Indo-Canadian Voice Main - Oct 1 2022

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation on Tuesday announced A Night of Miracles, which took place on Saturday, September 24 at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, exceeded its fundraising goal and raised $640,000, and counting, for the Diabetes Transformation Project (DTP).

The Foundation reached its goal of raising $3.1 million for DTP through funds raised from A Night of Miracles

and through individual gifts from donors over the past three years.

The DTP will help bring expert knowledge and resources to families across BC through an innovative virtual education platform and peer support networks. The project will also expand the BC Pediatric Diabetes Registry to help advance diabetes research discoveries in the patient care setting.

“Through the vision and generosity

of guests at A Night of Miracles, $1.8 million has been raised since 2019, which enabled us to cross the finish line for funding the Diabetes Transformation Project. These funds will go towards completing various DTP initiatives including the development of a virtual education platform and peer support groups for children and caregivers,” said

THERE is shock and sadness in Canada at the news that former University of Waterloo student Sara Inam, 37, who was a Canadian citizen, was allegedly murdered by her husband in Pakistan.

Vivek Goel, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, wrote on the university’s website on Monday: “I was deeply saddened to wake up this morning to news of the death in Pakistan of a former University of Waterloo student, Sara Inam. Sara was killed as a result of intimate partner violence. A talented economist and kind friend by all accounts, Sara is gone far too soon.”

A University of Waterloo spokesperson told the media that Inam graduated in 2005 with an honours degree in Economics and Arts and in 2007 with a masters in Economics.

Inam (whose first name is also spelt “Sarah”) had married Shahnawaz Amir, the son of wellknown journalist Ayaz Amir.

The Dawn newspaper of Pakistan reported that according to the police, “Sara Inam … was the third wife of the alleged murderer.

She had arrived in the capital from Dubai on Thursday [last week]. They had married a couple of months ago after falling in love with each other through social media.”

The newspaper reported that Shahnawaz was arrested last week for allegedly killing his wife at a farmhouse located in Shahzad Town where the suspect lived along with his mother. His father was also arrested for his alleged involvement.

Photo

Sara Inam. Photo: Twitter

of

A Night of Miracles has fundraised over $6.6 million over the past 13 years

CONTINUED FROM 1

Malcolm Berry, President and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“Strong community partnership, like the one that the Foundation has with the South Asian community, and the support of all British Columbians, result in the best health outcomes for all children in the province.”

The DTP will help more kids with type 1 diabetes access the expert care and resources they need to control their condition, no matter where they live in the province, and to ease the daily challenges of living with the disease.

For the past 13 years, A Night of Miracles, a South Asian community initiative, has fundraised over $6.6 million in support of initiatives like the DTP, and the Special Procedures Suite at the Teck Acute Care Centre and Sunny Hill Health Centre. The South Asian community helped launch the

Diabetes Transformation Project in 2019 with the A Night of Miracles gala, and on Saturday helped DTP reach its $3.1M goal. Their ongoing support demonstrates the community’s long-standing commitment to providing the best health care imag-

inable to kids across the province.

More than 300 of BC’s South Asian philanthropic, business and community leaders attended the 2022 A Night of Miracles, co-presented by Fasken and Rogers. On behalf of Rogers and OMNI, the Masters of

Ceremonies Randip Janda and Gurp Sian lit up the stage as they co-hosted the evening. They were joined by Shiamak Vancouver Dance Team and DJ Wax, who provided the evening’s entertainment, as well as returning auctioneer Fred Lee, who energized guests while inspiring them to open their hearts—and their wallets—during the live auction and Fund-a-Need.

“This year’s A Night of Miracles co-chairs, Seema Lal and Danvir Roopra, as well as the gala cabinet members—Founding Chair, Robin Dhir, Former Chair, Manjot Hallen, Rita Chohan, Dr. Lovedeep Randhawa and Don Stickney—did an incredible job of bringing this event to life, and inspiring the community to give generously,” Berry said. “Thank you to our co-chairs and Cabinet for your leadership, guidance and hard work. You were the engine that helped us to exceed our fundraising goal.”

Sara’s father wants her alleged killer to be hanged

CONTINUED FROM 1

According to a First Information Report (FIR) that was registered on the complaint of Shahzad Town Station House Officer Nawazish Ali Khan, on September 23, Shahnawaz’s mother Sameena Shah called police and informed them that Shahnawaz had murdered his wife “with a dumbbell”.

“My son is present in the house and has hidden the body,” his mother told the police that then raided the house.

Police said that Shahnawaz had locked himself up in his room.

When forced their way inside, there were blood stains on Shahnawaz’s hands and clothes.

“He then confessed that he had repeatedly hit his wife with a dumbbell during an argument and then hid her body in the washroom’s bathtub,” the police complaint

said.

According to the FIR, Shahnawaz said he had “hidden” the murder weapon under his bed. Police found blood and hair on the dumbbell. “We have sent it for forensics,” the FIR added.

The victim’s body was sent to the Polyclinic Hospital for a post mor-

tem examination, according to police.

Shahnawaz’s father who was accused of aiding his son was also arrested. However, an Islamabad district and sessions court on Tuesday set him free in spite of the police request to extend the journalist’s remand by another five days, the Dawn newspaper reported. The court concluded that there was no evidence against him in the police diary.

The government lawyer said in court: “Ayaz Amir had contacted [Shahnawaz] on Whatsapp. This is the evidence we have till now.”

Global Affairs Canada said that it is “aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in Pakistan and that “consular officials are in contact with local authorities to obtain more information.” It said: “Consular officials are in contact with the family and are providing consular assistance.”

AFTER Sara Inam’s funeral on Wednesday, her father Inam Rahim said that what happened to his daughter was “injustice” as he called for a “strict punishment” for Shahnawaz, according to the Dawn newspaper.

“Sarah was brutally tortured. If this case is delayed, it will be a huge injustice,” he said. He requested the government and the courts to wrap up the proceedings within three to four hearings.

He added: “The suspect should be hanged. There is evidence [of the crime].”

He said that his daughter had been in Dubai for the past 10 years and he used to communicate with her every day “on calls and messages.” He alleged: “She had a good job in Dubai and was getting several good offers. Shahnawaz was greedy and his eyes were on Sarah’s money.”

At “A Night of Miracles.”

Photo submitted

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Surrey Police Service deploys another 35 officers as policing transition advances steadily

ON Monday, September 26, Surrey Police Service (SPS) deployed another 35 police officers who will soon begin responding to calls from Surrey residents.

This brings the total number of SPS officers who have been deployed into policing operations to 155, as Surrey’s policing transition continues to advance.

This deployment continues the cadence established in the SPSRCMP Human Resources Strategy and Plan that will see a total of 295 SPS officers deployed by May 2023.

On Monday, SPS also held a swearing-in ceremony where 26 civilian and sworn employees were officially welcomed, and badges were presented to experienced officers joining Surrey Police Service.

SPS now has 352 employees,

with 298 sworn police officers and 54 civilians. Of our 298 officers, 155 have been deployed, 28 are recruits in training, 28 are in our experienced officer training, and

the remainder are doing critical work that includes recruiting, IT, training, community consultation, and policy development.

The SPS pointed out that

hiring, training, and deploying large numbers of new staff is a monumental task that has become an integral function at SPS. Standing up a police service of this size requires an effective and efficient human resources mechanism to compliment the operational priority that is demanded by public safety and calls for service in a large city.

“The efforts of our officers on the front lines and our civilian and police staff in building this progressive, community focused police service for the citizens of Surrey, is unprecedented,” said Chief Constable Norm Lipinski.

“We have the right people; we have ambitious but achievable objectives; and we are well on our way to becoming the police of jurisdiction for Surrey.”

on August 26 by Brampton City Council.

The park will be landscaped and have sculptures of Lord Krishna and Arjuna on a chariot, the two main characters of the Gita, besides some

other Hindu deities.

Speaking at the event, Brown said: “I believe in the teachings of the Gita. We are very grateful to the Hindu community and this park is a symbol of that friendship.”

ONTARIO’S Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Councillors and members of the community gathered on Tuesday to unveil the renaming of the city’s Troyers Park to Shri Bhagavad Gita Park.

“Brampton is a Mosaic, and this renaming commemorates the Hindu community and all they contribute to our city,” said the City.

The 3.7 acre park was approved

Chief Constable Norm Lipinski addresses SPS officers. Photo: SPS

Mayor Patrick Brown (far right) with prominent members of the Hindu community. Photos: City of Brampton

Punjabi Market Collective revitalizing the neighbourhood

inaugural event.

THE volunteer group Punjabi Market Collective recently collaborated with Monsoon Festival to celebrate the community of South Vancouver. Community mem-

bers came together for a free outdoor celebration in the Punjabi Market with stage performances, activities and prizes. Hundreds of people attended the four-hour

The community also got to see the recent work completed by the Punjabi Market Collective (PMC) volunteers to revitalize the neighbourhood, including some of this year’s murals. The two new murals are ‘Kohinoor’ by Jessie Sohpaul and ‘Jee

Aayan Nu’ by Jag Nagra. This makes for a total of six murals for the community to enjoy.

So go down there and check out the murals and support the Punjabi Market. For more updates follow the PMC volunteer group on Instagram @punjabimarketyvr.

17th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas Convention in Indore from January 8-10

the theme, “Diaspora: Reliable Partner’s for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal.”

Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (PBD) is celebrated biennially on January 9 to connect with the Indian overseas community and celebrate their contribution to the development of India.

There will be five plenary sessions:

– Role of diaspora youth in innovation and new technologies

– Harnessing the potential of women diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building

– Goodwill through craft, cuisine and creativity

– Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce – Role of Indian diaspora

– Trade and investment

There will be a digital exhibition on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle.

THE 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas Convention will take place from January 8-10, 2023, in Indore in collaboration with the Government of the state of Madhya Pradesh with

Photo 1: (L-R) Arshdeep Singh, Pall Beesla, Buta Johal, Park Board Candidate Jas Virdi, School Board Candidate Preeti Faridkot and Park Board Candidate Angela Haer with ABC Vancouver. Photos submitted

Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Horgan extend best wishes on Navratri

PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday issued the following statement on Navratri: “Tonight, Hindu communities in Canada and around the world will come together and celebrate the beginning of Navratri.

