Julie Stufft, the senior official of the State Department’s consular operations, told reporters while referring to the extraordinary delays in the processing of US visas in India.

“We are absolutely committed to getting us out of the situation where people -- anyone in India -- seeking a visa appointment or a visa would

Berlin (IANS): A German study has found that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war cost the world economy a whopping $1.3 trillion in 2022.

According to the study published by the German Economic Institute (IW) on Tuesday, Western economies were particularly affected as they lost two-thirds of their global production, reports Xinhua news agency.

The war has a “high global economic significance”, IW expert Michael Groemling said in a statement.

Above all, energy and raw material supply problems were putting pressure on companies worldwide, he added.

In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, soaring energy prices pushed inflation temporarily above the 10 per cent mark in 2022 before relief measures brought prices down again.

In January, inflation stabilised at 8.7 per cent, according to provisional data published by the Federal Statistical Office.

have to wait a lengthy time at all. That’s certainly not our ideal.”

As a result of these efforts so far this year, Stufft said further” “We’ve issued 36 per cent more visas than we did before the pandemic in India. Just to say that again, 36 per cent more visas processed now than during the before the pandemic in normal times and that is a huge percentage increase and I think

“High energy prices caused cost shocks at the production level, which became a burden difficult to calculate for many companies,” the IW said.

The resulting rise in consumer prices “eroded the purchasing power of households, which cut back their consumption”, the institute noted.

Finally, companies were reluctant to invest due to the global uncertainty and higher prices. For 2023, the IW projects an additional global value-added loss of $1 trillion.

“Unfortunately, the all-clear is not yet in sight this year,” Groemling said, warning that raw material shortages and uncertainty would “continue to occupy us beyond 2023 and cost prosperity”.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) last month raised its forecast for the global economy in 2023 slightly, expecting growth of 2.9 per cent instead of 2.7 per cent.

it will actually go up as the year goes on. It’s only February.”

Long waiting times for US visa processing post-pandemic, specially for first-time visitors, have become a key issue in the bilateral relationship and it was raised by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the last 2+2 meeting between the two countries’ Foreign and Defence Ministers in Washington D.C. last September.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had assured him then that the US had a plan to address the issue.

Frustration over these visa delays had led many in India to ask if they were symptoms or manifestation of deeper problems in the bilateral relationship. And there was a perception that the delay was intentional.

“We are keenly aware of the

public perception this has generated and created in India and in part, what we’re doing today is to try and address that misperception that somehow the US is no longer welcoming of Indian students or Indian businessman or Indian visitors writ large and this really is a systemic problem,” said Nancy Jackson, a senior official of the state department’s South and Central Asia bureau, in response to question.

The delays were caused by the closure of consular operation for more than a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

All US operations were impacted around the world. But the situation in India was the worst of all because of the sheer volume of visa applications that the US receives from Indians for all categories -- from B1/B2 tourist visas to H-1B and L work visas to oth-

ers.

Delays in most of these categories have been addressed to a large extent the officials said because of interview waiver for repeat visitors. Their applications are processed remotely at US missions around the world.

“So right now today we have dozens and dozens of officers around the world and here in Washington right down the street doing Indian thesis on behalf of our mission in India,” Stufft said.

This frees up the consular staff in India to focus on firsttime visitor interviews. Indians are also being encouraged to apply for visas at US missions in other countries, the officials said, who acknowledged this was far from an ideal situation. More than 100 US missions around the world have processed Indian applications.

Vancouver City Council approves rezoning for 136 social housing units with supports

VANCOUVER City Council has approved the rezoning of two sites, 2518-2540 Grandview Highway South and 1925 Southeast Marine Drive, this month for the purpose of building two six-storey residential buildings that will include a combined 136 social housing units with supports.

The City, the Province, and the federal government are working in partnership to take collective action to address the critical needs of people who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness in Vancouver, as well as those in need of deeply affordable housing. The creation of new permanent social housing with supports, will provide residents with safe, secure, and affordable homes with onsite and in-reach support services. Grandview will provide 64 homes and Southeast Marine will provide 72 homes.

Vancouver City Council approved the rezonings following public hearings on February 14 and February 21. The projects will advance the City’s commitment to provide affordable homes for its residents. The future buildings will offer individual supportive housing units for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including people of all genders, seniors, and people living with disabilities.

The rezonings are part of five City-owned

sites designated for the delivery of 350 permanent supportive homes under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in August 2020 by the City of Vancouver, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and BC Housing.

BC Housing issued Requests for Proposals for both buildings to secure experienced non-profit operators. Community Builders

Group was selected to operate the Grandview location and The Kettle Society for the Southeast Marine location. The City says it will continue to work with partners to identify more opportunities for social and supportive housing. The next steps will be rezoning enactment and the submission of a development permit application. Construction is expected to start after all permits are secured. The Southeast Marine re-zoning follows the Victoria-Fraserview area plan and vision, and the Grandview re-zoning adheres to the Renfrew-Collingwood community vision.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said on Wednesday: “Securing quality housing for Vancouver’s most vulnerable residents is a significant priority for our Council. We are incredibly excited to support these two permanent supportive housing projects.”

Vincent Tong, CEO, BC Housing, said: “There’s an urgent need to bring those experiencing homelessness in Vancouver indoors and provide them with the supports they need to rebuild their lives. Rezoning approval of these two projects is the next step toward providing safe, indoor housing for nearly 140 people, and we’re excited to be working with the Province, the City of Vancouver and our non-profit partners to make

this goal a reality.”

Julie Roberts, Executive Director, Community Builders Association, said: “Community Builders is excited to bring our extensive knowledge and expertise as a supportive housing provider to the historic Grandview area. We are confident that this site will benefit the community by providing individuals with a safe and supportive place to call home and we are passionate about delivering our services with excellence and in collaboration with the surrounding neighbourhood. We look forward to building long-lasting community and partnerships through this project.”

Nancy Keough, Executive Director, The Kettle Society, said: “The Kettle [Society] is excited to continue our long-standing partnership with BC Housing and the City of Vancouver to manage and support safe and secure homes for 72 individuals experiencing homelessness. With 45-plus years’ experience in providing mental-health supports and housing for people, we know how integral and transformative a sustainable and supportive living environment can be for an individual’s mental health. We look forward to our staff and tenants becoming a meaningful part of the SE Marine Drive community.”

New funds will bolster supports for workers, businesses

THE Employment Standards Branch will hire more staff to resolve disputes between workers and employers, provide guidance on B.C.’s employment standards, and process employer registrations for temporary foreign workers.

Government is increasing the branch’s operating budget by nearly $12 million over three years to hire as many as 33 more full-time employees in response to the growing demand for its services.

“With the cost of living on the mind of many right now, when people are owed money from their employer, they expect the issue to be resolved urgently,” said Premier David Eby on Thursday. “We want to ensure people receive what’s owed to them at work without delay. The investment to increase the capacity of the Employment Standards Branch means

disputes will be addressed quickly and efficiently.”

Each year, the branch receives more than 100,000 requests for information in multiple languages and resolves thousands of disputes.

The branch provides information and advice to employers and workers on employment standards and workers’ rights under the Employment Standards Act. It also investigates and resolves disputes brought forward by workers who believe they are owed wages.

“Everyone deserves fair working conditions and they need some place to turn to when they feel they have been treated unfairly,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. “People often turn to the Employment Standards Branch during a dispute, like when they are owed wages. The Employment Standards Branch is a big

part of our effort to build an economy that works for everyone.”

Over the past few years, demand for the services at the branch has risen steadily due to a growing workforce, employment issues related to the pandemic and a surge of employers seeking to register before hiring temporary foreign workers.

“Employees who turn to the Employment Standards Branch for help are usually the most vulnerable workers in B.C. They’re often underpaid, exploited and mistreated, making them the least able to wait for long delays,” said Sussanne Skidmore, President, BC Federation of Labour. “This increased funding to the branch is an important start in clearing the queue of disputes, and ensuring workers can get the help they need as soon as possible.”

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim Photo: abcvancouver.ca

Harry Bains

$180 million for Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) to support projects

HISTORIC provincial investments will support communities in preparing for the risk of natural disasters related to climate change, along with a new one-stop online platform to help people and communities better prepare for, mitigate and understand disaster and climate risks, Premier David Eby announced on Tuesday.

The Province is committing a further $180 million to the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) to support projects that help local governments and First Nations prepare communities for the risks of natural hazards and lessen the effects before disasters happen. The new contribution brings CEPF’s total investment to $369 million since its establishment in 2017. The CEPF has historically funded projects like a new dike in Merritt, public cooling infrastructure in Victoria and planning for a tsunami evacuation structure in Tofino.

“B.C. has seen more than our share of climate disasters, so there’s urgency to be ready and equipped to minimize damage and recover quickly when the worst happens,” said Eby. “New funding for projects in communities, combined with a new online hub of information resources for local leaders, will help us all be better prepared to face emergencies.”