“Celebrated over nine nights and 10 days, Navratri honours the triumph of good over evil by the goddess Durga. Often regarded as a celebration of women’s empower ment, Navratri is one of the most important festivals in the Hindu faith. To mark this spe cial occasion, family and friends will come together to pray, dance, and observe vari ous traditions passed down from genera tion to generation.

“On Navratri, I invite all Canadians to learn more about Canada’s vibrant Hindu com munity and recognize its many important contributions to our country’s social, cultur al, and economic fabric. Diversity is one of Canada’s greatest strengths and has helped us build a better, fairer, and more inclusive country for everyone.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I extend our best wishes to ev eryone celebrating Navratri.”

B.C. Premier John Horgan said in a state

ment:

“Starting tonight, Hindus here in British Co lumbia and around the world will begin the festival of Navratri.

“Over the next nine nights and 10 days, Hindu communities will come together to honour and give thanks to the deity Durga, the feminine energy and her nine forms.

The festival of Vijayadashami, or Dussehra, is celebrated on the final day – marking the triumph of good over evil and the start of Di wali preparations.

“For the first time in a few years, more of this year’s Navratri celebrations will be shared in person again, as people safely come back together. Families and friends will gather to pray, fast and enjoy traditional dances like dandiya and garba, and share special meals.

“Navratri is a reminder to all of us that our diversity here in B.C. is part of what makes us strong. On behalf of our entire govern ment, I want to thank the Hindu community

50th anniversary of Ismaili Muslim community’s first mass settlement in Canada

RACHNA Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, on Tuesday in a statement in honour of the 50th anniver sary of the Ismaili Muslim community’s first mass settlement in Canada, said: “Today, we join Ismaili Muslims in celebrating 50 years since their community’s first mass migration to Canada. This significant mile stone is an opportunity to reflect on the nu merous contributions Ismaili Muslims have made to our communities and learn more about their history.

“The mass migration was the result of ex pulsion by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, whose discriminatory goal was to remove people of Asian descent from the country.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Nizari Ismaili branch of Islam, turned to Canada for help. More than 6,000 Ismaili Muslims were welcomed into the country.

“Today, there are approximately 20,000 Is maili Muslims in B.C. and the community is

renowned for its philanthropy. The commu nity adheres to a tradition of giving: giving of one’s time, talents and material resources to enhance the community around them. Whether cleaning up parks, fundraising for

local charities or donating to neighbour hood food banks, their long-standing ap proach to building community and help ing others makes British Columbia a better province for everyone.

“On this special anniversary, I encourage British Columbians to reflect on the strug gles the first Ismaili Muslims faced when they were forced to flee Uganda. Although this racism occurred decades ago, we know racism is still very much alive in B.C. and around the world.

“Our government is committed to address ing the ongoing issues of systemic racism and discrimination in British Columbia through initiatives such as the Anti-Racism Data Act, which will help to identify sys temic barriers in government programs and services.

“We are also working to introduce the broader anti-racism act next year, which will help make B.C. a safer, more welcom

ing and equitable province for everyone, re gardless of their race, ethnicity or faith. And we’re developing an anti-racism action plan for kindergarten to Grade 12, to improve learning experiences for racialized students and equip teachers with the tools to better identify and address systemic barriers for Indigenous, Black and students of colour in our education system.

“But we cannot tackle racism alone. We all have a responsibility to make British Co lumbia a safe and inclusive place to live for everyone. I encourage all British Columbi ans to learn more about the Ismaili Muslim community in B.C. It is through understand ing and listening to each other that we can build a better, more inclusive province for everyone.”

To learn more about Ismaili Muslim com munity in B.C., visit the Ismaili Centre – Van couver website: https://the.ismaili/ismailicentre-vancouver

for its many contributions to our province and send best wishes to everyone celebrat ing.

“Shubh Navratri and happy Dussehra!”

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

Justin Trudeau

Photo: Twitter

Premier John Horgan

Photo: BC Government

Rachna Singh

Province prepares for fall respiratory viruses, encourages people to get vaccinated

PEOPLE are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza for the most effective protection in the fall, the Province says.

The COVID-19 fall booster program started early in September and will be joined by the annual influenza vaccine campaign in October.

With the start of the respiratory illness sea son, it is expected that COVID-19 cases will increase as more people gather indoors. The Province is preparing for the possi bility of an influenza surge, following two years of low influenza rates due to public health restrictions that reduced travel and socialization.

Hospitals throughout the province have been planning for various scenarios and are ready to respond to an influx of pa tients requiring care for COVID-19 or influ enza.

Invitations for fall booster doses are going to people who had their last COVID-19 vac cine at least six months ago. Invitations are distributed in priority order based on age and risk factors for severe outcomes from COVID-19. People are encouraged to book a vaccination appointment as soon as they get their invitation.

People in long-term care and assisted-liv ing facilities, along with others at risk, will be able to get their influenza vaccine start ing the week of Oct. 3. The influenza cam paign will launch the week of October 11, following the long weekend, and vaccines will be available in participating pharma cies and health authority clinics.

Public health officials continue to recom mend the influenza vaccine for everyone in B.C. older than six months and to offer it for free.

Additionally, for the first time, all seniors older than 65 can get a free enhanced influ enza vaccine this year. Enhanced influenza vaccines give seniors better protection against influenza than standard-dose vac cines. Enhanced influenza vaccines stimu late stronger immune responses, which compensate for the natural weakening of the immune system that occurs with age.

Eligible people can get an influenza vac cine and a COVID-19 fall booster at the same time.

New in 2022, people will be able to book their influenza vaccine through the provin cial Get Vaccinated system, just like book ing COVID-19 vaccines.

Quick Facts

* The Province is offering all adults older than 18 and youth 12 to 17 who are at high risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 the new combination bivalent vaccine through the fall booster program.

* Children and youth aged five to 17 are also eligible for COVID-19 booster doses.

Parents and guardians will receive invita tions to book booster appointments when their children are eligible.

* Public health officials look to the influen za season in the Southern Hemisphere to

Male shot in Surrey

ON Sunday, around midnight, Surrey RCMP responded to a report of shots fired in the 16200-block of 80 Avenue. A male suffering from injuries was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.

Officers are conducting neighbourhood canvassing and speaking with witnesses to obtain further information. The investi gation is still in its early stages, but initial indications are that this is a targeted/iso lated incident and involves parties known to each other, police said.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502. If they wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www. solvecrime.ca.

help anticipate the severity of the season in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, the season started earlier and infections rates were higher than during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

* B.C. will distribute more than 1.8 million

doses of influenza vaccines for the 202223 influenza season, including more than 660,000 doses of enhanced influenza vac

cines for seniors.

* It is safe to get an influenza vaccine at the same time as a COVID-19 booster.

Hours of Operation:

Mon-Fri:10 AM - 6 PM Sat:11 AM - 5 PM Sun:CLOSED

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Image: BC Government

Surrey and CFSEU-BC gang enforcement officers seize semi-automatic AR-15-style firearm and drugs

ROVING patrols by Surrey RCMP and Combined Forces Special En forcement Unit – British Colum bia (CFSEU-BC) gang enforce ment officers has resulted in the seizure of drugs and a prohibited weapon.

On September 10 at approximate ly 9:30 p.m., officers from the Surrey Gang Enforcement Team (SGET) and CFSEU-BC’s Uni formed Gang Enforcement Team (UGET) were conducting patrols in the area of 104 Avenue and King George Boulevard as part of an ongoing joint enforcement project to suppress gang activity

and associated violence.

Officers located a man who was exhibiting suspicious behaviour and attempting to evade police.

Further investigation lead to the arrest of the man, who was found in possession of a bag containing:

* a semi-automatic AR-15-style firearm

* a large capacity magazine con taining armour-piercing rounds

* a rifle scope

* a GPS tracker

* 30 grams fentanyl; and

* 6 grams of methamphetamine

On September 11, 40-year-old Thomas Bourque was charged

with possession of a prohibited firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm and carry a prohibited weapon in a careless manner.

Bourque remains in custody until his next court date.

“This is just one example of the work our gang enforcement teams here in Surrey and across the province through CFSEU-BC are doing on a daily basis,” said Constable Sarbjit K. Sangha, Me dia Relations Officer for the Surrey RCMP, on Thursday. “Our goal is to deter further violence associated to drugs and crime, by taking pro hibited weapons off our streets.”

Surrey Mayor McCallum announces new swimming pool for North Surrey

SURREY Mayor Doug McCallum on Wednesday announced his plans to build a new swimming pool, this time for the com munity of North Surrey at the Chuck Bailey Rec Centre.

McCallum said that with a rapidly growing population, he and Safe Surrey Coalition recognize the need for more infrastruc ture across the City of Surrey. Recently an nouncing his plan to build a new swimming pool for residents living in Cloverdale and Clayton at the Clayton Community Centre, McCallum has now turned his attention to North Surrey.

“I have heard loud and clear from residents of North Surrey that there is a need for a swimming pool for their community that

they love. With today’s announcement, ev ery community neighbourhood in our City will have a swimming pool for young fami lies and seniors” said McCallum.

Safe Surrey Coalition has made $424 million in capital investments for young families, youth and seniors and says that it will con tinue to build world-class community infra structure to keep up with the city’s growth.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum (4th from left) with Safe Surrey Coalition candidates for Council (L-R) Debra Antifaev, Stuart Drysdale, Allison Patton, Doug Elford, Laurie Guerra, John Gibeau and Raman Jassar.

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

Sword-wielding robbery suspect arrested within 12 minutes of a call to Abbotsford police

ON Monday, September 26 at 4:12 p.m., Abbotsford Police re sponded to a report of a robbery in progress at a local gas station in the 32400-block of South Fraser Way.

A lone man entered the gas sta tion and proceeded to steal items from within the store. When con fronted by the store clerk, the man whipped out a large sword and swung it at the clerk, before fleeing the store on foot. Officers were immediately dis patched to the area where they

located and arrested the man within 12 minutes of the call to police. Remarkably, although ex tremely shaken, the store clerk was not injured.

Thirty-year-old Jarred Whitham of Abbotsford has now been charged with robbery, willfully re sisting or obstructing a Peace Of ficer and breach of probation. He remains in custody pending his

next court appearance.