In response to the growing number of climaterelated emergencies in B.C., the Province has launched ClimateReadyBC, which provides hazard and mapping tools, risk data and resources to help communities better prepare for future disasters and climate emergencies. People can visit the online hub to learn more about various hazards, such as floods, wildfires, extreme weather, tsunamis and earthquakes. Previously, this information was spread over different government websites. For example, the new online hub includes historic flood data, such as where and when a flood took place and the cause.

“Recent extreme weather events have caused a lot of destruction in B.C. and people are looking to our government to help keep them and their families safe,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “Through ClimateReadyBC and a historic investment in CEPF, we’re increasing the tools and the resources communities need to prepare for climate-related emergencies.”

ClimateReadyBC and CEPF support the Province’s Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy. With a record investment in CEPF,

Fatal collision on Highway 99 in Richmond

ONE driver is deceased in a crash on Tuesday involving a commercial vehicle and a smaller flat-deck truck on Highway 99 southbound between Blundell Road and Steveston Highway in Richmond.

The crash occurred at 8:47 a.m. and was attended by BC Highway Patrol South Coast members, Richmond RCMP and BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS). Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Services (ICARS), Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement (CVSE), and the BC Coroner’s Service will also be assisting with the investigation. BC Highway Patrol has assumed conduct of the investigation. At this point in the investigation there is no indication of any criminality as a contributing factor, BC Highway Patrol said.

Male in custody after Delta domestic dispute

DELTA Police are investigating a domestic dispute that resulted in a male barricading himself in a residence in the 11500-block of 81A Avenue.

Due to the proximity to McCloskey Elementary, the school was placed into a hold and secure and a controlled release of the students was facilitated. The Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team attended to diffuse the situation. One adult male is in custody, and charges of assault and uttering threats are being recommended to Crown Counsel.

more funding will be available for communities under each of the fund’s seven streams. The fund is also increasing to assist communities in dealing with and preparing for the effects of extreme cold, in addition to extreme heat. Additionally, the funding stream for disaster-risk

reduction and climate adaptation will support structural projects, such as dikes and pump stations, with funding of as much as $5 million, increased from $2 million.

“People in British Columbia understand how important it is to invest in resilient communities and infrastructure so that we’re much better prepared for the ongoing impacts of climate change,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Our government is making record investments in climate adaptation measures and providing easily accessible information so people and communities can easily and quickly find the resources they need.”

Ongoing engagement with First Nations, local governments and other partners will drive ClimateReadyBC’s expansion and evolution. For example, this summer, the Province will add a provincial extreme heat-risk portal that will allow local authorities to add and edit cooling facility data and information in a centralized location. Additionally, data and tools on the portal will integrate with mapping platforms developed by the First Nations Emergency Services

Society.

Since 2017, First Nations and local governments have been approved for more than 1,300 projects through CEPF that help communities mitigate and prepare for disasters and climaterelated emergencies.

Jen Ford, President, Union of British Columbia Municipalities, said: “The CEPF program is helping local governments and First Nations prepare for climate related emergencies by funding projects that address a wide range of hazards. Accurate data is critical for mitigation and planning activities, and our members will be intent to utilize the ClimateReadyBC platform and provide input to support its development. I welcome the government’s continued commitment to improving emergency preparedness in B.C.’s communities.”

Learn More:

For more information on ClimateReadyBC, visit: www.ClimateReadyBC.ca

For the link to more information about the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, please visit our website voiceonline.com

Bowinn Ma

All-New 2023 Honda Accord: Midsize Sedan Benchmark

Sleek, powerful and electrified, the all-new 2023 Honda Accord will begin arriving at Canadian Honda dealerships in February, bringing new energy to the midsize sedan segment .The 11th-generation Accord is available in three trim levels (one 1.5L turbo-powered and two hybrid), topped by the hybrid-powered Touring featuring Honda’s first integration of Google built-in. The 1.5L turbocharged Accord EX has a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $37,000(excluding $1,780 destination charge). The hybrid-electric powered 2023 Accord Sport starts at $41,000.

The two hybrid-electric powered trims feature Honda’s new, more powerful hybrid-electric system. With 247 lb.-ft of torque, they’re the most powerful Accord hybrids ever while achieving outstanding fuel economy ratings, with up to 5.0 L/100 KM in the city, and 5.3 L/100 KM combined. Positioned at the top of the Accord line-up they will eventually represent about 50% of annual sales, a key step in Honda’s electrification strategy.

The top-of-the-line hybrid-electric powered

Accord Touring leads the way with advanced technology, featuring Honda’s first integration of Google built-in, which includes Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Play with the latest apps and services for seamless on-the-go connectivity.

The tech-savvy Accord Touring Hybrid also features a redesigned, customizable 6-inch head-up display, 12.3-inch colour centre touch-

The All-New 2023 LEXUS RZ 450e

screen (Honda’s largest ever), a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system with Bose Centerpoint technology, Qi-compatible 15W wireless smartphone charging, 5G Wi-Fi Hotspot capability, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. Berlina Black 19-inch alloy wheels with machined face are also standard. Also turbocharged, Accord EX is equipped with heated front seats, a one-touch power sliding

For the RZ, Lexus engineers pushed the Lexus Driving Signature to an even higher level. Lexus applied its first dedicated BEV platform to maximize vehicle performance and driving pleasure. Engineers then developed the all-new DIRECT4 all-wheeldrive system to control front and rear drive force according to driving and road surface conditions. The result is impressive startup acceleration, handling stability that ensures confident driving, and low power consumption. The standard shift lever is replaced with a dial-type shift knob – a Lexus first that contributes to the sleek interior design.

moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, and 8-way power driver’s seat with lumbar control. An upgraded 8-speaker audio system and Pewter Gray 17-inch alloy wheels are also standard.

For a sportier driving experience, the 2023 Accord Sport and Touring come standard with the new, more powerful two-motor hybrid system with an all-new and more refined 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine. Combined system output is 204 hp (a 3 hp increase), while traction-motor peak torque is 247 lb.-ft. of torque (up 15 lb.-ft.). Despite the increase in power and performance, hybrid-powered Sport and Touring are the most fuel-efficient sedans in the Honda line-up, with fuel economy up to 5.0 L/100 KM city and 5.3 L/100 KM combined. Accord Sport features a leather-wrapped shift knob and heated steering wheel and Berlina Black 19-inch alloy wheels with machined face. Sport and Touring hybrid models get Honda’s largest ever touchscreen, a 12.3-inch unit with a physical volume knob, wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility.

tion of mindfully sourced materials. Driver and passengers will enjoy the available panoramic roof that visually opens up the space, the ambient lighting system that welcomes Guests to the cabin, and the comfort of a highly efficient heating system featuring a Lexus-first radiant heater.

TORONTO, ONTARIO: The design, engineering, and unmatched customer experience that have been hallmarks of Lexus now come to Canada in an all-new form –the RZ 450e. Offered in a launch-year portfolio of three trim levels, this all-new, all-

wheel-drive, pure battery electric vehicle brings to the BEV segment the bold styling, inspired performance, and unparalleled quality and safety that have made Lexus hybrids leading choices for Canadians since the launch of the RX 400h in 2005.

Curbside, the RZ’s body captures the seamless acceleration and dynamic, torque-filled performance that are intrinsic qualities of pure battery EVs. L-signature daytime running lights are joined on the nose by a striking, heated and illuminated Lexus “L” emblem, while LEXUS is spelled out across the rear of the vehicle, above the blade-shaped taillight.

Inside, a minimalist yet luxurious and spacious interior amplifies the goals of sustainable mobility through the applica-

All RZ models feature the Lexus Interface –the brand’s newest, most user-friendly multimedia and connectivity system, featuring a 14” touchscreen and natural language voice commands. All models also feature an impressive portfolio of active and passive safety features, including Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, a backup camera with back guide monitor, eight airbags, the Blind Spot Monitor system with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, the Digital Latch with Safe Exit Assist system, and the Rear Seat Reminder system.

Lexus will offer Canadian Guests a choice of three RZ models to suit a variety of tastes: Lexus RZ 450e Signature (starting MSRP: $64,950) ,RZ 450e Luxury (starting MSRP: $73,550) and RZ 450e Executive (starting MSRP: $80,950). The 2023 Lexus RZ will go on sale this Winter.

VolVo Car Canada says that its entire lineup of Volvo cars in Canada will consist of mild-hybrid, hybrid or electric vehicles equipped with Google built-in for Model Year 2023 vehicles.

The popular XC90 and XC40 SUVs, in addition to the V60 and V60 Cross Country now receive mild-hybrid engines as standard. Electrified via regenerative braking energy recovery, the newly badged B4, B5, and B6 mild hybrid powertrains offer drivers smoother acceleration, fuel savings, and reduced emissions in real world driving scenarios. The effort reflects another step towards the Swedish luxury car brand’s ambition to offer only pure electric vehicles by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2040. For customers without easy access to charging, mild hybrids offer increased efficiency over their T4, T5, and T6 predecessors, yet never need to be plugged in. The new extended range plug-in hybrids, which as of the previous model year now come with an 18.8kWh battery, offer all-electric driving in Pure mode while still providing a gasoline-powered engine when you need it. For those who prefer the pure electric lifestyle, the 402 hp battery electric XC40 Recharge

Windsor, ontario: Alfa Romeo recently announced pricing for the all-new Tonale with a starting Canadian manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $44,995 (excluding $2,095 destination charge).