“Each day, our officers respond to shoplifter-related calls where the suspects are often carrying weap ons. These calls pose a risk to public safety within our commu nity. Many of these incidents are repeat offenders being continu ously released back into our com munity,” said Sgt. Paul Walker on Wednesday.

can open your home and your heart to a youth in need, we want to hear from you.

and become part of a community that, just like you, wants to make a difference.

Laura at: (236) 333-2682

Photo: Surrey RCMP

The suspect's sword.

Fraser Health clinics providing fall COVID-19 booster doses, including bivalent vaccine

IMMUNIZATION clinics throughout the Fra ser Health region are now providing more people with opportunities to receive a CO VID-19 booster dose this fall, including the Omicron (bivalent) booster.

Fraser Health says that everyone aged 18 and older is eligible to receive the Moderna Omicron (bivalent) vaccine six months af ter completing their primary series or last booster dose and will be notified when they can book their appointment. The Moderna Spikevax Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine targets both the original COVID-19 virus from 2019 and the Omicron BA.1 variant. Health Cana da approved it for use as a booster dose on September 1. It is safe and effective.

Twelve- to 17-year-olds and five- to 11-yearolds will continue to receive the original for mulation of the vaccines.

Everyone five years and older is eligible for a COVID-19 booster six months after complet ing their primary series or last booster dose.

Watch for your invitation to book:

* Ages 18 and over: Omicron (bivalent) booster

* Ages 12 to 17: fall booster

* Ages five to 11: pediatric booster

* Ages six months to four years: primary se ries only

Fraser Health clinics are providing COVID-19 boosters in communities including:

- Abbotsford

- Burnaby - Chilliwack

- Coquitlam

- Langley

- Maple Ridge - Surrey North - Surrey South

Additional clinic days in Hope, Agassiz and Boston Bar

Additionally, some public health units are providing the COVID-19 primary series for children ages six months to four years, and the pediatric booster for children ages five to 11 years.

For a full listing of the current clinics and public health units offering COVID-19 immu nizations and boosters, along with hours of operation, visit: fraserhealth.ca/vax.

Fraser Health says it s committed to ensuring everyone who wants additional protection against COVID-19 has access to a booster dose. It will continue to look at opportunities for additional clinic locations, so people can receive their booster dose quickly and close to home.

Eligible people who have not yet registered to receive their COVID-19 vaccine can regis ter now with the Get Vaccinated provincial registration system to be notified when you can book your COVID-19 vaccine appoint ment. Everyone needs to register once through this system.

If you have already registered, you will be notified by email, text or phone call when it’s your turn to book an appointment for your next dose. You do not need a booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated. If you have not yet received an invite and have questions about when you are eligible, call 1-833-838-2323.

Police Service Dog Nugget all set to hit Surrey’s streets with Constable Sascha Falschebner

POLICE Service Dog (PSD) Nugget is all set to hit Surrey’s streets to perform a variety of duties with his handler RCMP Constable Sas cha Falschebner.

These duties include finding missing peo ple, helping persons in crisis, searching for evidence, as well as locating and appre hending criminal suspects.

The BC RCMP Lower Mainland District and In tegrated Teams on Tuesday an nounced the po lice service dog graduating class of 2022.

Seven new teams—one of the largest de ployments ever in the Lower Mainland— have graduated from police dog school in Alberta.

The other six teams are:

* Constable Brit teny George, Ridge Meadows RCMP, with PSD Porter.

* Constable Jor dan Braid, Chilli wack RCMP, with PSD Neon.

* Constable Sebastien Fortin, Coquitlam RCMP, with PSD Norad.

* Constable Chris Colgan, West Vancouver Police, with PSD Nolan.

* Constable Lorne Elgar, West Vancouver Police, with PSD Nuke.

* Constable David Gronmyr, Abbotsford Po lice, with PSD Nos.

The new dog teams have been training hard for several months at the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) in Innisfail, Alberta and, after having passed their final

exams, have been assigned to work.

Police Service Dogs and their human han dlers train each year to master tracking, searching, obedience and apprehension.

By the time they complete training, the dogs and their officers are sharp and keen to be gin work.

“Having seven Police Service Dog teams ar rive in the Lower Mainland is one of the most sig nificant deploy ments in recent years,” says StaffSgt. Derek King. “These teams will improve our ability to respond to calls requiring a police dog and greatly increase the level of ser vice provided to the public.”

The teams are part of the Lower Mainland Inte grated Police Dog Service (IPDS) with partnerships across all RCMP detachments and municipal departments in New Westmin ster, Delta, West

Vancouver, Port Moody and Abbotsford.

In an average year, the teams from IPDS will respond to over 10,000 calls for service.

“A police dog is often the difference need ed to bring about a successful conclusion to a wide variety of police incidents,” says IPDS Media Relations Officer, Constable Ross Findlay of the New Westminster Po lice. “Many people are safe today thanks to the actions of our heroic, furry partners! I’m sure it won’t be long until we hear some thing amazing about these new teams.”

PSD Nugget

Photo: RCMP

Province launches a health human resources strategy

THE Province on Thursday an nounced the launch of a health hu man resources strategy to optimize the health system, expand training and further improve recruitment and retention.

“We are taking the next step in in creasing access to public health care for people in B.C.,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Since 2017, we’ve taken significant actions to im prove and increase access to health services. From performing a record number of surgeries, to increasing our workforce by over 20% and add ing more health-related education seats to post-secondary institutions, we have made important progress.”

He added: “But we know that peo ple are facing real challenges right now and there is much more work to do, and this strategy will guide our next steps in building a strong, resil ient public healthcare system now and in the future.”

The strategy will support patients who rely on the public health-care system by adding more doctors, nurses and health sciences profes sionals, adding new education and training seats, taking actions to im prove retention and to optimize the system to help with workload.

The strategy will focus on four key areas:

* Retain: Foster healthy, safe and inspired workplaces, supporting workforce health and wellness, em bedding reconciliation, diversity, in clusion and cultural safety and bet ter supporting and retaining workers in high-need areas, building clinical leadership capacity and increasing engagement.

* Redesign: Balance workloads and staffing levels to optimize quality of care by optimizing scope of practice, expanding and enhancing teambased care, redesigning workflows and adopting enabling technologies.

* Recruit: Attract and onboard work ers by reducing barriers for interna

tional health-care professionals, sup porting comprehensive onboarding and promoting health-care careers to young people.

* Train: Strengthening employer sup ported training models; enhancing earn and learn programs to support staff to advance the skills and qualifi cations; expanding the use of bursa ries, expanding education seats for new and existing employees.

This is a multi-year strategy with sev eral actions starting in 2022-23. Ac tions that government are announc ing immediately include:

* Forty new undergraduate medical education seats and up to 88 new residency seats at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) faculty of medicine, which will be phased in throughout the province beginning in 2023. The expansion will create more opportunities for students and resident doctors to learn, train and stay on to practise in communities around B.C.

* Beginning October 14, pharma cists will adapt and renew prescriptions for a wider range of drugs and conditions, and they will be able to administer, further to a prescription, a wider range of drugs by injection or intranasally. The Province is also working toward extending the valid period of prescriptions to two years,

which is anticipated to be in effect on the same date. These changes will, for example, help patients deal ing with mental-health and sub stance-use disorders, and for those without a regular primary care pre scriber to access the medications they need.

* The Ministry of Health is working with the College of Pharmacists of BC on regulations that will enable pharmacists to prescribe for mi nor ailments and contraception by spring 2023.

* New regulations to enable para medics and first responders provide a broader range of services to better care for their patients during emer gencies.

More actions will be announced in the coming weeks and months, with additional steps in the follow ing years. Health human resources has been a key priority for this gov ernment. This strategy, and the ac tions set out within it, will build on this foundation.

Since 2017, B.C. has committed more than $1 billion to support health-care workers and increase access to health services for people.

The Province has added 602 new nursing seats and 322 additional al lied health-related seats to public post-secondary institution, is provid

ing bursaries for existing health-care workers and those from outside the province, streamlining the process for internationally educated nurses to enter B.C.’s health system, and has welcomed more than 38,000 new workers to the provincial health system during the past five years.

In addition, BC Emergency Health Services has recently added more than 250 net new paramedic posi tions throughout B.C., many located in rural, remote and First Nations communities and are transitioning from a casual workforce to more permanent positions.

The Province is investing $118 mil lion in stabilization funding for fam ily doctors together with Doctors of BC. The Ministry of Health is also working with Doctors of BC on a new physician master agreement and a new compensation model for family practice physicians.

Expanding the number of people who will be entering and graduating from UBC’s school of medicine is in addition to work underway with Simon Fraser University to open the second medical school in Surrey.

The Province has provided $1.5 mil lion to Simon Fraser University to support planning and development of the business case, and a project board has been established.

BC Liberals: No metrics, no timelines in NDP health care strategy

THE BC Liberals on Thursday raised concerns about the NDP’s newly released health human resources strategy, which they said was long overdue and failed to provide much of the short-term relief needed to address the worsening health care crisis.

Shirley Bond, BC Liberal Critic for Health, said: “B.C. is in the middle of a deadly health care crisis and real action is long overdue. The Health Minister originally promised to in troduce a health human resources strategy by last fall. What he has de

livered today is a year late and falls well short of what’s needed to solve B.C.’s worsening health care crisis.

“I am glad to see some commonsense changes in this plan, like ex panding the scope of practice for pharmacists and removing barriers for foreign-trained health care work ers. But these are actions the BC Lib erals and others have been suggesting for months now. It’s frustrating to see the NDP refuse to take our sug gestions and then suddenly celebrate these ideas that should have been implemented months ago.”

The BC Liberals said that over the past few years, B.C. has faced a wors ening health care crisis, with regu

lar hospital closures, understaffed UPCCs, rising wait times, people dying waiting for ambulances, and nearly one million British Columbians without access to a family doctor.

The BC Liberals pointed out that they first put forward a 30-day action plan to address the crisis in primary care this past July, in addition to suggest ing further solutions to the health care crisis a few weeks later.

Bond said: “Our health care system has needed a human resources strat egy for years, and it’s disappointing to see the NDP only put forward a

plan now, two years into their second term in government — it’s too little, too late.

“This document is a collection of value statements and actions to be developed, not a plan with clear met rics and timelines ready to tackle the crisis that has already overwhelmed our system. While I’m encouraged to see some level of action, far more needs to be done to relieve the pres sure on our health care workers and ensure that all British Columbians have access to the care they need and deserve.”

Adrian Dix Photo: BC Government

Shirley Bond

BC Liberals say the top choice for new party name is BC United

name that will go forward to party mem bers for a vote by the end of the year.

It said that BC United is a fresh alternative that expresses the party’s longstanding commitment to unity across a broad co alition of party members, as well as high lighting British Columbia front and centre in the name choice.

The party pointed out that bringing the question of a name change to BC Liberals as part of a member-driven process was a key commitment made by BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon. That process began at the party’s June convention, where two-thirds of delegates voted in favour of considering a new name.

Through an online portal, suggestion box es, text messages, QR codes and discus sions as part of the Leader’s summer tour, over 2,000 suggestions were submitted over a three-month period.

“I want to thank all the members who

have taken part in the process so far, and I urge them to participate in the vote when the time comes later this year,” said Fal con. “I’ll personally be voting in favour of changing the party name, and I’m hopeful our members do too.”

Caroline Elliott, BC Liberal Vice President, said: “This has been a process driven by members from day one, and among thousands of name-change suggestions, BC United emerged as the clear choice across the province. We’ve long been a big-tent party, united together in our com mon vision for B.C., and it’s no wonder that so many members expressed this sentiment in their suggestions.”

John Yap, BC Liberal President, added:

“Of course, this is just one aspect of a comprehensive renewal process already well underway under Kevin Falcon’s lead ership. Whether it’s recruiting dynamic new candidates, developing innovative, outcome-focused policies, or genuine ly connecting with British Columbians about the issues that matter to them, true renewal is something all of us are excited about.”

The party said that should the name be approved by party members, it will be implemented strategically and responsi bly, recognizing that the BC Liberals do not control the timing of the next election.

“We are going to be smart about this, and that’s been the commitment from the be ginning,” said Elliott. “The NDP have bro ken the fixed election law before – calling a selfish snap election at the height of the COVID pandemic – and they won’t hesi tate to do it again. If the vote passes, the name will be changed, but there will be flexibility to ensure the NDP don’t take advantage of the situation for their own political gain.”

The next step is to finalize the voting pro cess, the details of which will be made available in the coming weeks. As part of this process, every BC Liberal member will have the opportunity before the end of the year to vote in favour of changing the name to BC United or keep the exist ing BC Liberal Party name.

In the meantime, BC United has been reg istered with Elections BC as an alternate name for the BC Liberal Party.

VPD investigate pedestrian fatality

VANCOUVER Police are investigating the city’s eighth pedestrian fatality of the year, which occurred around 12:30 p.m. on Tues day on West Georgia Street.

Police believe a woman was struck by a charter bus near West Georgia and Cardero Street.

Officers from VPD’s Collision Investigation Unit are gathering evidence from the scene and speaking to witnesses to determine how the collision occurred.

Anyone who saw the collision but left prior to police arrival is asked to call 604-7173012.

Kevin Falcon Photo: BC Liberals

BC Liberal rebrand can’t hide Falcon’s record, says NDP

THE NDP on Tuesday slammed the BC Lib erals in connection to their proposed name change for the party, saying: “Six months af ter the BC Liberals doubled down on their record by picking longtime cabinet minis ter Kevin Falcon, they’re trying to hide his record of working for the wealthiest while making life harder for everyone else.”

The NDP said that as a senior BC Liberal cabinet minister for 12 years, Falcon:

* Handed out tax breaks to the top income earners;

* Hiked costs like MSP Premiums, bridge tolls, and Hydro rates;

* Cut hospital budgets, growing waitlists for surgeries and MRIs;

* Raided ICBC for millions while charging drivers more;

MLA Ravi Kahlon said: “The BC Liberals can change their name, but they can’t hide

Kevin Falcon’s record of working for people at the very top while making life harder for everyone else.”

He added: “He was a top player in a govern ment that gave huge tax breaks to the top tax bracket and made people pay for it with higher fees and cuts to schools and hospi tals. He stands by those choices today and he would do it again.”

Ravi Kahlon

‘Honoured to be first woman appointed Chief Opposition Whip for Conservative Party’: Kerry-Lynne Findlay

KERRY-LYNNE Findlay, Chief Opposition Whip for the Conservative Party of Canada, on Wednesday said in a statement regard ing her role on the Conservative Leader ship team: “I am honoured to be the first woman appointed to the role of Chief Op position Whip for the Conservative Party of Canada. In receiving this position, I am proud to represent British Columbians and all Canadians and will continue to ad vocate for their interests in the House of Commons.”

On September 13, Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party and the Official Opposition, had announced changes to the Conservative Parliamentary Leader ship Team.

Melanie Mark resigns from cabinet, goes on medical leave

PREMIER John Horgan on Wednesday an nounced that Minister Melanie Mark had advised him of her decision to resign her cabinet portfolio and go on medical leave “to focus on pressing and urgent personal matters.”

Horgan added: “While I regret that she will not be at the cabinet table, I respect her de cision and her commitment to her constitu ents.”

He said: “I have asked Lisa Beare, Minister of Citizens’ Services, to assume responsibil ity for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, ef fective immediately, in addition to her cur rent portfolio.”

Melanie Mark

Findlay said: “This appointment is a con tinuation of the CPC history of women holding significant positions in leadership, including Prime Minister. I am pleased that our new leader Pierre Poilievre is uphold ing this tradition.”

She added: “The federal Liberals will be significantly increasing payroll taxes on January 1st, 2022 and tripling the carbon tax on April 1st. This is the liberal response to 40-year high inflation, as interest rates continue to rise.

“Conservatives will fight Trudeau’s tax hikes and inflationary deficits to protect Canadians’ pay cheques and savings. Ca nadians are hurting. It is our job to trans form that hurt into hope.”

COVID-19 border and travel measures will be removed effective October

THe federal government on Monday an nounced the removal of all COVID-19 entry restrictions, as well as testing, quarantine, and isolation requirements for anyone entering Canada, effective October 1.

The government said the removal of border measures has been facilitated by a number of factors, including modelling that indicates that Canada has largely passed the peak of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 fuelled wave, Cana da’s high vaccination rates, lower hospitaliza tion and death rates, as well as the availability and use of vaccine boosters (including new bivalent formulation), rapid tests, and treat ments for COVID-19.

Effective October 1, all travellers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer have to:

* submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website;

* provide proof of vaccination;

* undergo pre- or on-arrival testing;

* carry out COVID-19-related quarantine or isolation;

* monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arriving to Can ada.

Transport Canada is also removing existing travel requirements. As of October 1, travellers will no longer be required to:

* undergo health checks for travel on air and rail; or

* wear masks on planes and trains.

Although the masking requirement is being lifted, all travellers are strongly recommended to wear high quality and well-fitted masks dur ing their journeys.

Cruise measures are also being lifted, and travellers will no longer be required to have pre-board tests, be vaccinated, or use Arrive CAN. A set of guidelines will remain to protect passengers and crew, which will align with the approach used in the United States.

Individuals are reminded that they should not travel if they have symptoms of COVID-19. If travellers become sick while travelling, and are still sick when they arrive in Canada, they

should inform a flight attendant, cruise staff, or a border services officer upon arrival. They may then be referred to a quarantine officer who will decide whether the traveller needs further medical assessment as COVID-19 re mains one of many communicable diseases listed in the Quarantine Act.

The government also reminded travellers to make informed decisions when considering travel outside of Canada to protect their health and safety. They are encouraged to review the travel health notices at https://travel.gc.ca/ travelling/advisories for more information on safe travel.

The government said Canadians can continue to do their part to protect themselves and oth ers, and reduce the spread of COVID-19, by getting vaccinated and boosted, using high quality and well-fitted masks where appropri ate, self-isolating if they have symptoms and self-testing if they can.

Quick Facts

* Travellers must follow any provincial or ter ritorial COVID-19 requirements as applicable. Foreign nationals must still meet the entry requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and provide appropri ate travel and immigration documentation as necessary.

* Air carriers will no longer need to validate that travellers have entered information in Ar riveCAN before boarding.

* As of October 1, travellers who entered Canada in the 14 days prior to October 1 will

not be required to complete the remainder of their quarantine or isolation, or complete their testing requirements.

* While travellers will no longer have to sub mit their quarantine and vaccination informa tion through ArriveCAN, they can continue to use the optional Advance Declaration feature in ArriveCAN (free as a mobile app or on the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) web site) to save time at the airport by submitting their customs and immigration declaration in advance of arrival.

- This feature is currently available to travel lers arriving at Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, or Montréal-Trudeau international airports and will expand to the Calgary, Edmonton, Win nipeg, Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ottawa, Qué bec City, and Halifax international airports in the coming months.

* Early data shows that using the Advance CBSA Declaration in ArriveCAN cuts the amount of time a traveller spends at a kiosk by roughly one third, and over 30% of travel lers arriving at the airports are already using it.

* The CBSA will continue to make technology available at the border to speed up traveller entry and enhance the safety and security of Canadians. For example, CBSA is exploring other optional ArriveCAN features to provide travellers with easy access to information such as border wait times, and other selfserve functions. This will be expanded to trav ellers by land so they can make use of avail able technology to expedite and facilitate their travel.

60-year-old male pedestrian killed in Delta collision

oN Tuesday, September 27 just after 6:30 a.m., Delta Police responded to a report of a pedestrian-involved collision at the intersec tion of 112 Street and 80 Avenue.

Officers located a 60-year-old male with se rious injuries. The vehicle involved in the collision had left the scene before police arrival; however, the driver has since come forward and is cooperating with investiga tors.

The pedestrian was transported to the hos

pital by BC Emergency Health Services; however, despite medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries. Next of kin notification has been completed with the victim’s family.

Investigators are looking to speak with any witnesses to this collision. If you are a witness, you are requested to contact the Delta Police Department at (604)946-4411 and reference Delta Police file number 2022-21756.

Transit Police and transit staff teamwork retrieves stolen dog

THANKS to seamless teamwork with front line transit staff, Metro Vancouver Transit Police were able to reunite a stolen 10-yearold Border Collie named Ollie with his fam ily.

On Tuesday, September 27 at 5:30 p.m., Ol lie’s owner briefly tied him up outside of a business in downtown Vancouver. When he returned, Ollie was gone. The owner frantically searched for Ollie to no avail. He eventually flagged down a Vancouver Police officer, who initiated an investigation.