“We look forward to launching the all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale and competing in the premium compact sport-utility vehicle segment with the brand’s first plug-in hybrid offering,” said Larry Dominique, Senior Vice-president and Head of Alfa Romeo North America. “The Tonale drops right into one of the largest volume segments with best-in-class 285 horsepower and more than 48 kilometres of electric range as the next generation of electrified Alfa Romeo vehicles make their way into the market.”

The all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale spearheads a new era of luxury,

Volvo Canada 2023

voice control, Google Maps for navigation, and the Google Play store for additional applications, every Volvo car is designed to feature a best-in-class digital experience. With the introduction of an upgraded infotainment system comes the ability to receive over-the-air (OTA) updates. As of model year 2023, all Volvo cars are capable of receiving and installing available software upgrades remotely. As updates are rolled out, each 2023 Volvo car is expected to continue to improve over its lifetime.

Several models receive styling updates for the new model year, with new colours, wheels, and interior options. The S60, V60 and V60 Cross Country feature a refreshed styling with a new front grille design and updated rear bumper inserts.

SUV and C40 Recharge luxury crossover offer emission free driving.

Already standard on the XC60, S90, V90 Cross Country, C40 Recharge, and XC40 Recharge, Google built-in rolls out to the entire Volvo Car Canada lineup for model

electrification and connectivity while remaining true to the raceinspired DNA Alfa Romeo is known for. As the first compact sport-utility vehicle from Alfa Romeo, North American consumers will experience more than 110 years of heritage built into every car.

The evolution of performance is led by a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a 15.5-kWh lithium-ion battery and 90 kW electric motor that delivers an electric range of more than 48 kilometres. The additional 1.3-litre turbocharged engine contributes to a best-in-class 285 horsepower and every Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV includes all-wheeldrive. The all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale also offers a technologically advanced 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder, a member of Stellantis’ Global Medium Engine

year 2023. Significantly integrated into the Google ecosystem, all Volvos now offer a seamless transition between digital life at home and on the phone, bringing greater personalization and connectivity directly to the car. Equipped with Google Assistant for

family, rated at a best-in-class standard horsepower of 256 and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Equipped with a twin-scroll, low inertia turbocharger, direct fuel injection and engine stop-start technology, this engine gives Tonale the brand’s iconic dynamic performance and drivability.

Exhilarating driving dynamics are assisted by a rapid-response Frequency Damping Suspension (FDS) system, engineered to create a comfortable ride and automatically adjust the suspension for spirited driving.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale also features a variety of driver assistance systems, Uconnect 5, an all-new connectivity platform with Alfa Connect and modern Italian styling. Tonale PHEV customers will be able to qualify for up to $5,000

A streamlined offer structure of CORE, PLUS, and ULTIMATE specification levels, reduces complexity and provides customers the freedom to combine the exterior design, interior upholstery, and equipment level of their choice. Volvo Canada’s ‘One Price Promise’ provides C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge buyers a straightforward, transparent, and negotiation-free shopping experience.

in Canadian EV rebates.

Pricing for the all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV and 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine are as follows. Prices do not include a $2,095 destination charge: 2.0L) Sprint model - $44,99.5 PHEV -$54,995. Veloce trim (2.0L)$46,495

– (PHEV) -$57,495.

Born in 1910 in Milan, Italy, Alfa Romeo has designed and crafted some of the most stylish and sporty cars in automotive history. That tradition lives on today as Alfa Romeo continues to take a unique and innovative approach to automobiles.

Katak, The Brave Beluga (G) ***

Captain Courageous!

Hot on the heels of all the Family Day celebrations across Canada sees the perfect times release of Katak, The Brave Beluga. Fit for the kid in all of us this delightful look at an oh so friendly whale from Maison 4:3 and Route 504 PR is making waves at select Cineplex

Cinemas and Landmark

Theatres around B.C. Being different can be good. Or bad. Take the case of young Katak. Born to a pod with quite the pedigree steeped in ancient tradition young Katak stands out because he is grey in colour, unlike the rest of his white skinned relatives. As if that isn’t enough of a dilemma the baby beluga is a bit on the small size.