Hours later, on Wednesday, September 28, just after 2 a.m., a SkyTrain attendant, who had just finished her shift at Lougheed Sta tion, saw the owner’s desperate appeals on social media. She remembered that just as her shift was ending, she had seen a

woman board a Route 9 bus with a dog that looked like Ollie. The SkyTrain attendant called Transit Police to report the sighting.

At the request of Transit Police, Coast Moun tain Bus Company Transit Communications put out an alert to all bus operators in the area with a description of the suspect and Ollie. A Route 9 bus operator quickly noted Ollie and the suspect on board their bus and provided police with real time updates.

Transit Police officers intercepted the bus and located Ollie, safe and sound. The 35-year-old female suspect from North Vancouver, who is known to police, was arrested for theft and possession of stolen property.

While Transit Police finished conducting their investigation with the suspect in custo

dy, Coast Mountain Transit Security Officers stayed with Ollie and kept him safe until he could be reunited with his grateful family.

“Transit Police is proud to have been able to play a role in a heartwarming ending to a situation that would be any pet owner’s worst nightmare. We are deeply grateful for the relationships that our officers and dis patchers have with the frontline staff at Sky Train and Coast Mountain Bus. Truly, team work is the reason that Ollie is now back at home with his family,” said Constable Amanda Steed.

Anyone with any information about any crime on transit is asked to contact Transit Police by phone at 604-515-8300 or by text at 87.77.77. Always call 9-1-1 in an emer gency.

Concept design underway for first phase of Surrey’s new 3-km riverfront park

THE City of Surrey has released an update on the development of the concept design of phase one of the new Nicomekl Riverfront Park in preparation for a public engagement campaign planned in early 2023.

The report provides residents with information on what has been completed to date, what is happening next, the site’s history and significance and the prin ciples and rationale being used to plan and design the park. A more detailed update, including drawings and renderings, will be released closer to the date of the public engagement in 2023.

“We are pleased with the prog ress being made on the design of the first phase of the Nicome kl Riverfront Park,” said Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. “Design

ing and constructing an 80-acre park, along one of Surrey’s major river systems, is complex and in novative work and will take time to do it right. When complete, the park will provide residents with increased recreational ame nities like trails, kayak and ca noe launches, a playground and

viewpoints. It will also protect the environment, support wild life habitat and help Surrey adapt to climate change and sea level rise.”

The project is being developed in three phases. The City is currently working on the detailed designs for phase one, the largest area

(24 acres) of the project, known as the Hadden Mill and Oxbow zones, which are located on ei ther side of King George Boule vard. Once complete, the design concept plan and drawings will be presented to the community for input in early 2023.

Weaving together ecology, cul ture and recreation, the park will stretch from Elgin Road to 40 Avenue. Comprised of sensi tive ecosystems, the area is his torically and culturally significant and it will be designed to accom modate sea level rise and flood ing. When complete, Nicomekl Riverfront Park will be 14 times larger than Crescent Beach Park in Surrey.

The project is one of 13 Surrey project components to be par tially funded through the Gov

ernment of Canada’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). The project was also approved in the City’s 2021 FiveYear (2021-2025) Capital Finan cial Plan.

Learn more at https://engage. surrey.ca/nicomekl-riverfrontpark.

Abbotsford Police seeking witnesses, dashcam footage in hit-and-run

ON September 20 at 4:55 a.m., Abbotsford Police patrol officers responded to a hit-andrun involving a pedestrian along George Fer guson Way at Nelson Place.

The dark sedan vehicle involved, fled the

scene. Emergency personnel located a 21-year-old female suffering from non-lifethreatening injuries.

The Abbotsford Police Department’s General Investigation Section (GIS), with the assis

tance of patrol officers, is in the early stages of this investigation with the primary goal of identifying the suspect vehicle involved. Investigators are seeking witnesses and dashcam footage from anyone who may

have been in the area of George Ferguson Way at Nelson Place just before and after the collision. If you can assist, you are requested to call the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225.

Ollie

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum

Liberals and Conservatives refuse to give young Canadians a voice: Federal NDP

NDP MP Taylor Bachrach’s proposal to change the voting age to 16 was on Wednesday rejected by the Liberal govern ment and Conservatives. The NDP said that Bachrach’s bill would have given young people a say in the decisions being made about the climate crisis, the lack of afford able housing and the cost of living that has a huge impact on young Canadians and their futures.

“Young Canadians have more at stake than ever before. They’re worried about the worsening climate emergency. They’re anxious about ever being able to afford rent or homes in their communities,” said Ba chrach. “Home ownership is at a 20-year low amongst young people and the sky-

high cost of living continues to make things worse. The political decisions being made right now impact young Canadians and their futures.”

The NDP noted that it is hypocritical that the Conservatives and Liberal government chose to reject the proposal. The Conser vative Party already allows 14-year-olds to vote in their leadership races and the Liber als claim to be champions for youth, while directly ignoring recommendations from their own Youth Advisory Council. The Lib eral government’s House Leader, Mark Hol land, proposed changing the voting age to 16 back in 2005, saying that doing so “repre

sents an incredible opportunity.” Today, he and his government had the chance to give young people that opportunity and they voted against it.

“The Liberals must now explain to young Canadians why they keep consulting them and then ignoring their recommendations,” said Bachrach. “Today was a huge, missed opportunity to include more, diverse per spectives and strengthen our democracy.

I’m proud of New Democrats’ work along side young people across Canada, and I have no doubt that together we will even tually succeed. We will keep pushing to ensure the voices of young Canadians are heard and valued in political conversa tions.” Taylor Bachrach

East Asian female student assaulted in apparent hate incident in Vancouver

VANCOUVER Police are investigating af ter a 19-year-old woman was assaulted while walking downtown on Tuesday morning, and police believe the incident may have been racially motivated.

At 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, a young East Asian woman was walking near Dun smuir and Cambie streets when a man she didn’t know hit her over the back of the head with a pole. The suspect used a racial slur, then fled the area as he con tinued making offensive comments.

“Although there were other people walk ing in the block at the time of assault, they couldn’t have prevented the attack because it was so sudden,” said Consta ble Jason Doucette on Wednesday. “Wit nesses called 9-1-1, provided informa tion about the suspect, and stayed with the victim until first responders arrived.”

The victim was injured and required medical attention; however, the injuries are not life threatening.

Officers flooded the area in search of the suspect; however, he has not yet been located.

“We are releasing a photo of the suspect that was taken just after the assault,” said Doucette. “With public safety our top pri ority, we need to get this guy identified

and arrested.”

Anyone who recognizes the suspect, or has information about the assault, is asked to call investigators at 604-7172541.

EVENTS

South Asian Adults and Seniors Programs

* Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC: Join us for the Group Birthday Celebration of senior members born between January 1 to Oc tober 1 at Shanti Niketan Hall of Lakshmi Narayan Temple, 8321 140 Street, on Satur day, October 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum will be the Chief Guest. There will be entertainment. Each member will contribute only $5 for joining. Only the members and the invitees who register will be admitted because the Shanti Niketan Hall has a limited capacity. The members who want their birthday to be celebrated, are requested to give their names and their dates of birth at an early date. Contact Surendra Handa, Coordina tor, at 604-507-9945 for registration and fur ther information.

* Yoga classes in person at Shanti Niketan Hall conducted by yoga instructor Ashwini Bansal on every Monday and every Thurs day 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 facemask and a yoga mat and maintain social distancing. Pure vegetar

ian lunch is served in the dining hall of the Temple to all seniors every Thursday after the yoga class. Contact Surendra Handa, Coordinator, at 604-507-9945 email suren dra_handa@hotmail.com for registration and further information.

* South Asian adults and senior members are invited to play Bingo on the House on Sunday, October 2 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Shanti Niketan Hall. Bring just two dollars for two games. Members will explain the game to you. Please use facemasks and maintain social distancing while seated. Tea and light snacks will be served.

Talk on Mahatma Gandhi’s global leadership by Dr. Shobhana Radhakrishna

THE Consulate General of India in Van couver will be premiering live a talk titled ‘Mahatma Gandhi’s Global Leadership for Peace, Non-Violence, and Satyagraha’ by Dr. Shobhana Radhakrishna, internation ally acclaimed speaker on Mahatma Gan dhi, to commemorate the 153rd Birth An niversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Sunday, October 2, from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. on the Consulate Facebook page https://www. facebook.com/cgivancouver.

Photo: Twitter

The suspect.

NDP leadership hopeful David Eby announces “bold” housing plan

DAVID Eby on Wednesday launched what he called “a bold housing plan for people” – the first major policy announcement in his cam paign to lead the BC NDP. His plan includes a suite of measures to build and support homes people can afford, right across the province.

Eby said: “Housing should first and foremost provide homes for people, not profits for investors. We’ve made progress by taxing speculation and building thousands of new homes, but across this province I see the des perate need to do much more to bring down the costs of housing.”

He added: “Today, I’m launching a new plan that will substantially increase the amount of housing being built, and level the playing field by chasing out real estate speculators and tax cheats, so everyone in B.C. can have a good home.”

To build new homes, a new initiative called BC Builds will use partnerships, as well as the province’s legal powers, financing ability, and public land, to fast-track the construc tion of affordable, middle-class housing in rural towns and urban cities. BC Builds will include a special focus on Indigenous Hous ing, both on and off reserve.

To secure housing and ensure fairness, a new Rental Housing Acquisition Fund will deploy $500 million in capital support to partner with First Nations, non-profits, and co-ops to buy and protect at-risk affordable rental housing and discourage speculation by investors. This will be paired with new tools to crack down on speculators, seize the proceeds of crime when they flow into real estate, close loopholes, and freeze shortterm profit making through a new flipping tax.

Eby said: “The only thing worse than doing nothing is to retreat from the gains we’ve made and trust market driven investors will do the right thing. That’s the [BC Liberal Leader] Kevin Falcon solution. Not only will it fail, it will push families who are barely holding on, over the edge.”

As Premier, Eby said he will remove barriers and bureaucratic hurdles that impede hous ing from coming onto the market, including by legalizing secondary suites in every region, and in major urban centers, allowing home builders to replace a single-family home with up to three units on the same footprint. At the same time, he will open up public land to build housing people can afford.

Eby added: “This undertaking will require all hands on deck, everyone working towards a shared mission and use every tool available to get results for people. I’m ready to tackle these big challenges because at the end of the day, people are counting on us.”

Eby said his plan will increase services for

New Westminster Police encourage victims to come forward following bear spray incident

ON Sunday, September 25 at approximately 6:30 p.m., New Westminster Police received a 9-1-1 call from someone who saw several youths fleeing the park after having been assaulted with bear spray.

When police arrived on scene, both the suspect and those who were victims in the bear spray attack could not be located.

“Officers believe the people suffering from the effects of the bear spray left the area,” said Sgt. Justine Thom on Monday. “We take assaults in our parks very seriously and we ask that they please reach out to us so we can learn more about what happened and find those responsible.”

If you know about this incident, or were a victim in this assault, you are requested to call the New Westminster Police Depart ment at 604-525-5411 and reference file 2214589.

people living in supportive housing, provide rental supplements for those who need it

most, and double capital grants to respond to homelessness. Detailed information on his plan can be ac cessed on his website at www.DavidEby.ca

David Eby

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

New Delhi: The Indian Government announced Wednesday it was appointing Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) – more than nine months after the death in a helicopter crash of the country’s first CDS, General Bipin Rawat.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence said Chauhan “shall also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs, with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders”.

This is the first instance in the country’s military of a retired officer returning after a period of time to uniform to serve as its most senior officer. Chauhan retired in May 2021. Rawat took over as

New Delhi (IANS): The Supreme Court on Thursday In a landmark judgment expanded the scope of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act and the corresponding rules to include unmarried women for abortion between 2024 weeks of pregnancy. It said limiting the provision to cover only married women will render it discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.

The bench said after the amendment, the scheme of the MTP Act does not make a distinction between married and unmarried women for the purpose of medical termination of pregnancies. The amendment Bill was termed as a "progressive legislation" introduced to uphold women's right to live with dignity, it added.

"If Rule 3B(c) was to be

CDS the day after his retirement as Army Chief.

In a career spanning over

nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Chauhan has held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India.

Commissioned into 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981, he is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

As Major General, he had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramulla sector in the Northern Command, and as Lt General, commanded a corps in the northeast and subsequently went on to become the Eastern Command chief from September 2019 and held the charge until his

retirement from service in May 2021.

In addition to these command appointments, he has also held important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations.

General Rawat was pushing forward the ambitious plan for reorganisation of the armed forces into integrated theatre commands among other measures to bring in synergy and efficiency.

The broad mandate of the CDS includes bringing about “jointness” in “operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three Services, within three years of the first CDS assuming office”.

interpreted such that its benefits extended only to married women, it would perpetuate the stereotype and socially held notion that only married women indulge in sexual intercourse, and that consequently, the benefits in law ought to extend only to them. This artificial distinction between married and single women is not constitutionally sustainable. The benefits in law extend equally to both single and married women," it said.

On July 21, the top court had allowed a 25-year-old to abort her 24-week pregnancy arising out of a consensual relationship. In the judgment, the top court dealt with various aspects of the issue, including forced pregnancy. The woman had moved challenged the Delhi High Court, which refused to entertain her request to terminate

her 24-week foetus, under Rule 3B, dealing with categories of women entitled to abortion, of the MTP Rules, 2003. The bench, headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, said the right to reproductive autonomy is closely linked with the right to bodily autonomy, which is the right to take decisions about one's body, and the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy on a woman's body as well as her mind cannot be understated.

"A mere description of the side effects of a pregnancy cannot possibly do justice to the visceral image of forcing a woman to continue with an unwanted pregnancy. Therefore, the decision to carry the pregnancy to its full term or terminate it is firmly rooted in the right to bodily autonomy and decisional autonomy of the pregnant woman," said the

bench, also comprising Justice A.S. Bopanna and J.B. Pardiwala.

The bench said the right to decisional autonomy also means that women may choose the course of their lives. Besides physical consequences, unwanted pregnancies which women are forced to carry to term may have cascading effects for the rest of her life by interrupting her education, her career, or affecting her mental wellbeing, it added.

The top court said: "Article 21 of the Constitution recognises and protects the right of a woman to undergo termination of pregnancy if her mental or physical health is at stake. Importantly, it is the woman alone who has the right over her body and is the ultimate decisionmaker on the question of whether she wants to undergo an abortion."

Why are right-wing majoritarian outfits not banned?: Owaisi

Hyderabad (IANS): All India Majlis-e-It tehadul Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said that the Centre’s ban on Popular Front of India (PFI) cannot be supported and asked the government why has it not banned right-wing majoritar ian organisations.

The Hyderabad MP said while he has al ways opposed PFI’s approach and support ed democratic approach, this ban on PFI cannot be supported.

The AIMIM President believes that a draco nian ban of this kind is dangerous as it is a ban on any Muslim who wishes to speak his mind. “The way India’s electoral autarky is approaching fascism, every Muslim youth will now be arrested with a PFI pamphlet under India’s black law, UAPA,” tweeted

Owaisi.

“How come PFI is banned but organisa tions associated with convicts of Khaja Ajmeri bomb blasts aren’t? Why has govt not banned right wing majoritarian organ

isations?,” he asked.

He said actions of some individuals who commit crime does not mean that the or ganisation itself must be banned. He point ed out that the Supreme Court has also held that mere association with an organisation is not enough to convict someone.

“Muslims have spent decades in prison before being acquitted by courts. I have opposed UAPA & will always oppose all ac tions under UAPA. It runs afoul the principle of liberty, which is part of basic structure of the constitution,” he wrote.

“We should remember that Congress amended UAPA to make it stringent & when BJP amended the law to make it even more draconian, Congress supported it This case will follow timeline of Kappan, where any

activist or journalist is randomly arrested & takes 2 years to even get bail,” he added.

Meanwhile, CPI-M general secretary Sita ram Yechury on Wednesday said banning organisations serve no purpose as they re surface under a different name.

Yechury said the RSS was banned thrice, and asked if that had stopped it from func tioning.

“So ban is not a solution. In the past also, banned organisations came up with a new name. Look at SIMI, it was banned and what happened,” said Yechury while speaking to the media here.

“All forms of terror activities should be stopped and so should the bulldozer poli tics,” he added.

Digvijaya finally joins race for AICC chief, but uncertainty still persists

Bhopal (IANS): After Rajasthan Chief Min ister Ashok Gehlot announced on Thursday that he will not be contesting the Congress presidential election, political observers in Madhya Pradesh have started assuming that the route for ex-chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh to become chief of the party seems clear to some extent. However, the final outcome will be known only after the contestants for the post file their nominations and the elections are held.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress seems to

Creativity&Experience

have united to support Digvijaya Singh. More importantly, hours after Digvijaya Singh took the nomination form from the party head quarters in New Delhi and announced that he would file his nomination for the AICC president’s election, state Congress head and ex-chief minister Kamal Nath called a meeting of Congress leaders at his resi dence in Bhopal and asked them to reach Delhi to back Digvijaya Singh.

Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh are of the view that the nomination of Thiruvana nthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor will not be a

Digvijaya Singh

roadblock for Digvijaya Singh, but suspense remained as another veteran leader Pawan Bansal has also taken a candidature form. “So far, things seem to be in favour of Digvi jaya Singh, but the final curtain is yet to come down and until then nothing can be said. Yes, Kamal Nath is coming out in his support definitely,” said a Congress spokes person in Bhopal.

There have been twists in every develop ment in the nomination saga in Madhya Pradesh since the day the election sched ule was announced last month, especially from Digvijaya’s side. He was the one who demanded elections for the post and hinted

that he would be one of the contestants. Not directly but indirectly he repeatedly made statements like “Let’s wait till October 30” and “Why are you keeping me out.”

Later, when the Rajasthan Congress crisis broke out and things started going against Ashok Gehlot, Singh, who accompanied Rahul Gandhi in the ongoing “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, was summoned to the party head quarters in Delhi. However, a day after he returned from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh, during a press conference, he said, “I will not be contesting the AICC president polls.”

Kamal Nath also went to meet Congress in terim head Sonia Gandhi a couple of days back and later he made it clear that he would be focusing on the Madhya Pradesh elections in 2023 and he was not interest ed in becoming the party’s national chief.

Political observes believe that Kamal Nath might have pushed Digvijaya’s name for the president’s post.

However, many said that Digvijaya Singh was interested in contesting the election and he has started his preparations for it. “See, Digvijaya Singh was accompanying Rahul and he was regularly commenting on this particular subject. He wanted to contest the election, but he perhaps was waiting for a green signal from the top leadership. Yes, it is possible that he got support from Kamal Nath,” said a Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh.

Surjit

Asaduddin Owaisi

MONTREAL: In a ceremony held on the side lines of the 41st session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal on Monday, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Inter national Solar Alliance (ISA) and the ICAO in the presence of India’s Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, France’s Transport Minister Clement Beaunne and ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano. The MOU was signed by ICAO Secretary-Gen eral Juan Carlos Salazar and ISA Chief of Op erations Joshua Wycliffe.

Last May, during his visit to Montreal, Scindia mooted the idea of the ICAO becoming a part ner organization of the ISA with Sciacchitano. The MOU was agreed on and completed within four months.

The conclusion of the MOU in the presence of Scindia and Beaunne carries forward the legacy of the bold initiative taken by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the thenFrench President Francois Hollande in 2015 at COP 21 [21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change].

The ISA is an alliance of 121 signatory coun tries and 32 partner organizations including many UN organizations. The ISA works for ef

ficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. It strives to devise cost effective and transformational solutions fort using renewable energy to member coun tries with a particular focus in delivering on

impact in LDCs [least developed countries] and SIDCs [small island developing states]. India has pledged for Net Zero Carbon goal in 2070 in COP 26. It says its approach continues to be human centric based on respect and

national ownership principles with a commit ment to one and all. India has pledged a tar get of installing 175 GW of renewable energy of which 100 GW will be solar energy by 2022, and reduction in emission intensity by 33-35 per cent by 2030 to let solar energy reach the most unconnected villages and communities.

Cochin International Airport in India became the world’s first fully solar-powered airport in the world in 2015.

India, with the support of France, has invited nations to facilitate infrastructure for imple mentation of solar projects. The alliance has committed one trillion dollars as investment and it is committed to making the costs of solar power more affordable for remote and inaccessible communities.