Somehow through it all Katak manages to navigate these troubled waters never making waves. Smart storytelling sees this minnow outcast taking on all challengers and challenges as on more than one occasion

WANT

our fighter full of heart manages to save the day, Beautiful underwater photography done on the computer delivers audiences stunning visuals and countless dilemmas for our seafaring tot who tangled with a host of bad amphibian predators in this highly

inspirational wonder of the sea rescue sensation. Full of humour and danger Katak, The Brave Beluga gets your family seal of approval. Voyage to the Bottom of The Sea never looked better. For more reviews please visit my website moviereviewssite.com

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CRIME OF THE WEEK

BURNABY RCMP SEARCH FOR SUSPECT AFTER STABBING IN METROTOWN AREA

Unsolved Crime: Stabbing; Date: February 26th, 2023; Location: Burnaby; Details: File # 2023-6027

On Monday, February 20, just after 5:30 p.m., Burnaby RCMP frontline officers responded to a report of an assault with a weapon in the Metrotown area.

The victim, a 15-year-old male youth, ran into a business in the 4500block of Central Boulevard and told staff that he had been stabbed by an unknown male. Attending officers secured the scene and conducted patrols for the suspect. Police were alerted to a group of youths in the area that matched the description of the suspect and his associates.

Three youths were detained based

on this description. It was later determined that the youths were not the suspects and they were released with no charges.

The victim was transported to the hospital and treated for a non-lifethreatening injury. The investigation is ongoing as officers attempt to identify

the suspect, who remains outstanding. The suspect is described as male, wearing a black puffy jacket with a white hoodie underneath, white pants, white shoes and a black man purse. The motive of the incident is still under investigation, said Cpl Laura Hirst with the Burnaby RCMP. If you have any information that could assist in identifying this suspect, please contact our investigators.

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Email: voiceclassified@gmail.com

MATRIMONIAL & PERSONALS

Box Replies to TheIndo-CanadianVoice #102 - 9360 - 120th St., Surrey,BCV3V 4B9

R: ATES

25-30 words .... $5/wk 3.002s Extraword........25¢each ........

Box Rental ........$10 Extra ........

AD:WN DEADLINEEDNESDAYBYOON

Ramdasia Sikh Mehton family seeks a suitable match for their son, 29 yr., 5-11 tall, post graduated, handsome, non-smoker, non drinker from an educated family working as sale manager in India. The girl should be Canadian citizen / PR / work permit, educated and beautiful. Sister with family is well settled in Canada. Contact: 6045056176 or write2rkj@gmail.com.

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Parents seeking a match for their Jatt Sikh boy, 35, 5’8”, Canadian born, well educated, Government employee. Girl should be family oriented, PR is not necessary, students can be considered. For more details, please contact 604-825-5033.

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Seeking a beautiful girl for a Ramgarhia boy, Canadian Citizen, brought up in India, 36, 5’11”, commercial pilot, based in Vancouver, never married. Girl should be from a respected family, Canadian Citizen/PR from Surrey/Vancouver region, tall, educated, respectful to elders, and loving towards the family members. For more information, contact 604-729-8123. *********

Sikh Family looking a suitable match for their handsom, 29 old years old son, 5;10”, well settled in a government job. Girl should be a Canadian PR or citizenship. Work permit will also be considered. Caste no bar. Please contact 604-5624473.

Seeking a girl for Canadian citizen 35, 5’10 hand-

some Sikh boy. Post graduated and well settled in his career. Girl should be well educated, 5’3” plus , family-oriented. Caste no bar. Please contact: 7789680771

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Suitable match for NRI Kamboj Sikh boy PR,Veg,30 years, 5’11’’ B.Tech, PG diploma from Canada,doing Govt job in BC,Own house in Canada,Parents retired Govt. employee,rural and urban property,upper caste welcome.+1-778-386-2812 *********

Suitable match wanted for an Australian Khatri Sikh boy, 35 years, 6’2”, clean shaven, very handsome, health professional, handsome salary, down to earth, never married, looking for a simple, humble, family-oriented girl, caste no bar. Please contact at 778-919-7948 or kamaljit10@ hotmail.ca *********

Well settled Punjabi Aggarwal boy, 5’-10” 74 born, issueless divorcee, USA Citizen, Own logistics business in California looking for a Hindu girl. Please Contact at 925-200-6838 (whatsapp) Email: manish_22us@yahoo.com *********

Tonk Kashatriya Hindu Family seeking a suitable match for their daughter, 44 years old, innocently divorced, 5’7”, well educated. Boy should be well educated and family oriented. Caste no bar. For more information, please call 604-760-3129

NRI match for Canadian Tonk Kshatriya PR girl, 1996/5’5”, beautiful, fair complexion , well educated, homely girl doing govt. job in a hospital.