The ICAO is committed to reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector through its numerous initiatives and goals, and the partnership between the ISA and the ICAO through this MOU could not have come at a better time as it will trigger a range of in terventions towards developing the capacity of the states to use solar energy. It will work towards providing information, providing ad vocacy, capacity building and demonstration projects. It will enable the solarization of the aviation sector across all member states.

Bihar IAS officer apologises for her ‘condom’, ‘sanitary pad’ remarks

Patna (IANS): Senior IAS offi cer and Bihar Women and Chil dren Development Corporation

Managing Director Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, who had stirred up a controversy with her snide and abrasive responses to school girls in a public event here, on Thurs day apologised for her remarks.

In a letter, Bamhrah explained the utility of the “Shashakt Beti Sam ridh Bihar” event and apologised to the girl students. “If any girl was feeling hurt over my statements, I apologise to them.”

Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took cog nisance of the matter and said

that he will look into it and take action.

At the event, a student asked Bamhrah that as the government is providing school dresses, schol arships, bicycles and many other facilities to students, why couldn’t it provide sanitary pads for Rs 20 to 30 to girl students. That drew applause. But Bamhrah hit back, saying that although people are applauding, the fact is that these are endless demands.

“Today, the government would provide you with sanitary pads for Rs 20 to Rs 30. Then you ask for jeans, pants and then, beautiful shoes,” she said, adding: “When

it comes to family planning, will the government give condoms (Nirodh) to you. Why would I have a habit of taking everything free from the government? What is the need of it?”

At that, the student said the gov ernment comes to them to seek their votes. Bamhrah angrily re plied: “This is the height of stu pidity. You don’t vote and go to Pakistan. You are giving a vote to take money and facilities from the government.”

That girl student responded that she is an Indian and asked why she would go to Pakistan.

“The government is providing fa

cilities from the money of taxpay ers. If taxpayers are paying taxes to the government, why would they not demand for the servic es?” the student demanded.

Another girl student claimed there was a problem concerning toilets for girls in the school, say ing that the boys also enter the girls’ toilet and make them feel uncomfortable.

At this, Bamhrah asked if every student present in the hall had separate toilets for them at home, leaving many in the audience sur prised and shocked at the attitude of the senior IAS officer who de meaned the girl students.

(L-R) ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar and France’s Transport Minister Clement Beaunne.

Photo: Twitter

Harjot Singh Bamhrah

Chandigarh airport officially named as Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport

New Delhi (IANS): The Chandigarh International Airport was on Wednesday officially named as Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport as a mark of tribute to the legendary freedom fighter on his 115th birth anniversary.

The Chandigarh Airport belongs to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Chandigarh International Airport Limited is a Joint Venture of AAI, Punjab government and the Haryana government. Presently, the airport is connected to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai,

Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kangra, Kolkata, Kullu, Leh, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Pune and Srinagar. Internationally, the city is connected to Dubai and Sharjah.

The airport handled 17,936 international passengers and 2,271,233 domestic passengers in 2021-2022. In addition to this, the airport has also handled about 11,000 MT of domestic air cargo in the Financial Year 2021-2022.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ Radio broadcast on

September 25 had said that the airport will be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the great freedom fighter.

Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance unveiled the plaque in the presence of Bandaru Dattatreya, Governor, Haryana; Banwarilal Purohit, Governor, Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh; Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister, Punjab; and other dignitaries.

Mann urged the Centre to start more international flights from Shaheed Bhagat Singh

International Airport in Chandigarh to facilitate the Punjabi diaspora across the globe. The Chief Minister said that Punjab diaspora from across the globe has been demanding such flights to ensure air connectivity from the state to Canada, the US, Australia and other parts of the world. He said besides commuters from Punjab, these flights will also benefit the travellers from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and other states.

Have mission to accomplish after joining BJP: Amarinder Singh

Chandigarh (IANS): Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said he had a mission to accomplish after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“I have a mission to accomplish and that is to work for the interest of the state and the country,” he said.

Addressing his maiden press meet here after joining the party, Amarinder Singh said he wanted to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and party President J.P. Nadda.

Accompanying state party President Ashwani Sharma, besides senior leaders, the two-time Chief Minister thanked Modi for opening the Kartarpur Corridor and withdrawal of three

agricultural laws.

Besides, he added, Modi had special fondness for Punjab as whenever as Chief Minister he met him with any demand for the state, he readily accepted it.

Amarinder Singh slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government saying there was no governance in Punjab. He said what happened in Germany was unbecoming of a Chief Minister. He said it was Raghav Chadha who was running the show under Arvind Kejriwal’s command.

The senior leader said it was shameful for a government that being just six months in the power, it has to bring in the vote of confidence for itself. “That means you have already lost

the confidence in your own people,” he taunted the AAP leadership.

The veteran leader expressed doubts about the survival of the AAP government in Punjab, saying he was not sure how long people of Punjab will tolerate this government.

“We have to be battle-ready and whenever the occasion demands we will fight it,” he said.

Amarinder Singh also lashed out at Sikhs For Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, saying he was trying to malign an entire community.

“Punjabis have made a place of pride for themselves world over and the activities Pannu was carrying out was only bringing a bad name,” he said.

Confidence motion necessitated, says Punjab Chief Minister in Assembly

Chandigarh (IANS): Terming the Congress and the BJP as two faces of the same coin, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the confidence motion was necessitated as both the parties have joined hands to topple the democratically-elected governments in the state.

“The BJP is using anti-defection law as a new tool to form governments in the state through the backdoor and unfortunately despite of being its worst victim, the Congress is supporting it,” he said, while introducing the confidence motion on the first day of the Assembly session.

The Chief Minister said the BJP has toppled the elected governments in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and others by luring MLAs. However, he said they failed in their sinister moves thrice in Delhi and now also

in Punjab, they trying to purchase the MLAs.

He said the BJP is chasing a mirage of garnering power in the state.

The Chief Minister said the BJP is using its moneybags to cause irreparable loss to democracy. He said in the past, the Congress has done the same and now the saffron party is following in its footsteps.

Citing an example of connivance amongst the Congress and the BJP, Mann said the Congress leadership has started ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari to Kashmir but the poll-bound states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have been deliberately excluded to give benefit to the BJP.

He said that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has set a new agenda of public welfare in the politics, and due to this, the BJP leadership has been forced to shun its divisive agenda

and talk about the well-being of people. Mann said it is the AAP effect that the leaders who had divided the people are now seen inaugurating schools, colleges, and hospitals.

The Chief Minister said turncoats are ruling the roost now and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who had tacitly towed the line of the BJP during his stint, has now formally joined the party.

Training his guns at former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi also, he said for the first time any Chief Minister face of a political party has gone missing after defeat in an election.

As a fact of matter, fear of misdeeds during the regime is haunting the former Chief Minister due to which he is on run, he claimed.

Mann said these are the rejected leaders

who have been ousted by people for their non- performance. He said these leaders who have been shunted out of the Assembly by the people are now organising ‘Imaginative or Mock’ Assembly sessions to mislead the people and vent their frustration.

He said the people of state have given vote for the hope and AAP is making strenuous efforts to make Punjab a frontrunner state in country.

The Chief Minister said this motion reflects that people have faith in “us and we have faith in people”.

Mann said the BJP is making desperate attempts to purchase the confidence of the people but this will never be allowed at any cost. He said defeats are part of life but the Congress is not able to digest it due to which it is supporting ‘Operation Lotus’.

Amarinder Singh

Punjab Chief Minister Mann bats for strengthening ties between Punjab and Saskatchewan

Chandigarh (IANS): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday called for further strengthening of ties between his state and Canada, especially with its Saskatchewan province.

Meeting a high-level delegation from Saskatchewan which called on him at his residence here, he advocated strong and cordial ties between Punjab and the Canadi an province, noting that Punjabis have been playing a vanguard role in the social and economic progress of Canada.

The Canadian delegation was comprised of Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Trade and Export De velopment’s Assistant Deputy Minister, International Engage ment, Richelle Bourgoin, Sas katchewan India office MD Victor Lee, Consul General of Canada in Chandigarh, Patrick Hebert, and Vice President of Research at University of Saskatchewan, Baljit Singh.

Mann also said it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that a large number of Punjabis have also carved a niche for them selves in the political arena of

Canada too.

The Chief Minister also show cased Punjab as the most pre ferred industrial destination across the country.

He invited the delegation from Saskatchewan to encourage the entrepreneurs to invest in Punjab which has a favourable atmo sphere for industrial growth.

Mann said the state government has already put the state on a high trajectory of industrial growth

which will benefit the investors. Batting for further streamlining the mechanism to ensure that Punjabis settled in Canada are able to get the brand products of the state in a smooth and hasslefree manner, the Chief Minister said the renowned products of state like Sohna brand are ac claimed the world over, adding that the Punjabi diaspora have a special liking for it. Likewise, he said Verka prod

gang shooter arrested

Chandigarh (IANS): Punjab Police have ar rested Neeraj a.k.a. Chaska, the most want ed shooter of the Davinder Bambiha gang, for his involvement in multiple murders, in cluding the murder of student leader Gurlal Brar, Director General of Police Gaurav Ya dav said here on Thursday.

The murder of Brar, who was a close rela tive of a Canada-based alleged gangster Goldy Brar, has triggered an inter-gang ri valry between the Davinder Bambiha gang and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, leading to a spate of murders in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and the National Capital Region (NCR) Delhi.

Brar was shot dead outside a nightclub in Chandigarh in October 2020.

The arrested gangster Neeraj, a.k.a. Chaska, who is resident of Jaito in Faridkot, is the main shooter of Bambiha gang, being al legedly controlled by foreign-based wanted gangster Gaurav, a.k.a. Lucky Patial, who is the main handler of Bambiha gang after gangster Davinder Bambiha was neutralized by Punjab Police in September 2016.

Neeraj had been absconding since 2019.

Yadav said in an ongoing intelligence-based operation, a team of the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police, in coordi nation with central agencies has arrested Neeraj from Samba district in Jammu.

The police have also recovered two foreignmade pistols, besides 17 cartridges from his possession.

ucts like ghee, milk, butter, lassi, kheer, curd, ice-cream, sweets and others have already created a niche for themselves.

Mann solicited support from the Canadian delegation to enhance the supply of these goods to Pun jabis living abroad.

The Chief Minister also said that cooperation between both Pun jab and Canada, especially the province of Saskatchewan, can be mutually beneficially for them.