Phone 778 840 3282

Ramdasia Sikh Mehton family seeks a suitable match for their son, 29 yr., 5-11 tall, post graduated, handsome, non-smoker, non drinker from an educated family working as sale manager in India. The girl should be Canadian citizen /PR / work permit, educated and beautiful. Sister with family is well settled in Canada. Contact: 6045056176 or write2rkj@gmail.com.

GROOM WANTED

Sikh Family looking for a suitable match for their Canadian born, good looking girl. Age 29, and 5’7” tall. Boy should be Canadian Citizen and able to speak good English as well. Call 7782226692.

Looking for educated working professional as suitable match for well educated Hindu female (‘81 Canadian born, never married) working with government. Caste no bar. Connect at m23vancouver@gmail.com

Hindu Punjabi Parents are looking a suitable match for their daughter, 29 years old, 5’6”, beautiful, well educated, permanent resident, lives in Surrey. Boy should be well educated and a Canadian Permanent Resident. For more information: please contact 778-388-5008 *********

Canadian citizen 34 , Hindu Arora beautiful girl 5”2 working in Bank Vancouver, Divorced (was a Short term marriage) seeking for a suitable match and boy should be in Canada.For more information please contact 7788953832.

Suitable match for a Saraswat Brahmin girl, 31 years old, 5’3”, Birthtime: 5:30 PM, diploma in computer Engg., BSCIT, MCA, MA in English. Contact: +91-9780616051 (India), +1-604-999-7125. We consider Divorce too. We need Canadian PR or Citizen boy. *********

Respectable well established Sidhu Family looking for a suitable match for their daughter born in 1981 in Vancouver, never married, university graduate, working as marketing manager with reputed international company. For further information contact: 604-319-0662

Seeking SQM for Indian Born Ravidasia/Girl 31 years old, 5’6”, BPT from India with PR status. Boy should be educated with PR/Citizen status, same caste is preferable. Please send complete biodata and pictures at:

Working With Buyers... Get it in Writing

WHEN a REALTOR® agrees to work with clients, it is prudent to have the nature of the relationship agreed to in writing. This will help to ensure that all parties know what they can expect from each other and what is expected from them.

When working with sellers, a mutually agreeable exclusive contractual relationship is generally negotiated and documented using a listing contract. When working with buyers, REALTORS® should use a Buyer’s Agency Exclusive Contract form when both parties wish to enter into a contractual relationship and agree to work together exclusively. As with a listing contract, this will provide details of the services to be provided and confirm the amount of remuneration payable, when it is earned, and when it becomes payable. It makes good business sense for REALTORS® to invest their time, energy, and expertise with buyers who are prepared to have a mutually beneficial and exclusive working relationship in the form of a contract. This is commonplace when working with sellers and should also be so with buyers. REALTORS® are trusted advisors who bring great value to their clients, and it makes sense for both parties to have the protection afforded by a written agreement. Working with buyers without a contract makes it possible to invest valuable time and provide excellent service only to have them buy a

property with another REALTOR®. This situation can be avoided by entering into a written contractual relationship.

When a REALTOR® agrees to work with a buyer without a contract, it is strongly recommended that a REALTOR® uses a Buyer Agency Acknowledgment. This form provides the buyer with important information about the level of services that will be provided and contains several important acknowledgements from the buyer regarding the details of the non-exclusive working relationship. These acknowledgments also provide several legal protections to the REALTOR® when working in this situation.

Working with buyers with no documentation other than the Disclosure of Representation in Trading Services form may place REALTORS® in a difficult situation or expose them to risk. A buyer may challenge some aspects of services not provided which were not agreed to by the REALTOR®. Additionally, there is no protection from claims that the buyer did not know that the REALTOR® would be working with other competing buyers and showing them the same properties. These and several other valuable protections are provided for in both the Buyer’s Agency Exclusive Contract and the Buyer Agency Acknowledgment.