He said the need of the hour is to give a fillip to economic activity in Punjab and ensure the compre hensive development of the state. Mann also hoped that mutual co operation between both Punjab and Canada will transform the destiny of the youth of state by opening new vistas of employ ment for them.

The Canadian delegation assured fulsome support and cooperation to the Chief Minister in every field.

Richelle Bourgoin and Bhagwant Mann.

Photos: Chief Minister’s Twitter

Auto review by Veeno Dewan

For 2022, the Lexus NX has been completely redesigned with new styling, technology, and pow ertrain options. Externally the NX has new front and rear fascias, a revamped interior and specifically and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) mod el (denoted by “+” addition.) to complement the non-externally charged hybrid model. The plugin option allows up to a claimed 61 km of electric only driving range, with more available theo retically if you are light- footed and depending on other factors.

On the exterior there are inte gral headlights and DRLs, a clam shell hood, different wing mirror designs and a new full-width light bar at the back of the NX that sets it off very well .

F-Sport package models add more cosmetic upgrades inside and out. We tested a 450H + Executive package model that added such features as tri-beam auto-levelling LED headlights and special 20-inch wheels. The Exec utive package includes a head-up display, digital rear-view mirror, wireless charger, and other vari ous features.

Perhaps the biggest and much needed change is to the driver interface, namely the Lexus in fotainment system – now called “Lexus Interface”

Replaced is the finicky touch pad cursor system, by a touch screen interface – 9.8 inches in di mension that can be optioned up to a 14-inch unit canted towards the driver. The interface is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto com patible. There is also a very good voice activated virtual assistant to control functions. It can also rec ognize a variety of accents. You still get a few physical knobs and switches which is nice for people who still prefer a more tactile ex perience.

In terms of power, the NX 450h + is motivated by a pow ertrain shared with the Toyota RAV4 Prime. Namely, a 2.5L fourcylinder engine that produces 181 hp and a total of 304 hp when combined with the hybrid sys tem, and the 6.6 -kW AC charger. The 304 combined horsepower is transmitted - to all four wheels through a CVT transmission. Note, the hybrid system operates the front wheels, while an electric motor motivates the rear ones for all-wheel drive as needed. The electric powertrain is officially rat ed for 61 km on electricity alone when fully charged, which takes about 2.5 hours on a household 240-volt charger, or via a regular 120-volt outlet that will take longer to charge.

Standard features include allwheel drive, adaptive cruise con trol, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, power liftgate, heated steering

wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and dual-zone climate and much more. The Executive ver sion stickers for around $77,765, and adds the 20-inch wheels, ex tra driver-assist technology, pan oramic sunroof, head-up display, and more.

The Lexus’s interior is deci sively plush, lots of leather trim, metal finishes and high-quality plastics. The new touch screen is canted left towards the driver and the dash is typically Lexus look ing with a sporty high-tech design. Seats in all quarters are comfort able with good lumbar and sup port for long drives. The NX offers a roomy interior and has a mid dling 632-L of cargo space, plus rear underfloor cargo area and a power tailgate. Properly equipped, the NX can tow 907 kg (2,000 lb).

On the road, The ride is com fortable as well – smooth and the cabin is nicely hushed. The NX is agile with light, responsive steer ing and offers good control on

varying road conditions and sur faces. The NX’s suspension does a solid job ironing out irregularities with a good luxury feel to the over all driving experience

The NX features a handy “HVEV HOLD CHG” button below the shift lever that allows the battery to save charge for when needed mode. Meanwhile “Auto EV/HV”

button can specify EV motor use only.

On electric operation, the NX 450+ is rated by Natural Resourc es Canada (NRCan) at 2.8 Le/100 km. On hybrid operation, it’s rated at 6.2 L/100 km in the city, 7.0 on the highway, and 6.6 combined. Do note the 61km electric range is dependent on ambient tempera ture, accessory usage, AC use and driving style. Very impressive is the regenerative braking system , that does not have the sometimes alarming harsh or spongy feel as sociated with hybrid vehicles. It feels pretty normal. and provides confident safe and sure stops.

To close, the 61 km EV range is not a real deal breaker if you poo tle around town or have a short daily commute. Besides if you do suffer from range anxiety you have the backup of the gasoline engine as well- so what’s not too like? This new NX 450h is much im proved and deserves serious con sideration if you want a premium plug-in hybrid CUV that ticks all the boxes. Highly recommended.

2022 Lexus NX 450h + Executive model priced from $75,400 Plus options:

More info at www.lexus.ca

Riotsville, USA

Running Time: 91 min

Detroit is often known as Hitsville US A. People who ap preciate history will well ap preciate Riostville, U.S.A. This smart documentary zeroes in on racial problems south of the border.

Any of the problems confront ing American cities today can be traced to actions in the U.S. that begin in the 1960s though undoubtedly black and white tensions developed even ear lier. Through vintage televi sion clips as well as American government made “training?” programs we see the carnage that plagued countless cit ies throughout much of the tumultuous 1960s. Front and Centre as the man deter mined to put a stop to cross city neighborhood by neigh borhood violence was Presi dent Lyndon Baynes Johnson

who hand picked the Koerner Commission to help solve the clearly systemic problem.

Full of vivid action Riotsville USA is an important and in sightful documentary movie whose frank starkness will leave you shaken and stirred.

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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

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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 18 Sept.

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: doctordass@yahoo.com or doctor_daljit@yahoo.com

Seeking suitable match for a 31 years old, highly educated, working as a COO, Sikh girl. Caste no bar, currently residing in Delhi, India. Contact: 01191-98111-29363 (India) or Family in Canada: 778-713-8399 (Baljit)

Wanted a decent man for a 42 years young Punjabi beautiful, looks like 34, well educated, 5”8, with a cute 12 year old child. Contact @604-862-0726

CLI Falls in Second Quarter 2022

The BCREA Commercial Leading Indicator (CLI) fell to 153 from 155 in the sec ond quarter of 2022, but the six-month moving average hit a record high. Compared to the same time in 2021, the index was down by 1.6 per cent.

It is important to note that while the Canadian econ omy generally continues recovering strongly, the en vironment for commercial real estate remains highly abnormal and uncertain.

Although the CLI was de signed to interpret econom ic and office employment growth as positive indica tors for commercial real estate demand, the recent strong growth of these indi cators may not translate as readily into improved con ditions in the commercial real estate market relative to the pre-pandemic period.

The CLI fell in the second quarter due to deteriora tions in the economic and financial components of the index, while employment contributed somewhat pos

itively. The economic activity in dex was driven downwards by inflation-adjusted de clines in wholesale trade, retail and manufacturing sales. Rapid appreciation in the consumer price in dex caused by supply chain obstacles and the war in Ukraine meant that rising nominal values in these economic areas were offset after adjusting for general price growth. The financial component of the index was negative as a result of falling REIT prices.

Although falling spreads between corporate and government costs contrib uted positively, it was not enough to bump the finan cial component of the index into positive territory. The index’s employment com ponent was slightly posi tive, with a rise in office (fi nance, insurance and real estate) employment offset ting a fall in manufacturing employment.

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ASKING $21,50,000

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WHAT’S the most absurd image of healthy living? It’s a picture of a young woman us ing a leaf blower to clean up leaves in her yard while wearing ear protection, eye pro tection, and a mask covering her nose and mouth. The only thing that makes good sense is the mask.

It’s the leaf blower that is most offensive. The first offense is the condoning of laziness. A leaf blower nearly eliminates the physical effort needed to clean up the leaves. In the past, we may have looked upon this as a good thing. Less work equals better life. False!

Raking up those leaves offers a wonderful cardio workout, in the lovely outdoors, re sulting in the satisfaction of a job well done. It’s exercise that can be self-paced. The twisting and bending are nothing but good! The second is environmental. Gas-powered leaf blowers spew pollutants at astound ing rates. A remarkable study in 2011 com pared a consumer-grade leaf blower to a 6,200-pound Ford F-150. The tests found that a 4-stroke leaf blower emitted “almost sev en times more oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and 13.5 times more carbon monoxide (CO)” and a 2-stroke leaf blower emitted “23 times CO and nearly 300 times more non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC)” than the pick-up truck.

One reporter calculated that the “hydrocar bon emissions from a half-hour of yard work with the two-stroke leaf blower are about the same as a 3,900-mile drive from Texas to Alaska.” Gulp.

How about noise pollution? These machines can produce levels between 80-92 decibels (dB), and sometimes over 100 dB for the op erators. At a distance of the length of a semitruck trailer, the noise can still measure over 70 dB. No wonder neighbours get annoyed. Why do dangerously noisy leaf blowers ex ist? One wisecrack observer noted we allow it “for the same reason that builders made chimneys to be cleaned by starving, fright ened orphan boys: it was not yet illegal.”

In fact, leaf blowers are banned in some cities and subject to increasing regulation across North America. But the pace of law making is slow.

Removing the leaf blower from the scene, what about the mask worn by the woman in the picture? There may be good reason for this.

Fallen autumn leaves can be a haven for molds, pollen, and weeds that cause aller gies. The plentiful fall pollen of ragweed, for example, travels far and can settle on all those leaves. Leaves dampened by rain or morning dew become a haven for mold. Raking up the leaves can send pollen and mold spores into the air, causing aggravation for asthma sufferers.

Dr. Purvi Parikh is an allergist and spokesper son with the Allergy and Asthma Network.

“Most people associate allergies with spring, and often fall allergies get mistaken for vi ruses and other infections due to weather getting cold,” she notes. The distinguishing feature of an allergy is that it does not cause a fever. However, if an allergy leads to a si nus infection, a fever can result.

One more thought about those leaves. They are full of nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. These are the ingredients for healthy soil needed by pro ductive gardens, beautiful landscapes, and all the grasses that are home and sources of food to diverse wildlife.

To see the picture of good health, look at those falling leaves with anticipation and

Rake up the leaves this fall

admiration, not dread. The rake, a pair of gloves, and maybe a mask are the items to use this fall when tidying up the yard. Remember moderation too. Raking leaves can be just as strenuous as shoveling snow. And that’s the next thing!

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Dr. Ken Walker (Gifford-Jones) is a gradu ate of the University of Toronto and The Harvard Medical School. He trained in gen eral surgery at the Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University and in Gynecol ogy at Harvard.

Diana MacKay writes in collaboration with her father under the pen name, Diana Gif ford-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.