*Subjec ttocreditapproval.Conditionsandrestrictionsapply. CIBCreser vesthe right to amendorterminateany oralloftheproducts, servicesorassociatedoffers,includingpricingorinterest ratesatanytimeandwithoutadvance notice, unlessotherwise requiredbylaw,regulationoragreement.Physician &Surgeon/Dental/Optometryprac tisingprofessionalsmustberegisteredwiththeirrespectiveprovincialprac ticeregulator ybodies,subjecttoconditions andrestrictions. †ThisLimitedtimecashbackofferisvaliduntil April 30,2022basedonapplication date and available for mor tgageloans for rsttimehomebuyers,mor tgage loans fornewpurchase,ormortgageloans that are transferred to CIBCfromanother nancialinstitution.Mortgageloansmustbefundedwithin120daysofapplicationdate. Mortgageloanmusthave aprincipal amount of$100,000ormore, andbeeither aCIBCFixed-RateClosed Mortgageloanwith atermof4yearsormoreora 5-yearCIBCVariable Flex Mortgageloan.A personalCIBCchequingaccountfromwhichpre-authorizedmor tgagepaymentsare madeis required.Qualifyingclientswill receive$3,000 on amor tgage loanamountof$750,000ormore, $2,000ona mortgageloanof$500,000-749,999,$1,200ona mor tgageloanof$300,000-$499,999,or$1,000on amor tgageloanof$100,000-$299,999.Cashbackwillbedeposited inthepersonalCIBCchequing account6-8weeks afterfunding.Other conditionsandrestrictionsapply. Askusfordetails.CashbackofferendsApril30,2022. Offerissubjecttocreditapprovalandmaybechangedor withdrawnatany time, without notice. If youhaveaneligiblehigh ratio mor tgage, youmay alsoqualify foraspeciallowrate. Talk to us to ndouthow. TheCIBClogoisatrademarkofCIBC.C0031206/21

VITAMIN D is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”. This is because it is synthesized in our skin in response to sunlight. The beauty of Vitamin D is that it’s free – a great model for “all things

Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin

in moderation” too.

There are two main forms of vitamin D: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is the form that is synthesized in the skin, while vitamin D2 is found in some plantbased foods and supplements.

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining bone health by promoting the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the diet.

It also helps to regulate the immune system and may reduce

the risk of certain types of cancer, such as colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Despite the importance of vitamin D, many people are deficient in this essential nutrient. In fact, studies suggest that up to 50% of the global population may have insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D!

Symptoms of deficiency can vary, including fatigue, depression, cognitive decline and dementia.

Bone density loss increases the risk of fractures and falls in older people. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Why does a deficiency develop?

It can be difficult to get enough vitamin D from sunlight, especially during the winter months. Additionally, vitamin D is found in relatively few foods, so it can be challenging to get enough vi-

tamin D from the diet.

Scientific studies have found income, gender and ethnicity differences in vitamin D status globally. One study looked at the vitamin D status of over 1,000 healthy Japanese adults and found that 40% of women and 26% of men had vitamin D deficiency and that individuals of non-Japanese ethnicity were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency than those of Japanese ethnicity. A study in the US found that people with higher incomes were more likely to be using supplements, and therefore less likely to suffer deficiencies.

Consumer choices and food prices may also be important. Studies have found that consumption of fortified milk and mild products, or example, has a major effect on likelihood of deficiency.

If you need to know your vitamin D level, a blood test will determine it. But as the philosopher Voltaire once said, “the best is the enemy of the good.” Getting regular intake of Vitamin D should be the goal, not trying to measure daily levels.

Make it a habit to get some vitamin D every day. The most effective way is to get sunlight directly on your skin. Spending 10-15 minutes outside in the sun each day with your arms and legs exposed will help your vitamin D levels, plus sunshine is a “feel good” prescription in general. Be sure to protect your skin with sunscreen if enjoying longer exposure.

But getting outside without layers of clothes can be difficult during the winter months, especially in northern latitudes. So don’t forget you also get vitamin D from certain foods include fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel), egg yolks, and fortified foods (such as milk, orange juice, and cereal).

If you’re not one for being in the sun and concerned the Vitamin D is your diet is insufficient, a daily supplement can help. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D varies depending on age, sex, and other factors, but in general, adults need between 600 and 800 international units (IU) per day.

The upper limit for vitamin D intake is 4,000 IU per day for adults, and it’s important not to exceed this amount unless under medical supervision.

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Dr. Ken Walker (Gifford-Jones) is a graduate of the University of Toronto and The Harvard Medical School. He trained in general surgery at the Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University and in Gynecology at Harvard.

Diana MacKay writes in collaboration with her father under the pen name, Diana Gifford-Jones. Diana is Special Advisor with The Aga Khan University. She worked for ten years in the Human Development sectors at the World Bank, including health policy and economics, nutrition, and population health.